What Blue Zones Remind Us About Leading Well

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that leadership isn’t just about driving growth or performance metrics. It’s also about how we take care of ourselves in the process.

The more I’ve leaned into wellness and longevity practices both personally and professionally the more I’ve noticed a clear pattern: leaders often put their own health on the back burner in service of what they’re building. I’ve done it myself. The schedule fills up, the deadlines get tight, and the pressure to keep pushing doesn’t slow down.

But over time, that pace comes at a cost.

Spending time at my ranch in Ojai gave me the space to reset. What started as a private place to recharge became something more - a hands-on experience in building rhythm and structure around health. I began reconnecting with the basics: growing clean food, eating seasonally, moving daily, and setting boundaries around energy. It reminded me of how I grew up watching my grandparents grow the food we ate every day. Meals were slow, nourishing, and consistent.

That’s when the idea for a retreat was born.

I’ve been quietly hosting small gatherings at the ranch for friends, founders, executives, decision-makers; people who operate at a fast pace but know they need to pause. It’s not a traditional retreat. There are no strict agendas, these events are designed to offer space structured around movement, healthy food, focused conversation, and time to reflect on how we’re leading.

I use Blue Zone principles as a foundation: Simple, repeatable habits that support long-term health, focus, and energy. Fresh food from the orchard and garden, such as avocados, tomatoes, berries, lemons, lettuces, and herbs. Daily walks, rest, clean routines, it’s nothing extreme. And that’s the point. Leaders don’t need more complexity. They need better systems that support how they operate starting with their health.

This experience isn’t something I advertise. I didn’t create it to scale or to sell. But after years of sharing it with friends and peers in business, I’ve seen the impact it has. And I believe more leaders are looking for a smarter, more sustainable way to succeed. Because at the end of the day, how we lead is directly tied to how we feel. When we’re physically strong, mentally clear, and personally aligned, we make better decisions. We lead better teams. We build better businesses. 

To your vitality,

Lizanne