The “most stressed” wellness CEO, with Calm’s David Ko
Key Takeaways
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Leadership must embrace mental health initiatives
“If it's not embraced at the leadership level, I think things can get muted or it's just another benefit.”
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Vulnerability is a critical leadership strength
“I do try to practice what I preach. And the biggest thing that I do is I try to be very vulnerable in front of them.”
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Executives face immense hidden stress levels
“Many of them said, no, they didn't feel safe yet to have these conversations in more of a public format.”
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Mental health is a global systemic movement
“It's really not just about one individual, one company. It's really more about how do you create more of a movement.”
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Calm users drive constant CEO pressure
“I am the most stressed out CEO you will ever meet... because every second of every day, someone is turning to us for help.”
Episode Description
What does it take to lead a meditation company without finding a moment’s peace? David Ko spent years as CEO of Calm, one of the world's most recognized mental health and wellness apps, helping millions manage stress. Now he's stepping down. Ko unpacks why he made the call, what the relentless pressure of the C-suite really does to a person, and how to draw the line between the kind of stress that sharpens you and the kind that quietly breaks you down. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.