Positive Foundry, LLC

11/14/2023

Our CEO, Laura Wilkins Cooke, is heading to Canyon Ranch to share our 12 skills to flourish in a 3-day retreat called Harnessing Happiness. Canyon Ranch is one of the best places in the world to focus on your own well-being and to renew and recharge. Why not go into the holidays focused on your health goals, and feeling good? There is still time to book your ticket. You can always do some online shopping while sitting next to a fire after a day of stretching your mind, body and spirit. Hope to see you there!

Canyon Ranch Lenox

This 3-day wellness retreat at scenic Canyon Ranch Lenox in the Berkshires is all about utilizing the science of happiness for your most flourishing life.

09/28/2023

It’s amazing what our minds can do – they play such a pivotal role in shaping our journey.

Research shows that a positive attitude has a direct impact on our success.

Tell yourself that you believe you can do something and repeat encouraging phrases and words to yourself on a regular basis. Write down all the reasons you will be successful. When you reach an obstacle or a challenge along the way, remind yourself that there are always challenges to be overcome and remain steadfast in your belief that you can do it. Continue to take actions moving you toward your goal. You’ve got this!

09/22/2023

September is National Self-Improvement Month, but we like to think every month should be about self-improvement! What we really mean is that we are all perfect just the way we are… and it’s amazing to keep growing!

Life is a constant stream of new experiences, new challenges, and new adventures, each of which contribute to our development and growth. Every day that we’re alive we have the opportunity to learn something new, try out a new skill and challenge ourselves. Each new trial, new triumph, new failure, is a step forward, no matter how big or small. It’s always about growth!

Here at Positive Foundry, we are constantly working on being a better version of ourselves. We love diving into the research to understand what really works, sharing that with our clients and learning from the participants of our programs – it’s a never-ending cycle. What learning opportunities will you take advantage of this month? How will you push yourself just a little bit to continue growing?

09/19/2023

What new goal have you set for yourself this month? What is on your bucket list?
Keep dreaming!

09/12/2023

Have you ever thought about your EQ?

You probably thought that was a typo and we meant to say IQ. But we didn’t. We meant EQ.

EQ is “emotional intelligence” and is the measurement of how good we are at collaboration and relationships with others. Basically, your “people skills.” Did you know that your EQ can be learned, and we can dramatically improve our EQ through understanding and practice?

The Positive Foundry skill, Grow Your EQ, is about recognizing, understanding, accepting, and managing our emotions, and recognizing, understanding, and accepting others' emotions so that ultimately we can build a positive and healthy relationship. Most would argue that our EQ is more important than IQ because no matter how smart you are if you can’t work with others, it is hard to get things done in most working environments today.

How are you growing your EQ? Want to work as a team to improve emotional intelligence? Reach out today to get started.

09/06/2023

We’re Positive Foundry. We help organizations develop a culture of well-being that leads to sustainable business performance.

Want to learn more? Contact us today.

08/31/2023

What we think about matters. A lot.

If you wake up each day and look for all the bad things in the world, that is what you will see. If you wake up and practice gratitude, you will see many more good things in life. Research backs this up.

What do you dream about? Do you spend time visualizing your own success? Do you ever pause and purposefully feel what accomplishing your goal will really feel like before you even start working on it?

Start today! Make your bucket list. Choose one item from that list. Dream about it every day. Imagine and feel what it will feel like when it comes true. Take one step everyday towards accomplishing that goal and look for signs around you that you are on the right path. Do you see them?

08/29/2023

We're excited to be part of the Women's Business Enterprise Council Ohio River Valley Catch the Wave Conference at the Columbus Convention Center today!

Come meet us at the Exhibitor Showcase from 2:30 pm - 5 pm. Learn more: https://bit.ly/45tVDTs

08/25/2023

Today, we are flashing back to one of the first videos we created for the BetterYet Teams program. With our amazing video partner, Outsider, we have created 86 different microlessons on human flourishing. The best part is seeing the impact they have on individuals and teams who take the time to learn, dialogue, and focus just a few minutes of practice each week on their own well-being. We can only be our best when we take care of ourselves. We all know that. Why is it so hard sometimes?

Here's to taking 15 minutes to practice today. Good luck!

08/24/2023

This is a friendly reminder. We have many choices – more choices than we often acknowledge. We can reframe our thinking, quiet our mind, read positive words, invest in relationships with people who make us feel good, listen to inspirational music, eat healthy foods that give us energy, and the list goes on and on. You are in charge of your own well-being.

So, will today run you? Or will you run the day?

08/18/2023

Can you think of a co-worker that you really enjoy? What about someone you try to avoid? Chances are it has something to do with your emotional bank account with these people.

As human beings, we subconsciously keep track of the positive and negative interactions we have with other people, and it can directly impact how we feel about that relationship. Just like a bank account, we can make deposits or withdrawals every time we interact with people. We make an emotional deposit when we offer to help or ask them how they are and really listen. And we make withdrawals when we vent, talk about other people, or forget to follow through on something.

Have you been making deposits with your team today? Have your interactions been more positive or negative? Since we are wired to focus on negative interactions, research shows we need at least 3 positive interactions to counteract just 1 negative interaction. And, strong teams have an even higher ratio than 3:1.

In our Better Yet Teams program, we learn about this concept and consider the deposits we are making in our work relationships. We share, as a team, how we build a deeper level of trust with each other. The result: more connection, more trust, and greater efficiency in getting things done. Work is more fun when teams communicate. What are you waiting for? We would love to chat about how we can work with your team!

08/14/2023

Better Yet Teams was developed to help each of us live a happy, healthy, and successful life. Everything we share is rooted in the research of positive psychology, human behavior, and neuroscience with proven tools and techniques that we can CHOOSE to practice. It is our mission to bring that science to as many people as possible.

Companies around the country who believe in investing in their employees are working with us to deliver BetterYet Teams to their people. How does it work? Over the course of 40 weeks, your internal company champion will guide you and your colleagues through an enriching experience consisting of a short video, dialogue, and practice. You’ll learn new skills. You’ll practice things that might put you out of your comfort zone. You’ll have conversation with your team that is meaningful, and you may have a shift in perspective. You will practice valuable science-backed skills that promote personal growth including developing resilience, building positive emotions, discovering your purpose, and more.

These skills take time to master. We know that. And we know that we will all continue to build upon our journey even after the 40 weeks are done. The key is getting started. Who doesn’t want a more positive organization with the most productive people?

Contact us today to learn more or to get a demo on the Better Yet Teams program.

08/11/2023

The weekly challenge this week is to hydrate.

Did you know that the amount of energy we have is directly impacted by the amount of water we drink? Many of us are wishing we can muster up some more energy, especially in these summer months when we want to stay up late and enjoy the sunshine!

The recommendation is 1/2 - 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight to have optimal energy. An easy way to plan is to choose a favorite carry jug and calculate how many times you need to fill it up each day to drink enough. Laura loves the 40-ounce Stanley. Someone who weighs 150 pounds should drink a minimum of almost 2 Stanley’s full of water each day. Someone who is 200 pounds should drink at least 2 and a half Stanley’s.

How much water do you need? Can you hydrate for energy?

08/09/2023

Driven and Patient. Loving and Strong. Flawed and Resilient.

Those are the words that our founder, Laura Cooke, would use to describe some of the most important women in her life. We have come a long way in our country with the roles that women are allowed to play, but like most things, there is still room for improvement.

Today we acknowledge and appreciate the invaluable contributions of women. Let’s create an environment where every person can truly thrive. Let’s believe in one another and uplift one another. Let’s empower each other, break barriers, and continue to make a positive impact on the world and lead the way for future generations of women.

08/07/2023

Thank you Canyon Ranch Lenox for another great weekend sharing the skills to flourish and helping our CEO, Laura Wilkins Cooke, personally recharge and reset for the Fall. Some of her highlights included interacting with guests, kayaking, sharing the skills and the dialogue with participants, learning more about Chinese medicine, ALL of the exercise classes, painting, and of course, the deep tissue massages, energy work, and time in the spa with Christine.

We believe there is truly no better spot on earth to focus on health and wellness than Canyon Ranch. Interested in learning more or hearing dates of when we will be back as a speaker? Send us a message and we will be sure to send you more information!

08/01/2023

This is a photo of the Rockbridge team during our Lead with Mindfulness team training. We were practicing mindfulness by balancing a feather on our finger.

Working with this team has been a highlight in the Positive Foundry journey.

Not only are they talking the talk, but they also walk the walk with their upcoming event, RTRX, which starts today and goes through Friday at their new The Junto Hotel. The RTRX experience is held in collaboration with Pelotonia Ride Weekend and it’s curated with business, philanthropy, mindfulness, fun, and thought-provoking content designed to speak to the whole person. This year, they've yet again crafted an excellent lineup of speakers covering everything from leadership, creativity, and building mental resilience and well-being.

Thank you, Rockbridge! We are excited for another year of learning, raising money and awareness for cancer, and community building at RTRX, August 1st – 4th, here in Columbus, Ohio.

Chris Cooke will be there. Will you?

07/27/2023

Life is so fascinating sometimes.

We know that feeling successful is a requirement for a flourishing life. In fact, in the acronym developed by Martin Seligman, to describe what we need to thrive PERMA, it is the A in PERMA – Accomplishment. And it seems that success is the “doing” part of life. It is the “to do” list, and all the ways we want to make an impact on the world. Relationships, the R in PERMA, is also in the prescription for flourishing, and that is really the “being” part of life. It is the sitting, talking, supporting, and relating part with the people we love, and “doing” nothing during that time. Often, we must make a choice between “doing” and “being,” and “doing” can feel more important, but is it really?

Here at Positive Foundry we have started making a “to do” and a “to be” list each week to think purposefully about the “being” part. Being kind, patient, and purposefully making time to simply be present with the people who matter most to us needs to be on the list, too! How do you balance these two elements of happiness? Have you thought about discussing this with your team at work?