Tech Exec Wellness Podcast: Conversations to Reignite Your Soul

Balancing Business Success and Personal Wellness with Marek Wasilewski

Melissa Sanford


What shapes a leader’s journey from Poland to the pinnacle of professional success in the U.S.? Join us for an electrifying episode as we sit down with Marek Wasilewski, Vice President of Service Sales Americas, to uncover this inspiring story. Marek's passion for rock music is contagious as he shares adrenaline-pumping tales from concerts featuring Metallica and Tool and his excitement for an upcoming Iron Maiden show. We also dive into his early life in Poland and his monumental move to the United States, exploring how these experiences have molded his leadership style and career achievements.






Our conversation doesn’t stop at leadership and music. We venture into the realms of wellness and fitness, exchanging personal stories about our own fitness journeys. I recount my transition from running to cycling due to knee issues and how it became vital for my mental and social well-being after moving to the US. Marek also shares crucial advice for leaders in high-stress environments, emphasizing the power of consistency, simplicity, and focus. Tune in to discover valuable insights on balancing a hectic lifestyle, maintaining good nutrition, and the principles that can guide both business and personal wellness.


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Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Tech Exec Wellness Podcast. So I'm very excited today to have who was my former leader and somebody that I really look up to and admire. His name is Merrick Wasilewski, and before we get into the questions and everything, I want to read his terrific bio. So Merrick has an unwavering commitment to foster positive change through the synergy of collaboration and technology, recognizing that the pinnacle of human performance is achieved when passion and dedication intersect With an unshakable belief that science and technology hold the key to our continued existence. Merrick envisions a world where the seemingly impossible becomes reality through collective effort, and I can vouch for that. I've been on his team In his capacity as the Vice President of Service Sales Americas.

Speaker 1:

Eric spearheads an expansive team responsible for orchestrating service sales through North and Latin America. With a rich history spanning over two decades, eric has consistently championed the construction of high-achieving sales teams, nurturing environments primed for triumph. He proudly assumes the role of a digital transformation evangelist, advocating for the betterment of our global community. Merrick's extensive exposure to diverse cultures and professional landscapes has endowed him with a profound understanding of international markets, further elevating his distinctive leadership skill set. His unwavering, passion-living, strength-based leadership, orchestrating the development of high-performance teams dedicated to delivering exceptional customer outcomes and unwavering values. In 2007, merrick was awarded his MBA from the Regent International School of Business, fortifying his expertise with academic prowess.

Speaker 1:

While a consummate professional, merrick's heart remains tethered to his role as a family man grounded in unwavering ethical and moral principles. Presently residing in the great state of Texas with his family, he not only thrives within his career, but also revels in an active lifestyle, which we're going to talk about later, partaking in the endeavors of the local charity cycling club. So, merrick, welcome to the show. Before we continue on to the questions, I want to know what type of music you listen to and if you have any cool concert stories to share with our listeners.

Speaker 2:

Well, good morning. First of all, with an introduction like this, how can I possibly fail? Thank you, melissa. I'm absolutely honored to be here. I don't know what I've done to deserve the invite, but I sincerely do appreciate it, thank you. Topic that's um. That's extremely close to me. I mean, I love nothing more than a regular um concert. Live music, I think, just brings out something in in the individuals. Admittedly, I am a huge rock head so I I enjoy a good, uh good good session of metal and and and roll. I've been privileged and had the opportunity to see a number of bands this year and last year, including Metallica, tool, some of the bigger ones. So yeah, I love a good live show for sure.

Speaker 1:

I remember when I was interviewing with you and we talked about ACDC, because I think you were wearing a shirt or something like that, something or another, and I was like I like this guy, he's really cool, so I'm glad that you mentioned the metal and the rock. So do you have anything planned this year for concerts?

Speaker 2:

This year seems to be a little scarce. But yeah, we've already got one lined up. And then look, obviously I love the old, traditional new stuff, but I'm, you know, occasionally, and thankfully, maybe some of the old bands have decided to come on tour and they might not sound exactly the same as they used to, but just a little bit of nostalgia, I think the the biggest one that I'm looking forward to, outside of the ones that we've already seen. In November, iron Maiden is back.

Speaker 1:

I knew you were going to say that I'm going to to the Dickies Arena.

Speaker 2:

I'm looking forward to it. I mean, they put on a show like no other and I've seen them a few times before and it's not just, you know, the nostalgia coming back and the opportunity to see them again, but they put on such an entertaining show in terms of the props and the whole stage design. So, yeah, I think it's going to be a phenomenal show.

Speaker 1:

Do you think we'll see Eddie, or do you think they've retired Eddie?

Speaker 2:

Oh no, no, no, Eddie's alive. He's alive in his own traditional way. So, yeah, I think we're definitely going to see him.

Speaker 1:

I'm excited for that, so you know. Again, gratitude for coming to the show. I know you're all over the place. When I look on linkedin you're traveling abroad and latin america, but can you walk our listeners through your journey, because I think you have an extraordinary one? And then, what are you? Besides music? Let's talk about your cycling. So can you walk us through that?

Speaker 2:

sure I mean, look, I mean I, I keep you talk about gratitude and I I am extremely grateful, um, for the way that my my life has sort of worked out and and the experiences that I've, that I've encountered and and that I've been able to share. I, I was initially born in pol and I left behind the Iron Curtain way back in the 70s and I always had a happy childhood. That was always the foundation of my upbringing. But at the age of nine, things drastically changed. I left Poland. Well, my parents left Poland and as a result of that, I had to, obviously, as a nine-year-old, go with. But I think that really forced me from a very, very early age to grow up extremely quick, because I was forced into situations that are natural, that a usual child would just not be sort of forced into. You know, as a young kid you don't have any of the various. So, as a prime example, learning a new language is a lot easier for a kid than it is for an adult, right? So in some places I was forced into dialogues and conversations that were typically in tradition to be held by adults, because I had to translate. At a very, very early age I discovered the importance of just good communication and the importance of having a network and the importance of people all around you.

Speaker 2:

So, from a career point of view, over the last two decades plus, I've worked in at least five continents. I've lived in at least three of those, and I think it started way back when, when my initial trip was on the train from Poland across Czech Republic into Austria. You know, the travels kind of started from there. I grew up, as a result of that, with very little. I'm not going to say poverty was a reality, but we didn't have much, because once we left Poland, you know, my parents had to effectively start from scratch. Everything that I've achieved and everything that I've done was as a result of this tenacious behavior, to keep building on it, to keep wanting more, to keep learning. And you know, here I am today, 20 years plus, feeling extremely grateful for the network that I have, for the people that I'm surrounded with and for the achievements that I've achieved, proud of that, if I may say so myself, but, you know, equally respectful of what the future brings.

Speaker 1:

You know, there's something that sticks out when we talk about gratitude, what do you think has given you the I don't even want to say skill set, but emotional intelligence, Because you know, like I mentioned in the beginning, I had worked for you at one time and one of the things that I saw with you is a leader who was compassionate but drove the team. What do you think attributes to having that emotional intelligence that you have?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's a great question, and I honestly don't know whether it is one element or multiples. Right, you know, as I said earlier on, for me it was just finding the and realizing the importance of a network and having the ability to communicate, and I don't know whether it stemmed from the fact that, you know, I had to learn multiple languages to be able to converse better, to be able to understand people. But at the same time, I believe that you earlier career I've encountered bosses that I don't know made me think twice about going into leadership, and that is there's always, at least initially, when you step into leadership. There's a belief that when you look up to your next in line, or your immediate boss, or your boss's boss, if you like, that you monkey see, monkey do.

Speaker 2:

And for me, I saw some very, very bad behaviors and behaviors that just made my stomach turn. I never wanted to be that, and so I've always had a very conscious mindset of respecting people, respecting and, maybe through the travels right, realizing the importance of diversity and the importance of just accepting that different people and different cultures behave in different ways. I'm still learning. I'm very much a learner in terms. You know, I still make mistakes when you become a parent once again, you go through a massive learning curve where you actually end up learning more from your child than they end up learning from you. So I think it's a number of things in combination of all of the above.

Speaker 1:

Well, thank you for that, and you definitely lead by example. But I want to ask you about some of your hobbies, because when I first moved to Texas and you told me you were cycling outside and I spent my first summer here I'm like how the heck does anybody survive this heat? Can you talk about? Can you talk about that? I? I give you so much, uh, respect for that I I don't know how you do that yeah, you know what it's?

Speaker 2:

I think it's a number of things. So first of all, I um, I was never an overachiever as far as sport is concerned. I wasn't ever going to be silver or bronze or any kind of a medalist. I enjoyed sport. I enjoyed playing soccer and then I loved playing rugby. And then, obviously, what actually happened is that I got into running very, very late.

Speaker 2:

I think I was in my 30s when I decided one day that I'm gonna head out the door and I'm gonna go for a. I think at that point in time it was a two or a three mile run and this was back in the uk. So I came out the front door and I decided I'm gonna go for a jog around the pond. And, um, I came back about 15 minutes later and my wife looked at me and she says well, I guess that's the end of that one. Right, and I think because of the fact that she turned around and said that's the end of that one, I got more determined to prove to myself that I can do this. So the second day and the third day and the fourth day, sort of, I kept them going and you know, I ended up doing multiple 10k, half a marathon. I ended up doing three, three marathons, but then as I got into it, you know and because I think the fact that I got easier at a late age, you know my knees starting to to play up. So there's that health element behind it, right? So you, yes, that's when somebody turned around, a good friend of mine, and actually went why don't you try cycling? Cycling for me, became more of a, a social opportunity to not just the, the, the health component in the, in, in what is obvious. And that is, you know, you get a good cardio workout, but at the same time, because safety is in the numbers, you land up going with a group of people and there's an opportunity to have a great conversation about a whole bunch of things, because you're sitting in a saddle for two or three hours, right.

Speaker 2:

And when I moved, you know, it was close to about 10 years ago, when we moved from the UK to the US and, believe it or not, melissa, there were two items that I brought with me. People actually still laugh at it. I had my suitcase and I had my bicycle, and those were the two things that came with me, because I came six months ahead of the family. And what ended up happening is that Monday to Friday I was in travels, in front of customers, in front of partners, but because I missed my family and because I was so far removed and because I had such an intense week, saturday and Sunday were my sort of like almost a clear, a head-clearing sort of opportunity when I got on the bike. I got on the bike and I would cycle for two or three days and the only thing I had to worry about was staying upright. So I suppose wellness and exercise and all of those things became extremely important in the overall well-being that is Merrick.

Speaker 1:

Now that's incredible. With your travel schedule and whatnot, how do you incorporate good nutrition? Because, as you know, when you're getting off a plane, maybe getting an Uber, if you've been delayed or something, you may go eat. So what does your day look like when you're on the road and you got to eat well and keep exercise in play?

Speaker 2:

Oh my God, listen, I'm not going to lie, I'm not going to tell you that I am the academy of health and that I do everything that I should be, because that's not the case, especially when, if you get caught off guard where you know, let's say, you have back-to-back meetings and then from there you rush off to the airport and then you haven't eaten properly and the only thing in your closer vicinity is, well, I guess, junk food. What you'll end up doing is you, you know, in this sort of speed of sound, swallow as much as you possibly can before you head off again. So you know, I try to. I am. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am not a um, one of those individuals that is, that is um. I don't want to be looked up to as somebody that is. I'm like oh my god, look at him. It's just he tells eating habits is exceptional.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I've made mistake, and I still do make mistakes, and I, you know, I eat occasionally what I can and where I can. However, I have noticed that, by being extremely conscious of what I eat, it has an effect on my overall level, my energy levels, the way that I think, the way that I act. So I am trying to be a little bit more conscious these days to ensure that I have a dedicated time to at least have a proper meal and have a proper meal at the allocated time. That doesn't force me into binge eating, if you like. So it is difficult and I realize and I've realized even more so after we've moved into the US you know, when you're a traveling executive and you've got a lot of things on the go continuously, if you don't pay attention to what you eat, it can have a detrimental effect on everything that you do. So I'll balance your question.

Speaker 1:

No, it does, and I don't know about you, but during the pandemic I learned to cook, so I was really conscious of what I was putting together and making and therefore I was making meals that were very satiating and very healthy. I hear you on that. I was eating junk food too, running in and out of meetings, but I've really taken a mindful approach to what I'm eating and how that nutrition is, because you're so right. What you put into your body, it's like gas, right, unleaded gas or premium gas, what are you?

Speaker 1:

going to put in your engine.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, look, I mean, it impacts both your individual executive as well as the organization as a whole, right? And then you ultimately start to realize that prioritizing well-being helps you as an individual to avoid burnout potentially, especially in a high-pressure environment. If you are well-rested and you are healthy and you have more energy and you have more focus and resilience to make those decisions, you know you can impact not only the ultimate behavior, but you can also have a positive impact on the culture of the company. So, yeah, it's important.

Speaker 1:

No, I agree with that. I need to ask you this, though Are you into wearables, apple Watch or using any of those tools?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's a great question, right, and if you look at my bike as a prime example, it's got all the gadgets, it's got a power meter and it's got a little computer and all of those things. But in terms of the wearables specifically, I have a watch right and that watch monitors my I would say, most probably the step counter and maybe distance walk, because you know it's got GPS and it's GPS level. But no, I haven't actually, Melissa, it's a great question. I haven't actually embarked on the journey of buying, you know, like the ring that manages your sleep patterns and so on and so forth. I haven't taken that step yet.

Speaker 1:

I, you know, I would encourage you and our listeners. You know you mentioned something earlier that I live and die by, but that's sleep. If you don't get your and I need eight hours, so I'm going to bed early, but if I don't get those eight hours of sleep, I'm not functional the next day. So this aura ring it tracks your sleep and it also tracks your oxygen and there's even some kind of tool there that will alert you to hey, you might be on the cusp of getting sick. So I like this tool. You need to check it out. It's really cool.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I've got a number of colleagues that actually do use it and swear by it. So I think you know there has to be something in it, right, and it's definitely growing industries. As I said, I think I'm a little bit of a laggard, as far as typical for me, because I do believe, you know, there's a phenomenal and exciting place for technology as far as the overall development of society is concerned. I just simply haven't taken the next step as far as this is concerned.

Speaker 1:

Yeah well, I'll be checking back with you to see if you made the jump or not so I have a question for you. We hear a lot about mental health and this month is Mental Health Awareness Month, so, with mindfulness and mental health, they're very crucial for high performing professionals like yourself and others out there. How do you incorporate these practices into a daily routine and how are you passing this on to your subordinates as a leader?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know, for me, I think for me, breaking out the whole concept of mental health is important, right? Because I do honestly believe that, just like any other decision or just like any other topic, there are multiples of this, and what I mean is what might constitute a sort of mental health for me doesn't necessarily directly translate into the way that you see it right. For me, it's really the ability to be aware, to be consciously aware of how important it is for me to have a stronger decision-making and leadership process. How does that impact myself personally and how it impacts the organization? How does it improve or how does it give me the increased resilience and performance that's required in this pressurized and stressful environment that we see ourselves? How does it impact the culture that I'm trying to create within the micro and the macro environment? And then, ultimately you know I spoke about the reduced risk of burnout and if you look at the overall industry, how does that personally me and how does it enhance my attractiveness, not only attractiveness in terms of opportunities and recruiters, but also in somebody actually having a direct confidence, reaching out to me, knowing that you know I will respond in a positive way. So I do think that mental health and strength and resiliency is drastically important, but I do also believe that it's a process of experimentation in terms of determining and defining what works for you as an individual, like for me, as a prime example.

Speaker 2:

I've noticed and I've tried this on multiple occasions I lie down and I'll say to myself okay, I'm going to learn how to meditate and I'm just going to be.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to learn how to be still and to stay calm and my head and the way that my brain operates, I guess you know I start veering off in all different directions and I start to get a little bit frustrated which is pretty normal and common, as you're probably aware, at least in the initial stages of trying to embark on that journey. But what I have noticed is for me, as I said, personally, like if I get on my bike and I've got nothing to think about other than staying upright and absolutely making sure that I make it back home within three, four, five hours, however long the ride is, I come back home and I'm absolutely spent and exhausted, right, and when the endorphins kick in and when I sit down and eventually have time to process all of that, I feel strong, I feel good, I feel time to process all of that. I feel strong, I feel good, I feel thrilled to kick off the day and for me, that in itself is also, you know, mental awareness, mental health, mental fortitude and strength.

Speaker 1:

I think there's different ways of doing that and, you know, for the listeners that obviously are on this podcast, I hope you know they realize that there's more than one way to actually be on the goal of reaching point B from wherever you are at the moment. I'm glad you said that because I 100% agree with that. I know I started running here in this hot weather and it's something to adapt to. But I would agree with that and it's something to adapt to. But I would agree with that. Yeah, when I'm running, like you just said, you're just focused on sitting upright. When I'm running, I'm focused on my breathing and for me that's a form of meditation. So I think there's this misconception out there that you have to be in a dark room, you have to be quiet. But, like you said, when you're out there pedaling or I'm out there running, I am present. I am not. I don't have the monkeys playing around in the circus in my head.

Speaker 2:

That's right. That's right, that's right. And you know what? I had this conversation with my son just the other day and I'm so glad I can have the opportunity to share with you. Believe it or not, melissa, actually he's 20. He's embarking on his senior year in college and when you and I first met, there was this little kid.

Speaker 2:

That's right, and I was like been frustrated and going through high school. So, but you know, as, as he evolves and I learn from him and he learns from me, and then it's a mutual process. You know one of the things that I said to him as I observe his upbringing and what he's going through at the moment I think it's also extremely important to celebrate, right, your, your, your current state, celebrate your current achievements. I know that in today's society, we all want more and we want to achieve more. We don't have the patience with, uh, what comes tomorrow, we want it all now. So it's like instant, instant gratification, yeah, but you, you've got to pull up the handbrake and realize and celebrate the little wins that you do have, even if it's just the fact that I saw this beautiful video and I'm sure a lot of your listeners have seen it a lot I think it was a colonel or an admiral in the Navy and he was talking about starting off your day with making your bed.

Speaker 2:

It's that kind of a celebration, right, the reason why he was talking about make your bed? Because if you haven't achieved anything else, you've at least achieved that, and that is a positive win and a positive celebration. So I think it's extremely important. So when you're talking about mental health and all of those things you know, that to me is equally as important. You celebrate who you are, you celebrate what you have. You go through a process of gratitude, hand out as many thank yous where you possibly can, because if you can enrich somebody's life and put a smile on just one person's face, you know what? That's a great achievement.

Speaker 1:

I love that speech. It's Admiral William McRaven and I think that speech was at the University of Texas, but I'll listen to that every once in a while because it is empowering and, like you said, if you can have a profound effect on someone else. Like they say, when you're in the airplane, you got to put the oxygen mask on yourself before helping others, and I think, in this world that we live in, we want to give, give, give, give, give.

Speaker 1:

But hey, what about yourself? So I like that. You said that a lot. So for the listeners out there, uh, eric, speaking of Connor, uh, he goes to the university of Alabama and I went to Auburn. So you know there's that big rivalry, the Iron Bowl. So Merrick said where's Connor going to school? University of Alabama? I'm like what, he's not going to Auburn.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's incredible, right. So I have now a very distinct and expensive privilege of saying Roll Tide.

Speaker 1:

Have you been to any of the games?

Speaker 2:

I have and I have been fully baptized by the Crimson Tide, and it is you know, for somebody who and then I do recall I almost immediately had in common is the love of rugby. Yes, and if I think back on, you know some of the rugby matches that I've been in, and even the UK National Stadium in Twickenham and I looked at that and you know, maybe it is prime at a good game. It'll be, you know, have 80 plus thousand people and then you'll end up going to a college game and it's 110,000 plus. It is it's very quickly. Then you realize like okay, right, this is very different. This is on a totally. I've been baptized for sure.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know that's funny because I went to DePaul for undergrad and then you know I like basketball, whatever. You know the DePaul basketball team. But when I went to Auburn the SEC is a whole nother world it's a whole other world.

Speaker 1:

So, as we leave our listeners here, this has been an incredible just. You know your energy, merrick is just, it's just amazing and it's very infectious. So, with with everything that we talked about, what would you tell? What would your advice be to other leaders on how they can better navigate business and wellness, especially in this high stress, high stakes field of technology? What would you get? What advice would you give them? You know what.

Speaker 2:

I'm not one really to give advice. However, I do believe that you know there are a number of key principles that we should keep in mind and we should sort of you know, be mindful of. I'm going to call out maybe just three, and the reason why I think those three are important to me is because I'm sure you recall, back in 2015, you know, I put this blueprint together called TEAM T-E-A-M right, which landed up being the blueprint of my leadership, and maybe at another episode, you and I can go deeper into it. But as I look into the team leadership blueprint, it's actually surrounded by three key principles, and those governing principles should apply not only to team and the leadership but, I believe, to just about everything that you do.

Speaker 2:

And the first one is consistency. Whether you, whether you embarking on a new journey to, you know, lose weight or to get fit, or to to be more calm and meditate and whatever there's a reason why the saying says the room wasn't built in a day right, you've got to go consistently through the process and you've got to get up and you've got to make it happen, and you've got to be consistent in the approach and how you take things forward. The second one is simplicity. Right, life doesn't have to be complicated. Take things one thing at a time and do not try to overcomplicate your fitness regime or your diet, because the chances are that if you do, you're going to get to a point where actually you're going to get fed up with it and you're going to give up, which then drops off the consistency. And if you drop off the consistency because of simplicity, you're ultimately going to land up in square or whatever, and then focus, right, the narrower the focus and this is just me believing that, and I've tried this in many different reasons like focus on one thing at a time.

Speaker 2:

This whole belief that we were designed as human beings to multitask is evidence in our everyday behavior with one another. You know, you sit and you'll have a meeting, whether it's face-to-face or on screen. You can almost immediately you intuitively and immediately realize that if somebody tries to multitask and talk to you and do the phone thing and whatever, they lose focus. The same applies to everything else, right? So it's the consistency, simplicity and focus. And actually I know I said three, but I'm going to throw a fourth one in there go ahead.

Speaker 2:

Be patient with yourself, right, be patient with what you do. Be patient with with the fact that sometimes things just don't don't go according to plan and and maybe that you know you develop that as you get older and it becomes easier because everything just takes a little bit more energy. It sure does, yeah, but you know, and those are the four, so you know, if I could leave you with those four things, those would be it.

Speaker 1:

This has been incredible. You know, again, one of the reasons I wanted to do this podcast was so that the collective could come together and share ideas, and I have to tell you every single guest like yourself, others that I've had, they all get different perspectives and I know you only see so much on somebody's LinkedIn profile if you don't know them. But I think this is a way for people to get to know people like you, like me, like my guests, that, hey, we're a little bit more than our titles and what we do, and I think this is a great talking with you today, the great example of just how people are making an impact out there with you know some of their personal experiences and whatnot, so that's really great.

Speaker 1:

Any parting words for the guests before I wrap it up.

Speaker 2:

Mr Wisdom. No, look, you're doing a phenomenal job and do it consistently. Do it simply Focus, celebrate and thank you. I am once again eternally privileged and grateful for the invite and I hope, if anything, that even maybe just to one person I've met I've added some value that they can draw, and, if I have, I'm eternally grateful. So thank you, melissa.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that will happen. We have our website up and I get emails all the time. I listen to Jenny Easterly or listen to Violet Sullivan, and I learned this, so there's no doubt that this is going to be an impactful episode, not only for me, but many others. So to my listeners out there, check out this episode. I'm sure we'll have Merrick back again. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on a variety of platforms, such as Apple, spotify, amazon, iheartradio, and check out our website at wwwtechexecwellnesscom. And thank you for tuning in.

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