Our guest today is an HR leader in a school with more than 80,000 students. Hello, I'm Chester Elton and this is my dear friend and co-author, Adrian Gostick. Well, thanks Ches. Yeah, today we're going to learn how one university is keeping its staff members engaged and feeling mentally strong while providing a safe and positive educational environment for its students. As always, we hope the time you spend with us will help reduce the stigma of anxiety at work and in your personal life. And with us is our new friend, Torrey Quintana, Senior Director of Benefits and Payroll at the University of Phoenix with a 20-year career in human resources and business leadership. Tory is dedicated to spearheading initiatives that forge strategic partnerships in benefits, payroll, and retirement to enhance wellness outcomes. Tory's professional journey extends beyond HR as he brings a valuable expertise in large-scale retail store and supply chain operations as well as ownership and operation of small businesses in the restaurant and transportation industries. Welcome to the show, Torrey. Thanks so much for finding the time to be with us today. We really appreciate it. Thanks, gentlemen. I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the conversation with both of you. Well, we're excited too, Torrey, to just learn, you know, big organization you're part of and so much attention right now, especially in the news on education and what's going on in campuses around the country here in the US. So tell us, first off, let's start with your people, your faculty, your staff members. Compensation is so important, that's part of your job, but we know other things affect engagement. So walk us through a little bit of how the University of Phoenix keeps its faculty and staff engaged and maybe what benefits you seem to have the most, that you feel have the most impact on people's engagement? Yeah, Adrian, that's a great question. And first I would say we have a great organization and we have a great mission for our students and it's really led by our people internally. And so the strategies are really fun in this role because we're looking at how do you keep people engaged? How do you really, we always talk about the term, the whole person and the health and wellness space, how do you truly go after that to support them so that they can drive home the mission of your business as well? But also, really importantly, gentlemen, we have to look at how we help them drive home the mission for themselves, right? When we talk about wellness internally or just in general, I always like to use the points of, we talk about the whole person, but we also then talk about the employee, and both of those are in conflict with each other, because when we talk about the employee, we're only talking about one third of their life, right? Eight hours a day is with us as an employer, the other two thirds is at home. And how they're trying to build their own legacies and journeys with their families and their friends and themselves. And so when we talk about the whole person, we need to find benefit programs that are creative, that reach further out than just the employee. We know that through data and other interactions and engagement surveys, that if we could do that, we're gonna get the best person at work, which the company wins from. But even greater than that, we've allowed them to be the best person they can be in their own lives. And that is what's meaningful. And in fairness, when I look at the work that both of you are doing in helping create new cultures in the business and really help open up even anxiety at work is a roadmap for not only just at work, but in your own personal lives. And I think those are the strategies we try to bring back into the university in general to make sure that our employees and their families are really well taken care of. You know, it's so interesting you talk about the whole person and wellness. Really interested in some of the ideas that you're doing to help everyone at your university be mentally and physically. How do you keep them thriving mentally and physically? Can you share some of that with us? Yeah, so we are in a really great spot, I think, in how benefits is emerging with some of the technology that's out there and the ability to deliver solutions more directly to help your employees and their families. And what I mean by that is we have the typical health journey that you go through, which is you make an appointment with your primary care, you know, sometimes there's prescriptions, there's other follow-ups and other things to get the care. And that care journey is elongated, right? And it's typically the same cycle. And what we've done is we still have that very fundamental process within our carriers and our medical groups, but we have so many great point solution partners in this space, and there's a lot of them, that allow us to really hone in on key programs that are gonna drive results based on data. We know what our employees are seeking care on at a high level, and now we're able to deploy programs to be able to attack those more effectively. And what we've done is we've changed the dynamic of the entry point of healthcare, where you still have your medical care behind you, which is you make your appointments to traditional care for our path. You have coinsurances, deductibles, and out-of-pockets that you have to maintain. What we've done is we've entered these new point solutions, and I'll give you a few of the partners, but that have done a great job in allowing us to expand this. And what we've done is either we've subsidized them or they're absolutely no cost to our employees. So we've taken away the barrier and we've put a front layer of medical care entry point that's getting great results and we can measure them. Where you can't in the traditional path, you just can't. And now we have some really great abilities to get the quality of care and utilization and really effective outcomes. So we have great partners in this space. You know, as you guys are aware, there's programs out there in the muscle skeletal space, the mental health space, especially with groups out there like Headspace, and even in the physical portions of it. We use GymPass, which is now WellHub, and so we have a lot of great programs that are out there in this space now that we can leverage. You know, GymPass, which you said is now WellHub, which I think is great, because it's a wellness program. Talk about that. It's such a unique offering, where you belong to just not one wellness center, but a whole bunch. That was a really unique approach. And often, like you say, we've got mental health, and we've got doctor checkups and stuff, but this physical part has become really an important part of people's dynamics. You know, Adrienne and I talk about all the time that movement in your mental health, getting out for a walk, getting out for a run. And so what have you seen as this benefit on well health? And if I understand it, that you belong to a whole bunch of gyms. Is that the one we're talking about? It is, yes. And so it gives members an opportunity to take advantage of gyms differently. And even they have virtual solutions as well. So regardless of where you are or how you want to engage, you can do that. But we do think that physical activity is the key. And when you look at our lineup of our free benefits in this new traditional model that we're creating, away from the traditional model, it is to get people active and out and really focusing on themselves. Even if it's just take 15 minutes for themselves, we have an initiative we kick off called hashtag Take 15. It's for yourself, it's for a mental health break, it's for a walk. It really is important to change the culture around how we focus our employees on their health. And I think we've done a great job as a leadership group of really talking about mental health, talking about physical health, and the programs speak for themselves with the results and the outcomes. Well, I love that, Tori. I love that idea of take 15. Very practical. The people can, I can see people, yeah, scribbling that down. That's, you know, those are great ideas. Tell me about, let's kind of go, we went macro, let's go micro. You're a manager, you have people on your team. Tell me about what you've done on your immediate team to help your people. What can people learn from your experience? Well, that is a great question. I think as leaders, it is, and not just a manager, right, because there's a difference between a manager and a leader, but I think a leader, you're responsible to set the example. And I think it's about being able to take time, allow them to take the time that they need without judgment and without any barriers for themselves. I think that is traditionally changing fundamentally from when, gentlemen, when we were in work early on, it wasn't looked at very positively, take time off for yourself. It really wasn't. Now, as a leader, you have to, and we're managing multiple generations in the workforce more than ever before. And sometimes there's pressures as leaders from either the top generations or the bottom generations, and you're getting pushed and pulled in both directions. So you really have to be adaptive across those spaces differently and show up differently. And I think the best way is honestly, is allow your people to be people. And as soon as you communicate that, and you share that, the results will show from your team. And the productivity becomes very evident. Yeah, so just how can people learn more about what you're doing at the University of Phoenix, and how can people connect with you on a personal level? Well, that's a great one. So on a personal level, obviously, LinkedIn is always the best platform to reach out to and interact, and you can have great conversations that can lead to further partnerships and interactions. I think that is a great vehicle in there. And I think as a university and a company, I think we are doing amazing stuff. I'm a beneficiary of the University of Phoenix education. I finished my degree there and I'm very proud of it. And I think when you look at a million alumni across our organization's history, and the leading ability to deliver education from a technology perspective. And what we're doing in my space is leveraging technology as a leader differently than most organizations are, and the Benefit Space is an example. And so we really are leaning into that as a company. And I think you can follow the great stuff the university does just by our sites and other news. I think there's a lot of great things to be proud of. A million alumni, that's half as many people as Adrian has on his Christmas card list. It is an impressive number, gentlemen. And when you look at it, it's the same mission that we're trying to do internally, is we're trying to help people change their lives, whether it's through education or through health. We're trying to help them create the journey for themselves and a legacy for themselves. And I think what you see is selfishly, internally, my philosophy has always been as a leader, even in my own businesses, is it's not about just the products and services that we create, the legacy of those. It's how we help our people create their legacies. And I think your programs and your actions do that, because you are responsible for them in some indirect way for the 2 3rds of the lives outside the organization. And that's the most meaningful to them sometimes. And I think that's the part is helping them create their legacy in regards to what we do. But the university's journey definitely has some pretty historical power in the history of it. That's done well. That's amazing. You talked earlier about differences in generations. And the research we did on anxiety in the workplace, it came out that there very much are generational differences. So what are you seeing with the younger generations coming to school and into the workplace with regards, you know, specifically to mental health? It seems that they're certainly more open to talking about mental health than say my generation or Adrian's generation. And are there any other general trends that might help leaders understand the differences in the younger generation? Yes, absolutely. So we are seeing that data very significantly in the younger generations. And I have young kids as well. And so I see that very much prominently in them as well as they enter into the school environment and the work environment. There is a lot of anxiety and pressure on them more than ever before. And you can point to a whole host of data pieces around it. COVID didn't help in some ways. Social media and news doesn't help around it in some ways. And how do you help them navigate those is important. That's why the programs that we put in place at the university around mental health and physical health are really important in the overall whole person support model. But we do see that very much so in all the data that by a multiple, almost double, the younger generation is experiencing anxiety or depression or other challenges in the workplace and in life in general. That's why these programs are so important, but the younger generation sometimes helps the older generation learn to communicate, to manage it differently. And I think that's what we're seeing here, is we're seeing some really great appropriate pressure from the younger generation to adapt. And I think we have to, but it is a challenge. The data is empirical out there. When you look at it, there's no ability to run away from that. You really gotta focus on it. You know, so true. We did our research. The people in their 20s that we talked with, to a person, said, look, we talk about this in every conversation we have. And you oldies, you never talk about it. And so there's this gap. And I love that you're saying, look, we have to learn from the younger generations, because they're talking about stuff that we just didn't, but it's so important. And one of the things I think would be remiss not to ask you, there's so much unrest right now in some college campuses around the country. People forget that University of Phoenix has a campus too in Phoenix because, you know, they think of you as so spread out, so online, kind of leading edge in that way, but, you know, you've got campuses you're worrying about as well. So with this hitting young people especially hard, how do you create a climate at the University of Phoenix that accepts people's concerns, gives people a place to have a voice, to feel safe. That's a tough thing that a lot of schools are dealing with. Yeah, it really is, but it comes down to true leadership and a philosophy around it. And I think we have some really brilliant leaders that have done a great job of making sure voices are open and heard. And we have these really great programs, honestly, around EAP, mental health, physical health, that are great avenues to help people seek the care they need and support they need on their own and on their own terms. And I think that's where you have to lean into when you're talking about these challenges, is giving them the ability to seek the solutions that they need and care broader. And I think we've done a really great job in that lineup, in being creative with the innovative partners and solutions out there. So that's one way that you really got to be after it. This happens all the time, gentlemen. You see this in the world. I think every group handles it differently from an age perspective. But I think there's some really great programs out there for people to get care and help them walk through any challenges that they face. You know, it is really interesting, isn't it? This idea of my voice is heard, my opinion matters. That's what a lot of this is about, right? People just don't feel like people are listening, and so they do these radical things, you know, the tent cities and so on. You know, I remember the Vietnam War protests, where people just didn't feel like they were being heard. To your point, it really does come to the leadership, doesn't it? Have you created, whether it's on your team or in your school or your business, where people feel like their beliefs, their attitudes, there's a place to talk things through, so that it doesn't get to the point where it blows up. Which brings me to the question we love to ask our guests, Tori, and that is, what are your wellness rituals? You know, we talk to lots of business people and counselors and so on, and it seems that most of them have some kind of ritual, some kind of go-to that when they're feeling like they're a little off to buoy themselves up. What are some of the things you do to keep yourself so positive and in a good frame of mind? Well, I think that's a fun one. So there's many things that I do actually enjoy doing. I tell you the biggest thing for me has been really sauna work. Going to the sauna, you have an opportunity, honestly, for the health benefits, the physical benefits of it. But there's a great component of mental health where you're able just to focus mentally on yourself, breathe, and really try to just hone in on that moment for yourself. And I think there's a value in that, whether it's sauna, it's going outside, sitting at the park or in your backyard, at your chairs or tables out there, and just relaxing. I think there's a really important portion of that that help people just kind of get grounded. So for me, that's really one of my favorite go-tos. The other part is I love this time of year. I love the weather. I love being outside. I've coached baseball for a lot of years, so this is a fun time to be outside and engage. And I think those are the things you have to focus on a lot more than anything is really taking care of yourself. In order to do that, that's what enables yourself to be great and help others, is if you take care of yourself. Invest in yourself. Yeah, you know, it's funny, I'm a big fan of saunas as well. And you can't take your cell phone into the sauna. It's just really a bad idea. Bad idea. Bad idea. And you don't want to, you wanna disconnect. Exactly. And have time for yourself. And that is gonna be a challenge of our generation. It already is. You have to be able to put down these devices and really start to think differently. That's why I enjoy this type of conversation, others with other leaders, is you actually now have to expand your thought and be able to really listen to other people, like truly listen, not just hear them, but truly listen, and then be able to bring that back into the workplace because we all struggle, whether it's internally as organizations or personally, for the ability to have productivity and capacity. We fight for those all the time, but we fight for those at home too. And you got to find a way to be able to create that balance internally and externally. I've got two other just quick questions for you, Torrey, as we wrap up here because we're coming up to time. But the first one is, do you leave the sauna and do an ice plunge? Everybody's, you can't do one without the other, am I right? So, yes, so I'm not a big fan of, I'm a believer of the ice bath, I can't tell you I could do it very well. I think there's a different level of mental capability to get there and one day I will. To get it through an ice bath, yeah. Yeah, to get there in an ice bath, I think there's, but there is tremendous value and I have friends and my wife and sons do it and I'll get there one day. Yeah, and the last question I have is, we talk about your work and we talk about you personally, how do you encourage your family members to take this kind of time off? When we say, you said work is one third of your life and the other two, how do you encourage your family to take these mental breaks and take care of themselves mentally as well? So that's what I love. So when we talk about the programs we're putting in place and even the work that both of you gentlemen have done, is it is a roadmap back to us if we leverage it right back to our families. And I think more than ever, with the younger kids and the younger generation coming up and what I see, it is important to encourage them to get the care that they need, to take care of themselves. It is important for us to start setting that example. So we do have that conversation. You know, the fun part about sports is it's competitive like in business, very competitive, and it brings a different focus to it. But in sports, we've always talked about the mental health aspect of sports and how you manage with failure and adversity and injuries and productivity, right? And the other things that we have to have, we talk about in sports, we haven't done a great job of bringing that back into the business, but it's been in sports for years, openly. I think we have to do a better job of it. But also, to your point, Chester, it starts at home. And I think we try to do a good job of encouraging our kids to leverage their voice, but also to take care of themselves. Excellent. And I think the last question, Torrey, is what's your favorite Gostick and Elton book? I think that's just a natural question. You know, gentlemen, that's a great question. I have them behind me here, so I don't want to hurt any feelings by calling out one or the other. Yeah, it's like, what's your favorite kid? Of course, I understand. 100%. You know, I will tell you I have favorites, and I rank them. And I would say probably the same goes for both of you. With gratitude. But I think gratitude plays a very important part in there. It really does. And I do enjoy the work that you guys are bringing forward and the conversations you're bringing forward. I think they're meaningful in business, and you do a lot of executive coaching, and I think you see a lot of these similar challenges with leaders. We are human, but we also have to be able to really understand that we are in the people business for taking care of ourselves and our people. And you have to do this. I think that's a great point. I mean, more than anyone, you are in the people business at the University of Phoenix. And so, yeah, this is so powerful today, Tori. Just to see an organization that's walking the talk and living up to what we preach in our books. So thank you so much for joining us today. This has just been a real delight to get to learn more about what you're doing and learn more about you, Tori. Thanks for all you're doing for the people and the students in your care. Thank you, thank you both, Chester and Adrian, and I have to say the same for you. I think the message that you guys are trying to create is an important one, and the culture that you're influencing I would say, probably not a million people yet, but you guys are on a path to it, right? I appreciate you, Torrey, thanks for your time, man. Cheers. Thank you, thank you, gentlemen. Have a great day. Adrian, a million alumni at the University of Phoenix. That's a lot of people, man. That's a lot of people. So what were your takeaways in our conversation? Well, first off, yeah, you forget how many people the University of Phoenix impacts their lives. Because I've had people who've worked for me that I've coached that have University of Phoenix masters, et cetera, and you just don't realize how many families this university touches as well as 80,000 employees. And so I love this idea that, look, it's the whole person. It's health and wellness, and they've got real tools they're using. They mentioned a few of them. We've heard about WellHub, really a powerful tool to be able to really give employees the tools they need to get not only physically well, but also mentally as well. Yeah, it's interesting. I like the approach where it says, look, you do your regular stuff, your doctor's checkups and mental health check-ins and so on, that they create more space for the physical side. I know you mentioned WellHub. People might know them as GymPass, but this idea that, look, he talked about breaking down the barriers. There's no cost. There's no barrier. You belong to all these health clubs through WellClub or WellHub. Think about that. GymPass to WellHub, right? You have no excuse. I think when you break down those barriers, whether it's to talk to a counselor, whether it's to get your eyes checked or your teeth checked, and then say, and by the way, go to a gym and get somebody to work out with you. There's no barriers. It's all taken care of. I thought that was really an enlightened way of looking at it, right? Yeah, giving people the tools, yeah. Yeah, and this idea that, look, you're spending one third of your life at work. Time-wise it might be more like half, but that's only a third of your life. You've got your family, you've got all these other things that you do, and we want to invite the whole person to come to work. I thought that was just really lovely, the way he said that. Well, and let's, too, on setting an example of a leader, I love this simple thing, take 15. Yeah. It sounds like, look, that's a no-brainer. You've got to put these rituals in place where as a boss you say, guys, I'm going to take 15. I'm going to go for a walk. I'm going to go do this, that or the other. There's no judgment when somebody needs a little mental health break, whether it's a day, whether it's a week, whether it's 15 minutes, that we're all accepting of that. Exactly. I love when you can take the concept and just encapsulize it like that. Just take 15 and it's okay. And by the way, he said, you know, leaders and managers, you have to set the example. And then lastly, I love the way he said, you know, it's all about taking it home. I mean, if you've got all these good practices at work, encourage your family, encourage your kids and your neighbors and so on to do the same. I'm a huge fan of the ripple effect and there's nothing that ripples better than personal examples, right? I'm going to take 15, you should too. Well, those were my takeaways. Adrian, anything? I think just the last one, he said, look, we got to learn from the younger generations instead of... You and I, we do so many coaching sessions, we do so many speeches where leaders will say, hey, you need to tell these younger people, they need to work like we work. Well, what about learning and meeting maybe in the middle, changing things a little bit, it's okay. Just because, you know, I worked with a group of surgeons, they say, why can't they learn that, look, you don't sleep for four days, that's just how you do it. Like, why? Because that's how we did it. And so, can we meet in the middle, can we learn from each other? Here's an organization that really is. So I think that's terrific. You know, one of the people I learned from, Chess, is our producer, Brent Klein. Oh, geez, he's been a mentor of mine for forever. Yeah, absolutely brilliant. He makes us sound good on these podcasts. Christy Lawrence, who helps us find amazing guests. To all of you who listened in, we want to thank you. If you like the podcast, share it, download it. We'd also love you to visit thecultureworks.com. There's some free resources there including lots of information about our best-selling book, Anxiety Alert. Yeah, I love that you call out Brian Klein. He's the Wayne Gretzky of podcast producers. Or the Gila Fleur. Or the Gila Fleur, yeah. For those of you that are hockey fans, that will be very meaningful. Everybody else is like, who the heck are those guys? Anyway, we love speaking to audiences around the world, whether it's virtually or in person, please give us a call. We talk about resilience, we talk about teamwork, culture, gratitude. Give us a call, we'd love to speak at your event. Well, Adrian, another wonderful guest, another wonderful podcast, always fun to spend some time with you. And as always, I will give you the last word. Until next time, everyone, thanks for joining us and we wish you the best of mental health.