The research looks grim right now. Amy says, “We’ve seen incredible drops in physical activity, which was low, to begin with. Severe lockdowns, some people cannot go to parks, playgrounds, and are cut off, isolated. Mental health is suffering significantly. Before the pandemic, only 23% of Americans met the higher physical guideline standards for strength conditioning, cardiovascular health, and aerobic activity. The numbers have dropped another 30% since the pandemic began last March.” We have traded physical activity for screen time which Amy says is up about 30%. “The bottom-line,” she says, “is the majority of us are not moving the way we need to move, and we’re hungry for connection.” How can we handle this post-pandemic? Amy has some ideas for the role business owners can play as we re-envision office work post-pandemic.

We begin with the qualities Amy most admires growing up in her home. The focus of both parents was on education and being lifelong curious learners. Every experience was seen as a learning opportunity. Her Dad’s favorite question to ask people is, what are you reading? He is known to be reading fiction and nonfiction books at the same time. One of her favorite things growing up was going to the library every Saturday, book bag in hand, with her Dad to check out library books. After acquiring degrees from Yale University, Northeastern University, and Harvard University, Amy is excited to return to reading some books for fun. DOWNLOAD

As a school librarian, Amy’s mother noticed an opportunity for Amy to apply for a scholarship program studying abroad for her junior year. The United States government and the Japanese government award two scholarships per state for high school students to study in Japan for a year. Amy won one of the two scholarships for the state of Connecticut. It was a life-changing experience meeting senators and touring the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C., visiting the Japanese parliament, studying, and living with a host family in Japan.

Amy and her husband, Ben, are raising three young children in the City of Somerville, MA.  Somerville is near Boston and has a population of 81,562.

Hear about these areas too:

• Where and how Amy learned about entrepreneurship.
• Birth order matters. She is the youngest with two older brothers.
• Turning a volunteer position into a contract position.
• The infrastructure of our communities.
• Amy’s podcast featuring thought leaders in healthcare, health & fitness, and communities.
• The Blue Zones research.

Amy’s mission is similar to a prior Guest Mentor, Tony Buettner, in helping people live longer and better. Tony works with his brother, Dan Buettner, at Blue Zones. An organization inspired by the world’s longest-lived cultures to help people live longer and better by improving their surroundings. “Blue Zones are regions in the world where a higher than usual number of people live much longer than average. The term first appeared in Dan Buettner’s November 2005 National Geographic magazine cover story, “The Secrets of a Long Life.” Five “Blue Zones” have been posited: Okinawa; Sardinia; Nicoya; Icaria; and among the Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, based on evidence showing why these populations live healthier and longer lives than others.” You can find my conversations with Tony Buettner in this Episode Resource section. We visited one of their transformed communities in Albert Lea, MN, for our podcast conversations in 2017. Listen in to get all the details.