How Ayahuasca Can Support Leadership

In this episode of The Manager's Mic, Paul Leon explores the intersection of plant medicine and consciousness. Daniel Yepez and Sarah Lynn Thomas are Co-CEOs of Behold Retreats. Behold Retreats is a world-renowned retreat featured in the Netflix docuseries Aaron Rodgers: Enigma.

Discover why high-performing leaders turn to sacred plant medicines like ayahuasca. This helps dissolve mental blocks, unlocking creative problem-solving.

What You’ll Learn:

• The founding journey of Behold Retreats: bridging corporate leadership and ancient plant medicine

• How ayahuasca, altered consciousness, and ego dissolution reshape leadership decision-making

• The truth behind Aaron Rodgers’ Costa Rica retreat featured in Netflix’s Aaron Rodgers: Enigma

• Strict medical protocols, screening, and why "set and setting" dictate psychological safety

• The 7-week framework: Why post-ceremony integration matters more than the ceremony itself

• Practical tools to practice presence, regulated nervous system states, and conscious leadership in daily business

👉 Visit our website for more FREE resources on people leadership: https://www.themanagersmic.com/

🔗 Connect with Behold Retreats: https://www.behold-retreats.com/

📌 Timestamps:

00:00 — Introduction: Meet Daniel Yepez & Sarah Lynn Thomas of Behold Retreats

01:32 — Daniel's Transition from Corporate Entrepreneurship to Plant Medicine

02:50 — The Mission & Philosophy Behind Behold Retreats

04:01 — Co-Founding a Business as a Couple: Navigating Roles & Relationships

07:09 — Communication Frameworks for High-Stress Business Partnerships

09:48 — What is Ayahuasca? (Science, History, & Ceremony Explained)

11:01 — Altered States of Consciousness & Lasting Personal Transformation

12:23 — Inside the 7-Week Preparation & Post-Ceremony Integration Program

14:04 — Why Elite Athletes & High Performers Choose Plant Medicine

15:24 — Navigating Identity Shifts, Emotional Healing, & Ego Dissolution

18:54 — The Critical Difference Between Being "Kind" vs. "Nice" in Leadership

20:23 — Behold Retreats Featured in Aaron Rodgers: Enigma on Netflix

21:21 — Protecting Client Privacy, Lineage, & Sacred Traditions Under Media Scrutiny

23:09 — Managing Viral Demand After Global Netflix Exposure

25:26 — Core Leadership Lessons from Managing Retreat Facilitation Teams

26:47 — Embracing Responsibility & Stepping Up Before You Feel Ready

27:12 — Why Strong Leaders Must Learn to Ask for Help

27:49 — Staying Grounded & Present After Reaching the Pinnacle of Success

29:30 — Psychedelic Safety: Set, Setting, & Medical Vetting Protocols

33:48 — Can Psychedelics Unlock Breakthrough Creativity & Innovation?

35:47 — Reframing Emotional Trauma, Gaining Perspective, & Healing

38:51 — How to Elevate Consciousness & Presence Without Plant Medicine

42:38 — Practical Presence Tools for High-Stakes Workplaces

45:13 — Long-Term Visions for Executive Wellness Over the Next Decade

46:31 — Consciousness Expansion, AI, & Personal Data Sovereignty

💬 Key Sound Bites:

• "Let the content dictate the format, not the structure."

• "Everybody receives a new perspective on something."

• "Everything we need is already inside of us."

⚖️ Legal Disclaimer:

Leonsolutions, LLC, and the content it produces are for educational purposes; your results may vary. No guarantee of results is claimed. The publisher of this content is not responsible for any actions taken or not taken as a result of reading, watching, or listening to our content.

You can review the Netflix trailer for Aaron Rodgers: Enigma to see how the documentary highlights Aaron Rodgers' healing journey and retreat experience featured in the series.