Lessons on Mental Health and Leadership

Mental Health is the Real Bottom Line: A Corporate Wellness Wake-Up Call

What if I told you that the real power behind your performance isn’t hustle, strategy, or even skill—but your mental health?

Welcome to an honest conversation that’s long overdue. In today’s post, I’m sharing an off-the-cuff speech I gave at Toastmasters about anxiety, recovery, leadership—and what I learned from Ted Lasso, of all people.

This one’s personal, professional, and everything in between. Let’s get into it.

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The Silent Force Driving It All: Mental Health

Your mental health is the silent engine behind every decision, every conversation, every goal. It impacts how you show up as a leader, how your team performs, and whether your workplace feels like a war zone or a community.

It’s also the one thing most companies ignore—until it’s too late.

I say this not just as a corporate wellness consultant who builds healthy, happy teams one heart at a time—but as someone who’s walked through the fire myself.

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Watch the Video on YouTube

Listen on the Podcast

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When Anxiety Becomes Your Operating System

Last September, I lost a job I loved. I was the Wellness Director at a company where I had poured my heart and soul into building a thriving culture. But when I started calling out toxic behaviors in leadership, the company didn’t address the toxicity—they got rid of me instead.

And that, my friends, is how anxiety moved in like a storm.

From September to December, I lived inside what I now call the little brain—a term I use for that anxiety-fueled, fear-based, overthinking mindset that traps us. I spiraled into imposter syndrome. My mind raced: How can I lead corporate wellness if I just got dismissed? Who am I to talk about well-being when mine feels shattered?

And here’s what I want you to understand:

Anxiety isn’t always a villain. It’s a messenger.

But if we don’t learn how to listen, it starts shouting.

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The Two Brains: Little Brain vs. Big Brain

During my Toastmasters speech, I held up two representations of the brain.

• Little Brain: The anxiety mind. Small, tight, repetitive. Limited in perspective. It’s the one that loops the same fears: What if I fail? What if they judge me? What if I’m not enough?

• Big Brain: What I call Infinite Intelligence. Expansive. Calm. Creative. This is where clarity lives. It’s where ideas flow freely, where we remember who we are—and where real leadership comes from.

Most people spend 90% of their time stuck in the little brain. But the magic happens when you step out into the big one.

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Anxiety is Natural—But It’s Not the Boss

Anxiety is part of being human. It’s your nervous system doing its job. You feel it before a big speech, in uncertain transitions, or when something you care about is on the line.

It only becomes a problem when it hijacks your thinking.

Reframe it as excitement.

Think about it: the symptoms of anxiety and excitement are almost identical—racing heart, shallow breath, mental alertness. The difference is the story you’re telling yourself.

Are you telling yourself "This is scary and I can’t handle it"? Or "This is big and meaningful, and I’m ready"?

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How I Found My Voice Again

In January, deep in that anxiety spiral, I had a sudden nudge—what I now recognize as guidance from infinite intelligence: Go back to Toastmasters.

So I did.

That decision changed everything. I gave my icebreaker speech about sports psychology and Inner Excellence, and suddenly, I felt my voice return. I felt seen. I felt strong again. My anxiety didn’t disappear overnight—but I started living from my big brain again.

Then someone in the group told me to watch Ted Lasso—and oh my goodness, did that open up another door.

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What Ted Lasso Taught Me About Anxiety

Ted Lasso, the impossibly optimistic American football coach hired to lead a British soccer team (a sport he knows nothing about), teaches powerful lessons about leadership, humility, and yes—anxiety.

Ted smiles through every challenge… until he can’t. Until anxiety finally cracks his armor.

He has a panic attack.

He meets with a sports psychologist.

He learns to surrender to what is—and lead from the heart.

Sound familiar?

Watching Ted Lasso was like watching my own story unfold. I had optimism. I had passion. But when anxiety hit hard, I had to learn how to slow down, go within, and trust something bigger than myself.

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Surrender Isn’t Weak—It’s Where the Healing Begins

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Healing from anxiety isn’t linear.

There’s no quick fix, no one-size-fits-all solution.

But there is a process:

1. Recognize the Loop – Are you stuck in the little brain? Name it.

2. Breathe and Pause – Your breath is your reset button.

3. Reconnect to Purpose – Why does this matter to you?

4. Choose Curiosity Over Control – Let go of needing all the answers.

5. Find Your People – Join groups like Toastmasters or therapy. You need safe spaces to grow.

6. Turn the Volume Down on Shame – Anxiety doesn’t make you broken. It makes you human.

7. Talk About It – Shame shrinks when stories are shared.

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Resources for Anxiety Support

Whether you’re facing workplace stress, life transitions, or everyday overwhelm, here are some go-to resources:

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) – https://adaa.org

• Mental Health America Screening Tools – https://mhascreening.org

• “Hope and Help for Your Nerves” by Dr. Claire Weekes – A timeless classic for anxiety sufferers.

• Headspace App – Guided meditation and mindfulness support.

• Toastmasters – Not just for public speaking; it’s confidence training for life.

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Final Thoughts: Build From the Heart

I’m not here to give you a polished story tied up with a bow.

I’m here to remind you that your mental health is the foundation of your leadership. Of your relationships. Of your purpose.

If you’re an HR leader or business owner reading this, know this:

You can’t afford to ignore the mental health of your team.

Anxiety doesn’t show up in spreadsheets—it shows up in burnout, disengagement, and missed potential.

And if you’re someone walking through your own anxiety journey?

You’re not alone. Keep reaching for that big brain, that infinite intelligence, that voice of peace inside you.

Because healing happens one heart at a time.

And you—yes you—are one of those hearts.

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About Kathie

Kathie Owen is a corporate wellness consultant, mindset coach, and host of Kathie’s Coaching Podcast. With over 20 years of experience in fitness, psychology, and leadership development, Kathie helps teams and individuals build resilience, reduce burnout, and find purpose again. Her signature motto?

We build healthy, happy teams—one heart at a time. When she’s not speaking or consulting, you’ll find her watching Ted Lasso reruns or walking her dog Rusty.

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Transcript:

Today is something different. I am just speaking off the cuff and I'm excited you're here and let's get right into the meat and potatoes of everything. You're listening to Kathie's Coaching Podcast. I'm your host, Kathie Owen. Your mental health is probably the most important health of all. Of all. It's the silent force behind every action that we take. Think about that for a minute. So I am giving a speech on anxiety. And I'm sharing it with you today in this episode. So without further ado, let's get into the episode. Good morning Toastmasters and guests. My name is Kathie Owen and today I, I'm giving a speech on anxiety and I did not practice this speech like I did my other one. But today I'm going off the cuff and I'm going off of this one instead of this one. What do I mean by that? This little brain right here is anxiety. There's not much room to move around in there. When you're thinking and thinking, and thinking and thinking the same thoughts. This big brain right here is infinite intelligence, and there's a lot more information that goes on out there, but you're distracted when you're in here. Anxiety is different. We all have anxiety. Anxiety is something that's there to protect you. It's actually healthy. For example, you get nervous when you get on stage. That is anxiety, but it can also be reframed as excitement. I'm a corporate wellness consultant. I build healthy, happy teams, one heart at a time, and that one heart really matters to me. I'm talking about. Their mental health, their wellness in general, and my wellness and my mental health. It was not in a good place. In September of last year, I actually got dismissed from a job that I loved. I was the wellness director for a company. I loved my job. I was really good at my job. I did everything I thought I was supposed to. I. Until I got dismissed. But what happened was I was calling out toxic behaviors, and they did not like this. So the powers that be decided, we'll get rid of Kathie instead of getting rid of the toxic. Behaviors that were going on inside the company. September, October, November, December, I was in anxiety on steroids. Yeah, I lived it. I experienced it all the time. What was I gonna do? How was I going to be a future corporate wellness consultant? That's what I do. But I just got dismissed from a job where I was really good at what I did. Talk about imposter syndrome, talk about anxiety, living in this little brain. January came around and I'm like, I miss people. I miss being around people. I miss talking to people. All of a sudden, an idea popped in my head. By the way, that idea came from this infinite intelligence, not my little brain here. Yeah. That idea was to go back to Toastmasters and that day changed my life. I found my voice here. I got to talk. People really cared about what I had to say. I did my icebreaker speech on sports psychology and one of my favorite books, and I made an impact. I had influence. The anxiety started to subside. After I made that speech, one of my fellow Toastmasters told me about a show. On Apple Plus called Ted Lasso. This show I devoured completely. In fact, I'm watching it now for my third time through because there's so much great information in that show. In fact, Ted Lasso is a coach of football in the United States. He was hired to coach football in London. But his soccer, and he knew nothing about soccer. He moved from Kansas to London to coach a sport he knew nothing about. You'd think that would give him anxiety, right? Yeah. Did not affect him. He had the best attitude. He's so optimistic. He's so positive. I saw myself in that character. But there was something that gave him anxiety, and that was his son, that was his wife. And when he started having panic attacks and not knowing where they were coming from, he did not know what to do with that. In fact, they had a sports psychologist that helped them, that helped the team. And he poked fun at it, but eventually as fate would have it, he had to give in to what? The flow, the bigger mind. And he did just that. When he did that. He still had panic attacks, he's still had anxiety. Just like I said at the beginning, we all have anxiety about certain things, but it's how you look at it, how you frame it. Are you gonna think in this little mind that has so much limited ability, are you gonna think outside the box? In the big, big mind? You know, the one that has infinite answers to everything. I invite you today to check that out because when you sit with the process and you accept what is, and you surrender to the flow, to the infinite intelligence, the answers come. Because as a corporate wellness consultant, I have found that building healthy, happy teams. One heart at a time with the hearts that really matter, not the toxic ones, but the ones that really care. You and me can make a difference, and thank you for being part of my journey. Alright, that's my episode for today. I trust that you found it helpful. If you know someone who can benefit from this, please share it with them. And until next time, I'll see you next time. Peace out and Namaste.