Meet Lisa Gardelle | Digital Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Gardelle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?

In 2018, I was on a business trip and several of my colleagues were asking if I ended up adopting the puppy I had recently found. I joked that I didn’t want to adopt a puppy, I wanted to adopt a sailboat. That one trip and that one statement effectively set forth the ultimate in work life balance. I came home, and set the plan in motion – to buy the boat – to move aboard, and to begin traveling now, while working full-time.

It hasn’t always been easy – back then, internet coverage in the Bahamas was sketchy and it made for some very interesting pixelated conference calls, but we persevered. Sometimes we’d toss the local Bahamian cell phone in a waterproof bag and hoist it up the mast, other times, we’d have to move anchorages to be in the line of sight of a cell tower. But it was all worth it – being able to snorkel a reef before my work day would start, watching a magnificent sunset unfold during a meeting, and waking up with the sounds and smells of the sea made working and living life the way I wanted worth it all.

A lot has changed since the early days of working “remotely”, including the pandemic, but one thing has not changed – my own definition of work life balance. To me it’s very simple: do what you love and love what you do – and if you can do that on your terms, you’ve won.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

For 4 years, while living full-time aboard Music & Lyrics, I was leading the digital experience for Kaiser Permanente. But after 15 years, 4 countries and a pandemic, it was once again time for a change.

I took the early retirement and started my own consulting business in the summer of 2022. Channel Health Consulting landed my first contract which is now expanding as we enter 2023. My 30+ years in healthcare has paid off. Through Channel Health Consulting, I’m now able to bring my deep knowledge and passion for consumer experience to other health plans who are just starting to explore the art of the possible with emerging technologies.

It wasn’t easy though. Living outside the United States makes it very difficult to work for US-based companies. Creating my own consulting company was literally the only way for me to continue living nomadically – and even with that, if it wasn’t for the chief officer that I was negotiating with, I don’t think I’d be where I am right now. We had to work with the company’s legal team to get approvals to work outside the US. It’s a not-so-fun-fact that transmitting protected and confidential information outside the borders of the US is a big no-no. Extra insurance, software, and business agreements were needed.

Looking back on the summer of 2022, and everything it took to set up this business, I’m grateful. The experience of starting of a new business, securing a contract, and being valued by those I work with are powerful motivators. I’m proud of every failure I made leading up to this part of my story. Every mistake I’ve made, every wrong decision lead me to this moment. As my company begins to grow, and I along with it, I’m incredibly excited for all of the change that is coming.

As I write this, my husband and I are anchored along the coast of Martinique, ducking into small boulangeries for pastry and enjoying old world wines at night. However, my story does not end here. In 2023, I will be moving to Mexico to explore that fantastic country and periodically flying to the boat in the Caribbean to continue sailing and exploring life from sea.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Southern California is truly part of my soul and the experiences I’ve had while being in SoCal are among the best experiences I’ve had in any country. The diversity of food is perhaps only rivaled by Northern California, specifically the Berkeley food scene. However, the beauty of Orange County is unrivaled. Period.

If my best friend came for a visit, we’d likely spend most of our time in San Clemente walking along the beach path or the countless hiking trails throughout. We’d eat Mexican food at South of Nick’s, have steaks at Hanna’s in Rancho, and lunch would be exploring the many Korean, Thai, and Japanese restaurants.

In my opinion, which has been colored by the last 4+ years living on a boat, I’d say the perfect week in SoCal is one spent outdoors, preferably with a view of the Pacific, drinking a crisp white wine while watching the sun set along the horizon.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

When I set sail back in 2018, there were very few who also worked full time as most in the cruising community were retired. My husband (Erik) and I decided early on that only one of us could work – and that would be me as I loved my career and wasn’t ready to stop working. Instead, we agreed that the business of running the boat (a 2005 44 foot hybrid-electric sailing catamaran called Music & Lyrics) would be the full-time job of Erik.

Everything from the ongoing maintenance of the many systems onboard, to the routine and unplanned repairs and upgrades would be Erik’s job. Whether it was a failure with the watermaker, a rip in a sail, or washing down the inevitable salt off the decks, he took care of every single aspect of life aboard. He cooked dinner every night so I could unwind after my long work day, and did countless chores so that I could simply enjoy a sunrise or sunset or take a swim. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but this constant awareness and accommodation on what it will take to ensure I had the work life balance were always top of mind for my husband, who has been my biggest champion and support system.

Living on a boat full-time, means living in tight quarters, with little privacy and next to zero quiet time. Now pile on 7-8 hours of conference calls and you’ll get a sense for the sacrifices my husband has made to support me and my career. Of course, we did invest in a good set of headphones for him to drown out what had to be boring business chatter on his end. From small things to grand changes, we truly are lucky to live, work, and embrace adventures on our own terms.

Website: channelhealthgrp.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailingmusicandlyrics/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagardelle/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SailingMusicAndLyrics

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sailingmusicandlyrics?sub_confirmation=1