Organizational Psychology of Wellness, Performance, and Play

Hello Everyone,

Isaac Asimov once said, “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny…’” I mention this quote because many of you have asked what I have been working on with my father (that I briefly mentioned in last quarter’s newsletter). We have been working on a hangover remedy. We are still very much in the design phase as demonstrated by the following short tale: I administered our first version of the hangover remedy formula to my friend Micah, his aunt, his cousin and myself after a night of libation on Catalina Island (over the Fourth of July weekend). To my dismay it was discovered in this ad hoc human trial that the amount of sodium bicarbonate that can be tolerated after a night of drinking in a normal human had been significantly over-estimated. You can imagine where this is going. Micah’s cousin and I felt relief. Micah and his aunt on the other hand had adverse reactions: acute intestinal distress and uncontrollable burping respectively. In retrospect it is funny, that day however it was a little uncomfortable on the island. It continues to be a fun little side project. New evidence about the effectiveness of asparagus leaf and shoot extract (in the treatment of hangovers) has us playing with the formula once again. I’ll keep you posted on our efforts.

The other good news to report is Anna and I are moving to the Bay Area. Anna has secured a great job with Levi’s and I am surfing up north on her coattails. I owe a debt of gratitude to those of you that have either helped or offered to help in my job search. It is my pleasure to report that things are on the upswing.

Adhering to the parameters of the Live Life Love project I conducted two more excellent informational interviews. The most surprising reveal from this effort is that when I asked the two gentlemen (experts in the field of fitness) what excited them the most about the future of exercise they both basically stated, “a throwback to the importance of functional training.”

For my business interview this quarter I reached out to Mark Friedman, co-founder and president of Perfect Fitness, LLC, the creators of the Perfect Pushup and Perfect Pullup. Mark’s entrepreneurial journey is quite aspiring and he graciously agreed to sit down and talk with me. My interview with Mark about innovation can be viewed by clicking here.

My wellness interview this quarter is with Tom DeLong. Tom was one of my professors at UCLA and is an expert in kinesiology. He is currently working on authoring a book chapter on biomechanics for Human Kinetics but took time out of his busy schedule to talk with me about fitness innovation. My interview with Tom about sports technology can be read by clicking here.

As one can imagine money has been a little tight in these economic times for me and Anna, so one of the prerequisites in partaking in this quarter’s life experience was to keep the traveling costs down. I discovered that you can find great deals to areas of the world that are going through political upheaval. Hello Honduras! All joking aside, Honduras is a wonderful country. We went to the island of Roatan and had a blast… awesome diving, great people and very relaxing. We even got to swim with dolphins.

Swimming with Dolphins | Roatan, Honduras

A tip for those of you looking for budget travel, I highly recommend Vacation Rentals by Owner. We got a $400 a night luxury condo for less than 25 percent of the asking price. There are some unbelievable deals on this site.

Lastly, it is an honor to continue to help those of you pursuing athletic achievements. This quarter I was able to contribute to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through donations to Kristin and Jeremy and the Make a Wish Foundation through a donation to Nick. Strong effort, great causes, that is what it is all about!

Warm regards,
Michael