We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alison Heller-Ono a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alison , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
From 1987 to 1993, I worked as a physical therapist helping injured workers return to work after a work injury. I would always ask, “How did you get hurt at work?” and they would tell me how they were injured. Then I would ask, “Are there any systems in place or training provided by your employer to help you work safely?” The employees almost always respond “no”. I realized then employees needed education in safe work practices and proper work techniques and employers needed help evaluating work areas to make them safer and how to implement the right systems to avoid injury. This “lightbulb” moment revealed employers and employees needed my expertise. I began to study the science of ergonomics and explore the benefits of using it for work injury prevention and management, improving employee health, wellbeing, and productivity.
In addition to my peaked interest in 1993, the State of CA was developing legislation to reduce the cost of workers’ compensation insurance and claim costs for employers. Cal-OSHA was mandated to develop an ergonomics regulation, and the Americans with Disabilities Act had recently been enacted encouraging the employment of people with disabilities and protecting injured workers.
These events told me I was on the right path to developing a business focused on using the science of ergonomics to provide solutions for a healthier workplace. I started Worksite International, Inc. and never looked back! I became one of the first woman-owned consultancies in CA to focus on ergonomics as a service.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am the President and CEO of Worksite International, Inc. I am passionate about how people work! As an entrepreneur, pioneer, and bold industry leader in the ergonomics marketplace since 1993, I’ve helped small to mid-size multi-national and global employers keep employees healthy so they can work to their maximum potential. I am a trusted advisor and consultant to clients who desire a safe, comfortable, and productive workforce. I am also a coach and mentor to professionals desiring to learn about occupational ergonomics. I’m creative and innovative, focused and driven to improve the lives of employees at work, and the companies they work for.
I have a unique skill set as a Physical Therapist combined with dual credentials as a Certified Industrial Ergonomist (CIE) and Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) along with a Certified Disability Analyst (CDA). My sought-after expertise in preventing and managing work-related musculoskeletal disorders while finding reasonable solutions to drive change in organizations has kept me going for over three decades. I have performed ergonomic evaluations on thousands of people since starting my business and use my skill set to identify the root cause of early symptoms or injuries. I’ve been able to help prevent people from becoming injured and helped those with injuries to stay at work or return to work because of my expertise.
Worksite International helps employers save thousands of dollars while boosting morale and productivity through the science of ergonomics. WI’s focus is on office, home, remote, lab, and industrial ergonomics. We provide both onsite and remote consulting, training, and evaluation services.
Under my guidance, we launched the Worksite International Ergonomics Training Academy (WIETA) in 2019 featuring online corporate courses targeted for employers and employees to learn about ergonomics at work. The Academy also offers professional courses to become certified ergonomics specialists (CASp, COESp, CRESp) using the Worksite International System of Ergonomics Evaluation (WISEE)® and the Worksite International Ergonomics Process (WIEP) ®. I also created the Worksite International Chair Assessment System® (CAS) to determine whether to keep, repair or replace a chair in the workplace, and fit a new one to an individual.
I’m so excited as we just launched Worksite International’s first cloud-based software, Ergo-Case Tracker® for ergonomics managers, ergo specialists, and others responsible for ergonomics in the workplace. The software is designed to track an employee’s ergonomics journey from the time of request to case closure and everything in between. It provides leading indicator tracking for prevention and claim avoidance, essential metrics, and ROI reports for management to measure the magic of prevention!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
There have been several times through my three decades of business when I had to pivot and strategize my way through some tough times. Doing so has revealed how resilient I am and my business.
The first time was leaving my role as a full-time PT in 1993 to start my business. Breaking out of the clinic mold and creating a unique business plan to launch our ergonomics services was bold. I gave up a stable job, career path, and steady pay to embark on a business few knew anything about. Ergonomics was not a household word back then! I started by going part-time contracted and part-time with my business, slowly ramping my business up to full-time. It took about 3 years.
The next time was right after 9/11/2001. Like everyone, our lives changed that day and none of us knew what the fallout was going to be like. I had just invested in a new 4000 sq foot office space to include an ergonomic product showroom and training room to support my national growth strategy. Within 9 months, I was headed towards bankruptcy as I couldn’t afford my rent or my staff of six. I was forced to downsize and relocate, letting go of four employees down to just two, myself and my executive admin/office manager. We powered through a difficult time by focusing on essential training to help professionals learn the theory and practice of ergonomics. I took my workshop on the road for 4 years delivering our training all over the USA. We certified hundreds of professionals as Office Ergonomics Specialists (COESp) becoming the foundation of the WIETA.
The next time was in 2007/2008 during the recession. Things were bad and business was terribly slow. An opportunity came up to interview as the Ergonomics Manager for the County of Monterey which needed an ergonomics process to reduce claims and costs. I had all the right stuff and they hired me for full-time employment. I became the first Ergonomics Manager for the County of Monterey of the 52 counties in California. I downsized WI and went to work full-time for the COM for 6.5 years.
The next pivot came in 2014 when I realized my County boss was a bully. Despite trying to change the relationship and resolve the problem, I realized nothing was going to change his behavior. As I was incredibly stressed from the year- long situation, I decided to return to WI and relaunch my business. It took tremendous effort as so much had changed with the age of social media, digital marketing and more. I have never looked back and know I made the right choice.
I‘ve been at my business diligently growing it since 2014. I built the Worksite International Ergonomics Training Academy and went live about one year before the pandemic, and this year launched our first SaaS product, Ergo-Case Tracker.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Several things have helped me be successful. I am tenacious, determined, curious, and fearless. I don’t take no for an answer when it comes to my goals and dreams. I understand systems and how people work. I learn from others and develop my methods and way of doing things that align with the research and body of knowledge in my industry. I seek peer review and concurrence on my theories and methods. Then I test my theories through practice to ensure I deliver reliable and effective services. I am honest and have a lot of integrity and pride in myself. I share what I know with others and am not afraid of competition because I am unique to what I do and how I do it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.worksiteinternational.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alison.hellerono
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-heller-ono-98a13a13/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRPQj3wU6w-J4Vve2n1SDAg