Episode 100: What started as a passion project has turned into a full career pivot!

Four years ago, I hit record on the first episode of my podcast.
I had no big plans. Just one question I couldn’t stop thinking about:
How do we live a good life?

So I started How to Live.
Shared what I’d learned.
Stayed curious.
Kept listening.

Then something magical happened.
I got a message from my old BCG boss, Dean Tong.
We hadn’t spoken in 15 years.

He’d stumbled upon the podcast. We met.
Talked about Stoicism, Buddhism, and Purpose.
Then he invited me to speak at UOB Bank, where he was the Chief HR Officer.

I was nervous. It was a corporate setting.
I had a meditation exercise planned. Would it land?

Dean said:
“Don’t worry. I’ll take the risk. Just do your best.”

That support changed everything.

The talk worked.
It led to more sessions. More companies.
And one day I realised - this wasn’t a side project anymore.
It was a new path.

Keynotes. Workshops. Leadership Programs.
Helping leaders reconnect with purpose, reach their next peak, and navigate uncertainty with resilience.

It felt meaningful.
And it could pay the bills.

So I took the leap.
Sold my digital agency. Went all in.

Today, I’ve led over 75 workshops across four continents with companies like Google, Unilever, HSBC, and Mastercard.
And I’ve seen how powerful ancient wisdom can be in modern leadership.

The podcast has grown beyond my wildest dreams too. Ranked in the top 3% globally and listened to in 150 countries.

The lesson?

When you do what you love with honesty and passion, it’s infectious.
People are watching. People are listening, even if they never like or comment.
(Dean didn’t either.)
But sometimes, just one of them can change the trajectory of your entire life.

🎧 In today’s milestone episode, I share the five biggest lessons from this incredible journey.

Here’s to the next 100.

Shownotes
https://howtolive.life/episode/100-five-lessons-from-100-episodes-with-Sharad-Lal

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"How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want?"

Many of us find ourselves trapped in patterns we claim to hate - overworking while craving balance, tolerating bad bosses, accepting toxic work cultures.

This question cuts right to the heart of it. It's not about blame. It's about awareness. The word complicit cuts deeper than responsible, because it asks us to look inward, without self-attack.

This question comes from Jerry Colonna - former JP Morgan partner, co-founder of a top-tier VC firm with Fred Wilson, now known as the CEO Whisperer. He coaches Founders and CEOs at Etsy, SoundCloud, and Fortune 500 companies.

I've wanted this conversation for years, ever since hearing him on the Tim Ferriss podcast. When he agreed to come on How to Live, I honestly couldn’t believe it.

In our conversation, Jerry opens up about his journey from massive Wall Street success to a near-suicidal moment on a subway platform, and how radical self-inquiry saved his life.

We dive deep into self-growth, leadership, practical journaling techniques, managing the voices in your head, and why the most successful people often create their own suffering without realizing it.

If you're exploring the next frontier of growth, it might not be outside.

It might be within.

This conversation will help you start the work.

Shownotes

https://howtolive.life/episode/099-wisdom-from-the-CEO-whisperer-with-jerry-colonna

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"Chase passion, not pension" - but how do you actually figure out what you love?

Robin Speculand nailed this. At 34, he was making VP money at Citibank — but still didn't know what his "passion" was.

So he did something most of us never do: He stepped off the treadmill and took time to reflect.

On a beach, he asked himself:

• What have I truly enjoyed?
• What gave me energy?
• What problems do I see that others miss?

That's when it clicked. Every company had a strategy. But 9 out of 10 failed at implementation. Nobody was solving this. It was a blue ocean.

His passion wasn't "helping people" or "being a founder." It was this specific, unsexy problem everyone ignored.

📌 If you're in your 40s and feeling stuck, maybe passion isn't something you find. Maybe it's something you recognize:

1. Step off the treadmill (take real reflection time)
2. Look at what energizes you (not what looks good on LinkedIn)
3. Spot the blue ocean problem only you can see

Your passion might not be trending. It might be the overlooked thing that quietly lights you up.

And that's exactly why it could change your life.

🎧 Full episode with Robin — How to Live, Episode 98

Shownotes

https://howtolive.life/episode/098-designing-life-in-your-forties-with-robin-speculand

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Go deeper with articles every 2-3 weeks. No spam.
https://sharadlal.substack.com/

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