Coping with Anxiety and Stress at Work
Interview with Tasha Holland-Kornegay, Founder of WIRL
Tell us about WIRL. What do you do?
WIRL (Wellness in Real Life) is the only company on the market that motivate and inspire healthcare professionals identify and overcome burnout by connecting them to highly selected products and resources.
What is your startup’s origin story?
My burnout symptoms were irritability, being less productive at work and home, overwhelming stress, and cynical thoughts were my symptoms. I was an occasional coffee drinker, it wasn’t mandatory. It was my treat. I used the time to reflex. I noticed the change when my coffee intake increased. I no longer sipped the coffee- it was more rush gulping type energy- like save me! I’ve always been pretty upbeat and balanced. I think it started when I opened my health care practice, having to manage 13 Clinicians, and having a baby at 42.. I never just stopped! My burnout was a mixture of home and work life. As a mental health professional, I understood what I was dealing with, but refused to address it until it was too late. After I finally came to grips with the reality, that I was experiencing burnout- I immediately put a plan in place to solve this. I began with a to do list- prioritizing my task, giving myself room to leave task to return to. I also implemented a timer alert on my phone with a break reminder. Because of my burnout experience, I created a platform to help other healthcare providers too-
Had you been involved in the industry before this startup? What is your background?
I come from a mental health background. After I received my Ph.D. in Counseling, I became a Licensed Mental Health Clinician and held positions for some great organizations, like public schools and non-profits. Eventually, I established my own healthcare practice and got to work with some incredible health professionals. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and that, combined with my own experience with burnout, led me to WIRL.
What’s unique about your company? What are the key differentiators between you and other players?
WIRL is the first-ever company designed to help healthcare professionals prevent burnout while also helping small businesses reach more targeted customers and ultimately increase revenue.
Take us through a day in your life. What does the typical day look like?
I wake up at around 6 am and begin my day with meditation. Then I prepare breakfast and wake up my son. We have about an hour to eat and get ready, and then I drive him off to school. The rest of the morning is spent answering calls and emails before heading to the gym at around 10:30. After that, I take my morning break, which normally means listening to so relaxing music. At noon, I pick up my son and we grab lunch. My husband gets home from work and takes care of him for the afternoon — and that’s when my workday really starts! From 2–5 pm, I’m taking meetings, staying up to date on anything tech-related, and continuing to keep up with my emails and phone calls. At the end of my workday, I write up a list of things to work on tomorrow, and then I head home. I like to call my mom on my way back, or I listen to some relaxing music. Once I get home, I play with my son and we sit down for a family dinner. Once he’s sent off to bed, my husband and I recap our days and try to get to bed by 10!
What has been the most challenging part of growing your company?
Major shifts in how we do business, such as moving to remote work, tend to slowly phase in as it becomes easier to set up the necessary infrastructure, complete trainings, and get recruits on board. The pandemic pushed a lot of us into this new world prematurely, which means plenty of businesses felt growing pains, and others just didn’t make it. As someone who has been involved with remote work for the last few years, I know that the technology is there — businesses can achieve remote work at scale, but it’s going to take preparation. Ensuring that employees (who may come from different backgrounds or technological competencies) have the equipment they need is one thing, but making sure they know how to use it is another. Businesses going remote also need to put some serious thought in securing all of their digital operations. Keeping your data safe when your workforce is spread across the country is going to take unique and robust security measures, so a versatile IT team is essential.
What has been your best marketing channel? What are some channels you are looking to explore next?
Instagram — hashtags put the world at our fingertips, and Linkendin are my best marketing channels. I’m excited about expanding my network by engaging all social media platforms.
What apps do you use that you would recommend to others?
Slack, and Hootsuite are my go to. They both save time!
Do you have a book, podcast, or Youtube channel you would recommend to other Entrepreneurs?
Read this book: Anything by Fred Rogers.
If you could go back in time to the day you founded your company, what advice would you give yourself?
Different companies are going to strive for different customer experiences, so the best advice I can give myself s to map our the type of experience you want to offer, and then build it out from that idea.
