Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Tager.
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I began a journey into wellness as a medical student at Duke University. I became very ill my sophomore year and, while recuperating, began a process of introspection, something that is definitely put on the shelf during the grueling years of training. I took the time to examine my lifestyle, diet, how I handled stress, and at that point, I made a conscious decision to pursue optimal health. I’d like to think that some 50 years later, my actions have reflected my belief in the power of the human body to maintain resilience and good health throughout the years.
After my training in Family Practice, I was fortunate to direct health promotion for Kaiser Permanente in the Pacific Northwest. One of my major goals was to develop a cadre of healthcare practitioners who could give talks and do programs in business and industry. I quickly noticed the wide gap in the presentation skills of the nurses, extenders, physicians, and therapists whom I selected to participate. A few were masterful in delivering messages of well-being, both inspiring and teaching participants about ways to stay healthy. However, the majority were uninspiring and, although well-meaning, were not terribly effective. This realization formed the basis for the PresentWell(TM) training program that I have offered along with my colleague Robert John Hughes at ChangeWell Training Academy. We’ve worked with hundreds of professionals–mainly in the wellness, nutrition, aesthetic, and fitness industries become powerful, passionate presenters. We have a tested system that allows each presenter to light up new possibilities in the minds and hearts of those who attend their programs. Robert and I co-authored a book entitled Enhance Your Presence: The Path to Personal Power, Professional Influence, and Business Results.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As Adrian Monk, the famous OCD detective, would say, his abilities are “A gift and a curse.” My first book, Whole Person Healthcare” was published in the late 1970s, my second Planning for Wellness came a few years later. I had the gift of seeing that there would be a powerful movement toward wellness and that this would dramatically affect the way in which healthcare is delivered. Today, we have practitioners embracing functional/integrative/complementary medicine. The “curse” was I had my sail up for a long time before the winds came up. So, as an early proponent of the whole-person approach to healthcare, there were some very lean years in which I felt I was preaching in the wilderness. In the early days, I was delighted if a dozen people came to my talks and presentations; today, I’m please to speak to groups that number in the 1000s.
The other issue about being at the forefront of a movement is that you have no role models, no one to tell you what not to do. So, it was a lot of trial and error in the early days. Today, I count myself fortunate being able to be more of a mentor to younger clinicians.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We have two divisions. Consulting and Training. In the consulting division we help health/aesthetic/wellness-oriented companies organize, crystallize, and communicate their messaging to clinicians and consumers. This may take the form of online training, leadership development, or advisory work. In the training division, we focus on our PresentWell program, which is delivered either as a comprehensive small group training or as online coaching.
The real joy of doing the Presentwell training focuses on the personal growth and transformation that takes place in the process. What I’ve found after working with so many professionals is that there is usually a blockage or barrier holding them back from coming across more authentically, more powerfully, and persuasively. It is only when they acknowledge and break through these obstacles that their messaging really resonates with an audience. While we can teach the mechanics of a great presentation–gestures, voice, interactivity, etc.–shedding old self-limiting beliefs is what results in a quantum leap in personal power.
There are any other organizations that teach presentation skills. What is unique about the PresentWell training is this inner focus. Most of our clients come from some health-related industry. My colleagues and I take enormous pride that we are helping well-intentioned presenters make a difference.
How do you think about luck?
Right time. Right place. Right product. Right people.
I had sold a publishing/training company I founded and ran for 10 years. I moved to Southern California and was sitting out a non-compete. I was bored out of my mind. I hit the gym for hours a day. I tried to take up golf (ugh). I ran errands for my wife (and they were becoming more frequent.) Luck would have it I sat next to a businessperson on an airplane. He mentioned that he was starting a laser company that would resurface skin by making tiny little holes in it. He was looking for a medical doctor who could help market the laser to physicians. The laser was the Fraxel(R), and the company Reliant Technologies started in San Diego before moving up to the Bay Area. I was the founding VP of Marketing and Sales. The rest is history.
Contact Info:
- Website: changewell.com drtager.com
- Instagram: @drmtager
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktager/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3nSsfM3H-51yURK4uxXjKA
