Cut through the noise. Build trust. Lead like a human.

Where Psychology Meets Leadership

Trusted by leaders in dentistry, healthcare, and high-performing teams nationwide.
I help bold leaders and ambitious teams build trust, lead with intention, and unlock what's possible — all by getting real with the human side of work.

I'm Jonathan Bonanno - the mind behind Chief Psycho. 

Consultant. KOL. Psychodynamic Practitioner.

I’m the person leaders call when everything looks perfect on paper but feels like it’s falling apart behind the scenes.

For over a decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of business psychology, organizational development, and deep human transformation. Whether in dental groups, high-growth startups, or healthcare systems, I help teams and individuals reconnect with what’s real — so they can rise beyond what’s broken.

I’ve built, scaled, sold, and resurrected businesses. I’ve led rooms full of burned-out founders, overachieving executives, and high-functioning misfits. And I’ve done it all while practicing what I teach: showing up as my whole self and doing the uncomfortable, inner work — first.

Let's Get in the Lab

Inside the Lab

I work with leaders, visionaries, and teams who feel the tension between ambition and authenticity. If you’ve ever been called “too much,” “too emotional,” or “too intense” — you’re my kind of human.

As a trusted expert in organizational development and industrial/organizational psychology, I specialize in building cohesive, high-performing teams from the inside out. Headquartered in California, I work nationwide — using my signature LAB Methodology™ to transform businesses from reactive to regenerative.

I don’t sell shortcuts.
I create spaces where your story can breathe, your truth can rise, and your next chapter can begin — for you, your team, and the future you’re building.

Whether you’re a founder who’s burned out from holding it all together…
A team leader struggling with silent tension behind the smiles…
Or a practice owner ready to stop fixing symptoms and start healing systems…

This is your lab. This is your work. 

Start Your Lab Session

The work behind the movement

Professional Highlights

Founder of ZIA

Founder of ZIA

A people-first integration firm transforming businesses through strategic talent mapping, hybrid talent integration, and organizational alignment.

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Person dressed in black holding a microphone while seated against a patterned backdrop and neon sign.

Host of The Chief Psycho Podcast

Unfiltered conversations with bold leaders and the voices you don’t hear enough of.

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Co-Host of The Psycho x Incito Xperience

Co-Host of The Psycho x Incito Xperience

A first-of-its-kind immersive coaching cohort and retreat series for those who serve others relentlessly.

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Award-Winning Consultant & Legacy Builder

Award-Winning Consultant & Legacy Builder

Recognized for redefining leadership in dentistry through psychological safety and cultural integrity.

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Certified Practitioner of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy & I/O Psychology

Certified Practitioner of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy & I/O Psychology

Combining introspection with behavioral science to build healthier, high-performing humans.

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Ready to get real?

I don’t do transactional. I do transformational.
If you’re looking for a quick fix or a templated solution, I’m not your guy.

But if you're:

  • A founder holding it all together on the outside
  • A team leader ready to go deeper than another “strategy session”
  • Or someone who knows something inside you — or your org — is shifting...

Let’s talk. 

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Keep up with Chief Psycho

Authenticity.

Everyone loves to preach it. Few actually live it.

Here’s the part nobody wants to say out loud: Imitation isn’t flattering, it’s exhausting.

I’ve seen my work and publications show up in other people’s content, stripped of context, with zero credit. I’ve watched entire “new” business models pop up overnight—conveniently after a pick your brain conversation.

We’ve commodified authenticity. Packaged pain. Turned transparency into a branding strategy, but the second you perform authenticity, it stops being authentic.

The truth? Real authenticity isn’t sexy. It’s not a hashtag or a keynote theme.

It’s boring. Quiet. Imperfect. Often unphotogenic.

I’ve played the game too. Shared vulnerability for engagement. Branded my humanity. That’s the paradox of doing this work.

But here’s where I land: Authenticity doesn’t need to sell. It just needs to exist. 

Unpolished. Unglamorous. Unstolen.Your high school friend just bought a house. Your colleague got promoted again. Someone your age just launched their third startup.

And suddenly, it feels like you’re losing a race you never signed up for.

Here’s the truth: there is no race. No universal timeline. No rulebook that says you’re late.
“I should be married by now.” Based on what?
“I should own a house by 30.” According to who?
“I should have my career figured out by 25.” Whose manual are you reading?

The psychology of comparison convinces you that someone else’s highlight reel means you’re behind. But you’re not behind—because there’s nowhere you’re supposed to be.

The race is an illusion. The timeline is imaginary. The comparison is optional.

Your story isn’t late. It’s yours. Stop sprinting toward someone else’s finish line.

#ChiefPsycho #ComparisonCulture #TimelineIsALie #RealTalk #PsychologyOfLife"It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.”
- Confucius 

Heading into my first 5K race weekend! 🏃🏻‍♂️

Training hasn’t been about speed; it’s been about discipline and consistency. About showing up on days I didn’t want to. About running toward clarity, and sometimes running away from the weight I’ve been carrying.

Progress hasn’t been linear, but it’s been real and that’s enough. 

…I’m still taking breaks though, IDGAF. 😂

#ChiefPsycho #First5K #RunningIsTherapy #CopingInMotion #LeadershipUnfiltered #ConsistencyOverPerfection #fyp #foryou