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 linear leadership models are "blue-screening" in the modern world and how cultivating internal coherence is the only way to lead teams that move with the speed and fluid trust of a murmuration of birds.

Main Topics Covered

Being vs. Doing: Why our "human doing" habits are causing us to suboptimize performance and burn out.

Internal Coherence: Aligning the gut, heart, and brain to create a stable internal state that cascades through an organization.

The "Ammonia" of Stress: A visceral look at how extreme stress physically manifests in high-pressure boardrooms and battlefields.

Relational Alignment: Why trust is the "speed of light" for any organization and how to build it through radical honesty.

The "I Don't Know" Advantage: How admitting ignorance and mistakes builds an upward spiral of psychological safety and learning.

Systemic Learning: Moving away from "PowerPoint Theater" toward raw, real-time data loops and "edge listening."

L7 (Level Seven): The Agentic Coach: An introduction to Jack’s AI agent designed to help leaders move from knowing to doing.

Key Takeaways

Your State is Your Reality: The internal condition of the leader determines the creative capacity of the team. A fear-based state limits innovation; a coherent state unlocks it.

The "Do-Be-Do" Rhythm: Effective leadership isn't about constant meditation; it’s about taking intentional "being" pauses (like box breathing) to inform high-impact "doing."

Trust is Mandatory for Speed: You cannot outwork a machine, but you can out-trust a competitor. High-trust teams operate in a "murmuration" state, sensing and reacting as one unit.

Listen to the Edges: The most valuable insights often come from the most junior members or those on the periphery who see the world without the "film" of past experience.

Intuition is LiDAR: In a world moving too fast for historical data (the rearview mirror) to be relevant, training your intuition is essential for navigating uncertainty.

Episode Chapters

0:00 - 3:10 Introduction: The Survival Struggle of Modern Leaders

3:11 - 8:44 The Big Idea: Being as the Primary Driver of Doing

8:45 - 14:30 Coherence Defined: Heart Math and the Battle for Clarity

14:31 - 21:05 The TIFIN Story: When Old Frameworks "Blue-Screen"

21:06 - 28:47 Shifting States: Learning from Elite Athletes and Special Ops

28:48 - 34:36 The One-Minute Mindset: Rhythmic Entrainment in the Boardroom

34:37 - 40:41 Relational Alignment: Why Servant Leadership is Evolving

40:42 - 45:35 The Power of "I Don't Know" and "I Made a Mistake"

45:36 - 50:21 Aspirational Teams: Moving Like a Murmuration

50:22 - 57:18 Systemic Learning: Dropping the "Theater" for Raw Data

57:19 - 1:03:03 LiDAR vs. Rearview Mirrors: The Future of Intuition

1:03:04 - 1:08:19 Rapid Fire: L7 AI Agent and Closing Micro-Actions

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn: Jack Swift

The Book: Level 7 Leadership: The Blueprint for the Human + Machine Era

Community: Sangha Conscious Leadership

Stop "blue-screening" and start leading. Follow The Flourishing Edge, like this episode, and share it with one leader who is ready to upgrade their internal operating system.

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Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

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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 step to manager. We unpack why educational achievements aren't translating into promotions, the hidden value of "experience capital," and how the disparity in sponsorship versus mentorship quietly stalls promising careers. This episode provides a data-backed blueprint for individuals looking to take agency over their advancement and for leaders committed to building truly equitable talent pipelines.

Main Topics Covered

The Broken Rung Defined: Why the first promotion to manager is the biggest point of inequality in the talent pipeline.

The Education Paradox: Why women out-earn men in college degrees but stall at the entry level.

Picking the Right Company: Why the organization you choose matters more for lifetime earnings than your specific job or boss.

Experience Capital: Understanding the skills, knowledge, and wisdom learned on the job that account for half of lifetime income.

The Sponsorship Gap: Why women are often over-mentored but under-sponsored, and how to fix it.

Network Structures: The difference between open and closed networks and why mixing personal and professional circles is a career accelerator.

Skill Signaling: How to quantify and communicate social and emotional skills for better career rewards.

Key Takeaways

Fix the Rung to Fix the Top: You cannot equalize the C-suite without first fixing the first promotion to manager; the "talent funnel" math simply won't work otherwise.

Sponsorship is the Game-Changer: Mentors provide advice, but sponsors create opportunities. Aim for 2–3 active sponsors who will advocate for you when you aren't in the room.

Beware the "Narrow" Network: Women are statistically more likely to have junior, gender-homogenous networks. Diversify your network across levels, functions, and genders to increase your "reach."

Make "Big Bold Moves": To maximize experience capital, aim for roles where 25% or more of the required skills are new to you.

Stay Near the "Cash Register": Spending time in the "Power Alley"—the functions that drive a company's revenue and profit—builds unrivaled credibility and career acceleration.

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn: Kweilin Ellingrud

The Book: The Broken Rung

McKinsey Research: Women in the Workplace Report

Don't let your career stall at the entry level. Follow Flourishing Edge, like this episode, and share it with a colleague or mentor to start building the sponsorship bridge today.

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Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad

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 "bothersome" health issue, but a critical business priority impacting productivity, retention, and $26.6 billion in annual U.S. healthcare costs. This is an essential conversation for leaders of all genders to understand the "midlife collision" and how to support their most experienced workforce.

Main Topics Covered

• The "Blindness" Epidemic: Why both men and women often fail to recognize perimenopause symptoms, attributing them instead to stress or life crises.
• The Business Case for Care: Analyzing the billions lost to absenteeism, turnover, and "presenteeism" due to unsupported hormonal transitions.
• The Midlife Collision: Navigating the "barge" of a booming career and demanding home life while riding a hormonal roller coaster.
• Fragmented Symptoms: Moving beyond hot flashes to understand the cognitive fatigue, anxiety, and "anhedonia" (loss of joy) that impact work performance.
• The 3H Framework for Leaders: A strategic approach involving Healthcare (policies), Help (leadership skills), and HRT/Therapy access.
• Clinical Advocacy: The importance of seeking menopause-trained clinicians and moving past dismissive medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Menopause is a Biomarker: Symptoms like night sweats aren't just uncomfortable; they are biomarkers for future cardio-metabolic and neurodegenerative health.
• Clarity Follows Physiology: Before blowing up a career or relationship during a midlife crisis, check if your "lens" is clouded by hormonal fluctuations.
• Universal Leadership Skills: Supporting menopause doesn't require "special treatment"—it requires the universal skill of having compassionate, difficult conversations.
• Audit, Don't Just Add: Before buying new "wellness apps," audit your current health plans for $0 co-pays on HRT and remove "step edits" that delay proper care.
• Pay Now or Pay Later: Organizations can invest in proactive care now or pay much higher costs later in the form of healthcare claims and lost talent.

Connect with the Guest

• Website: The Fuchsia Tent
• LinkedIn: Kacy Fleming
• Free Resource: The Greene Scale (Symptom Tracker)

Don't let your top talent suffer in silence. Follow The Flourishing Edge, like this episode, and share it with a colleague or leader to start the conversation that grows the pie for everyone. __________________________________________________

Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad

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 Jessica’s new book, Well at Work. This conversation is a call to move from merely knowing the research to embodying practices that foster spiritual groundedness and peak performance.

Main Topics Covered

The State of Work: Why employee engagement and loneliness are at critical levels despite a corporate focus on efficiency.

The "Science to Action" Gap: How to move beyond head nods from executives to genuine organizational transformation.

Workplace Spirituality: Redefining spirituality as a connection to something bigger and its impact on the "inner void."

Self-Transcendent Mental States: Understanding the physiological and psychological benefits of awe, flow, and joy.

The Power of Presence: Why high-end physical workspaces are a waste without the practice of mindful attention.

Fostering Flow: The "monotasking" revolution and how to protect deep work in a world of 42 disruptions per hour.

Replenishing Routines: Practical "Micro-Recoveries" to charge your inner battery throughout the workday.

Key Takeaways

Spirituality as Resilience: Science (including neuroimaging) shows that a spiritual life—a quest for meaning and connection—builds a more resilient brain and protects against cognitive decline.

Awe at Work: You don't need a trip to the Grand Canyon to experience awe; focused attention on nature (even via a window or VR) can trigger a sense of connection that reduces stress.

Monotasking is a Superpower: Multitasking results in a 10–20% productive loss. Protecting "deep work" containers is essential for creative and error-free output.

The "Micro-Recovery" Strategy: Much like high-performance athletes, workers must integrate recovery (Vitamin M/Movement, journaling, awe walks) into their day to sustain high performance.

Intention over Policy: Culture changes when individuals set an intention for how to show up and hold each other accountable to those values.

Episode Chapters

0:00 - 4:16 Loneliness, Burnout, and the Current State of Work

4:17 - 10:25 Bridging the Gap: Moving from Research to Genuine Action

10:26 - 15:25 Jessica’s Breaking Point: Breaking a Jaw and Finding Spirituality

15:26 - 19:15 The Awakened Brain: The Neuroscience of Spirituality

19:16 - 22:50 The Lever of Transcendence: Awe, Joy, and Flow

22:51 - 26:33 Fostering Presence in the Mundane Tasks of Work

26:34 - 32:39 Case Study: OCB Holdings and the Culture of Care

32:40 - 38:00 Social Connection: Transforming Small Talk into Heart Work

38:01 - 41:42 The Flow Deficit: Protecting Deep Work in Disrupted Environments

41:43 - 46:19 Replenishing Routines: Moving from Doing to Being

46:20 - 51:42 Vitamin M, Awe Walks, and Charging Your Inner Battery

Connect with the Guest

Website: JessicaGrossmeier.com

Books: Well at Work and Reimagining Workplace Well-being

Free Resource: Workplace Spirituality Practice Guide

Don't wait for your organization to change. Follow The Flourishing Edge, like this episode, and share it with a colleague who needs a "Micro-Recovery" boost today.

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Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad

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 approach to becoming more of who you are meant to be. This episode is for anyone feeling stuck in a career that looks good on paper but feels soul-crushing, and for leaders looking to foster a culture of growth and innovation.

• Defining Reinventability:Why reinvention isn't about becoming someone new, but about uncovering the dimensions of yourself that have been waiting to emerge.
• Step 1: The Zone of Greatness:How to find the intersection of what you love, what you're great at, and where you want to have an impact.
• Step 2: Possibility-Driven Thinking:Moving from a "map of obstacles" to a "map of possibilities" by quieting the brain’s negativity bias.
• Step 3: Challenging Limiting Beliefs:Using the story of a world-record hot dog eater to prove that psychological barriers are just stories we tell ourselves.
• Step 4: Act to Learn:Why clarity and confidence only emergeafteraction, and how to use 14-day "activation sprints."
• Step 5: Evolve and Experiment:Lessons from James Dyson’s 5,126 "failures" and the importance of measuring progress backwards.
• The Alchemist & Personal Legends:The spiritual and psychological cost of rejecting your true calling.

• Authentic Impact:Just because your work is impactful for others doesn't mean it’s meaningful for you. True flourishing requires the bridge to be built on both sides.
• Greatness is Effortless:Your "Zone of Greatness" often involves things that come so easily to you that you might discount them as "not real work."
• Action Creates Clarity:Stop trying to plan your way into a new life. Take small, "pivotal experiments" to generate the data you need to move forward.
• Measure the Gain, Not the Gap:Looking at how far you have to go kills motivation. Looking back at the actions you've taken this week builds the "blocks" of confidence.
• The Cost of Inaction:Staying disconnected from your personal legend is a primary source of mental and physical suffering.

• Website:NatalyKogan.com
• LinkedIn:Nataly Kogan
• Book:It's Okay to Be Awesome / Happier Now

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 radical self-awareness transformed not just her life, but her global organization. This conversation is a must-listen for leaders who feel they must carry the world on their shoulders and are looking for a more sustainable, joyful, and high-performance way to lead.

1. The Leader’s Mirror:Why an organization’s state of being is a direct reflection of its leader’s personal flourishing.
2. The Engineer's Armor:Eleanor’s journey from a "got all the answers" professional upbringing to embracing vulnerability.
3. Leading Through Crisis:How the lack of a "COVID playbook" forced a shift toward asking for help and experimenting.
4. Head, Heart, and Plate:A simple, powerful meeting ritual to build connective tissue and psychological safety in teams.
5. The Drama Triangle & Responsibility:Understanding your share of responsibility in workplace conflict.
6. For-Profit vs. Non-Profit Flourishing:Common drivers and unique stressors (like the "philanthropy myth") in different sectors.
7. The Flourishing Leader Summit:A preview of the upcoming Denver/Boulder intensive on April 29th.

1. Self-Care is Organizational Care:Leaders stuck in "survival mode" cannot create thriving ecosystems; your personal well-being is a strategic priority, not an indulgence.
2. Vulnerability is a Catalyst:Admitting you don't have the answers during uncertain times invites the team to step up, innovate, and co-create solutions.
3. Mattering and Appreciation:The universal need to feel valued is often the simplest and most effective lever for increasing engagement in any sector.
4. Measure What Matters:Move beyond superficial "wellness perks" and start measuring root causes like absenteeism, financial stress, and psychological safety.
5. The Power of Slower:Being "calmer" and more intentional in decision-making leads to better outcomes and more trusting team dynamics.

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 unlock higher performance through science-based radical self-awareness. Discover why the future of work isn't just about AI replacing tasks, but about AI making us more human.

• The "Transformational" Meeting:How behavioral insights can redesign agendas, optimize group discussions, and ensure every voice is heard.
• John’s Leadership Journey:Lessons fromProctor & Gamble, Wharton, and interviewing over 5,000 C-suite executives.
• The Three Pillars of Success:Why good judgment, managing by influence, and deep self-awareness are the ultimate markers of a great leader.
• The Science of "Ask Aura":A look at how Humantelligence measures behaviors, motivators, and work energizers in just 10 minutes.
• Culture as a Dynamic Force:Why a "one-size-fits-all" corporate culture is a myth and how sub-cultures vary by function and geography.
• Operationalizing Insight:How to move beyond "personality tests in a drawer" by integrating AI coaching into Slack, Teams, and Outlook.
• The "Mood Meter":A simple, non-tech ritual to foster compassion and psychological safety within teams.

• Agile Leadership:True leadership isn't about telling people what to do; it’s about becoming "five different people" to meet each direct report where they are.
• Duality is an Asset:High-performing teams embrace the tension between opposites—being both deliberate and decisive, or conceptual and detail-oriented.
• The Power of Misperception:The highest level of self-awareness is understanding how you aremisperceivedby others and having the tools to course-correct.
• AI as a "Human" Enabler:AI should be used as a "vitamin" to enhance soft skills and empathy, rather than just a "painkiller" for administrative tasks.

• Website:Humantelligence
• LinkedIn:John Betancourt(Note: Profile URL uses legal name)
• Tool:Explore Ask Aura

1. Hyperpersonalization vs. Scaling: How AI can provide granular, 1:1 care at a global scale.
2. The "Friendship" Trap: A look at the ethical fallout when users become emotionally addicted to empathic AI models.
3. Substitution vs. Support: The critical distinction between tools that help us grow and those that make our cognitive "muscles" atrophy.
4. The Erosion of Agency: Why outsourcing our reasoning to AI might lead to a loss of autonomy and critical thinking.
5. The AI-IARA Framework: An introduction to Llewellyn’s model for psychologically safe AI design (Awareness, Interpretation, Intention, Action, Relational Agency, and Autonomy).
6. The Future of the Psychology Profession: Why practitioners must learn the language of engineers to remain relevant.
7. The AI and Future of Well-being Summit: A preview of the upcoming global gathering of experts.

1. Skills are Muscles: When we outsource basic tasks like writing, spelling, or reasoning to AI, we don't just save time—we physically lose the cognitive capacity to perform those skills through "frictionless" living.
2. Guard Against Engagement-Only Models: Much like social media, AI systems optimized for "eyeballs" rather than "impact" risk creating dependency and addiction rather than genuine flourishing.
3. Demand Technological Humility: It is vital for professionals to admit what they don't know about AI to prevent harm and ensure that human-centric values are built into the "behavioral architecture" of new tools.
4. Prioritize Agency: True well-being is the ability to write your own life story. We must ensure AI remains a partner in that process, not the author.

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 her transformative model of People-Hearted + Business-Minded leadership, showing how fear, core wounds, and over-indexing on one side of leadership keep organizations stuck in survival mode. She shares a roadmap for leaders to reconnect with their intrinsic worth, regulate their nervous systems, and lead in ways that create sustainable organizational health and performance.

This is not a conversation about theory—it’s about lived experience, emotional truth, and the real work leaders must do to cultivate conditions where people and businesses thrive.

🎯 Key Topics Covered

1. What Flourishing Really Means at Work

Why flourishing requires both performance and well-being

The five essential elements: meaning, energy, growth, abundance mindset, and belonging

Why businesses flourish when their people flourish

2. The Missing Foundation: Human Dignity

How disconnection from our own worth derails leadership

Understanding dignity as birthright—for ourselves and for every person we lead

Why programs fail when leaders haven’t done the inner work

3. Fear as the Real Barrier to Flourishing

How fear creates armor, perfectionism, overachieving, people-pleasing, or disconnection

The way fear masquerades as productivity or “high standards”

Founders’ core wounds and how they shape leadership behavior

4. The People-Hearted + Business-Minded Model

Balancing targets with operating conditions

The danger of over-indexing on either business needs or people needs

How to hold two truths at once to access wisdom, creativity, and possibility

5. Building Cultures of Shared Human Dignity

Why leaders must go first—before rolling out programs to their teams

Why belonging, trust, and psychological safety emerge from leadership embodiment

How to navigate tension, conflict, and accountability humanely

6. Letting People Go with Dignity

Why leaders wait too long—and how avoidance is rooted in fear

Practices that help leaders handle heartbreak without shutting down

How honesty, compassion, and clarity shorten recovery for everyone involved

7. Moving from Fear → Possibility → Wonder

Regulating the nervous system to move out of survival mode

Inquiry-based practices leaders can use in difficult moments

What a regulated, dignified leadership presence looks and feels like

8. Three Actionable Steps for Leaders

Return to Yourself – Ask “Where am I right now?” to soften fear and re-enter awareness.

Identify What’s Happening – Recognize whether you’re in fear, possibility, or grounded presence.

Make One Active Choice – Even a tiny aligned action builds agency and breaks fear cycles.

👤 Connect with Beck Sydow:

Founder, HumanKind Business Leaders

Former CEO, StickerGiant | Operations Leader | Mental Health + Well-Being Practitioner

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becksydow/

Beck brings a rare blend of operational excellence, leadership experience, and deep training in contemplative psychotherapy—making her uniquely qualified to guide leaders through meaningful, transformative change.

__________________________________________________

Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/happiness-squad

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myhappinesssquad/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad

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.

1. Why flourishing is a strategic lever for CEOs and CFOs
2. Culture as a hidden driver of health risk and performance
3. Anti-inflammatory vs. inflammatory workplaces
4. The limits of traditional employee benefits and cost-shifting
5. Designing equitable, accessible, and preventive health benefits
6. Manager trust, psychological safety, and engagement decline
7. Emotional intelligence as a performance differentiator
8. The SAFE framework for individual clarity, reflection, and better decisions

Connect with Jaqueline Oliveira-Cella:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaquelineoc/

__________________________________________________

Happiness Squad Website: https://happinesssquad.com/

Ashish Kothari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishkothari1/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@MyHappinessSquad

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