Andrew Barry entered Nervous System Mastery as a founder drowning in his own success. Running Curious Lion, a company dedicated to human potential, he understood systems thinking intellectually. But when it came to his own nervous system, he was disconnected from the signals his body was sending.
By November 2022, when Andrew joined Cohort 2, he was navigating a perfect storm. His mother had died suddenly earlier that year. He was recovering from a 2021 burnout. And he was trying to be present as a father to his toddler son while scaling his business—two roles that seemed to demand everything he had.
Before NSM, Andrew's strategy for handling stress was devastatingly simple: push harder. When goals felt out of reach, work longer hours. When pressure mounted, add more pressure. He had been meditating since age 21 and was in therapy, but both practices still left him operating primarily from his thoughts rather than his felt experience.
The disconnect showed up most painfully with his son. When his toddler would dysregulate (normal tantrums and emotional triggers) Andrew would spiral into his own dysregulation. Both father and son would end up escalated, with his child feeling even more disconnected from him.
The NSM Approach
Andrew was drawn to Jonny's ability to synthesize complex nervous system science into practical protocols. The breathwork techniques became his gateway into somatic awareness. He incorporated 4-7-8 breathing patterns into his morning meditation routine and explored longer journey sessions that helped him become aware of his physiological responses.
The real breakthrough came through understanding the simple framework of nervous system states. Instead of feeling hijacked by mysterious emotional storms, Andrew could suddenly make sense of his experience and recognize there was always another way, another choice.
He appreciated how NSM bridged the gap between intellectual understanding and embodied experience. The science-backed explanations gave him confidence in the protocols, while the community provided accountability and shared learning.
Major Turning Points
Breaking the Parenting Spiral: Andrew can now recognize when his son is dysregulated and catch himself before escalating. Instead of trying to control his child's internal state—expecting a toddler to want bedtime—he learned to hold firm boundaries while remaining emotionally available.
Sustainable Leadership: His relationship with entrepreneurial stress fundamentally shifted. He now recognizes that much of founder pressure is self-created and has reliable protocols for releasing the pressure. Forest walks, breathwork, and meditation became non-negotiable tools rather than luxuries.
Real-Time Awareness: Andrew developed what he calls "internal awareness"; the ability to recognize nervous system states as they're happening and access specific tools to return to balance.
What Changed?
Embodied Understanding: Andrew moved from purely intellectual approaches to felt-sense awareness. His therapy sessions became more effective when his therapist incorporated somatic questions about where he was feeling emotions in his body.
Practical Integration: The breathwork techniques became daily practice. Andrew found particular value in both quick regulation tools (4-7-8 breathing) and longer journey sessions that deepened his physiological awareness.
Systems Perspective: As someone who thinks in systems, Andrew found the nervous system framework immediately intuitive. Understanding the three nervous system states gave him a clear map for navigation.
Life Now
Andrew operates with what he describes as invaluable internal awareness. The explosive conflicts with his son have significantly decreased, replaced by moments where he can model regulation instead of amplifying chaos. His business runs with sustainable intensity rather than destructive pressure.
Perhaps most tellingly, Andrew has begun experimenting with AI-assisted therapy, incorporating the somatic awareness he developed through NSM. When working through challenges, he can feel the shift in his body when he finds a healthier perspective—a tangible sense of lightness that signals nervous system regulation.
"I just know now when I'm dysregulated, and I know what I can do to get back to a regulated state," Andrew says. "Once you've seen what dysregulation looks like, you can't unsee it. And then you realize there's another way."
Andrew's Parting Words
For Andrew, NSM's greatest value lies in Jonny's synthesis work—bringing together experts from different domains into a practical, actionable framework. The combination of science-backed protocols and supportive community created the perfect environment for sustainable change.
He encourages other founders and parents to recognize that nervous system work isn't another task to optimize, but fundamental infrastructure for everything else. "The awareness alone is game-changing. When you understand these systems and how they work together, you have tools for any situation."
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Andrew Barry is the founder of Curious Lion, helping companies become learning organizations. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, 1yo daughter and 5yo son, who's currently mastering the art of bike riding.
