“I appreciated how Mark built his curriculum around examples he pulled out of our team to make his points tangible for us. I appreciated the research he cited to position wellness as a performance optimizer; that speaks to me. He’s also just a personable guy and a solid speaker. I appreciated how he was real and offered some humor and humility without being overly self-deprecating.” -- Tyler Tullis, senior director of communications strategy, DH
"Mark’s program provided much-needed practical and relatable inspiration for our global communications team to take that first step on their wellness journey.” -- Erin Tsang, Senior Business Operations Manager, Public Relations, Amazon Web Services
“Mark at Chasing the Sun is an incredible resource for professionals working to balance their lives, careers, and health. The workshop he led for our team was exactly what we needed at this time of quarantine when it’s easy to fall into a rut, work tirelessly and forgo the things that bring us joy and feelings of self-worth. It sounds basic but we all need to be reminded that it’s not just ok, but critical, to put ourselves first so that we can show up most effectively for everyone else around us. Thanks, Mark, for being such a source of motivation and inspiration for us all!” -- Ann Smith, President, A.wordsmith
“I attended the 2019 PRSA International Conference and joined Mark’s workshop on how communication professionals can prioritize health and wellness. His personal health journey was inspirational to hear, and he gave specific, actionable tips we could incorporate into our busy lives. I liked how the session was interactive and we got to hear from other attendees about how they will commit to living a better life. Mark’s energy and enthusiasm are uplifting and I highly recommend his workshop to anyone looking to build health and wellness into their daily routine.” -- Taylor Long, Corporate PR Manager, Autodesk
“We invited Mark from Chasing the Sun to speak at a PRSA event about prioritizing health and wellness during Stress Awareness Month. This event came at a perfect time, when PR professionals continued to grapple with the pandemic – facing isolation, unmanageable workloads, and stress. During the session, Mark shared surprising industry data, inspiring personal anecdotes, and tangible ways PR professionals can put their health first. Mark’s energy was infectious, he was incredibly engaging, and we received nonstop compliments from our members about how well the session resonated with them. From the planning process and beyond, Mark lead with kindness was incredibly responsive and collaborative. Thank you for Mark, for sharing your wisdom and teaching us how to become the best version of ourselves!” -- Lindsay Leszczynski, Edelman
“Mark is an empathetic, engaging, and seasoned speaker. During his presentation to the University of Oregon’s PRSSA chapter, he met students where they were at the moment and will be in the near future. Through personal anecdotes, hard numbers, and interactive solutions, Mark gave the students a wake-up call to the health dangers of entering the communications world while simultaneously making it clear there are realistic ways to maintain fitness and wellness in an incredibly stressful world. After Mark’s talk, students felt empowered to pursue their professional dreams without sacrificing their personal well-being.” -- Lily Gordon, Public Relations at Coursera
“Mark’s session on living your best PR life resonated with me and my colleagues. With Chasing the Sun, he has truly captured the struggles we communicators face on a daily basis. His grasp on not only the communication industry but health and wellness has made for an invaluable resource. I find it impossible to listen to him and not take away something valuable that you can then include in your everyday life.” -- William Careri, TEDx speaker and former PRSSA member at Temple University
"As a business owner and PRSA leader, I’ve seen a lot of workshops and speakers that promise to motivate, inspire and provide concrete tools, but fail to deliver. Mark nails this in the first ten minutes. Mark connects with everyone in a very genuine, human way, then helps each to develop a unique plan that’s realistic and measurable. He does so because he marries his impressive experience as a communicator with tremendous energy and passion that ensures everyone walks out the door with a solid plan for a better life. Bottom line, Mark inspires me to achieve my goals for my health, so I can achieve them for my family and my clients.” -- Jacque Coe, APR
“Mark Mohammadpour, APR is showing us how to do something many of us woefully neglect—take care of ourselves. Mark has figured out through his unique life experience that we can’t take care of others’ needs until we have our own in balance. His mindful, nuanced approach to self-care is neither naïve nor simplistic. It is instead wonderfully strategic—just as our work must be. Mark is the PR health guru most of us needed long, long ago. Thank goodness he’s here now!” -- Dave Thompson, APR, Fellow PRSA
“I’ve always prided myself on being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle, no matter the circumstances. It wasn’t until I transitioned to my first post-grad PR job that I realized how challenging it can be at times to make time for your personal health and well-being while working in this industry. Especially in agency life, where things move a mile a minute and there’s always more to be done, it can be easy to let work seep into all hours of your day. Fortunately, Mark knows this, and he knows it well. He has been an incredible resource, advocate and role model for me when it comes to finding a healthy balance between work and well-being. Mark’s workshop not only contextualizes the crucial importance of prioritizing health in your everyday life but also provides actionable tips that are easy to incorporate into any routine. Mark’s guidance has helped me to realize that many of my day-to-day stresses are common across the profession, and they are manageable. With the right perspective, prioritizing your health will make you happier, healthier — and a better communicator.” Marie Van Rysselberghe, Bloom Communications
"Working with Mark was an invaluable investment in myself and my professional well-being. I was able to take away tangible tools that I continue to use to help myself set health goals and meet them. Mark’s workshop totally revamped the way I thought (and think) about health and reaching those goals, too! And the fact that Mark comes from the PR profession was the icing on the cake! Knowing this about Mark helped me connect with him from the beginning. Throughout the workshop, he was able to use vocabulary and professional examples that solidified our relationship, as it demonstrated his understanding of my industry and the stressful situations I had probably found myself in. Overall, I appreciated Mark’s time and approach and I made a new professional friend, too! I would highly recommend Mark for group workshops for anyone in public relations and also to consider him for professional coaching too!" -- Christy McGee, APR, Director of Communications, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, Colorado
“Working through Mark's Chasing the Sun workshop was such a rewarding experience. His advice provided me with some much-needed clarity and confidence. I now feel much more confidently autonomous in the balancing of my mental and physical health with my work. It also helps so much to have had this experience with my work family, as it shows we are all willing to collectively work towards a workspace of the future, where your personal life and wellbeing are seen as priorities over the day-to-day responsibilities of work. For any organization looking to enhance their employees' quality of life and provide them with the skills to balance work and life, Mark is your guy.” -- Sara Defibaugh, Bloom Communications
