Ajit Dodani, Torrance, CA (2026)

05/16/2026

Not every kid is meant to follow the same path, so, please, remember, your kids are going to be okay, especially if they know that you are okay. 💗

As posts fill our feeds, I also want to acknowledge the parents whose kids chose a different journey. The parents who had the courage to support a child that chooses not fit into the traditional education box.

Yes, I celebrate everyone graduating through traditional pathways. That is a lot of hard work and deserves recognition too.

But… please do not confuse one path as the only path. ✊🏽

Maybe your child chose a path.
Maybe they chose school, , , entrepreneurship, or hands-on work.
Maybe traditional classrooms and test-taking crushed their spirit.
Maybe they learn differently.
Maybe they have different neural pathways and simply needed a different environment to thrive.

I want you to know something.
Everything is going to be okay.

I say that your kids are going to be okay, especially if they know that you are okay. Because sometimes the guilt, disappointment, fear, or comparison a parent carries never has to be spoken out loud. Kids can feel it anyway.

And trust me, I have seen so many incredible young people take all of these unconventional paths and build beautiful lives, meaningful careers, healthy relationships, and a deep sense of purpose.

We are still operating large parts of education based on systems designed decades ago for a world that no longer exists. And now, with AI changing industries at lightning speed, some of the “safe” and “traditional” paths are becoming uncertain too.

The goal was never just a diploma.

The goal is a thriving human being.
Mental health.
Confidence.
Purpose.
Curiosity.
A strong relationship with your child.
A life where they can contribute, belong, and grow.

So to every parent quietly worrying because their child is taking a different route, breathe.

Believe in them.
Believe in yourself.
Protect the relationship.
Keep loving them.
Keep guiding them.

Different does not mean lost...
Sometimes it simply means they saw the future before the rest of us did.

empathifyu

05/15/2026

Well, I cannot promise you a few billion dollars, but I can tell you this: The EmpathifyU frameworks of an Empathy Strategy, The Trust Formula, and Leading Through Chaos can absolutely impact top-line , effectiveness, trust, , and the overall of every stakeholder around you.

Because at the center of all of it is something Brad Jacobs points to so clearly: “Keeping YOURSELF mentally in a good place.”

And entrepreneurship, leadership, and life, are all mental games.

That is why so much of our work at EmpathifyU is centered around helping leaders build the systems, standards, skillsets, and high level of selfawareness that allow them to stay steady in the middle of chaos.

Because when you:
live aligned to agreed-upon values,
understand your shadow values,
regulate your emotions,
lead with clarity of purpose,
communicate with empathy and accountability,
are comfortable having difficult conversations,
and build trust consistently,
you make stronger decisions and healthier cultures. 🔥

You reduce the mental exhaustion that comes from misalignment, politics, confusion, and identity covering.
And over time, that creates sustainable high performance.

Not performative leadership.
Not fear-based cultures.
Not temporary wins.
Sustainable success.

Yes, of course, financial acumen matters.
Strategy matters.
Ex*****on matters.

But every entrepreneur and leader who has been through real chaos knows this: if your mind is not steady, eventually everything around you becomes unstable too.

That is why I care so deeply about translating these concepts into practical frameworks leaders can actually apply:
The Empathy Strategy.
The Trust Formula.
Leading Through Chaos.

Because the goal is not just success.

The goal is building organizations where people can thrive professionally and personally while still achieving extraordinary results.

EmpathifyU

05/14/2026

Garrison earned my respect and trust as an incredible podcaster / storyteller / interviewer when he brilliantly interviewed President Barack Obama last year

This year Harsha and I had the chance to meet him listen to him talk about storytelling, trust and AI at

His message was multidimensional - but the hope lies in authentic, real, perfectly-imperfect stories will WIN the long game.
Soooooo powerful, humble, honest, real…

Stay real!

In the end “ inspire , and empathy drives change” 💪🏽

05/13/2026

When and wear Shaneli Jain’s jewelry to the , she deserves every bit of recognition and reward that comes with it 👏🏽💫❤️🚀⚡️🎊🎉

Because as entrepreneurs we know behind moments like that is hard work, service, pressure, uncertainty, creativity, sacrifice, and showing up strong long before the world notices.

Last night, Harsha and I walked into this Summer Fashion Soirée that honestly felt straight out of a movie scene. Cameras flashing at the entrance, the rooftop overlooking the city, incredible energy everywhere.

As they were taking photos at check-in, they asked us:
“So… are you a model, actor, or influencer?” 😳😅🔥

Harsha smiled and said, “Chief Heart Officer.” And of course, I said, “Empathy Strategist.”
The host paused, looked up, and said, “Wow… now THAT is different.”🤣😎😜

And honestly, that set the tone for the entire night.🎶💃🏽🕺🏽🎶

Obviously, we were there to celebrate and support Shaneli and her amazing husband Shaun Mehra (who is also an entrepreneur!) two incredible entrepreneurs each building something special 🙏🏽💫🙏🏽

For all of us, this specific evening was about Shaneli and seeing the recognition, as we’ve watched her vision move from idea…
to artists wearing the jewelry…
to celebrities co-signing the work…
to seeing her creations on one of the biggest stages in fashion and culture, that was magical.🚀

And one of my favorite parts of the evening was the reminder that no matter the environment, the right people always find each other🔥💫
Here is THAT story…

In the middle of this Hollywood celebration, we ended up in some of the deepest conversations with two brilliant, incredible human beings, Erlinda Stiles, MBA, M.A., SHRM, PHRca and Belle Lee and we had conversations about empathy, trust, leadership, people, purpose, culture, creativity, and why human connection still matters so much in the workplace and in life.
NOW, That was the icing on top!💫⚡️

Just one of those nights that reminds you how beautiful it is to watch good people win.

And honestly… next time somebody asks if Harsha and I are models, actors, or influencers… we may just pick one.😜😅🤣😎

05/10/2026

.
That’s THE word that keeps coming to mind as I think of Harsha and watch these two young men reach out to their mom.

Not out of obligation.
Not because “she’s the mother.”
Not because respect was demanded.

You see, watching Harsha become a mom has been one of the most remarkable journeys I’ve ever witnessed up close. Sure, I’m a very involved dad, but motherhood, there is something about it that operates at a completely different level.

And the truth is, when we became parents, I know some of you were perfect, but we were really just kids raising kids.😅
We read the books.
We heard the advice.
We listened to family, culture, opinions, expectations.
AND we messed up!!!

Because somewhere along the line, you realize none of those “perfect parenting formulas” fully work because every child is , every family is different, every story is different.

What I’ve admired most is watching Harsha bravely .
To some things.
To intentionally others.
To become self-aware enough to build deep trust with our boys.

Not using guilt as control.
Not forcing identity onto them.
Not trying to make them fit into somebody else’s definition of success.

And when our kids chose paths in art and music, paths that came with opinions from extended family and society 🤷🏽‍♂️, I watched something else show up…

Fierce, relentless Loyalty.
The kind of loyalty that says:
“These are our kids. We trust them. We’ll walk beside them while they discover who they are.”

And now, years later, I watch these young men call their mom like a trusted friend…

“Hey mom, are you free? Can I talk to you about something?”
She continued chasing her own passions, her own dreams, her own identity.

Our boys got to see a mother who loved them deeply, but who also showed them that a woman’s identity is not meant to disappear into motherhood alone.✊🏽

And I think that gave them their freedom too.

05/06/2026

Not sure who needs to hear this today, but I just re-read my notes from and had to share this 💪🏽

Maybe you’re an chasing an idea.
Maybe you’re a trying to hold it together.
Maybe you’re an with a dream nobody fully understands yet.

On stage, Russ said: “I just believed in myself more than anybody else did.”

That line was just fuel on 🔥

Because the reality is…
everybody is navigating their own SH*T.
Everybody is carrying something.
Everybody is trying to survive, grow, heal, build, or figure life out.

And if we keep waiting for someone else’s approval…
someone else’s validation…
someone else to finally say “I believe in you”…

we might be waiting a long time… a very, very long time.

Sometimes the first person who has to believe in the vision is you. 🫵🏼

So today, look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself:
“You got this.” ✊🏽💫

Then go do the thing.
Send the email.
Start the business.
Apply for the role.
Launch the idea.
Have the conversation.
Create the art.

Bet on yourself a little more today.

05/02/2026

Our favorite thing to do is to end the day by being in an audience at a event… listening to some honest stories!
🎶💃🏽🕺🏽🎶

Thursday night we did exactly that! Harsha and I were in sitting in a room full of young creators - for the Deb’s “Metamorphosis” event hosted by KOGO 🎶🎶🎶

You ask, why do I enjoy these stories so much??
Because they are not polished or rehearsed stories.
There are HONEST ones. 💪🏽

The kind of stories that make you pause, think, hold a mirror and spend some time reflecting…

Thank you “Team KOGO” for creating brave spices like these 💪🏽🎶💃🏽🕺🏽🎶
Grateful to spend the evening surrounded by bold voices willing to say what most people hold back.

After working all day, I have to find spaces that fill me back up. Because I can’t give or serve from an empty cup.

This is how we refill ours.
This is how we replenish.
How do you?

05/02/2026

As we get ready for TDWP2… we watched TDWP1 yesterday evening.

In one of the scenes when Andy (Anne Hathaway) goes to Nigel (Stanley Tucci) for advice and Nigel, very mater of factly says: ❗️“Let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke… that means it’s time for a promotion.” ❗️😳

Sure we all laughed.
But here’s the part a lot us saw - this wasn’t just a movie line. It was “leadership philosophy” for some!!
Passed down.
Repeated.
Normalized.

And now we sit here wondering…
- Why are they questioning the corporate path?
- Why are they unwilling to “pay the price”?

Because they watched the price get paid. They saw what “success” looked like at home:
- The missed dinners.
- The strained relationships.
- The quiet distance that builds over time.

And they’re asking a very fair question…
Is that the only way?
What if it isn’t?

What if the next version of a career is not about choosing between personal and professional, but designing for both?

We have the tools.
We have the technology.
We have more leverage than any generation before us.

The question is not can we do it.
It’s whether we’re willing to let go of the story we inherited.

At EmpathifyU, Harsha and my vision is simple:
A workplace where people feel like they belong, and can thrive professionally AND personally.

Not one at the expense of the other.

So maybe it’s time…
💫To unsubscribe from advice that glorifies burnout.
💫To challenge the idea that destruction is a prerequisite for success.
💫To build something more sustainable, more human, more real.

Because if “your whole life going up in smoke” is the benchmark for career growth…
we’ve been measuring the wrong thing all along.

Thank god, in TDWP1, Andy rejected this philosophy, and at the end, chose herself… 😍 looking forward to TDWP2 (and my updated report) 😅

04/21/2026

I coached a technical leader to go from $90K/yr to $242K/yr in three and a half years.
We used this exact framework.

You see, most people believe growth comes from doing more work, becoming more technical, becoming more valuable in ex*****on.
Yes that’s true, but that’s only step one.

The Journey of a Technical Leader moving from IC to C-Suite looks like this:
You start by doing the work.
You become great at it. You deliver. You’re the .

Then you learn to deliver exceptional product.
Now you’re not just good, you’re trusted. You’re the .

This is where most people get stuck.
Because the next level is not technical.
It’s .

You have to work on your self!
Your values.
Your self-awareness.
Understanding the stakeholders you serve.
Speak the language of business success.
Learn to tell the internally.
Share the wins, the mistakes, the learnings.
Help others see what you see in them.
That’s when you become a .

That shift alone took him about 18-24 months.

And now, three and a half years in, he’s on the edge of the next level:
Telling the story externally.
Public leadership.
Elevating the organization.
Building trust at scale.

That’s how you become a senior leader, VP, SVP, Director, and even get invited to the C-suite.

😅 Now, quick disclaimer before someone jumps in, no, these results are not typical, not guaranteed, depends on the input, the effort, the heart, all of it...

But the pathway?
The pathway is real.
There is a formula.

And what’s fascinating right now, especially with AI accelerating technical capability, is this:
The differentiator is no longer just what you build.
It’s how you communicate, elevate, and multiply that impact through people.

As I see it, with knowledge equalized by AI, very few are telling the story.
And that’s the gap.
And that'’ the opportunity!

So if you’re ready for the next level:
Do the work.
Deliver exceptionally.
Tell the story.

That’s the journey.

—
Need help? Reach out!

04/12/2026

80’s kids gonna get this theme song 🎶
Work hard, reset harder 💪🏽
Yep that’s us, riding, singing, being goofy… just resetting.

What’s one TV show that always makes you smile?

Ajit Dodani

05/16/2026

05/15/2026

05/14/2026

05/13/2026

05/10/2026

05/06/2026

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

04/21/2026

04/12/2026

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