Building a business is supposed to give you freedom. So why does it so often feel like a prison?
In this episode of RadEO, I sit down with Ronen Aires – entrepreneur, author, speaker, and the guy who swears by breathwork, cold plunges, and unconventional ways to unlock peak performance.
Ronen co-founded Student Village, scaling it into South Africa’s leading student marketing agency. But along the way, he fell into the trap so many entrepreneurs do: chronic stress, exhaustion, and feeling like he was suffocating under his own success.
We talk about:
💡 Entrepreneurial psychosis: Why founders get trapped in their own heads
💡 How to break the cycle of stress, anxiety, and burnout
💡 Why work-life “balance” is a myth and what to do instead
💡 The unexpected ways breathwork, movement, and extreme environments can reset your brain
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck in survival mode, or like your business is running you instead of the other way around, this one’s for you.
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More About Ronen Aires
Ronen Aires built a business that connected global brands to South Africa’s youth, but somewhere along the way, he lost connection with himself.
As the co-founder of Student Village, he helped scale it into South Africa’s leading student marketing agency. He’s spent decades mentoring young talent, advising brands, and shaping the future of Gen Z marketing.
But behind the success, Ronen was running on empty, trapped in the endless cycle of high performance, high stress, and burnout.
That’s when everything changed.
Ronen went deep into human performance, breathwork, movement, and mental wellness – learning from some of the world’s top experts, from Andrew Huberman to Steven Kotler. Now, as a speaker, author, and coach, he helps leaders rewire their minds, unlock their best selves, and stop running businesses that drain the life out of them.
His philosophy? You don’t need more hustle, you need better habits.
Links:
- https://www.ronenaires.com/
- https://www.studentvillage.co.za/