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 small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the face of unprecedented economic turbulence—triggered by sharp market downturns and a new wave of import tariffs.

These external pressures are putting nearly $150 billion of headwinds on SMBs, threatening both financial stability and long-term survival.

Ashish shares three critical leadership capabilities that can help SMB leaders to survive and thrive through this storm:

1. Adaptability and Resilience – Cultivating inner calm, shifting into resilient mindsets, reconnecting to purpose, and leading with vulnerability and psychological safety.
2. Leveraging Data and Analytics – Using data to assess risk, segment customers, evaluate suppliers, and make strategic, insight-led decisions.
3. Negotiation Excellence – Preparing for tough conversations with customers and suppliers and acting decisively with clarity, fairness, and confidence.

Ashish also introduces support offerings from Happiness Squad and a team of seasoned experts to help business leaders navigate these times—ranging from free white papers and webinars to a deep-dive bootcamp and mastermind community.

Be the clarity, courage, and calm your people need in this time of chaos. Tune into this episode now and get the edge your business needs.

Resources:✅

• http://tariffresponseteam.com/ 
• Cultivate Focus and Calm: https://insighttimer.com/bfcmind/guided-meditations/abc-meditation-for-focus-and-calmness 
• Should-Cost Modeling Tool: https://www.gep.com/blog/technology/should-cost-modeling-because-you-must-get-the-cost-right
• Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset 

Books:✅

• The Lexus and the Olive Tree: https://www.thomaslfriedman.com/the-lexus-and-the-olive-tree/ 
• Man's Search for Meaning By Viktor Frankl: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Meaning 
• Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman: https://amzn.eu/d/dsLrKrS 
• Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://happinesssquad.com/hardwired-for-happiness/