On this episode of the JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast, Greg De Koker sits down with global executive, leadership advisor, and founder of Ascencia Group, Wray Carvelas, for a powerful and grounded conversation on what it truly means to lead with joy, purpose, and genuine care for people.
With a career spanning engineering, mining, and global leadership – including CEO roles leading thousands – Wray brings a rare perspective: high performance at scale, built through people, not pressure.
But what sets his leadership apart isn’t just what he’s achieved – it’s how he’s achieved it.
In this episode, we explore:
• Why joy isn’t a reward for results – but a strategic starting point• How leaders set the emotional tone for their teams (whether they realize it or not)
• The shift from “work-life balance” to true integration of life, purpose, and leadership
• The role of ikigai in aligning passion, strengths, and impact
• The hidden cost of taking on too much – and how self-awareness changes everything
• How to lead in environments that resist change – and still stay true to your values
Wray also shares honest reflections from his journey – what he’s learned, what he’s unlearned, and what it really takes to create cultures where people feel valued, empowered and inspired to do their best work.
If you’ve ever felt the tension between performance and humanity…
If you’ve questioned whether joy truly belongs in leadership…
This conversation will challenge your assumptions – and invite you to lead in a way that changes everything.
Because when leaders choose joy first, everything else follows.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Welcome to Joy Squared / Why Work-Life Balance is a Myth
00:01:37 Meet Wray Carvelas / From Global CEO to People-Centered Leader
00:03:30 Believing in Big Possibilities
00:07:12 Shifting Mindsets Around Joy at Work
00:12:25 Why Leaders Must Care Before They Lead
00:14:05 Joy vs Work-Life Balance / Why Life Must Be Blended
00:21:32 Be the Reason for Joy / Leadership Starts With You
00:26:55 Knowing Your People Deeply
00:28:00 Misconceptions About Productivity
00:34:14 Choosing What Matters Most
00:35:45 Self-Awareness and Courage / Overcoming Joy Blockers
00:40:37 Finding Purpose and Actively Caring
00:41:32 How to Connect with Wray
00:42:54 Leading with Joy, Purpose, and Impact
00:44:50 Closing Message / Joy is Contagious – Spread It
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to stay connected and subscribe to the "JOY² – Live With Joy" Podcast so you never miss a conversation designed to help you live, work and lead with more joy – intentionally.
Connect with Greg De Koker
Website: www.joy2.ca
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gregdekoker/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/greg_de_koker/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/greg.koker.5/
Connect with Wray Carvelas
Website: www.ascenciagroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wray-carvelas-80520032/
Listen and Subscribe to JOY²:
Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-live-with-joy-podcast/id1886910363
Spotify: creators.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-squared-podcast
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@JOY2LiveWithJoyPodcast
Stay Connected to JOY²:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/joysquaredofficial/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/joysquaredofficial/
Take Action
Inspired by this conversation? Start where Wray starts: with people.
Today, choose one person you lead, work with, or care about – and intentionally show them that they matter. Not through a task or transaction, but through genuine connection.
Ask a better question. Listen a little longer. Be fully present.
Because leadership doesn’t begin with strategy. It begins with how you show up for people.
Action Tip
Before your next meeting or conversation, pause for 10 seconds and ask yourself:
“How do I want this person to feel after interacting with me?”
Then lead from that intention. Joy, care and connection aren’t accidental – they’re chosen. And they’re contagious.
Be the reason someone experiences more joy today.
