Episode 172: Mental Wellness in the Work Place, with Sarah Botchick from Pioneer Imports and Wholesale
Sarah Botchick of Pioneer Imports and Wholesale usually joins the podcast to talk color trends. This time she returns for a very different trend — mental health and wellness in the workplace — and she opens with her own story. Vonda and Lori set the stage by remembering how, a generation ago, mental health was a whisper and a source of shame in small towns. What's changed isn't just that businesses are taking it seriously; it's that people are finally talking about it without embarrassment. Sarah's honesty in this episode shows exactly why that matters.
Sarah's story: cancer, chemo, and running a business through a pandemic
Sarah, now 43, was diagnosed with cancer at 37; it returned at 39. Between the weight of the illness and hormone treatments that scrambled her brain chemistry, depression became part of her daily reality — while she was still helping run the family wholesale business through the pandemic. The pressures stacked one on top of another: sending half the staff home, scrambling to keep them paid during lockdown, then six weeks of backed-up orders, product stuck on ships off Los Angeles, and freight containers jumping from $4,000 to $28,000 — all in the middle of chemo. Her panic attacks became extreme. It got bad enough last summer that on hard days she would walk across the parking lot to use the bathroom in the other building just to avoid interacting with people. Business owners will recognize the pattern Lori names: pouring out to everyone — staff, customers, family — while nobody pours into you, until you're empty.
Getting help, and finding a "coach"
Because she was in active treatment, Sarah was referred to a cancer psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who treated the whole person — helping her reframe, stop catastrophizing, and stop turning small things into the end of the world. Her advice for anyone hesitant about therapy: think of it as hiring a coach, not seeing a doctor. Lori adds her own story of postpartum panic in the nineties, when a first doctor dismissed her ("drink more water") and left her ashamed — until a second doctor actually helped. There are good and bad practitioners in every field; keep looking until you find the good one. Three of Lori's friends started virtual therapy during the pandemic and none of them have stopped.
The HR consultant that changed everything
The biggest practical help for Sarah's business was hiring an HR consulting firm — Weiland Works — because a small company can't afford a full-time HR person, but it still carries all the legal and human weight of employment. The consultants coach Sarah and her dad through scheduling dilemmas, return-to-office transitions, handbooks, and those "scary" performance reviews that turned out to be phenomenal conversations. Sarah initially hoped she could hand HR off entirely and "go back to making pretty flowers" — and was irritated when the firm insisted on keeping her involved. Then she realized that was the sign of a good partner: they don't know her people yet, and they want what's best for the team, not just the owners. Her criteria for choosing: local and small enough to relate — her two consultants are both moms juggling the same aging-parents-and-college-kids life her staff lives.
Some employees were nervous at first — protective of Sarah's dad, "the nicest person on the planet," and wary of outsiders. Sarah's counsel is patience: the owner has to trust first and model it, and the team follows when they see it's real.
Affordable resources most shops don't know they have
The episode's most actionable stretch is a tour of support options that cost far less than owners assume. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) work like an insurance add-on: employees can call counselors and coaches about anything from a scheduling struggle to a dependency issue — check out Uprise Health, which some insurers (like Guardian) include free when you carry three lines of coverage. Lori shares how Cameron Pappas of Norton's Florist in Birmingham brought in Corporate Chaplains — staff can call, FaceTime, or meet anytime, about anything — and it's been a game changer. And read the fine print of your group health insurance: Sarah found nutritional coaching, fitness discounts, and Weight Watchers benefits her company was already paying for. Chambers of commerce, small business groups, and county programs offer more. Listing these benefits in a job posting is a hiring advantage, too.
Heal the root before the tree can be stable
Lori shares a line she'd written down twice in one week: you have to heal the root before the tree can be stable. The owner is a root — unwatered and unpruned, you tip, and every branch falls with you. But so are your people. Sarah's dad puts it in florist terms: your people are your biggest asset and your biggest investment — you'd never skip maintenance on your cooler, and your staff deserves at least that much regular care. Stabilize the people, and the shipping, marketing, and everything else on the branches goes better.
Key takeaways
- Owners aren't immune — pouring out without being poured into leads to burnout, panic, and depression; get help early and think of a therapist as a coach.
- An HR consulting firm gives small shops big-company support for legal compliance, scheduling, reviews, and tough conversations — without a full-time hire.
- EAPs are surprisingly affordable (sometimes free through your existing insurance) and give employees a confidential line to counselors for any life challenge.
- Mine the fine print of your group health plan and local business groups for wellness benefits you're already paying for.
- Maintain your team like you maintain your cooler — and trust first as the owner so your staff feels safe following.
Sponsored by:
Flower Clique
Flower Clique Prep School
Real Life Retail Florist