Coming Back to Ourselves: Solitude with Angel Pérez

In this episode of Coming Back to Ourselves, Ken Anselment sits down with Angel Pérez CEO of NACAC to explore how silence, solitude, and intentional time away can help leaders reconnect with themselves—and lead more effectively.

Angel shares how a period of burnout early in his tenure led him to meditation, journaling, and solo time in nature. What began as a personal reset has become a core leadership practice.

Together, they explore:

• Why silence and solitude are essential in a noisy profession
• How slowing down can actually improve decision-making
• The idea of “working in seasons” instead of constant output
• How meditation sharpens awareness and presence
• Why time away should be considered part of your work strategy
• Finding awe—even in small, everyday moments

The conversation also touches on gratitude, journaling, and the power of noticing what’s already around us—but often unseen.

For folks navigating pressure, pace, and constant demand, this episode offers a different path forward—one grounded not in doing more, but in coming back to yourself.

(Recommended reading: Cal Newport's Slow Productivity: The Lost of Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout)

00:00 — Introduction to Angel Pérez and the idea of “coming back to ourselves”
02:00 — When you need to step away… where do you go?
03:00 — “I turn to silence”: solitude as a leadership practice
04:10 — Meditation as training (start small, build the muscle)
06:25 — Silence as problem-solving: letting answers emerge
09:00 — Solitude, rest, and showing up as your best self
12:45 — “You can go faster by going slower”
14:00 — Seeing the world differently after slowing down
16:15 — Burnout → awakening: the moment that changed everything
18:30 — Investing in yourself (and why it matters now)
20:10 — Shenandoah: perspective, gratitude, and being a “tiny speck”
22:35 — Holding onto silence after the moment ends
24:00 — Accessing awe anywhere—even in the middle of a city
25:30 — Gratitude journaling and capturing moments that matter
27:30 — Creating a daily “fortress of solitude”
29:00 — Time away as part of your work strategy (not separate from it)
31:30 — Working in seasons and protecting your energy
33:15 — Listening for the “whispers”
34:30 — Noticing what’s already there (the “trust the process” moment)
36:45 — Final reflections: making space, slowing down, and coming back to yourself
38:00 — Closing

The ALP is supported by Human Capital Education. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment