Dan Simons’ Post

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay, and I encourage my fellow business leaders to get serious about creating a company culture that truly supports the mental health and well-being of team members. Don’t know where to start? Love, Your Mind has a new employer guide, made in partnership with the Health Action Alliance, Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah, the Ad Council, and Canva: https://lnkd.in/ep4K5etY.  You can also check out my playbook for a mental health-informed workplace at www.dansimonssays.com.

Talk about a true warrior in the mental health arena. Honored to know someone like Bershan Shaw. Check out her feature in Black Enterprise Magazine for #WorldMentalHealthDay.

For #WorldMentalHealthDay, let’s all come together as business leaders to recognize that we can't talk about overall health or wellness without discussing mental health and well-being. They are both simply HEALTH, and we simply can’t take care of the health of our employees without talking about and developing a plan to address mental health. Conservative or Progressive, D or R, Capitalist or Socialist or Conscious Capitalist – this is an investment where anyone who looks at the math, the ROI, and the outcomes all end up agreeing that investing in employee mental health is a good idea. Check out my playbook for a mental health-informed workplace at https://lnkd.in/eSkHMRiN. #mentalhealth #mentalhealthatwork #mentalhealthmatters #investinmentalhealth

Oct 10th is World Mental Health Day; looking for something to do to learn and find ways to make an impact? I'll be attending a special screening of "The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause," which explores the impact of menopause on women's lives. I see it as a topic that all business leaders should be learning about, as it affects all their employees in one way or another. Check out the film's trailer here: https://lnkd.in/ecJWTqd6 #menopause #themfactor #mentalhealth #worldmentalhealthday

We've got some exciting things in the works; loved sharing the details in person with our partners and farmer-owners from the North Dakota Farmers Union. Touring our new Culinary Barn in Prince Georges County, MD and upcoming Alexandria restaurant, I kept thinking back to how far we've come since our first location. Without the vision and support of the North Dakota Farmers Union and their tens of thousands of American family farmers, we wouldn't be where we are today and definitely wouldn't be working on an eighth location opening in early 2025. Grateful to all the American Family Farmers who supply the USA with food, AND who majority-own our restaurants! #foundingfarmers #farmerowned #farmersunion #ndfarmersunion #newrestaurant

This is a thorny topic. And it was a challenging 8 months for our chefs, managers, servers, and entire team, our facility/construction teams, and in some cases, even our guests. It took longer and was harder than we anticipated in part because we stayed open every single day no matter what construction was happening. We had to hire construction teams and tradesmen to work odd hours, overnight, and on the weekend to minimize interference with service. Great idea, but they weren’t easy to find, and we faced delays when we couldn’t get supplies we needed or find the right workers to do the work in the middle of the night. Staying open, however, meant we could keep our people employed, receiving paychecks, a big priority for us. We were also able to keep most of our team together. And we could continue to serve our loyal guests and community. Was it worth it? YES! The renovation is beautiful, and we have created more functional areas and systems for our team and diners, including a private dining room and year-round outdoor dining room! Founding Farmers Fishers & Bakers was a 10-year-old restaurant; now it’s had a rebirth, feels new, vibrant and freshly delicious. We’re just glad the dust has settled, and we can now enjoy it along with our guests. #foundingfarmers #constructionstory #remodeling #restaurantremodel #restaurantindustry

There's been a continuing shift in the way people drink while dining and socializing. Our scratch cocktails have always been something we're proud of (and will continue to be), and it's clear that some of our guests are looking for more from our bar program. We're putting in the effort to do the R&D to adapt and meet our guests where they are. I promise, it won’t be “mocktails” that make a mockery of drinks, or overpriced fruit drinks (forgive me, but after a tour in NYC last week, I saw enough injustices done to some beverage menus that I vowed we’d put in the work to honor our guests who want a true drink, simply spirit-free) Phytonutrients? Garnishes pleasing to the eye and thrilling to the palate? Drinks with THC or CBD? Can't say for sure what is coming, so whether you've stopped drinking alcohol, or are reducing, or living that California sober life, know that we're working on keeping our bars a place where everyone feels welcome, free spirits and spirits free... I'll keep you posted and, when you come across any presentation or ingredient that amazes you in an alcohol-free drink, or when you find a bar or restaurant doing it incredibly well, DM me and educate me! #foundingfarmers #alcoholfree #spiritfree #researchanddevelopment

Let’s reframe how we think about menopause in the workplace. I urge business leaders to get over their fear of the word "menopause" - it's okay, you can say it - and to educate yourselves on what you can do for the 100% of your employees affected (directly or indirectly) by this completely natural phase of life. Shoutout to the Health Action Alliance, AARP, and Pfizer for hosting the National Employer Summit: The Aging Workforce's Menopause Panel the other week. Menopause was just one important topic covered. Catch the full panel at https://lnkd.in/dVVSuVwj. #menopause #mentalhealth #healthactionalliance #paneldiscussion Morra Aarons-Mele Maura Cawley Lena Davydov Sonja Kellen Heather Tinsley-Fix Emily Watson

Picture this: one of your managers discovered that one of your servers is struggling with depression and is in need of some help. What do you do now?  If you have a playbook, your team has been taught how to talk with them and how to help. For us, we can: a) help them sign up for a free online therapy service our company provides or b) get them in touch with our company therapist we have on speed dial that they can see right away. We also support our managers checking in on them as needed, weekly, monthly, etc. If you don't have a playbook, you're left saying "now what?" #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthatwork #playbook

I love to ask business leaders this question: if not us, who? We know there are no overarching mental health services or support in the US. It’s not possible for society to get all solutions from government, from school, from church, from family – who's left to set up these programs? Us. It’s really up to the conscious business leaders. And a mental health playbook is a great place to start. #consciouscapitalism #mentalhealth #mentalhealthatwork #mentalhealthplaybook