After releasing an episode every second week since November 2021 - we’re taking a short break from How to Live. Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with incredible guests, thinkers, founders, scientists, and leaders, all exploring the same question: how do we live a good life? Now, it feels like the right moment to pause, reflect, and recharge, so we can come back in February with fresh stories and new insights for the next chapter. While we take this short break, I wa...

Reinvention for 23-year-olds with nothing to lose is relatively easy. At 40, it's brave. Here's how to do it well. At 23, Nick Francis left the BBC, drove a Mini to Mongolia, and stumbled into building a creative business now in 9 countries. Back then, it didn't feel brave. No mortgage. No kids. Nothing to lose. As Nick says: "If you quit your job in your 40s, with kids and responsibilities - that's brave." Here's what struck me: midlife reinvention isn't about starting over. It's about start...

Eating healthy ✅ Working out ✅ Blood tests normal ✅ …but still not feeling good? Low energy. Brain fog. Mood swings. The missing piece might be your gut. Gut isn't just about digestion. It's our "second brain." 95% of serotonin (our "happy" chemical) is made there. Poor absorption can leave us tired, anxious, or unfocused - even with a perfect diet In the latest How to Live episode, I sit down with Functional Medicine Coach Jo Brownlow. We unpack: What gut health really means&nbs...

Layoffs don’t just take our jobs. They can scramble our judgment. Here’s how to get both back. An entrepreneur on my podcast told me this story: “When I went bankrupt, I begged a friend, who had built a unicorn, for a meeting. He gave me 30 minutes. But the moment we sat down, I could tell he wanted to leave. Six months later, after I’d worked on myself, I went back with clarity and energy. This time, he introduced me to people and offered support. What I learned was simple: if you go to peop...

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 St...

"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-foun...

"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 fai...

𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦. We're taught to "man up" and handle everything alone. When we struggle, we don't reach out. When friends share problems, we jump straight to solutions. We think asking for help is weakness. We think giving advice is helping. But here's what we miss: We never build emotional safety nets. Women often do this instinctively. They listen first. They create space. They support before they solve. The result? Deeper friendships. Stronger teams. And, as research shows, better leade...

Be interested, not interesting. 𝐈𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. Most high performers approach networking like a performance. Say something clever. Be impressive. Stand out. But being interesting takes energy. It puts pressure on you. And it often keeps things at the surface. There's a better way: Be interested instead. Ask thoughtful questions. Listen deeply. Let others do what they love most - talk about themselves. It's lighter. It's more huma...

Most people stay stuck because they’re waiting for clarity. Big mistake. When you’re 15–20 years into your career, the destination will never be what you imagined anyway. What’s really keeping you stuck isn’t a lack of direction. It’s fear. Fear disguised as “being strategic.” Fear disguised as “waiting for the right moment.” Fear disguised as “needing more information.” But here’s the thing: You don’t overcome fear by thinking your way through it. You overcome it by moving through it. The pa...