Founder: Michelle Johnston
Out of a desire to make workplaces happier, more productive places to be, Michelle Johnston, a life-long social innovator, recognized the need to bring new ideas and concepts to Canadian companies. Along her own journey toward creating WorkingWell, she worked in the public sector for the Ministry of Education, Management Board Secretariat in HR, and for The City of Toronto. In the private sector she worked for an Internet start-up called Firmbuy Inc. in sales and training and eventually found her way to a business-focused not-for-profit company now known as GS1 Canada. It was during her years after University that she noticed something was missing from the workplace environments she had found herself in.
As an Anthropology student at U of T, Michelle was trained in the science of understanding cultures and analysing the root causes of social dynamics. She noticed, in many, but not in all of the corporate offices she was a part of, an element of personal satisfaction (genuine happiness) that seemed to be missing in many of whom she saw or interacted with around the office. Upon closer examination, the reasons for this general dissatisfaction seemed complex, but always linked back to the operating and cultural practices of the organization.
After many attempts to affect positive cultural change from within some of these organizations, she eventually left the corporate sector for a time, to work for her local wellness practitioner, Dr. Maureen Borghoff, DC. It was here that Michelle would learn, from a grassroots perspective about the vast world of wellness and preventative and complimentary medicine. After five years of employment at Essence of Life Wellness Care with Dr. Borghoff, she eventually left to married her desire to make workplaces happier and more productive with her newfound love of health and wellness, to form WorkingWell.
Aside from her work experience at Essence of Life Wellness Care, Michelle also drew on her previous experiences as a certified Tennis Instructor (7 years), her term as a certified CAN-BIKE Instructor (4 years) and her nutritional education from the Edison Institute of Holistic Nutrition (ongoing).
Today, Michelle and her team work with some of Canada’s most extraordinary companies, helping to affect positive change. She has had the privilege of working with such organization as BMO, Bell Canada, The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario, CSA (Canadian Standards Association), Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, Morguard Investments, Peel District School Board, Unicef Canada, Unilever Canada, and Yahoo! Canada.
Michelle’s Personal Wellness Interests
- Practiced meditator – completed over 3000 hours of mind-sound meditation education
- Avid flatwater kayaker – leader of small group exersions
- Yoga fanatic – a fan of all types of Yoga but extremely partial to Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga
- Cycling – most proud accomplisment = cycling to Montreal!
- Tennis – former tennis instructor and life-long lover of the sport