Graduate Spotlight
Christine Gust. N.D.
Founder of Naturally Productive Solutions
During her 15 years in human resources management, Christine Gust heard plenty of grievances -- from line workers, CEOs and everyone in between. Employees often felt overwhelmed and underappreciated. Managers wanted to delegate better and communicate more effectively. Everybody wanted to find better health insurance options.
In these scenarios and in countless others, Christine saw a common thread. To get the most out of a workday, it all begins with self-management. When we self-manage our health, we find the physical energy and mental clarity to work more efficiently. When we self-manage our professional and personal goals, we empower others to join in and we can each help each other more effectively. Self-management means healthier habits, which makes a positive impact on the bottom line.
But when she came face-to-face with a life-changing health problem, Christine decided to take the concept of self-management up a notch. “Western medicine didn’t have the answers I needed, so I started going to alternative health practitioners and I also read a number of natural health books. I decided that it would be better if I created a program to follow rather than just continually adding and subtracting remedies and therapies. That way, I’d also have specific goals and something to show for my effort.”
“I’m a natural born researcher. I wanted to understand the science of natural health, and I also felt a strong calling to simplify my life.” So she investigated two important life changes, additional education for a new career and where she wanted to live. Here’s what she discovered:
“I researched schools on the internet. Then I talked with admissions counselors for several schools and asked if I could talk to graduates. Clayton College gave me several references, and I was impressed with them. They were helpful, encouraging, and had very positive things to say about their experience at CCNH and how they were using their degrees. For instance I wouldn’t have studied biology but knowing the body’s physiology makes things make sense.”
Along the way, she learned how to take better care of her energies, getting more done while also working fewer hours. Getting more in touch with inner guidance, she started to imagine moving out of corporate life, even moving to another state.
And then…
“When I decided to move to Colorado, I put out some feelers by asking friends and colleagues if they knew anybody here. Although I knew only one person here at that time, now many of those friends-of-friends are my own friends. I felt drawn to find a cleaner environment: better water, better air, and a real emphasis on organic living.” One year later, she is actively involved in issues of sustainability and corporate responsibility. Christine serves on the Board of Directors for P3: People, Planet, Profits.
Her new consulting business, Naturally Productive Solutions, is thriving. With clients in several states, Christine coaches companies and individuals in how to take a more holistic approach to work. Here is her mission statement:
I help businesses attract and retain employees and improve results by developing more positive and productive relationships and creating more supportive work environments and business practices. I use a holistic approach and apply the principles of natural health to workplaces, not just to individuals.
“Workers who feel stressed and unhappy often to blame their employer when the issue is really about them changing the way they work. We address such topics as food choices when employees are in lunch meetings, integrating simple exercises and stretching within the work day, planning their workload in advance, finding blocks of time for projects that need quiet concentration, and using their benefits insurance more proactively to support their health. Change is easier when we take one step at a time, to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
“I see myself as a bridge between business people and natural health professionals,” she concludes. “I have a number of ideas for how an employee can use their health insurance more proactively, and was recently asked to start a support group via phone so people can learn from each other in a cost-effective way."
For more information: www.christinegust.com
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