We recently connected with Haley Prophet and have shared our conversation below.

Haley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

When I graduated with a degree in Health Promotion there was lots of skepticism of friends and acquaintances as to how I would put this to use. I, however, never saw a doubt about the work I would be doing. My first job in this field was a unique beginning. I was a new resident in the Tampa Bay area after having moved from my Midwest roots and was exploring what opportunities were available. I was immediately pleased to see an interesting post at the Tampa YMCA. Of course I was eager to so quickly find something that I thought would be of interest to me. It could be a stepping stone, I imagined, to figure out what journey I wanted to take in this field so of course I was excited for the interview and even more enthusiastic when they extended me an offer for the position. Here is what made this so unique. While I was an employee of the YMCA I wasn’t actually working at any of the area YMCA locations. Instead, I was onsite staff at the Tampa Yacht Club. What a beautiful venue, grounds, historic property and of course gorgeous view of Tampa Bay. Just thinking back to this experience has me reminiscing on the experience of being new to a city I was not familiar with but incredibly motivated to do work in my field of work and to begin to cultivate my true passion for workplace well-being and it all started by simply putting one foot in front of the other and taking that first role, which lead to the next, and then then next and so on.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My interest in health promotion, worksite wellness and now well-being was not anything I ever had on my radar as a little girl playing with dolls and playing tennis. Rather, it was a pivot I made in the middle of college. I had initially thought about an entirely different work/career/professional path entering college as a freshman. It was into my sophomore year that I learned of a bachelors degree in health promotion and immediately was keen to learn more. However, I had a very tough decision to make. Transitioning to this major would require me to attend a different university. Ugh. What a difficult decision to make as a 20 year old. Nevertheless, I felt incredibly compelled by the work.

I firmly believe that my passion for this work and the impact it makes is both my why and how. The passion drives my compassion for workplaces to evaluate their why and to purposefully tie well-being within that. The passion fuels my action to instill practices, share education, awareness and resources as well as take action to embrace a culture of well-being as the way of work – not something separate from it.

All of the experience, the passion, the expertise in this field leads me to where I am now. I support workplaces in a fractional capacity who are ready to begin their journey to incorporate well-being into the culture and way they work or to provide strategy and review around what they currently offer to elevate its impact for their workplace and people. I love the work so much and now can support a variety of clients all taking steps to ensure they are properly caring for their greatest asset – their people!
I am honored to be an inductee into the Emporia State University H.P.E.R. Hall of Honor as well as recognized as a Top 100 Wellness Professional and Top 50 Wellness Professional to name a few designations.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Of course experience, credentials, certifications, etc. are all important for personal growth and development as well as professional development, however I would challenge equally important and possibly more valuable are the interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence we can all practice and be aware of. We all may define our own success different from one another and that is great. What we define similarly is being driven by purpose. While the purpose is unique to each of us, we can relate to having a purpose. Part of success in the corporate well-being space absolutely includes taping into your purpose, knowing your passions, pursuing how workplaces prioritize non-technical skills and embrace human sustainability practices. Other helpful notes in this field include listening more than you speak, asking lots of questions to help others get to clarity, empower and inspire don’t deflate and finally, have compassion – both self-compassion and compassion + empathy toward others.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I were to go back to younger year’s and ponder my future profession and line of work…I don’t feel there is a single thing I would change. In fact, I likely would have selected this field of work and my major even sooner if I had known more about it at that time. The field of wellness and specifically workplace well-being is always evolving. While some foundational information may never change, we evolve what applications, implementation, and evaluation looks like. We prioritize conversations and strategize to find better ways to work. It is looking at the bigger picture of human sustainability to see we are not just “doing a job” but rather living with purpose. Yes – every single job anyone has can absolutely be tied to a bigger purpose and to the individuals purpose. I am privileged to be a part of a profession that is continuing to advocate for both the employee and the business to thrive. It doesn’t have to be just one or the other, it can be one plus the other.

Contact Info:

• Website: haleyprophet.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleyprophet/