This interview is with Karen Canham, Entrepreneur/Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach at Karen Ann Wellness.

Karen Canham, Entrepreneur/Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Karen Ann Wellness

Can you introduce yourself and share your background in studying the nervous system?

My name is Karen Canham, and I am the founder of Karen Ann Wellness, LLC. I began my career in the fashion industry before stepping into leadership roles at a Fortune 50 company. On the outside, I looked accomplished and capable, but beneath the surface, I was carrying chronic stress, overthinking, and the kind of burnout no achievement could fix. I lived in survival mode, always striving, pushing, and holding myself to impossible standards.

In the midst of burnout, I began asking deeper questions. Why did I always feel like I had to prove myself even when I was excelling? Why did success feel heavy instead of fulfilling? Why did my mind race at night, replaying conversations or planning for challenges that had not even arrived? I realized the strategies I was using to hold everything together were the very ones wearing me down. That lived experience led me to study the nervous system more deeply. I trained as a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and as an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT). I pursued specialized education in somatic practices, parts work, trauma-informed coaching, and Polyvagal Theory. Through this work, I discovered what had been missing all along. The nervous system is not simply a biological structure; it is the foundation of how we experience life. It drives our patterns, our choices, the way we lead, the way we connect, and even our capacity for joy and resilience. Most of us are not broken; we are simply living from survival states our bodies adopted long ago.

What transformed my life was understanding that resilience is not just a mindset shift. It is not forcing yourself to think positive or to push harder. Real resilience comes from teaching the body to feel safe again. When the nervous system is regulated, the mind clears, relationships deepen, and leadership becomes more authentic and steady. I support clients who have tried therapy, meditation, or stress-management tools but still find themselves stuck in old patterns. I guide them to experience resilience not as an idea but as a felt sense in the body. The work I do is more than professional; it is personal. I know what it feels like to carry success on the outside while feeling overwhelmed inside, and steadiness is found in the nervous system. My mission through Karen Ann Wellness is to help others find that same freedom so they can rise into the leaders, partners, and human beings they are meant to be.

How did your journey lead you to become an expert in nervous system regulation, and what inspired this focus in your career?

What led me to become an expert in nervous system regulation was the realization that most of the tools I had been using for years were only scratching the surface. For a long time, I leaned on mindset strategies, productivity hacks, and even yoga and meditation to manage stress. While they helped in the moment, the patterns always came back. I could think positively, breathe deeply, or stretch my body, but the minute I stepped into a stressful meeting or faced conflict at work, my old reactions would take over. That disconnect made me curious. Why did my body keep overriding my mind?

When I began exploring the science of the nervous system, it finally made sense. The body responds faster than thought. Long before we can reason our way through a challenge, our nervous system has already decided whether we are safe or under threat. That explained why my overthinking, people-pleasing, and perfectionist tendencies were so persistent. They were not character flaws—they were survival strategies wired into my system.

This discovery inspired me to train beyond traditional coaching. I became a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT), and then specialized in somatic practices, trauma-informed coaching, Polyvagal Theory, and parts work. The more I studied, the more I saw how central the nervous system is to everything: leadership, communication, creativity, emotional regulation, and even physical health.

The true inspiration for focusing my career here came from watching what happened when clients began working with their nervous systems. A leader who had been stuck in conflict cycles suddenly handled difficult conversations with clarity. An entrepreneur who struggled with burnout began creating from a place of ease instead of panic. A professional who felt anxious in every meeting found themselves speaking with confidence. These shifts were not from pushing harder but from teaching the body a new baseline of safety.

What excites me most is that nervous system regulation bridges the gap between personal well-being and professional success. When people learn how to regulate, they not only feel better, they also show up differently in their businesses, their families, and their communities. That ripple effect is what inspired me to build Karen Ann Wellness.

It is the work I wish I had earlier in my own career, the missing piece that changes everything.

You've mentioned treating the nervous system as a 'greatest business asset.' Can you elaborate on this concept and how it applies to professional life?

When I describe the nervous system as the greatest business asset, what I mean is that it drives every aspect of how we show up professionally. Most people think of assets as things like capital, strategy, or talent. But none of those can be leveraged fully if the leader behind them is operating from a dysregulated nervous system.

The nervous system determines whether we communicate with clarity or react defensively, whether we inspire trust or create tension, whether we make grounded decisions or spiral in overthinking. In survival mode, the body is wired for short-term safety, not long-term vision. That might help in a crisis, but it sabotages leadership when it becomes the default state.

In my work, I see this play out all the time. A founder who is constantly in fight-or-flight mode will struggle to delegate, micromanaging out of fear that things will fall apart. An executive stuck in freeze will avoid difficult conversations, allowing unresolved issues to grow. A professional caught in people-pleasing will burn out trying to maintain harmony instead of leading with confidence. These are not personality flaws; they are nervous system states.

When we treat the nervous system as a business asset, we start to build capacity the same way we would invest in financial or intellectual capital. Regulation becomes the foundation that allows strategy, innovation, and leadership skills to actually work. A regulated nervous system gives leaders the steadiness to pause before reacting, the presence to truly connect with their teams, and the resilience to navigate uncertainty without collapsing.

One of the ways I show this in practice is through assessments before and after workshops, as well as monthly check-ins with 1:1 clients inside organizations. The metrics consistently reveal that when employees learn to regulate their nervous systems, conflict decreases, communication improves, and productivity rises. These are measurable business outcomes that begin with something as simple and as profound as the state of the nervous system.

This is why I call it the greatest business asset. It is the invisible infrastructure that either constrains or expands every other investment. When leaders and teams regulate their nervous systems, they gain not just well-being, but the capacity to lead, innovate, and sustain success over the long term.

Could you share a personal experience where understanding your nervous system helped you overcome a significant challenge in your career?

One of the most significant moments where understanding my nervous system shifted everything was during my time in leadership at a Fortune 50 company. On paper, I was thriving, leading teams, managing large responsibilities, and moving quickly up the corporate ladder. But behind the scenes, I was constantly in a state of fight-or-flight. My body was on edge in every meeting, I overthought every decision, and I carried the weight of "holding it all together." I told myself this was just what leadership felt like.

The breaking point came when I found myself in a cycle of sleepless nights, replaying conversations and preparing for challenges that hadn't even happened. I was exhausted but kept pushing because achievement had always been my way of proving my worth. It wasn't until I began to study the nervous system that I realized my body wasn't betraying me—it was protecting me. The hyper-vigilance, the perfectionism, and the drive to overdeliver were survival responses wired in long before I ever stepped into the boardroom.

Understanding that changed everything. Instead of shaming myself for overthinking or burnout, I began to work with my body rather than against it. Simple somatic tools like grounding, orienting to my environment, and noticing breath and posture gave me space in moments where I once felt hijacked. I remember one particular high-stakes meeting where I would normally freeze or overcompensate. That day, I paused, grounded through my feet, and felt my nervous system settle. For the first time, I was able to respond from clarity instead of reactivity.

That experience was pivotal because it showed me what was possible when we regulate first. It gave me the confidence to eventually leave corporate leadership and build Karen Ann Wellness. Today, when I work with founders, executives, and professionals, I see the same transformation I once experienced. The nervous system doesn't just help us survive challenges—it gives us the capacity to meet them with steadiness, presence, and authentic leadership.

What's one practical technique you've developed for nervous system regulation that professionals can easily incorporate into their daily routines?

One of the simplest yet most effective techniques I teach is what I call the "pause and orient reset." Most professionals spend their day locked into screens, conversations, and mental to-do lists, which keeps the nervous system in a low-grade survival state without them realizing it. This technique takes less than a minute, and it signals to the body that it is safe enough to reset.

Here's how it works: the next time you feel tension rising or notice yourself rushing, pause. Place both feet flat on the ground and gently shift your awareness to the space around you. Let your eyes move away from your screen and slowly scan the room, noticing colors, shapes, or light. Allow your shoulders to soften and take one or two slow breaths, exhaling longer than you inhale. This simple practice of orienting to your environment tells your nervous system it is not under immediate threat, which reduces hypervigilance and brings you back to presence.

What I love about this practice is how portable and practical it is. You can use it before walking into a meeting, while sitting in traffic, or even between emails. Over time, this reset builds capacity in the nervous system instead of defaulting to fight, flight, or freeze. Your body learns that it can return to steadiness more quickly.

Professionals who use this regularly often notice surprising ripple effects. They make clearer decisions, respond instead of react, and find that they can sustain focus without burning out. It may look simple, but it is these micro-moments of regulation throughout the day that build the foundation for resilience.

How has your understanding of the nervous system influenced your approach to leadership and team management?

My understanding of the nervous system completely transformed the way I lead and manage teams. Early in my career, I equated leadership with control, speed, and flawless execution. I thought being a strong leader meant carrying everything myself and never showing strain. That approach drove results, but it also created tension, burnout, and disconnection, both for me and for the people I was leading.

Studying the nervous system helped me see leadership differently. I realized that teams are not just driven by strategy or skills; they are influenced by the state of their leader. If I walked into a meeting in fight-or-flight, the whole room felt it. If I was shut down and running on empty, my team mirrored that energy. The nervous system is contagious; regulation or dysregulation spreads.

Now, I approach leadership as less about managing tasks and more about managing capacity. I build practices into team environments that encourage pausing, grounding, and resetting, especially during high-pressure moments. Instead of reacting quickly or pushing harder when conflict arises, I focus on regulating myself first. From that place, I can model steadiness and create psychological safety, which allows others to bring their best forward.

One of the most practical shifts has been using assessments before and after workshops, and monthly check-ins with individuals. These not only track progress but also surface how team members are actually experiencing stress, resilience, and communication. What I've found is that when teams learn to regulate their nervous systems, conflict decreases, creativity increases, and collaboration becomes easier.

For me, nervous-system-informed leadership is about building environments where people can thrive, not just perform. It is about creating spaces where presence, connection, and authenticity are valued alongside results. The paradox is that when leaders prioritize regulation, the results almost always improve, because people feel safe enough to take risks, innovate, and grow together.

Can you describe a situation where you've seen a client or colleague transform their performance by prioritizing nervous system health?

One client I worked with was a high-performing executive who came to me feeling like she had tried everything to manage her stress. She had been through therapy, practiced yoga, and even attempted meditation, but none of it seemed to translate when she stepped into her work environment. She described herself as constantly "on edge," snapping at her team, and lying awake at night replaying conversations. From the outside, she looked like the picture of success, but inside she was exhausted and doubting her ability to sustain her role.

When we began our work together, the first shift was helping her see that nothing was "wrong" with her. Her nervous system had learned early on that criticism equaled danger, and now every difficult conversation at work was triggering that same survival response. Instead of trying to think her way out of it, we started with the body. We tracked her physical cues: the tightening in her jaw, the shallow breath before meetings, and introduced simple regulation tools she could use in real time.

Within weeks, she noticed a difference. She began walking into meetings feeling grounded instead of bracing for conflict. She caught herself pausing before reacting, and her team quickly picked up on the shift. What surprised her most was not just the decrease in stress, but the ripple effects. Her relationships with her team improved, her ability to delegate expanded, and she even found herself more creative and clear in decision-making.

By the end of our work together, she told me that for the first time in years, she felt like she was leading rather than just surviving her role. The metrics from her monthly self-assessments reflected this transformation too: lower levels of reactivity, higher levels of resilience, and an overall increase in confidence and presence.

What this experience showed her, and continues to show me with so many clients, is that nervous system health is not a luxury. It is the foundation for sustainable leadership, healthy relationships, and authentic performance. When people learn how to regulate their systems, everything else they have invested in (therapy, leadership training, strategy) finally has space to work.

In your experience, how does nervous system regulation relate to innovation and creativity in the workplace?

In my experience, nervous system regulation is one of the most overlooked drivers of innovation and creativity in the workplace. When the body is stuck in survival mode, the nervous system is wired to prioritize safety, not possibility. That means we default to familiar patterns, avoid risk, and operate from fear of failure rather than openness to new ideas. Even the most talented teams can find themselves recycling old solutions if their systems are overwhelmed.

Regulation changes that. When the nervous system feels safe, the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for problem-solving, strategic thinking, and creativity comes back online. Leaders and teams can take in more information, tolerate uncertainty, and explore ideas without shutting down or getting stuck in perfectionism. This is where innovation happens: not in a hyper-aroused state of stress, and not in a collapsed state of burnout, but in a regulated state where energy and focus are available for exploration.

I have seen this play out with both individuals and teams. In one organization, leaders began integrating simple regulation practices at the start of brainstorming meetings—grounding, breathwork, or even just a minute of orienting the senses. The result was fewer reactive debates and more original solutions on the table. People felt safe enough to share ideas that previously they might have kept to themselves. The psychological safety created by regulation made room for creativity.

Innovation is not just about strategy or talent; it is about capacity. A regulated nervous system creates the internal conditions that allow leaders and employees to take risks, think differently, and collaborate more effectively. Without that foundation, even the best innovation initiatives will stall, because people cannot innovate when they are stuck in survival mode.

For me, this is why nervous system regulation is not just a personal wellness tool—it is a business strategy. When organizations invest in the regulation of their people, they are also investing in their creativity, adaptability, and future growth.

Looking ahead, how do you see the role of nervous system health evolving in professional settings, and what advice would you give to those wanting to stay ahead of this trend?

Looking ahead, I believe nervous system health will move from being viewed as a personal wellness practice to being recognized as a core business strategy. For years, organizations have invested in leadership training, communication workshops, and resilience programs, but often overlooked the biological foundation that makes all of those skills sustainable. We are beginning to see a shift. Companies are realizing that if employees and leaders are constantly in survival mode, no amount of strategy or professional development will create lasting results.

I see nervous system health becoming a measurable part of workplace culture, just like employee engagement or productivity. Assessments that track stress levels, reactivity, and regulation capacity will become as common as performance reviews. Forward-thinking organizations will integrate regulation practices into daily routines, meetings, and leadership development, not as a perk but as a necessity for innovation, collaboration, and retention.

For professionals and leaders who want to stay ahead of this trend, my advice is simple: start with yourself. Notice how your own nervous system responds under stress. Do you fight, flee, or shut down? Then begin to practice small, consistent regulation tools throughout your day—grounding, longer exhales, or pausing to orient to your environment. These micro-moments build capacity over time and allow you to lead from steadiness rather than reactivity.

My second piece of advice is to bring this awareness into your teams. Regulation is contagious. When leaders model it, teams feel safer, more creative, and more connected. Building this culture now will not only give you a competitive edge, it will also create workplaces where people can thrive instead of burn out.

The organizations that will succeed in the future are not just the ones with the best strategies or technology, but the ones that invest in the regulation and resilience of their people. Nervous system health is the infrastructure that will support the leaders, innovators, and teams of tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

What I would add is this: nervous system health is not just about reducing stress, it is about expanding capacity for life. When we regulate, we are not only calmer, we are clearer, more connected, and more capable of leading with authenticity. My hope is that more leaders and organizations begin to see nervous system work not as an optional wellness tool but as the foundation for sustainable success.

And on a personal note, I want people to know that you do not have to wait until you hit burnout to start this work. The nervous system is adaptable. Change is always possible. The earlier we learn how to listen to our bodies and respond with compassion, the more resilience and freedom we can create for ourselves and the people around us.