Flourishing Edge Podcast with Ashish Kothari

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 resilien...

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, c...

What if the secret to flourishing wasn’t about doing more—but about realizing you already are enough? In this inspiring episode of the Flourishing Edge Podcast , host Ashish Kothari is joined by Jennifer Cohen , Founder and Director of Seven Stones Leadership Group , to explore how shifting from scarcity to sustainable abundance can transform your leadership, your relationships, and your life. Tog...

In a world of constant noise, speed, and digital overwhelm, how do we reclaim our inner stability and thrive? This week on The Flourishing Edge, Ashish Kothari welcomes Emma Seppala, Yale School of Management faculty member, bestselling author of Sovereign and The Happiness Track, and pioneering researcher in well-being science. Together they explore what it truly means to be sovereign—to live wit...

Founders are praised for their grit — but what about their grace? In this powerful episode of The Flourishing Edge, Ashish Kothari sits down with Lisa Mikkelsen, Partner at Flourish Ventures, to explore the hidden mental and emotional costs of entrepreneurship — and how founders can thrive without sacrificing their well-being. Lisa shares hard-won insights from 25 years in startups and venture cap...

What if working less could help us live more — with greater energy, purpose, and joy? In this eye-opening conversation, Ashish Kothari sits down with Karen Lowe, South Africa’s lead advocate for the 4-Day Workweek movement and founder of 4 Day Week South Africa, to explore how shorter work weeks are transforming productivity, culture, and well-being across the globe. Karen shares how a passion pro...

What if your next “competitive edge” as a company wasn’t innovation or efficiency—but compassion? In this eye-opening episode of The Flourishing Edge, Ashish Kothari sits down with David Shapiro to unpack how recovery-friendly workplaces are redefining what it means to truly support employees. From mental health to substance use recovery, David reveals why inclusion, belonging, and psychological s...

What if the most painful moments in life could become the greatest catalysts for growth? In this deeply moving episode of The Flourishing Edge, Ashish Kothari sits down with Ian Ziskin, President of EXec EXcel Group LLC, author, and leadership thought leader, to explore the powerful connection between loss, learning, and leadership. Ian shares the personal story that shaped his life from age 13 —...

What if our obsession with being “happy all the time” is actually what’s keeping us from true wellbeing? We’ve been chasing happiness as a fixed state, a finish line we’re supposed to reach and stay at. But that’s not how life works. Real flourishing isn’t about constant positivity, but learning to move with life’s rhythm through the highs and the lows. Because when the world gets hard, the questi...

Technology promised us progress, and it delivered. But it also left us disconnected, distracted, and disheartened at the same time. With AI advancing faster than human adaptation or regulation, will it erode our humanity, or can it become the very tool that helps us flourish? In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Tamara Lechner to explore how AI can bridge t...

What would it look like if organizations were intentionally designed for human flourishing instead of mere survival? Most workplaces today are leaking energy—burnout is rising, workers are underpaid, and leaders are still chasing profits at the expense of people. We’ve never had more knowledge about wellbeing, yet we remain starved for practice, with millions stuck in jobs that deny them dignity,...

Great leaders pour themselves into serving others, sometimes until they burn out. But if you want lasting impact, understand that it requires balance. When service comes without self-care, burnout follows. And when self-care comes without service, your leadership’s meaning fades. That’s why the key is learning to hold both, so you can thrive while helping others flourish. In this episode, Ashish K...

Small and medium businesses make up nearly half of all employment and GDP, yet they often struggle to compete against the scale, brand power, and resources of large corporations. Too often, the advice given to them is to “play bigger”—but that’s a losing battle. What if the real advantage lies in embracing their underdog status? In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast , Ashish Kothari sits...

What truly drives people to thrive at work isn’t perks or programs, but the culture leaders create every single day. But when the day-to-day culture at work is marked by fear, unclear roles, and pressure from the top, people disengage no matter how many benefits you offer.  Leaders often miss this because they’re chasing quarterly targets or process checklists, leaving human potential untappe...

Work doesn’t have to be a grind. In fact, the smallest acts of care, recognition, and empowerment can spark extraordinary transformation in how people show up and thrive. Yet too many leaders still chase big programs and sweeping changes, overlooking the everyday moments that actually matter most. What if the secret to flourishing at work has been in front of us all along? In this episode of the H...

Leaders often assume transformation comes from learning new skills or following the latest management trend. But real change begins when we confront our own beliefs, reflect deeply, and choose to step out of victimhood into agency. That inner work is what lays the foundation for lasting growth in how we lead and live. Only then can leaders create change that resonates far beyond the workplace. In...

For years, companies have relied on credentials and rigid job structures that filter out talent instead of developing it. But in a world where roles are shifting fast, especially with AI, those old models are holding organizations back and leaving employees frustrated. It’s time for organizations to unlock human potential by rethinking talent development for the future of work. In this episode of...

Most organizations aren't blind to the rising stress, burnout, and quiet quitting at work. They're just implementing workplace well-being programs that don't work. Leaders are left wondering why their people are disengaged despite offering meditation apps and mental health webinars. The real issue is that wellbeing isn't built into the business strategy. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podc...

We’ve got more tools, more tech, and more opportunities than any generation before us. On paper, we should be thriving. So why is it that, despite all this progress, work still feels exhausting? Why have our workplaces become places of stress and burnout even though we've never been more prosperous? In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Joseph Loizzo and Elazar Aslan, co-authors of Bound...

On paper, everything looks right: your team is talented, your strategy is solid, and your goals are clear. So why does it still feel like progress is harder than it should be? Often, the real barrier isn’t a lack of strategy. It's because your people don't feel safe to bring their best selves to work. The issue is in your culture, which may have been shaped by years of fear and pressure. And in tr...

Organizations love to talk about well-being. But scratch beneath the surface, and it’s the same old perks: gym discounts, meditation apps, an extra day off. All while work itself remains exhausting. Leaders, you need to wake up! Only 20% of employees are thriving. More than 60% report daily stress. And the economic cost of poor workplace well-being is an estimated $12 trillion. It’s time to fix th...

If a factory machine breaks, leadership responds within hours.  If a system glitch halts production, it’s triaged immediately. But when a team’s morale is tanking, the response takes 6–12 months—if it comes at all.  How did we get to a point where our physical assets get more respect than our human ones? We've spent years treating burnout like a solo thing to fix when it’s actually an or...

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...

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 pow...

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 ene...