The relentless demands of modern life are drowning us in noise, leaving us anxious and burned out. The digital age has us constantly plugged in, leaving little room for the quiet we desperately need. How do we find peace and unlock our inner clarity?

In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Justin Zorn, an Author at HarperCollins, explain the science of silence and offer practical tips on how to find quiet in this noisy world.

Justin Zorn is an author, adviser, and former Congressional Legislative Director. He has written on climate, economics, and international affairs for top publications like Harvard Business Review and The Atlantic. 

His book, published by HarperCollins and Penguin, was translated into 14 languages and became a bestseller on Audible. Justin co-founded a Congressional staff talent pipeline and launched a mindfulness program in the US House. He holds graduate degrees from Oxford and Harvard and lives in Santa Fe, NM, with his wife and three children.

Discover how to tune out the distractions and tune into yourself.

Things you will learn from this episode:

• Understanding your moments of deepest silence

• Silence as a leadership tool

• How leaders can cultivate pristine attention

• Silence as a pathway to wisdom

Explore practical strategies for embracing silence, reclaiming your focus, and connecting more deeply with yourself and others. Tune in to the full episode now!

• Justin Zorn website: https://justinzorn.com/ 

• Justin Zorn on X: https://x.com/j_talbot_zorn 

• CEPR: https://www.cepr.net/staff-member/justin-talbot-zorn/

Recent articles by Justin Zorn: 

• https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/new-mexico-must-become-a-catcher-of-rain/article_cfdb9974-38f9-11ef-924f-53f5f86eaee8.html

• https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/4516318-corporate-america-must-step-up-to-save-the-child-tax-credit/

• https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23178783/the-power-of-silence-in-a-deafening-world

• https://hbr.org/2022/05/how-to-build-a-culture-that-honors-quiet-time

• https://prospect.org/power/reverse-trump-era-brain-drain/

• https://hbr.org/2018/10/how-the-u-s-can-rebuild-its-capacity-to-innovate

• https://www.newsweek.com/green-new-deal-red-state-farmers-1444678

• https://hbr.org/2021/02/a-better-way-to-measure-gdp

• https://time.com/6311363/harvest-trillion-gallons-of-rainwater/ 

• Golden: The Power of Silence in a Noisy World by Justin Zorn: https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Power-Silence-World-Noise-ebook/dp/B09CPZZSPS?ref_=ast_author_dp

• O silêncio vale ouro: Como cultivar a quietude e viver com mais energia, clareza e conexão (Portuguese Edition): https://www.amazon.com/sil%C3%AAncio-vale-ouro-cultivar-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B0C54961W7?ref_=ast_author_mpb

• Ruhe: Wie wir den Lärm der Welt bewältigen und in der Stille Klarheit finden (German Edition): https://www.amazon.com/Ruhe-bew%C3%A4ltigen-Stille-Klarheit-finden-ebook/dp/B09X1QS5HX?ref_=ast_author_dp 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

Our world revolves around constant hustle and achieving more, often at the expense of rest. But if we only knew how immeasurable the rewards of quality sleep are, we wouldn't take rest for granted. In this HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast episode, Ashish Kothari and Sleep Neuroscientist Dr. Els van der Helm discusses how better sleep management can boost our overall productivity.

Dr. Els van der Helm is a distinguished sleep neuroscientist, adjunct professor at IE Business School, and lecturer at St. Gallen and IMD Business Schools. Named one of the top five sleep experts by Thrive Global, she consults globally on sleep, performance, and well-being, helping leaders and organizations enhance productivity and health.

The conversation covers the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation, the common myths about sleep (like catching up on sleep over the weekend or using substances like alcohol or sleeping pills to improve sleep), and practical advice for improving sleep habits. 

Things you will learn from this episode:

• The importance of sleep

• Emotional and physical damages of sleep deprivation

• The ripple effects of sleep deprivation on workplace dynamics

• How sleep management boost productivity and well-being

Quality sleep shouldn’t be optional. Tune into our full episode now!

• Dr. Els van der Helm newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/elsvanderhelm/newsletter 

• Shleep by Dr. Els van der Helm: https://www.youtube.com/@shleep2872 

• Healing your workforce thrive by sleeping better: https://www.elsvanderhelm.com/ 

• Alum Els van der Helm changes attitudes to sleep: https://www.mckinsey.com/alumni/news-and-events/global-news/alumni-news/success-with-a-capital-zzzz-alum-els-van-der-helm-changes-attitudes-to-sleep 

• Sleepio: https://www.sleepio.com/sleepio/welcomeus/401#1/1 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

Unhappiness habits are guests we'd all rather evict. They can creep into our lives subtly, often masked as normal daily routines. But these seemingly harmless habits can have a profound impact on our overall well-being. It's time to identify the patterns holding you back and replace them with healthier alternatives.

In this second part of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast series about unhappiness habits, Ashish Kothari, Founder of HAPPINESS SQUAD, shares three detrimental habits that might be sabotaging your happiness and offers practical solutions to break free from their grip.

Things you will learn from this episode:

• 5 ways to break the unhappy habit of sitting

• What’s causing you to sleep less?

• Improving your sleep quality and quantity

• 3 ways to re-engage and reconnect with nature

Tune in to discover how to break free from unhappiness.

• https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/25/health/effects-of-sitting-on-mortality-wellness/index.html 

• https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/shortening-sleep-time-increases-diabetes-risk-women 

• https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/matthew-walker 

• https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Revolution-Transforming-Your-Night/dp/110190402X 

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/does-exposure-green-spaces-childhood-lead-better-mental-health-180971590/#:~:text=Using%20satellite%20data%2C%20the%20researchers,mental%20health%20conditions%20in%20adulthood. 

• Rewire Program: https://happinesssquad.com/rewire-program/ 

• The Happiness Squad on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-squad/id1663683864

• Happiness Squad Podcast: https://podcast.happinesssquad.com/ 

• Happiness Squad website: https://happinesssquad.com/

• Happiness Squad on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad/ 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

• Also mentioned in the episode:

The Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer: https://danbuettner.com/books/

We've all got an inner critic, that pesky voice whispering doubts and insecurities. But for some, this critic morphs into a full-blown bully, undermining self-worth and happiness. Self-bullying is the silent enemy of potential, a hidden obstacle to overall well-being. 

In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Anna Marie Frank, Founder of Happy Whole You, shares tips on how to overcome self-bullying to embrace your holistic health.

Anna Marie Frank is a brain health expert and holistic wellness practitioner with a PhD in Natural Medicine. Her mission is to end mental health stigma and help people optimize their brains and body through lifestyle changes and holistic approaches. 

A survivor of depression, dyslexia, and ADD, she founded Happy Whole You to share her knowledge and create effective brain health solutions. Her book, "Stop Bullying Yourself!", offers practical guidance for overcoming self-doubt and achieving success.

Things you will learn from this episode:

• Viewing hardships as lessons

• Recognizing and shifting negative thoughts

• How to recognize self-bullying

• Key strategies to stop bullying yourself

Break free from the chains of self-bullying and unlock your true potential. Tune in now!

• Happy Whole You: https://happywholeyou.com/ 

• Blogs at Happy Whole You: https://happywholeyou.com/blogs/news 

• Stop Bullying Yourself Book: https://happywholeyou.com/products/stop-bullying-yourself 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

Despite advancements in efficiency, many are wrestling with being too busy. We've removed friction from tasks like travel, banking, and meetings, yet why are we busier than ever? How do we get out of it?

In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Kate Sotsenko, Founder and Productivity & Leadership Coach at thegoodbusy.com, dig into the root causes of "bad busy," and explore how to be “good busy” and reinvent your approach to productivity.

Kate Sotsenko is a seasoned Productivity and Leadership Coach, dedicated to helping busy team leaders reclaim their time and boost productivity. With firsthand experience of the damaging effects of "bad busyness," including temporary vision loss and migraine attacks, Kate understands the toll of unproductive work on personal well-being. 

She teaches the art of curiosity and organization, enabling her clients to free up time for personal and professional growth. As the founder of TheGoodBusy.com, Kate offers practical strategies to transform overwhelmed leaders into efficient and fulfilled professionals.

In the conversation, Kate shares practical tips for overcoming the common challenges of moving from "bad busy" to "good busy."

Things you will learn from this episode:

• Understanding “Bad Busy”

• The "Good Busy" Framework

• Personal Practices for Well-being

• The importance of coaching in managing productivity

Tune in now, and you’ll learn practical steps to shift from “bad busy” to “good busy,” and reclaim your time and energy!

• Check out The Good Busy by Kate Sotsenko here: https://thegoodbusy.com/ 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

• Kate recommends “The Coaching Habit” by Michael Bungay Stanier: https://www.mbs.works/coaching-habit-book/

Let's face it, traditional top-down leadership styles just don't cut it anymore. Employees today are looking for something more than just a boss who dictates orders. They want a leader who understands them, values their contributions, and invests in their growth. Human-centric leadership offers a solution.

In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, we’ll explore how human-centric leadership can create cultures that value people with Jehanzeb Noor, President & Managing Director at Trivium Packaging.

Jehanzeb Noor is the President & Managing Director at Trivium Metal Products, specializing in growth execution and technology commercialization in the Medical Device and Industrials sectors. Previously CEO of Smiths Medical and a leader at Amcor, Jehanzeb has a track record of enhancing shareholder value, driving strategic growth, and integrating social responsibility into business practices.

Things you will learn from this episode:

• 3 Qualities that Build a Human-Centric Culture

• Understanding human-centric leadership

• 6 tips to enhance mentorship

• 5 ways to enhance leadership

Tune in now and discover how human-centric leadership can create a ripple effect of positivity throughout your organization.

Websites: 

• http://mckinsey.com/

• https://operations-extranet.mckinsey.com/

• http://www.mckinsey.com/client_service/marketing_and_sales 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

Despite living in a time of incredible prosperity, record-breaking GDP, and life-saving advancements, many of us feel increasingly stressed, anxious, and dissatisfied. This paradox—abundance alongside unhappiness—is what we’ll tackle in this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast with Ashish Kothari, Founder of HAPPINESS SQUAD.

In this episode, we’ll unravel the hidden habits that might be unconsciously chipping away at our well-being. Learn how to identify and break free from these "unhappiness habits" that hold you back from a more fulfilling life.

Things you will learn from this episode:

• “Unhappiness Habits” that drive lower life satisfaction and increased stress

• Happy practices that help fix your broken sleeping patterns 

• How to kill the habit of comparison

• Breaking free from the addiction to technology

Tune in to this episode now and learn to identify and break the habits that contribute to your unhappiness.

• Rewire Program: https://happinesssquad.com/rewire-program/ 

• The Happiness Squad on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-happiness-squad/id1663683864

• Happiness Squad Podcast: https://podcast.happinesssquad.com/ 

• Happiness Squad website: https://happinesssquad.com/

• Happiness Squad on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myhappinesssquad/ 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life: https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

The world of work is on fast-forward. New skills are constantly in demand, and keeping up can feel like playing catch-up in a high-speed chase. Without a mentor to provide guidance and support, these new challenges can be overwhelming.

In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Lori Crever, Author and Founder of Protégé Power, explores the importance of creating a culture of mentorship in our organizations.

Lori Crever is the author of "Protégé Power: A Roadmap for Mentorship" and founder of Protégé Power LLC. As Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Center for Mentoring Excellence, she leverages her extensive corporate experience and career development expertise to deliver impactful presentations and workshops. 

Lori's career includes two decades at Wells Fargo, where she led a successful mentor program that significantly advanced participants' careers. Currently, she is pursuing a Global Leadership Diploma at the United Nations University for Peace. Her methods have facilitated career breakthroughs for professionals globally, as detailed in her book.

In the conversation, you’ll learn the key elements of effective leadership and the importance of embedding mentorship into the organizational culture.

Things you will learn from this episode:

• The importance of setting clear goals for mentees

• Creating psychological safety to foster mentorship

• How to empower mentees

• The role of humility in mentorship

• Why mentorship should be embedded into the organization’s culture

Thousands of listeners have already benefited from our career guidance. Now, discover the power of mentorship in our latest episode!

• Protégé Power: https://www.protegepower.com/ 

• About Lori Crever: https://lori-crever.squarespace.com/ 

• Lori Crever on X : https://x.com/loricrever?lang=en 

• Protégé Power: A Roadmap to Mentorship: https://www.amazon.com/Prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9-Power-Roadmap-Mentorship/dp/B09DM73X6G 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

We all hit a point where our current path just doesn’t match up with our deepest desires and goals any longer. That's when a "relaunch" starts to happen. It's that moment of transition in our lives that presents a powerful opportunity to redefine what success means to us and realign with our true selves. But how do we handle this big change smoothly and confidently?

In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Hilary DeCesare, Founder & CEO of The ReLaunch Company, reveal the secrets to effectively relaunching yourself and thriving in your life’s transitions.

Hilary DeCesare is an award-winning business expert, internationally recognized author, and Silicon Valley pioneer. She founded The Relaunch Co., significantly contributed to Oracle’s sales, and is a sought-after speaker and mentor to CEOs and entrepreneurs. 

Hilary has raised millions in venture capital, earned multiple accolades including AlwaysOn’s “Top 25 Women in Tech to Watch,” and won the 2010 DEMOgod Award and the 2012 Golden Bridge Women Founder of the Year Award. 

She serves on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo board, lectures on business, and is committed to philanthropy, with notable appearances on ABC’s Secret Millionaire. Her work culminates in the 3HQ Methodology, empowering mid-life women to achieve career fulfillment.

Tune into this episode for expert guidance on effectively relaunching your life and thrive through dramatic transitions!

Things you will learn from this episode:

• The 3HQ Method

• Tapping into the Wisdom of the Heart

• The Tune-In Process

• Daily Dose from the Tune-In Process

• The ReLaunch Company - http://www.therelaunchco.com/ 

• Free PDF at tuneinpowertool.com - https://www.therelaunchcocourses.com/tunein 

• RELAUNCH!: Spark Your Heart to Ignite Your Life : https://www.amazon.com/RELAUNCH-Spark-Your-Heart-Ignite-ebook/dp/B0B2WZKBDB

• Also mentioned:  "Mind Magic" by James Doty https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Magic-Neuroscience-Manifestation-Everything/dp/0593541146  

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655

Is happiness the hidden ingredient to extraordinary business success? We're so used to workplaces focused on getting things done fast and generating results. But what if fostering a happy work environment is the key to unparalleled productivity, innovation, and employee loyalty?

In this episode of the HAPPINESS SQUAD Podcast, Ashish Kothari and Lars Kure Juul explore the potent impact of organizational happiness on overall business health.

Lars Kure Juul is a Trusted Advisor, HR Executive, and Author of the book, Organizational Happiness: The Happiness Sweet Spot & Your Motivational Landscape. He is no stranger to the transformative power of happiness. 

Transitioning from a seasoned legal career in mergers and acquisitions to a revered HR executive, Lars has spent over two decades mastering the art of enhancing corporate environments through strategic happiness interventions. His approach blends rigorous positive psychology with practical corporate applications, setting the stage for thriving workplaces.

During their engaging discussion, Ashish and Lars dissect a variety of pivotal topics, including the concept of compassionate leadership—how it shapes high-performing teams and fosters a robust organizational culture.

Things you will learn from this episode:

• Workplaces can either drag down or uplift individuals through organizational dynamics

• Key Drivers for Organizational Happiness

• The importance and effectiveness of compassionate leadership

• How leaders can cultivate compassion and presence within their teams

Listen now and discover how embracing organizational happiness can improve business outcomes. You’ll take away practical strategies to implement in your own organization.

• The Happiness Sweet Spot: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/happiness-sweet-spot-explained-lars-kure-juul/ 

• Organizational Happiness by Lars Kure Juul: https://www.amazon.com/Organizational-Happiness-Sweet-Motivational-Landscape/dp/8797105503 

• Hardwired for Happiness: 9 Proven Practices to Overcome Stress and Live Your Best Life.https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Happiness-Proven-Practices-Overcome/dp/1544534655