CONVERSATIONS WITH DEBRA KOERNER
BY MAE MAÑACAP-JOHNSON
Debra Koerner is a woman who wears many hats. Apart from co-founding
Well World Group with her partner Eric Stephenson, she is also the host and
executive producer of Journey into Wellbeing’s Senior Moments—a health and
wellness show that highlights amazing stories of people and places to help inspire
and educate others on living a healthy lifestyle. The idea to produce and host a
wellness show came upon her when, faced with personal health challenges, she
felt a calling to help others make more informed decision about their own health.
“I became convinced that I was supposed to educate others on what I was
learning [from my research about my own health],” Koerner says. A query for
ideas on the next reality TV show for Oprah’s OWN network sparked a concept
that would later become the framework of Journey into Wellbeing, which served
as a launching pad for her latest show, Senior Moments. “It got me into thinking,
if I had a TV show, I would travel the world and share information on people and
places who were dedicated to health and well-being,” she says.
Koerner soon put together a team of like-minded individuals, namely Jason Parmer who serves as creative director
and Debra Locker as producer, to help turn her idea into a reality. “We know that, at the heart of any content we produce,
there are a few intentions we hold,” she says. Here, she shares her journey as health explorer, host and producer—the
challenges, rewards and, yes, even her insecurities when it’s lights on.
“There are alarming statistics about the burden an unhealthy older
population will place on our health-care system and on families.
We have time right now to focus on prevention and alleviate some
of these challenges.”
PULSE: Share with us your experience shooting your
first-ever Journey into Wellbeing show. How
challenging was that process for you?
Koerner: I still remember the morning I was to go on
camera for the first time. We were going to shoot the “sizzle
reel” for the first show, Journey into Wellbeing. My critical
voice was in full gear with negative thoughts like: “You have
never had on-camera training, what makes you think you will
be any good?” “The camera is going to add another 10
pounds, why didn’t you lose weight?” “You’re too old to do
something like this.”
All these thoughts were pounding me and I became very
fearful. But then another voice spoke up and it was louder:
“If you truly believe in this concept and that these people and
their stories have the potential to positively change lives and
inspire others to be healthier and happier, then who are you
TO NOT SHOW UP?”
24
PULSE
■
December 2016
At that point, I let go of most of the negative thinking and
vowed to do my best. If it didn’t work, at least I hadn’t given in
to my ego and fear. The shot was good enough to get our
concept accepted by Kentucky Educational Television (KET) and
we secured our first broadcast station. Interestingly, finding
distribution for a finished content has not been nearly as
challenging as acquiring funding to assist with production costs.
P: What would you consider to be a turning point for
you in this journey?
K: A really powerful moment was when my creative director,
Jason, said he really believed in what we were doing and was
willing to volunteer his immense talents toward creating
another show. This was huge because, up to that point, Eric
and I had been paying out of our personal funds. For the first
show, we committed our home equity to fund the potential
that this could become something bigger. Not long after that,