Flourishing Edge Podcast with Ashish Kothari

Ashish Kothari
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Welcome to Flourishing Edge. This is the podcast dedicated to helping you unlock your full potential by mastering the art and science of happiness. We bring on the best leading experts on the topic of human flourishing to help you unlock your true potential and live with more joy, health, love, and meaning in your life. Your host is Ashish Kothari, the Founder and CEO of Happiness Squad, a company focused on helping individuals and organizations make flourishing their competitive edge and operate at their fullest potential. Thanks for being here and joining the squad! Learn more: https://happinesssquad.com/

  1. -6 ДН.

    How to Truly Flourish Through Life’s Highs and Lows with Dr. Michelle McQuaid

    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 question isn’t how to stay happy — it’s how to keep flourishing anyway. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Michelle McQuaid, to explore why flourishing isn’t about being happy all the time — it’s about learning how to rise with confidence, compassion, and courage when life knocks us down. Dr. Michelle McQuaid, Ph.D. is an award-winning researcher, best-selling author, and workplace wellbeing teacher who translates positive psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies for leaders and teams.  She is an honorary fellow at Melbourne University’s Centre for Wellbeing Science, hosts the Making Positive Psychology Work podcast, and has helped organizations globally to build psychological safety, strengths-based cultures, and more resilient workplaces.  This episode teaches how leaders and individuals can cultivate true flourishing not by avoiding discomfort, but by embracing it as a path to deeper growth, purpose, and human connection. Things you will learn in this episode:• Why happiness alone isn’t the true measure of flourishing • The power of confidence in navigating life’s highs and lows • How embracing imperfection fuels learning and growth • Why self-compassion is a leadership advantage • The neuroscience behind psychological safety at work • How to shift from chasing happiness to building inner strength Listen to the full episode now and discover practical tools you can use to redefine what it means to flourish. ✅Resources:• How to make flourishing your competitive edge by Ashish Kothari on TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRV-2C-fkNg&t=146s  • michellemcquaid.com  (Company) • thewellbeinglab.com  (Company) • permahsurvey.com  (Free Wellbeing Survey) • Dr. Michelle McQuaid on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chellemcquaid  • Seligman’s PERMA+ model: https://positivepsychology.com/perma-model/  • Oxytocin shot tool: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6949379/  • Carole Dweck’s The Power of Yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic  ✅Books:• Your Wellbeing Blueprint by Dr. Michelle McQuaid: https://a.co/d/8mLoSHr  • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/ftKT8SZ

    51 мин.

  2. 28 ОКТ.

    How AI can Amplify Human Flourishing with Tamara Lechner

    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 the gap between what we know and what we practice in the pursuit of human flourishing. Tamara Lechner is a happiness expert, author, and global speaker. As Chair of the AI & Human Flourishing Working Group at Harvard, she helps leaders and organizations apply the science of flourishing to create meaningful, human-centered futures. In the conversation, Ashish and Tamara unpack how AI can either harm or uplift us, and what it will take for leaders, organizations, and individuals to put humans at the heart of this powerful technology. Things you will learn in this episode: • Why AI is both friend and foe depending on how we use it. • The three ethical AI pillars: productivity, protection from harm, and fairness. • The overlooked dimensions of flourishing AI must support • Why organizations—not just individuals—must own responsibility for burnout and culture. • How to shift from audience to activist in shaping the future of technology Join us in building a future where technology enhances humanity rather than diminishes it. Tune in now to hear how we can harness AI to truly help humans flourish. ✅Resources:• How to make flourishing your competitive edge | Ashish Kothari | TEDxGreenhouse Road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRV-2C-fkNg  • AI for Human Flourishing: https://www.aiforhumanflourishing.com/ • The Human Flourishing Program: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/ai-human-flourishing  • Reframing employee health: Moving beyond burnout to holistic health by McKinsey Health Institute: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/reframing-employee-health-moving-beyond-burnout-to-holistic-health • Conscious Capitalism Movement: https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/  • IEEE 7010: A New Standard for Assessing the Well-being Implications of Artificial Intelligence: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2005.06620  ✅Books:• The Happiness Reset: What to do When Nothing Makes You Happy by Tamara Lechner: https://a.co/d/gZY7eXu  • Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/9LWxYmV

    48 мин.

  3. 21 ОКТ.

    Eudaimonia as the Blueprint for Creating Flourishing Workplaces with Andrew Soren

    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, security, and purpose. But today, that changes. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Andrew Soren to explore how to design organizations where people can flourish using the ancient Greek concept of Eudaimonia—living a life of purpose, growth, and virtue. Andrew Soren is the founder and CEO of Eudaimonic By Design, a global network of facilitators, coaches, and advisors who partner with organizations to design systems that enable people to flourish. For more than 20 years, he has worked at the intersection of positive psychology, organizational design, and leadership development, helping companies around the world embed purpose, meaning, and wellbeing into the heart of work. Andrew also teaches in the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, sharing the science and practice of human flourishing with the next generation of leaders. Things you will also learn in this episode: • The meaning of Eudaimonia and how it differs from Hedonia. • Why modern society is disconnected from nature and what it means to “suffer well.” • The role of decent work (freedom, equity, security, dignity) as the foundation for flourishing. • The business, competitive, and moral cases for designing organizations where people thrive. • Practical ways leaders can create cultures of care, growth, and purpose at work. Tune in now and learn how ancient wisdom and modern science can help us bring virtue and flourishing back into our workplaces. ✅Resources:• Eudaimonic by Design: https://www.eudaimonicbydesign.com/andrewsoren  • Eudaimonic by Design: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eubd/  • Confuscian and Aristotelian Philosophy: https://bigthink.com/thinking/confucius-aristotle/  • Changemaker Wellbeing Index: https://wellbeingindex.ca/  • Column: U.S. Surgeon General: Loneliness Is at Heart of Growing Mental Health Crisis: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/publication/column-us-surgeon-general-loneliness-heart-growing-mental  ✅Books:• The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work by Zeynep Ton: https://a.co/d/f8OmSfT  • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/8qWGfEU

    42 мин.

  4. 14 ОКТ.

    Human Flourishing at Work - Building a Life of Service and Self-Care with Dr. Tenzin Dadul

    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 Kothari and Dr. Tenzin Dadul explore how leaders can build a flourishing life by aligning service with self-care, gratitude, and continuous growth. Dr. Tenzin Dadul is a Clinical Associate Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology and Director of Educational Research at the University of Detroit Mercy. He is also the founder of "Wild Flower," a mission-driven organization that, since around 2009, has provided free medical, dental, and cancer care and educational support to underprivileged children and Himalayan refugee communities. In 2022, he was awarded the Agere ex Missione Award by Detroit Mercy for his outstanding service and other honors from institutions in the U.S. and abroad. His story is a powerful reminder that true leadership and flourishing begin when we care for ourselves as deeply as we care for others. Things you will also learn in this episode: • Why service without self-care leads to burnout • How Dr. Tenzin transformed failure and hardship into a flourishing life of purpose • The importance of mentorship and education as a “golden ticket” for generational impact • Insights on preventing burnout in healthcare and leadership • How Eastern and Western philosophies can be integrated for resilience and wellbeing Tune in now to hear how you can lead a flourishing life with both service and self-care at the center. ✅Resources:• Michigan Ross: michiganross.umich.edu • Dr. Tenzin Dadul's website: tenzindadul.org/  • Cancer Medical Dental Organization founded by Dr. Tenzin Dadul: https://www.tenzindadul.org/mission  • His Holiness The Dalai Lama: https://www.dalailama.com/ • Sadhguru: https://isha.sadhguru.org/en/sadhguru  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: https://www.unc.edu/  • University of Detroit Mercy: https://www.udmercy.edu/ • Saveetha Medical College: https://www.smc.saveetha.com/  • Andrews University: https://www.andrews.edu/index.html  • University of Michigan Center for Positive Organizations: https://michiganross.umich.edu/terms/center-positive-organizations  ✅Books:• Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://happinesssquad.com/hardwired-for-happiness/

    40 мин.

  5. 7 ОКТ.

    Flourishing Wellbeing – How Small and Medium Businesses Can Turn Their Size Into Strength and Flourish with Sri Kaza

    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 down with Sri Kaza, Advisory Board at Markaaz and author of the upcoming book UNCONVENTION: A Small Business Strategy Guide, to explore how SMBs can thrive by leaning into what makes them different: positioning, proximity, and purpose. They discuss why small doesn’t mean weak, and how founders can unlock resilience, loyalty, and growth by playing their own game. Sri Kaza is an entrepreneur, investor, and former McKinsey consultant with a career spanning engineering, consulting, finance, and startups. He has helped scale visionary companies like Viking Cruises, co-founded ForwardLine to provide innovative financing for small businesses, and worked closely with entrepreneurs across industries to unlock growth.  Ashish and Sri unpack inspiring stories, actionable insights, and practical strategies that will change the way you think about leading and growing a small to medium business. Tune in to discover how to turn your size into your greatest strength. Things you will learn in this episode: • The three Underdog Principles—Positioning, Proximity, and Purpose—and how to apply them • Why focusing on your core customers builds resilience during crises • How closeness to employees and community becomes a competitive edge • How AI can serve as a growth engine for SMBs rather than just a cost-cutting tool • Practical ways to stay grounded as a founder and align every decision with purpose If you want to discover how small and medium businesses can outcompete giants and make flourishing their competitive edge, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss. ✅Resources:• How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit by Alex Edmans: https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2020/10/01/how-great-companies-deliver-both-purpose-and-profit/  ✅Books:• Unconvention: A Small Business Strategy Guide by Sri Kaza: https://a.co/d/aYYfD8w  • The Experimentation Machine by Jeff Bussgang: https://experimentationmachine.com/ • Hardwired for happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://happinesssquad.com/hardwired-for-happiness/

    47 мин.

  6. 30 СЕНТ.

    Flourishing at Work - Leading with Courage and Kindness with Grace Zuncic

    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 untapped. Grace Zuncic’s journey from small-town roots to Chobani, Cotopaxi, and now Manna Tree Partners shows a different path. In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Grace Zuncic explore how flourishing comes when work itself is designed around courage and kindness. Grace Zuncic is a seasoned executive and board member with deep experience in scaling purpose-driven companies. She has held leadership roles at Chobani, Cotopaxi, and now serves as Partner at Manna Tree, a private equity firm focused on improving human health through investment in food and wellness businesses. In the conversation, Ashish and Grace highlight why the answer isn’t to bolt wellbeing programs onto broken systems but to build workplaces where flourishing is the operating model—unlocking both human potential and business performance. Things you will also learn in this episode: • Why fear is the biggest barrier to flourishing at work • How Chobani became a model of human-centered leadership during COVID • The role of courage and kindness in effective leadership • Why private equity has more influence on culture than it realizes • How board service shapes perspective on building enduring, purpose-driven companies Don’t miss this episode—an urgent call for leaders to lead with courage, act with kindness, and create workplaces where people can truly flourish. ✅Resources:• How to Make Flourishing Your Competitive Edge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRV-2C-fkNg  • What Does a Compassionate Workplace Look Like? With Jane Dutton and Monica Worline: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_does_compassionate_workplace_look_like  • The Cotopaxi Foundation: https://www.cotopaxi.com/pages/our-impact?srsltid=AfmBOoqOcdspf6JmJREdKix62bge5cFMOpEioKkGK1xVMs76EY1mrIUg  • Women on Boards: https://www.womenonboards.net/ • Tugboat Institute: https://www.tugboatinstitute.com/  ✅Books:• Shift by Ethan Cross: https://a.co/d/8ioBnAM  • Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://a.co/d/aj9Uubw  • Everybody Matters by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia: https://a.co/d/4AWqNws  • Ray Dalio’s Principles: https://a.co/d/5wfMHzQ  • Another Way by Dave Wharton: https://a.co/d/gPnSTGC  • You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh: a href="https://a.co/d/03S2CGn"...

    1 ч.

  7. 23 СЕНТ.

    Leadership Training Programs - How Leaders Can Empower Teams to Flourish and Create Big Change at Work with Gretchen Spreitzer

    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 Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Gretchen Spreitzer, Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, to explore how leaders can empower teams to flourish through meaning, competence, autonomy, and impact. Together, they uncover the science of positive organizations and how leaders can create workplaces where people come alive. Gretchen Spreitzer is a pioneering scholar in the field of positive organizational scholarship. At the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, she has spent decades researching and teaching topics such as thriving at work, leadership development, and empowerment. Her work has shaped how leaders and organizations around the world design conditions for people to flourish and succeed.  If you’ve ever wondered how to truly unleash your people’s full potential at work and create a positive organization, this conversation will change the way you approach leadership and people empowerment. Things you will also learn in this episode: • Why small acts of leadership can have a bigger impact than grand gestures • The four dimensions of empowerment and how to apply them in your team • How recognition and authentic feedback can transform workplace culture • Why managers—not just executives—hold the key to reducing burnout • The role of empowerment in the age of AI and organizational change • How to spot and spread the “bright spots” of flourishing inside your company Tune in now to discover how you can start building a workplace where people flourish—not someday, but today. ✅Resources:• Center for Positive Organizations: https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/  • Reflective Best Self Exercise • McKinsey: A holistic approach for employees: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/reframing-employee-health-moving-beyond-burnout-to-holistic-health  • Conscious Capitalism: https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/ ✅Books:• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://a.co/d/0HDetDR • Everybody Matters by Bob Chapman: https://a.co/d/5niWg2c  • Another Way by Dave Whorton: https://a.co/d/j6GUo1E  • Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/1aWVYEx

    52 мин.

  8. 16 СЕНТ.

    Leadership Training for Managers - How to Move From Victimhood to Agency in Leadership and Life with Shawn Quinn

    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 this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Shawn Quinn talk about the deep reflection leaders need to build their own reality and move from victimhood to agency in life and leadership. Shawn Quinn is the Managing Partner of Lift Consulting and Faculty Director of the Positive Leadership program at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. A leading voice in positive leadership and organizational transformation, he has advised global companies including GE, Coca-Cola, American Express, and the U.S. Army. Shawn is also co-author of Leading Innovation: How to Jumpstart Your Organization’s Growth Engine. Shawn and Ashish explored how transformation doesn’t come from another training, another framework, or another leadership fad. It happens when we pause, reflect, and face the beliefs that hold us back. Things you will also learn in this episode: • Breaking free from a victim mindset • Why belief shifts matter more than skills in true transformation • The power of small experiments, reflection, and awareness to spark change • How leaders at any level—not just executives—can create meaningful impact • How workplace behaviors ripple outward into family, children, and community • The challenge of systems and people resisting change Tune in now and see for yourself how this shift unlocks the kind of transformation no trend or tactic can deliver. ✅Resources:• Related episode: (Robert Quinn) https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1b7c5df6-06e1-4929-83d3-5849caa6b9b5  • Strengthsfinder by Gallup: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/254033/strengthsfinder.aspx  • A Fundamental State of Leadership Approach: https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1444&context=jvbl  • Charles Snyder’s Hope Theory: https://www.mindtools.com/aov3izj/snyders-hope-theory  • The Sunflower Model: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ee784c9c-cf26-48df-b07f-b4c0dcc638f3  • The Sunflower Model: https://happinesssquad.com/the-sunflower-model-career-transition-guide-with-ashish-kothari/  • The Power of the 5:1 Ratio: https://michiganvirtual.org/blog/the-power-of-the-51-ratio-in-the-classroom-how-fostering-positive-interactions-can-transform-student-learning/  • Martin Seligman’s Learned Helplessness: a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/learned-helplessness.html" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    56 мин.
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Welcome to Flourishing Edge. This is the podcast dedicated to helping you unlock your full potential by mastering the art and science of happiness. We bring on the best leading experts on the topic of human flourishing to help you unlock your true potential and live with more joy, health, love, and meaning in your life. Your host is Ashish Kothari, the Founder and CEO of Happiness Squad, a company focused on helping individuals and organizations make flourishing their competitive edge and operate at their fullest potential. Thanks for being here and joining the squad! Learn more: https://happinesssquad.com/

Информация

  • Автор
    Ashish Kothari
  • Годы выхода
    2023 - 2025
  • Выпуски
    152
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © Copyright 2023 - Happiness Squad
  • Сайт подкаста
    Flourishing Edge Podcast with Ashish Kothari

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