Ajit Dodani, Torrance, CA (2026)

09/14/2026

You see, a lot of that “advice” came to me under the guise of “executive presence.”

Stay stoic.
Use minimal words.
Don’t share anything personal.
Don’t show too much emotion.

At one point THAT was considered “leadership.”
Or at least, that was the version being taught!

Wellllll, I chose not to follow that guidance a long, long, long time ago.

Because I saw what it was doing to me, and to others doing the same thing.

takes a toll.

Sharing this because next week I get to share one of my favorite talks, DIAL IT UP, with a couple hundred amazing humans across generations.

We’re going to talk about and living an uncovered life.

To clarify, responsible vulnerability does NOT mean sharing everything while you’re in the middle of it. It is NOT .

When I lost everything and was literally at a phone booth with two bags at PCH and Hermosa, I couldn’t talk about being homeless.

When I was navigating PTSD, I couldn’t talk about PTSD.

I was trying to survive it. Understand it. Find my way through it.

Some stories need time before they become stories you can share.

Today, I can look back and see the dots. Steve Jobs 101, “The dots eventually connect.”

Losing everything led me places I never would have gone.

Some of the hardest moments led me to people I never would have met.

They actually led me to finding my partner, Harsha Dodani.

They changed how I lead, love, serve, and understand the human being sitting across from me.

Would I have chosen those experiences? Heck no.

But I can’t deny what came from them.

That’s the crazy serendipity of life.

You may not see the dots while you’re going through it. That’s okay.

But when you do, I hope you have the courage to stop covering them up.

Your story can help you understand YOU.

And when you’re ready, it might help someone else understand themselves too.

That’s responsible vulnerability.

That’s living an life.

Next week, I’m going to DIAL IT UP while serving the Childhood Matters Childhood Matters community with Shaleena Hussain-Tareen Shaleena Tareen.
—-
EmpathifyU
Solving the Trust Deficit in the Workplace.
So People Thrive. Organizations Perform.

09/13/2026

Did you know that tennis is one of the most AND sports?

Most people know that tennis is one of the healthiest sports you can play. What most people may NOT know is that it is also one of the most inclusive sports, regardless of your .

Just look at who this game can welcome:💜💫🙌🏽
- Para-Standing
- Wheelchair
- IDD, Intellectual & Developmental
- BLV, Blind and Low Vision
- DHoH, Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- SER, Social, Emotional & Recovery

Harsha and I have had a firsthand glimpse into this side of tennis.

We’ve watched incredible tennis at the US Open, including wheelchair tennis. But even more powerful, we’ve had the chance to learn from some amazing coaches and people who put so much heart, compassion and work into making this game accessible to more people at the Coaches Summit.

You see, sometimes we look at a sport and automatically think, “That’s not for me,” or “That’s not for someone I know.”

I share this because, tennis may surprise you.

So as you’ve been watching the US Open these last few weeks, and see the incredible final later today, remember there’s a whole other side of this sport that deserves to be seen.

If you know someone who thinks tennis isn’t for them because of their ability, show them what’s possible.

We’ve had the chance to meet and learn from some amazing people doing this work. Coaches and leaders who believe this game really can welcome everybody. Including, the amazing…
Shelby Baron
Rebecca Falkner Axelrod
Mary Buschmann

And that’s one of the big reasons why Harsha & I are such fans of tennis.

The game is bigger when more people get to play.

—
EmpathifyU
Solving the Trust Deficit in the Workplace.
So People Thrive. Organizations Perform.

09/12/2026

“If somebody tells you you’re too much, too loud, too different, it’s okay.”
Don’t let a-n-y-b-o-d-y put you in a box!!!!

That was one of the thoughts that stayed with me from an honest conversation with Sendhil Ramamurthy after the event at the 💫

Why? Because, I was told
“Ajit you are a little too loud”
“dress in grey- that’s what CFO’s do”
“don’t share your honest opinion”
“conform Ajit conform” 🤦🏽‍♂️
THAT BS got me nowhere - just messed with my mental till i said - “nah, not for me!”💪🏽

Sendhil is an Indian-American actor who has lived and worked around the world, and throughout his career, he has refused to stay in the box others wanted to put him in. He stayed true to his craft. His purpose. His values.

Is he perfect? No.
Is anybody? No.
But when you’re trying to tell a different story, open doors and bring others along, sometimes you have to fight for it.

And sometimes people are going to tell you that you’re too much.

Too loud.

Learn to say “Nah, I’m good with that.”

Do the work.
Stay true to your values.
Keep pushing.
And as you move forward, bring others along with you.

Because that’s what this is all about.

Don’t shrink yourself to fit somebody else’s box.

This magical, empowering event was curated by a brilliant and compassionate human Stefanie Iennaco👏🏽

With Harsha Dodani

—
EmpathifyU
Solving the Trust Deficit in the Workplace.
So People Thrive. Organizations

09/10/2026

The relationship between a coach and a player is sacred. So is the relationship between a mentor and a mentee.

Over the decades, I’ve seen great coaches and mentors uplift people, build confidence and change lives.

I’ve also seen the opposite!

Being great at the game does not automatically make you a great coach.

Being an SME does not automatically make you a great mentor.

You have to learn how to coach.
And today, that matters more than ever.

Players and mentees are coming from completely different spectrums. Socioeconomic. Cultural. Political. Mental. Physical. Generational.

If you haven’t raised your own awareness, you will get frustrated.

Why don’t they think like me?
Why don’t they respond like I did?
Why doesn’t what worked for me work for them?

Because they are not you.

Your job isn’t to create another version of yourself.

Your job is to get curious. Understand the person in front of you. Understand what drives them. Learn how to build trust with them.

And coaches and mentors have to ask themselves some tough questions too.

Why am I doing this?
Is this about their growth, or am I trying to live my dream through them?
Have I done my own mental and emotional work?

Harsha and I are very clear about this in our work.

We have high standards for coaches and mentors AND high standards for players and mentees.

Both have agency. Both have responsibility. Both have work to do.

That’s why we teach Trust Level 1 and Trust Level 2 of the EmpathifyU Trust Formula©.

Trust isn’t given because you have “Coach” or “Mentor” next to your name.

You have to earn it.

And when you do, people grow, teams grow and sustainable high performance follows.

That’s the game we’re here to play.
Let’s gooooooo🚀🚀🚀

09/10/2026

“All the strikes I had against me are actually my strength.”💪🏽

“If a door has been left ajar, kick your way through the door.”💪🏽

“It’s not just about talent, it’s the other T, TENACITY.”💪🏽

That’s a little taste of the words and ⚡️⚡️⚡️ we got from the event at the !

And these are just three of the MANY messages that came out of this conversation.🔥

A huge thank you - the man we are pointing too - Mauricio Murillo who has poured his heart into this event and to Andrea Snead & Marissa Moment Brown for hosting such an inspiring and empowering SOMOS event at the US Open.

And what a world class powerful panel.💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

Grace Gómez, Eugenia Mello, Susanna Temkin, Harvey Guillén and Becky G. 🎶🔥🎶💃🏽🕺🏽💫

These are people who have accomplished so much in their own worlds. But what really blew my mind was hearing how much they continue to bring others along with them, pour into others and uplift others.

Success is one thing. Using that success to open doors for others is something else. 🚀
(Read that again!!!)

And then getting to spend some time talking with each of them one-on-one afterward was really, really special.

What a way to start our US Open trip.

And another highlight, for Harsha Dodani and I, finally spending time with Laila Silva - Murillo - someone we’ve known online for a while. Why, you ask? There’s just something magical about finally getting to connect in person and already feeling like you know them 🙌🏽💫🙌🏽

And we’re just getting started.
More sessions.
More conversations.
More tennis.

More to come…

—
EmpathifyU
Solving the Trust Deficit in the Workplace.
So People Thrive. Organizations Perform.

09/09/2026

🎾
What a magical way to kick off our early morning soaking in…
- That Beautiful Expansive Tennis Campus
- The Stories of Legends
- The Tiffani Hand Crafted Trophies…
and so much more!

Inspired.💫
Challenged.💪🏽
Ready.🚀

More soon…

With Harsha Dodani Harsha Dodani Geeta Nachnani

09/06/2026

This morning was about refilling my cup 🙏🏽💫🙏🏽

After the last couple of weeks of celebrations, events, speaking, coaching, traveling and a whole lot of , I needed a couple of hours to just reset… so I woke up early and did-exactly- that 💪🏽

For those of you who know me, you know I’ve been reading The Tao and Art Of War - simultaneously, yep, simultaneously 🤷🏽‍♂️ - once a year - for, probably, 18 years.

This morning was all about the 🙏🏽💜🙏🏽

These three pages really stood out to me, so I’m sharing them for anyone who might need this message today.

No, zip, nada, NO interpretation from me 👊🏽

Because over the years I’ve learned that the same page can mean something completely different to each of us, depending on where we are in life and what we need at that moment. 💫

Take what you need from it.

Remember this long holiday weekend, remember to refill your cup, take care of yourself, take care of your mind and body…⚡️

Okayyyyy, so my cup feels a little fuller, and I’m ready for another week of spreading the message of trust & empathy, giving and serving across the country.

—
EmpathifyU
Solving the Trust Deficit in the Workplace.
So People Thrive. Organizations Perform.

09/03/2026

In , sure you have to be a go-getter and WIN💪🏽 But the best know that you ALSO have to have the heart of a Go-Giver to win the game of LIFE 💜🔥✊🏽

That’s what came to mind getting to know Derek Quinn, M.S.! Sure, he’s a brilliant professional and works with the Long Beach Coast - sports, business partnerships, community, impact - all the cool stuff.👏🏽

Derek Quinn
And yes, we did a deep dive into , building trust between players and coaches, trust within teams, and what it takes to create high performance.

You know, my kind of conversation.
But then we got into all the other stuff…

His story. His purpose. What drives him. What he has overcome. And what he wants to do beyond the game. And how the book GoGiver changed his life (as it did mine too!)💪🏽💜💪🏽

Because eventually, , business, leadership, life, it comes down to the same thing.

Who are you when nobody is watching?
What do you stand for?
How do you show up when things get hard?

My dad used to say: “Add so much value to the world that the world has no option but to award and reward you.”

Derek reminded me of that…
There are Go-Givers all around us. People showing up, giving, connecting, and trying to leave things better than they found them.

Sometimes we just need to take the time to get beyond what someone does and discover who they are.🙌🏽

Derek, so really glad our paths crossed and the magic that is unfolding 💫

—
EmpathifyU
Solving the Trust Deficit in Teams.
So People Thrive. Organizations Perform.

[email protected]

09/03/2026

For that one person who may need to hear this today to allow amazing & to flow in, and THAT to happen in, their lives! 💫

I’ve learned that there is such a fine line between “boundaries” and being “guarded”. Sometimes, it’s very, very, very little distance between the two.

You see, I am a big believer in .
But, I had to learn them.
As an , I gave a lot. Sometimes too much. Sometimes people took advantage of that. So yes, boundaries became necessary.

I talk about healthy boundaries, taking care of your self, saying no, accountability! BUT, yep here is the but 😊 through that journey here is the thing that we have to keep asking ourselves:
“Have my boundaries quietly become guardedness?”

Because boundaries protect us.

Guardedness can keep everything out....
The opportunities.
The relationships.
The conversations.
The people who may actually be good for us.

And I understand why we become guarded...
We get hurt.
Trust gets broken.
Something happens that we never fully work through.

Recently, I was talking with an incredible leader I’ve coached. He had been through something difficult, and over time, he became guarded. Understandably!

But that guardedness was costing him.

Over the next year and a half, we did some work together, he did all the hard the work. He found the right expert companions. He worked through what happened. He learned to keep his boundaries without keeping everyone outside of them.

Today, he is thriving professionally, but even more importantly, personally.
And he said something recently 🔥 "I jus“ feel richer.” 🔥 Whew!!!!!

So maybe this is the gut check for all of us.

Where are YOU right now?
Boundaries?
Or guarded?

Remember, there is a very fine line.
Be really, really self-aware about which side of it you are standing on.

Keep your boundaries.
Just make sure they haven’t become walls.

—
EmpathifyU
Solving the Trust Deficit in the Workplace.
So People Thrive. Organizations Perform.

[email protected]

09/02/2026

Grateful to Marzia Rossetto from Rossetto Events for curating a magical and energetic evening at The Mattia Biagi Studio on Sunset!
Grazie 💜💫🔥🎶🕺🏽💃🏽🎶💜

Ajit Dodani

09/14/2026

09/13/2026

09/12/2026

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

09/09/2026

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