The Buena Vida Podcast

Lacy talks with her ERS colleague, Diana Kongevick, Director of Group Benefits. As the person who directly oversees the HealthSelect health plans and other insurance plans, Diana shares the very human impacts of these programs. She also shares valuable insight and lessons from the unexpected loss of a child… not once, but twice. She talks about the unexpected gift she received from her adult daugh...

In part 3 of this 3 part podcast Professor Raj explains the BAMBA model of happiness. BAMBA represents the 5 determinants of happiness in the workplace and includes:  Basic Needs Autonomy Mastery Belonging Abundance Culture Are You Controlling of Others Scale  1-  Strongly disagree 2- Disagree 3- Probably disagree 4- Neutral 5-Probably agree 6- Agree 7 – Strongly Agree 1. I have high expectations...

This short episode is Part 2 of a 3-part series on happiness and why it matters in the workplace with Raj Raghunathan, Ph. D. Following up on our April 29 episode on the research around workplace happiness, Lacy walks you through a few questions to measure your happiness at work and how that connects to productivity. Get ready with your calculators to tabulate your score. Resources: Happiness at W...

In this short podcast episode, Lacy shares a recording from a recent webinar she hosted with Raj Raghunathan, Ph. D. on the topic of happiness and why it matters in the workplace. Author of “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?” Dr. Raghunathan shares research on the relationship between happiness and workplace productivity, and why employers should care. Read more about the book: “If You’re...

Director of Workforce Development at the Texas Department of Transportation, Chris Young oversees employee development and training. Even though he identifies as a lifelong learner, Chris hadn’t considered yoga to be something he would do, until he unknowingly started a stretching routine after a back injury. Today, Chris still uses – and teaches, of course -- yoga to support physical recovery and...

Lacy talks with Kristn Trimble, a unit supervisor at the TDCJ Parole Division who participated in the daily morning check-ins over Zoom during all 10 weeks of the 2022 Get Fit Challenge. Struck by Kristn’s motivation to “show up” and challenge herself physically, Lacy wondered what brought her to this point, how she stays motivated and how she used the Get Fit daily workouts and the Wondr Health p...

Take a walk as you listen to Lacy’s talk with Lindsey Menge, a licensed and registered dietitian, who is a member of the faculty and the employee wellness leadership team at Texas State University. Lindsey simplifies a sometimes complicated topic, which will have you considering whether intermittent fasting is right for you. She shares the three common forms of intermittent fasting, the health ben...

Welcome to Part 2 of Lacy’s talk with Dr. Tedd Mitchell, M.D., and Dr. Janet Tornelli-Mitchell, M.D., chancellor and first lady of the Texas Tech University System. In Part 1, the Mitchells shared their mutual passion for fitness and a lifestyle that prevents illness and disease. As leaders, they are transforming the health of the Texas Tech University System’s workforce by promoting one of our he...

Feel great about your walk as you listen to Part 1 of Lacy’s talk with Dr. Tedd Mitchell, M.D, and Dr. Janet Tornelli-Mitchell, M.D., chancellor and first lady of the Texas Tech University System. For them, physical activity – especially a daily walk together – has played an outsized role in their 38-year relationship. The Mitchells share the ways they’ve prioritized fitness in their time together...

In part two of this two-part conversation, Lacy talks with Celeste Harris, a forensic psychologist with the Texas Department of Public Safety, about ways we can improve our relationships by avoiding common communication pitfalls and create new communication habits. Try as we might, we can’t (and shouldn’t) control another person’s behaviors. But we can identify and communicate our own feelings and...

In part one of this two-part conversation, Lacy talks with Celesta Harris, a forensic psychologist with the Texas Department of Public Safety, about ways couples can improve their relationship, which can lead to stronger health. Studies show that feeling supported, understood, and accepted increases happiness and reduces our risk for health problems. But what if you don’t feel that way in your par...

Lacy talks with David Yebra, U.S. Army veteran and Director of Training and Leader Development at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. What would it mean to become a better version of yourself? Director Yebra describes the extraordinary power of our own minds to both limit and guide ourselves into a future we envision. Why take the time to envision a future you? Well, “you cannot create what...

Lacy talks with Dr. John Hellerstedt, M.D., who leads the agency responsible for Texas’ response to the pandemic: the Texas Department of State Health Services.  Fully aware of the role that strong health plays in protecting each of us from serious illness, Dr. Hellerstedt admits that -- like many of us -- he’s struggled to prioritize his health during these stressful two years.  And he shares his...

Most of us already know what we need to do to become the person we want to be – healthier, more organized, or [insert your aspiration here]! But how do we sustain our motivation and habits to get us there? In this 18-minute episode of “ERS Walk & Talk,” Lacy shares the keys to behavior change that she has learned in her 20-year career in the field of health and wellness. Lacy discusses how we...

In this 45-minute episode, Lacy sits down with Erica Grigg, JD and Kristen Huff, JD in a conversation to build our emotional resilience, especially as we get busier this holiday season. As attorneys working in the mental health space, Erica and Kristen share ways to recognize and manage burnout and compassion fatigue, which they describe as “diseases of disengagement.” Learn more about these condi...

In this Walk & Talk episode, Lacy skips the walk to talk with three key people about the top 10 takeaways from the many virtual events that made up the 2021 State Employee Wellness Fair. Lacy, Jewell, Tara and Amy share bloopers and the surprising insights they had about themselves throughout the previous week of webinars, jam sessions, and morning check-ins. Warning: this episode contains ane...

Lacy walks and talks with Renee Rogers, an exercise physiologist who avoids the word exercise. Most of us (4 out of 5) don‘t get enough physical activity in our day. Could our mindset around “exercise” be holding us back? Learn how to re-think your way into moving more from this 30-minute conversation about self-compassion, physical activity, what “counts” and how it makes you feel . How can walki...

Lacy walks and talks at sunrise with Todd Whitthorne, the aptly titled Chief Inspiration Officer for Wondr Health, as he walks round Andy Brown Park East in Coppell, Texas. In our world of distractions and an ongoing pandemic, many of us feel kinda “meh”…. as if we are languishing. Todd shares his antidote: strategies for flourishing, living life with intention, taking our attention back and prior...

Steven White: Building Culture to Support Brain Health Lacy walks and talks with “recovering multi-tasker” Steven White , Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Brain Health, University of Texas at Dallas, as he walks around the Dallas campus. In our 08/20/2021 podcast, Dr. Sandra Bond-Chapman explained the impact of chronic multi-tasking on our brain health and productivity. What does a work e...

Lacy walks and talks with Dr. Sandra Bond-Chapman, founder of the Center for Brain Health at University of Texas at Dallas. What is brain health and can we really improve it beyond a certain age? Why is multi-tasking as bad for our brain as smoking is for our lungs? Dr. Bond-Chapman answers these questions and give proven strategies you can use to boost your cognitive efficiency by as much as 30%....

Lacy walks and talks with her boss, Porter Wilson, Executive Director of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS), as he hikes the hills of his northwest Austin neighborhood. Porter describes how his physical activity has had to change over the years and how he uses music as his fuel. How did a musician and Capitol Tour guide find himself as the leader of a state agency decades later? What d...

Lacy walks and talks with Andrea Johnson and Christine Graham in their respective Austin-area neighborhoods. Feeling in control of our finances and working toward money goals is good for our mental health! As financial educators at the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commission (OCCC), Christina and Andrea share the top questions they get from the public around money. From building your first budg...

Lacy walks & talks with Dr. Marco Palma, behavioral economist and director of the Behavior Lab at Texas A&M University. Through research, Dr. Palma and his team are discovering what motivates our behaviors, like food choices and spending. Why are we reluctant to change our behaviors, and how can we trick our brains to make better decisions? Learn how “commitment devices,” social support, a...

Lacy walks & talks with David Yebra, U.S. Army veteran and Director of Training and Leader Development at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Director Yebra shares how he stays motivated personally and some strategies that can help all of us to become, not just physically active, but the person you want be. What does physical activity have to do with performance and leadership? Find out...

Lacy walks & talks with Dr. Tim Church, one of the country’s leading clinical thought leaders in exercise and obesity research. Find out how just starting to move, like taking a short stroll, has an outsized impact on your health. If you do one thing to ensure you keep up your movement practice, what should it be? Dr. Church explains why even though “more is better,” it’s not as much as you’d...