Defining Wellbeing for Business with Jeff Krasno

Podcast: Conscious Leaders — Well-being Webinar Series Host: Gret Batchelar, Co-founder of Conscious Working Guest: Jeff Krasno, Founder and CEO of Commune Media, Founder of Wanderlust Episode Overview: In this episode of the well-being webinar series, Gret Batchelar sits down with entrepreneur Jeff Krasno to discuss his journey in bringing wellness to the masses. Jeff shares the deeply personal origins of his work in the well-being space, his expansive philosophy on what it means to be truly well, and how mindful practices can transform both remote workplace cultures and our broader society. Key Topics Discussed: The Post-9/11 Origins of Wanderlust: Jeff's journey into the wellness industry began after 9/11 when his wife Schuyler opened a humble yoga studio near Ground Zero. Witnessing the profound healing and community-building power of that small space inspired him to scale the experience, eventually creating Wanderlust — a globally recognised series of transformational wellness festivals that grew to 68 events across 20 countries. Commune Media and Societal Well-being: Often described as the MasterClass of wellness, Commune grew out of Jeff's collaborative work with Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra. The platform aims to democratise wellness by offering free online curricula and expanding the definition of well-being to include societal planks like civics, implicit bias, permaculture, and sustainability. The Six Pillars of Well-being: Jeff outlines the core components of personal well-being as movement, restoration (such as meditation or good sleep), nutrition, community, purpose, and creativity. He also describes well-being spiritually as an essence of thriving, joy, and connection that occurs when we are less anchored in the ego. Building a Trust-Based Remote Culture: After transitioning Commune to a fully remote model during the pandemic, the company experienced zero turnover and increased employee happiness. Jeff attributes this to decentralised decision-making, a strong emphasis on mission fluency, and allowing employees the flexibility to work hours that suit their lives, provided the work gets done. Mindful Leadership in Practice: At Commune, team meetings frequently begin with a minute of silence, breathwork, or a meditative check-in to ground the team and ensure everyone is fully present. Jeff advocates for prioritising the personal needs of team members over aggressive hockey stick top-line growth, arguing that long-term sustainable business relies heavily on institutional knowledge and employee happiness. Curing the Global "Amygdala Hijack": Jeff observes that modern society is currently stuck in an epinephrine-infused state of fight or flight, which has polluted public discourse and degraded societal functionality. He emphasises that modalities like meditation can help ground us and shift us into our prefrontal cortex, allowing for the rational, flexible cooperation at scale required to solve global challenges.