Dr. Lisa Belanger

Early life

As a young woman, Lisa Belanger attended St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia from 2003 to 2007, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in human kinetics. Immediately after that, she enrolled in the University of Alberta where she proceeded to earn a master’s degree in behavioural medicine in 2009, followed by a Ph.D. in the same discipline in 2013. She also possesses an executive MBA.

Already a certified exercise physiologist in her mid-20s, she conceived and ran a mobile personal training company while in graduate school.

Career

Lisa Belanger wrote and published her first book, Inspire Me Well: Finding Motivation to Take Control of Your Health in 2012, while studying for her doctorate. The book entreats readers to acknowledge and overcome common mental barriers to healthy living.

When she completed her Ph.D., the newly-minted Dr. Lisa Belanger went to work for a research funding agency, but the experience left her wanting, and she turned her attention to another project that she felt would be more fulfilling.

In 2013, she undertook the mammoth task of creating Knight’s Cabin Cancer Retreats, a nonprofit organization that hosts research-based retreats for people who have survived cancer. These retreats encourage positive changes in behaviour and include counseling on subjects such as physical activity, nutrition, stress, and sleep to help prevent secondary disease and recurrence. They also offer a nurturing setting where cancer survivors can unplug, unwind, and concentrate on their mental health. The retreats are provided at no cost to attendees.

Her success in creating a nationally registered nonprofit led Dr. Lisa Belanger to entertain the notion of launching her own company. Reflecting on this crucial part of her life during an interview with University Affairs Magazine in 2017, Dr. Belanger said, “I knew I wanted to create impact for the work I had done in my Ph.D. I had become incredibly passionate about how seemingly small behaviours could have such a large impact on people’s health. While I worked specifically with cancer survivors, I was keen to also work with people before they got sick. I had always had entrepreneurship in my blood. I even started a small mobile personal training company during grad school. I loved the challenge, flexible work schedule, and working for myself.”

In 2016, she founded ConsciousWorks, a consulting firm that specializes in exploring cognitions and behaviours in order to influence performance, health, and happiness. The company leverages the latest behavioural, psychological, and neurological research to craft workshops, courses, keynote addresses, and behaviour-based consulting materials designed to teach its clients the essential skills necessary to lead sustainable, full lives. Dr. Belanger has two roles at ConsciousWorks, serving as both Behaviour Change Consultant and CEO.

Beginning in 2020, she launched a podcast called Work Less, Produce More, in which she discusses new developments in behavioural science and health and wellness, as well as sharing her own expertise on these topics.

That same year, Dr. Belanger wrote and published her second book, A Cup of Mindfulness: For the Busy and Restless. The book breaks down the concepts underpinning the practice of mindfulness, and explains how readers can easily incorporate it into their daily schedules.

Beyond managing Knight’s Cabin Cancer Retreats, Dr. Lisa Belanger is active in other charities, as well. Since 2012, she has been involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, an organization she has previously raised funds for by completing the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco, California in 2012, and completing the Marathon de Paris in Paris, France in 2013. Additionally, since 2013, she has acted as a host of Nerd Nite, which is a recurring educational event held in more than 80 cities around the world during which several self-described ‘nerds’ give short presentations across a wide range of disciplines.

Net Worth

Unknown