In this episode of The Way of the 1 Percent, host Yovel Peretz talks with Ashish Kothari — former McKinsey partner and now founder of Happiness Squad — about trading status for purpose. 🌱
We cover:
💼 Leaving “success”
Ashish hit the top: global consulting partner, money, recognition. But he felt anxious and disconnected. He explains the gap between karma (what you do) and dharma (what you’re here to do) — and what happens when they don’t line up.
🌍 The crisis at work
Only ~20 percent of people feel like they’re actually thriving at work. Most are stressed, burned, or numb. He says this is not just personal burnout, it’s a global problem — emotionally and financially.
🏢 Work that makes people come alive
He breaks down what real leadership looks like: creating environments where people feel safe, valued, and proud of what they do. Ask yourself: would you want your son or daughter working in the culture you’re creating?
🧠 How to find your purpose
Ashish gives a simple practice:
Map your highest moments in life — what lit you up, what strengths were you using.
Map your lowest moments — what broke you, how you survived, what you learned.
Your purpose lives in that pattern.
His lowest point...He shares getting laid off while on a visa, mid-MBA, with no safety net. Total collapse moment. The thing that saved him? A single relationship. His lesson: invest in real people, not just resume lines.
💡 Advice to his younger self
He wouldn’t say “work less.” He’d say: work hard, but build your inner world sooner — gratitude, sleep, movement, meditation, self-compassion. It’s not less ambition. It’s aligned ambition.
Core message:
You can grind and still be empty. Or you can build a life that’s both high-performance and meaningful. Your choice. 💥
Connect with Ashish: https://happinesssquad.com/
Order the Hardwired for Happiness book: https://happinesssquad.com/hardwired-for-happiness/#order