Chantel Erfort: “Healthy Being, Healthy Business” Isn’t Self-Help — It’s Us Helping Each Other

“If I’m sitting here talking to a group of people who want to get healthy, who want to lead healthy workspaces, is it really self-help? Or is it us helping each other?” That was how former editor and founder of Chantel’s Yoga Dojo, Chantel Erfort, closed her powerful, personal presentation at the EntreprenHER: Owning the Future of Media online seminar hosted by the fraymedia Foundation in August 2025.

In a session that blended breathing techniques, hard-won wisdom, and a gentle but radical redefinition of health, Erfort invited participants to reflect on what it really means to thrive - not just in business, but in body, mind and spirit.

From Newsroom Deadlines to Daily Walks

A former editor with more than two decades of media experience, Erfort described the disorientation of leaving the newsroom after 24 years to build her own business. Now a yoga teacher and wellness advocate, she runs a studio where she combines yoga, writing, and storytelling to support others in working through stress and trauma.

“I believe that health is more than just about having a body that functions,” she said. “Health encompasses your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being—all of which exist in a dynamic ecosystem.”

Erfort’s own journey toward wellbeing began with a crisis. At her heaviest weight, she was pre-diabetic, warned about fertility risks, and grappling with the emotional burden of stress and imposter syndrome, especially as a technikon graduate accepted into a master’s programme without the “traditional” academic path.

“I started eating my way through my feelings and drinking… but the process of losing weight gave me a whole new skillset and a passion for healthier living.”

Health as a Leadership Strategy

Erfort’s message to media entrepreneurs was clear: wellbeing isn’t optional. It’s a leadership imperative.

“Making health the cornerstone of my life not only made me feel better—it made me a better leader.”

Drawing on the work of journalism scholar Professor Mark Deuze, she challenged the romanticisation of overwork in media, quoting his observation that “while creatives might love their work, the work doesn’t always love them back”.

“If our staff love what they’re doing, how can we show them love in return?” she asked. “By creating workspaces that foster their well-being.”

Erfort offered practical, low-cost examples drawn from her own efforts to lead by example:

• Meal mindfulness: “I stopped cramming food into my mouth at my desk. I went to the back of the office, sat down, and ate consciously. Others joined me. It created space—not just for eating, but for downtime and connection.”

• Movement: She walked to nearby meetings, encouraged walking groups, and delivered page proofs one at a time just to get up and move. “It might sound silly, but it reduced the time I spent sitting and (reduced) the pressure on my back.”

• Standing desks: “You don’t need a fancy R10,000 desk. Put a box under your computer. Tasks like emails and calls work just fine standing up.”

• Quiet spaces: “Newsrooms are loud. But sometimes, especially after a difficult story, people need quiet to decompress. Let’s create that.”

• Healthy communal snacks: “Let’s balance the sugar-laden biscuits with nuts, fruit, and foods that give sustained energy.”

• Workplace rituals: She shared breathing exercises and journaling prompts to help check in with the body and reduce stress.

Mental Health and the Media Entrepreneur

Erfort made it clear that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to mean burnout. In fact, it mustn’t.

“We’re told, ‘when you work for yourself, you have to work all the time. ’That’s dangerous.”

She advocated for setting boundaries, drawing inspiration from a friend who only responds to emails twice a week. For herself, that means early-morning walks, twice-daily meditation, and being selective about the advice she takes to heart.

“It’s not selfish to prioritise your mental and physical well-being. It’s strategic. It’s survival.”

She also pointed to alarming statistics: 1 in 5 women entrepreneurs show signs of mental health distress—compared to 1 in 8 men.

“We juggle more roles, more expectations. We need to normalise therapy, coaching, mentorship—not as luxuries, but as business tools.”

Turning the Personal Into Collective Power

Erfort’s core message was that health isn’t just individual. It’s collective. It’s about culture change.

“The minute you start sharing your journey, it no longer becomes about yourself. It becomes about how we impact the whole—and how we pay it forward.”

From encouraging colleagues to eat away from their desks to recognising when a normally talkative team member goes silent on WhatsApp, Erfort showed how even small acts of awareness can build more humane, more productive workspaces.

And for those nearing midlife, she had this reframing:

“Yes, our bodies are changing. But like puberty, this can be exciting. We get to reconnect with our bodies in a new way.”

At a time when hustle culture still dominates, Chantel Erfort’s call to centre wellbeing is both a quiet rebellion and a bold blueprint for a healthier, more sustainable media future.

As she reminded participants: “Healthy being, healthy business.”

You can watch Chantel Erfort’s video here: