I help HR leaders create healthier, happier, and more productive workforces by replacing outdated EAPs with evidence-based wellbeing strategies that deliver real results.

Since 2011, I’ve worked across industries from mining to pharmaceuticals to early learning - designing programs for tens of thousands of employees that improve wellbeing, boost engagement, and cut turnover.

If you want to work with me, here are the ways you can:

1. Replace your EAP with our Wellbeing Enrichment Program - guaranteed higher engagement, value, and results than any EAP on the market (yes, even that one). 

2. Hire me as a consultant: To help you figure out where to start, what to do and how to do it when it comes to workplace wellbeing.

3. Access our Sustainable High Performance program - a 12-week, value-packed program that teaches your entire organisation how to perform at a high level without burning out. 

4. Get your very own Workplace Wellbeing Specialist: To upskill your people in health and wellbeing (through regular individual consultations) and work with you to optimise your work environment to make it easier for your people to be healthy and well.

5. Book me as a speaker: This is my favourite way to engage people and give them a whole lot of value in a short space of time. Our talks and workshops focus on practical knowledge and skills your people can use to improve their wellbeing and performance. 

6. Get some wellbeing initiatives: Want to book a massage therapist? Skin checks? Health checks? Meditation sessions? Group yoga? Group training? Healthy cooking demonstrations? Mental Health First Aid training? Regular First Aid training? Easy. We do it all so just ask.

If any of these look like something you could use, send me a DM.

Phil Wolffe

Welp, if there’s a better way to start the year, I don’t know what it is. 

We’d planned to go to the South Coast for a week with friends when a client asked if I would run a workshop to get their team switched on and ready for a big year - on the South Coast. 

Since that’s my favourite part of this job (and it was literally on the way to holidays) I of course said yes. 

Word got out and 1 workshop turned into 4 and a quick stop into 2 full days but still, pretty good universal alignment, I would say. 

Here’s to plenty more of that this year and to choosing the work that makes you happy. 

Let’s go!

Workplace Wellbeing Specialist | Building Sustainable High Performance in Teams | Replacing EAP with a Better Way

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Something that's not talked about much with burnout is how it erodes your sense of purpose.

That's what it does to a lot of people and that's why it can be so hard to shake - because you lose a big piece of yourself.

Shelley Johnson and I talked about this and heaps more when we caught up to talk all things work and wellbeing.

This one's for the leaders, the workers, and anyone trying to figure out how to work well while staying healthy.

Give it a listen and let us know what you thought in the comments (which is where the link will be).

#burnout #leadership

Giving 100% effort at work is a trap.

Not only do you get diminsihing returns over time, but there's nowhere to go but down.

I'm a real 85% type of guy.

You can give that level of effort indefinitely and it gives you room to ramp things up when you need to.

Plus, chances are you'll actually enjoy your work and your life if you're not absolutely spent at the end of each day.

Shelley and I talked about this and heaps more in our chat, so make sure you check it out and let me know your views!

#burnout

I don’t put a lot of stock in awards. 

I think most of them are performative nonsense you can easily buy - but this one I’ll gladly accept. 

My nieces think I’m smart, kind and funny. 

As far as recognition goes, that’s about as good as it gets.

I thought 2024 was going to be the best year ever, and it was. 

Then, I thought 2025 was going to be even better, and it was.

Now, I reckon 2026 is going to be even better than those two. 

This is not a wait-and-hope type thing.

I'm sowing the seeds of the life I want to live, and actively working to create the conditions to make that life a reality.

That means two things above all:

1. Saying no to things that don't align with the life I want to live, even if they're easy and/or tempting.

2. Saying yes to things that do align with the life I want to live, even if they're hard and/or scary.

I don't always get to do what I want (none of us do) but I've made a conscious choice to build a life that allows me to do more of what I want to do.

So, for that reason, I reckon 2026 is going to be the best year ever. 

Let's see how it pans out.

Ahh January 27th, the day the year actually starts.

And it's going to be a big year!

This is what we're doing at Kinex Health:

1. An alternative to outdated EAPs
I'm sick of reactive, low-value programs that don't do what they say on the tin - so we created something proactive, holistic, and accountable instead. It's called the Welbeing Enrichment Program and its the end of traditional EAPs. 

2. Backing early childhood educators (with Macquarie Uni)
We've co-designed a comprehenisive wellbeing program with the Early Childhood Educators Wellbeing Project and we're running an RCT to prove that it works. 

3. Showing up for regional and remote communities
Phil and Ciara are taking Kinex on the road all around Australia with a roving office (caravan) to reach communities that often miss out on PD and wellbeing initiatives. 

4. Sustainable high performance
We’re expanding our Sustainable High Performance Program and teaching teams how to perform at a high level without burning out. 

5. Elevating great practitioners
We’re backing the people doing wellbeing properly and bringing more and more exceptional practitioners into our work this year. 

2026 is going to be our biggest year yet, and I can't wait to get stuck in. 

If any of this piques your interest or aligns with what you're tackling this year, send me a DM and let's chat.

This is a PSA to all the extroverts from us introverts. 

You’re great. 

We like you. 

We love spending time with you. 

But it’s an energy cost for us. 

So if we say no to stuff, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to hang out. 

It just means we need to replenish our energy.

Sincerely, the people who pretend they’re busy when they’re home on the couch recharging.

10 underrated forms of self care that you can do without booking a spa treatment:

1. Drink more water.

2. Leave 10 mins earlier than you normally would. 

3. Go for a walk in the sun.

4. Put off answering that email until the morning (during work hours).

5. Make a cup of tea and sit in the garden.

6. Close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths and do 5 shoulder rolls.

7. Eat more protein in the morning (your afternoon self will thank you). 

8. Put your phone in the other room for an hour.

9. Put on a song you love and do nothing until it ends. 

10. Smile at the next person you see and watch what happens. 

Which one are going to try today?

My best longevity hack for anyone in (or wanting to be in) business for themselves:

Do whatever it takes to maintain enthusiasm in what you do.

That might mean:

- Changing your environment.

- Taking more breaks or holidays. 

- Tweaking your offerings so they excite you again. 

- Outsourcing or automating the tasks you hate.

- Finding an audience that you vibe with more. 

It might mean you move more slowly than you thought.

It might mean you make less money than you thought.

But it might also mean you stay in business longer.

And it'll definitely mean you have more fun doing it. 

If you like it, it's a lot easier to find the energy to do it.

If you hate it, everyday is a battle.

Find a way to do s**t you like and business gets easier.

Do away with the 'new year, new me' garbage and make this year a good one not by hoping, but by following a process.

Check out the article for some practical steps to get you off to a good start.

View newsletter: Workplace Wellbeing Specialist

The magic you’ve been looking for is in the work you've been avoiding. There’s something powerful about the start of a new year. A clean slate. A psyc

Open article: How to Make 2026 a Good Year by Phil Wolffe • 3 min read

Most businesses pay for an EAP.

The problem is the s**t ones cost the same as the good ones.

Here’s a quick checklist to separate a “tick box” EAP from a modern support system.

What to look for in an EAP (or EAP alternative):

- Fast access
If support isn’t available within 48 hours, it’s often too late to be useful.

- Multiple ways to engage
Not just appointments. Look for options like a 24/7 text line, email support, short resources, and self-paced courses so people can start small and build trust.

- Proactive support (not just crisis counselling)
Modern programs help prevent burnout and injuries before they become claims, with practical support across stress, sleep, habits, physical niggles, nutrition, workload management and more.

- A strong onboarding and activation plan
If the provider just “turns it on” and hopes people use it, engagement will be low. Look for a proper launch, education, and ongoing prompts so the benefit actually gets used.

- Tailored support (needs discovery, not generic content)
The best programs start by understanding what your people are dealing with, then tailor resources, training, and focus areas to match.

- Leader support and clinical supervision
Managers need backup too. Supervision, coaching, and upskilling helps leaders handle workload stress, tough conversations, and early mental health flags without becoming the therapist.

- Critical incident capability
If something serious happens, leaders need a clear, supported response pathway, plus training before the incident occurs.

- Psychosocial hazard controls
A modern EAP should support identification, reporting, risk assessment, and mitigation of psychosocial hazards, plus practical training for managers.

- Zero waste pricing
Avoid pay-up-front models where you prepay for sessions you never use. Pay-as-you-go keeps incentives aligned with engagement and impact.

- Monthly reporting that’s actually usable
Not just annual utilisation stats and a bill for the next year. Look for themes, emerging risks, what’s working, what isn’t, and clear recommendations. 

If you’re reviewing your EAP this year, this list will make sure you get a lot more out of the same budget.

What’s the one feature you wish your EAP had, but doesn’t?



P.S. You may have worked out that Kinex Health has an EAP alternative that hits all of these points.
Check it out in the comments and ask any questions you like.

If the only way to learn resilience is to go through hard things, then the only way to teach resilience is to make people go through hard things.

Not a great strategy as a leader.

Instead, look at resilience not just as ‘grit’ or the ability to bounce back, but as a set of skills that can be taught. 

That’s what functional resilience is.

What we generally mean when we say “resilience” is actually: “How much s**t can this person take before they break?”

If that’s the case, then resilience can be broken down like this:

Resilience = energy + skills + grit + connection x purpose

As a leader, this is a much more practical view that allows you to actually intervene. 

Energy: help people understand and optimise for energy, and allow them the flexibility to work within their performance patterns.

Skills: teach performance and self-management skills (conflict management, communication, good habits, health and wellbeing fundamentals, nervous system regulation etc.).

Grit: Can’t be taught but can be learned.

Connection: provide meaningful support and connection (internal and external) at different levels and with various touch points. 

Purpose: connect people to the overall purpose of their work i.e. get clear on where you’re headed and (crucially) why.

Resilience is a set of skills that can be learned, and the sooner we realise this the sooner we can start teaching/acquiring these skills.


BTW, this is exactly the kind of thing we do at Kinex Health, so reach out if you want to bring this to your team.

Happiness Researcher & Consultant helping workplaces become employers of choice, and to stand out in their industry as an Accredited Happy Workplace through data driven insights.

If you and I sat down for a cuppa together and you asked what I do, I’d probably start with this:

I’ve spent the past decade of my life studying happiness. Not the fluffy “just be positive” kind, but the messy, scientific, deeply human kind. The kind that impacts wellbeing, performance, relationships, and the way we show up in the world.

Somewhere along the way I realised two things that completely changed my life:

1. Happiness matters.
2. Happiness is a skill.

And once I saw that, I couldn’t unsee it.

I saw how many people were chasing “success” at the expense of their wellbeing. I saw leaders burning bright but burning out. I saw workplaces pouring money into perks while their people quietly struggled. And I saw everyday humans who cared deeply, but didn’t have the tools or language to sustainably care for themselves. I saw too many good humans giving the world what was left of them, rather than the best of them.

So in 2017, I founded BU Happiness College with one mission: to make the skills and science of happiness more accessible so people and workplaces can actually thrive, not just cope.

Since then, my team and I have helped people across 6+ countries become an average of 57% happier within their first 12 months, and we’ve supported workplaces to reduce burnout, lift engagement, and become recognised as Accredited Happy Workplaces (which says a lot about culture and leadership).

Along the way, the college has been named Social Enterprise of the Year (2020) and United Nations SDG Champion (2022) and I’ve had the privilege of speaking for organisations like Red Cross, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, TEDx, and the United Nations General Assembly. I also guest lecture on wellbeing science for CQUniversity, Bond University, and The Culture Institute of Australia.

But titles and accolades aside, I’ll tell you the real reason I do this:

I genuinely believe the world gets better when people get happier. Happier partners, happier leaders, happier parents, happier teams; the ripple effect of genuine happiness is enormous.

If you’re curious about mastering the skills of happiness for yourself or your workplace, I’d love to connect. Send me a message, or visit my website, and let’s see what happiness impact we can create together.

Declan Edwards

My little brother (15 years old) recently asked me what my ideal salary was. I realised I didn't have an answer for him.

He asked me why wouldn't I just aim to make as much money as possible, and to be frank I was stumped. 

Now that I've had some time to reflect on it... I think it's because I know deep down that the majority of jobs that pay a tonne of money would demand sacrifices from me that I'm not willing to make.

I may not have an ideal salary but I do have a picture of what my ideal work life looks like:

· Enough income to comfortably cover my family's survival needs + some for memories, experiences, charity, and investing

· Not losing hours of my life stuck in traffic commuting during rush hour

· Never sitting in pointless meetings

· Working with competent people who I genuinely enjoy working with

· Doing work that I know makes a positive impact in people's lives

· Being about to finish work early, or start late, or duck out at lunchtime to spend quality time with my family or to take advantage of a great weather day.

· Never living in a major city (I'm not a city guy)

I think most of these dot points wouldn't be accessible if I was to take a remarkably high paying job. Hats off to the people who do it, it's just not my cup of tea.

I guess my perspective on work and life was heavily influenced as a child by the saying in Dinotopia "work to live, don't live to work" (PS shoutout to anyone who has seen Dinotopia) 🦕

Out of my own curiosity, and to continue my younger brother's question, what's your ideal salary? Or do you optimise more for lifestyle?

Happiness Expert | Speaker on Wellbeing, Performance & Culture | Positive Psychology Lecturer | Founder of BU Happiness College

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