For years, through Healthy by Association, we’ve talked openly about wellbeing in the association and hospitality communities — movement, nutrition, rest, boundaries, community. But over time, I’ve noticed something deeper happening in conversations with colleagues, clients, and friends: Leadership is taking a heavy toll on people. Not because they’re doing anything wrong — but because the role itself has changed.

Today’s leaders are juggling:

• constant travel
• nonstop expectations
• year-end pressures
• organizational change
• shrinking teams and expanding workloads
• culture-building responsibilities
• the emotional labor of supporting everyone else

And while so many leaders are committed to creating healthier workplaces, they often feel they can’t talk about their own burnout, loneliness, or mental health challenges. That gap — that silence — is why The Leadership Wellbeing Series was born.

This new podcast, co-hosted with my friend and colleague Tara Puckey, creates space for honest conversations about what it really takes to lead well without losing yourself in the process. Each episode features leaders who are willing to speak candidly about stress, boundaries, stigma, resilience, and the power of connection.

Season 1 explores six themes we know leaders are craving space to talk about:

• Leading through the emotional complexity of the holidays
• Burnout at year-end
• Mental health stigma among executives
• Work–life integration (not balance)
• Building resilient leadership habits
• The power of peer support

These conversations aren’t theoretical. They’re personal, practical, grounded in lived experience — and designed to help leaders navigate the realities we don’t always acknowledge publicly.

So why am I doing this podcast?

• Because too many leaders are struggling quietly.
• Because leadership shouldn’t come at the cost of wellbeing.
• Because community matters.
• Because it’s okay to not be okay.
• And because healthy leaders really do build healthy communities.

If any of this resonates, here are four small ways you can support the series:

• Listen to the trailer. In less than two minutes, it sets the tone for everything to come.

• Subscribe to The Leadership Wellbeing Series wherever you get your podcasts. Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio — we’re everywhere.

• Leave a review. It helps other leaders find us (especially the ones who need it most).

• Share it with a colleague or peer group. This podcast is designed to spark better conversations across the association and hospitality communities.

And if you’d like to be a guest — or know someone whose story should be part of this conversation — I’d truly love to hear from you. Together, we can create a culture where leaders are supported, connected, and reminded that wellbeing isn’t a luxury — it’s part of the work.

By Aaron Wolowiec
Event Garde 
Learn. Network. Transfer.

Leadership Wellbeing Podcast – Listen to Episode 1 today!