They called it a quick chat.

Marisa Kamall was on maternity leave. Still recovering from pneumonia that had nearly killed her. Her newborn was in the next room. And HSBC the company she'd given 15 years to, the one where she'd grown from analyst to Managing Director, leading teams of thousands across four continents called to restructure her role. Over Zoom.

When she cried, her manager said: 'I didn't think you'd react like this.'

That moment taught her something that no performance review, no promotion, and no amount of over-delivering ever would: no company will care about your career the way you do. The system wasn't built to make room for her. And the life she has now GAIA, the leadership community, the coaching, the mission only exists because she stopped waiting for it to.

This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on Burn The Rules.

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome + Marisa’s journey into the conversation

04:05 — The inside reality of corporate success

10:10 — Why Gaia exists and the mission behind it

20:43 — The “quick chat” call that changed everything

26:02 — Rebuilding identity, confidence, and leadership after corporate

31:48 — Stop rehearsing the person you think you should be

38:08 — What it really means to lead from within

42:55 — The triple hit: motherhood, illness, and restructuring

47:07 — Fitness, discipline, and regulating mind, body, and soul

57:13 — Why the system doesn’t make room for you

58:48 — How Gaia grew from an idea into a real community

64:29 — ChatGP She and women shaping the AI era

68:12 — The questions every leader should ask themselves

69:09 — Ten and Done quickfire round

72:35 — Who Gaia is for + how to connect

73:54 — Final message: speak up and take care of yourself

Connect with Marisa:
LinkedIn

GAIA: www.GaiaRises.com

For more information about me go to: chethirani.com

Get my 2 x Award Winning Bestselling book:

Burn The Rules Here

Connect, Follow & Subscribe:

LinkedIn

Youtube

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

How many of your decisions this week were shaped by what you actually believe and how many were shaped by what you wanted other people to think of you?

This is the most camouflaged leadership trap I know. It doesn't look like weakness. It looks like being collaborative. Like being emotionally intelligent. Like being a good person. But it's approval-seeking and it's costing you more than you know.

And for the first time in the series, it doesn't just diagnose. It shows you a way through.

I share my parents' story a love marriage that cost them everything the community approved of, and gave them everything that actually mattered. And a 2012 workshop that fell apart completely and taught me the most important thing I know about what happens when you finally drop the mask.

The version of you that stops trying to be liked is the version that finally starts to lead.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The leadership trap of approval seeking

02:54 How approval seeking manifests in leadership behaviors

04:48 The story of the speaker's parents and leadership values

08:21 The importance of authenticity and dropping the mask

10:14 Action steps to overcome approval seeking in leadership

14:51 Redefining Leadership

15:20 The Practice of Leadership

More on me:
Take the Pressure Pattern Check

For more information about me go to: chethirani.com

Get my Award Winning Bestselling book:

Burn The Rules Here

Connect, Follow & Subscribe:

LinkedIn

Youtube

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

Most high-performing leaders spend years building a life that looks exactly like success is supposed to look. The title. The salary. The house. The holidays. The family photo that belongs on the front of a magazine.
Deepika Sandhu had all of it. And she still felt profoundly, quietly empty.

So she did something that almost nobody does. She scheduled her own breakdown. Put it in her calendar. Showed up for it. And in the space that created the slowing down, the silence, the sitting with herself she found the clarity that 25 years of relentless performance had never given her.

Today, Deepika is the founder of Soul Sparks Press North America's fastest growing publishing house, built to over 106 authors in 21 months. She's a six-time award-winning bestselling author, CEO of the Year at the Unicorn Summit, and someone who now describes her life not by what it looks like but by how it feels.

This conversation is between two people who are genuinely inside each other's worlds. Which is exactly why it goes to places most podcast conversations don't.

Chapters
00:00 The Pressure of Silicon Valley Leadership
04:45 Transitioning from Corporate to SoulSparks Press
07:41 Redefining Success and Impact
10:26 The Journey of Self-Discovery
13:07 The Power of Scheduled Breakdowns
15:51 Dismantling Old Beliefs
18:45 Taking Risks and Embracing Entrepreneurship
21:48 Managing Pressure and Doubt
24:24 The Importance of Support and Community
27:11 Flow vs. Deadlines in Creativity
30:01 The Evolution of Self and Business
32:56 Navigating Pressure Moments
35:42 Overcoming Doubt and Inner Critic
39:38 Trusting the Process
45:44 Owning Your Choices
50:36 Lessons from Life Transitions
56:24 Finding Your Authentic Voice
59:31 The Power of Storytelling
01:10:29 Redefining Leadership
01:10:57 The Practice of Leadership

Connect with Deepika:
Instagram
Soul Sparks Press on Instagram
Soul Sparks Press Website

More on me:
Take the Pressure Pattern Check

For more information about me go to: chethirani.com

Get my Award Winning Bestselling book:

Burn The Rules Here

Connect, Follow & Subscribe:

LinkedIn

Youtube

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok