How to Untie a Balloon

How to Untie a Balloon (2025) offers concrete strategies for managing stress and conflict, and developing emotional strength. It explores how mounting pressure can distort our thinking and behavior, using a balloon metaphor to show how unresolved tension can quietly escalate into harm. It will help you release pressure and defuse conflict before you become destructive.

• Business leaders facing high-pressure, conflictual decisions
• Professionals managing stress while balancing competing demands
• Anyone who struggles to perform under pressure and wants to regain control

Ryan Dunlap is a conflict management coach with a background in law enforcement, crisis negotiation, and senior leadership roles. He founded Conflictish, a consultancy that helps leaders sharpen their conflict-resolution skills. A former SWAT hostage negotiator and SVU detective, he draws on firsthand experience to coach professionals across industries including biotech, health care, government, and education.