What if everything you have been taught about finding the "perfect" career path is not entirely true?

Welcome back to The SMARTA Podcast! In Episode 106, we are flipping the script on uncertainty. I am sitting down with Steven D'Souza, the 2026 Business Book Awards winner for Leadership Book of the Year!

Steven teaches at institutions like Oxford and IE Business School, and he is here to prove that "not knowing" is actually your greatest competitive advantage.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How Steven sold 8,000 copies of a book he hadn't even written yet just by talking to strangers.
  
• Why the concept of "Shadows at Work”, the hidden parts of yourself running the show, is sabotaging your success.
  
• How to spot your shadow through repetitive patterns and disproportionate reactions.
  
• Why you need to stop rushing to figure your life out and build "negative capability" instead.
  

In this episode:

• 00:00 - Welcome
  
• 03:00 - The Power of Not Knowing, Service, & Social Capital
  
• 04:29 - How to Sell 8,000 Books Before You Even Write Them
  
• 12:50 - Why You Need to Start Talking to Strangers
  
• 18:51 - Shadows at Work: The "Me That I Don’t See"
  
• 23:40 - How to Spot Your Shadow: Triggers & Repetitive Patterns
  
• 30:07 - Why You Don't Need to Have It All Figured Out By 30
  
• 36:47 - The Path is Made by Walking
  
• 40:39 - The Life-Changing Habit of an Unplugged Morning Walk
  
• 47:46 - Negative Capability: Learning to Live with the Questions
  
• 52:33 - Life-Changing Books & Final Advice: Trust Yourself
  

AD get your free PR audit now at www.laurenstijssen.com/power-audit

If this episode helped you embrace the unknown, take a screenshot right now, post it to your Instagram Story, and tag me and Steven! Let us know what your next brave step is. Don't forget to hit subscribe to keep growing 1% smarter every day!