A new day and a new career.
And everything that led to this moment.
Happy Tuesday, health heroes. I’m getting a little personal today. There are moments in life when you look back and realize that every single thing—every choice, challenge, unexpected turn—has led you to exactly where you are.
Today is one of those moments for me because I just quit my full-time job.
Quit as in, quit. This is my first week as an entrepreneur. A steady paycheck, benefits, and security—all gone in an instant, but replaced by excitement of what’s to come next.
Why did I leave? I know individuals can make better health decisions if they only have a better understanding of the obstacles getting in their way and the right tools to overcome those obstacles. I developed an approach that guides people through the obstacles. I’ve practiced this approach dozens of times, and it’s worked every time. It’s not so much miraculous, but instead, it’s logic and clarity that guide people to get healthier, and it’s amazing.
So, two weeks ago I jumped. No safety net, no guarantee of success—just a genuine belief that this is the work I was meant to do. And now, I’m all in! This week starts my new journey into a career that gives people an approach to navigating health issues like never seen in this way before.
If you’re wondering how did you get to this moment, Alice? I can tell you that it’s been a beautiful journey that led me to the point where I quit a nearly nine-year career with a top Fortune 500 healthcare company. Every part of my journey was exactly what needed to happen in order for me to be where I am today. I am grateful for my recent career at Cigna; it was a large part of my journey. But a lot of behind-the-scenes work has been brewing. Let’s have some tea and settle in for the story.
Let’s throw it back to the beginning.
I’ve spent decades immersed in the world of health. I went to college and studied biology and genetics—specifically the genetics of aging—to understand how our bodies work at the deepest level.
I earned my master's in exercise science back in ‘93, where I studied the effects of stress on athletes, measuring cortisol levels in real time. But I wasn’t just studying—I was learning by living it. I trained my own body and competed in bodybuilding, cycling, and running, pushing myself to understand the science through experience.
I worked in a wellness company interpreting lab results, where I saw, in real numbers, the direct impact of lifestyle choices on health—cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammation markers.
That knowledge shaped me. I saw the human body as something adaptable, trainable, and improvable, but only if we knew how to guide it. Then, I pivoted to working as a junior pharmaceutical chemist, learning how drugs are made, tested, and approved.
I later dove into healthcare, working in cardiac rehab, helping people rebuild their lives after heart attacks—many of which could have been prevented.
Those patients, grateful to be alive and willing to change, were my greatest teachers. I still learn from my clients in the gym. I continue to spend time, as I have done for 20 years, as a personal trainer, witnessing transformation happen not just physically but mentally and emotionally.
After helping countless people lose weight, I later wrote the book Four Weeks to Fabulous: Weight Loss for Busy People, in 2010 which sold over 10,000 copies.
At this point, I was deeply cemented into the work I loved. I was like a freight train that couldn’t slow down. I developed corporate wellness programs, convinced hospital executives to fund health initiatives, and launched programs that went on to win national awards.
I stood in front of audiences large and small about exercise, nutrition, stress, and weight loss—anything that would help people take control of their health. (These principles later became the Core 4, which you’ll recognize if you’ve read this newsletter for any length of time!)
I organized giant health fairs serving thousands, bringing together dozens of health interventions under one roof, and I did the same for my favorite successful Aging Well Conference.
It turned into more than a profession; the work I was passionate about took up most of my time (and still does, clearly). I pursued every certification I could—diabetes prevention, workplace wellness, osteoporosis prevention, nutrition, weight management, tobacco cessation, and health coaching. I directed wellness departments, developed wellness programs and a team of coaches, and then took a stint teaching college courses on nutrition and exercise.
I realized that teaching health isn’t just a science—it’s an art. Telling students information is one thing; getting them to experience the knowledge is another, and it works much better.
And then, I did something terrifying. I stepped into the world of health insurance—a field I knew nothing about.
An era of understanding healthcare.
I worked for a top-tier healthcare company, engaging with employer groups of all sizes and shapes, from shipping companies to municipalities and state governments, using big data sets to measure health outcomes.
I saw firsthand how a healthcare system meant to protect people often leaves them stuck and powerless. It fueled my desire to do more.
Then, at the age of 50, I went back to school. (Yep — my kids were like, “Mom, what!?”)
I got my doctorate in healthcare education and leadership, diving into the psychology of health decisions. I was fascinated by it, and its juxtaposition to my day job.
As COVID unfolded, I wanted to know: Why do people make the choices they do? Why do they believe what they do? Why do they wait until a disease has progressed, ignoring the early warning signs? Why is it so hard for people to change? What are organizations implementing to address these issues? Why are they choosing those approaches, and how can they do better?
And then it hit me.
We live in a system where healthcare comes first, not health. We are told to see the doctor before we do anything with our health, including exercising and eating differently. We are conditioned to react to illness instead of preventing it. We are up against external and internal forces that are working against our health.
I began to define those forces and put names on them — because the better you know your enemy, the better you are equipped to fight them.
What happened next was a fascinating study of human behavior, consumer science, decision-making science, and health psychology. This time of my life opened doors to new ways of thinking.
I discovered where we have blind spots and how I could shed light on those and offer alternative pathways to health.
Although most of feel as if we are at the mercy of pharmaceuticals, insurance policies, and a medical model that doesn’t always serve us, we can be more strategic in how we use them.
We may feel the less-than-idea food industry and environmental barriers are roadblocks to getting healthy foods and eating well. They are not roadblocks; they are speed bumps.
I learned the truth: We are not powerless.
After two years of intensely studying human health behavior, I realized my purpose was to help people reclaim their power over their health, not just by telling them what to do but by giving them a strategy.
So, I wrote a book. And then I quit my day job.
Health Shift: Your Personalized Guide to Making Strategic Health Decisions launches May 13, and it’s my call to action.
It’s about shifting how we think about health, using logic, decision-making science, and a structured process to intelligently navigate our health choices. It’s a book that makes you, the reader, the hero of the story – a health hero, overcoming the forces that get in the way of your best health. It’s a book that taps into your inner strength and helps you heal from hurts, fatigue, headaches, and whatever it is you face.
And today, I’m taking it a step further —I’m officially announcing the launch of Strategic Action Health, a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations make smarter health decisions.
Using behavioral science, psychology, and social science, I’ll work with businesses to help their employees make better choices through improved health literacy and take real control over their well-being. Employees deserve the tools to make better health decisions, and employers need to add this strategy to their wellness programs to maximize the results they seek. Not doing so will create the same outcome it always has. It’s time to level up.
This is the work I was meant to do, and it took every experience—every lab test, training session, corporate wellness program, patient conversation, and interpretation of the data and health policy—to get me here.
So, today, I step into my new role. A strategist. A guide for those who are ready to take control. A partner to organizations that want to empower their people to make better health decisions, from within themselves.
And I’m here for you, too.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your health—unsure what to do next, overwhelmed by conflicting advice, exhausted from trial and error—I am here for you. And I can help. Although my book is not yet ready to get into your hands, I am here in the meanwhile.
I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all answers. I believe in you—your goals, your circumstances, your values. And I believe that with the right strategy, you can move forward with confidence, clarity, and see results.
So whether you’re an individual looking for a smarter way to navigate your health or an organization wanting to empower your people, I’m here to help you and your employees be healthier, one health decision at a time.
Won’t you join me? Let’s work together! The power is in our hands.
— In good health,
Dr. Alice Burron (officially Alice for you, my Substack readers)
Founder, Strategic Action Health
Author, Health Shift: Your Personalized Guide to Making Strategic Health Decisions (Coming May 13)
“It’s not perfection we should aim to achieve; only improvement and progress.” Dr. Alice Burron
A little more about Dr. Alice Burron and Strategic Action Health:
Check out our website!
Catch us on Instagram: @the.health.navigator and @dr_burron
You can also connect on LinkedIn, if you want to be professional about it. 👓
And if you’re not subscribed to Health Shift here on Substack — it’s time! This free newsletter is packed with valuable information and approaches to help you on your journey to better, faster healing.
Book coming May 13, 2025!