Nancy Hill - In 20

·21 min·2 clips

Nancy Hill recounts finding her husband bleeding out from liver failure in their living room.

The episode begins with host Charles Day introducing the topic of self-care for leaders and guest Nancy Hill, a prominent figure in advertising. Hill shares her story of discovering her husband's chronic alcoholism and his subsequent liver failure, which led to traumatic events like him collapsing and bleeding out in their living room. She describes how she was diagnosed with PTSD by a therapist, something she initially associated only with soldiers or first responders. Hill explains that writing about her experience helped her process the trauma and connect with others who felt alone. She notes that many people reaching out to her after her article emphasized feelings of isolation during personal crises. The conversation shifts to workplace implications, with Hill arguing that the advertising industry's hours-based compensation model drives overwork and harms mental health. She suggests moving to value-based pricing as a solution. Hill also stresses that leaders must model healthy behaviors, such as openly scheduling time for therapy or exercise, to foster a supportive culture. The host relates this to broader issues like COVID-19's impact on mental health and the potential for neuroplasticity to rewire trauma responses. The episode concludes with mutual appreciation for the discussion's importance in addressing mental health in leadership.

As heard by us

A candid leadership conversation about PTSD, self-care, and the empathy that can grow from surviving trauma.

Leadership is framed here as a deeply human test: the expectation to have answers, conceal weakness, and keep serving others can leave even a seasoned executive without a sustainable way to lead.

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Why you'd press play

You can hear Nancy Hill connect self-care, PTSD, and the loneliness that can come with leadership.

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