Kadalyst began as a side passion for one of our founders, who was at the time, trying to help out a friend. Benjamin, unknowingly, implemented a wellness program at his former company as a way to create a supportive environment for his friend and employee. At the time, Darrell had almost every chronic health condition you can name and weighed in at nearly 500lbs. Benjamin began with small steps, encouraging other team members to order healthy options when they were all at lunch with Darrell, so that he would feel less awkward making a healthy choice. He also worked with a local gym to get a discounted membership for all employees based on attendance.
Following the supportive environment mentality, healthier food options were brought in for meetings & birthdays and posters went up encouraging healthy lifestyle choices. A few fun challenges were thrown in to keep employees interested, but the program was not comprehensive, as Benjamin still had other responsibilities to manage as well. When it was time for Benjamin to move on from the company, there was no one to take his place keeping the new healthy behaviors that the company and Darrell had adopted in place. When he left, the wellness program did too. It was barely 3-years later when Benjamin received a call that one of his former employees passed away due to heart failure, Darrell was only 38. It was this event that sparked the beginning stages of our business.
We believe that to help an individual create real lifestyle changes, you need to reach them where they spend the majority of their waking hours, at work, and you need to be there often enough to build a relationship and show them you care. No employer wants to see what happened to Darrell happen to one of his or her team members. Kadalyst is here to take over your entire wellness program from planning to execution, so that it never gets left behind, and to ensure each one of your employees knows what resources are available and how to take advantage of all of your program’s offerings.
Many companies try to implement a wellness program, as Benjamin did, on the side. Most employers don’t know where to start, or do start, but implement initiatives that don’t affect long-term change. It starts out fun and employees get excited to see something new, but without someone dedicated full-time to research, plan and build the program, it often falls apart and by the next year, there is limited quantifiable change in the health of the employees. Our business model is to design, coordinate and manage tailored programs for employers. Your wellness program is our business!
Why “Kadalyst” instead of “Catalyst?”
The “D” in Kadalyst is a representation of Darrell and reminds us why we started our company. Our goal is to reach and encourage those employees who, without a program like ours, may not have any resources to make the changes they want and need to for their health.
Kadalyst is more than our company; it is our passion and mission to help you take out the guesswork when establishing a workplace wellness initiative. Under our management, your program will never be “out of sight” or “out of mind.” It will continually be visible and effective. Read more about our frameworks to determine the best strategy for you to take today. Better health for your employees and your business are waiting!
