The Leadership on the Rocks podcast is about equipping and empowering leaders like you, so you can THRIVE IN and CREATE HARMONY BETWEEN YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVES. As a community through this podcast, we will become equipped with the essential leadership skills needed to grow professionally, but understand that it doesn't have to come at the expense of our home and family lives. Together, we will share struggles and lessons learned as well as look to leadership principles and best practices for being our best at work and at home. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com for more FREE resources as well as online courses, coaching, workshops, and speaking.
#124 The Biology of Leadership: Why Recovery Is Your Competitive Advantage with Nicole Ward
What if the key to becoming a better leader isn't working harder—but recovering smarter?
Executive leader, author, and performance strategist Nicole Ward joins Bethany to explore why leadership performance is deeply connected to how we care for ourselves.
After a serious car accident forced Nicole to confront the personal cost of chronic overwork, she began a journey to rethink success, health, and sustainable performance.
In this episode, Bethany and Nicole discuss:
Why leaders should approach performance and recovery like elite athletes.
How to recognize the warning signs of running on empty.
What biohacking actually means—and how to start without expensive gadgets.
Simple ways to incorporate movement and breathing into a busy workday.
Why sleep and nutrition deserve a place in your leadership strategy.
Practical ways to protect your routines while traveling.
How to make meaningful changes without trying to overhaul your entire life.
Why prioritizing your health sometimes requires courage when others expect you to keep operating the same way.
Nicole also shares insights from her book, Biohacking for the Sales Athlete, and explains why small, consistent changes can help leaders create a more sustainable approach to success.
The bottom line: You don't have to sacrifice yourself to sustain your success.
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:
Website: https://www.nicoleelizabethward.com/
(https://www.nicoleelizabethward.com/)Instagram: @nicoleward111
(https://www.instagram.com/nicoleward111/)LinkedIn:@NicoleWard111 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleward111/)
Book: Biohacking for the Sales Athlete (https://a.co/d/0j14OCLo)
Podcasts: The Executive Athlete (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-executive-athlete-podcast/id1828954832) and Aeon at the Top (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8P4Beazc4AH_2mtlhEm25WjMWq_GPOXM)
***
Leadership isn’t about wearing different masks—it’s about standing on a firm foundation.
If you’re ready to lead with clarity, consistency, and faith—without separating who you are at work from who you are at home—explore Bethany’s coaching, workshops, and leadership resources designed for real life and real leadership. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com (http://www.leadershipontherocks.com).
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership at www.leadershipontherocks.com (http://www.leadershipontherocks.com) or on Amazon (https://a.co/d/7HF3ZCq).
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/ (https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/)
Follow us online at:
Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks (https://www.facebook.com/leadershipontherocks)
Instagram: @leadershipontherocks (https://www.instagram.com/leadershipontherocks/?hl=en)
LinkedIn: Bethany Rees (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyrees/)
Email us at contact@bressentialservices.com (mailto:contact@bressentialservices.com)
16 Sept 2026
#123 Why Leaders Struggle to Delegate (and How to Finally Let Go) with Rachael Davila
Virtual Assistant Strategist Rachael Davila joins Bethany for a very real conversation about one of the hardest leadership skills for high achievers: delegation.
Rachael shares how reaching her own definition of success nearly burned her out—and forced her to recognize that doing everything herself was no longer sustainable. Together, she and Bethany unpack the internal work required to let go, how to decide what should actually be delegated, and why hiring someone based on skills alone can be a costly mistake.
In this episode:
Why delegation is a leadership skill, not something that comes naturally
Recognizing your “not this” moment
How being highly capable can eventually become a liability
Creating a detailed handoff list
Why you should hire for qualities, values, and working style—not just skills
The difference between delegating and simply dumping tasks
Why the first 90–120 days require intentional communication and trust-building
How perfectionism can turn you into the bottleneck
Starting small by practicing delegation at home
Why the cheapest help may ultimately cost you more
Creating space for the work that is actually yours to do
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:
Website: https://linktr.ee/extrahandsva (https://linktr.ee/extrahandsva)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtraHandsVirtualAssistance (https://www.facebook.com/ExtraHandsVirtualAssistance)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/extrahands_va (https://www.instagram.com/extrahands_va)
LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeldavila/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeldavila/)
Hey! Do I Need a VA? Readiness quiz: https://links.extrahandsva.com/widget/quiz/atHsHeioZb80ntoMzuCR (https://links.extrahandsva.com/widget/quiz/atHsHeioZb80ntoMzuCR)
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com (https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/)
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership on Amazon (https://a.co/d/7HF3ZCq).
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/ (https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/)
Follow us online at:
Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks (https://www.facebook.com/leadershipontherocks)
Instagram: @leadershipontherocks (https://www.instagram.com/leadershipontherocks/?hl=en)
LinkedIn: Bethany Rees (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyrees/)
Email us at contact@bressentialservices.com (mailto:contact@bressentialservices.com)
2 Sept 2026
#122 Burnout or Under-Recovered? How Leaders Can Reclaim Their Energy with Dr. Ken Ro
After more than 35 years in emergency medicine, Dr. Ken Ro began asking a different question: What could have happened years earlier to prevent the crisis happening in the ER today?
In this episode, Dr. Ro joins Bethany to explore why high-performing leaders—especially in midlife—can slowly normalize exhaustion, brain fog, poor sleep, stress, and declining energy while continuing to perform.
They discuss:
Why leaders may not be overstressed, but under-recovered
How physical health directly impacts leadership capacity and decision-making
Why work gets our best energy while home often gets what’s left
Protecting the first and last hour of your day
The danger of 24/7 accessibility and “micromanagement technology”
Dr. Ro’s RECLAIM Method for addressing root causes instead of symptoms
Why midlife shouldn’t automatically mean accepting a lower “new normal”
The powerful question to ask your doctor: “If I stay on this trajectory, what will I look like in five years?”
Why you cannot lead effectively with an empty tank
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:
🌐 Website: https://www.kennethromd.com/ (https://www.kennethromd.com/)
📘 Book (PRIME: How To Win The Second Half Of Life): https://a.co/d/0hwSax2N (https://a.co/d/0hwSax2N)
💼 Program: Back in the Game Men (https://backinthegamemen.com)
Instagram: @DrKennethRo (https://instagram.com/drkennethro)
LinkedIn: @DrKenRo (https://linkedin.com/in/drkenro)
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/ (https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/)
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership on Amazon (https://a.co/d/7HF3ZCq).
Follow us online at:
Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks (https://www.facebook.com/leadershipontherocks)
Instagram: @leadershipontherocks (https://www.instagram.com/leadershipontherocks/?hl=en)
LinkedIn: Bethany Rees (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyrees/)
Email us at contact@bressentialservices.com (mailto:contact@bressentialservices.com)
Who has been a guest on Leadership on the Rocks
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Melissa Wilkinson
Curtis Sprouse
Mark Rowan
Dr Debra Clary
Greg Hawks
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
2,224
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
60
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
77
Contact Leadership on the Rocks
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about Leadership on the Rocks
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Bethany Rees and Bethany host the show. Published by Bethany Rees.
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