Hi Reader,

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I asked 100 CEOs this question and here are the top 6 answers:

Steven Bartlett, Founder of FlightStory, Thirdweb, The Diary Of A CEO & Investor in more than 50 companies.

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I really struggled to be intimate and present with my partner when work gets incredibly busy or stressful.

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From my podcast interviews, I’ve learned that relentless work keeps cortisol - the main stress hormone - permanently high, narrowing attention, blunting empathy, and harming intimacy. One study a scientist shared with me, involving 172 newlywed couples, found that when one partner’s workload spiked, the other’s marital satisfaction fell six months later.

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Intimacy thrives on oxytocin - the bonding hormone - which rises when we’re calm, rested, and physically close. I remember reading a study where researchers found that a simple 20-second hug could halve cortisol levels. That taught me that prioritising sleep, downtime, and physical connection isn’t a luxury; it’s a biochemical necessity if I want to protect my sex life, intimacy, and romance.

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So now, my partner and I schedule intentional time in our calendars to decompress, reconnect, and date. If you don’t schedule the time, your relationship becomes the “residual beneficiary” - it just gets whatever is left over (which isn’t much if you’re busy). Intimacy isn’t something I can switch on like a light switch - I need space to decompress. Becoming aware of this, talking about it, and proactively addressing it changed everything in my relationship.

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Charlotte Pearce, Founder and CEO of Inkpact, multi-award-winning tech entrepreneur and speaker.

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"Running a business is all-consuming. It’s easy to leave the stressed, depleted version of ourselves for our relationships, especially the intimate ones.

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After 10 years of building a company, marrying an incredible man, and raising two kids, I’ve learned that intimacy with my partner and myself is directly linked to my success. Like my business, it needs a vision, rituals, and daily investment.
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I’ve tapped into my sensual and sexual power, and allowed her to lead not just in the bedroom, but in the boardroom too. When I feel I don’t have time for intimacy, that’s exactly when I need it most.

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Remember: nurture your intimate connection with yourself and your partner like you would your business - with intention, growth, and commitment. It is not a distraction from success, it is a source of it. Your power is from the boardroom to the bedroom."

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Evan Spiegel, Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat, answered this on the Diary Of A CEO podcast:

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"One thing that’s really helped is that my wife’s incredibly accomplished - she runs her own business, so she understands the challenges of being an entrepreneur. She's always been really supportive of my work, and my commitment to my work and our team, so that was something that brought us together, not further apart.
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I often hear people say their relationships are under strain because of how much they work.
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What I realized is that oftentimes they've met their spouse when they were just getting started in their career... From the minute I met my wife, we were both working flat out. And so this expectation that we both work all the time to support our business or our family that we love is kind of just built into our relationship.”

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Georgie Holt, CEO of FlightStory and Co-Founder of FlightStory Studio.

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"I give everything to my work. And that’s the tension, because love deserves everything too.

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For me, it’s not about balance, it’s about intention. Just like building a company, you don’t scale a relationship with grand gestures, you scale it through daily rituals, consistency and presence.

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We check-in, we protect the small things: our Saturday walk-and-talks, the video message rituals that keep us close even when we’re apart. Those habits keep us connected.

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The risk isn’t that work takes too much. It’s assuming love will keep running in the background.

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I treat our connection as the most important puzzle piece that holds the whole picture together.

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I love my work. But I love my partner more."

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Natalie Ellis, Founder and CEO of Bossbabe, a mom, podcast host, and serial entrepreneur.

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"I’ve learned that the foundation of intimacy isn’t built in the big romantic gestures - it’s built in the micro-moments of honesty, empathy, and presence.
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One of the most powerful things I do is name what season I’m in. If I’m deep in a launch or emotionally maxed out from decision fatigue, I don’t pretend it’s business as usual. I’ll say something like, “I’m in my head a lot right now, and I don’t want you to feel like I’m not here. I just need a little extra grace this week.” That one sentence has diffused so much potential resentment.
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We also check in [regularly]. We’ll ask: “How are we doing?” or “Are we on the same page?” These small questions open the door to deeper conversations before anything boils over.

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[I stopped giving] my partner my “leftovers.” It’s easy to save your best energy for your business - BUT if I find myself doing that consistently, it’s a red flag for me to recalibrate. I remind myself: the business can’t thrive if the foundation of my life is crumbling. Sometimes [that means] skipping an email and sitting down for 15 uninterrupted minutes to just connect"

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Dr Jonathan Leary, Founder and CEO of Remedy Place, speaker and advisor for wellness innovation and strategy.

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"Over the past four years, I’ve dedicated all of my time, energy, and focus to building my business. Because of that, I haven’t had the space to be in an intimate relationship, and I’ve been very intentional about that.

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I’ve set expectations for myself that this season of life isn’t the right time to enter a relationship unless I can show up fully, in the way I would want to, and in the way a partner would deserve.
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That said, I’m still deeply committed to the important relationships in my life: my family and closest friends. I make a conscious effort to create routines with them, see them regularly, and be fully present when we’re together. If I make the time to be with someone, my phone is away, and I’m fully zoned in on the moment and the person in front of me.”
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Connection isn’t about always being available - it’s about being consistently intentional."

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1. You have to regulate your hormones to rebalance your relationship.
2. Treat intimacy like you treat your business: with vision, investment, and ritual.
3. Shared ambition can strengthen a relationship when both partners understand the workload.
4. Relationships don’t run on autopilot: they need daily effort and rituals.
5. Being honest about your emotional bandwidth prevents resentment.
6. Name your season. Be honest about where you’re at and why that matters.

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Did this resonate with you? Your feedback shapes what we create next.

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Talk soon,

Steven

73 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3QQ
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