Flourishing Edge Podcast with Ashish Kothari

Every year, 200,000 veterans leave the military and more than half can't get hired. But this isn't just a veteran story. It's a story about everyone whose talent the system was never built to see. AETHEON co-founders Marie Gill and Gina Jeneroux join Ashish Kothari to unpack one powerful idea: we don't have a talent problem, we have a problem translating real human experience into language employe...

Most companies treat employee retention as an HR problem. The data from hundreds of P&Ls says it's a leadership problem and the companies that figure that out first are the ones that consistently outperform. Rohit Bassi, McKinsey veteran, private equity operator, and author of People Priority , introduces a framework that is changing how business leaders think about their most valuable asset....

Most companies treat labor as a cost to be minimized. Zeynep Ton has spent two decades proving that's the most expensive mistake a business can make. Zeynep is a professor at MIT Sloan, founder of the Good Jobs Institute, and author of The Case for Good Jobs . Her research across retail, hospitality, and service industries has documented what companies like Costco, Trader Joe's, QuickTrip, and Mer...

What if the quality that we’ve been told will weaken us - self-compassion - is actually the key to wellbeing, and higher performance? In this episode, Dr. Kristin Neff, the pioneering researcher who first defined and measured self-compassion, challenges one of the most persistent myths in high-performance culture: that being hard on yourself makes you better. It doesn't. Thirty years of research s...

Feedback is something we often crave yet simultaneously fear. In this episode, host Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Brodie Riordan , an industrial-organizational psychologist and author of Feedback Fundamentals and Evidence-Based Practices . Brodie pulls back the curtain on the academic research surrounding feedback to provide a practical, "chewed up" version that anyone can use. They discuss wh...

In this enlightening episode, host Ashish Kothari welcomes Pauline Leung , a former senior leader at L'Oreal turned high-performance coach and holistic health practitioner. Pauline shares her dramatic "wake-up call"—a motorbike accident in Vietnam—that shifted her from an overachieving, "victim-mindset" executive to a mindful leader. They demystify mindfulness, moving it away from "just meditation...

In this inspiring episode, host Ashish Kothari sits down with Meghan French Dunbar, a "business anthropologist," entrepreneur, and author of This Isn't Working. Meghan shares her powerful "metamorphosis" journey—from a high-achieving CEO burnt out by age 34 to a leader who centers flourishing as the primary driver of success. They explore why the current model of leadership is fundamentally broken...

The most powerful leader in the room isn't always the smartest—often, it’s the one who is most present. In this episode, Ashish Kothari is joined by Sophie MacLaren, a leadership consultant and mindfulness expert at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. They dive deep into why mindfulness is far more than just meditation, exploring how a calm, present mind is a biological necessity for long-te...

Are you a leader who drains energy or one who generates it? In this episode, Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Katina Sawyer, co-author of Leading for Wellness, to redefine what it means to be a "Generator" leader. They explore how to bridge the gap between high performance and human-centric wellness by shedding the "robotic mask" and showing up as a whole person. Whether you lead a small team or...

In this transformative episode, host Ashish Kothari welcomes Jack Swift—a West Point graduate, former U.S. Army Airborne Ranger, and tech CEO—to discuss his groundbreaking new book, Level 7 Leadership: The Blueprint for the Human-Machine Era. Jack argues that in an age of exponential AI growth, the most critical leadership skill isn't "doing" more; it’s "being" more. We explore why traditional lin...

In this eye-opening episode of Flourishing Edge, host Ashish Kothari sits down with Kweilin Ellingrud, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and co-author of The Broken Rung. While much attention is paid to the "glass ceiling" at the top of organizations, Kweilin’s research reveals that the most significant barrier to women’s advancement—and specifically women of color—happens at the very first...

In this vital episode, host Ashish Kothari kicks off the new year by tackling a topic that affects half the global population but remains shrouded in "perimenopause blindness." Guest Kacy Fleming, a healthcare veteran and founder of The Fuchsia Tent, shares her harrowing personal journey through a transition she wasn't prepared for. Together, they break down why menopause isn't just a private "bot...

In this profound episode, host Ashish Kothari sits down with Jessica Grossmeier, a leading authority in workplace well-being with nearly 30 years of experience. Jessica bridges the gap between hard science and the "soft" concepts of purpose, connection, and transcendence. They discuss the current crisis of burnout and loneliness, but more importantly, the actionable "individual playbook" found in...

In this vibrant episode, host Ashish Kothari welcomes "reinventability queen" Nataly Kogan. Nataly's journey is a masterclass in metamorphosis—from arriving in the US as a refugee to a career at McKinsey, venture capital, and tech entrepreneurship, and now her ultimate evolution as a professional artist and speaker. They dive deep into Nataly’s Reinventability Framework , a structured yet creative...

In this insightful episode, host Ashish Kothari sits down with Eleanor Allen—a powerhouse leader who has navigated the peaks of the engineering world, led global social impact as the CEO of Water for People, and served as CEO of B Lab. Eleanor shares her "accidental" discovery of inner development and how moving from a rigid, "controlled" masculine leadership style to one of vulnerability and radi...

Stop wasting 50% of your time in unproductive meetings and start leveraging the "Flourishing Edge." In this episode, Ashish Kothari sits down with John Betancourt , CEO of Humantelligence, to discuss how a 10-minute behavioral assessment can transform corporate culture from the bottom up. This episode is for leaders, HR innovators, and team members who are tired of miscommunication and want to unl...

In this eye-opening episode, host Ashish Kothari sits down with positive psychology expert Llewellyn van Zyl to confront the double-edged sword of Artificial Intelligence. As AI shifts from a productivity tool to a source of "psychological support," we explore the thin line between technology that empowers us and technology that erodes our core human faculties. Whether you are a business leader, a...

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 h...

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 Why...

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 f...

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 Why chasing revenue alone leads to burnout and stalled growth Purpose-driven leadership...

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 fr...

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 Why people-first leadership drive...

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. tr...

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 Office...