In this soul-nourishing episode of the Passion Institute Podcast, host Shivani invites us to explore the art of building resilient habits — the kind that anchor us when life gets chaotic and fuel our growth when motivation fades.

She shares her signature framework of Heart, Head, and Habit, reminding us that passion alone isn’t enough — it’s our daily rituals that truly shape our resilience, productivity, and peace of mind. From her transformative 10-10-10 ritual of gratitude, reading, and journaling, to her meditative practices that rewire the brain, Shivani breaks down how simple, consistent actions can create extraordinary results.

Through stories of her personal journey — balancing entrepreneurship, stress, and self-care — she reflects on how habits evolve with compassion and flexibility. Whether it’s scaling back goals to make steady progress or finding calm through a mindful walk with her dog, Shivani reveals how resilience is built not in perfection, but in gentle persistence.

Listeners will discover:

How to design small daily rituals that drive big change

The psychology of building motivation through micro-wins

How to stay consistent even when life gets messy

Ways to adapt your habits amid stress, change, and uncertainty

Why empathy, community, and self-kindness are essential to resilience

If you’ve ever struggled to stay consistent, felt overwhelmed by big goals, or wondered how to stay strong without burning out — this episode is your guide to building a foundation of habits that last a lifetime.

In this inspiring episode of The Passion Institute Podcast, host Shivani Gupta sits down with Heidi Dening, an award-winning speaker and resilience expert whose life story is nothing short of extraordinary.

Heidi has faced everything from petrol bomb attacks to earthquakes, paralysis, and business burnout—yet through it all, she’s transformed trauma into powerful post-traumatic wisdom. Drawing from her lived experience, Heidi shares how passion and resilience fuel one another, how leaders can build connection before crisis hits, and what it truly means to prepare ourselves for life’s unexpected “petrol bomb moments.”

Listeners will discover:

🔥 How passion without resilience can burn out—and resilience without passion becomes endurance

💡 Practical tools to strengthen professional resilience in fast-changing times

💬 Why connection and preparation are key leadership foundations

💖 The role of joy, stillness, and community in sustaining personal wellbeing

Heidi also opens up about her mission to bring Pacific and Melanesian wisdom into modern leadership—and why sometimes the best medicine is a good “Herkle Derkle” (staying in bed a little longer with tea and a book).

🔗 Connect with Heidi:

LinkedIn: Heidi Dening

Website: heididening.com

Free Team Resilience Quiz: Available on her website

Tune in for a deeply moving and practical conversation that reminds us how even our hardest moments can become the fuel for our greatest growth.

🎙️ The Passion Institute with Shivani Gupta

Episode: Focus to Flourish — Staying Aligned in a Distracted World

In this inspiring episode, Shivani Gupta explores one of the biggest challenges for today’s entrepreneurs and leaders — staying focused in a world full of noise and distraction.

From juggling multiple ventures to battling the constant pull of social media, Shivani shares powerful insights and personal experiences on how to realign with your purpose, cut through the chaos, and create meaningful growth — both personally and professionally.

Learn how to:

🌱 Reconnect with your “why” and lead from the heart

🧭 Build clarity and strategy to eliminate distractions

💪 Develop daily rituals to strengthen focus and discipline

🚀 Simplify your goals and watch your business flourish

With stories from her clients, reflections on Japanese craftsmanship, and lessons from thought leaders like Warren Buffett and Steve Bartlett, this episode is a roadmap to regaining control of your attention — so your energy and your business can grow where it truly matters.

✨ Tune in to discover how focus becomes your greatest superpower.

#FocusToFlourish #ThePassionInstitute #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #ShivaniGuptaPodcast

Episode #211 Change's in AI Regulations

In this episode of The Passion Institute Podcast, host Shivani Gupta explores one of the most urgent conversations in modern leadership — how businesses can navigate the evolving landscape of AI regulations with clarity, ethics, and heart.

Shivani breaks down the conversation into three powerful lenses — Heart, Head, and Habit — helping leaders and entrepreneurs understand not just the what of AI policy shifts, but the how of leading through them responsibly.

From the EU’s new AI legislation to the global ripple effects on jobs, privacy, and innovation, this episode offers a strategic and deeply human perspective on adapting to change. Learn how to balance empathy with analytics, build agile strategies, and create mindful leadership practices in an AI-driven world.

Whether you’re a business leader, founder, or someone simply curious about how technology is reshaping leadership, this episode will inspire you to lead with purpose, compassion, and adaptability.

#ShivaniGupta #PassionInstitutePodcast #AILeadership #AIRegulation #BusinessStrategy #EthicalAI #ResponsibleLeadership #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #EntrepreneurMindset #LeadershipDevelopment #AIinBusiness #AdaptiveLeadership #InnovationMindset #TechnologyEthics

Episode #210 | Heart,Head&Habit | Leadership Lessons From Japan

In this episode of the Passion Institute Podcast, I share leadership lessons inspired by my recent travels to Japan. From the values of ikigai (a reason for being) and deep respect in everyday interactions, to long-term vision, clarity in strategy, and the power of rituals, Japan offers timeless insights for leaders everywhere.

We’ll explore the “Heart, Head, and Habit” framework:

Heart — Leading with purpose, humility, and respect.

Head — Cultivating clarity, strategy, and long-term thinking.

Habit — Building discipline, rituals, and resilience in leadership practice.

Through reflections on cultural traditions, personal experiences, and inspiring concepts like Kaizen, Nemawashi, and Shoshin (beginner’s mind), this episode encourages leaders to slow down, stay present, and adopt practices that build sustainable growth and strong connections.

Tune in to discover what modern leaders can learn from Japanese wisdom.

#Leadership #Japan #Ikigai #Kaizen #Respect #Discipline #Mindfulness #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #PassionInstitutePodcast

Episode #209 Meditate Instead of Medicate

In this episode of the Passion Institute Podcast, host Shivani dives into a vital question for today’s leaders and entrepreneurs: Can we meditate instead of medicate?

With compelling statistics and research-backed insights, Shivani addresses the growing issue of leadership burnout, chronic stress, and insomnia. Discover how meditation is more than a spiritual practice — it’s scientifically proven to enhance brain health, improve emotional regulation, boost decision-making, and reduce anxiety and depression.

Shivani also shares practical tips for busy leaders: from micro-practices like one-minute resets to walking meditations, and strategies to improve sleep and overall well-being. Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, or professional, this episode offers actionable tools to pause, recharge, and reclaim your energy.

Listen, learn, and take a mindful pause — because your well-being matters.

Tags

#Leadership #Meditation #Mindfulness #StressManagement #Burnout #Productivity #MentalHealth #Entrepreneurship #Wellbeing #Neuroscience #CEOHealth #MeditateNotMedicate

Episode 208 – Finding Your Voice & Leading with Authenticity with Marina Bijnova

In this powerful conversation, Shivani sits down with global speaker and branding expert Marina Bijnova, founder of Brand of a Leader. Born in the Soviet Union, raised in Ukraine, and now based in Montreal, Marina’s life journey has been shaped by censorship, resilience, and the pursuit of radical authenticity.

She opens up about her childhood experiences of being silenced, her struggles as an immigrant teenager, and how those moments inspired her to help others discover their voice. Today, Marina works with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders worldwide—guiding them to stand out, speak up, and lead with passion.

Together, they dive into:

The role of passion in personal branding and leadership.

How to build engaged, values-driven teams.

The importance of energy audits and aligning work with what fuels you.

Hard-won lessons from business partnerships, failures, and personal growth.

Why separating your identity from your business is essential.

Marina’s current pursuit of a master’s degree exploring the dark side of an exit.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone searching for the courage to own their story and lead with authenticity.

Episode #207 Training That Sticks

In this episode of the Passion Institute Podcast, we dive into one of the biggest challenges for growing businesses: how to design training that actually sticks.

From balancing budgets and productivity trade-offs to exploring modern solutions like microlearning, blended training, job shadowing, and project-based learning, we uncover practical strategies that mid-sized organizations (20–200 employees) can use to maximize their training ROI.

You’ll also discover:

• 
  

  Why bite-sized learning is replacing traditional multi-day training.
• How to measure ROI with simple, business-focused metrics.

• 
  

  The power of peer-to-peer learning and in-house knowledge sharing.

• Proven methods to boost retention, including follow-up webinars and the 70-20-10 rule.

Whether you’re a business leader, HR professional, or entrepreneur, this episode will help you unlock the potential of your teams and make training investments truly impactful.

#TrainingThatSticks

#EmployeeTraining

#Microlearning

#CorporateTraining

#TrainingROI

#BusinessGrowth

#LeadershipDevelopment

#EmployeeEngagement

#BlendedLearning

#ProfessionalDevelopment

#HRStrategies

#WorkplaceLearning

#ManagerTraining

#TeamDevelopment

#PassionInstitutePodcast

Episode #206 The Manager Multiplier: How Leaders Can Unlock Engagement in 2025

In this episode of the Passion Institute Podcast, Shivani Gupta explores the Manager Multiplier Effect and how leaders can unlock engagement in 2025. Drawing on the latest Gallup and Harvard Business research, she unpacks why managers account for 70% of engagement outcomes, the risks of burnout and disengagement, and what leaders can do to better support them.Discover practical strategies to:Engage and empower managers more effectivelyPrevent burnout while boosting performanceSet clearer priorities and boundaries in a digital-first worldInvest in manager well-being for long-term ROIIf you want your managers to thrive, multiply impact, and elevate your organization’s success, this episode is packed with insights you can apply right away.

Episode #205 — Lessons from Running Wellbeing Programs for Doctors

In this solo episode of The Passion Institute Podcast, Shivani Gupta reflects on her journey of running multiple wellbeing programs and retreats for doctors over the past year. She shares powerful lessons on addressing burnout, decision fatigue, and the emotional toll of patient care — challenges faced not just by doctors, but by leaders and high-performing professionals everywhere.

From the importance of tiny daily rituals to the value of peer support networks and leadership buy-in, Shivani breaks down what truly helps professionals thrive rather than just survive. She also opens up about her own health scare and how it deepened her perspective on self-care, purpose, and building resilience.

Whether you’re a doctor, entrepreneur, or leader navigating long hours and high-stakes responsibilities, this episode offers practical strategies and heartfelt insights to help you sustain your energy, reconnect with your passion, and create a healthier path forward.