We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mark Vettraino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mark, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
The short answer to your question is my faith. As a physician, I have witnessed wellness and illness at all levels. I’ve seen people get well that they should not have and die without reason. The one thing that is true and indisputable is wellness consists of three equal components: the mind, the body, and the soul. All three need equal attention for a person to achieve health. That does not mean you need religion to be well, although it helps. One can connect with one’s soul or spirit by being an agnostic or atheist. There are many ways to do this, and people should research the best way for themselves.
Christianity has always been counter-cultural, especially in today’s world. Patients and clients tell me that small groups are developing inside Corporate America, gathering at lunchtime because most corporations are secular and removing religion. So mental, bodily, and spiritual health will create a higher level of being and, therefore, optimism.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Dr. Mark Vettraino is a functional wellness doctor, a chiropractor, an author, a producer, a director, a public speaker, a professor, and a certified ergonomic professional. He has over 30 years of corporate wellness and ergonomic consulting experience. Dr. Mark is the president of Task Group International, an international wellness and ergonomic consulting company, and the director of the Workplace Wellness Conference and Exhibition director. He has been in private practice, founded industrial clinics in Arizona and Michigan, taught wellness at Oakland University and Oakland Community College, and is an adjunct professorship at the University of Virginia and the principal ergonomic research investigator at Life University. He has published numerous articles and papers in trade and professional journals on cumulative trauma disorders in the workplace. Dr. Vettraino has worked with multiple Fortune 500 corporations to enhance or develop their wellness programs.
The Workplace Wellness Conference and Exhibition is one of the most exciting adventures I’ve been involved with in my career. The Conference is for corporations, municipalities, and educators mainly. Most speakers are healthcare professionals who bring a wealth of information to the Conference. With nothing to gain and nothing to sell, their presentations are from the heart and years of practical experience. The definition of a doctor is a teacher, and these doctors have a remarkable ability to make the complicated understandable for all levels of education. The world is changing, but the body remains the same, and a better understanding of how it interacts in the work environment is essential for the growth and health of an organization.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Communication, understanding and acceptance. There are two components to communication, listening and speaking. A better listener is a better communicator and a better person. Understanding that not all people are the same and do not have the same life experiences, therefore they process things differently. Understanding this allows for more acceptance.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
They taught me nobody is a stranger. Maybe because of my heritage, but I do for others as much as I can. Whether it be the widow across the street, a neighbor who cannot cut their own lawn or afford a service. A special meal for friends and their friends. Take the extra step to pick something up. I look for things to do for people, it makes me smile inside. A short time ago one of my piers said to me, wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone gave a little more. Yes it would.
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