Wellness Leadership: Transforming Teams from Within

In an exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, William Alexander Haywood, founder and head coach of Blacksmith Performance, shares his unique approach to helping high-performing professionals build resilience through fitness and wellness. With over a decade of experience in coaching and a background in psychology, William combines science and strategy to empower entrepreneurs, leaders, and teams to perform at their best. In this conversation, he explores why fitness is essential for success, the importance of personalized coaching, and how organizations can build a culture of resilience from within. His innovative approach is not just about fitness but fostering long-term habits that align with both personal and professional growth.

Interview By Kripa Anand

Will Haywood is the founderand head coach of Blacksmith Performance, a Toronto-based health and wellness company transforming the way professionals approach fitness and resilience. With a background in Psychology from York University and over a decade of experience in fitness coaching, Will blends science, strategy, and heart to help high-performing entrepreneurs and busy professionals forge the mentaland physical strength needed to thrive in today’s demanding world.

Will is a certified Personal Trainer, Fascial Stretch Therapist, Sleep Stress and Recovery Coach, Nutrition Coach, and a recognized leader in corporate wellness, bringing movement, recovery,and stress management solutions directly into offices across the city. His innovative programs have been trusted by marketing companies, banks, media companies, and executives looking to invest in their greatest asset: their people.

Through his signature Peak Performance coaching method and the Blacksmith Performance App, Will deliversresults that last, focusing on sustainable habit change, deep health, and personalized coaching that meets clients where they are.

Whether he’s leading fitnessclasses for a team, facilitating Stretch Therapy to help staff recover and feel refreshed, or coaching a founder at 6 a.m., Will’s mission remains the same: to forge stronger humans from the inside out.

Your mission is to help high-performing professionals build lasting strength and resilience. In your experience, why is fitness a non-negotiable for entrepreneurs and leaders, and how does it directly impact their decision-making, productivity, and longevity?

Think about the lifestyle of these entrepreneurs and high performers. They face pressure and challenges daily. Their minds are in constant overdrive, and their nervous systems are always on high alert. They’re pushing for growth, putting out fires, and making big decisions under stress.

And that’s just at work. Many are also parents, caregivers, and leaders in their communities; roles that demand just as much, if not more, emotional and physical energy. To truly show up in all areas of life, consistency is essential.

But if you’re constantly tired, sick, or stuck in brain fog, you’re leaving massive potential on the table. In today’s fast-paced world, where speed and performance are everything, you can’t afford to operate at 70%, 60%, or 50%. You need energy, clarity, strength, and adaptability. That’s what fitness builds, and why resilience is non-negotiable.

But real resilience isn’t just physical. It includes nutrition, sleep, stress management, and beyond. When we combine fitness with other facets of Deep Health (mental, emotional, existential, social, and environmental), we expand our capacity to lead, grow, and thrive.

If your health isn’t scaling with your ambition, eventually, something breaks. I help people strengthen the foundation so everything else can rise.

You emphasize that a great coach is much more than someone who counts reps. Can you share how your background in psychology and your approach to behavior change leadership set Blacksmith Performance apart from traditional fitness coaching?

When I first began coaching, I noticed a gap. Some clients had access to great programs, but still struggled to follow through. It became clear that success wasn’t just about workouts, but about behaviour, mindset, and identity.

That’s when I dove deeper into psychology. With my academic foundation in the field and ongoing education in change leadership, I learned that transformation doesn’t operate on a simple “I will” or “I won’t.” People move through a continuum of readiness. Great coaching meets them where they are.

A value at Blacksmith Performance is listening. We don’t just tell people what to do. We listen for change talk, identify limiting beliefs, and work with clients to create systems they can sustain. We help them shift from feeling stuck to feeling capable.

This approach sets us apart from traditional fitness coaching. We don’t just build bodies. We help forge the internal strength needed to sustain real transformation.

They say you can bring a horse to water but can’t make it drink. But if you know when the horse is thirsty, the odds change dramatically.

Corporate wellness is evolving rapidly. What are the most significant shifts you’ve observed in how organizations approach employee well-being, and why is it crucial for forward-thinking companies to move beyond “check-the-box” wellness initiatives?

One of the most promising shifts I’ve seen in corporate wellness is the openness to partnering with coaches and fitness professionals like my team. It shows that companies are starting to value collaboration with experts who can bring real change, not just perks.

The reality is that HR departments are stretched thin. Wellness often becomes a “nice to have” rather than a strategic initiative. But forward-thinking companies understand that employee well-being directly impacts productivity, retention, and culture.

Moving beyond check-the-box solutions is crucial. Burnout is at an all-time high, but too many responses are surface-level: meditation apps, snack bars, or occasional workshops, without addressing the real stressors people face.

In industries like law, we see alarming rates of mental health challenges, including suicide. In healthcare, there’s high turnover and widespread burnout. These aren’t just statistics but a reflection of environments that demand everything from people without replenishing them.

If your team spends half their waking hours building your company, supporting their health shouldn’t be optional. It should be foundational.

At Blacksmith Performance, we help organizations design wellness systems that are human-first, data-driven, and culturally aligned. This is the future of work, and we’re proud to be part of shaping it.

Many professionals feel “too busy” for fitness, especially when balancing work, family, and personal responsibilities. What strategies or mindset shifts have you found most effective in helping these individuals finally take meaningful action toward their health?

I see this all the time: professionals with full lives, careers, families, responsibilities who feel like if they can’t do fitness perfectly, they won’t do it at all.

It’s that all-or-nothing mindset that robs people of progress. It creates pressure and overlooks the power of small, consistent actions.

One of the most effective shifts I’ve seen is helping clients redefine what success looks like. You don’t need to overhaul your entire life overnight. You just need to take one meaningful step forward.

With my clients, I always introduce the concept of Deep Health; well-being across physical, mental, emotional, social, and environmental dimensions. We choose one area that feels out of alignment, then pick one action to move the needle.

It could be as simple as setting a sleep alarm, booking your first training session, joining a walking group, or buying a water bottle to stay hydrated.

These small choices are how you practice a new identity. And that identity grows stronger with every step, no matter how small.

Fitness isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing something, consistently. That’s when real transformation can begin.

As we wrap up, what final advice would you offer to Canadian small and medium-sized business owners who want to create a culture of resilience and well-being within their teams?

If you want to create a culture of resilience and well-being, start by collaborating with fitness professionals who understand the lives your people lead. They’re professionals in high-pressure roles, parents, caregivers, and those navigating real-world stress.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Partner with coaches who specialize in working with these populations. They bring more than workouts. They bring context, experience, and empathy. Let them support your HR team, not replace it. That symbiotic relationship can shift culture from the inside out.

Even having a coach present in your space, whether in person or virtually, sends a powerful signal that well-being is part of your company’s DNA.

Another piece of advice: leaders need to participate. Research shows that when leadership is involved, employee engagement rises significantly. This doesn’t mean you need perfect attendance, but showing up at kickoffs, checking in, or even joining a session occasionally makes it a shared value.

One of the most important metrics to track is participation. When your team sees leadership taking action, it normalizes the culture you’re trying to build.

Resilient teams are made when wellness is regularly accessible.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. This content is provided for informational purposes only and is intended to inspire and support small and medium-sized business owners in their entrepreneurial journey.