E45 Brain Health as a Leadership Advantage with Eric Collett

What if “bad behavior” is really a brain problem, not a character flaw? In this episode, I sit down with Eric Collett, CEO of A Mind For All Seasons, to explore how energy, inflammation, and brain health shape our focus, mood, and leadership performance. We unpack why fixing your “hardware” matters more than adding new “software,” and how small, science-backed shifts—like improving sleep, managing stress, and fueling your brain right—can deliver life-changing results. Eric shares practical strategies anyone can start today, from “exercise snacks” and hormetic stressors to novel learning habits that forge new neural pathways. Whether you’re a caregiver, founder, or leader seeking clarity, this episode is your roadmap to peak performance now and lasting brain health for the future.

Topics from this episode:

Reframing behavior as a brain health signal
Defining brain and cognitive health with simple language
Recognizing early symptoms vs normal aging
Hope-oriented care for dementia and caregivers
Hardware vs software: fixing energy before tactics
Hormesis: cold, heat, fasting, strength for resilience
Lifestyle pillars: sleep, exercise, novelty, stress mastery
The hidden role of dental health and inflammation
Biomarkers that guide nutrition and supplementation
Balancing rigidity with flexibility for consistency
Curiosity, better questions, and journaling
Why great fiction sharpens leadership and empathy
The enhanced protocol: measure, learn, apply, adjust

Eric Collett’s Bio

Eric Collett is the CEO of A Mind For All Seasons, an innovative company specializing in helping people across the United States to optimize their cognitive and mental health. He is a nationally recognized speaker, consultant and brain health expert, a licensed residential care administrator, a teacher at the College of Western Idaho, and has also taught at Boise State University. Eric passionately believes that lifelong learning is a key to finding powerful new solutions to significant challenges and has been working to change lives through innovative brain health interventions, dementia care techniques, program development, and leadership strategies since 2000.