We were lucky to catch up with Marc Kerachsky and Leslie Morgan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Marc and Leslie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
The truth is that we had been sitting on one too many Microsoft Teams calls that felt like the proverbial “Groundhog’s Day”. Part of the same global team, Marc was in the quagmire of a global marketing position that felt like everything but marketing and Leslie was an operations leader navigating corporate procurement realities that prevented meaningful strategic progress.
Yet, here we were – pulled into what felt like the same discussions with really good people over and over again. The fact that we were all navigating a pandemic (or trying to) made everything feel even more acute. In addition to working on achieving the goals and objectives set forth for us, we were also all part of important cultural initiatives that were to help us work better together. Key concepts like “psychological safety” and “inclusion” were front and center.
Yet, when we spoke to other colleagues, they all seemed to have one common conclusion – one that was felt but not often spoken: “Is any of this going to matter and why don’t the things that need transformation happen more easily?”
We got to talking about it. Leslie started commenting on how, in the therapy world, you just can’t say “Trust is important to us”, you have to do the hard work to ensure it is a felt sense to start to make it ok to have difficult conversations, or even at a minimum, work with environments that are changing in profound ways or may be otherwise complex.
Marc, being a humorist/stand-up comedian, of course, had a funny take on it, but also a serious experience in using humor and its techniques in previous roles to help ideate and problem-solve. And just like the “you got peanut butter in my chocolate” origin story of peanut butter cups, the seeds were germinated.
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?
Considering our combined professional backgrounds, VitalConex has been in the making for half a century. Marc brings over 25 years of experience in global marketing, content, and communications across non-profits, government, and large corporations. As a “restless creative,” he’s also dedicated time to writing and performing comedy and music. Leslie boasts a similar tenure, having led operations and finance at creative agencies and corporations before transitioning to licensed therapy, focusing on private practice and non-profits promoting mental health access.
In essence, Leslie and Marc founded VitalConex as seasoned business professionals with diverse expertise in marketing, finance, operations, psychology, humor, and storytelling. We like to say we are “business-bred and human-led.”
Our approach at VitalConex blends psychological safety with creativity grounded in humor, offering a unique and dynamic method to unravel obstacles, and fostering space and vitality for fresh perspectives on challenges and their solutions. We specialize in workshops, training, embedded engagements, and speaker series, addressing various corporate challenges such as:
• Change management and transformation
• Cultural and team integration (mergers, acquisitions, etc.)
• Crisis and setback management
• Forming new teams
• Post-layoff recovery
• Strategic planning
• Ideation and team development
Amid a crowded field tackling similar issues, what distinguishes VitalConex is our “high-touch” approach. From the initial discovery call to the final deliverable, we guide clients, emphasizing the importance of building our own psychologically safe relationship, crucial for credibility.
Another key aspect of VitalConex is our understanding of team building beyond its initial stages. We do not separate team building from the overall goal of the team – whether it is strategic planning or creating a Vision and Mission, recognizing the synergy needed for sustainable organizational transformation.
Our insight came from observing that cultural initiatives often operate separately from essential strategic and planning efforts, hindering long-term impact.
Our journey to launch VitalConex spanned two years, during which we rigorously tested our ideas with input from a Fortune 100 team and referenced extensive research on the role of trust and humor in team dynamics. We identified a gap in solving the challenge of sustainable, positive change.
Our approach involves creative, engaging workshops that establish a psychologically safe foundation and harness collective team creativity to address specific goals. It’s gratifying to hear that our methods continue to resonate and endure.
We liken ourselves to the preparatory work before painting a room—essential tasks like cleaning, spackling, and taping that make a significant difference. At VitalConex, we perform this foundational work for teams, ensuring it’s effective, enjoyable, and far less messy – and a lot more fun.
How’d you meet your business partner?
Our “how we met” story may be a rarity – it certainly isn’t common.
Our paths crossed not through work, a meet-up, or mutual friends, but rather at a Buddhist Sangha, a community-led-by-laypersons that gathered on Monday evenings.
Since then, we’ve each pursued our own spiritual journeys independently. Yet, it was serendipitous that our shared initial steps on a spiritual path ignited our connection, leading us to create something we hope will evolve meaningfully – for ourselves and for the teams we work with.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
VitalConex emerged from two significant side projects, each cultivated over many years.
Leslie made a profound career shift, transforming what was once a business-focused path into a personal calling. Unlike straightforward career transitions, hers involved a return to graduate school, a substantial financial and time commitment, all while balancing a full-time job. This journey encompassed rigorous academic pursuits, meeting licensing requirements through thousands of clinical hours, and ultimately achieving licensure.
Meanwhile, Marc, driven by his passion for writing, ventured into stand-up comedy as a means to connect with fellow writers and pursue a dream of contributing to The Daily Show. His comedic journey led to performances on an international stage, the release of a streaming recording on platforms like Spotify, a published book of essays, and opportunities to teach.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vitalconex.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitalconex/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vitalconex
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mkaye91
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/marc-kaye/sets/if-only
- Other: https://www.leslieamorgan.com/
https://www.marckayetoday.com/
https://www.marckerachsky.com/
https://open.spotify.com/album/6O7zbac4YeU4kYDO9DoOCX?si=-QxJoIaWQI60g7PwjNENYg
Image Credits
Photograph by Kelli Abdoney