How Global Leaders Avoid Burnout | Arun Hozack on Cross-Cultural Decision-Making & Cognitive Resilience

What does it take to lead billion-dollar brands across continents without burning out? In this episode of Decisions That Count, Dr. Shawn Watson and Michelle O’Brien sit down with Arun Hozack—former President of Red Bull Asia-Pacific and current CEO of SLS Performance—to unpack how intentional decision-making, cultural fluency, and cognitive resilience have shaped his 25+ year global leadership journey.

From launching Red Bull across 17 markets and decoding Japan’s complex business culture to scaling startups like Juul Labs and now building Numin—a functional beverage to fight decision fatigue—Arun shares hard-won insights into how leaders can thrive amid constant cognitive load and high-stakes choices.

🔍 Key takeaways:

• How to decode cultural social codes and make effective decisions across borders

• The hidden cognitive costs of global leadership—and how to manage them

• Building trust, earning respect, and sustaining resilience over decades

• Red Bull’s grassroots marketing philosophy and why authenticity wins

• The real impact of decision fatigue—and how Numin is tackling it head-on
  

Whether you're a founder, executive, or global team leader, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to protect your mental clarity, lead with intention, and make every decision count.

👇 Timestamps & Highlights:

00:00 – Introduction

03:00 – Multicultural roots & early ventures in South Africa 10:00 – Cracking the Japanese market & building trust

22:00 – Decision-making differences: Japan vs the US

30:00 – Red Bull's authentic brand strategy explained

38:00 – Leading Juul through chaos & lessons in resilience 44:00 – Cognitive overload & family sacrifices in international leadership

48:00 – Final reflections on purpose, parenting & global living

👤 About the Guest: Arun Hozack

Arun Hozack is a global growth architect, brand strategist, and co-founder of SLS Performance. He’s led iconic brands including Red Bull and Juul Labs, launched markets across Asia, Africa, and North America, and now heads Numin, a clinically tested functional beverage developed with neuroscientists to combat decision fatigue. Known for his ability to scale vision into impact, Arun thrives where there’s no playbook—only bold ideas and high stakes.

🔗 Connect with Arun: LinkedIn - 🔗 Arun Hozack LinkedIn👥 Hosts: Dr. Shawn Watson – Neuroscientist & Founder Michelle O’Brien – Marketer, Mum, Marathon Runner

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🧠 Hosted by neuroscientist Dr. Shawn Watson and marketer-mum-marathoner Michelle, Decisions That Count explores how science-backed insights can help you overcome decision fatigue and unlock peak performance.

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Your decisions shape your life. Make every decision count.

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