Thinking Edge Interview with Jessica Lynch, Founder & CEO of Wishroute with a “Thinking Edge” in forensic consulting and wellness.
Welcome to Thinking Edge with Ed Boudrot.
Ed
So we couldn’t be more grateful to have Jess Lynch who’s the CEO of Wishroute with us today. Just an amazing journey, amazing background. So I’d like to introduce you to Thinking Edge.
Jessica
Thank you excited to be here.
Ed
Awesome. We’d like to start with you know your background, Jess and more about Wishroute as you go along. That would be awesome.
Jessica
Yeah, sure. Absolutely.
Ed
Great.
Jessica
Well, thank you for having me. And it’s exciting to be on the Thinking Edge podcast. I started my career as a as an entrepreneur at a very young age with a variety of side projects. My first business was breeding hamsters, it was a total failure, because I learned I was terrified of hamsters. After my parents got me one, thank goodness, they thought ahead and realize I shouldn’t get two for breeding business until I was all in. So I definitely found early on, you have to be passionate about what you do to succeed because business is hard.
But I’ve always been very passionate about health because of my family’s journey through my brother being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a kid. And my mom actually wrote a book about how we rally together as a family to make lifestyle changes to take a team approach. And she slowly helped us all change the way we moved one little habit at a time and Danny’s health improved so much that we got to share what we did with other families and help them do the same. So from a young age, I understood the power of what we eat and how we move impacts our bodies. And that’s definitely driven me to start Wishroute.
But I went to business school to combine my passion of health and business and ended up having a career in consulting, specifically forensic consulting, investigating fraud and government contracting disputes, litigation, which was very exciting. And it brought me all over the world, I worked with pharmaceutical companies, aerospace and defense, banking. So it was a nice way to get a broad exposure to a lot of different business issues and build the leadership skills and technical skills to kind of do anything on my own and ended up going back to Babson for my MBA after that, when I got that kind of nugget of inspiration for Wishroute. Which really came when I was hearing a lot of people around me say I wish I exercised more, or I wish I eat healthier. And I just kept hearing it over and over. It’s like we have a wish epidemic what’s going on.
So I took that kind of forensics investigative mindset to the problem and concluded that when people are successful, they have accountability. But there aren’t great forms of it. You can have a friend keep you accountable. But oftentimes someone’s motivation fizzles. And a one on one coach is expensive, and they don’t necessarily text you every day, you might see them once a week, once a month. So we started Wishroute as your accountability buddy and a text message based support system to help you follow through with what you want to do. But taking the learnings from my family’s experience with lifestyle change and help people break down the barrier to success. When we feel successful, we keep going. So breaking down lifestyle change to the smallest thing, focus on one thing at a time, one goal a day. So that instead of trying to change 10 things at once you’re changing one thing at once extremely successfully.
And with this positive, encouraging support along the way from the Wishroute team, who you’re texting with on a daily basis. So that was kind of how Wishroute started. And now there’s been an evolution, especially with COVID, where we found we can be most helpful and there’s the most opportunity to actually help other wellness businesses increase their engagement and retention and conversion of their users by helping their users build a habit around their product. So that’s what we’re now doing. And that’s what Wishroute is. Definitely blending a mix of my forensics background, passion for health and entrepreneurship.
Ed
That’s, that’s an amazing background. I’d love for you to drill into the, you know, you use the words forensic mindset.
Jessica
Yeah
Ed
And it’s that is super unique, and something I hadn’t really thought about before. And, you know, love you to tell us about the forensic consulting part of it. And it sounds like he did much of that for Wishroute. So I’d love to hear more about that.
Jessica
Definitely, I think the best adjective is curiosity. Also persistence, and taking the ego out of it, you know, being curious, asking good questions, being organized and just having a relentless passion for finding the truth, which you know, all applies to startup life. But in forensics, we had a framework of you first you identify the problem or goal. It could also be, you know, a situation you’re trying to get clarity on, but there has to be some sort of problem statement or something you want to figure out. Then you collect a lot of data and analyze that data and then you make a decision. Maybe write a report and communicate it. So the way I think about this applying to startup life or business in general is, you know, we’re asked to make a lot of different strategic decisions throughout our careers and our day to day jobs. And so whenever you’re faced with a choice getting really clear on what you’re deciding what the implications might be so kind of narrowing in on a situations like one recently we had was, we started Wishroute as this accountability service, and we were working with gyms and then COVID hit.
Ed
Wow
Jessica
And gyms weren’t going to be a good channel for us. And so we needed to identify the next kind of go to market group, which we determined would be digital wellness, but at the time, it was just, okay, the problem is our current go to market channel is not what it used to be because of COVID. And so we need to find a new one. Okay. That’s the problem, then collecting data. And I think people often don’t really think through all the different forms of data that they might analyze, because that can come from, you know, market research, certainly. But it should also come from stakeholders, so customers or potential partners, end users and having conversations and even as simple like sniff test wise as the people around you, you know, can you say what the problem is to them, help them understand and get their perspective, because sometimes the best perspectives come from people you don’t expect.
But also making sure you’re asking your team advisors, investors, those are all key data sources. And then in addition to any kind of other actual data you have in your system. And so for that, we met with all our advisors and investors, I did a lot of market research had populated lists of all the different types of companies we could work with and started having conversations with those companies to determine which ones were like I need you right now, this is my biggest problem, let’s go. And then the third stage is reporting, deciding, communicating. And I think, as a leader, sometimes it can be hard to remember to kind of cap the decision to communicate it. So that was really important piece that I learned from, you know, being hired as a forensic consultant is obviously they need the result.
And so making sure you’re sharing the result with those that helped you along the way. So I then once we made our decision on our go to market strategy, went back to those advisors, investors that I had spoken to you and then also made sure I told the team because everyone needs to be rowing in the same direction understand the decision. One other kind of tidbit I’d share about the collecting data process that I learned through forensics is when you’re trained as an investigator you learn, everyone wants you to like them. And so when you’re investigating something, though, you need the truth, which is often very hard for someone to tell you, because they might be throwing a co worker sort of under the bus that could face legal ramifications for what they did. And you know, in more customer discovery things it might be I hate the color of your screen, it might not be legal ramifications. But people don’t want to tell you hard things.
And so it’s really important when you sit down to let them know the best way they can help you is to be completely honest, and that there’s many ways for your success. You don’t need to hear any specific thing from them. You just want their deepest, most thoughtful thoughts without any filter. And just meeting- trying to break down that human behavior thing we have of wanting people to like you, you know, so you can get to the hard things they have to share with you.
Ed
Wow, that’s, that’s amazing. I really love that application. How long did it take to pivot? Once you recognize that, you know, your target consumer was was gyms and then you had to move on? I mean, all of what you just described, how fast was that pivot.
Jessica
It’s been about two or three months. And we’re just kind of now executing our first pilot that came out of that pivot. So I think what took some time was when COVID hit, there was so much uncertainty, and no one knew what they were going to be doing in the next few months. Everyone was kind of let’s make sure we can make payroll, how do we stay afloat? How do we figure out how long this is going to last? You know, our gym partners were like, let’s push back two weeks, you know at first and it’s like, okay, well, this is gonna last more than two weeks unfortunately.
There was a lot of like letting the market sort of find a new normal before we could draw any real conclusions, because any of these companies that are now excited to work with us, I bet if we had talked to them a month after COVID started, there just wouldn’t have been any focus. They were just trying to keep the ship going, rather than do any kind of improvement of the business.
Ed
Right. I love that. So that’s a incredibly quick pivot and all companies were going through that phase of uncertainty and then, you know, as we go along, figuring out new new models, one of the things that’s super compelling about Wishroute is you know you said you’re starting to work with wellness companies. And it’s interesting, there’s such a need for that seeing that in health care and in many different ways.
How does Wishroute help kind of that that nudge factor that wellness companies may not have? Because it sounds like you’ve, you’ve really hit a really compelling value proposition in a lot of different ways. I mean, everyone’s on their mobile device all day, all night. And it becomes kind of a conduit for change. Right? So I’d love to hear more about that.
Jessica
Absolutely. The biggest kind of proof that there’s a problem to me is that the average retention for a wellness app after 30 days is 7%.
Ed
Wow.
Jessica
So a lot of problems with that. Because first of all, like you said, just the human nature side, people are using their phones, downloading these wellness apps and products and services, because they want to make change. And so that’s incredibly sad that people aren’t getting the support they need during the first few days to make sure they’re successful and actually are able to make that change, they want behavior change is so hard. It’s really, really hard. And so, you know, without any kind of human accountability component, it can be really hard to make change, when you have accountability increases the chance of success, you know, at least tenfold there’s been different studies done by the American Training Institute.
But having someone that you know, cares checking in, is extremely powerful. And yet most of our health and wellness apps we have available to us are purely content based, incredible content, really exciting, innovative fitness videos that keep everyone interested from dance to hit, you know, even Peloton, and we have tons of meditations that are directed by amazing content creators and thought leaders in the mindfulness space and nutrition plans that have been better research than ever before.
But it doesn’t, doesn’t keep you accountable, you know, health and wellness app open rates are- the app notification open rates are only 14%. And so in terms of getting in front of someone, there’s this gap. And so with Wishroute, we compliment any kind of wellness program or regimen by using SMS as a complimentary communication channel to help those end users first of all rise above that app notification open rate because SMS is a lot more powerful the communication method, but also keep it super personal.
So we’re texting relevant links to that program or product service app so that people are remembering to open it because part of it is remembering to do the thing. And making sure it’s very personal recommendations so that you’re finding value right away in what you downloaded. And then checking in at the end of the day with those end users. You know, did you make sure to log all your food? Did you do a meditation? Did you do your workout video, you know, whatever they signed up to do, and enabling a two way conversation is a wheat- white label Wishroute. So if you download it, you know the Headspace app, the Headspace team would be checking in to see, did you find what you needed? Do you have any questions? Are you making time for yourself? Do you need any tips because those first few days especially are so critical in behavior change to add a new product like a vitamin, or a new app, like fitness videos, or meditations into your day to day.
Ed
That’s amazing. I often think about the way health care is today. And it should be wellness. And that’s where the focus should be so that there isn’t a health event. Right? Much like your mom did with her book and your family. Right, keep people as healthy as possible. And it’s it’s interesting hearing you talk because as you were talking you, you really went back to forensics, you know, there’s proof to the problem, only 7% of the people it really requires support, what is the truth? What happens when someone’s engaged? And how do you communicate with them, and really kind of closing that forensic loop in a way, right in your own product, which is amazing.
Jessica
Absolutely. That’s a great parallel.
Ed
That’s very cool. I love it. I would also since since you’re a CEO, and you’re in startup mode, and you know, you’re relying on your forensics modeling, and I’m sure many, many different other things. But I’d love to think about new aspiring CEO, or could even be an entrepreneur or trying to do something completely different within an enterprise. What would the three pieces of advice that you’d give them to find that that path?
Jessica
Absolutely, I thought about this ahead and I’d say I’ll give you a summary of the three and then I’ll dig into each three. So I think it’s important to foster our intuition. Think it’s really important to build a wide network with a diverse group of people to have around you and to do just enough. So I’ll go back to the first one about fostering intuition. I think it’s really important to surround yourself with diverse perspectives. And if you’re using the people around you, it also means you’re getting a lot of input. So therefore, I think intuition is key, that grounded gut feeling that helps you wave through assess trends and make sound decisions, which I foster my intuition through a lot of mindfulness practices and my meditation practice that I do every morning. Because you need to feel solid and safe inside to make thoughtful and strategic decisions, whether that’s in your own career and driving innovation at your company, or whether you’re starting a new company, it’s good to have input, but you need to assess it from a grounded, solid place.
My second piece of advice would be, again, to build that wide range of relationships to get those diverse perspectives. So I say take meetings, say yes to people asking you for advice. Even if someone doesn’t feel like a direct line to something you need right now, you never know when someone will share something really insightful, that’s key or have a connection you didn’t even know they had, like, my neighbor has introduced me to some of our investors, and they’re just a childhood friend. So you just never know. But it’s so important to build two way genuine relationships. So it also means keeping in touch and offering your help to them. Even if there isn’t something clear you can help them with, you never know. And then not being shy to ask for help and advice in return.
And then my third piece of advice is to do just enough. Time is so critical in business and startups because usually time equals money. And so it’s really important to move quickly. And I think being iterative is the most effective way to build value quickly. So making sure that first experiment of any idea you have is the absolute minimum viable experiment, which may be just leaning over to your coworker or friend and trying to explain your problem and thought process about the idea. Because even just having to say it out loud, will help you with then your next experiment, which may be writing it out to your boss, or to an investor or advisor, which may then refine what you actually get in front of end users. And so just thinking through that minimum viable experiment, and doing just enough to get the feedback you need to do the next thing, that’s just enough is the most efficient way to build value in my mind.
Ed
That’s great. Yeah, I love that. And I think, you know, fostering intuition is probably something that is not talked about a lot. I loved your idea around mindfulness and having a solid safe inside, in leveraging your intuition for decision making. I don’t think a lot of people talk about that.
Jessica
And it’s harder and more important with so many external factors going on around us like there are right now, I think the first step to doing anything with your intuition is just to be able to identify how you currently feel. So it’s about keeping a pulse on if you feel stressed or overwhelmed or scared. Normally, it’s identifying where’s fear showing up.
Ed
Right.
Jessica
*Laughs* So just being able to pinpoint it and go, okay, I’m worried or scared about x allows you to separate it a little bit and find more space, but it’s a practice. And if you can’t identify what’s triggering you or why you’re feeling a certain way, then that’s where you start before you start doing any kind of meditation or other practices. I think it’s just first by being internally more aware of your what’s your whys, what you’re scared of that then helps you show up more sound and safe. What about you? Do you have a mindfulness practice?
Ed
I do. And I’ve been working at it for two years now. And it’s always- it’s almost like going running, right? Sometimes you have good runs, sometimes you have not so good runs, but it is an exercise in clearing the mind. But to your point, really clearing the mind enables you to make a more clear decision and feel, you know, safe and solid inside and feel at peace which is which is tough as a CEO, right?
Jessica
Yeah, yeah, it’s really tough. But it helped me learn, when I’m attached to something like to when we feel attached, then we worry more, if the outcome isn’t gonna be that or we get harder hit if we don’t get our way. And of course, you know, you want to have opinions and you want certain things, but there’s so- there’s infinite ways things can come about.
Ed
Right.
Jessica
And so feeling attached to any one thing, it only drives you crazy. So that’s something I’ve learned is to, you know, have a preference of how something works out. But not feeling like my whole life is dependent on one partner or one email cause it keeps you more grounded.
Ed
Yeah it’s great. I’ve started a practice I started a while ago, but I call it letting it go. But to your point, it’s making sure you’re clear on kind of your your intentions, right. And you have a good intuition about that and saying, alright, great. I did the best I can I’m gonna let it go. And then, you know, kind of move on in a way and let it happen.
Jessica
That’s the perfect mantra. Yep.
Ed
*Laughs* right.
Jessica
Yeah. It’s not that you don’t care. It’s not that you’re passionate- you’re not passionate.
Ed
Right.
Jessica
It’s just you need to then do the most of you can the rest of the day. And in order to do that, you need to feel at peace.
Ed
Yeah, exactly. I love that. And then, you know, to your point around, so you know, fostering that intuition, creating that wide network. And I think even your mindset, even talking now, it’s like, I want to, you know, talk to you next week and create that relationship such that we can help each other. Um, so that that wide network. And then being conscious about investments and making sure it’s just enough, I love this concept of thinking in bets. So you know, how much are you betting? Like, how much time are you allocating to this experiment? And if it’s, you know, let’s keep it brief, but learn as much as we can or place a big bet. Because your intuition says yes so.
Jessica
Yeah. Oh, that’s the perfect mix. 100% agree.
Ed
Great. Well, Jess, this has been amazing going deep on, you know, meditation, forensic consulting, you know, how Wishroute is coming, coming along, and just couldn’t be more pleased and grateful for you today. So thank you.
Jessica
Thank you. And I look forward to talking to you more soon. For sure.
Ed
Sounds great. Thanks so much.
Overall, we believe in inspiring others to embrace their inner greatness. Thinking Edge helps form a leadership centric community and captures the voices of leaders around the universe. Through interviews on the podcast, we highlight the key insights and perspectives from interesting people who have achieved excellence in both work and life.
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