369: The Leadership Skill Nobody Teaches: Stopping Before Burnout Hits with Brent Freeman

In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, and author Brent Freeman to unpack what happens when external success stops feeling like success. After building billion-dollar growth machines, Brent found himself burned out, disconnected, and asking a much bigger question: What if the life I’m building isn’t actually the life I want?

Brent shares how a “one-degree drift” away from yourself can quietly turn into burnout and how he began rebuilding his life around joy, presence, and intentionality. From canceling every meeting to watch a sunset to creating a daily “list of joy,” Brent explains the neuroscience, nervous system practices, and emotional alchemy tools behind his new book, The Alchemy of Joy. Whether you’re navigating burnout, chasing your next achievement, or simply want to feel more present in your own life, this conversation is a reminder that joy is something you can invest in right now.

Inside This Episode:

When Success Stops Feeling Successful: Brent opens up about the hollow feeling that came after building massive businesses and achieving the external markers of success he once thought would create fulfillment.

The One-Degree Drift: Learn how tiny, seemingly harmless choices can gradually move you away from your values, your joy, and yourself—and why noticing the drift early matters.

Burnout Beyond Hustle Culture: Brent explores how burnout can hide behind ambition, impact, productivity, and achievement, and why it’s not simply a matter of “working too hard.”

The Return on Joy (ROJ): Discover Brent’s framework for treating joy as an intentional investment with a compounding payoff in energy, fulfillment, presence, and quality of life.

The One-Minute Window: Learn a simple 60-second practice for interrupting autopilot, regulating your nervous system, and coming back to the present moment.

What to Do Now:

Make Your List of Joy: Write down 5–10 things that genuinely make you feel alive, energized, connected, or playful. Then ask yourself: When was the last time I made time for these?

Try the One-Minute Window: The next time you feel overwhelmed or triggered, stop for 60 seconds. Breathe. Notice what’s happening in your body. Let yourself come back to the present before deciding what to do next.

Invest in Your ROJ: Choose one small thing that brings you joy and intentionally put it on your calendar this week. Don’t wait until everything else is done. Consider it a daily investment in your return on