Health and Wellness Q&A Part 3

Part 3 Features: Monica Berg, Valentino Longo, and Laura Kelton

January 20th|12 PM EST

View the Q&A here.

Mindfulness. It’s a pretty straightforward word. It suggest that the mind is fully aware of the choices that are being made. That we are making decisions with our full attention and with intention. So why is this concept sometimes so difficult to incorporate in our day to day? Sometimes it appears as if the opposite, living without intent is the easier decision. Our mind and body sometimes take flight, we lose touch with our bodies and we end up experiencing moments of disarray.

When taking our future into consideration and reflecting on the the affects that these decisions play into our daily lives being mindful certainly makes sense.

Mindfulness is our ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing despite the outside factors that might affect our decisions.

We’ve asked ten food and beverage experts how they define mindfulness, how they incorporate mindfulness into their daily routine and what inspires them to live a mindful lifestyle.

Monica Berg

As an innovator in the food and beverage industry, Monica’s ability to live mindfully is driven by awareness. She encourages folks looking to implement this practice into their life to do the things that make them happy.

Valentino Longo

Valentino, a Rome native who has bartended in Rome, London, and Miami. Now located in Miami, Valentino is the Head Bartender at the Four Seasons. He's competed in and won multiple national bartending titles, including the 2020 title of Most Imaginative Bartender. Since the competition he's launched the Shosin Art Club, an online platform bringing professional bartenders together to explore any and all bar-related topics as well as the ability to learn from world-class professionals in the spirits industry. Val and I discuss the importance of setting schedules for yourself to have better balance, how it's okay to want to be the best bartender in the world as long as you learn how to take care of yourself while working towards that goal, and how important it is to say no.

Laura Kelton

Laura is no stranger to the food and beverage industry. She climbed her way up the ranks, working everywhere from Bordel to Bad Hunter taking advantage of any opportunity to gain knowledge. Having lost friends and regulars to suicide and substance use, she believes forming Support Staff has been an incredibly important step forward in helping to sustain our industry from both sides of the bar.