JoyFirst

Wellness needs to be

felt FIRST

“Wellness shouldn’t feel like one more complicated thing to get right. With so many choices, it’s easy to wonder where to start: mental-health approaches, social-media advice, 30-day challenges, and quick-fix promises. Many have value, but it can still feel like a lot”

We believe wellness needs to be felt First: through joy, connection, movement, calm, and meaningful moments in ordinary life. JoyFirst begins there—for educators and school communities, healthcare teams, workplaces, nonprofits and volunteers, caregivers, friends and families, and anyone seeking a healthier way to live.

It doesn’t ask us to pretend life is easy or promise that joy fixes everything. It invites us to notice what helps us feel connected and alive, then carry those moments into the ways we learn, care, and practice wellness together.

Practice JOY

Through keynotes, workshops and team experiences, we help people learn to notice the “Joy Wins” that often get buried underneath the difficult parts of life.

  • A Joy Win is a moment of aliveness you might otherwise miss—and the choice to notice it. It might be laughter, movement, connection, or wonder, even on an ordinary or difficult day.

    Wellness often gets our attention at burnout or breakdown. JoyFirst invites us to begin sooner, when life feels flat and we’re running on empty. We call it Rebellious Joy: making room for play and curiosity before we hit the wall, without pretending the hard things aren’t there.

The film above was created with educators in mind, but the message is much bigger than a classroom. If you work in healthcare, business, community, nonprofit or alongside a team of volunteers, imagine yourself in the room. The roles may change, but the human experience doesn’t.

The JoyFirst Journal makes it simple.

Every JoyFirst keynote and workshop participant receives a complimentary JoyFirst Journal*

Its simple Contrast Practice helps people name what’s hard and notice the Joy Wins beside it—without jargon, complicated exercises, or pressure to pretend everything is okay. It’s a practical way to carry the keynote’s message into daily life: the road may not change, but noticing what we’ve carried and what mattered along the way can make the load feel lighter.

Notice the struggle. Notice the Joy Wins. Practice seeing both.

*Participants receive the JoyFirst Journal as a PDF at no charge. You can print copies in-house, or we can arrange printing for an additional cost.

JoyFirst is for humans first.

  • Education · Healthcare · Workplace · Community · Volunteers

    We all carry struggle. We all need moments of connection. And we all have the ability to create a spark for someone else — a moment when they feel seen, valued or simply a little more alive.

    Joy First experiences are designed for teams and communities of all kinds — helping people reconnect with themselves, with each other, and with the joy that can exist alongside the hard stuff.

    • Teachers and school communities.

    • Healthcare Teams          

    • Nonprofits and volunteers.

    • Workplace teams.

    • Caregivers.

    • Friends and families.

    Anyone navigating the reality that life can be difficult — and still contain moments worth noticing.

  • Technology is changing almost everything around us. But some things don't need to become more digital.

    • A gift.

    • A story.

    • A conversation.

    • A moment of kindness.

    • A room full of people laughing together.

    • A reminder that even during struggle, there is still joy to notice.

    That's what we're building. Not another complicated wellness program. A simple human movement.

    Spread Joy. Practice Joy. Start a  Ripple.  

Q & A: Planning a JoyFirst Experience

  • Workshops typically work well with 36–48 participants. We can adapt the format for groups of up to 100, with additional facilitation support and cost for larger groups.

    Keynotes typically serve audiences of 350 to 1,000 or more. We’ll discuss your group size and recommend a format that fits.

  • JoyFirst can take place at your school, workplace or community venue. Organizations typically arrange the space, but we also have a venue available to book for an additional cost. We’ll work with you to coordinate the timing.

    For activities such as the Bubble Wrap Mini Olympics, we need at around 800 square feet of clear floor space, in addition to the seating area.

  • A keynote runs 75–90 minutes and can stand alone or lead into three companion workshops, each 75–90 minutes.

    We also offer a three-hour, half-day experience that combines a mini-keynote with workshop activities. We’ll work with you to plan the schedule that best fits your group.

  • The cost depends on the format, length, group size and location. Complete the Get in Touch form below and select “Request a JoyFirst pricing guide.” We’ll share the guide so you can review the options and get a sense of the typical pricing.

    Once we’ve discussed your needs and any customization or venue arrangements, we’ll confirm the final price before anything is booked.

  • Participants receive the JoyFirst Journal as a PDF at no charge. You can print copies in-house, or we can arrange printing for an additional cost.

    During the keynote or workshop, we introduce the journal and show participants how to use it. Workshop participants also receive a JoyKit at a special group rate.

  • Yes. We have keynote foundations for education, healthcare, business, sport, and volunteer or community groups. We tailor the examples and language to the people in the room.

    If you’d like the keynote and JoyFirst Journal customized around your organization’s annual theme or brand, we can discuss that for an additional fee.

“I first experienced Steven’s work at a superintendents’ conference, and I had a blast. He took us on a kind of time-machine journey, inviting us to experience the workshop through the eyes of a 10-year-old child. For a room of superintendents, it was unusual and a little outside our comfort zones—but that’s what made it so memorable. Steven created an authentic, playful experience that helped us see the work happening in schools from a child’s perspective.

We flipped bubble wrap, built Lego towers, laughed, and connected. It was a memorable reminder that joy and well-being can be experienced, shared, and practiced.

Steven’s work is practical, experiential, and deeply human. I can’t wait for more people to experience it.”

— Alberta Superintendent

If you're interested in working with us, tell us a little about your vision, your team, and where you see an opportunity to create more joy. We’ll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.

Get In Touch