What if building your career meant amplifying who you already are instead of starting over from scratch? In this episode, we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations on Leaders Creating Rukus with keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and LinkedIn authority Sheikh C. Ali. A former medical student who pivoted away from a traditional path, Sheikh is now the Founder and CEO of SC Medical Media, where he helps clinicians and healthcare executives transform their LinkedIn presence from boring to beaming. For the past two years, he has gone all in on LinkedIn, leveraging its dominance in the B2B space to help leaders build authority, attract high-level opportunities, and land speaking engagements through authentic personal branding. But his journey was not linear.

In this episode, Sheikh opens up about what it really means to pivot with purpose and how storytelling, community, and clarity can turn a platform into a powerful career asset.In this conversation, we dive into:

🔸 Why he walked away from medicine and leaned into entrepreneurship
🔸 How clinicians and executives can build real authority, not just impressions, on LinkedIn
🔸 The difference between visibility and impact in 2026
🔸 Why networking is a lifelong skill, not a last-minute scramble
🔸 And how personality, values, and voice are the real differentiators in the age of AI

💬 “Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room, and LinkedIn gives you a way to shape that story intentionally.”

He had the dream job. The music industry. Celebrity clients. VIP events. Success by every traditional measure.Then at 31, while tying his shoes on a Monday morning, Matthew Emerzian thought he was having a heart attack.It wasn't a heart attack. It was the beginning of a battle with severe anxiety, depression, and a life-changing realization: everything he thought mattered didn't. In this episode of Leaders Creating Rukus, Aashi sits down with Matthew Emerzian, 4x best-selling author, keynote speaker, and Founder & CEO of Every Monday Matters, a movement helping millions of students, educators, employees, and seniors rediscover why they matter.From managing bands and working with some of the biggest names in music to building a global mission around belonging, purpose, and mental health, Matthew shares the journey that transformed his life and inspired his newest book, Make It Matter.

In this episode, Matthew opens up about:
🔸 Why achievement and success don't always create fulfillment
🔸 The surprising lesson his therapist taught him that changed everything
🔸 How helping others helped him find himself again
🔸 The power of mattering, to yourself, to others, and to the world
🔸 Why meaningful human connection may be the answer we're all searching for

If you've ever questioned your purpose, struggled with burnout, or wondered what truly makes a meaningful life, this conversation is for you.

She built an HR company that leads with compassion instead of corporate scripts. Traveled the country alone during the pandemic to rebuild her life from the inside out. And turned her own healing journey into a mission to create workplaces that are both human and impactful. In this episode of Leaders Creating Rukus Aashi sits down with LeiLani Quiray, founder and CEO of be the change HR, social entrepreneur, speaker, and conscious leader redefining what leadership can look like.What started as a payroll job as a teenager became an eight-year HR company helping small businesses build healthier workplaces while dedicating part of its mission to supporting survivors of trafficking and people rebuilding their lives. But behind the business growth was another story. One of addiction recovery, radical self-awareness, and choosing peace over performance. In this episode, Leilani opens up about:

🔸 Why company culture exists whether you define it or not
🔸 The life-changing road trip that forced her to confront what she was masking
🔸 Building a business rooted in care, accountability, and conscious capitalism
🔸 What leaders lose when they numb instead of feel
🔸 How vulnerability became her greatest leadership strength

From scaling a business to living out of a Mazda Miata during COVID, LeiLani’s story is a reminder that leadership is not about perfection. It is about honesty, evolution, and having the courage to become someone new.

Ashar Ahmed has spent more than two decades navigating high-stakes litigation, business disputes, and complex legal battles, but behind the courtroom success is a story built on grit, reinvention, and relentless growth. Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Ashar came to the U.S. in 1991 to study engineering at Purdue University. After realizing engineering was not his path, he pivoted to business and accounting, graduating summa cum laude before launching his career at KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers as a CPA and auditor. But Ashar knew he was meant to advocate, not just analyze numbers. He transitioned into law despite the challenges of navigating legal writing and litigation as a non-native English speaker. Through discipline, humility, and relentless hard work, he eventually became a partner at a national law firm before co-founding his own successful litigation practice. Today, Ashar represents companies and individuals in complex litigation involving financial fraud, corporate governance, trade secrets, consumer fraud, intellectual property, real estate disputes, and employment matters.

In this episode of Leaders Creating Rukus, Ashar opens up about:

🔸 Why embracing your weaknesses is the first step toward growth
🔸 Building a business through delegation, trust, and mindset
🔸 The grit required to succeed as an immigrant and entrepreneur
🔸 Why working “on” the business matters more than doing everything yourselfFrom immigrant student to law firm founder, Ashar’s journey is a powerful reminder that resilience and consistent effort can transform limitations into strengths.

Michael Trust spent more than 35 years navigating the realities of workplace leadership before becoming a California employment attorney. Today, he brings both worlds together, helping businesses and employees solve complex workplace challenges with a rare blend of legal expertise and real world HR insight.

In this episode of Leaders Creating Rukus Aashi sits down with Michael Trust, Esq., employment attorney, former HR executive, and trusted advisor on workplace culture, leadership, and conflict resolution.Before law school, Michael built a decades long career leading Human Resources and business operations across industries including healthcare, higher education, and real estate. After seeing firsthand how workplace issues escalate when people and culture are overlooked, he made the bold decision later in life to attend law school and become an employment attorney, combining practical business experience with legal strategy to help organizations build healthier, stronger workplaces.In this episode, 

Michael opens up about:

🔸 Why most companies wait too long to prioritize HR and culture
🔸 The hidden cost of poor leadership and unresolved workplace conflict
🔸 What business owners misunderstand most about employment law
🔸 Why emotional intelligence matters in leadership and HR
🔸 The growing ethical risks of using AI in hiring, performance, and workplace decisions
🔸 How proactive leadership can prevent costly legal and cultural breakdownsFrom navigating conflict to redefining what strong workplace culture actually looks like, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for leaders, founders, HR professionals, and anyone building teams in today’s rapidly changing world.

If you lead people, manage teams, or want to create a healthier workplace culture, this episode is for you.

He trained at Princeton University, earned his M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College, and built a decades-long career as a leading vascular surgeon. But behind the titles, accolades, and leadership roles is a story shaped by loss, reinvention, and an evolving definition of purpose. In this episode of Leaders Creating Rukus Aashi sits down with Dr. Arun Chervu, surgeon, systems thinker, and now a voice on what it really means to “retire” without stepping away from impact.After 30+ years in practice, scaling a vascular surgery group from 4 to 13 physicians and leading service-line development across major health systems, Arun made a bold shift, not because he had to, but because something no longer felt aligned.

In this episode, Arun opens up about:

🔸 Why losing passion can be a signal, not a failure, to evolve
🔸 The hidden cost of “shift mentality” in modern leadership and care
🔸 How expectations, of yourself and others, can both drive excellence and create friction
🔸 Redefining retirement as reinvention, not withdrawal
🔸 What it means to lead with discipline, clarity, and humanity across decades

From personal tragedy early in life to raising a family, building a respected medical career, and now stepping into advisory, consulting, and teaching roles, Arun’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, responsibility, and recalibration.

If you’ve ever questioned what’s next, even when things look successful on paper, this conversation will stay with you.

She left a fast-paced corporate career. Moved cities with a newborn. Started multiple businesses that didn’t work before finding the one that did. And somewhere in the middle of all that, Mridu Parikh realized… being busy all day doesn’t mean you’re actually productive. If you missed Sunday’s Leaders Creating Rukus, go find this one. It is practical, honest, and surprisingly freeing.

Five things that will stay with me:

🔸 Productivity is a feeling, not a checklist. You can finish 20 tasks and still feel unaccomplished, or complete 2 meaningful ones and feel truly successful.
🔸 Start your day with intention, not reaction. Asking “What will make me feel successful tonight?” changes everything about how you prioritize.
🔸 There is no perfect system. The best tool is simply the one you will actually use consistently.
🔸 If everything stays in your head, it creates stress. Getting it out, even if it feels overwhelming at first, creates clarity and space to think.
🔸 Just because you are good at something doesn’t mean you should keep doing it. Growth often requires letting go of what feels comfortable.If you have ever felt scattered, overwhelmed, or stuck in the cycle of doing more but feeling less, this episode will hit home.

She moved across continents as a teenager, alone, uncertain, and determined to choose her own path. She walked away from expectations, questioned success, and rebuilt her career more than once to find alignment. And through it all, Veena Murthy kept returning to one powerful question: Why? In this episode of Leaders Creating Rukus Aashi sits down with Veena Murthy, healthcare leader, strategist, and creator of the “Back to Me” framework, who has spent over two decades shaping value-based care while helping high-achieving women reconnect with who they truly are. From navigating cultural displacement to leading in high-stakes healthcare environments, Veena shares what it really means to succeed without losing yourself, and why so many leaders feel misaligned even at the top.

In this episode, Veena opens up about:

🔸 Why success without alignment can feel empty, even when everything looks right
🔸 The “whispers” we ignore until life forces us to listen
🔸 How understanding your why becomes a compass for every decisionIf you have ever felt like you are doing everything right but something still feels off, this conversation will stay with you.

Shayla Higginbotham has spent 20+ years navigating the complexity of healthcare, building, advising, and challenging systems from the inside out. Raised in a small town in West Virginia, she learned early what it meant to be different and that success requires more than hard work. It takes thinking differently.A minority woman in male-dominated spaces, Shayla did not just find her voice. She created space for others to have one. Today, she is the Founder and Managing Partner of SYSTEM PARTNERS, helping healthcare organizations bridge the gap between strategy and execution, turning big ideas into real-world results. In this episode of Leaders Creating Rukus, Aashi sits down with Shayla Higginbotham, healthcare executive, advisor, and a leader who embodies healthy disruption. From building health systems to launching her own firm, Shayla shares what it really takes to lead in complex environments.

In this episode, Shayla opens up about:

🔸 Why healthy disruption drives growth
🔸 The gap between strategy and execution
🔸 Building a personal brand that evolves
🔸 Why you have to go through it to get through it
🔸 The power of giving everyone a voice

If you have ever felt stuck, unheard, or ready to lead differently, this one is for you.

She grew up the daughter of immigrant physicians in Ohio, expected to follow a traditional path.

She didn’t.She tried finance. Pivoted to law. Fell in love with healthcare policy.

And along the way, she kept asking one question: How do we actually make healthcare work better for women?This Sunday at 4 PM PST, Leaders Creating Rukus sits down with Priya Bathija, founder and CEO of Nyoo Health, healthcare strategist, and a leading voice in women’s health transformation.From healthcare attorney to policy leader at the American Hospital Association, Priya has spent her career at the intersection of law, strategy, and impact, leading national efforts on value-based care, health equity, and maternal health before stepping out to build her own company.She has advised top institutions, serves as an Expert on Call for the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and is a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. She also supports national advocacy through board roles with Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington and the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance.

But this conversation goes beyond titles.In this episode, Priya opens up about:

🔸 What it really takes to bet on yourself and build something from scratch
🔸 Why women’s health is still fragmented and how to fix it
🔸 The invisible gaps in healthcare that impact women across their entire lives
🔸 Redefining success, happiness, and presence in high-achieving careersShe also shares how her journey, from law school pressure to leadership roles to entrepreneurship, shaped her belief that impact does not follow a straight path.

If you care about leadership, healthcare, or creating meaningful change, this one is for you.