In this new Brave Ideas category, we explore the habits, behaviours and leadership choices that shape stronger teams, better performance and healthier workplace communities. In her first contribution, looks at how small, sustainable health habits can improve resilience, focus and energy, and why that matters not just for people, but for profit too.

When it comes to leadership, energy and resilience matter more than time. Time does not mean much if your brain fogs in the middle of a big meeting or your focus slips because you are running on empty. Many leaders operate at a relentless pace, but few stop to consider how everyday habits quietly drive or drain their ability to perform and lead with clarity.

The good news is, it doesn’t take long‑haul wellness programmes or strict diets to see big results. In fact, those are often unsustainable, not always backed by strong evidence, and can drain mental energy even more.

These habits do not make Instagram headlines, but they make leaders more reliable and help safeguard profit. They build clearer thinking, steadier energy and the ability to show up strong, day after day.

Unhealthy diets make employees 66% more likely to report productivity loss [HERO Study: Mills, P. R., et al. (2012)]

Additionally, employees are thought to lose around 1 day per week of productive time as a result of mental and physical health issues (Vitality Britain’s Healthiest Workplace, 2024). This is the overlooked performance and business profit link when it comes to people management, wellbeing strategies and creating a truly healthy working community.

To add another angle, what we eat has a huge impact on the planet as well as our health, and forms an important part of ESG for businesses. Our food systems contribute to around 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions (EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems). We also see that shifting our diets to a more planet-friendly way of eating could prevent approximately 15 million premature deaths per year primarily from reduced heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers (Gu, X. et al. (2024)).

These contributions from Vanessa will focus on how you as leaders and teams can make these shifts for better performance, retention, productivity, ESG goals and stronger community.

Why habits are a business issue

Habits are not just a personal choice, they are a business advantage. When people make small, healthy decisions consistently, organisations see fewer sick days, sharper thinking and stronger collaboration. The 2024 Vitality Britain’s Healthiest Workplace report found that poor lifestyle habits cost UK businesses £138 billion annually, mostly from preventable illness and fatigue.

This also builds engagement and stronger workplace culture. Healthy habits stick when teams encourage each other. After a talk I gave for the organisation, GS1 UK, their people kept sharing habit ideas long after, and the session ran even more interactively than usual, letting everyone explore quick wins firsthand.

Research shows that well‑planned workplace health programmes can significantly cut absenteeism and boost productivity (Tarro L et al., 2020, PMC7142489). The trick is making health realistic and relevant to how people actually work. When workplaces make positive choices convenient, they help their teams build energy and focus without extra pressure.

What the data shows

Healthy eating is not fluffy wellbeing talk, it is a performance lever with hard numbers behind it. A large workplace‑health survey of nearly 20,000 employees found that those with unhealthy eating habits were 66% more likely to report a loss in productivity, and those who rarely ate fruits and vegetables at work were about 93% more likely to report a major drop in productivity (HERO Study: Mills, P. R., et al. (2012)).

And it starts with the basics.

Fewer than 1 in 10 UK adults meet the recommended daily fibre intake. Fibre supports gut health, satiety, energy balance, and long-term disease prevention. Small additions like fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, or beans to your meals can help improve concentration, digestion, and stamina.

One key busy team member I worked with is a great example:

She was struggling with cravings, focus and weight management. Evenings often meant raiding the cupboard, and the worry about it would already sap her focus earlier in the working day. She regularly bought one of those recipe kit meals but said she never felt full afterwards. Together we focused on one simple habit. This was adding healthy, gut‑loving, filling foods to her existing, busy routine. Tins of beans are an easy go‑to; they take ages to go out of date and can be added to almost any other convenience food. They are also full of fibre and plant protein, and help lower the risk of many lifestyle diseases. She added a tin of beans and some leek to her recipe kit curry just two hours after our coaching session and said, “That is the first time my partner and I have been full after one of these meals. Honestly.” It did not take an overhaul, it was just a small change she can carry into the rest of her life.

From short-lived ambitions to reliable performance

Forget the all‑or‑nothing approach, which is painful, energy‑draining and ultimately unsustainable. Real energy comes from small, consistent habits that become part of your daily rhythm. Changes have to overcome workplace and personal life barriers, from lack of time and knowledge to stress, mental health and the pressure to be “on” all the time. The most effective shifts are the ones that feel manageable, not overwhelming.

Start simple:

• Keep roasted chickpeas, edamame beans or mixed nuts at your desk for steady energy.

• Add a piece of fruit in place of one sugary snack (or have them together if the habit swap is too stark).

• Sip water throughout the day to support focus and productivity.

• Keep the mantra of “progress over perfection”.

Perfection never works, is short-lived and can create more frustration than results. What works is stacking small, repeatable habits that add up. Leaders must enable it and model it themselves. Wellbeing is not just an employee perk. It links people’s health directly to profit. When you visibly prioritise these habits, you signal that performance and energy go hand in hand, and that you’re serious about creating a great workplace culture.

References

• Vitality Britain’s Healthiest Workplace: Vitality. (2024, January 23). Poor health at work responsible for £138bn loss.

• HERO Study: Mills, P. R., et al. (2012). Poor employee health habits drive lost productivity. Population Health Management, 15(5). HERO/Healthways press release

• Gu, X. et al. (2024) ‘Global adherence to a healthy and sustainable diet and potential prevention of premature deaths’, *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, 121(49), p. e2319008121.

• Tarro L et al. (2020). Effectiveness of workplace interventions for improving absenteeism, productivity, and work ability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. *Int J Environ Res Public Health* 17(6):1901.

• The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems. *The Lancet*, 406(10512):1625-1700. Published online October 2, 2025 (11 Oct 2025 print). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01201-2.

This post won’t have a lot of text to it, because it’s a YouTube video of my guest appearance on The Future Workplace podcast episode, hosted by Chris Gore.

But I do encourage you to press play below to watch the first 2 minutes.

I think you might just get hooked, and find there are a few takeways worth leaning into.

We discuss leadership, company culture,…

Read more

In this keynote from The Hybrid Work ’25 Conference in Helsinki, Finland Caleb Parker, Founder and CEO of Brave Corporation, delivers a challenge to the real estate industry:

The office is no longer where work happens — it’s where culture is amplified.

For decades, the logic of office real estate was built on proximity.
But proximity doesn’t drive performance anymore — culture does.

People no longer come to the office to work

In an era where work and life are inseparable, people no longer come to the office to work; they come when it gives them something they can’t get anywhere else — real human connection.

Caleb calls these “cranberry muffin moments” — the spontaneous, human connections that can’t be scheduled on Zoom but can be designed for.

He explains how hospitality enables those connections — turning culture from an idea into an everyday experience.
He explores how hospitality-led destinations are reshaping what performance means in the modern workplace

What is the role of the office?

In this talk, he challenges leaders to rethink what the office is really for — and how hospitality can help them create environments where culture thrives and people perform at their best.

“The future of office isn’t about desks,” Caleb says. “It’s about superpowers — the kind people only unlock when culture leads.”

This keynote is for landlords, operators, and workplace leaders reimagining how space, service, and culture come together to drive performance.

Watch the full 20-minute keynote to see how hospitality, trust, and purpose are redefining the future of work — and the future of office value.

Behind The Scenes

Aerial views departing Helsinki on return to London:

Feedback on LinkedIn

The commercial real estate industry has a critical role to play in shaping the future of work.

That’s why we curated last week's Brave Ideas Keynote featuring leadership expert Stephen Shedletzky ("Shed") last Friday, titled Culture First: Leading the Way in Commercial Real Estate.

(Tap here for the photo gallery)

Our goal?

To ignite a conversation about how offices can become more than just physical spaces.

We believe our industry has a profound impact on workplace culture --and that impact extends beyond office walls.

What if commercial real estate became a beacon for positive company culture?

After all, positive cultures and thriving workplaces lead to successful businesses that fill offices with happy, motivated people.

Culture, Not Policy, Defines Workplace Success

The debate around remote work versus in-office policies has dominated headlines for years. But as Shed pointed out in his keynote, workplace success isn’t determined by location alone. The true foundation of a thriving workplace is culture.

“The biggest influence on whether a workplace thrives is not whether it’s in-person, hybrid, or remote—it’s the company culture,” he said.

Shed explained that speak-up cultures—where employees feel safe, valued, and empowered to contribute—are essential to long-term success. Psychological safety, trust, and belonging don’t just make workplaces nicer; they make companies more competitive.

But he also issued a cautionary note: In-person interactions amplify emotions.

When the culture is strong, being together amplifies trust, connection, and collaboration. But in a toxic environment, those same interactions magnify anxiety and disengagement.

The takeaway for leaders?

It’s not enough to bring people back to the office. We must create environments where people feel emotionally safe and genuinely included. The workplace isn’t just about productivity—it’s about human connection.

Why the Office Industry Must Care About Culture

Throughout the event, one message became clear:

The future of work will determine the value of the office.

The equation is simpler than it seems: great company cultures create thriving businesses, and thriving businesses create demand for office space. When employees feel connected to their workplace culture, they naturally want to spend more time in the environments that foster that connection.

That’s why the office industry needs to care about inspiring great company culture. If we want offices to remain valuable assets, we must go beyond leasing space and actively contribute to the creation of environments that amplify great cultures, foster collaboration, and support human connection. When we prioritize culture, we don’t just fill offices—we create workplaces that people genuinely want to visit, driving long-term demand and ultimately increasing asset value.

For real estate investors, operators, landlords, and tenants alike, the workplace represents a unique opportunity to create competitive advantage. An office isn’t just a cost center—it’s a strategic asset that can drive culture, collaboration, and long-term business success.

Commercial Real Estate as a Catalyst for Cultural Change

For years, commercial real estate was seen as a provider of office space—a place to house desks, meeting rooms, and computers. But our industry can be so much more.

The real estate companies that succeed in the future will be those that see themselves as partners in shaping workplace culture. We’re not just renting space; we’re helping companies build environments that inspire creativity, engagement, and innovation.

The venue we chose for our event, Space House, is a testament to this shift. Its recent restoration preserved the building's architectural heritage while transforming it into a modern, human-centric workspace. The result? A space designed to support businesses in winning the war for talent by offering an experience that makes the commute worthwhile.

This is the kind of approach we need across the industry. The future of work will not be defined by mandates—but by experiences.

The Power of Choice and the Office as a Destination

In his keynote, Shed introduced the concept of the “cranberry muffin moment.”

Imagine two colleagues reaching for the last cranberry muffin during a break. They laugh, chat, and discover a shared love for the treat. Months later, when tension arises during a heated discussion, that small moment of connection helps them find common ground.

These spontaneous, unscripted moments build trust, empathy, and loyalty. But here’s the catch: you can’t schedule a cranberry muffin moment over Zoom.

This is why the workplace needs to become a destination—a place where people want to go, not a place they feel obligated to attend.

But let's be realistic: People won’t come into the office every day. And that’s okay. The greatest amenity a company can offer is empowering its people with the freedom to choose.

When employees have that freedom, they won't just show up to tick a box. They’ll come for the connections, the energy, and the sense of belonging—for the moments of shared humanity that fuel collaboration, creativity, and innovation.

Hospitality-Driven Workplaces: The Future of Work

The most effective workplaces are no longer just functional—they are experiential. The office should feel more like a hospitality-driven environment than a rigid corporate setting.

At Brave Corporation, we partner with owners to transform underperforming office buildings and other non-traditional buildings into brand-led, hospitality-infused hybrid workplaces.

We deliver best-in-class workplace experiences that we call lifestyle-working.

The result? Vibrant, engaging places that serve as magnets for human connection.

The future of work isn’t about forcing attendance or debating where people should work. It’s about creating spaces that people actively choose to come to—because of the experience they have when they’re there.

By putting culture first—internally within our own companies and externally by inspiring our customers—we can redefine the role of the office. Not as a cost center, but as a culture center. A place where people feel connected to their colleagues, inspired by their surroundings, and energized to do their best work.

And when we get this right, we won’t just earn the commute—we’ll earn our place as industry leaders in shaping the future of work.

So as the office industry becomes a beacon for positive company culture, we’ll help businesses win the war for talent—and our office assets will grow in value.

To learn more about our keynote speaker, visit his website here

TAP HERE FOR THE FULL EVENT PHOTO GALLERY

What if office owners/brands championed positive impact?

I believe those of us who curate the community & culture within our buildings will get ahead.

And the value of our buildings will be maintained.

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞…

Not just because of the amenities.
(yes those are important)

Because they’re passionate about their purpose.
And they feel taken care of by their company.

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬…

How would people feel about Monday morning?

Would that brand’s buildings be full of people?
And if so, how would that affect its value?

As Dave Cairns says…

“There is no office ‘amenity’ more valuable than the choice to go there or not.”