Calm, Soul-Driven Leadership with Sean B. Jones

Sean B. Jones—former psychotherapist and COO of a global healthcare firm, now founder of Food Dynamics and What's in the Bowl—joins Claire Hayek for a grounded conversation about courage, perspective, and leading with heart. Sean shares how war zones and 9/11 shaped his calm-under-fire mindset, and why today’s leaders must learn to respond rather than react. Claire adds neuroscience insights on cortisol, the vagus nerve, and brain-based decision-making under stress. They dive into mock-crisis training, emotional triggers, and what it really takes to lead teams through disruption.Topics Covered:What war zones and washing machines taught Sean about stressThe 4-7-8 breath and the vagus nerve: how to calm your nervous systemWhy perspective—not panic—is a leader’s real powerBuilding a workplace you never got to work forReframing toxic experiences as leadership trainingPracticing crisis before the real one hits (and the brain science behind it)Execution over hesitation: the courage to actTimestamps (HH:MM):00:00 – Cold open: billion-dollar rollout meets pet nutrition empire01:45 – Sean’s early crisis response work and mindset shift04:30 – Claire’s science riff: mirror neurons, cortisol, and the 4-7-8 breath06:00 – Leading with soul vs. toxic leadership09:00 – Handling triggers and choosing your response11:00 – Practicing stress responses: why mock-crisis drills matter13:00 – The neuroscience of prefrontal cortex vs. panic mode15:00 – Why technical skill ≠ leadership skill18:00 – Sean’s leap from global COO to small shop entrepreneur20:00 – How the brain sabotages change—and how to override it22:00 – Bold Truth Round: myths, morale, and scaling fast24:00 – Listener challenge: ask your team 2 bold questionsMentioned Links:Sean B. Jones’ companies:→ https://www.whatsinthebowl.com→ https://www.foodynamics.comConnect with Claire → https://linktr.ee/clairehayek | IG: @claire.hayek. Have a question? [email protected]  The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit clairehayek.com