Meet Christina Dufour, Our Founder - Chief of Well-being and Performance

My story has been a unique one for sure and it’s what allows me to be so good at doing what I do. The journey to get here truly began with my drive to work in finance and I was determined to be a manager before getting my college degree. I worked with some great organizations including TD Bank and Citigroup during this time and also got that manager role. Although I was actively developing business, giving speeches to crowds of 300+, and participating in executive strategy meetings, something wasn’t sitting right with me. Soon I found myself pursuing a yoga teaching certificate while considering new career options. Not only was I the biggest skeptic of yoga on the planet, I also never intended to teach… I did it for my health.

The offers to teach yoga and people wanting me to guide meditations were baffling to me, although I did teach on the side, my main focus was business! Some great opportunities came that allowed me to explore different industries including travel marketing with a fashion design company and business operations for a home services firm. Finally I landed a role in the Ballroom Dance Industry where I demonstrated the ability to increase studio membership, follow business training processes, perform under pressure, win championship standing, and overcome the mind-body fatigue associated with intense dance training. Yoga and meditation proved very helpful during this time and I found a unique self-confidence as well as new understanding of the mind-body through dance.

As I began noticing the great benefits I was getting through my practices an inspired idea kept floating around that these mind-body tools could be very useful in business settings. Helping others in this way appealed so much to me that I made the very difficult decision to leave the dance industry and begin the Carnelian Connection. It began with individual and corporate services and I also opened a fitness center at the same time. In two years I had two successful businesses and way too much stress. Again, another tough decision was upon me and I chose to leave the fitness center to focus on helping people in business do more with less stress through my corporate training and individual coaching services. Throughout this time I had continued developing myself in mind-body and getting new certifications, it was these practices that helped me be consistently productive and make challenging strategic decisions that were aligned with my values. Its been a privilege to work with instructors such as Jillian Pransky for restoratives, David Nichtern for meditation, and a certification with Monash University in Mindfulness for well-being and Peak Performance. Some of the most memorable time was spent learning 1:1 from Buddhist Monk Mongkol Khantibalo of Thailand.

After starting the Carnelian Connection I was honored to get speaking opportunities, like my mindfulness presentation to over 4000 attendees at the World Business Forum and receive an award for Entrepreneur of the year. I’ve also been recruited to create course content and guided meditation recordings for some of today’s best wellness companies such as Meditation Studio APP, MUSE meditator, Roundglass, and the GUIDE App. Many press articles have been released over the years documenting the Carnelian Connection journey. Did I mention that throughout this time I was studying theater too? Yes, another passion of mine and a great tool for understanding mind-body and performance. It’s been a privilege to train with the award winning actor - Jeffrey Tambor, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s coach - Eric Morris, and Hollywood’s casting director for The Notebook and Rush Hour - Matthew Barry, as well as becoming part of the Wednesday Repertory Company in NYC.

When the COVID19 pandemic hit we adapted and supported many new organizations virtually. Most of the women in my family work in healthcare which propelled me to use the time in lock down to create a stress reduction training program specifically for that industry. A professional connection of mine helped to put this virtual course through a study at a dialysis clinic with the Wisconsin School of Nursing during the pandemic. This 6-week course showed statistically valid results for reducing stress during a huge societal health crisis. I have since expanded the course to 9-weeks for an extensive ongoing study in stress reduction for nurse’s that is currently underway with Columbia University.

Today I am proud to have such a diverse skill-set and over a decade of experience practicing well-being and performance in ways that allow me to help clients get results. I enjoy making stress reduction programs unique, fun, and engaging while also being able to continue sharing my knowledge in business and leadership to help individuals and organizations. My varied background has given me insight into the importance of tailoring stress reduction and I have become skilled at supporting the needs of various industries and work environments. Demonstrating results in business development, management, and leadership gives me the ability to train these topics using the smartest solutions as I’ve refined my skills over the years. Having to perform in business, dance, and acting has shown me how to access a diverse range of perspectives, present authentically, and embody a commanding presence. The attitudes of mindfulness remain a foundational mindset and the practices for well-being are what keep me energized and productive through it all.

The past couple of years have brought an increased interest to support women in leadership and awareness for helping young woman find greater confidence and mental health. It’s been fulfilling to offer these programs and help women find their voice.

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me and reading my story. I look forward to helping you do more with less stress.