Longevity for High Achievers: The Leadership Advantage of a Strong Body and a Clear Mind

3 hours ago
3 min read

By Warren Foyn

Fitness Advocate, Automotive Executive, Founder of NextGen Auto Group LLC

For over 20 years, I’ve built and led high-performance teams in one of the most competitive industries in the world: automotive retail. Most people see the numbers, the turnarounds, and the record months. But very few see the discipline and the internal work required to perform at a high level, year after year, without burning out.

At 50 years old, I am in the best shape of my life—leaner, stronger, and mentally sharper than I ever was in my twenties. I run a dealership, build businesses, develop training programs, raise my daughter, and still train six days a week. Not because I have time… but because I understand a truth too many high achievers overlook:

Longevity isn’t about surviving longer.

It’s about performing better — in your body, in your mind, and in your business.

And the foundation of it comes down to three pillars:

Physical Vitality
Mental Clarity
Intentional Self-Leadership

1. Your Body Is Your Greatest Competitive Advantage

In business, you can outsource almost anything — except your health.

Strength training, mobility, and conditioning are part of my weekly non-negotiables. Even on the busiest dealership days, I train before the world wakes up. Not because I'm chasing abs. But because I’m chasing capacity.

A stronger body gives you:

Higher baseline energy
Better stress tolerance
Faster recovery from setbacks
Increased discipline and consistency
A sense of personal power that influences every decision

When your body is strong, challenges feel lighter. Your day feels more structured. Pressure feels more manageable.

Longevity begins with physical capacity — not supplements, not hacks, not complicated routines. Just consistency.

2. Mental Clarity Is What Separates Leaders From Burnouts

In my industry, leaders often carry an invisible weight: team conflicts, customer issues, financial pressure, market uncertainty. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, reactive, and mentally cluttered.

At my peak, I was juggling multiple turnaround projects, running high-volume dealerships, building my property portfolio, and starting a new company. I realised something crucial:

Mental clarity is not natural.

It must be engineered.

Here’s what I practice daily:

• Daily Stillness (5–10 minutes)

Just breathing. No phone. No noise. No input.

This resets the nervous system faster than caffeine ever will.

• Strategic Journaling

Not paragraphs — bullet points:What needs attention today?

What do I need to let go of?
What’s one thing I can do that will move everything forward?

This transforms overwhelm into clarity.

• Boundaries That Protect Your Brain

If a conversation will drain me — I schedule it.

If a person brings chaos — I limit them.

If a task creates mental friction — I delegate it.

High performers often try to manage everything themselves.

Longevity comes from managing your inputs.

3. Self-Care Is a Leadership Skill, Not an Indulgence

I grew up in an era where “rest” was seen as weakness. You worked, grinded, pushed, and sacrificed. As I’ve grown older — and as I’ve coached dozens of managers — I’ve recognized a deeper truth:

Self-care is self-respect.

And self-respect sets the tone for how you lead.

For me, self-care includes:

Training six days a week
Fasting regularly to reduce inflammation and maintain leanness
Minimal alcohol for mental sharpness
Whole-food eating from custom meal plans
Disconnecting from negativity quickly
Maintaining a small but strong inner circle

Leadership is not just how you guide others — it’s how well you manage your own internal world.

If you ignore your body, your mind, and your emotional health, success becomes expensive. It costs you clarity, energy, relationships, and longevity.

4. Balancing Ambition With Sustainability

My life today involves managing a dealership, running a U.S. training company, growing a property portfolio, and building a coaching brand — while being deeply involved in my daughter’s life.

The balance isn’t perfect.

But it is intentional.

Here’s the system I live by: