Why sleep may be the most overlooked performance strategy in business

Business owners commonly believe growth comes from pushing harder, working longer, sacrificing more, and staying switched on. Yet many entrepreneurs are unknowingly operating with an invisible performance handicap: chronic sleep disruption.

This practical masterclass explores sleep, decision-making, creativity, emotional resilience, energy, metabolism, relationships, sustainable business performance, and how to look and feel a million bucks.

Jan Haesner and Dr Kirstey Holland introduce a biopsychosocial understanding of sleep, challenging attendees to recognise that sleep is not simply “in their head.” The pressures of business, responsibility, stress, lifestyle habits, nervous system overload, and modern work culture impact our sleep. In turn, sleep is the foundaton for quality thinking, leadership, relationships, and life – and your waistline.

This session is practical, thought-provoking, relatable, and immediately applicable for uncommon business leaders navigating demanding lives.

WHY ATTEND

• Understand the hidden cost poor sleep has on leadership, creativity, focus, emotional regulation, resilience, and business performance

• Discover why exhaustion is often normalised in business culture, despite quietly impairing cognition and decision-making

• Learn why sleep is not simply a nighttime issue — the day makes the night and the night makes the day

• Gain insight into the biological, psychological, and social factors that disrupt sleep in modern entrepreneurs

• Calculate your own “performance sleep deficit” and understand what it may be costing you each week

• Learn practical strategies that can improve both sleep quality and daytime performance without requiring perfection or unrealistic routines

WHAT WE WILL SHOW YOU

• The difference between “minimum healthy sleep” and “performance sleep”

• How stress, overwork, alcohol, convenience eating, blood sugar instability, nervous system overload, and late-night mental activity disrupt sleep quality

• Why business owners are particularly vulnerable to chronic sleep disruption

• The biopsychosocial model of sleep: how the body, mind, relationships, stress, work, and environment all influence recovery

• The impact poor sleep has on emotional regulation, communication, creativity, metabolism, motivation, and leadership capacity

• A simple framework attendees can use to begin improving sleep immediately

• Interactive audience polls and practical self-assessment exercises to build awareness in real time

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS

• Greater clarity, focus, and strategic thinking

• Improved resilience and emotional regulation under pressure

• Better energy stability and recovery capacity

• Increased awareness of personal patterns contributing to fatigue and burnout

• Improved understanding of the relationship between sleep, performance, stress, metabolism, and mood

• A more sustainable approach to leadership, productivity, and high performance

WHAT WILL YOU WALK AWAY WITH

• A practical understanding of your current sleep patterns and performance gap

• A private sleep tracking tool to guide self-awareness and behaviour change

• A framework for understanding sleep through a biopsychosocial lens

• Practical and realistic strategies to improve sleep quality in busy modern lives

• Greater awareness of how sleep influences every area of personal and professional performance

• A reframed understanding of sleep as a business and leadership strategy, not simply a health issue

HOW WILL YOU FEEL AFTER (THE 1% ER)

• More aware of the hidden ways exhaustion may be impacting your life and business

• Empowered to make meaningful changes without needing to overhaul your entire lifestyle

• More intentional about protecting your energy, clarity, creativity, and recovery

• Relieved to understand that poor sleep is not a personal failure or lack of discipline

• Motivated to lead and perform from a more sustainable foundation

• Inspired to treat sleep as one of the most valuable performance assets available to you

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• Business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders carrying high levels of responsibility and mental load

• Professionals who feel “tired but wired,” struggle to switch off, or wake feeling unrefreshed

• High performers wanting greater clarity, resilience, creativity, energy, and sustainable success

• Teams and leadership groups interested in wellbeing, performance, and long-term capacity

• People navigating burnout, chronic stress, sleep disruption, or nervous system overload

• Anyone who suspects they are functioning, but no longer operating at their full potential.

About the presenter: Jan Haesner

Jan leads the development of BASF Catalysts across Australia & Oceania and brings over 15 years of experience within BASF, where he works at the intersection of clients, partners, and global technical expertise.

Jan’s work sits at the forefront of sustainable chemistry and innovation, supporting industries such as mining, gas processing, chemicals, and manufacturing with cutting-edge solutions that drive real-world impact.

Jan is known for his ability to manage complex portfolios, build meaningful connections, and translate advanced science into practical outcomes for clients and partners alike. At his core, he believes good business is about good solutions and that great outcomes must still work well, feel right, and stand the test of time.