Podcast
You Live & You Learn
You Live & You Learn is the WDHB Podcast hosted by Aish Hinton. It offers candid conversations with leading executives and innovators, uncovering the key moments and strategies that shaped their success. The podcast provides valuable insights for leaders, managers, and executives seeking to drive growth, innovation, and continuous learning within their teams and organizations. Tune in and discover how the experiences of others can fuel your leadership journey.
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Episodes:
Season 2 | Episode 6
Your Mind vs. Your Potential: Lessons from a Global Ultramarathoner
How do you break free from the beliefs that hold you back?
In this compelling episode, Aish is joined by Jeff Tan, an ultra-marathoner, TEDx speaker, and AI transformation leader at Microsoft. Jeff is also a member of one of running’s most elite clubs - those who have run a marathon on every continent. Jeff shares his personal story of growing up in a culture that valued conformity, and the defining moment at age 17 when he chose to reject his inherited limiting beliefs about who he could be.
They dive into the profound psychological lessons of long-distance running, revealing why the biggest barrier to any goal — whether a 100-mile race or a major business transformation — is a lack of courage. Jeff provides practical advice for leaders on overcoming the fear of the unknown, challenging the "wait and see" approach to disruption, and defining a legacy that is anything but irrelevant. This conversation is a powerful guide on how to shed the beliefs that limit your potential and choose a path of limitless thinking.
Want Aish to bring a custom keynote to your company featuring Jeff Tan? Write to us today!
Make sure you follow Jeff on LinkedIn for his marathon-tested insights on leadership, courage, and personal development!
Season 2 | Episode 5
Guided By Vision: A Paralympian's Story of Resilience
What does it truly mean to have vision?
In this episode, Aish sits down with Lex Gillette, a five-time Paralympic medalist and world-record holder in the long jump. At just eight years old, Lex lost his sight to retina detachments, but he refused to let his new reality define him. He shares the remarkable story of how he learned to navigate the world — from his childhood neighborhood to the international stage — using sound, trust, and an unshakeable inner compass.
Lex reveals how his mother’s unwavering support and a high school coach's challenge helped him build resilience and achieve a new kind of sight: vision beyond physical limitations. He offers powerful, tactical advice on how to build a roadmap for your life, prepare for uncertainty, and find purpose by boiling your grandest ambitions down to simple daily actions. This conversation is a compelling reminder that the biggest obstacles in life are often the greatest opportunities for growth.
Lex has joined Aish and the WDHB team for several years, bringing leadership insights from the world arena to business leaders like you. Redefine your company’s vision with a new program featuring this duo! Send us a message to find out how.
Be sure to read Lex’s books!
Fly! Find Your Own Wings And Soar Above Life's Challenges | Published 2020
No Need for Sight When You Have a Vision: What Blindness Can Teach Us about Risk and Leadership | Published 2023
Season 2 | Episode 4
From Dance Floors to Board Rooms: Why Fostering Creativity is Key to Innovation
What if your workplace was built less like a corporation and more like an artist’s ecosystem?
In this episode, Aish sits down with Ramita Ravi, a professional dancer, entrepreneur, and advocate who is transforming the future of work for creatives. From the stages of Radio City to the sets of Coachella, Ramita shares her incredible journey and the key lessons that helped her build ArtsWrk, a platform dedicated to making creative careers sustainable and equitable for all.
They discuss why the qualities of a great artist — resilience, adaptability, and a bias for action — are exactly what every organization needs to innovate and thrive. Ramita explains the challenges of the "creator economy" for day-to-day working artists and shares how she is building an infrastructure that values people, promotes a sense of belonging, and ensures that creativity is a viable career path for underrepresented communities. This conversation is a compelling call for leaders everywhere to embrace the artist's mindset.
Want to bring a creative innovation workshop to your company featuring Ramita? Write to us today!
Whether you are an artist or you need to hire one, be sure to check out Artswrk today!
Season 2 | Episode 3
Redefining Failure: The Secret Power Tool for Leaders and Organizational Growth
How do you turn your worst failure into your greatest asset?
In this episode, Aish sits down with Pepe Villatoro, the CEO & Co-Founder of Fuckup Nights, a global movement that celebrates failure as a source of wisdom. Pepe shares the personal story of his first major professional "fuck up" and reveals how his journey from shame to storytelling became the foundation for a cultural revolution.
They discuss the powerful difference between being a failure and experiencing a failure, and why the most successful people are often the ones most comfortable with vulnerability. Pepe outlines how leaders can create psychological safety by running toward difficult conversations and debunking the myth that "failure leads to success." This conversation is a compelling and irreverent masterclass on why a willingness to fail is the key to living an authentic and deeply fulfilling life.
And we won't let you F this up: to bring a F*ckup Night to your own org with both Aish and Pepe, please send a special request via our contact form!
Ready to embrace failure the right way? Visit their website to learn more!
Season 2 | Episode 2
The Empathy Deficit: The $8.9 Trillion Problem Leaders Overlook
Is empathy the most radical act remaining in a disconnected world?
In a time defined by screens and social media, we’re more connected than ever, yet grappling with unprecedented loneliness. In this episode, Aish sits down with Mimi Nicklin, a global empathy advocate and author, to confront the quiet crisis we're ignoring: an empathy deficit costing the global economy a staggering $8.9 trillion annually.
Mimi, a fierce voice featured in Forbes and the Harvard Business Review, shares her powerful journey from a corporate executive to a leader on a mission to bring human connection back into the boardroom. They discuss why empathy is not a soft skill, but rather a hard-wired, evolutionary asset with tangible business benefits. Mimi unpacks how organizations and individuals alike can build a culture of "listening-led leadership," and reveals the simple, daily actions that can combat loneliness and drive personal and professional growth. This conversation is a compelling call to action to reclaim what very well may be the most vital skill of our time.
Is empathy the most radical act remaining in a disconnected world?
In a time defined by screens and social media, we’re more connected than ever, yet grappling with unprecedented loneliness. In this episode, Aish sits down with Mimi Nicklin, a global empathy advocate and author, to confront the quiet crisis we're ignoring: an empathy deficit costing the global economy a staggering $8.9 trillion annually.
Mimi, a fierce voice featured in Forbes and the Harvard Business Review, shares her powerful journey from a corporate executive to a leader on a mission to bring human connection back into the boardroom. They discuss why empathy is not a soft skill, but rather a hard-wired, evolutionary asset with tangible business benefits. Mimi unpacks how organizations and individuals alike can build a culture of "listening-led leadership," and reveals the simple, daily actions that can combat loneliness and drive personal and professional growth. This conversation is a compelling call to action to reclaim what very well may be the most vital skill of our time.
Send us a request to book a an empathy leadership keynote with Mimi and Aish!
Want to learn more from Mimi? Connect with her now on LinkedIn or visit the Empathy Everywhere Website!
Season 2 | Episode 1
Leading with Purpose: How the Founder of North Face Built a Value-Driven Brand
How do you build a $4 billion brand on a mission to save the world?
In this episode, Aish is joined by Hap Klopp, the founder and former CEO of The North Face, to explore how his personal values became the bedrock of this iconic global brand.
A self-described disruptive leader who "couldn't work for anybody else," Hap shares his journey from a childhood in the wilderness to pioneering an outdoor gear company with an unwavering commitment to quality and purpose.
Together, they unpack the power of bold leadership in the face of uncertainty, the strategic advantages of brand authenticity, and the crucial difference between having a job and doing a job. Hap reveals how he empowered his employees to embrace risk and failure and why, decades later, the brand's original DNA remains its greatest asset. From navigating supply chain crises to fostering a culture of innovation, Hap invites us to reflect on our own values and how they can serve as our North Star in an increasingly distracted world.
For more of Hap, be sure to check out:
- 3 Amigos
- Conquering the North Face: An Adventure in Leadership | Published 2012
- Almost | Published 2015
Want to bring a masterclass with Hap to your leadership team? WDHB can make it happen. Send us a request to change everything in your organization — for the better!
Season 1 | Episode 5
The Power of Calm Authority: Impactful Leadership with PETRONAS' Former CHRO and SVP
What if leadership isn’t about being the loudest person in the room but the one who listens?
In this episode, Aish speaks with Farehana Hanapiah, former Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President at PETRONAS, Malaysia’s multinational energy company. From the “new kid” in class to spearheading People strategy for one of Asia’s most influential companies, Farehana shares her journey as a quiet and reflective leader in rooms where leaders are expected to be loud and extroverted.
Together, Aish and Farehana explore why meaningful leadership begins with curiosity, not control—particularly in high-stakes environments. They also reflect on the hidden power of allies, the myth of the solo leader and why long-term impact is always a team sport. Finally, Farehana sheds light on what it means to lead with purpose during moments of global crisis and how data-driven empathy and inclusion can reshape organizational culture.
Season 1 | Episode 4
New Visions for Learning: A conversation with the Forbes 30 under 30 enterpreneur revolutionizing education
What if the problem with schools isn’t what students learn—but why they’re learning it?
In this episode, Aish speaks with Raya Bidshahri, founder of School of Humanity and one of Forbes 30 Under 30 and BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring Women, about what it takes to truly reimagine education. From her own boredom in lecture halls to launching a global school across 30+ countries, Raya shares how frustration became fuel for innovation—and why we need to redefine success in both classrooms and boardrooms.
Together, Aish and Naya discuss what traditional education systems get wrong about success and self-worth, and why “fixing the system” can sometimes mean building an entirely new one. Also, discover why project-based, purpose-driven learning leads to human and planetary flourishing, and learn optimal ways to build learning cultures in both schools and businesses.
Season 1 | Episode 3
What we Owe the next generation: A conversation with the Chief sustainability officer at l'Oréal
How can a surfboard spark a global sustainability movement?
In this episode, Aish sits down with Iñigo Larraya, Chief Sustainability Officer for L’Oréal Professional Products, to explore how personal passion meets corporate purpose. A lifelong surfer and devoted father, Iñigo shares how his deep connection to the ocean shaped a career committed to sustainability—and how leadership rooted in personal values can drive systemic change.
Together, they unpack the myths of individual vs. corporate responsibility, the business case for sustainability, and why creating a livable future requires both uncomfortable honesty and bold collaboration. From startup frustrations to global stakeholder alignment, Iñigo invites us to stop thinking in silos and start seeing sustainability as a shared responsibility and the legacy we leave behind.
Season 1 | Episode 2
Leading a Legacy You Never Planned: The Olympic Journey of a Rugby Captain
What happens when the dream you never planned transforms into a legacy that changes lives? Aish talks with Naya Tapper—Olympian, bronze medalist, and trailblazer for women’s rugby in the U.S.—about the winding, unexpected path from backyard football to the Olympic podium. With honesty and humor, Naya reflects on everything from being the only girl on the football field, to facing her first real failure as a pro athlete, to discovering the quiet strength found in therapy and leadership.
Naya also shares her commitment to giving back through the Naya Tapper Scholarship, helping young players access the sport that changed her life.
Donate to the Naya Tapper scholarship, creating access for young rugby players at the OMBAC Rugby Team at nayatapper.com.
Season 1 | Episode 1
The Art of Disruption: Lululemon's Rise Through the Eyes of Its 6th Employee
What if, in order to create something truly transformative, you need to destroy it first?
In this episode, Aish dives into the power of creative disruption with Darrell Kopke—the sixth employee and a founding member of Lululemon, now Executive Director at the Creative Destruction Lab in Vancouver. Darrell shares the untold stories from Lululemon’s early days, revealing how creative disruption fueled the momentum to challenge industry giants. Together, Aish and Darrell unpack why disruption is fundamentally a human problem—not a tech issue—and explore how Lululemon built its "cult" following. Finally, unlock practical ways you can bring the art of disruption into your own life.
