Welcome to
The Executive Athlete™
Hi, I’m Nicole Ward.
I’m a high-performance sales leader, lifelong student of peak performance, and unapologetic advocate for blending business mastery with biohacking.
I created The Executive Athlete™ as a home base for people like me—driven professionals who want to lead, sell, and live at the highest level possible, without burning out in the process.
For years, I chased achievement like it was a finish line. Big title? Check. Bigger quotas? Bring them on. But the further I climbed in my sales career, the more I realized I was sacrificing something far more important: my health. At one point, I believed I had to choose between peak performance and personal well-being. Now I know the truth—you can have both.
And I’m here to show you how.
What This Is
Right now, this site is a space to explore what I’m up to:
You can follow my LinkedIn newsletter on sales performance, neuroscience, and biohacking.
You can download “The Executive Athlete's Gym Bag”—my continuously updated, go-to whitepaper packed with the recovery tools and supplements I actually use and recommend.
You can hire me to speak—whether it’s a keynote, executive offsite, or a team session—on how to unlock optimized performance, inside and out.
If you’re curious about my upcoming book, “Biohacking for the Sales Athlete: Optimize your Health to Transform Your Results” launching in 2026, you can get early access and behind-the-scenes insights.
Why I Built This
I’ve spent my career leading top-performing teams in one of the most demanding, stressful industries out there: Sales. I’ve had to learn the hard way over my career—Overcoming brain fog, sleepless nights, 40lbs of weight gain and chronic stress.I know firsthand what it means to push through—but I also know there’s a better way. One that doesn’t sacrifice your health, your joy, or your longevity.
The Executive Athlete is my answer to that. It’s where business meets biology. Where resilience isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the strategy.
Who This Is For
This is for executives, sales leaders, founders, and anyone performing at a high level who wants to:
Stay sharp under pressure
Optimize energy, sleep, and recovery for a competitive edge
Learn cutting-edge strategies from neuroscience, sports performance, and longevity science
Build a career that’s sustainable—and deeply aligned with who they are
About Nicole
“I spent years chasing financial success only to realize I was sacrificing my health in the process. You don’t have to choose between success and well-being. You can have both.”
When Anthropology Didn’t Pay the Bills
With a degree in Cultural Anthropology from UCSB, I didn’t exactly graduate with a roadmap to corporate success. I stumbled into sales by accident—taking a job in staffing and recruiting because it paid the bills. It wasn’t strategic. It wasn’t part of some grand plan. But that detour became my launchpad. Sales gave me a platform to lead, compete, and build something bigger than myself.
Corporate Wins, Personal Cost
By 25, I was managing a team of fifteen and pulling 14-hour days like it was nothing. My ambition was fierce—but so was the toll it took. I gained over forty pounds in seven years. My energy was wrecked. I was successful on paper, but I was completely disconnected from my body.
Wake-Up Calls Hit Hard
My first wake-up call came when I literally fell asleep during a high-stakes meeting with a CFO. But the real reckoning? I rolled my SUV in an accident that should have been far worse. I broke two fingers and walked away shaken—but alive. My first instinct? I called my boss from the crash site to say I might miss a meeting.
That’s when I knew something had to change.
A Spark of Inspiration
The shift began when I saw a former colleague transform herself—physically and professionally—by becoming a personal trainer. She handed me a tiny paperback calorie counter. That book, and her example, lit a fire in me. I started small: working out three times a week and tracking every bite. In seven months, I lost 42 pounds. But more importantly, I reclaimed myself.
From Quick Fix to Lifelong Evolution
What started as weight loss turned into a full-body, full-life reinvention. Over the next 15 years, I became obsessed with performance—not just in sales, but in mind, body, and energy. I trained with elite coaches, devoured research, and worked with functional medicine pros to understand my labs, my hormones, my recovery rhythms. I biohacked before it was trendy, experimenting with wearables, breathwork, supplements, and more—all in service of showing up sharper and stronger at work and in life.
Health Became My Competitive Edge
As my health improved, so did my edge in business. I could think more clearly, handle stress better, and make smarter decisions. My energy became my differentiator. I scaled my career from recruiter to senior sales executive at firms like BDO and Aon, leading high-performance teams and closing multimillion-dollar deals—all while putting my well-being first.
From Personal Practice to Professional Mission
I started sharing what I’d learned with my teams—sleep hacks, stress tools, functional fitness strategies. And guess what? They started performing better too. That’s when it clicked: this wasn’t just personal. It was replicable. It was scalable. And it had the power to change how we lead, sell, and live.
So I went all in. I earned board certifications in wellness and nutrition from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, plus elite performance training credentials through the National Association of Sports Medicine. Now, this is my mission: to redefine what peak performance looks like in today’s world.
Not hustle. Not burnout. Not bravado. But sustainable, intelligent, aligned excellence.
Sales and Executive Expertise Meets Wellness
With over 25 years of experience leading high-performing teams, I know the demands, pressures, and burnout that often come with the territory. Today, I bring together my executive sales background and my passion for wellness, biohacking, and peak performance to help professionals and business leaders operate at their absolute best—mentally, physically, and professionally.
As Senior Vice President of Sales at Aon, I’ve seen firsthand how health impacts performance, and how optimizing recovery, energy, and mindset can transform results. I’m also the host of Aon at the Top and The Executive Athlete Podcast, where I explore what it really takes to sustain excellence in high-stakes environments. My mission is simple: to equip ambitious professionals with practical, evidence-based strategies that unlock longevity, resilience, and next-level success.
Biohacking for Executive Athletes:
Optimize Your Edge
You know how to perform, but executive life can drain the energy and focus you once mastered.
In my talks for executive athletes, I share biohacking strategies to help you:
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Sustain energy without constant caffeine
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Recover faster to train, lead, and live at your best
You’ve built the drive. Biohacking helps you protect and extend it.
Ready to turn small, science-backed shifts into a sharper, stronger you? Let’s connect.
Nicole's Involvements
Driving Impact Through Leadership and Service
As Senior Vice President of Sales at Aon, Nicole leads national go-to-market strategy for Fortune 1000 clients, turning risk into resilience through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships. Nicole’s commitment goes beyond closing deals—she’s focused on elevating others and driving meaningful impact in both business and community. She serves on the advisory board at Parlay House, fostering inclusive spaces for authentic connections among women, is on the board of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles to help develop future leaders, on the Director’s Circle of LACMA supporting her passion for the arts, and on the Leadership Committee for How Women Lead, where she supports women in actualizing their business potential.
Bio-hacking for the Sales Athlete:
A groundbreaking book that transforms sales professionals into Sales Athletes through practical biohacking solutions. Nicole shares proven strategies to optimize health and performance without sacrificing career success, addressing the unique challenges that come with client meetings, constant travel, and quota pressures.
“Aon at the Top” Podcast
Nicole interviews distinguished executives and board members about their journeys to leadership positions. Each episode uncovers candid insights and practical wisdom on navigating career challenges and achieving success at the highest levels of business.
Featured Episodes:
Transformational Healthcare Leader | Board Director | Expert in Health Innovation & Strategy
Public Board Director, Tech President, CFO
Seasoned CEO & Board Member; True Religion & Spark Networks
If you know someone who would be a great candidate for Aon at the Top, shoot me a note!
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The Sales Athlete Newsletter
Regular insights on performance optimization for sales professionals, featuring practical biohacking tips, quick wellness strategies, and actionable advice that fits into the demanding sales lifestyle. Each edition offers simple yet powerful adjustments to help you perform at your peak.
Read On:
The Executive Athlete Newsletter
Actionable insights for ambitious professionals and business leaders—featuring practical biohacks, high-impact wellness strategies, and science-backed tools built for the demands of executive life. Each edition delivers simple, effective shifts to help you lead, perform, and recover at your best.
Read On:
Complimentary Download:
The Executive Athlete’s Gym Bag
Fuel Your Performance Like a Pro
Enter your email below to download Nicole’s “Executive Athlete’s Gym Bag” guide. Get instant access to Nicole’s proven hacks that help top professionals optimize their energy, focus, and resilience — without disrupting their busy schedule.