An Exploration of Wonder and Wisdom

Health care leaders from across the country joined in The Experience Lab’s Wisdom Journey—a one-of-a-kind exploration of wonder and wisdom tuned to the unexpected brilliance of the people, places, and Experiences that surround us every day. 

The Wisdom Journey was created as a gift and an elixir of sorts—a simple way to soothe the intensity of all that’s happening in health care organizations and across the industry as a whole. It’s an invitation to return to the heart of health care and humanity on this continuing quest to create a more meaningful and memorable Experience for team members, providers, patients, and guests.


Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of Life Interrupted  by Suleika Jaouad is at the heart of our Wisdom Journey. Suleika’s written words, creativity, insights, and lived Experience–as a cancer journeyer–help us:

  • Sharpen our focus on what matters,
  • Identify what’s missing, and 
  • Discover what  might be needed most.


Through three unique Wisdom Discussion Salons, we explored the book using different approaches, methods, and perspectives for making health care better:

The Wisdom of One. Starting up close––with a tight focus on Suleika and the power of one–the collective discussed how one person can be a guide for how we are leading, designing, and personalizing organizational culture and Experience in our organizations.

Connecting Concepts and Themes to the Health Care Experience. We took a much broader view –pulling the lens back to explore the big sweeping themes, patterns and threads woven throughout the book and how they can inform our designs and decisions.

Being ‘Between Two Kingdoms’. We delved into a more esoteric and provocative realm––investigating the idea of betweenness––being ‘Between Two Kingdoms’ and the feelings associated with being in the in-between or liminal space.

We then hosted a culminating Author Salon with Suleika Jaouad herself. It was a truly illuminating, energizing, and inspiring conversation–and the wisdom Suleika shared helped us further define the heart of health care and sparked a movement for new ideas and action!

Inspired by Suleika’s creative practice, the collective decided to embark on their own 100 Day Project—100 days of small, meaningful acts of intention, beauty, connection, or creativity to fuel their important work of creating a more human—and more humane—health care Experience for all. The projects include capturing the beauty of health care through one photo a day, journaling, story gathering and storytelling, painting, connecting more deeply with patients each day–the magic goes on and on.

Sonia Rhodes, CEO and Founder of The Experience Lab, is asking 100 people (one person a day) to consider their ideal health care Experience, and then share in one word how they want their health care Experience to feel. The growing chorus of feelings is a clarion call. And, in asking a question about how folks want their health care Experience to feel—they’ve also shared their current state—how the health care Experience feels to them right now. Here’s what she’s cataloged in the two weeks of her 100 Day Project practice…

Email check ins or virtual gatherings will be taking place every 25 days across the 100 Day Project to connect, encourage, share, and celebrate how this small action sparks and fuels personal and professional transformation.

Contact us to learn more about a custom Wisdom Journey for your executives, leaders, or organization.