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    Education

    Flourishing Edge Podcast with Ashish Kothari

    Research backed leadership practices to build high performance cultures and improve workplace wellbeing and employee engagement.

    Every week, Ashish Kothari sits down with the researchers, executives and practitioners doing the most rigorous work on improving workplace wellbeing and turns what they have learned into something you can implement right away.

    Not wellness perks. Not engagement surveys nobody acts on. The specific behaviors, systems and daily habits that separate organizations where people burn out from those where they thrive.

    Conversations range across rewiring habits, building resilience, sustaining energy, cultivating purpose and leading with greater humanity, and how individuals, teams and organizations create the conditions for people and performance to thrive together.

    Recent guests include Barbara Jeffrey on workplace wellbeing, Zeynep Ton on the Good Jobs System, Zach Mercurio on why mattering drives retention, and Dr. Kristin Neff on self-compassion.

    Every episode gives you something you can use on Monday. How to build high performing teams. How to lead culture change that holds. Why managers shape employee motivation and employee experience more than any program ever will.

    Made for business leaders, HR and people teams who own organizational culture and get measured on what it produces.

    Ashish spent 17 years at McKinsey watching brilliant, exhausted leaders burn out and leaders prioritizing higher profits at the cost of their people. He wrote Hardwired for Happiness and founded Happiness Squad to fix it. He created the Organizational Human Potential Index, along with the REWIRE and PEARL models behind programs run at Google, PepsiCo, Danone and MUFG.

    This podcast is where that work happens out loud. 180+ episodes and counting.

    New episodes weekly. More at happinesssquad.com

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Copyright 2023 - Happiness Squad

    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify

    Latest Episodes:
    From Fear to Flourishing: Beck Sydow on the Future of Leadership Mar 03, 2026
    Show notes

    In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Ashish Kothari sits down with Beck Sydow, Founder of HumanKind Business Leaders, former CEO of StickerGiant, and executive with a rich background in operations and mental health.

    Together, they explore why so many leaders want flourishing workplaces but struggle to create them—and reveal the missing ingredient:

    Shared human dignity.

    Beck introduces her transformative model of People-Hearted + Business-Minded leadership, showing how fear, core wounds, and over-indexing on one side of leadership keep organizations stuck in survival mode. She shares a roadmap for leaders to reconnect with their intrinsic worth, regulate their nervous systems, and lead in ways that create sustainable organizational health and performance.

    This is not a conversation about theory—it’s about lived experience, emotional truth, and the real work leaders must do to cultivate conditions where people and businesses thrive.

    🎯 Key Topics Covered

    1. What Flourishing Really Means at Work

    Why flourishing requires both performance and well-being

    The five essential elements: meaning, energy, growth, abundance mindset, and belonging

    Why businesses flourish when their people flourish

    2. The Missing Foundation: Human Dignity

    How disconnection from our own worth derails leadership

    Understanding dignity as birthright—for ourselves and for every person we lead

    Why programs fail when leaders haven’t done the inner work


    3. Fear as the Real Barrier to Flourishing

    How fear creates armor, perfectionism, overachieving, people-pleasing, or disconnection

    The way fear masquerades as productivity or “high standards”

    Founders’ core wounds and how they shape leadership behavior


    4. The People-Hearted + Business-Minded Model

    Balancing targets with operating conditions

    The danger of over-indexing on either business needs or people needs

    How to hold two truths at once to access wisdom, creativity, and possibility


    5. Building Cultures of Shared Human Dignity

    Why leaders must go first—before rolling out programs to their teams

    Why belonging, trust, and psychological safety emerge from leadership embodiment

    How to navigate tension, conflict, and accountability humanely


    6. Letting People Go with Dignity

    Why leaders wait too long—and how avoidance is rooted in fear

    Practices that help leaders handle heartbreak without shutting down

    How honesty, compassion, and clarity shorten recovery for everyone involved


    7. Moving from Fear → Possibility → Wonder

    Regulating the nervous system to move out of survival mode

    Inquiry-based practices leaders can use in difficult moments

    What a regulated, dignified leadership presence looks and feels like


    8. Three Actionable Steps for Leaders

    Return to Yourself – Ask “Where am I right now?” to soften fear and re-enter awareness.

    Identify What’s Happening – Recognize whether you’re in fear, possibility, or grounded presence.

    Make One Active Choice – Even a tiny aligned action builds agency and breaks fear cycles.



    👤 Connect with Beck Sydow:

    Founder, HumanKind Business Leaders

    Former CEO, StickerGiant | Operations Leader | Mental Health + Well-Being Practitioner

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/


    Beck brings a rare blend of operational excellence, leadership experience, and deep training in contemplative psychotherapy—making her uniquely qualified to guide leaders through meaningful, transformative change.


    __________________________________________________


    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    Designing Anti-Inflammatory Workplaces with Specialist Jaqueline Oliveira-Cella Feb 24, 2026
    Show notes

    What if rising healthcare costs, burnout, and disengagement weren’t people problems—but system problems? In this episode, Ashish Kothari speaks with actuary and health strategist Jaqueline Oliveira-Cella to explore flourishing as a business strategy, anti-inflammatory workplaces, and how culture, leadership, and benefits design directly impact health, performance, and cost.

    Key Topics Covered

    1. Why flourishing is a strategic lever for CEOs and CFOs
    2. Culture as a hidden driver of health risk and performance
    3. Anti-inflammatory vs. inflammatory workplaces
    4. The limits of traditional employee benefits and cost-shifting
    5. Designing equitable, accessible, and preventive health benefits
    6. Manager trust, psychological safety, and engagement decline
    7. Emotional intelligence as a performance differentiator
    8. The SAFE framework for individual clarity, reflection, and better decisions

    Connect with Jaqueline Oliveira-Cella:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaquelineoc/

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    Unlocking Human Potential Through Soulgery with Ahmet Bozer Feb 17, 2026
    Show notes

    What if leadership, performance, and fulfillment all began with inner growth? In this deep and expansive conversation, Ashish Kothari sits down with former Coca-Cola executive Ahmet to explore Soulgery —a powerful, practical framework for lifelong growth, meaning, impact, and resilience. This episode bridges leadership, psychology, spirituality, and performance into a lived, actionable model for flourishing.

    Key Topics Covered:

    1. Why every business is ultimately a people business
    2. Soulgery: a holistic model for personal growth and self-leadership
    3. The inner vs. outer self and the role of awareness
    4. The four acts of growth: direction, impact, excellence, and resilience
    5. How meaning, love, and wisdom shape leadership and fulfillment
    6. Performing with excellence through rhythm, not perfection
    7. Responding vs. reacting to life’s challenges
    8. Growth as a lifelong, interconnected journey

    Connect with Ahmet Bozer:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmetbozer/

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    How Values-Driven Leaders Build Businesses That Truly Flourish with Jean Moncrieff Feb 10, 2026
    Show notes

    What if building a great business mattered more than building a big one? In this episode, Jean Moncrieff shares hard-won lessons from entrepreneurship, Small Giants, and purpose-driven leadership—revealing how values, people, and intentional growth create long-term success without burnout.

    🔑 Key Topics Covered

    1. Why chasing revenue alone leads to burnout and stalled growth
    2. Purpose-driven leadership vs. survival-mode entrepreneurship
    3. Small Giants principles: values, people-first culture, intentional growth
    4. How leadership growth must match business growth
    5. Early warning signs founders are stuck in fear, firefighting, or plateau
    6. Redefining success beyond profit, scale, and vanity metrics

    If you’re a founder, executive, or leader feeling stuck, exhausted, or disconnected from your original mission—this conversation offers a powerful reframe: profit is the outcome, not the purpose. Flourishing starts with people, values, and leadership from the inside out.

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    Flourishing Without Guilt: Redesigning Work, Leadership, and Life for Working Mothers with Mary Sheehan Feb 03, 2026
    Show notes

    What if guilt—not ambition—is the real burnout driver for working mothers? In this powerful conversation, Ashish Kothari sits down with Mary Sheehan to unpack why high-performing women feel stuck in a no-win game—and how leaders and individuals can redesign work to truly flourish.

    This episode blends lived experience, leadership insight, and science-backed practices to help working parents move from exhaustion and self-blame to clarity, boundaries, and sustainable performance.

    Key Topics Covered

    Why guilt is the #1 struggle for working mothers—and how societal expectations amplify it

    Values-based decision making as a practical antidote to burnout

    The hidden cost of broken corporate systems: RTO mandates, inflexibility, childcare, and unpaid parental leave

    Leadership’s role in inclusion: why flexibility and outcomes-based work benefit everyone

    Mary’s powerful concept of the “Minimum Viable Person (MVP)”—small daily practices that restore energy and identity

    Micro-practices for self-compassion, nervous system regulation, and resilience

    How leaders at every level can redesign teams to support parents without sacrificing performance

    Only ~20% of people are thriving at work—and working mothers are disproportionately paying the price. This conversation reframes flourishing not as a perk, but as a strategic leadership responsibility and a deeply human necessity.

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    People First, Profit Follows: Building a Thriving, Human-Centered Workplace with David Hughes Jan 27, 2026
    Show notes

    What if putting people first wasn’t just the right thing to do—but the smartest business strategy? In this episode of the Flourishing Edge Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with David Hughes of BCR Engineering to explore how trust, relationships, and human-centered leadership create thriving teams, resilient cultures, and long-term performance.

    Key Topics Covered

    1. Why people-first leadership drives sustainable profit and performance
    2. How true and honest relationships build trust with employees and clients
    3. Moving from annual performance reviews to developmental check-ins
    4. Creating psychological safety and distributed leadership
    5. Supporting employee growth, well-being, and individual “genius”
    6. Navigating crises with strong culture and deep relationships
    7. Practical examples of human-centered workplace practices that work

    David Hughes is a leader at BCR Engineering, a company known for prioritizing employee well-being, trust, and long-term relationships as the foundation of success.

    🔗 Connect with David Hughes & BCR Engineering

    1. Website: https://www.bcreng.com
    2. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bcr-engineering

    🎧 Subscribe to Flourishing Edge Podcast for weekly conversations on leadership, culture, and unlocking human potential through flourishing.

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    Unapologetically Human: Why Stability Is the New Superpower for Leadership and Performance with Crystal Fernando Jan 20, 2026
    Show notes

    In this deeply human and science-backed conversation, Ashish Kothari sits down with Crystal Fernando to explore why today’s burnout, overwhelm, and underperformance signal a human capacity crisis—not a performance problem. Together, they unpack how leaders can reclaim stability, agency, and humanity to thrive in a fast-changing, AI-driven world.

    Key Topics Covered:

    The human capacity crisis vs. traditional performance challenges

    Why stability must come before agility in leadership and organizations

    The neuroscience of safety, mindset, and intentional focus

    Crystal’s SIMPLE framework for sustainable leadership and flourishing

    Moving from busyness to intention and from reaction to clarity

    How empathy fuels innovation, trust, and long-term performance

    Letting go of control to unlock flow, creativity, and resilience

    Practical micro-practices to restore agency and calm in daily work

    This episode is a powerful invitation to slow down, reconnect with what makes us human, and redesign work so people—and performance—can truly flourish.

    Connect with Crystal:

    Founding Partner and CEO, Whatbox Innovation Partners

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/crys-fernando/

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    Building Flourishing Cultures and Human-Centered Leadership with Jeffrey Schmitz Jan 13, 2026
    Show notes

    What if your company’s greatest competitive edge wasn’t technology or strategy — but culture?

    In this inspiring episode of The Flourishing Edge Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Jeffrey Schmitz, CEO of Zebra Technologies, to explore how the global tech leader is redefining success through its brand philosophy: Better Every Day.

    From engineering to marketing to becoming Chief People Officer and now CEO, Jeff’s career journey embodies a human-centered approach to leadership — one that proves people and purpose are at the heart of innovation and performance. Together, they dive deep into how flourishing cultures, inclusive leadership, and continuous learning create long-term business success in a rapidly changing, AI-driven world.

    Key Insights & Takeaways:

    1. 🧭The heart of leadership:Why people, not products or profits, define the true strength of a company.
    2. 🌱The power of purpose:How Zebra Technologies built its “Better Every Day” brand around continuous improvement and collective growth.
    3. 🤝Culture as a competitive edge:
    4. How Zebra successfully merged two massive companies (Zebra + Motorola Enterprise) through shared experiences, not slogans.
    5. Why culture must bedefined, invested in,andlived— not left to chance.
    6. 💬Belonging as survival:How inclusion and belonging fuel creativity, innovation, and retention across 54 countries and 9,900+ employees.
    7. 🚀Ownership and growth:Why the key to flourishing careers is never outsourcing your development — and how Zebra empowers employees to own their Individual Development Plans (IDPs).
    8. 🧠Happiness & resilience:Jeff’s personal“5-3-2” practice— five gratitudes, three acts of kindness, and two minutes to reset before reentering family life — and why positivity, hard work, and curiosity are his “three foundations for success.”
    9. 🤖Leading in the age of AI:
    10. How Zebra is creating safe AI sandboxes for experimentation and play.
    11. Why curiosity is now a hiring requirement and the key to thriving in a fast-changing tech landscape.


    1. 🌍The future of flourishing leadership:Practical advice for executives who want to build purpose-driven, adaptive, and joyful organizations — even under shareholder pressure


    🧘 Guest Spotlight: Jeffrey Schmitz

    CEO, Zebra Technologies

    🔗 Connect with Jeffrey on LinkedIn

    Jeffrey Schmitz is a visionary leader who believes culture is the ultimate driver of business success. His career spans engineering, marketing, and HR — culminating in his leadership of Zebra Technologies, a global powerhouse known for its people-first, innovation-driven approach.


    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    Mastering Your Emotions: The Science of Flourishing with Ethan Kross Jan 06, 2026
    Show notes

    What if mastering your emotions was the key to unlocking your peak performance and inner peace?

    In this fascinating conversation, Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Ethan Kross, acclaimed psychologist and author of Chatter and Shift, to explore the science of emotional mastery — and how simple, research-backed tools can help you transform anxiety, anger, and stress into clarity, focus, and resilience.

    Dr. Kross unpacks the six core “emotional shifters” — from sensory awareness to perspective-taking — that anyone can use to quiet mental chatter, navigate life’s chaos, and thrive in both work and life.

    💡 What You’ll Learn:

    🧠 What emotions really are — and why they’re not the enemy.

    ⚡ The purpose of “negative” emotions like anger and anxiety (and how they can fuel growth and innovation).

    🎧 The six emotional shifters you can use to regulate your emotions:

    1. Sensory Shifters: Use music, touch, or nature to calm the nervous system.

    2. Attention Shifters: Learn when to focus and when to take mental breaks.

    3. Perspective Shifters: Reframe your challenges by changing the lens you view them through.

    4. Relationship Shifters: Choose the right “emotional advisors” — people who listen and help you move forward.

    5. Environmental Shifters: Design physical spaces that restore focus, calm, and creativity.

    6. Cultural Shifters: Build and participate in cultures that support emotional well-being.

    🌬️ How to manage anxiety in real time using a “1-2-3” combination of tools.

    💬 The science behind why venting alone doesn’t help — and what actually does.

    🌱 How leaders can create emotionally intelligent, high-performing cultures at work.

    Guest Spotlight: Dr. Ethan Kross

    📚 Author of Chatter and Shift

    🎓 Professor of Psychology and Management, University of Michigan

    🔗 Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekross/

    Ethan Kross is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. His work bridges neuroscience and practical tools, helping people regulate their inner voice, harness emotions, and turn stress into strength.

    🪞 Key Insight:

    Mastering your emotions isn’t about eliminating them — it’s about learning to work with them.

    #FlourishingEdgePodcast #HappinessSquad #EthanKross #AshishKothari #EmotionalIntelligence #FlourishingAtWork #MentalFitness #NeuroscienceOfEmotions #MindfulLeadership #PositivePsychology #ChatterBook #ShiftBook #StressManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #shorts

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


    The Science of Meaningful Work and the 3 C’s of Flourishing with Dr. Tamara Myles Dec 16, 2025
    Show notes

    What if you could make every job deeply meaningful — no matter the industry, title, or task?

    In this episode of The Flourishing Edge Podcast, host Ashish Kothari sits down with Tamara Myles, author, researcher, and founder of Keynote Speaker, to explore the science of meaningful work. Together, they reveal how leaders can turn workplaces into thriving communities where employees feel valued, challenged, and connected.

    From her groundbreaking research, Tamara shares the Three C’s of Meaning — Community, Contribution, and Challenge — and how these elements can unlock performance, loyalty, and fulfillment across organizations.

    💡 What You’ll Learn:

    1. 🌱What makes work meaningful:Why it’s notwhatyou do buthowyou experience what you do.
    2. 🧩The 3 C’s Framework:
    3. Community— Creating belonging through care and authentic connection.
    4. Contribution— Recognizing impact and helping people see how their work matters.
    5. Challenge— Stretching potential with support to inspire growth and pride.
    6. 💬Leadership’s impact on meaning:Research shows leaders shape 48% of how meaningful work feels.
    7. 🪞The power of positive feedback:How one simple “thank you” per week can halve burnout and disengagement.
    8. 🔁Gratitude as culture:A story of how one leader’s “five Friday thank-you emails” transformed an entire team.
    9. 🧠The ROI of meaning:How fostering meaningful work drives productivity, retention, engagement — and even financial performance.
    10. 🤖Meaning in the age of AI:Why human connection, purpose, and mattering are more vital than ever in a technology-driven world.

    🧘 Guest Spotlight: Tamara Myles

    Founder, Keynote Speaker & Researcher on Meaningful Work

    🔗 Connect with Tamara on LinkedIn

    Tamara Myles is a leading expert in organizational psychology and meaningful work. Her research, consulting, and talks help companies cultivate workplaces where people don’t just perform — they flourish.

    🪞 Key Insight: “Meaningful work isn’t about what you do — it’s about how you experience what you do.”

    __________________________________________________

    Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

    Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

    YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad


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