Being a CEO is a high pressure job. Some CEOs have dozens of meetings per day. Others travel frequently. Many work long hours. CEOs get asked to speak at events and attend fundraisers and galas. They are expected to be in fit condition. They go to board meetings and they network with potential partners. At times it may feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders.
That’s why many CEOs have advisors who assist them with daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. Advisors, also known as facilitators, help clients with wellness, mental health, family issues, and recovery.
Helping with Recovery
Drinking is a huge part of corporate work culture, but many executives are seeing the value in dropping drugs and alcohol entirely. Maks Ezrin, the CEO and founder of Youth Prevention Mentors, quit substances at age 22-years-old after overdosing while spending time in the south of France. He is one of many CEOs to reconsider their relationship with substances.
“Not everyone’s so lucky to get sober at 22. Most people don’t make it into recovery. I looked at the landscape and said something needs to change here,’’ he says.
Ezrin describes Youth Prevention Mentors as ‘‘an organization that provides customized care in the home for young adults and their families navigating adversity including mental health issues, substance abuse disorder, and behavioral health.’’ He is determined to give back.
And so is Adam Santos-Coy, an advisor who works with professionals in corporate leadership roles. He founded his company ASC Partners LLC in August 2018. The Sacramento native is almost 14 years sober and has dedicated his life to helping others.
“I have worked with billion dollar hedge funds. I have worked with original founders of creative agencies. I’ve worked with real estate firms. I’ve worked with law firms,” Santos-Coy says.
He works with affluent clients, but was raised by a single mother and started working at a young age. He was fortunate enough to attend competitive schools on scholarships. He even worked at Interlochen, a prestigious boarding school in Michigan, which helped prepare him for working with high profile families.
Supporting Families
Many advisors work directly with the families of CEOs. Maybe a child has substance use disorder or is in a depressive episode. An advisor is often trained to work with people with a wide variety of issues. Dr. Louise Stanger, an advisor to families and behavioral centers, has made it her life’s mission to help people heal from trauma, especially trauma related to sudden deaths. ‘‘I was born on a fault line of trauma. I’ve experienced five sudden deaths in my lifetime,’’ she says.
Dr. Stanger became a licensed clinician in 1973 and has been working with clients for 25 years. She has a powerful message for CEOs. dealing with conflict in their families. “The only failure is the failure to act. And, as a CEO, they’re able to set a standard for everyone else around them,’’ she says.
Working One-On-One
Advisors often work with clients one-on-one. Some say part of their success has come from valuing people beyond their salary or net worth. ‘‘For me, it’s always important and vital that every person is treated as a human being and not a number,’’ Santos-Coy says.
Rick Barnes has also advised powerful people. He worked with big name musicians and actors with substance use disorder for 29 years, but has been facilitating executives with a variety of things for the past two years. He believes executives need people around them to hold them accountable.
‘‘Everybody needs to be held accountable. Sometimes leaders are not— everybody just follows their direction to be better,’’ he says. I always urge people to be better. Not to be good, not to be great. Let’s just be better today and better tomorrow. That eventually turns into greatness,’’ he says.
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