Description

David Reyes is a senior sales and business development executive with 18+ years of experience leading teams and scaling business units globally. In this candid conversation with Claire Hayek, David opens up about surviving cancer, coming back to rebuild his career from scratch, and the human moments that defined his leadership philosophy. Claire unpacks the neuroscience of decision-making under pressure, offering practical breathing tools to stay anchored. Together, they explore what it really means to lead with clarity and heart—even when everything feels chaotic.

Topics Covered:

• David’s leadership transformation post-cancer
• How a 5-minute conversation changed the course of his career
• Claire’s neuroscience tips: physiological sigh + 4-7-8 breathing
• Making deposits before asking for withdrawals
• Human-first leadership: beyond metrics and into meaning
• Mirror neurons, empathy, and psychological safety
• Why leaders need to talk less about numbers—and more about people

Timestamps (HH:MM):
00:00 – David’s story: cancer, clarity, and comeback
05:00 – Brain tip: physiological sigh and prefrontal reboot
08:00 – The vagus nerve and the 4-7-8 breath
10:30 – Claire on self-sabotage, inner critics, and anchoring
14:00 – David’s pivotal moment: a leader sees his potential
19:00 – Human conversations vs. metrics in one-on-ones
22:00 – “Make deposits before withdrawals”: what that looks like
27:00 – Bold Truth Round: myths, books, and clarity checks
28:30 – Listener challenge: test your team’s alignment this week

Mentioned Resources:
📚 Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross
📚 The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge

Connect with Claire →⁠ https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠ | IG: ⁠@claire.hayek ⁠. Have a question? ⁠info@mspteambuilding.com⁠

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.