"Overwhelm often leads to inaction, as we freeze in the face of too many tasks and not enough time."

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession explores the pressure that many feel as the end of the year approaches. With deadlines looming and responsibilities piling up, it’s easy to spiral into a state of stress and uncertainty. Instead of powering through, Rebecca reveals how our nervous systems react to overwhelm and why taking a step back is crucial for both our productivity and well-being.

Through a blend of neuroscience, practical tips, and a compassionate approach to leadership, Rebecca shows how we can transform our approach to the end-of-year chaos. She dives into the power of intentional scheduling, explains how naming our stress can help us regain control, and emphasizes the importance of creating peace in our calendars. This episode is a call to reset, to find clarity in the clutter, and to lead with calm instead of chaos during the holiday season.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How overwhelm triggers our nervous system and what it’s really trying to tell us
• The power of intentional scheduling to calm your mind and regain control
• Practical steps to create peace in your calendar and lead with clarity during stressful times

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:01) Understanding the nervous system

(02:49) The power of time blocking

(05:55) Writing it down: he first step

(07:41) Allocating time realistically

(09:14) Creating a productive environment

(12:23) Honoring your time blocks

(12:49) Spiritual aspect of order

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“If you lose sight of the humans you’re serving, you’ll build something nobody wants.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession sits down with entrepreneur Bryan Clayton, whose journey from mowing lawns to building a national tech marketplace reveals what happens when you stay close to the humans you serve. Bryan grew a small lawn care operation into a 10-million sale, then built GreenPal, a platform now used by hundreds of thousands of homeowners and service providers.

Through stories of early mistakes, customer complaints that saved the business, and the surprising complexity of modern home services, Bryan shows why great companies are never built in the abstract. They are built by listening, responding, experimenting, and staying grounded in real human needs. Whether he’s answering the 800 number himself or rewriting product copy at midnight, Bryan embodies a philosophy that sits at the heart of this show. Business works when it works for people.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why staying close to your customer is the most underrated leadership practice
• How negative feedback becomes free research when your nervous system isn’t in self-protection
• What it means to build a business that genuinely helps people raise their quality of life

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:43) Why real leaders stay close to customer service

(06:10) The surprising realities of shifting into tech entrepreneurship

(08:41) What it takes to change long held habits in traditional industries

(09:58) How staying near the customer keeps your business relevant

(16:16) Seeing feedback as the doorway to growth instead of threat

(20:48) When investor pressure competes with your own instincts

(23:08) Using customer insights to build AI that actually helps people

(28:49) Supporting small business owners on their path to possibility

(32:18) Designing products that start with real human needs

(33:58) Why marketplaces work only when both sides feel served

(35:58) Early lessons that reveal what your customers truly want

Connect with Bryan:

Website: https://www.yourgreenpal.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton-a96b33214/

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“Relief seeking often turns into relief dumping, where we offload our stress onto someone else without even realizing it.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession calls out a year-end pattern that drains our nervous systems and strains our relationships at work. As the holidays approach and the pressure to “get everything wrapped up” intensifies, many leaders unintentionally pass their stress onto someone else. Rebecca breaks down why this happens, how our bodies interpret the season as a threat, and what it looks like to lead with humanity instead of urgency.

Through storytelling, science, and a grounded understanding of human behavior, she offers a compassionate yet firm reminder that most tasks can wait, our nervous systems need space, and our people deserve grace. This episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and choose rhythms that honor real human capacity during the busiest time of the year.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why year-end urgency pushes teams into activation and overwhelm
• How relief-seeking turns into stress-dumping and what to do instead
• Practical steps to lead with clarity, softness, and shared humanity

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:43) The year-end hot potato problem

(01:59) The overstimulated brain

(05:01) Understanding displaced activation

(06:53) Grace and humanity during the holidays

(10:26) Practical tips for year-end planning

(15:40) Reflection questions for leaders

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/