Healthy By Association

Healthy by Association (HBA) is a leadership wellbeing initiative for association and hospitality professionals — rooted in the belief that how we take care of ourselves directly shapes how we show up for the people and organizations we serve.

Mission

In 2017, Event Garde Founder and President Aaron Wolowiec launched Healthy by Association after recognizing a gap: association and hospitality professionals were exceptionally good at taking care of their members, their organizations, and their events — but far less practiced at taking care of themselves.

HBA was created to change that. What began as a fitness-focused community built around shared goals and mutual accountability has evolved into something deeper — an ongoing conversation about what integrated wellbeing actually looks like for professionals who give a lot.

Tenets

These five tenets have guided HBA from the beginning, and they're as relevant today as ever.

Wellbeing isn't one-size-fits-all. Your definition of health and wellness is your own. Whether it's movement, rest, nutrition, boundaries, or something else entirely, what matters is that it works for you — not how it compares to anyone else.
Community makes the difference. On the days when showing up feels hard, having people around you who genuinely get it makes all the difference. Peer connection isn't a nice-to-have — it's a core part of sustainable wellbeing.
You can't pour from an empty cup. You can't show up fully for your members, your team, or your organization if you're running on empty. Investing in yourself isn't selfish — it's foundational.
Celebrate your wins. Take credit for setting and achieving your goals. Your progress is worth acknowledging — and your accomplishments have a way of energizing others on their own journeys.
The journey is worth it. This work isn't always easy. But you're more capable than you give yourself credit for. It takes determination, commitment, and intention — which is why our tagline has always been: Powered by intention.

Goal Getters

If you're an association or hospitality professional trying to do meaningful work without losing yourself in the process — you're a GoalGetter.

GoalGetters are navigating full calendars, high expectations, and careers that demand a lot. They travel for work, lead volunteers, serve members, and manage competing priorities — often while quietly wondering when they're supposed to fit in everything else. Rest. Movement. Connection. Joy.

They don't need someone to tell them wellness matters. They already know. What they need is a community that understands this life — and a space to be honest about what balance actually looks like when you're in it.

That's what HBA is for. Whether through the podcast, our weekly Wellness Wednesday posts, or our growing library of blog posts, articles, and presentations, HBA meets GoalGetters where they are — with real conversations, practical perspective, and the reminder that taking care of yourself is part of the job.

Services

Whether you're looking for inspiration, community, or just a reminder that you're not alone in this — here's where HBA shows up:

Leadership Wellbeing Podcast - Co-hosted by Aaron Wolowiec and Tara Puckey, The Leadership Wellbeing Series features honest conversations with association and hospitality leaders who are redefining success, prioritizing their wellbeing, and being real about the struggles along the way. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Wellness Wednesday - Every Wednesday, HBA shows up across Event Garde's social platforms with practical tips, honest reflection, and gentle encouragement to help you stay connected to your wellbeing — no matter what the week looks like. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Blog, Articles & Presentations - Our growing library of health and wellness content — including blog posts, articles, and presentations — offers perspective, resources, and real talk for association professionals navigating busy careers. Browse the library.
HBA Live & Spotify Playlists - Looking for more? Browse our HBA Live video archive and curated Spotify playlists — built by the community, for the community. Watch | Listen
From the Archive - HBA has evolved a lot since 2017. Along the way we've hosted an online community, organized conference meet-ups, run member accountability and workout challenge programs, curated recipes, recognized GoalGetters with challenge coins, and designed our own branded apparel — including our infamous socks. These offerings shaped who HBA is today. Interested in helping us reinvigorate one or more of these initiatives? We'd love to hear from you.

Changemakers

Wellbeing doesn't happen by accident — it happens by intention. Here are three places to start:

Invest in yourself first. You can't sustain the pace of this work without taking care of the person doing it. That might look like protecting time on your calendar for rest, setting boundaries around after-hours communication, building in moments of reflection between back-to-back meetings, or simply asking yourself more regularly: What do I actually need right now? Start small. Start somewhere.
Shape your workplace culture. The environments we work in either support or undermine our wellbeing — and leaders have more influence over that than they often realize. Consider how your team starts meetings, how rest and recovery are modeled from the top, and whether your organizational culture quietly rewards burnout or genuinely celebrates balance.
Design better experiences for your members and attendees. The events and programs we create send a message about what we value. Build in breathing room. Offer nourishing food and hydration options. Create space for connection that isn't just networking. And model from the stage and the agenda what it looks like to take wellbeing seriously.

Stay Connected

Stay in the loop with the latest HBA content and conversations:

Subscribe to The Gardian eNews — a monthly publication featuring content curated by the Event Garde team, including health and wellness highlights — or browse past editions to see what you've been missing.
Have a resource, idea, or story to share — or a health and wellness initiative you'd like to help us reinvigorate? Pitch us a guest post or reach out to the team — we'd love to hear from you.