How Do Top Leaders Handle Stress? Powerful Secrets Revealed

The CEO Project Podcast

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Are you leading a high-performing team but still struggling to handle stress as it builds behind the scenes—despite doing all the “right” things?

In this episode, you’ll hear from Keri Ford—former creative director turned global leadership advisor for top-tier women leaders—who explains why success often comes with silent struggles no one talks about. Through her work in nervous system regulation and somatic strategies, Keri helps founders and CEOs break patterns they didn’t know were sabotaging their leadership and well-being. If you’ve ever wondered why the same challenges keep resurfacing no matter how hard you work, this conversation will hit home.

By tuning in, you'll discover:

How unresolved trauma and nervous system dysregulation show up in leadership decisions, hiring patterns, and team dynamics.
What “functional freeze” looks like—and why chronic stress might be hiding behind your drive to succeed.
How building somatic fluency can expand your capacity to handle pressure, avoid burnout, and lead with more clarity, creativity, and control.

If you're ready to lead with less stress and more impact, press play now and hear how Kerry Ford helps elite leaders rewrite their internal wiring for lasting success.

Check out:

[08:43] – From Creative Director to Somatic Leadership: Kerry shares the personal journey that led her from launching luxury brands to discovering the transformative power of somatic work through her son’s sensory challenges.

[24:16] – How Trauma Patterns Show Up in Leadership: A powerful breakdown of how unresolved trauma manifests in hiring decisions, burnout cycles, and the chronic stress that top-tier leaders often normalize.

[39:50] – Building a Bigger Window of Tolerance: Learn how expanding your nervous system’s capacity can help you handle stress more effectively—and why it could be the missing leadership skill no one taught you.

About Keri Ford

KERI FORD, former Creative Director and ex-corporate leader, now serves as the Holy High Council & Elite Advisor to the world’s most influential women in business. As CEO & Founder of Elevate with Keri, a global wellness coaching company, she empowers female founders and executives to achieve new heights through her cutting-edge methodologies in nervous system regulation, peak neuroscience performance, and an embodied approach in leadership.

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