What Can Business Innovation Teach Us

Hey friends 👋 Welcome back to Wellness Unbound.

Last week, I was in Denver for a work conference.

As an employee of Gardyn, a fully remote start-up, this event held great significance– it provided us the opportunity to reconnect as a team & discuss plans for the future.

It was also my 1-year work anniversary 🎉

During my travels, I began listening to an audiobook, “The Innovation Stack” by Jim McKelvey, the co-founder of Square.

In it, McKelvey explains that the key to building a successful business is to create a stack of innovations that build on each other.

Innovative companies don't rely on a single groundbreaking idea. Instead, they identify a series of problems that can be addressed using existing technologies, and then develop on top of those solutions to create something new & valuable.

This philosophy not only resonated with Gardyn’s multi-faceted business model, but it also got me thinking about habits & well-being.

In my experience, staying healthy is not about a single, out-of-this-world idea or habit.

Rather, it’s about a series of practices that support us, multi-dimensionally, in our current circumstances.

So in today’s newsletter, we’ll explore:

• The biggest takeaways from McKelvey’s book

• What businesses & humans have in common

• The Seven Circles of Wellness

• Practical applications of holistic wellness

• Photos of the Week

• An Exciting Full Circle Moment

The Innovation Stack

Square is a financial technology company that provides payment processing services to businesses of all sizes.

What started out as a way for small businesses to accept credit cards without a traditional point-of-sale system has evolved into a complex system with novel features such as in-app & peer-to-peer payments.

Each of these new functions builds on the previous ones, creating a stack of innovations that makes Square increasingly valuable. So valuable, in fact, that it was able to outlast an Amazon takeover attempt.

As McKelvey explains in the book, the Innovation Stack is not just a recipe for building successful businesses. It is also an opportunity to change the world.

Take Airbnb, for example. The company would not have been possible without a diverse stack of creative ideas & systems: a peer-to-peer marketplace, dynamic prices, trust-based reputation systems, online bookings, and personalized experiences.

In the process of creating a cool & profitable company, Airbnb transformed the way people travel the world.

Here’s the coolest thing though— The Innovation Stack is not just a business concept.

It can also be applied to our own lives.

Honoring The Multi-Dimensional

Companies & people are both complex systems.

In “The Innovation Stack,” McKelvey argues that successful companies are those that can solve multiple problems simultaneously. This is because no single solution is ever enough to address the full complexity of a business.

The same is true for humans.

We cannot just focus on our physical health and expect to be happy. Similarly, we cannot just focus on our social life and expect to be healthy.

We can only feel & perform at our best when we take care of ourselves holistically.

I’ve been fortunate to have the resources, accessibility, and privilege to choose how I approach my health. But even with all that, there have still been times when I’ve focused too much on a single thing.

Take 2019 for example, when I was working at a healthcare non-profit. I woke up at 5AM every morning to get to the gym. I ate the same chicken, spinach & avocado salad every day for lunch, and I’d race off to a HIIT class most days after work.

I was locked in from a physical health perspective, but I was suffering in many other elements of my life. My career wasn’t stimulating. My love-life was superficial. And I was feeling disconnected from my spirituality.

It wasn’t until I started to pump the brakes on my physical fitness that I started to see real change in my life. By creating space to take care of myself holistically, I experienced profound shifts in my relationships, inner-healing, and emotional resilience.

Don’t get me wrong - I still love a good workout - it’s all a balancing act ☯️

The Seven Circles of Wellness

Because my perspective on health primarily stems from personal experiences, it is essential to acknowledge the insights of a few experts in the field.

Thosh Collins & Chelsey Luger, an Indigenous couple, share a passion for promoting ancestral wisdom to help people live healthier lives. Drawing on their cultural heritage & decades of learning from Native elders, Chelsey, a writer, and Thosh, a photographer, collaborated to develop “The Seven Circles” system.

“The Seven Circles” embraces a holistic approach to wellness, incorporating ancient practices & Indigenous concepts such as connection to land, spirit, and community.

As mentioned in this interview that Thosh & Chelsey did with Darin Olien, the “Seven Circles” framework revolves around the question:

What were the aspects of the pre-colonial Indigenous way of life that allowed people to thrive in the way they did, in the conditions that they did?

Notice that this is a web not a checklist.

All circles coexist simultaneously, often influencing one another.

For example, where you live dramatically impacts what you eat & how you move.

I must admit, I am still new to “The Seven Circles” teachings, as I just purchased the Audible copy last night.

However, after just one chapter of listening, I’m all in on learning more.

The writing is captivating, and Thosh & Chelsey both serve as walking examples of healing through reconnecting with ancient culture, embodying the essence of decolonization.

Stay tuned for more to come here.

Practical Applications

As I continue to explore the teachings of “The Seven Circles,” I’m going to hold off on sharing more until I’ve acquired a more comprehensive understanding.

So, I want to share a simple technique that captures the ethos of balancing the different aspects of health.

Check out the lists below, with the understanding that they’re actually webs ;)

These are some of my go-to practices for maintaining my own health. I try to ensure that I’m addressing each bucket of health every day or two.

Acknowledging that wellness is complex, and no day is perfect, what I’m after with these practices are the inner feelings of balance & happiness.

• Mental/Emotional:

  • Practicing mindfulness, meditation, and/or yoga

  • Spending time in nature

  • Listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks

  • Engaging in writing or any creative activity

  • Having meaningful conversations

• Physical:

  • Eating a healthy, whole-foods diet

  • Exercising regularly

  • Incorporating stretching and mobility

  • Getting enough sleep

• Social:

  • Spending quality time with a friend or family member

  • Talking on the phone with loved ones

  • Sharing a meal - in person or virtually

  • Playing a team sport

  • Getting involved in community activities or events

• Spiritual:

  • Practicing prayer or meditation

  • Reading spiritual or philosophical literature

  • Connecting with something larger than yourself

  • Participating in religious/spiritual rituals/practices

  • Engaging in volunteer work

Imagine how you might try out or incorporate more of one of the practices below.

Or even better - how might you create one habit that addresses multiple pillars of wellness?

Walking phone calls & sharing nutritious meals are two of my favorite combos.

Whatever you choose, know that your journey is unique and your own.

Do what’s best for you in this phase of life.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

A Full Circle Moment

I’m excited to share this full circle moment in my career journey.

My first job out of college was working at EY— a public accounting firm. During my time there, I was fascinated by their Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. The event was inspiring from afar, but deep down, I knew that a path in auditing would not give me the fulfillment that I craved.

Now, six years later, I’m excited to be a part of something revolutionary—a hydroponic gardening start-up, Gardyn. 🌿

We just returned from a week-long event in Denver, Cultivate, where we spent time in person, engaging in uplifting conversations & group activities.

The last day there delivered a cherry on top of a beautiful week.

Our founder & CEO, FX Rouxel, was elected as EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year.

The humility & effectiveness that he moves with is inspiring, and it’s beyond evident that he leads from the right place– a conscious commitment to improving the world’s food system.

By growing hyper-locally (with Gardyn), we can minimize food waste & water consumption, cut out dangerous pesticides, reduce the need for long-distance transportation, and ensure that fresh produce is always within reach. Plus, Gardyn’s AI system, Kelby, makes it easy to grow 30 plants in just 2 square feet.

It's a win-win-win for the environment, our health, and our society 💧🌱🌎

Thank you for reading.

Of the Seven Circles above - which feels the fullest for you right now?

Which needs the most care?

Let me know & have a great week.

Your friend & supporter,

Aidan