Do Happy Work

Is it ever too late to change careers, find your purpose, or finally do work that feels meaningful? What if discovering your true calling later in life isn't a sign that you've fallen behind, but a natural part of becoming who you truly are? In this episode of the Do Happy Work Podcast , Olivier and Vira explore why humans are late bloomers by nature and why finding fulfilling work often...

This episode explores the value that is contained in our WHY, the promise we need to make to the world as a final consequence to who we are. It destroys the paradigm that all strong WHYs are about problem solving and installs a new idea that we are first and foremost here to give something whose consequence will be our impact on existing problems. Text us! We'd love to hear your thoughts. Foll...

In this episode of Do Happy Work , I explore the idea that we may be looking at work—and life—through far too small a lens. I use the analogy of a sandbox and a mathematical bracket to question our constant drive to accumulate more: more money, achievements, degrees, possessions, connections, and professional success. We keep trying to fill the space, believing that more will eventually bring us m...

What does air travel teach us about happy work? In this episode of the Do Happy Work Podcast, Olivier explores why businesses lose their meaning when they become commodities. He argues that a meaningful “why” doesn’t come from the marketplace—it comes from personal truth, curiosity, and the desire to create value that genuinely serves human needs. Using the airline industry as an example, Olivier...

We’re taught to see money as transactional, even when our work is deeply meaningful. But what if getting paid isn’t taking from the relationship — it’s what allows the value to keep flowing? This episode was first published earlier this year. In it, I explore why we struggle to receive money, the connection between self-worth and payment, and how a more natural, cyclical relationship between givin...

What if the way you have learned to think, solve problems, work and build and run businesses is keeping you small? Linear thinking is the popular way that we apply to everything, but as it turns out, it’s neither natural, nor beneficial to the creation of value and our Happy Work. Thinking and acting along straight lines is the prison we have normalized. If we want to do work and build businesses...

Is capitalism really the problem, or is it how we've been taught to practice it? In this episode, we break down the difference between transactional capitalism (working to take, to own, to amass) and transformational capitalism (working to give, to create real value, to serve). We'll explore the "threshold" concept, the point where your basic needs are met and your work should...

Criticism is uncomfortable, but it can be one of the fastest ways to grow. In this episode, we explore how your reactions to criticism reveal valuable insights about yourself and your work, and why the most successful entrepreneurs don't avoid criticism, they use it to improve, adapt, and keep moving forward. Text us! We'd love to hear your thoughts. Follow on Linkedin: Olivier Egli 

What if everything you've been taught about value is wrong? For most of my career, I measured the worth of my work in revenue, returns, and results. Until I realized that even when the numbers checked out — something was still missing. After 12 years of studying human work and what makes it truly meaningful, I arrived at a simple but radical conclusion: real value was never about money. It wa...

Bad days don't mean something is wrong with you. They mean you're human. In this listener Q&A episode, Vira brings Olivier a question we've all lived through " how do you handle the days when you want to give up, question everything, and wonder why you even started?" Olivier's answer might surprise you. Instead of offering a productivity hack or a motivational pep...

In this episode of Do Happy Work, I sit down with Viri Ponce — Latina financial advisor, mother, and passionate advocate for helping Latinas build financial independence beyond the limits of culture and traditional expectations. Viri's story begins with a simple but telling childhood goal: earning enough money to buy herself a Game Boy — without asking her parents for a single penny. What sta...

Are you finding your place in a world of AI or finding a place for AI in a world of humans? That one question changes everything. In this episode of the Do Happy Work Podcast, Olivier challenges the fear-driven mindset pulling professionals toward two dangerous extremes: blind adoption or total rejection of AI. Neither leads to meaningful work. The real threat isn't artificial intelligence it...

Originally aired October 2024: Ever feel like every coffee shop looks and feels the same? It’s a trend these days, where unique ideas seem to blur into one standard experience. But here’s the truth: while anyone can start a business, only a few make it a true reflection of themselves. This episode explores what it takes to bring authenticity into business, creating something that truly stands out...

We've convinced ourselves that being busy is the same as being creative. It's not.  In this episode, Olivier breaks down one of the most misunderstood dynamics in modern work: the difference between true creativity and productivity dressed up to look like it. If your work has started to feel empty, forced, or directionless, this episode explains the reason why. Reflect on these questions...

What does a mortgage loan officer have to do with happy work? Everything, when the person doing it is a born educator and provider who refused to let her work stay surface-level. In this episode, Olivier sits down with Verenice León Hurtado, a mortgage professional who stopped chasing numbers and started chasing meaning, and discovered that the two aren't mutually exclusive. They're just...

Why does it feel wrong to get paid for the work that feels most like you ? This episode explores the hidden imposter syndrome behind happy work, and why charging well for the work you do isn’t selfish, but essential. When your work is real, payment isn’t a bonus. It’s what allows it to continue. If your work is an expression of who you are, getting paid for it is what keeps it alive. Text us! We&#...

Not all of us choose to be business owners and that's great! Leaders need to better understand their employees, but first... employees need to be self-leaders.  Text us! We'd love to hear your thoughts. Follow on Linkedin: Olivier Egli 

When a listener gets laid off from a job they thought they loved, it raises a deeper question: was it ever truly happy work to begin with? Olivier unpacks the critical difference between happiness and joy — why one is a baseline you own and the other is a reaction to things outside of you. If losing a job leaves you lost and questioning everything, that's a sign your happiness was outsourced....

Many business owners are asking: “How can AI help me stand out?” In this episode, we challenge the premise. AI is a powerful tool—but tools alone never create differentiation. True distinction comes from clarity about who you are, what you stand for, and the unique angle only you can bring. Once that inner direction is clear, technology becomes an amplifier. Without it, even the best tools only pr...

In this episode of Do Happy Work , I respond to a powerful client question: How should leaders handle personal hardship and emotional conversations at work? In this episode, we explore: Why businesses must acknowledge what their employees are going through, without it becoming an unstructured therapy space The danger of addressing hardship too late, only when conflict or burnout has already surfac...

In this thought-provoking episode, we explore a question that challenges conventional wisdom about work: What is the core problem facing today's working population? Instead of pointing to economics or broken systems, this episode reveals a deeper truth about how we've lost our connection to abundance, peace, and the natural flow of life—and how this disconnect shapes everything about how...

This is my final contribution of 2025, an offering on purpose, and an invitation to pause before the new year begins. Rather than entering another year searching for purpose or hoping it shows up, this episode invites you to start the year already grounded in it. You’ll learn: • Why searching for purpose can actually disconnect you from it • How modern culture distorts our understanding of purpose...

In professional circles, it is common to think that working towards betterment is a good thing. But what If that’s actually what is holding us back from our true growth? Text us! We'd love to hear your thoughts. Follow on Linkedin: Olivier Egli 

This week, we’re unpacking what truly shapes our identity, our character, our personality, and the hidden forces driving both. The thing is, you can’t do your best work if you don’t actually own yourself. Tune in to discover what real self-ownership is.  Text us! We'd love to hear your thoughts. Follow on Linkedin: Olivier Egli 

Curiosity isn’t just a trait; it’s our greatest gift and highest art form. In this episode, we explore how reconnecting with your natural sense of wonder and play can transform the way you work and lead. If you’re building a business or career that truly reflects who you are, curiosity isn’t optional; it’s the compass that keeps you aligned with your truth. If you'd like the handout mentioned...