12 Feb Creating Wellness Through Human Connection: My Conversation with Pete Bombaci of Gen Well
During my travels for the Global Connection Quest, I had the good fortune to meet up with Pete Bombaci, the founder of GenWell – Canada’s human connection movement – while in Toronto this January. We sat down in a noisy coffee shop to discuss GenWell’s incredible work in promoting social health and how human connection is the key to overall wellness.
The Power of Social Health
In our conversation, Pete explained what GenWell is all about and how they run seven annual campaigns, each aimed at fostering human connection in different ways to specific demographics. Unsurprisingly, one campaign I particularly resonate with is Talk to a Stranger Week, which encourages people to break down barriers and engage with those around them.
We also talked about the concept of Social Health—the idea that our wellbeing is deeply connected to the quality of our relationships and interactions with others. Pete highlighted how maintaining strong social connections can lead to increased empathy, compassion, resiliency, and happiness, while also reducing feelings of anxiety.
Navigating Loneliness and What We Can Do
As the conversation continued, Pete shared insights from Canadian research on loneliness, a growing issue in many communities. We discussed how crucial it is to actively nurture our social health, and Pete provided practical tips on what we can do to address loneliness in our own lives and in the lives of others.
Towards the end of the interview, we touched on Canada’s annual Human Connection Conference and Pete gave us a tease of something innovative that Gen Well is planning, which could have a significant positive ripple effect. We also explored Pete’s vision for the future of Canada’s human connection movement and the continued importance of creating spaces for people to engage, connect, and thrive together.
It’s just Great to Connect in Person
I hope you find the conversation as inspiring as I did! The work GenWell is doing to create wellness through the power of human connection is truly impactful, and I’m excited to share it with you all. It’s always such a pleasure to spend time with this man in person. I highly recommend Pete Bombaci as a keynote speaker for your organization if your aim is to educate your staff on the importance of creating a culture of human connection.
To experience the Global Connection Quest – where I’m meeting strangers in at least 4 countries to prove that you can change your life by meeting people, be sure to check out my dedicated campaign page HERE.
Happy connecting.
Tony Esteves is a passionate advocate for human connection, known for his “Talk2MorePeople Project”, where he met a new person daily for a year. His book, “Talk2MorePeople: Change Your Life by Meeting people.”, shares insights on building meaningful connections. As a coach and speaker, Tony inspires others to make connection a natural part of life.