When an organization is trapped in survival mode, it doesn’t just face external pressure. It suffers an internal collapse of energy, creativity, and coherence. Chronic stress becomes the culture, innovation dries up, and people burn out trying to keep the lights on. But just as individuals can heal from trauma, so can organizations, if leaders are willing to shift from constant doing to conscious being. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Mieke Jacobs explore how e...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 136
The happiness we used to know was like a reward, something that shows up once life finally goes our way. But what if that moment never comes? What if life hands you unimaginable loss instead, and you're left trying to piece together who you are and what comes next? The truth is, happiness isn’t a finish line. It’s a conscious choice, and a lifelong practice. And no one embodies that truth more powerfully than Karen Guggenheim. Karen Guggenheim is the founder and CEO of WOHASU®, the organization ...
Jul 08, 2025•46 min•Ep. 135
We often treat money as the finish line. We chase it, measure ourselves by it, and let it shape our choices. But in doing so, we lose sight of the real question: What are we trading our money for—and is it making us truly flourish? As we live in a world that often celebrates achievement, it's easy to build wealth while unintentionally bankrupting other parts of our lives, such as our time, our energy, and our relationships. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down...
Jul 01, 2025•49 min•Ep. 134
We often talk about strategy, technology, and profit as the engines of success. And in times of rapid change and uncertainty, it’s easy to double down on those levers. But what if we’re missing the most important one? In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Niren Chaudhary, former CEO of Panera Brands, joins Ashish Kothari to share a leadership philosophy rooted in something many leaders overlook: love and care for people. Because at the end of the day, companies aren’t machines, they’re...
Jun 24, 2025•56 min•Ep. 133
What if the success stories you believe, the leadership advice you follow, and the wellness rules you swear by are built on shaky evidence—or no evidence at all? Even well-meaning ideas like grit, purpose, and diversity can cause harm when taken at face value. So, we challenge you to think critically before embracing feel-good narratives. In today’s Happiness Squad Podcast episode, Ashish Kothari and Alex Edmans expose the dangers of misinformation in the pursuit of happiness, well-being, and le...
Jun 17, 2025•58 min•Ep. 132
Ever walked into a conversation with the best intentions…only to walk out with a broken relationship? The cost of emotional avoidance in the workplace is massive, and invisible. Most people don’t fail at communication because they’re cruel. They fail because they never learned how to do it without causing damage. In today’s Happiness Squad Podcast episode, Ashish Kothari and Dr. Carole Robin , co-author of Connect and co-founder of Leaders in Tech, explore how small changes in how we communicate...
Jun 10, 2025•55 min•Ep. 131
We live in a world that glorifies hustle, high performance, and constant doing. We rarely pause to ask what truly drives us or what it might cost to keep going without pause. Success demands work, but what if it's not always about pushing harder? While it might not sound like it, slowing down, looking inward, and rediscovering your purpose can redefine your performance and growth. In this powerful episode of The Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Alison Tetrick to explore wha...
Jun 03, 2025•53 min•Ep. 130
Sometimes, it feels like work wasn't designed with us, humans, in mind. Human suffering at work is becoming far too common in our tech-driven world of work. It’s burning us out, disconnecting us, and draining our energy. We’ve lost sight of the one thing that truly powers progress: people. But there's a way to break that mean cycle. A better way to redesign work to fuel joy, not exhaustion. In this inspiring Happiness Squad Podcast episode, Ashish Kothari and Rich Sheridan, CEO and Chief Storyte...
May 27, 2025•55 min•Ep. 129
Many leaders today are emotionally dysregulated, and that shows up in the way they lead, communicate, and coach others. If you think emotional intelligence is just a “soft skill,” this one’s your wake-up call. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Dan Docherty, President of Braintrust and Neurocoach, to expose the hidden cost of emotional dysregulation at work. They discuss how neurocoaching helps turn emotional intelligence from a theory into a repeat...
May 20, 2025•51 min•Ep. 128
Our workplaces are full of smart, capable people who are stuck in survival mode. They’re overwhelmed, constantly busy, and unsure how to sustain high performance. Meanwhile, organizations continue to default to control-based leadership, even though it's no longer effective in a fast-changing, “loosely coupled” world. Does this mean consistently driving high performance while maintaining personal well-being is impossible today? Not when you have the right tools. In this Happiness Squad Podcast ep...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 127
At work, we often operate in transactional mode, almost always skipping the human side of communication. But if you want to build trust, boost performance, and create a culture of belonging for your teams, you need to let go of silence, stress, and surface-level interactions. The only way to make meaningful connections is intentionally embracing positive communication. However, it’s easier said than done. That’s why we partnered up with Dr. Julien Mirivel for the second time in this episode to e...
May 06, 2025•46 min•Ep. 126
Too often, leaders think their biggest job is solving problems and driving results. But in the process, they unintentionally become task machines: skipping the “hello,” missing the human moments, and delivering feedback like checklists. That’s a sure way to build a culture where people feel unseen, unappreciated, and disconnected. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast , Ashish Kothari and Dr. Julien Mirivel explore a new model of communication with small, intentional practices that help...
Apr 29, 2025•50 min•Ep. 125
It's no secret that artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of work. But one question looms large: will AI strip us of our humanity—or help us become more of who we’re meant to be? As technology accelerates, it's easy to fear that empathy, connection, and self-awareness will fall behind. But what if the secret to thriving in the age of AI is not rejecting it—but learning how to pair it with something deeply human? In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast , Ashish Kothari and Rasmus...
Apr 22, 2025•54 min•Ep. 124
Would you trade your brain health for career wins? You might already be and you're not noticing it. It's in the way you push through the back-to-back meetings, rely on caffeine to stay sharp, and squeeze in rest when you can. Your brain is keeping score of that behavior, and if you keep doing it, your performance, energy, and health will slowly decline—even while you’re “succeeding.” Today’s Happiness Squad Podcast episode is your chance to flip the script. Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Ryan...
Apr 15, 2025•52 min•Ep. 123
What do you do when $150 billion in economic pressure is knocking on your door? If you're leading a small or medium-sized business right now, you're not just navigating volatility—you're steering through a full-blown storm. Between plummeting markets, rising tariffs, and a fog of uncertainty, we can no longer afford to keep doing business as usual. In this special episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari, Founder & CEO of Happiness Squad, addresses the urgent challenges facing ...
Apr 11, 2025•37 min•Ep. 122
So many of us are negotiating every day: at work, at home, and most importantly, with ourselves—without even realizing it. Yet, when we think of “negotiation,” we often imagine a high-stakes business deal or a zero-sum game where someone wins and someone loses. That mindset is long obsolete. It's been holding us back from better relationships, greater confidence, and even personal happiness. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Mori Taheripour—renowned negotiation e...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 121
Most businesses start with a bold “why,” but along the way, profits take over, and purpose fades into just another corporate slogan. Now, with ESG and purpose-driven business facing backlash, companies are backing away, fearing controversy and short-term losses. But the truth is that leaders who abandon purpose risk more than just bad PR; they lose trust, culture, and long-term success. In this episode of The Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Thomas Eckschmidt to explore how...
Apr 01, 2025•58 min•Ep. 120
Employees are burnt out, disengaged, and silently struggling with their mental health. Meanwhile, leaders assume they’re doing enough because their company offers an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) or has a "Mental Health Matters" poster in the breakroom. But most employees never use these resources. Not because they don’t need help, but because they don’t feel safe enough to ask for it. This silence is costing businesses productivity, innovation, and even lives. So, how do we change this? How...
Mar 25, 2025•54 min•Ep. 119
If you want your company to scale, here's one question you need to ask yourself: Are you growing your people as fast as you're growing your revenue? Too many leaders obsess over business expansion but ignore the foundation that makes it possible—PEOPLE. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Ryan Heckman remind us that when you invest in your people’s growth, your business follows. Ryan reveals the leadership shift that can turn any stagnant company into an unstoppabl...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 118
We’ve been sold this idea that work and life are two separate things—one to survive, the other to enjoy. But here’s the truth: It’s all just life. The best workplaces don’t force people to "balance" their time between stress and fulfillment. They create cultures where work itself is a source of purpose, growth, and well-being. That’s exactly what Teresa Roche, Chair of the Learning Innovation Laboratory at Harvard and CHRO at the City of Fort Collins, has helped build—an adaptive and well-being-...
Mar 11, 2025•57 min•Ep. 117
keep up with endless demands. Trying to "just get through the day" instead of truly thriving can impact you far beyond your personal well-being. It cascades down to your teams, organizations, and long-term success. So how do you shift from just surviving to actually thriving? That’s what we dive into in this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast with Ashish Kothari and Renee Moorefield, CEO of Wisdom Works Group, Inc. Renee Moorefield, PhD, is the CEO of Wisdom Works, a social enterprise she co...
Mar 04, 2025•44 min•Ep. 116
Episode Summary: In this episode, we dive deep into the power of rewiring our minds and relaunching our lives with transformational coaches Hillary DeCesare and Ashish Kothari. We explore how limiting beliefs hold us back, why traditional habits don’t always stick, and how the Belief Blaster tool can help you break free from subconscious patterns. Plus, we introduce the Rewire & Relaunch program—a 40-day journey designed to help you make lasting changes in the four key domains of life: W...
Feb 26, 2025•46 min•Ep. 115
Most leaders think of creativity as something exclusive to artists, but it’s actually a skill leaders can learn to master. Just like art, leadership requires taking risks, challenging assumptions, and building what doesn’t exist yet. If you’re ready to stop playing it safe and start making a real impact, it’s time to unleash your creative edge. In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Will Day, Award-winning Abstract Painter-Artist, break down exactly how to turn creati...
Feb 25, 2025•58 min•Ep. 114
The world glorifies the grind of entrepreneurship, but nobody talks about the toll it takes on your well-being. Stress, self-doubt, and a constant need to prove yourself can leave even the most driven entrepreneurs feeling stuck. Without addressing the root cause, you risk burnout and a loss of purpose. Self-discovery is the game-changer most entrepreneurs overlook. In this Happiness Squad Podcast episode, Ashish Kothari and Alex Raymond, Founder of AMplify, Board at Kapta, and Host of The Consc...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 113
We live in a world where success often leads to burnout, anxiety, and loneliness instead of fulfillment. Ashish Kothari, Founder and CEO of Happiness Squad, faced this firsthand, realizing that titles and achievements alone weren’t enough. His journey from relentless striving to meaningful happiness led him to uncover truths about well-being that many miss. In our latest episode, Ashish shares how he founded Happiness Squad to help people find purpose, resilience, and true joy in life. Things yo...
Feb 11, 2025•20 min•Ep. 112
Uncertainty has become the new normal, and as a leader, it can feel like the ground beneath you is constantly shifting. How do you inspire confidence when you're struggling to find it yourself? Without a strong foundation in your leadership, it can be difficult to respond to challenges and your team could feel it too. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Jason Hanson show you how to change the game with grounded leadership and lead with strength, clarity, and convic...
Feb 04, 2025•46 min•Ep. 111
Leadership often feels like navigating a high-stakes game where every decision could make or break the outcome. Yet, the best leaders aren’t the ones who power through with toughness alone—they are the ones who master the ability to stay calm under pressure. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Brent Lang explore how mental calmness helps leaders build resilience, maintain optimism, and inspire teams to thrive under pressure. Brent Lang is an Olympic gold medalist a...
Jan 28, 2025•48 min•Ep. 110
Social media was supposed to connect us, but instead, it’s become a source of stress, manipulation, and mental health challenges. From endless scrolling to harmful algorithms, the negative effects are clear. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast , we uncover the truth about social media’s negative impact on our minds and explore practical ways to take back control with Mark Weinstein. Mark Weinstein is a social media pioneer and privacy advocate. He founded early social media platforms ...
Jan 21, 2025•49 min•Ep. 109
Stress and burnout aren’t inevitable—they’re symptoms of how we’ve been working. Habits like juggling too many tasks, always staying connected, and back-to-back meetings have become so routine that we hardly question them anymore. But these habits are taking a toll on our happiness and well-being. In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari, Founder of Happiness Squad, explores the hidden costs of these behaviors, the drivers behind them, and how we can build a more intentiona...
Jan 14, 2025•29 min•Ep. 108
Leaders, here’s the wake-up call: More than half of your workforce is burned out. Ignoring it won’t make it go away, and throwing tools like mindfulness apps at the problem won’t fix it either. The solution lies in redesigning how work happens. In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Jen Fisher, Former Human Sustainability Leader and Chief Well-being Officer at Deloitte, uncover why workplace well-being is directly tied to your organization’s success and how you can ma...
Jan 06, 2025•54 min•Ep. 107
