How to Live
A podcast that explores ways to live a good life - thrive at work and in life, connect with a deeper purpose, strengthen relationships, and fulfil potential. Creator and Host Sharad Lal is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker and coach who works with leading organisations like Google, Unilever, J&J, P&G; having supported over 20,000 people in discovering their potential and purpose.
Episodes
104 episodes
Pause for Reflection. Back in Feb 2026
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, a...
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14:01
#103 Building a business with heart with Nick Francis
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 countri...
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36:58
#102 Better gut better health with Jo Brownlow
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...
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31:56
#101 Bouncing back after layoff, with Sharad Lal
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 ga...
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12:39
#100 Five lessons from 100 episodes with Sharad Lal
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 liv...
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11:21
#099 Wisdom from the CEO Whisperer with Jerry Colonna
"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.Thi...
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36:52
#098 Designing life in your forties with Robin Speculand
"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...
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32:39
#097 Redefining Masculinity with Andrew Reiner
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 ...
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33:30
#096 Networking that actually feels good with Ryan Lim
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...
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33:28
#095 How to move when you're stuck, a conversation with Sharad Lal
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....
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32:19
#094 Mindful Ambition with Bhavna Toor
You’re running faster.You’re winning.But are you running in the right direction?The success script teaches us to outrun others.Outrun, Outwit, Outlast.But it rarely asks:Is this the race you want to win?
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34:11
#093 Muscle, Metabolism & Midlife Reset with Amanda Lim
Your annual health checkup is a good start. But it’s not enough.You’re in your 40s. Your doctor says you're fine. Your weight looks fine.But your energy is low. Your sleep is off. Something just feels… off.Amanda Lim sees this...
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39:43
#092 Let go to grow with Rob Bier
Founders (and leaders) are addicted to solving problems. It’s their crack cocaine. That’s what startup scaling coach Rob Bier, author of Smooth Scaling and coach to 40+ startups including six unicorns, told me. And the m...
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41:04
#091 The art of career transitions with Shiv Choudhury
Most career transitions are treated like cliff jumps.You quit the job. Burn the bridges. Bet everything on your dream.Shiv Choudhury chose a different path.When he left BCG to build a billion-dollar business, he didn’t go all ...
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39:57
#090 The success trap: when success holds you back with Sharad Lal
Which of These 6 Success Traps Is Holding You Back?After my article on The Success Trap in Esquire resonated with so many, I’ve gone deeper in my latest Ho...
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13:25
#089 Beating Decision Fatigue with Dr. Shawn Watson
You Can Only Make So Many Good Decisions - Are You Using Them Right?In 1987, we made 100s of decisions daily.Today, we make 35,000.Here's the problem: we can only make a finite number of quality decisions each day.
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32:29
#088 Turning purpose into action with Uma Balasingam
When scaling a cause, should you pick passionate volunteers or capable ones?Most instinctively say passion. But Uma Thana Balasingam’s journey scaling Lean In Singapore to 7,000+ members tells a different story.Her...
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38:41
#087 Wisdom from the Maldives with Afeef Hussain
When resources are limited, how do you still access the best?Afeef Hussain wanted his team - and his country Maldives - to learn from the world’s top minds. But bringing in world-class speakers and trainers isn’t cheap.So instead ...
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35:33
#086 Forties Fitness Guide with Alex Mearns
Forget six-packs - in your 40s, fitness is about feeling good, not looking good.Let’s face it - most of us in our 40s aren’t hitting the gym for six-packs or beach bodies anymore. The ...
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37:18
#085 Meaning & Success with Fabrice Desmarescaux
Feeling stuck? You might be looking in the wrong place.When we hit a crossroads, our instinct is to look outward - more advice, more inspiration, more answers. But here's the plot twist: the most powerful guidance system isn't out there....
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34:40
#084 Life Lessons Deeper Dive 2024
4,000 weeks.That’s all we get. The number of weeks most of us will live.The average human life is "absurdly, insultingly brief."As we step into 2025, this perspective—shared by Oliver Burkeman on the How to...
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14:36
#083 Life Lessons 2024
“When I went bankrupt, I begged a friend who had built a unicorn for a 30-minute meeting. The moment we sat down, I could tell he didn’t want to be there.Six months later, after working on myself, I went back with a clear vision and positiv...
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14:12
#082 Rethinking Happy Hour with Nick Jonsson
What’s your relationship with alcohol?This isn’t a preachy “quit drinking” episode but it’s about curiosity. Many of us enjoy a drink. It helps us connect, unwind, and feel at ease. But as we get older, we start noticing the side effects...
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30:04
