Description

In this episode of Built With Purpose: Between the Builds, Chris Fay reflects on leadership, burnout, intentional rest, and the importance of slowing down in the middle of life’s chaos.

Coming off a powerful conversation with CEO John Uprichard, Chris shares a few lessons that stuck with him — from the “shopping cart test” to the idea of organizational fitness and what it really means to lead with purpose.

But the heart of this episode centers around a simple moment: attending his son’s eighth grade graduation chapel service during an especially stressful season of work and life. Between mergers and acquisitions, leadership challenges, travel, deadlines, and constant demands, Chris found himself forced to pause — and realized how badly he needed it.

This episode is a reminder that great leadership doesn’t come from constant grinding. It comes from clarity, perspective, and creating intentional moments to recharge.

Chris challenges listeners to schedule time for themselves — even just 30 minutes — to step away, reset, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.

Topics Covered

• Leadership during stressful seasons
• The importance of intentional rest
• Organizational “fitness” and focus
• Balancing work, family, and personal growth
• Why slowing down makes you a better leader
• Creating space to recharge mentally and emotionally

Key Takeaways

• You don’t need a full vacation to reset
• Intentional pauses create better leaders
• Rest improves clarity, focus, and decision-making
• The best leaders know when to slow down
• Small moments with family matter more than we realize

Memorable Moments

• Chris reflects on John Uprichard’s “shopping cart test”
• A conversation about “fitness” inside organizations
• A surprise lesson from arriving early to his son’s graduation chapel
• Why scheduling reset time on your calendar actually matters

Connect with Chris Fay
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjfay/