There are moments in life where everything feels like too much. Where no matter how hard you push, no matter how much you sacrifice, no matter how much you grind nothing seems to give. AD knows this feeling all too well.

At one point, he was living in a cramped apartment with three other roommates, barely surviving on a meal a day, working himself to the bone, and still feeling like he was getting nowhere. Fear was the driving force behind everything he did; fear of failing, fear of regret, fear of never breaking free from the cycle. But then, life threw him a moment.

A single email notification.

A name he didn’t expect to see: Tyler Hall.

What happened next? A conversation that saved his life. A chance encounter that changed everything. And the realization that sometimes, all it takes is choosing to hold on for just one more day.

In this episode, AD opens up about his journey from growing up in an Indian household where success was the only option, to coming to the U.S. with nothing, to reaching his breaking point, and finally, to finding his purpose. We talk about resilience, the power of human connection, and the simple yet life-changing impact of a hug.

This is one of the most raw and powerful conversations I’ve had. If you’ve ever felt like giving up, like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of struggle, this episode is for you.

Let’s talk about what it really means to keep going.

Key Moments:
1:48 Intro of AD
5:05 AD’s Vision for Transportation Innovation
7:55 The Fear-Driven Pursuit of Success
12:18 Arriving in the U.S. with Nothing
17:09 The Stabbing Incident
20:44 Isolation, Exhaustion, and Mental Breaking Point
25:33 The Stigma of Men Expressing Emotion
36:14 The Question That Changed Everything
48:42 The Power of Human Connection
1:02:18 Choosing to Find Meaning in Small Moments

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Where to find Clayton Echard:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claytonechard/?hl=en