Peace Is a Business Strategy: Reclaiming Your Mental Bandwidth as a CEO

Sarah Beth Herman
Jun 19
6 min read

By Sarah Beth Herman

Mentor | Speaker | 5x CEO | Host of No Silver Spoons

There comes a point in business when you realize that more effort isn’t going to get you where you want to go. You’ve checked every box, pushed every limit, and stayed up way too late staring at spreadsheets. But the numbers aren’t the real problem. It’s what’s happening inside of you.

Maybe no one talks about it because it feels too personal. Or maybe we’re just scared that if we admit we’re tired, someone will think we’re not cut out for this. But here’s the truth. The fastest way to scale isn’t by adding more tasks. It’s by subtracting what’s keeping you emotionally stuck.

Episode 73 of No Silver Spoons is one of the most honest conversations I’ve had with my listeners. In it, I talk about protecting your peace and walking away from things that no longer align. Not just in your personal life, but in how you lead, hire, and build. Because peace isn’t a personality trait. It’s a business tool. And if you’re a CEO or a founder, it’s your edge.

Burnout Isn’t Just About Workload. It’s About Emotional Weight.

You’re not burned out because you work too hard. You’re burned out because you’ve been carrying things that have nothing to do with your goals. Maybe it’s an old friendship that’s quietly draining you. Maybe it’s a client you should’ve fired months ago. Maybe it’s the pressure to be “on” all the time even though you’re craving space.

The International Journal of Mental Clarity and Cognitive Processing released a study in 2025 showing that when people walked away from toxic relationships, their mental clarity improved by 28 percent and their decision-making accuracy jumped by 22 percent within just 30 days (Martinez, Ellis, & Zhao, 2025). That’s a month. Not a new assistant. Not a year-long mastermind. Just 30 days of choosing better for yourself. You don’t need a full rebrand to fix your business energy. You might just need to stop letting people live rent-free in your head.

When You Trust Your Gut, You Protect Your Goals

We’re taught to rely on logic in business. But here’s what’s true. Your intuition is one of your strongest leadership tools. In 2025, researchers from the University of Toronto found that people who trusted their gut when evaluating relationships were 34 percent better at avoiding emotionally draining situations (Kaur & Thomsen, 2025).

That number is wild. Think about it. One decision made from instinct could save you a year of cleanup.

You don’t need a long list of proof to know when something feels wrong. You already know. You feel it when the room changes. When the email gives you that uneasy feeling. When you get off the call and feel smaller instead of seen. You don’t have to wait for someone to cross a boundary to walk away. You don’t need one more disappointing moment to give yourself permission to leave.

You Cannot Scale from Survival Mode

If your nervous system is fried, your business will reflect it. You might not see it right away, but it’ll show up.

Your messaging won’t land.
Your team will feel off.
Your creativity will dry up.
Your leadership won’t feel like you.

You can’t lead well when you’re constantly anxious, overthinking, and under-rested. You can’t inspire your team when you’re doubting your worth behind closed doors.

This isn’t about becoming some perfect version of yourself. This is about getting honest. Because when you protect your peace, you actually become more productive. You make decisions faster. You bounce back quicker. You connect better. And your business finally gets to breathe.

Letting Go Isn’t Weakness. It’s Wisdom.

In Episode 73, I shared a story about a man carrying a backpack filled with bricks up a mountain. Each brick represented something he hadn’t let go of. An old argument. A client who ghosted. A team member who betrayed his trust.

He didn’t realize how heavy it had become until someone asked why he was still carrying bricks from a house he no longer lived in.

That story? That’s so many of us.

As leaders, we tend to carry everything. And sometimes we forget that the load we’ve been dragging behind us isn’t part of the current mission. It’s just weight.

You’re allowed to stop. You’re allowed to choose peace. You’re allowed to want calm.

Peace Creates Better Decisions

Every single leader I’ve mentored who is doing extraordinary things has one thing in common. They have a deep commitment to keeping their inner world steady.

They have the hard conversations when they need to. They walk away from bad deals. They don’t keep proving themselves to people who never believed in them to begin with.

And because of that, they move quicker. They make bolder choices. They don’t need to ask ten people what to do. They just know.

Because peace clears the fog. And you can’t lead in the fog.

Five Questions for the CEO Who Wants to Lead from Wholeness

What relationship or habit am I still justifying that drains me?
What decision am I delaying because I’m afraid of disappointing someone?
Where have I been operating from fear instead of alignment?
What would my business look like if peace was my non-negotiable?
Who makes me feel grounded when I talk to them? Who makes me spiral?

Your answers to these questions could change the trajectory of your next quarter. Don’t just think about them. Journal on them. Talk through them. Take action from them.

You Are Not Falling Apart. You Are Realigning.

I want to remind you that just because something ended doesn’t mean you failed.

That contract that didn’t close. That person who walked away. That “perfect” launch that flopped.

Maybe it wasn’t rejection. Maybe it was redirection. I’ve had friendships fall apart that I thought were lifelong. I’ve lost opportunities I thought were meant for me. But what I know now is that anything that’s built on real alignment doesn’t leave confusion in its wake. It brings peace.

So, if you’ve been feeling off, maybe it’s not because something’s wrong. Maybe it’s because you’re finally waking up to what’s real.

Your Energy is Your Brand

People feel you before they hear you. That’s true in boardrooms, Zoom calls, and Instagram videos. And when you’ve done the work to protect your peace, you show up differently.

You don’t rush. You don’t explain. You don’t perform.

You lead. With strength. With softness. With confidence.

Your presence becomes the reason someone says yes. Your calm becomes your conversion tool. Your alignment becomes your advantage.

What I Want You to Hold on To

If you’re in a season where everything feels overwhelming, please hear this. You do not have to earn your peace. You don’t have to explain your boundaries. And you definitely don’t have to stay in rooms that silence your voice.

You’re not behind.

You’re being aligned.

You’re not weak.

You’re getting clear.

You’re not lost.

You’re becoming.

Tune into Episode 73 of No Silver Spoons when you’re ready to hear the full conversation. It’s not a business episode. It’s a heart episode. And I believe it’ll help you walk lighter, think clearer, and lead stronger.

References

Kaur, S., & Thomsen, J. (2025). Intuitive decision-making in professional relationships: Outcomes of trusting internal indicators. University of Toronto Journal of Behavioral Science, 49(1), 22–38.

Martinez, R., Ellis, P., & Zhao, H. (2025). Emotional detox: Cognitive restoration after disengagement from toxic relationships. International Journal of Mental Clarity and Cognitive Processing, 17(2), 56–73.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

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