Women In Wellness: Elise Tjernagel Of BetterMynd On Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Wanda Malhotra
To borrow from Brene Brown: clear is kind. And it’s really hard to do “clear” well. But avoiding truthful conversations or feedback helps no one.
Today, more than ever, wellness is at the forefront of societal discussions. From mental health to physical well-being, women are making significant strides in bringing about change, introducing innovative solutions, and setting new standards. Despite facing unique challenges, they break barriers, inspire communities, and are reshaping the very definition of health and wellness. In this series called women in wellness we are talking to women doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness trainers, researchers, health experts, coaches, and other wellness professionals to share their stories and insights. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Elise Tjernagel.
Elise has more than 12 years of b2b and b2c communications, sales, go-to-market and marketing experience focused on deeply understanding her audiences, their needs, and what messaging will resonate with them. She has worked for more than 10 years in the Higher Education field, focused on technology that supports the student lifecycle, especially student success. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from Gordon College, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from Simmons University.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I’d say my top intersecting identities are as a Marketing/GTM professional and leader, a mom to a young girl and a toddler boy, a long-time partner to my husband, a sister to my seven siblings, a daughter, and a spiritual being — which sounds esoteric, but is really central to my ever-emerging sense of self. Strip away what I do and my roles, and that’s all that’s left!
I came to tech marketing and GTM work through major gifts fundraising and tech sales. As a kid I was always printing up a new business card for some venture or another — all true examples and businesses where I made money: Elise’s Wild Flower Florist, Elise’s Cakes, and “Salon 108” (haircuts in the basement of my dorm), so I tend to have a sales orientation to everything I do. Marketing came into the picture both through my MBA and the serendipitous departure of the Marketing VP at the business where I was the Sales Director at the time. The CEO asked if I wanted purview over both Sales and Marketing — and I was off.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
When I was still learning the ropes as a major gifts fundraiser, I had one meeting with a very senior semi-retired financial services executive that really stuck with me. I met him at his office in a beautiful high-rise in Boston’s financial district, and from my perspective, the goal of the meeting was for me to learn about his philanthropic interests, hopefully connect that with the work of the program I was representing, and ultimately solicit a gift.
What happened instead was that he was very interested in who I was — and my personal values. I was about 27 years old at the time (he was in his 70’s) and I felt pretty confident about what mattered to me and why, drawing from my, frankly, not very investigated Judeo-Christian upbringing. Then he challenged me. For almost the entire hour- long meeting! Most notably, I remember him saying that in the end “money can solve all problems.” I told him I disagreed. Now I think it’s an idea worth debating.
It was the most unexpected and thought-stimulating meeting I’ve ever had. And I’m still thinking about it!
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I wish mistakes would hurt my ego and my feelings less than they actually do! What comes to mind is around some of my early experiences in hiring and managing people. The mistake was hiring an amazing person, for a job they were just not equipped to do in a tech startup environment. And the real root of the mistake was that I was so desperate to fill the gap, I rushed the hiring process, didn’t stop to really consider the hiring criteria (e.g., hard requirements like startup experience, or specific project or technical experience), so I didn’t interview enough candidates. The result was excruciating for me and this person — having to roll out a performance plan, demoting/shifting the role, and ultimately “managing them out.” The emotional cost of the experience was so high, and ultimately it slowed things down — instead of speeding things up as I was so desperate to do! Hire slow (fire fast).
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
We know that the mental health crisis on college campuses is reaching epidemic proportions and students are in dire need of support. The number of students seeking counseling has increased more than 60% since 2020 and more than 85% of college counseling centers experienced an increase in demand for online therapy. College counseling centers are struggling to meet increased demand and successfully address the broad range and complexity of student mental health concerns. On top of that, every college counseling center director will tell you that each student has individualized needs, making the need for individualized solutions even more important. From my personal life, I have had many close friends and family members experience mental health challenges during their college experience — from managing intense isolation related to Covid, to grappling with life-long anxiety and depression, to coping with the unexpected loss of a loved one — and that each person needed the individual support and care of the right counselor.
This is precisely why the work we are doing at BetterMynd is so impactful. BetterMynd is an online therapy platform that centers on the mental health needs of college students and the college and university counseling centers that serve them. Unlike other solutions, our model of case is aligned to individualized student needs. This means that there are no restrictions on how many counseling sessions are allocated per student and there is a roll-over provision from one year to the next for any unused sessions. Through our partnerships with over 100 colleges and universities and our diverse network of more than 400 licensed mental health clinicians, we are now averaging more than 1,400 attended 50-minute online therapy sessions every month. This is enabling us to redefine the online therapy experience for students, reaching more students with high quality care that is accessible, affordable, and stigma-free.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing?
1 . Institute a meetings-free day and stick to it. If you feel overwhelmed or frustrated with your calendar or schedule it’s time to get back in the driver’s seat. We’ve all got more control over how we spend our time than we might think or feel. I had a boss who told me that you should happen to your calendar — your calendar shouldn’t happen to you! This was and continues to be great advice. I find that a true meetings-free day to be one of the greatest game changers for increasing both my productivity and job satisfaction.
2 . (But actually) read (the right) book (for you) before you go to bed. This isn’t original, and most of us know this advice already, so I’m just here to pile on. With this tweak: really think about what reading material is appealing to you at the end of the day. Be honest, not aspirational. I realized that some combination of poetry and spirituality really appealed to me — so that’s what I keep on my bedside table. Maybe novels will get in there someday, when and if it sounds nice.
3 . Find new people in your kind of role/position and have off-the-record conversations. Engaging in meaningful conversations with like-minded people is so humanizing and helpful. Every time I connect with a new tech marketing leader, I feel both affirmed in what I’m doing (“hey, I think I’m actually doing some good stuff!”) and get new ideas or resources. People are generally great and are eager for a grounding, open connection.
4 . Use a “welcome” practice. My executive coach introduced me to this about three years ago during a very stressful job transition where I had many “unwelcome guests” (i.e., my feelings). Since then, I’ve used a welcome practice daily. Google it, find one you like, and simply welcome all of your guests. It only takes a minute and can change your entire day.
5 . Reframe when you feel stuck! Another great tool I got from a different executive coach is to stop and reframe an existing belief. We’ve all got persistent, unhelpful “tracks” (like tracks on a music album), but when we think about it differently, we may experience a better outcome.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
It would be something around weightlifting for women — with an educated and attuned trainer/coach. I’ve been a dedicated weightlifter (mostly functional, some power) for 16 years and it is absolutely foundational to my sense of power, peace, and mental well-being. This practice also helped me quickly and completely recover from my two pregnancies, which is such an overlooked aspect of many women’s physical and mental experiences (with often life-long negative consequences).
I believe the sense of personal empowerment and practical health benefits — especially if you’re postpartum — would change how women feel and move in the world.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- Not everything has to have a “goal” — simply wanting to experience a feeling might be the better thing to pursue (e.g., I want to feel peaceful on Sunday nights before entering the work week).
- You can always change your mind/beliefs — there’s tremendous freedom in “emptying the cup.”
- Do your part, then step away and trust [God/the universe] to do its part. Nothing is ever 100% on you.
- “People problems” in organizations are most often “processes problems.” It’s been shocking to me how true this is — and while different personalities and communication styles will always be present — the infrastructure and processes people are working IN, are almost always the root cause of conflict or tension.
- To borrow from Brene Brown: clear is kind. And it’s really hard to do “clear” well. But avoiding truthful conversations or feedback helps no one.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Definitely mental health. Right now, the mental health epidemic facing college students has reached an all-time high, impacting 77% of students. Far too many students are struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns that are preventing them from becoming the best version of themselves. Sadly, 1,400 college students die each year from completing suicide, and 10% of students experience suicidal ideation.
At the same time, with the right care and support, people with mental health issues can learn how to cope and manage their mental health and well-being. I am extremely proud to be working at BetterMynd, a company wholly dedicated to making it easier for college students to get help that is tailored to their individual mental health concerns. Being part of a company that keeps this mission at the center of everything helps us connect hundreds of thousands of students who are at a critical developmental time in their lives with the personalized mental health care they deserve.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
Please feel free to follow me on LinkedIn.
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.
