Reboot Podcast Episode #66 – What Are You Made Of? – with Adeesh Agarwal

The Reboot podcast showcases the heart and soul, the wins and losses, the ups and downs of startup leadership. On the show, Entrepreneurs, CEO’s, and Startup Leaders discuss with Jerry Colonna the emotional and psychological challenges they face daily as leaders.

Episode 66 // August 17, 2017

Guests

Adeesh Agarwal

Adeesh Agarwal

Founder of Design Creators / In Transition

View Bio

Episode Description

Adeesh Agarwal is an architect who has worked in real estate, med-tech and had started and managed his own design firm, which recently closed its doors. Now, he finds himself soul searching at 40 years old looking back at the choices he’s made to have a job and be a responsible caretaker for his family. He struggles with finding work that isn’t soul-sucking, that creates safety and opportunity for his family and wanting to have a sense of stability and sense of progress in his life. As he looks at his life and the choices ahead, he asks: Who am I? What are my strengths?

Jerry and Adeesh talk about how there’s a much deeper existential question behind those questions, and how a better question is to ask: What am I made of? And how do the aspects of me come together in ways that I am proud of and ways that hold me back?

Show Highlights

Memorable Quotes:

“I would come back home unhappy with the values at work and it got to a point where I was taking out the frustration of the job on my son.” – Adeesh Agarwal

“I want to have work that doesn’t suck the life out of my soul.” – Jerry Colonna

“And you’re 40. And that’s this magical tough time where the sense of who we are and how we manifest it in work starts to become really cooked.” – Jerry Colonna

“What if this twisty, windy road that you’ve found yourself on is in fact what it’s supposed to be? What if this is your path right now?” – Jerry Colonna

“Who am I? What am I good at?” – Adeesh Agarwal

“How does one look inside to discover who I truly am? It’s not by doing an assessment test of your strengths and weaknesses.” – Jerry Colonna

“What does it mean to be a good man? What does it mean to be a good son? What does it mean to be a good husband? What does it mean to be a good father?” – Jerry Colonna

“What I think you’re asking for is stability and flexibility. What you’re asking for is freedom from worry.” – Jerry Colonna

“There’s almost a rebel inside of you that says, f*ck this sh*t. I am not going to be trapped at this desk forever.” – Jerry Colonna

“All of the shame and all of the guilt that forces you into these limiting boxes, that feels mind- created. And often times those limiting beliefs go back to multiple generations.” – Jerry Colonna

“I’ve seen when I’m not happy, how I react at home, and that’s bullsh*t. I shouldn’t be doing that.” – Adeesh Agarwal

“What if the inquiry was, instead, what is the source of my strength, and how can I use that to marry these seemingly contradictory wishes that I have?” – Jerry Colonna

“What am I made of? What are the aspects of me? And how do those aspects come together in ways that I am proud of and ways that hold me back?” – Jerry Colonna

“That needs to be looked at, not with shame or guilt, but just with a clarity.” – Jerry Colonna

“Courage doesn’t exist without risk, otherwise it’s not courage.” – Jerry Colonna

“I don’t know that anybody knows the choices you should make.” – Jerry Colonna