You're good at holding it together. That's the problem.
We are Alexandra & Livian, the people behind The Unarmored Club. We work with founders and leaders on the layer most leadership development skips: the body. Breathwork, contrast therapy and honest inner work, for performance you can actually sustain.
Signs you've been wearing the armor too long.
This isn't a mindset problem. It's a nervous system that hasn't been off duty in years. And you can't think your way out of a state your body is in.
Most leadership development happens from the neck up.
Under pressure, your body decides before your mind does. How you breathe, how fast you react, whether you listen or defend: all of that happens in the nervous system, seconds before any strategy kicks in.
Somatic leadership means learning to read and regulate that layer. Not to feel less, but to stay clear while a lot is going on. For yourself, and for the people who take their cues from you.
Breath is the remote control
Breathing is the one part of your autonomic nervous system you can steer on purpose. Change the rhythm and you change your state. In minutes, in any meeting room.
Stress tolerance is trainable
Short, controlled doses of heat and cold teach your system to meet stress and come back down. That's the exact capacity a hard day at work asks for.
Patterns live in parts
The perfectionist, the controller, the one who never says no. Inner systems work makes these parts visible, so they stop running the show unnoticed.
Regulation is contagious
Teams pick up on their leader's state. A regulated leader makes room for honest conversation. An armored one creates more armor.
Four tools. One goal: a system that can carry what you carry.
Functional breathing for everyday regulation, and deeper sessions that let your system release what it has been holding on to.
Sauna and ice bath as deliberate stress training. You practice staying present when everything in you wants out.
Grounded in business psychology and inner team models. We look at the parts of you that drive, protect and sabotage, and at how they show up at work.
Small groups of people who carry similar weight. No pitching, no posturing. A room where you can say what's actually going on.
Not just insights. A different state, and the tools to get back to it.
UNARMORED
You're used to being the strong one, holding it together for your team, your clients, your family. For one afternoon, you don't have to. Ten seats. Four hours. A room where nothing has to be held up.
your breath to understand your somatic baseline
science-backed techniques for instant nervous system regulation, applicable in any work context
your inner team and self-sabotaging patterns
with yourself through a transformative breathwork session
during our special recovery circle incl. sauna & ice bath
Every request is reviewed before payment, so the circle stays the right size and the right mix. You'll hear back from us personally.
“Working with Livian on personal development is like working with someone who has decades of experience.”
CEO, former Director at Yahoo
“I’m rational, analytical and skeptical about topics like this at first. All the more surprising how much working with Alex actually set in motion. Clear recommendation for anyone who doesn’t just want to understand more about themselves, but actually wants to change something.”
Managing Director, Real Estate
“With over ten years of leadership experience at Amazon, Livian’s workshop opened up new perspectives for me.”
Manager at Amazon
“Alex guides you through the session with great sensitivity. Afterwards I felt an incredible clarity. You feel accompanied and held at all times.”
Co-Founder, IT
“My team greatly appreciates his energy and so do I. Looking forward to the next one already.”
Head of Public Sector DACH at Google
“Alex knows how to create a space where you feel safe enough to let go and come all the way back to yourself.”
Executive Assistant to the CEO
Who will be guiding you.
Alexandra has spent over ten years where performance pressure peaks: 25+ transformation projects, 250+ leadership workshops, 50+ product teams coached and 500+ people guided through breathwork, for organizations like adidas, PwC, Otto and Tchibo. Today she guides high performers and leaders 1:1 and in groups through coaching, neuropsychology and somatic breathwork.
She holds an M.Sc. in Business Psychology, trained as a systemic coach in a DCV-certified program and lectures in leadership psychology at EHIP. She has also helped scale an IT company and co-founded a leadership consultancy.
Her focus is what sits underneath performance: the inner parts and protective mechanisms that once made you strong and now keep you armored. She works trauma-sensitively and always with the system you lead in view. She understands both worlds and speaks both languages: business and the nervous system.
Livian has spent more than seven years coaching people through pressure: 70+ leaders, founders and professionals 1:1, and 600+ participants in workshops on stress regulation, breathwork and sustainable performance, for brands like Nike, Amazon and fast-growing startups like MyBacs.
He studied Clinical Psychology & Neuroscience at Utrecht University and trained at a clinic for personality disorders. He pairs this with experience as Business Development & Wellbeing Lead at Amazon and in the startup and investment world.
On top of that, freediving and a black belt in Taekwondo have honed his skill of selective intensity: knowing how to push effectively, and how to recover strategically.
Honest answer first.
This is for you if
- you lead a company, a team or a project and carry more than you show
- you need to sustain your peak performance, but you're starting to notice that under the surface you won't be able to hold it together forever
- you're curious about the body as a performance tool, even if you're a bit skeptical
- you want real conversation, not networking
This is not for you if
- you're looking for a quick hack or a motivational talk
- you're in an acute crisis. Then 1:1 support is the better place to start, and we're happy to point you there
- you have health conditions that rule out sauna, ice bath or intense breathing and haven't cleared it with your doctor
Good questions.
Do I need experience with breathwork or cold exposure?
No. Everything is guided and you set your own limits. Most people who join have never done either.
Is the ice bath mandatory?
No. You decide how far you go. Staying present at your own edge matters more than how long you stay in.
Are there health reasons not to take part?
If you're pregnant or have cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, epilepsy or another serious condition, please check with your doctor first and let us know when you apply.
Why do I have to apply?
We keep the circle at ten people and want the mix to be right. We read every request personally and send payment details once your spot is confirmed.
What language is the circle held in?
English or German, depending on what the group prefers. We decide together once the circle is complete.
UNARMORED: the 12-week program for leaders who want to go deeper.
One afternoon shows you what's possible. Three months are what it takes for new patterns to become habits. Hybrid, in a small group, and built around your real working life. We're opening it to a first group soon. Register your interest and we'll reach out for a short, personal conversation.