The Invisible Stress-Load: Managing stress and performance under pressure

Many business owners and leaders don’t understand what stress really is and tend to wear it like a badge of honour. They’re driven, committed, and resilient, but at what cost?

When asked “are you stressed?” the common response is “no.” If it is “yes” it’s usually because that’s how they are feeling in the moment. What if the feeling of being stressed (or not) has little to do with how stressed you actually are, and that feeling is just the tip of the iceberg of the load of stress your body-mind is actually under?

The human stress response is an ancient biological function necessary for us to survive short term threats, but it is not meant to be chronically elevated over long periods. Understanding and effectively managing your and others “Stress-Load” is key to high performance for individuals and teams.

In this immersive three-hour workshop, we’ll unpack the real biology and behavioural impact of stress on performance, communication, and decision-making. You’ll learn how a chronically high Stress-Load affects your ability to lead, think clearly, and interact with others, even when you’re not “feeling” stressed. You’ll also see how the cumulative stress of your team can become an organisational constraint if not understood, creating productivity and efficiency leaks that are hard to see.

Drawing on decades of experience in how stress affects human behaviour and performance, we will walk you through a fresh, science-based new take on stress. Not theoretical fluffy stuff. The real mechanics, what’s going on in your body and brain, why it matters, what Stress-Load is and how to manage it before it burns you or your team out.

Some of you or your team may have already experienced some level of burnout and from our experience of working with thousands of people all over the world, it’s unlikely you know exactly how to prevent it happening again. This workshop will show you how.

This session is designed for smart, high-performing humans who want to prevent being hijacked by invisible pressure, overreacting to certain situations, and operate with even more awareness, energy, and a more balanced headspace.

Key Outcomes

Understand stress like never before Get under the hood of stress biology and behaviour, and see how it directly affects your focus, memory, mood, and leadership presence.
Spot the invisible signs of Stress-Load Learn to recognise early cues of your stress-load being too high (in yourself and others) before it becomes an issue.
Rethink resilience Discover why “just coping” isn’t sustainable and what true sustainable performance looks like.
Identify and learn to manage your Stress-Load Understand your unique stressors, learn how to manage them for more sustained performance and have a pathway to a more balanced lifestyle.
Improve your leadership under pressure Increase your capacity to respond, not react, especially when it matters most.

Who It’s For

This workshop is ideal for business owners, managers, and leaders who want to sharpen their human skills and lead with more clarity, calm, and confidence.

Hosted in Queenstown by local expert Drew Knowles www.drewknowles.com and supported by Laurel McLay www.laurelmclay.com, each workshop includes opportunities to network with like-minded professionals and share a relaxed lunch afterwards, because some of the best conversations happen afterwards over a meal.

Tickets: $49 + GST per workshop (includes lunch).

THE HUMAN ALCHEMY WORKSHOP SERIES: REGISTER FOR ALL THREE

This workshop is part of the Human Alchemy Series, a three-part exploration into the art and science of human performance. Designed for business owners, leaders, and high-performing teams, each session can be attended as a powerful standalone experience or as part of a transformative arc. Whether you come to one or all three, you’ll gain practical tools, real-world insight, and behavioural strategies to unlock performance, reduce friction, and lead with more clarity, connection, and impact.

• Two workshops for $79 + GST

• All three for just $99 + GST

You will be emailed your promo codes for your second and third workshops once you have purchased your first ticket.

Workshop 1: Beyond Personality Profiles: How to apply them and navigate human behaviour

Friday 16 May, 10am–1pm (Lunch included)

You’ve probably done a personality profile before, maybe even a few. But do you actually know how to use them when it matters most? This workshop unlocks the missing link: a practical model that helps you decode human behaviour in real time. Learn how to adapt to different people, reduce friction, and get better results with clients, teams, and stakeholders. Whether you find reading people tricky or just want to sharpen your human skills, this session shows you how to move from theory to mastery.

Workshop 2: The Invisible Stress-Load: Managing stress and performance under pressure

Friday 13 June, 10am–1pm (Lunch included)

Stress isn’t just a feeling, it’s a physiological and behavioural force that puts pressure on you and affects your performance long before you realise it. In this workshop, you’ll unpack the real mechanics of stress and learn to spot the invisible signs of overload in yourself and others. We’ll show you how to manage your “Stress-Load” more effectively, so you can lead with more clarity, consistency, and calm. If you’re tired of operating in overdrive and want to prevent burnout (or deal with the aftermath), this one’s for you.

Workshop 3: Reframing Leadership: Why most Leadership fails and what really works

Friday 11 July, 10am–1pm (Lunch included)

Forget what you think you know about leadership. It’s not about titles, personas, or heroic traits, it’s about what emerges when the right environment exists. This workshop flips the leadership script and introduces a powerful new lens based on what actually works in high-performing teams like the All Blacks or elite creative crews. You’ll learn how to spark trust, shift dynamics, and become the kind of person around whom real leadership can emerge, shared, fluid, and wildly effective.