Jason Wachob is a one of the founders and CEO of the wellness juggernaut company and website Mind Body Green, the author of the book WELLTH: How I Learned to Build a Life, Not a Resume, a long-time friend and a force of nature.
I met Jason back in 2010 when I was still working at a museum and wondering if I could ever have an actual design & wellness business of my own. He was one of my first trailblazing examples that: Yes, I could!
After overcoming his own debilitating pain of back issues where surgery was recommended with yoga and lifestyle switches (the amazing film The Connection features Jason’s story along with other incredible healing stories), a wealth of interest in wellness sparked the Mind Body Green revolution.
In the very early days of Mind Body Green, Jason wore nearly every hat (from editing, writing and loading posts to finding contributors to shooting videos on the fly), and did it all with joy from the outset. While Mind Body Green has awesome co-founders, at the start it was Jason working full-time from home in Brooklyn building the core of the content, community and momentum that exponentially grew to become Mind Body Green today.
My take-away from years of contributing and collaborating with Jason — even on the design of the Mind Body Green Headquarters, where the pillars of the company became manifest in plants, community-based art and attention to sustainability — is a big one. If you have a big dream to make the world better, don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves, dive into action and make it happen. And: do it all with gratitude!
Jason’s new book WELLTH: how I Learned to Build A Life, Not A Resume kept me busy for weeks fine-tuning my own wellness routines and re-thinking decisions to build a life that’s brighter, bigger and more fulfilling. From top-flight nutrition to hard-won love lessons, business philosophy to meditation, Jason’s very personal journey in wellness and fulfillment is an awesome story in itself. What’s most unique is that every chapter of WELLTH ends with ideas and exercises from experts shared so that you can embark on your own wellness journey in actions. Admittedly, I thought I’d be reading a wonderful memoir and had no idea how many times I’d put the book down and start making notes, plans, calls and changes sparked from it’s pages!
It’s such a joy to share Jason’s work and words and ideas. He’s such an ultra-example of the power of staying grounded, building a positive community, having supportive friendships, living in love (his wife Colleen is another of my favorite people and their relationship is so inspiring) and sharing excellent ideas to make the world a happier, healthier place!
Q & A
If you had an extra hour in your day every day, how would you spend it?
Sleeping!
If we could peek into your refrigerator, what would definitely be there?
Almond milk and almond butter are always staples for my morning smoothie.
How do you make yourself at home?
I’m still working on that one as I spend too much time at the office (which is very close to home!)
What’s the best wellness purchase you’ve ever made?
Tie between my manduka extra long yoga mat and Vitamix.
The one material object in your home that you cherish…
I love our “Grattitude” piece from Peter Tunney.
The one gadget or app that we all should have…
I get a kick out of how many steps I take so for me it’s a Jawbone.
The daily habit that’s been game-changing…
Meditation. I meditate every day for 20 minutes, sometimes twice a day.
The best lifestyle decision you ever made…
I met my wife and got married. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Where do you go/ what do you do to find inspiration?
I love walking in Brooklyn or Manhattan. There’s so much energy and inspiration everywhere!
