E17: From Chaos to Cohesion: Supporting Teams Beyond Work with Jon Cooper
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Ever wonder how the messiness of real life shapes the way teams function at work? In this episode, Dr. Bobbi Wegner and Jon Cooper, CEO of Overalls, reveal what happens when companies truly support employees beyond the job description—and why helping people tackle daily chaos and life's big disruptors might just be the secret to high-performing, deeply connected teams.
Jon Cooper is the cofounder and CEO of Overalls, a company redefining how employers support their teams by addressing life’s non-work challenges—from caregiving to financial stress and beyond. Bringing more than 15 years of experience building and scaling startups, Jon has a deep understanding of the evolving needs of high-growth teams and the importance of sustaining culture through rapid change. His work at Overalls focuses on tackling the root causes of stress and burnout, helping people avoid overwhelm by offering hands-on support for life’s daily distractors, major disruptions, and unexpected disasters. Jon’s unique approach is grounded in empathy and expertise, ensuring organizations can better support their people—both at work and in life.
Below are the key takeaways from this episode:
Support Beyond Work: Overalls helps employees with real-life stressors, from daily hassles to major disruptions, showing that personal well-being directly impacts workplace performance.
Maintaining Culture During Growth: As startups scale, it’s essential to balance the versatility of early teams with the specialization needed later, using strategies like co-creating mission and values to keep culture strong.
Co-Creation Increases Buy-In: Involving employees at all levels in shaping vision and values leads to greater engagement, trust, and connection across teams.
Tailored Help Trumps One-Size-Fits-All Benefits: Real-world problems are complex; offering flexible, personalized support fosters stronger loyalty and helps people bring their best selves to work.
Focus on Intrinsic Motivation: The most effective leaders and organizations build cultures around autonomy, mastery, and purpose, rather than relying solely on rewards or mandates.
Today’s guest, Jon Cooper, can be found online at:
Website: https://getoveralls.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanacooper/
Your host, Dr. Bobbi Wegner, can be found online at:
Groops: https://www.joingroops.com/
Harvard Extension School Faculty Spotlight: https://youtu.be/zwLai-lu-pk?si=GpKNhtxVvTrS3-pu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiwegner/