The Sukha Effect: Finding Flow, Focus And Purpose In Work & Life
When you’ve lived through Hollywood blockbusters and Silicon Valley start-ups, you collect a few lessons about focus, fear and meaning.
In this episode, Andy Goram talks with Steven Puri, founder of The Sukha Company, about the link between creativity, purpose and deep work. Steven’s career has spanned DreamWorks, Fox and tech ventures — but today his focus is on something subtler: helping people find ease and meaning in what they do.
This conversation isn’t about hacks or hustle. It’s about what really drives us — why we work, how fear holds us back, and how we can find the calm, creative flow that comes when purpose and focus align.
Warm, honest and deeply human, it’s an episode about living — and working — with Sukha.
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Key Takeaways
Purpose gives depth to performance. Before chasing productivity, ask why you want to perform. Meaning drives mastery.
Leadership is about drawing out greatness. Managers track tasks; leaders help people shine.
Fear blocks flow. Psychological safety frees creativity and purpose.
Sukha means alignment, not effort. Ease and joy appear when you’re doing the work you’re meant to do.
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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:
0:01:17 – Purpose, Fear and Flow: An Unplanned Conversation
0:05:01 – The Story Behind The Sukha Company
0:08:25 – The Customer Who Defined Sukha
0:14:45 – Leadership and Drawing Out Greatness
0:17:48 – Fear, Failure and the Role of Psychological Safety
0:21:09 – Lessons from Spielberg: The Best Idea Wins
0:25:01 – Meaning, Emotion and Purposeful Work
0:33:12 – Living with Intention, Flow and Focus
0:44:55 – Steven’s Three Sticky Notes of Advice
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Join The Conversation
Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
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Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
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Useful Links
Follow Steven Puri on LinkedIn here
Find the Sukah Company website here
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Full Episode Transcript
Get the full transcript of the episode here
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47:39
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47:39
Holistic Purpose-Driven Leadership: Building Presence, People & Heart
From a bamboo house in rural Indonesia to the boardrooms of Asia, Dona Amelia’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Now an international keynote speaker, Harvard-trained leadership specialist, and co-founder of EGN Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, she brings a rare blend of performance, psychology, and purpose to the way she helps leaders grow.
In this episode, Dona joins Andy Goram to explore holistic purpose-driven leadership — a style that balances high performance with humanity. She shares how her early life shaped her belief in service, generosity, and resilience, and how those lessons now inform her work helping senior leaders stay authentic, grounded, and connected — even in high-pressure, high-stakes environments.
Dona also explains her own DONA Framework, which blends Purpose, Presence, People, and Performance, and the role of vulnerability in transforming leadership cultures from the inside out.
It’s an inspiring reminder that great leadership isn’t just about what you achieve — it’s about who you are while achieving it.
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Key Takeaways
Leadership starts with purpose. Dona’s journey shows that clarity of purpose gives strength and direction in every challenge.
Serve before you lead. True leadership is about helping others succeed — not just performing well yourself.
Vulnerability is strength. Being open about struggle builds trust and invites authenticity in others.
Presence and people go hand in hand. Balancing focus on performance with genuine care for people creates lasting success.
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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:
0:01:10 – From Bamboo House to Boardroom: Meet Dona Amelia
0:03:37 – Early Lessons in Purpose, Resilience and Service
0:10:27 – What Childhood Taught Her About Giving and Gratitude
0:15:07 – The Entertainment Years: Learning Performance and Presence
0:22:30 – Pivoting from Stage to Leadership Coaching
0:34:29 – The D.O.N.A. Framework (Dreams, Opportunity, Never give up, Action).
0:37:31 – “4P+E” (Pray/centre, Prepare, Practice, Perform + Evaluate) & “action 200%”.
0:40:02 – What holistic leadership looks like in practice
0:46:09 – Balancing people care and KPIs: why performance follows wellbeing.
0:47:42 – Dona’s 3 Sticky Notes of Advice
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Join The Conversation
Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
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Useful Links
Follow Dona Amelia on LinkedIn here
Follow Dona Amelia on Instagram here
Follow Dona Amelia on Facebook here here
Find the EGN website here
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Full Episode Transcript
Get the full transcript of the episode here
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51:30
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51:30
The Fisher Change Curve: Navigating The Emotional Side Of Change
Change is rarely just a rational process — it’s an emotional journey.
In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, I’m joined by John Fisher, business psychologist, constructivist thinker, and creator of the Fisher Change Curve. His model goes beyond the Kubler-Ross grief curve to capture the messy, shifting emotions people actually experience during change, from anxiety and fear, to guilt, confusion, and eventual acceptance.
We explore why organisations so often mishandle change, the crucial difference between self-initiated and imposed change, and the role of emotional triggers like SCARF. John also shares practical ways leaders can support their teams and themselves through uncertainty, plus his three Sticky Notes of advice for navigating change with confidence and compassion.
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Key Takeaways
Change is emotional, not just rational. People experience fear, guilt, and confusion — not just a neat process plan.
Kubler-Ross isn’t enough. Grief stages don’t capture the nuance of organisational or self-initiated change.
Small wins create momentum. Celebrating quick wins helps rebuild confidence and reduces resistance.
Leaders must engage with honesty. Open conversations, empathy, and clarity move teams from compliance to commitment.
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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:
0:01:10 – Why change is never just a process problem
0:05:57 – Meet John Fisher: from radar systems to psychology
0:08:22 – Why the emotional side of change matters
0:11:35 – Constructivism and interpretation in change
0:14:22 – Do we treat change differently at work than in life?
0:17:05 – Self-initiated vs imposed change: why control matters
0:21:09 – Why Kubler-Ross isn’t enough for organisational change
0:24:03 – Introducing the Fisher Change Curve
0:27:58 – Stages of the curve: from anxiety to acceptance
0:34:53 – Quick wins, small steps, and sustainable change
0:36:39 – SCARF triggers and why leaders misjudge readiness
0:41:36 – Practical advice: honesty, engagement, and WIIFM
0:45:28 – John’s three Sticky Notes of advice
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Join The Conversation
Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
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Useful Links
Follow John Fisher on LinkedIn here
Find the C2D website here
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Full Episode Transcript
Get the full transcript of the episode here
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49:14
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49:14
Having Tough Conversations: What Leaders Can Learn From the Locker Room
Imagine walking into a locker room just moments after a crushing defeat. Players are angry, deflated, maybe even in tears — and then a sideline reporter steps up and asks the question nobody wants to hear.
That’s where Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster and communications coach Jen Mueller thrives. With 25 years in Sports Journalism, covering high profile sports teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, and as founder of Talk Sporty to Me, Jen has mastered the art of having tough conversations under pressure.
In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Jen reveals what leaders can learn from the sports world about facing into tough conversations with clarity, honesty, and respect. From avoiding false praise to creating psychological safety, she shares practical tools to help managers and teams tackle difficult moments without damaging trust.
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Key Takeaways
Avoidance erodes trust. Not having tough conversations leaves people guessing — and usually assuming the worst.
Be honest with praise. Empty compliments damage credibility; accurate feedback builds respect.
Clarity reduces fear. Preparation and specific goals make difficult conversations easier and more effective.
Respect the person. Tough moments handled with care can strengthen relationships, not break them.
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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:
0:01:10 – Why tough conversations matter more than ever in leadership
0:02:43 – Meet Jen Mueller: Emmy-winning sports journalist and communications coach
0:05:19 – From the side lines to the office: lessons from 25 years in sport
0:09:27 – Why leaders avoid tough conversations (and the cost of silence)
0:15:04 – The danger of false praise and how it kills credibility
0:21:14 – “If you’re not willing to have that conversation, you lose trust”
0:26:41 – Clarity, preparation, and why leaders shouldn’t “wing it”
0:32:38 – Respect, emotions, and reading the room under pressure
0:38:16 – Turning tough conversations into relationship-building moments
0:43:55 – Jen’s three Sticky Notes of advice
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Join The Conversation
Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
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Useful Links
Follow Jen Mueller on LinkedIn here
Follow Jen Mueller on Instagram here
Follow Jen Mueller on X here here
Find the "Talk Sporty To Me" website here
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Full Episode Transcript
Get the full transcript of the episode here
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46:35
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46:35
Self-Empathy. The Leadership Keystone
Empathy is often described as a “soft skill” — something nice to have, but not essential for business. But what if we’ve been thinking about it all wrong?
In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, I’m joined by Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller — TEDx speaker, executive coach, host of The Empathic Leader podcast, and author of The Empathic Leader: How EQ via Empathy Transforms Leadership for Better Profit, Productivity, and Innovation.
Melissa introduces the idea of practical empathy — empathy as a skill you can develop, measure, and apply every day. We explore why empathy starts at home with self-empathy, the leadership keystone. She explains how reflection and awareness drive better leadership decisions, and why empathy and judgment cannot exist in the same space. Along the way, Melissa shares personal stories, research insights, and practical steps leaders can use to build cultures that are more innovative, more productive, and more human.
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Key Takeaways
Self-empathy is the keystone. Leaders can’t show empathy for others if they don’t first understand and connect with themselves.
Reflection builds awareness. Daily self-reflection and awareness of impact create the foundation for better decisions and relationships.
Empathy is a skill, not fluff. Practical empathy is skills-based, data-driven, and outcomes-oriented — not just “being nice.”
Empathy and judgment can’t coexist. Removing judgement opens the door for leaders to grow, connect, and build trust.
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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:
0:01:10 – Why empathy matters more than ever in leadership
0:02:45 – Meet Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller: researcher, coach, author
0:05:26 – A career unravelled: when organisations show no empathy
0:07:05 – What Melissa means by “practical empathy”
0:09:43 – Can empathy be learned, or is it innate?
0:12:30 – Defining self-empathy: the leadership keystone
0:16:27 – The role of judgment and why it blocks empathy
0:22:09 – The path to building self-empathy: reflection, awareness, empathy
0:30:28 – How self-empathy leads to corrective action and growth
0:36:38 – Performative empathy: why saying it isn’t enough
0:41:56 – The business case: empathy’s impact on profit, productivity, and innovation
0:45:51 – Melissa’s three Sticky Notes of advice
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Join The Conversation
Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
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Useful Links
Follow Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller on LinkedIn here
Find the EQ via Empathy website here
Listen to The Empathic Leader Podcast here
Get "The Empathic Leader" book here
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Full Episode Transcript
Get the full transcript of the episode here
Sticky From The Inside is the go-to podcast for anyone looking to transform their workplace into a thriving, competition-crushing powerhouse. We’re on a mission to change the fact that 65% of employees worldwide are disengaged from their work—because that’s not just bad for business, it’s a waste of time and talent.
Each episode, we bring you dynamic conversations with global experts, thought leaders, and innovative thinkers who share their strategies, stories, and secrets for building a “Stickier Business”—a place where employees are passionate, customers are loyal, and success is the norm.
If you’re ready to boost employee engagement, create an unbeatable workplace culture, and lead with impact, tune in and discover how to build a business that people love from the inside out.
Ireland