Randy Sundell is a Well-Being Champion at Consumers Energy. Find out what he does and how he got here. Listen in as we discuss being your best you and the resources that are available.
William Krieger
Hello everyone and welcome to Me You Us, a well-being podcast. It’s another well-being Wednesday here at Consumers Energy. And I’m your host Bill Krieger. Today, my guest is Randy Sundell, he is a well-being champion at Consumers Energy. So Randy, if you’ll introduce yourself, we’ll get the conversation started.
Randy Sundell
All right, thanks Bill. Like Bill said, I’m Randy Sundell and one of the new well-being champions. My coworker who came on board with me, I’ll be teamed up with is Jen Malinowski. And we’ll be working on the well-being team with our supervisor Sarah Szul. I am very blessed to have this opportunity to come on board to start a fresh new team. With this great team that’s already been established. We just added two new members, you know, move forward with well-being at Consumers Energy. So, it’s a privilege to be here.
William Krieger
Well, we’re glad to have you here. Randy, I think as we look at events of the last couple of years, well-being is going to definitely be front and center as we take care of our coworkers going forward. So, we appreciate that you’re here. But you know, I did interview Jen, who is your partner in crime. And we talked a little bit, but I’m sure there are members of the audience who are wondering, what the heck is a wellbeing champion? And what do you do for a living? So, could you talk a little bit about what a wellbeing champion is? And what it is that you’re going to be doing?
Randy Sundell
Sure, yeah. So, our strategy right now is to just come on board and help Sarah, develop what she’s already put in place for employee wellness, and well-being. It’s just to continue to develop and implement health and well-being programs, activities, to all of our CMS employees, their spouses, and retirees. So just, you know, 12 months of the year working on any type of program or activity that’s already been in place, and then also because we’re new, we’re always open to ideas, very innovative approaches, we want feedback from all of our employees. You know, if they’ve worked somewhere else, and in an industry and found a well-being program or activity successful, elsewhere, feel free to bring that to the table, we’re always looking for new and improved ideas. And especially I think, now in 2022, after the whole COVID pandemic, you know, we’re really going to focus on that mental aspect, a little bit more. So, you know, getting out there, utilizing Headspace and all of our different types of resources that we have to offer for employees. So very excited.
William Krieger
Well, and we’re excited to continue the journey that we’ve been on with well-being, it sounds like you have a lot of knowledge and some passion around well-being and taking care of our coworkers. You know, you’re new to the company for all intents and purposes. So how did you get here? And what drove this passion for wellbeing?
Randy Sundell
Yeah, well, I think, you know, first of all, the word passion is very, kind of how I got here, right. So, I started out, I think, just kind of having been a hobby of wellness, when I was probably 18 or 19, trying to figure out what I wanted to do in college. So, I kind of used the hobby of, you know, just working out and utilizing nutrition. And just seeing family and friends just coming up to me and utilizing me as a resource. So, I figured, why not get paid for this. So, I went and got a bachelor’s degree in public health, and then a master’s degree in healthcare administration, where I spent 10 years in the public health field. When the pandemic hit, I realized how much politics do play a role in public health. I mean, being a non-political guy, I knew that there was the corporate health field umbrella that I could pursue. So, with the Health Care Administration background, I went to Cigna where I was a contractor for the Chicago Transit Authority as their wellness manager for just over two years. And that’s kind of where I got my feet wet with, you know, well-being very much closely related to the same type of atmosphere as CMS. So, it was a nice transition from what I was… what I was used to, to kind of, you know, get in get my, you know, hands dirty with CMS. You know, starting with a new team kind of bringing my ideas, my experiences in, along with Jen, and Sarah, who’s already kind of developed what we have going on right now, which is just a great well-being team. I always laugh us three, we call ourselves the A team. I think everybody probably does that. But we really, I think we really are because we haven’t even met one another yet. And we are just, I feel like we’re just pushing through, you know, coming up with great ideas for all CMS employees and their spouses and the retirees. So, my hat’s off to just my two teammates, for you know, just really grabbing this and going with it is as quickly and efficiently as we can.
William Krieger
Well, that brings up another interesting point, and that is, you know, I think that there’s a whole generation of people now with remote work, who are hiring into companies and starting new positions, where they never really meet their coworkers, or they don’t meet them right away, or it might be a year before they meet them. Now, you and I got to meet out in the field. And that was great because I like putting, you know, a real face to name because, you know, zoom and teams doesn’t do that justice. But what is that like for you? And how is that different from other jobs that you’ve applied for and started?
Randy Sundell
Sure, yeah, I feel like I’m more of that hybrid as well. It was, you know, like, the day I met you out in Kalamazoo, that was great to finally, you know, I get to see your face on a team’s thumbnail, but you know, to actually see and meet you and you know, have lunch, it was just a great, great time to get out and meet some of my coworkers face to face. Being 36, I’ve kind of grew up in that face-to-face slash technology world where it’s, you know, remote using technology. So, for me, I strive for a very hybrid approach. I know that well-being, we still need to get our faces out there to kind of have that face-to-face interaction. Because it’s very emotional, you can read, you know, emotion, a lot better face to face, obviously. But then there’s also times where, you know, especially in the Midwest, where weather, you know, doesn’t permit, so then we have to utilize technology. But I think being flexible and being able to change at the drop of a hat is, is very beneficial in this type of role. And, you know, in the in the world we live in these days, especially.
William Krieger
I would definitely agree with that. You know, it’s interesting, something I learned is that I always thought wellness and well-being were the same thing. But what I’m finding out is that they are not that, wellness is really kind of one aspect of overall well-being whereas well-being kind of encompasses the holistic approach to the whole person. Can you talk a little bit about well-being and that holistic approach?
Randy Sundell
Yeah. So, you know, like, I mean, hit it right on the head right there. I think a lot of people do use the wellness and well-being terms in a very interchangeably or loosely. Where, you know, at CMS, we really concentrate on our five pillars of personal well-being. For 2022, we came up with “Me at my Best”, as our slogan, right? So, we’re just concentrating on people focusing on just them at their best, right? So, you know, with the many social media outlets, I think it’s just shown that there’s always a, you know, a one way of well-being right, so, well everybody lives a different lifestyle. So, this is really going to tailor to each individual in the company to you know, be them at their best and well-being. And then we concentrate on our five pillars. One being physical, two financial, three, emotional four social, and then the last one is professional. So, we always want to focus on all five of the pillars to have that grand scheme to just be the outcome of being you know, you at your best. So, you can’t really concentrate just on one pillar throughout the year we want you to focus on really striving for you know, focusing on all five pillars throughout the year to really get you at your best.
William Krieger
Well and let’s unpack “me at my best” for just a minute here because I caught what you said that many times, we think of me at my best as everyone is the same and this is how you do it and go. And, you know, I think there are a lot of new year’s resolutions that fall off the cliff on in about a day or two. So, we talk about me at my best, it really is me at my best and me at my best is going to be different probably than you at your best and someone else at their best. Because we look at the five pillars of overall well-being, I may be very strong in certain pillars where I may need some work, I have challenges and other pillars, and that’s not going to be the same for everyone. So, what are we doing so that I can be me at my best?
Randy Sundell
Basically, what we’re going to do as well being champions is, we’re going to give all employees resources for all five pillars. we’re not just going to focus on one or two, we’re going to really strive to push all five pillars throughout the year just so that they can be them at their best.
William Krieger
So Randy, you talk about the five pillars and some of the support mechanisms we have out there for our coworkers. Could you talk just a little bit about what resources are available?
Randy Sundell
So, one thing I do want to talk about first is our new employee well-being portal that we have. We did have a different vendor in previous years. So, this year, we’re kicking off with a company named WellRight. It’s a nice, very user friendly, innovative portal where employees and their spouses can interact, and engage in incentive programs, different types of lunch and learns, webinars, any type of education or preventative health type activities is a one stop shop for them there. And that is cms.wellright.com, where employees can log in, and start logging their wellness and well-being. And then another one is that I like to touch on is Headspace. This is going to really focus on the emotional pillar of our pillars at CMS. It’s just an app or you can log in on your computer, you can have just a few minutes just to kind of meditate just to kind of get the mind right before you go to bed, when you wake up, whenever you’re feeling stressed during the day. Really utilize that great, great portal for any type of emotional support that you may need.
William Krieger
Well, you know, Jen, and I talked about Headspace and I use it throughout most of last year. I like to get up in the morning and meditate. But this year, my wife and I are actually meditating together using Headspace. And that’s been a great experience for the last…well, we’re recording this in January, but we’re four days in and it seems to be working out very, very well. So, I really do enjoy Headspace.
Randy Sundell
Yeah, it’s, I use it for I think I’ve mentioned this to you before Billl is, I have issues sleeping at night, at times can’t shut the brain off. So instead of you know, having a blue light on, I just, you know, have a voice kind of guide me and help me sleep. And I found that very helpful. So, I’m waking up a little bit, a lot more rested, actually. So, I’m going to thank Headspace for that.
William Krieger
Well, that’s an important thing for people to know too is that Headspace has great meditations. But there’s also different programming to help you sleep at night. Mindful eating, there’s stuff for kids, there are all kinds of great things within Headspace. So, if our listeners have not checked it out, please check it out. It is free to all of our coworkers at Consumers. But anyone anywhere can check out Headspace, even if you don’t work here at the company.
Randy Sundell
And then there are also Guidance Resources, which could be a one stop shop for all employees which would cover all five pillars. There is just a numerous amount of information assistance, employee assistance programs available to all of our employees. So, if you haven’t done that yet, go check our guidance resources out for all types of wellness and well-being related resources for you.
William Krieger
And, Randy, I wanted to go back to you were talking about WellRight and the new portal. Now I know in prior years I’ve used LiveWell 365, the app on my phone to access that because I’m not always at my computer as many of our coworkers are out in the field doing other things. Will there still be an app for that?
Randy Sundell
So, there is an app it just if you go to the Google Play or the Apple or the iTunes store, you can just search WellRight and then simply download it and then just log in with your username and password. And you have it right at the at your fingertips. So, if you’re out in the field, you want to check in on something you have access to it 24/7 365. So, it’s a very innovative app too and very user friendly. I actually prefer the app over the website. But that’s just personal preference. But I suggest utilizing both.
William Krieger
I’m 100%. with you on that. I love using it. I love using an app. But just as with Headspace, I have found that their portal has been great to use for other things as well. But I’m an app person, everything’s on my phone. So, it just makes it easy for me.
Randy Sundell
Yeah, definitely. I’m the same way. I think when I’m in putting a lot more data, I would want a bigger screen on the on the website versus the portal, but or the app, the app is nice to just kind of check in on little, little things throughout the day.
William Krieger
I find as I get older, my eyes are much happier with the larger screen. I have two very large screens actually in my office right now. So, 100% with you on that. Right. So, I did this with Jen when we recorded her podcast, and we didn’t talk about this ahead of time. But when you mentioned Headspace, I’m thinking, wouldn’t it be great if the audience could maybe check out a meditation? So, would you be willing to meditate with me if I pull up a meditation and the audience can kind of hear how that sounds?
Randy Sundell
Absolutely.
William Krieger
Alright, so here we go. I think that with a lot of stuff going on, it’s getting towards the end of the first quarter of the year, everyone’s kind of back into the groove after the holidays, a few months back, you may be feeling overwhelmed. So, we will go ahead and try all this meditation for feeling overwhelmed. And within the Headspace app, or on the portal on your desktop, you can log in in find a little button that says SOS, if you click on that, it will pull up these SOS, three-minute meditations. They’re great for anywhere. If you’re driving, please pull off to the side before you meditate, or make sure that you’re stopped in a safe spot. Anyway, you can meditate anywhere. And so here we go.
Meditation
So, no matter what it is left you feeling overwhelmed right now just take a moment to yourself to pause, undisturbed. Just begin by taking a big deep breath, breathing in through the nose, noticing how the body expands as it fills with air. And as you breathe out through the mouth. Just gently closing the eyes, just allowing the breath to return to its own natural rhythm. And we’re just going to imagine that all that thinking, all the sensations, emotion, physical tension in the body, just going to begin to melt away. I’d like you to imagine a steady stream of warm sunshine flowing down through the head into the body. It’s as though as it travels into the body, it just dissolves any of that thinking, any of that feeling. Just refreshing the body, leaving you feeling a little more relaxed and at ease. And that sunshine we’re just going to watch as it begins to fill the body and the toes through the feet into the lower half of the legs again, just melting away any discomfort. You begin to let go of those thoughts and moves into the upper half of the legs. And sunshine, bring your sense of warm, have space into the body. Continuing up through the stomach and the lower back. All the way up into the chest, the upper back, and the shoulders. And just allow any thoughts to come and go. Just watching is that sunshine, that sunlight fills every part of the body as it travels down the arms to the hands and the fingers. As it continues to flow down now filling up through the neck and the throat into the head and the face. Every single last part of the body. Just feeling more spacious, more at ease. Sense of warm of sunlight. Just dissolving any feelings of discomfort or of being overwhelmed. Just allowing that feeling to remain, just bringing your attention back to the body. Back to our feeling of contact. The awareness coming back to the space around you. And then when you’re ready, just gently opening the eyes again.
William Krieger
Alright, so I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a little more relaxed than I did that I did.
Randy Sundell
Definitely.
William Krieger
So, for the audience, that’s really a very quick meditation. If you’re feeling overwhelmed again, there’s a bunch of other meditations out there. I don’t know, Randy, there’s something about Andy’s voice, though. That really brings me a lot of comfort, I guess is the word I would use.
Randy Sundell
Yeah. And like I said, before, Headspace I, when I had trouble sleeping, I would try and find a voice or a sound that would help put me to sleep. But there’s nothing, there’s nothing like Andy’s voice that really does that for me. So, it’s even, it’s a two for one for me.
William Krieger
Oh, yeah, yeah, I think they have all the right people working at Headspace. So again, a resource that’s available to all of our coworkers, check it out, along with Guidance Resources. And we do have a web page for personal well-being. It’s got links to all of this on it. So be sure and check that out, reach out to Randy if you’ve got questions on it.
Randy Sundell
Absolutely. I’m always happy to help.
William Krieger
You know, if we look back at how you started out, now you’re a well-being champion here at Consumers Energy, a lot of the work that we talk about is work that you do to help others with their personal well-being. But my question for you is, what do you do to take care of your own well-being because I know that as a leader, or as someone who is in that area of expertise, many times we forget about taking care of us. So, we’re so worried about everyone else being their best selves, that sometimes we aren’t. So, what do you do?
Randy Sundell
Yeah, so I’m a huge advocate of practice what you preach. So, you know, I really am cognizant of my nutrition on the daily, because that makes me feel great inside. And if I’m feeling great inside, I’m feeling usually great on the outside. And then for my mental health, personally, I go to the gym six days a week, where I weight train and do some type of cardio each day. I try and give myself you know, one or two days of rest. Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten better with that, because I you know, listening to the body, work smarter, not harder type of thing. You know, and then just, you know, taking time for myself. So, in the summer in Michigan, we are blessed enough to be able to have such great scenery. So, I golf, I do a lot of golfing as much as I can. Just to get out there by myself. It’s you versus you, it’s you and the course, and just you know, being able to look and, you know, look around you and seeing you know, the green grass, the smells of Michigan summer. It’s, it’s just great for me to get out there and compete with myself. Growing up as an athlete my whole life I, you know, I’ve started missing that. So, I figured why not? Why not try golf? It’s a game between the ears literally is and you know, it’s the only sport where you can truly just go out and compete against yourself and try and get better every shot.
William Krieger
I’m a golfer in that I own golf clubs. But I, I’m not the best at it. I find. It’s interesting, because with golf for me, I find that I’m angrier maybe when I leave than I was when I got there. So, I’ve got to I’ve got to work on that. Because golf does look like a great game and the scenery is amazing. So, it’s good to hear that you have strategies for taking care of yourself.
Randy Sundell
Yeah, definitely. And we’ll have to get out on a course one day, Bill.
William Krieger
Yes, I will. I will put that in my calendar for the spring. Well, Randy, I do appreciate you taking time out of your day to talk with the audience, to introduce yourself. I think this is going to be great people to get to know who you are. But we are coming up to the end of the podcast for today. And before we go, I’m just wondering, what message would you like to leave the audience with?
Randy Sundell
I think on a well-being aspect in 2022 I think it would be beneficial for everybody to set short term realistic goals to help you achieve those bigger, longer term goals throughout 2022. Going back to the beginning, we talked about me at my best I really want you to focus on making 2022 your best and whatever that looks like grab onto it, and just ride with it.
William Krieger
Great advice. You know, back in my military days, when things got tough, we would often ask ourselves and others, you know, what’s the best way to eat an elephant? It’s one bite at a time. And so, setting those smaller goals to achieve that larger goal is great advice. Thank you for that.
Randy Sundell
Absolutely. Thank you.
William Krieger
And thank you for being on. I look forward to getting some updates as this year in the following years. And thanks again for being here.
Randy Sundell
Absolutely. Thank you, Bill. Great opportunity.
William Krieger
Thank you to the audience for listening in today. The Me You Us podcast is proudly sponsored by Consumers Energy leaving Michigan better than we found it. Remember, you can find the Me You Us podcast on all major podcasting platforms. So be sure to go out find us and subscribe. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. That’s 1-800-273-8255 If you are a veteran or know a Veteran who is in crisis, you can call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. And remember to tune in every Wednesday, as we talk about the things that impact your personal world.
