Explore every episode of the podcast The Warrior Poet
Dive into the complete episode list for The Warrior Poet. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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1–50 of 96
Title
Pub. Date
Duration
#95: Level Up Your Culture w Rachel Wilson Rugelsjøen
16 Jul 2025
00:58:30
Sri takes the show to Oslo, Norway 🇳🇴, where he and Rachel Wilson Rugelsjøen talk all things culture and leadership through the lens of Human Resources.
🙉 They have the realest debate on psychological safety you'll find anywhere.
Plus everyone's favorite topic: cold plunges 🥶
____
Rachel is the founder and managing director of LevelUp HR, which "help[s] global corporates, SME’s and scale-up’s achieve, through your most valuable asset - your people."
Her experience spans over 20 years leading human capital at top-tier companies like Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, the Norwegian Oil Fund, Cognizant, and Barclays Capital — where she and Sri overlapped without knowing it!
____
highlights
"The leadership game has changed."
How founders can build an effective culture
Role of values in leadership
Amazon's leadership principles
Ownership and accountability
Norwegian vs. UK vs. American perspectives on ownership
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#94: Lead to Succeed w/ Jill Avey
10 Jun 2025
00:56:41
"Your work does not have a voice. You have to share what you're doing." —Jill Avey
Get the results you deserve — not the ones you hope for. Sri and Jill Avey discuss how to lead in complex corporate environments -- in ways that are authentic, moral, yet tangibly rewarding.
Topics:
How to self-promote (in a non-cringy way 😬)
Gender differences in leadership
Positive intelligence theory
Navigating office politics
Networking productively
How to build confidence
'Mental saboteurs' that hinder your progress
Jill is a successful corporate marketing executive formerly at Timberland and Propet USA. She has an MBA from Columbia Business School and is the founder of SisterSmart, which aims to help women succeed in attaining the executive positions they deserve.
Find Jill here:
https://sistersmart.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillavey/
keywords: leadership, women in leadership, workplace relationships, radical candor, self-promotion, career development, communication skills, networking, personal branding, professional growth, leadership, courage, fear, positive intelligence, saboteurs, gender differences, women in leadership, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, collaboration
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#85: Your Next Level w/ Matt Wilson
06 Jan 2025
01:26:18
Matt Wilson is as insightful and energetic as they get. With incredible candor about his own mistakes and personal life, Matt talks with Sri about what it takes to get to the next level in marriage, career, and entrepreneurship.
If you're feeling stuck, Matt helps you understand how to craft a mindset to get everything you want and leave your "unique footprint" in the world.
Matt invents the phrase "occupationally constipated." (Is that you? 😬)
Matt Wilson advises elite CEOs and is an investor in over 40 companies. He has been a FinTech executive and founded a VC firm. Not only that, but Matt served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#83: Founder's Mindset w/ Adam Mutschler
16 Dec 2024
01:12:54
Sri talks with founder and coach Adam Mutschler about how to master the 'inner game' when it comes to startups (and life).
They also manage to talk about cricket protein and ridding Midwest streams of invasive species :) And Sri pretends "averagially" is a word 🙉
Adam has coached startup founders for over a decade. Adam himself is the founder of a VC-backed, TechStars startup company: Arch Pet Food, a sustainable and healthier approach to pet nutrition.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#82: Elite Mental Performance w/ Evan Marks
09 Dec 2024
01:22:34
Sri and Evan Marks discuss how elite performers achieve their success. Spoiler: Mental performance.
Evan is a veteran trader of Wall Street turned mental performance coach. He is the founder of M1 Performance Group. He has coached top-tier CEOs, hedge-fund traders, and athletes. He takes the best in neuroscience and psychoanalysis and applies it to give his clients the ultimate edge.
Wherever you are in your career and life goals, Evan shares pearls of wisdom here you won't want to miss.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#81: Lifting the Veil w/ Pat Dossett
25 Nov 2024
01:07:07
Sri talks with Pat Dossett about how to forge your best life path.
We discuss:
High performers run on self-hate -- and how to run on compassion instead
Pat's trip to Mexico to experience plant medicines + ongoing research into things like ibogaine and ayahuasca (aka psychedelics)
The science behind self-improvement
Whether drinking more water really helps (hint: it does)
Coaching and why it's important
Being the best teammate for yourself
Cultivating inner awareness
Choosing the path for you
Pat is a former Navy SEAL officer and is the cofounder of Madefor, a "step-by-step toolkit training you to thrive." (with Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes)
He coaches elite performers on how to be their best. He is the author of The Madefor Method .
Pat has an MBA from Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. _____
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#80: Xena's 5 R's of Leadership (Suzanne Lesko)
18 Nov 2024
01:00:05
Suzanne Lesko (callsign: Xena) walks us through her framework for leadership, starting with resilience.
We also talk about:
Toxic leaders
Female empowerment in male-dominated domains
Networking
Powerful communication
Diverse work culture
Healing (and the parasympathetic nervous system)
Suzanne's uses her Warrior Advisor brand to counsel companies on resilience and building strong teams.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#79: FORGET THE SMILES (4MUW)
05 Aug 2024
00:04:16
It really sucks when you smile at someone and they pretend like you're not even there.
Sri shares thoughts on being a leader on and off the field of play by bringing the magic to those around us.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#78: Joe Musselman on Teams, Leadership, & Culture
14 Aug 2023
01:19:49
Joe Musselman founded the Honor Foundation, which has assisted countless Navy SEALs apply their high-impact skillsets to the private sector. He also cofounded the VC firm Broom Ventures and founded Bravo Victor Venture Capital, which is focused on so-called 'dual-use' technology.
Broom Ventures is a venture capital fund that describes itself as follows: " Broom Ventures invests in extraordinary founders. We provide capital and sweep the floors to help early stage technology companies achieve their full potential."
The Honor Foundation assists veterans of the Navy SEALs to transition to the private sector -- and assists companies in understanding the very unique and applicable skill sets that special operators have.
Joe and Sri talk about the Human Operating System (HOS), how Joe picked himself up after his SEAL dream ended prematurely, and how to lead in highly innovative spaces.
***
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#77: Crafting Your Purpose (with John Coleman)
10 May 2023
00:57:24
John Coleman tells us what we should be reading. And more importantly, he helps us craft our life's purpose.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#76: Better Decent Than Lucky (with Nick Soman)
03 May 2023
01:34:00
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Nick Soman is the founder and CEO of Decent, which aims to provide affordable health insurance to all. He and Sri have fun mining Nick's vast music knowledge and talking about the role of luck and leadership in business.
ANNOUNCEMENT Sri is starting a 1-on-1 coaching program for up to 5 audience members. Get unstuck, and level up your leadership game with Sri. Fill out this Google form to save your spot and learn more!
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#93: How to Be a Quality Leader
13 May 2025
00:34:58
Sri and Brandon Jenkins do a Round 2. This time they discuss the role of a leader when it comes to delivering quality.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#75: Trust-Based Leadership with Mike Ettore
30 Jan 2023
01:21:37
Sri interviews Mike Ettore. Mike is a career veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, accomplished Fortune-500 C-suite executive, and founder of Fidelis Leadership Group.
He and Sri talk about controlling the controllables in Mike's battle against cancer and about how to put more trust into those who work for your organization.
ANNOUNCEMENT Sri is starting a 1-on-1 coaching program for up to 5 audience members. Get unstuck, and level up your leadership game with Sri. Fill out this Google form to save your spot and learn more!
-------------
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#74: Unbreakable Leadership with Thom Shea
10 Oct 2022
01:00:42
Learn the "three simple things" that will help you lead yourself, your family, and your team from former Navy SEAL and BUD/S instructor Thom Shea.
Thom is the author of multiple books on leadership and is the founder of Unbreakable Leadership, a leadership consultancy for top-tier CEOs and corporations.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#73: Finding the Best People with Kevin Seiff
26 Sep 2022
00:57:55
Kevin Seiff is a former Navy SEAL and CEO of Flintlock Solutions, a recruiting firm that is changing the game for VC-backed biotech companies. Sri and Kevin discuss what to look for in candidates and how to run a great recruiting process.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#72: Amazon Tenets with Dave Glick, CTO of Flexe
22 Jul 2022
00:50:20
How many people can say they had regular meetings with Jeff Bezos?
Dave Glick is the CTO of Flexe, just heralded as Seattle's newest unicorn. Dave is a 20-year Amazon veteran, where he and Sri overlapped. Dave is one of those people who can thrive in a company as massive as Amazon as well as in startup culture. He and Sri talk leadership lessons at the intersection of operations and technology.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#71: Selling Out with Frank Cespedes, Harvard Business School Sales and Strategy Professor
18 Oct 2021
01:27:51
Sri talks with author and professor Frank Cespedes about sales, strategy, and leadership.
Frank Cespedes is a Senior Lecturer in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School. He currently teaches the elective Entrepreneurial Sales and Marketing (ESM) course in the MBA program as well as modules in the Owner President Management (OPM) executive program and he heads the executive program on "Aligning Strategy and Sales."
In addition to having run his own successful company, Frank's previous experience includes global consulting at Bain & Company and elsewhere for startups all the way up to multinational companies across a diverse array of industries.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#70: Redefining Beauty with Katia Beauchamp, CEO of Birchbox
13 Sep 2021
00:50:09
Sri talks with entrepreneur Katia Beauchamp about what she learned about leadership (and herself!) while upending the beauty industry. Katia is the cofounder of Birchbox, which raised $90 million in venture funding and was valued at one time at half a billion dollars.
Katia shares her thoughts on the state of women in the startup world as well as how we all can balance family and work. As a graduate of Harvard Business School, she also opines on the value of an MBA.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#69: Searching for Attributes with Navy SEAL Rich Diviney
30 Aug 2021
00:50:51
Should you hire for skills or innate qualities? On this episode Sri interviews Rich Diviney, highly accomplished career SEAL officer and author of the book The Attributes. Rich makes the case that skills are a poor predictor of success, especially during times of stress or uncertainty.
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#68: Never Enough with Mike Hayes
12 Jul 2021
01:02:55
Mike Hayes is the former commanding officer of SEAL Team TWO and the author of "Never Enough." He was a White House Fellow and subsequently Chief Operating Officer at Ray Dalio's hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates. He currently serves as the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMware.
He was held at gunpoint, drove the negotiation of a nuclear treaty, and oversaw special operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Mike and Sri dive into "Never Enough" to uncover:
* the intricacies of leadership * what Mike learned from Bridgewater vs. the military * how to be both humble AND confident * delivering constructive and direct feedback * how to invest in your relationships * and how to find purpose in life.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#66: TWO KINDS OF BOREDOM (4MUW)
24 May 2021
00:04:00
There are two kinds of boredom, but only one is good for you :)
Hat tip to Maria Popova at Brainpickings, who writes frequently about the benefits of boredom in general. Highly recommend her site!
This episode is part of the 4 Minutes Underwater series (4MUW).
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#65: QUADROFRENETICA (4MUW)
14 May 2021
00:03:59
70s rock giants The Who help Sri explain nervous energy in organizations.
This episode is part of the "4 Minutes Underwater" series (4MUW).
notes
The rock opera Quadrophenia by the Who (Prime Video)
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#92: The Golden Path Fallacy w/ Brandon Jenkins
14 Apr 2025
01:25:52
Sri and Brandon Jenkins talk about optimizing your mind as a leader -- as well as finding systems that work for you (not the other way around).
Brandon "Jenks" Jenkins is a former Navy helicopter pilot and squadron commander. He founded Tier One coaching, which helps growth-minded leaders to align purpose with impact so they lead with confidence and elevate their teams.
Jenks is a Naval Academy grad and has an MBA from the University of Florida.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#64: RESPONSIBILITY HANGOVER (4MUW)
10 May 2021
00:03:59
Sri discusses how our decision-making models get outdated as we increase our experience in this second edition of our "4 Minutes Underwater" minisode series (4MUW).
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#63: 4 Minutes Underwater (ELON'S SHOWER)
03 May 2021
00:04:01
In this new format, Sri offers 4 minutes of musings on stoicism, abundance, and pursuing unbound upside.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#62: Find Your North Star
13 Apr 2021
00:20:55
Sri and Edmund Hillary talk about the Japanese concept of Ikigai: how to figure out what to achieve & how to persevere in the face of adversity.
notes
Errata: Ugh, I think I said "Dorgay" instead of "Norgay." Apologies.
Man on Wire: Amazing documentary about the tightrope walker who crossed between the twin towers.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#61: Getting Naked with Will Branum, Navy SEAL Entrepreneur
05 Apr 2021
00:56:58
"Water boils at 212 degrees. I was at 210."
Will Branum is a former Navy SEAL who founded Naked Warrior Recovery based on his own struggles with anxiety. Sri talks with Will about veteran suicide (see charities below!) and leadership lessons from the military.
After never wanting to be a leader, Will learned to be comfortable in this role. His experience will help you understand how to unleash "controlled chaos" on your team.
CONTAINS MATURE THEMES: This episode does not contain explicit language but does contain references to alcohol and drugs. So if you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#60: Work the Problem
01 Apr 2021
00:35:03
A deep dive on some of the concepts from Sri's interview with Nat Thompson on episode #57. Namely, what it means to "cultivate appropriate levels of tribalism" on your team -- and examples of "work the problem" in combat and crisis.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#59: Nat Thompson on Growing New Leaders
23 Mar 2021
01:14:53
Nat Thompson, Sri's longtime brother from the SEAL Teams, teaches us how to hire and develop new leaders. Plus, how to nurture a sense of team exceptionalism without becoming Colonel Kurtz.
Nat's experience ranges from conducting strategic military operations in austere environments to revamping operations at Amazon to leading teams at one of America's growth startups, Carvana. Regardless of your leadership maturity, you won't want to miss Nat's insights on running high-performing teams -- and a high-performing self.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
UPDATE: Exciting Changes
06 Feb 2021
00:03:02
Sri emerges from his cave and sees six early weeks of spring -- plus exciting changes coming to the podcast soon. Thanks for your patience!!!
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#58: Back to Basics: What is Leadership?
12 Jan 2021
00:21:10
Sri distinguishes leadership from, well, other things.
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#57: Purely Consensual
05 Jan 2021
00:33:16
You can't compete if you don't have the best people. But interview processes are all the same these days. As a society we've converged on a method that is safe, supposedly rigorous, and predictable. But are the same old proxy checks, phone screens, power days, and consensus calls really helping you bring the best talent onboard?
Sri explores alternate approaches with examples from pro baseball, Amazon, and the military.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#56: Great Mistakes
29 Dec 2020
00:32:37
Listen before you make your 2021 resolutions! Oriah's 'The Invitation," tips to garden rare lettuces, and boot camp.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#91: Poking LinkedIn w/ Michael Kainatsky
09 Apr 2025
00:50:10
Michael Kainatsky shares how to build REAL relationships and recognition in a crowded world full of useless content. Sri and Michael's discussion includes:
Challenging the conventional approach to social media
Genuine interactions over vanity metrics
How to provoke real thought and engagement
The lurker effect
Combating content-creation procrastination
What a personal brand really is
How to start posting
How a give-first mindset fosters genuine relationships
Michael is a 20+-year sales professional and Chief Strategy Officer at House of Bricks. Reach out to Michael on LinkedIn.
keywords social media, LinkedIn, authenticity, engagement, content creation, metrics, personal reflection, humor, seasons, mood, LinkedIn, mindfulness, human connection, personal branding, authenticity, social media impact, overcoming barriers, content creation, sales strategies, personal growth
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#55: Focus Pocus
21 Dec 2020
00:33:24
Focus is all the rage in self-help culture, but what does it really mean? And what does true focus entail?
"Tools and techniques" of successful people amount to self-help porn, which is worse than regular porn because of how easy it is to tell yourself you're being productive. Successful people are already focused, while you are probably not. No matter how much you optimize your mornings or drink the right mushroom tea, none of that will achieve your goal.
Focus takes care of everything else. The problem is that most of us are too busy living up to society's expectations to actually focus, to truly commit.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ). \
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#54: The Dark Quadrant
16 Dec 2020
00:31:16
Sri talks about a type of knowledge that is largely ignored relative to its siblings: the unknown known.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#53: Tandem Jump
08 Dec 2020
00:23:24
Organizations tend to value displaying coordination than truly being coordinated. Operating at world-class levels demands trust, mission orientation, clear division of responsibility, direct communication, and lack of BS.
Contrast that with inefficient organizations, which prize meetings, trackers, asking permission, and slide decks to executives who are detached from the details.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#52: Departures Magazine
30 Nov 2020
00:34:48
Party in the back: Four desserts that should exist in this world | "The Pitbull Option"
Business in the front: It's tough balancing when to work on setting goals and planning vs. just executing with your head down like a bull. If you plan too much, you miss out on serendipitous relationships and opportunities. You sacrifice learning in favor of process.
Meanwhile, if you just execute all the time, you find yourself in situations where you can't win -- or where your upside is severely limited.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#51: Charmonium
28 Nov 2020
00:35:48
It is fashionable to celebrate the idea that leaders can be quiet, unassuming, and uninspiring. Sri has a different take.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#50: Leader As Therapist
16 Nov 2020
00:16:44
Management is usually obsessed with things it can measure -- and rightly so. But this can go too far. One example is focusing too much on hard skills like coding, data analysis, or design skills. While these are important, they are generally learnable. Often they are a commodity. And they are less important as one advances in her career.
More importantly, failure to deliver results usually has little to do with a skills gap. More often it has to do with the beliefs and behaviors of the individual. Even when improvement is indeed needed in a certain functional area, the path to repairing the gap often turns the leader into more of a therapist than subject matter expert.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#49: Half and Half
10 Nov 2020
00:28:52
Sri discusses an overlooked Godfather character and why companies get fat.
Innovative companies get caught in a no man's land, i.e. halfway, between innovation and collection of innovation 'rents.' And agile process can give the impression that true innovation is happening even though startups operate very differently than what are considered successful companies.
Sri adds his own explanations -- and what to do about it in your own business -- to Clay Christensen's classic Innovator's Dilemma.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#48: Project-Based Yearning
03 Nov 2020
00:28:35
How a project-based focus can transform your work and life
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#47: Free Radical
28 Oct 2020
01:01:41
This is not a political podcast. Sri’s been “clean” from politics for years. But he takes a break to explain why he's not voting in the imminent election. Plus, curated covers of one of the best pop-rock songs of the 90s.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Music Discovery Club reviews the album with songwriter Matt Farley. One of them *totally* disagrees with me on the title track (my video link starts when they discuss this song).
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#46: Hunger Strike
12 Oct 2020
00:27:29
Sri discusses what to do with your life with Charlie Munger and Temple of the Dog.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#90: Neuroscience of CBD w/ Will Kleidon
10 Feb 2025
01:34:44
"The endocannabinoid system regulates all these other systems." -Will Kleidon
Sri learns *all* about CBD from futurist and entrepreneur Will Kleidon (LinkedIn).
Will is the founder and CEO of Ojai Energetics, the first company to create organic, water-soluble CBD, which also has third-party testing that is traceable to the lot on your product.
Will goes deep into the science of CBD in terms of human benefits, affects on pets, and safe manufacturing. He and Sri cover uses for:
PTSD
better sleep
peak performance
They also cover:
the best recipe for flow states (caffeine + CBD)
what the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is and how it works
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#45: WALL-ME
06 Oct 2020
00:22:09
Tired of running through brick walls? There may be a better way. Sri discusses when to exercise "tactical patience" and why WALL-E is terribly overrated.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Cover of the Wallflowers' "Sixth Avenue Heartache" is by von Bruecken (Youtube)
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar ( Spotify ).
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#44: Trust the Pro-cess
29 Sep 2020
00:40:01
How do you know when you should stop analyzing and start executing? This is a hard problem, perhaps a philosophical one. Sri takes a stab with help from Canada.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#43: The Happiness Factor
21 Sep 2020
00:20:17
When you're a midshipman at the Naval Academy, you often recalculate something called "the Happiness Factor" to encourage yourself (or torture said self, depending on the circumstances). The idea that one's happiness is a calculable quantity somehow distinct from the self is interesting on its own. Meanwhile, Sri discusses how happiness in the workplace might not be all it's cracked up to be.
EXPLICIT EPISODE: If you have kids in the car, we hope you’ll choose another.
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.
#42: The One Thing
14 Sep 2020
00:23:40
Sri discusses the bestselling book The One Thingby Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Plus, what serving as an altar boy has to do with building assets.
Intro and/or outro music in most episodes is by Paul Sridhar. 🎧
Disclaimer: Any audio clips are included with every intent and steps taken to abide by Fair Use and serve the purpose(s) of illustration, education, augmentation, or promotion of source content.