For women’s health, the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC reports that over 40% of women aged 20 and over are obese, and 33.6% of women aged 20 and over have hypertension. It also states that around 12% of women smoke and 13.4% of women over the age of 18 are in fair and poor health. 

But it is not all grave news. 

The data also showed that 49.3% of U.S. women over the age of 18 meet the federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity. That is almost half of the adult women’s population! 

Wellness is a priority for many women. Proof of that is the ever-growing number of wellness centers offering various approaches to health. Women flock to these centers to exercise, socialize, and enjoy some me-time. 

But wellness is not just limited to physical health. The World Health Organization defined wellness as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’

Complete physical, social, and mental wellbeing — that sounds like a tall order, something that may be a challenge to achieve.

Advocating for Health Consumers

While some women would have balked and gladly given up, Anniedi Essien did not. She knew her business. 

Yes, she has hit rock bottom. But you know what they say. When you have hit the bottom, there is nowhere to go but up. And up she did. 

Now she is on a mission to revolutionize wellness and empower women to take charge of their health. 

Idem Spark: A Consumer Led Innovation

Anniedi Essien is the CEO at Idem Spark. This wellness community empowers women to take charge of their health by fusing groundbreaking leadership development and wellbeing strategies designed to boost consumer engagement.

Anniedi’s 20-year health background as a former corporate wellness executive and her extensive work in the retail space all play crucial roles in her company. 

When I talked to her in the podcast, she explained she started the company to give women a voice by putting them in the driver’s seat with wellness as the ultimate destination. 

‘The mission of Idem Spark is to elevate women’s voices, empower them to make informed choices, and inspire them to lead a healthy and joyful life.  We help top performers slay wellbeing and career goals, so they don’t have to sacrifice health for their ambition. And we teach consumers how to boost wellness and leadership skills so that you can confidently achieve your desired work-life and health goals.‘

Anniedi feels that more light needs to be shed on this subject, and I agree with her. There is always space for successful women who dream big and achieve their personal and professional goals without sacrificing their health. 

Merging Health and Retail Principles

Idem Spark motivates women through exclusive workshops and coaching to re-energize careers and stimulate personal growth. It delivers playbooks to optimize a personalized wellness journey. Most importantly, its integrated career development, ensuring that women are equipped with the right skills that will propel them to success while also giving meaning to their lives. 

One thing health needs to adapt from the retail space is the personalization of either the health or the wellness journey. In retail, this means that the store delivers products or services based on data collected and your needs. In healthcare, it means creating a customized wellness path for the customer to follow. 

‘I would say the biggest differentiator is that it’s a holistic approach. So, we are really integrating career development as well as wellbeing strategies for success. We fused these strategies to boost consumer engagement so that these high performing talented individuals can prioritize their wellness in a way that really moves the needle meaningfully in their lives. ‘ Anniedi explained. 

Anniedi draws insights from her personal health transformation journey and her corporate wellness executive background to boost wellness and leadership skills for the consumers. 

If you are a high-performing individual looking forward to restoring the spark in your life, or you’re an employer seeking for a way to elevate your employee’s skills, Idem Spark is for you. 

Listen to my full conversation with Anniedi here: https://outcomesrocket.health/idemspark/2020/05/