EP 253 - Why High Performers Burn Out | Biohacking, Leadership & Sustainable Success
In this episode of The Tyler Dickerhoof Show, Tyler sits down with Nicole Ward, Senior Vice President of Sales at Aon, executive coach, biohacker, and author of Biohacking for the Sales Athlete, to break down why high performers burn out, how stress impacts leadership, and why optimizing your health directly affects your results.
After years of high-pressure sales, nonstop travel, weight gain, brain fog, and burnout, Nicole reached a breaking point after rolling her Land Rover while rushing between meetings. That moment forced her to rethink success, recovery, performance, and leadership.
This conversation dives into burnout, biohacking, leadership performance, emotional regulation, recovery, stress management, sleep optimization, executive health, high-performance habits, and sustainable success.
If you are an entrepreneur, executive, sales professional, manager, or high performer trying to lead better without destroying your health, this episode is for you.
Meet Nicole Biem
Nicole Biem is a leader in building high-performing sales organizations, applying principles from modern performance science and wellness optimization to help teams perform consistently under pressure—not just in peak moments. She works closely with executive leaders on growth, resilience, and long-term performance, both in business and in life.
As SVP of Sales at Aon, Nicole is a strategic sales leader and growth driver, aligning sales strategy with organizational vision. Her work includes designing go-to-market roadmaps, scaling sales operations, and leading cross-functional teams to consistently exceed business development goals. She is focused on creating sustainable, scalable growth through data-driven insights, operational excellence, and empowering people.
Nicole also hosts Aon’s executive podcast, Aon at the Top, where she interviews trailblazing CEOs, board members, and C-suite leaders—exploring how they rose to the top, and the risks, pivots, and purpose that shaped their journeys.
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About the Tyler Dickerhoof Show Podcast
The Impact Driven Leader Podcast, hosted by Tyler Dickerhoof, is for Xillennial leaders who have felt alone and ill-equipped to lead in today's world. Through inspiring interviews with authors from around the world, Tyler uncovers how unique leadership strengths can empower others to achieve so much more, with real impact.
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