I help international schools fix teacher training, recruitment, and leadership.

With 25+ years in education across Asia, I know what schools, teachers, and unis really need. I connect the dots between policy, strategy, and people — and get things moving.

Let's talk if you want to grow your teacher pipeline, build smarter CPD, or expand in Asia
.
My passion is to drive educational innovation, harnessing technology to enhance online and offline learning experiences. I hold an NPQH, a PGCE, and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership and Administration.

We also provide academic support to students planning to attend boarding schools in the UK, US, and Australia and help UK schools enter and succeed in the Chinese market.

John Woodberry

Trump is loudly “standing up” to partners.
Tariffs. Threats. Public spats.
Meanwhile, Xi just removed visa fees for Brits visiting China.

No press conference.
No chest-beating.
Just a simple signal: We are open for business.

That’s what modern power looks like.

Not shouting strength — just making yourself easier to engage with.

Soft power beats noise more often than we admit.

And while American politics obsesses over looking tough,
China is busy looking reasonable.

China 1 – 0.

Founder @ Red Dragon Education | International Teacher Training

No alternative text description for this image

If you think leadership is about titles or authority...
You’re already missing the point.

Real leaders don’t pull rank.
They earn trust.

They protect people when no one’s watching.
They give credit, not commands.
They create safety, not fear.

The fastest way to lose followers?

Remind people you’re “the boss.”

The fastest way to gain them?

Act like a human first.

Leadership isn’t a position.
It’s a behaviour.

Be Human!

Agree or disagree? 👇

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Need to make a move?
Get in touch: https://linktr.ee/pgce

Not sure about your next move in 2026? 
Get in touch: https://linktr.ee/pgce

Want to lead others and get a great job? 
Get in touch: https://linktr.ee/pgce

Unsure where 2026 is heading for your teaching career? Internationally recognised teacher training might be the leverage you’re missing. https://linktr.ee/pgce

If 2026 feels vague, that's a signal, not a problem. 
Upskilling through international teacher training creates that. https://linktr.ee/pgce

Still seeking clarity on your next teaching move in 2026? 
QTS gives you control, not hope. https://linktr.ee/pgce

2026 won’t magically sort itself out. 
International teacher training is how smart teachers open doors globally. https://linktr.ee/pgce

Many teachers drift into 2026. The smart ones prepare. The International PGCE and QTS pathways matter. https://linktr.ee/pgce

Uncertain about your next step? 
Teacher training isn’t a detour; it’s a multiplier. https://linktr.ee/pgce

2026 rewards qualified, mobile teachers, not wishful thinking. 

International training changes the game. https://linktr.ee/pgce

If career momentum matters to you in 2026, invest in training that schools actually respect. https://linktr.ee/pgce

The question isn’t where you’ll be teaching in 2026. It’s whether you’ll be qualified to choose. https://linktr.ee/pgce

2026 rewards qualified, mobile teachers, not wishful thinking. International training changes the game. https://linktr.ee/pgce

PHASE Conference Presenter

TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

We offer a range of online courses designed to enhance the qualifications of aspiring teachers and leaders. In partnership with leading universities, we provide pathways for careers in international education.
IPGCE / IQTS / QTS / PGCE / MA Leadership / MA Education / NPQs

Helping teachers get qualified through the partner universities: IPGCE, IQTS, MA, QTS Assessment Only and IQTS. We've worked with over 1000 teachers to realise their dreams of finding a great job.

Co-Founder

Set up the company and worked with a range of local and international schools in providing education solutions including:

- Tutoring
- Academic support 
- Revision courses
- A-level lessons and examinations 
- Professional teacher placement 
- School tours
- Boarding school advice
- Entrance exam preparation

Founder

Director

My main focus was to help with the students' academic achievements across the secondary school. I was helping grow the school from 200 to 1200 students in 5 years of service. After joining the school I quickly assumed more responsibility and helped lead a tutor group team of 15 staff. 

Worked in both the secondary and primary section of the school in the following disciplines as a classroom teacher:
- Geography
- PE
- Science 
- Economics

Deputy Head of School

Working across the high school in Geography and PE

Head of Geography

You don't hire teachers based on CVs.
You hire them based on how they show up on a Friday afternoon.

After hiring and working with international teachers across different countries, one thing is clear:

The best ones share the same rare traits.

Here are eight things I see in every great international teacher we hire 👇

1️⃣ Grit
They push through language barriers, cultural shifts, and tough classrooms — without quitting.

2️⃣ Relentless Resourcefulness
Different curriculum? Limited resources?
They always find a way to make learning work.

3️⃣ Optimism
They bring calm, positive energy into the classroom — even on hard days.

4️⃣ Constant Learning
The best teachers are students first.
They ask for feedback. They adapt. They grow.

5️⃣ Respect & Empathy
Great teachers don’t just teach content — they care about people.

6️⃣ Fun to Be Around
Students feel it. Colleagues feel it.
Energy matters more than credentials.

7️⃣ Growth Mindset
They see international teaching as an opportunity, not a sacrifice.

8️⃣ Ownership
They treat the classroom like it’s their own mission — not “just a job.”

🚩 Red flags we avoid
• Blaming past schools
• No apparent reason for job moves
• More focused on benefits than impact
• Complains more than they contribute

Skills can be trained.
Character can’t.

If you’re an international teacher who sees yourself in this — or a school leader who agrees —

What trait matters most to you when hiring or teaching abroad?

The teachers who deserve the most attention usually ask for the least. By the time someone resigns, you lost them months earlier; the resignation letter is just the paperwork.

The teachers who deserve the most attention usually ask for the least.

They stay late.
They absorb more than they complain.
They stop raising their hand.

And by the time someone resigns, you didn’t lose them that day.

You lost them months earlier.

The resignation letter is just the paperwork.

If you’re a leader, here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Silence is rarely loyalty.
It’s often exhaustion.

The people who care the most don’t always make noise.
They quietly decide when it’s no longer worth it.

Pay attention earlier.

Could you imagine this being written by a UK education secretary today?
I read a piece in The Straits Times this week and had to pause.

Not because it was flashy.
Not because it was controversial.

But because it was calm, evidence-based, and long-term in its thinking about teachers.

The author argues a simple idea:
👉 Teaching cannot work as a revolving door.

If you want better outcomes for students, you invest in teachers’ growth — over decades, not election cycles.

More trust.
More professional development.
More respect for experience.

Reading it, I couldn’t help asking myself:

Would we ever see a UK equivalent of this kind of writing from someone like Bridget Phillipson?

Less slogan.
Less short-term reform.
More system memory.

Singapore understands something many systems forget:
You don’t scale education by burning out the people who deliver it.

You scale it by helping them get better every year.

Credit to Wei Li — and to The Straits Times — for publishing a piece that thinks beyond the next headline and toward the next generation.

If we’re serious about education reform, this is the level of thinking we should demand.

What would change if we treated teaching as a long-term profession again — not a policy experiment?

Everyone sees it.
Almost no one names it.

Meetings keep moving.
Slides keep changing.
“Next steps” keep getting refined.

And the real issue stays in the room.

Unaddressed behaviour.
Broken incentives.
Fear of conflict dressed up as professionalism.

In education, we’re especially good at this.

We talk about strategy
while avoiding culture.

We talk about leadership
while protecting titles.

We talk about improvement
while refusing to confront what’s actually failing.

The elephant isn’t ignorance.
It’s avoidance.

Because once you name the real problem,
someone has to act.

And leadership isn’t the title in the room.
It’s who’s willing to say the thing everyone else is thinking.

So what’s the elephant in your classroom—or boardroom—right now?

In much of Asia, international schools don’t have a strategy problem.
How can these be solved via the 80/20 strategy? 

We’re incredibly strong at structure.
Less strong at the challenge.

Here’s the 80/20 most leaders won’t say out loud:

Student outcomes
80% psychological safety and belonging 
20% programmes and pathways

School improvement
80% what leaders model under pressure
20% what leaders announce in meetings

Teacher effectiveness
80% permission to question and disagree
20% appraisal frameworks

Parent confidence
80% calm, honest communication
20% prestige signals and branding

Innovation
80% leaders make it safe to be wrong
20% “future-ready” initiatives

Leadership wellbeing
80% boundaries and moral courage
20% mindfulness sessions

The uncomfortable reality?

In many Asian contexts,
people wait for permission — not because they lack ideas,
but because leaders unintentionally train compliance.

We say we want initiative.
We reward alignment.

We say we want innovation.
We punish visible failure.

The highest-performing international schools in Asia don’t have more systems.
They have leaders who:

 Invite dissent without taking it personally
 Create safety without lowering standards
 Choose trust over control, even when reputation is on the line

If your staff are quiet, compliant, and “aligned”...
don’t assume buy-in.

Assume caution.

Nice list. Wrong focus.
This is not how hiring works in 2026.

Everyone memorises answers.
Very few demonstrate a signal.

“Tell me about a time...”
has become performance theatre.

Polished stories.
Tell-me-what-you-think-I-should-say answers.
STAR frameworks with no real stakes.

What actually matters now isn’t what you say.
It’s whether you can:

– Learn fast
– Think clearly
– Navigate ambiguity
– Work across cultures, tools, and time zones
– Adapt when the script breaks

In global, fast-moving workplaces,
there is no “perfect answer.”

There is only evidence.

Evidence you can solve unfamiliar problems.
Evidence you can communicate under pressure.
Evidence you can grow after feedback, not just talk about it.

If interviews still reward memorised stories,
they’re selecting for confidence — not capability.

And candidates know it.

The future of hiring isn’t better answers.
It’s better questions.

What do you think interviews should actually measure now?
👇 Curious to hear your take.

We're hiring experienced and passionate IB tutors. 
Know anyone who might be interested?
These opportunities span IB DP, MYP, and PYP, with roles matched by programme experience and phase.

Pressure doesn’t create failure.
It exposes preparation.
AFCON proved it.

Morocco.
Penalty in the 95th minute at 0-0.
A Panenka attempt.
Missed.
Not a talent issue.
A preparation issue.

We see the same thing in international school leadership.
When pressure hits, some leaders improvise.
They go for flair instead of systems.
That’s when things fall apart.

Great leaders don’t get creative under pressure.

They get predictable.
Because the work was done earlier.

Under pressure, leaders try a “T-cup” move:
• Improvising instead of planning
• Trusting instinct instead of systems
• Hoping experience will carry the moment

What in your leadership would break if real pressure arrived tomorrow?

International schools don’t need another strategy refresh in 2026.
They need focus.

• Keep good teachers instead of constantly replacing them
• Build leadership depth, not just titles
• Prioritise teaching quality over curriculum branding
• Take student well-being seriously. With structure, not slogans

Most schools already know this.
Very few will act on it.

That gap is where 2026 will be won or lost.

I didn’t plan to become an entrepreneur.
I accidentally fell into it back in 2009.

I followed the “right” path:
International schools.
Leadership roles.
Systems. Strategy. Structure.

From the outside, it looked successful.

Inside, I felt constrained.

I loved developing people and shaping culture.
I struggled with how slowly change could happen.

So I stepped off the ladder.

Not because I stopped believing in education.
But because I wanted to serve it differently.

Entrepreneurship gave me:
– Freedom to design solutions
– Speed to test ideas
– Impact across multiple schools, not just one

Here’s the truth we don’t say enough in education:

Leadership doesn’t end when the org chart does.
If you’re a school leader wondering, “Is there another way to lead?”

There is.
And it might look nothing like a straight career path.

👉 Have you ever considered leading beyond your school?

Looks balanced.
But are you actually a leader in deficit or surplus?

Most leadership models only show assets.
Vision.
Empathy.
Resilience.
Innovation.

Rarely do they show the liabilities.

Delayed decisions.
Micromanagement.
Avoidance dressed up as “being busy.”
Poor communication is hidden behind good intentions.

And that’s the problem.

Because leadership failure isn’t dramatic.
It’s cumulative.

Small withdrawals.
Unaddressed issues.
Energy taken from teams without reinvestment.

You can have strong values
and still be running a deficit.

You can inspire
and still exhaust the system around you.

The real question isn’t
“How good are my leadership assets?”

It’s this:

If your team audited you today, would you be in surplus—or quietly underwater?

👇 Worth an honest look.

Be careful who you take advice from in 2026. 
They are probably an echo chamber.

Most school leaders don’t intentionally burn out their teams.
They do it by accident.

Especially in international schools.

Different cultures.
Different time zones.
Different expectations.

And suddenly... your best people are exhausted.

Here are 8 leadership mistakes I see burning out international school teams 👇

1️⃣ Expecting your team to be “always on”
Just because someone can reply at 10 pm doesn’t mean they should.

2️⃣ Being unclear about what you actually want
Vague priorities = constant stress. Clarity is kindness.

3️⃣ Ignoring your team’s strengths
When people are misaligned with their strengths, disengagement follows.

4️⃣ Avoiding tough conversations
Unspoken tension drains energy faster than well-handled conflict.

5️⃣ Punishing people for mistakes
Fear kills innovation — especially in diverse, international environments.

6️⃣ Keeping all decisions to yourself
Ownership disappears when trust does.

7️⃣ Ignoring stress and burnout signals
Silence doesn’t mean everything is fine.

8️⃣ Forgetting to show appreciation
Recognition travels further than you think — across borders and cultures.

The hardest truth?

👉 Most burnout isn’t caused by workload.
👉 It’s caused by leadership habits we never stop to question.

If you lead in an international school, this matters.

Because healthy staff = stable schools = better student outcomes.

Which one do you see most often in schools today?

I’m usually a fan of Simon Sinek.
But this one is a double fault.

Anyone who’s competed in sport at a serious level knows this:

You remember the wins fondly.
But the losses?
They burn themselves into your brain.

That’s not a weakness.
That’s how standards are built.

If Andy Murray were watching, he’d probably laugh.
He spent an entire career berating himself and poor mother — out loud — and still became world No.1.

High performers aren’t fueled by feel-good memories.
They’re sharpened by the moments they never want to repeat.

Pressure + self-criticism isn’t the enemy.
For some people, it’s the engine.

Curious — in your experience, what actually drives excellence in high-performing schools?

International education is heading into one of its most disruptive periods in years.

AI is changing how we teach, assess, and support learning.
Parents are behaving more like informed consumers than ever before.
Visa and regulatory environments remain unpredictable.
And affordability is becoming a deciding factor, not a secondary one.

What’s striking is that none of these forces exist in isolation.

AI accelerates expectations around value.
Cost pressures amplify parental scrutiny.
Regulatory shifts reshape demand almost overnight.

For schools, universities, and education providers, the challenge isn’t choosing which disruption matters most.

It’s building systems flexible enough to respond to all of them at once.

The institutions that will thrive in 2026 won’t be the ones chasing every trend.
They’ll be the ones that:

– Communicate clearly with families
– Design learning with integrity and adaptability
– Invest in people, not just tools
– Plan for volatility as the norm, not the exception

I’m curious to see where this community lands.

Which force do you think will have the biggest impact on international education in 2026? 👇

What will be the biggest disruptive force in international education in 2026? 

This below on “setting boundaries” looks reasonable. But in international school leadership, boundaries aren’t about protecting comfort.

They’re about protecting standards.

You don’t set boundaries, so leadership feels lighter.
You set them so the school gets better.

Real boundaries in international schools look like this:

• Clear expectations that don’t shift with pressure
• Follow-through when it would be easier to let things slide
• Accountability that challenges people without humiliating them

Yes, leaders need rest.
Yes, burnout is real.

But schools drift not because leaders work too hard —
they drift because boundaries around quality, behaviour, and consistency become negotiable.

Strong leaders don’t avoid hard conversations.
They time them well.
They hold them respectfully.
And they don’t outsource them to policy documents.

The healthiest schools I’ve seen weren’t “low stress.”

They were clear.

Clear roles.
Clear standards.
Clear lines between support and excuse-making.

Boundaries aren’t about saying “no” more often.
They’re about saying “this matters” — and meaning it.

What boundary, when held consistently, has made the biggest difference in your school?

Nice story. Wrong lesson.
This is not how international education works.

For bamboo, patience is enough.

For international students, educators, and institutions?
Patience without power is just waiting.

Waiting for visas.
Waiting for recognition.
Waiting for policies to catch up.
Waiting while timelines, money, and futures are on the line.

We love telling people:
“Growth takes time.”

But in international education, growth takes systems.

Clear pathways.
Stable policy.
Institutional accountability.
Support that shows up before things break.

When success looks “sudden,” it isn’t magic.
It’s the moment the system finally worked.

If we keep praising patience,
we avoid fixing the structures that make patience necessary.

And that’s the real lesson we keep missing.

So what matters more in global education—patience, or better systems?

👇 I’d love to hear your take.

International schools don't have a teacher development problem. They have a problem with teacher alignment. PD days are packed. Budgets are spent. Certifications are collected.

And classrooms look... basically the same. 

If you're leading PD in an international school, try this instead of another "whole-staff training day":

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯𝟬–𝟲𝟬–𝟵𝟬 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲
Week 1: pick 1 micro-skill (e.g., checking for understanding)
Weeks 2–4: teacher rehearses it + gets one targeted observation
Weeks 5–8: peer walkthroughs + student work review (quick protocol)
Weeks 9–12: evidence of impact + share the "how" with the team

Same time.

More transfer.

Less fatigue.

Executive Coach | Your Copilot to a Fulfilling Life and Career Growth | Powered by the Ignite Life Method™ | Coached 1,200+ Leaders at Dropbox, Salesforce, Coinbase | Take the Quiz to See What Needs to Shift — Now

Do you feel that you are stuck in your career,
life overwhelmed with busyness, 
and you are disconnected from yourself... 
then we need to talk.

Most high achievers I coach aren’t broken — they’re just disconnected.

🚨 Disconnected from their purpose.
🚨 Disconnected from the work they once loved.
🚨 Disconnected from the life they truly want to live.

It shows up as: STUCK, FRUSTRATION, LOST.

❌ Career stagnation
❌ Constant firefighting
❌ Burnout masked as busyness
❌ Imposter syndrome despite success

I help ambitious professionals — founders, product leaders, and emerging executives — reignite clarity, rebuild courage, and create conscious impact using The Ignite Method™.

You don’t have to choose between growth and fulfilment. You can have both.

🔥 The Ignite Method™

1. Clarity Journey — Rediscover who you are and what truly matters.
2. Courage Building — Move through fear and start acting boldly.
3. Conscious Impact — Create a career and life that actually feels like success.
4. Cohesive Action — Align what you think, feel, and do every single day.

🎯 What My Clients Gain

✅ Unshakable clarity on what’s next
✅ Courage to make big, aligned decisions
✅ Confidence to lead teams or businesses with purpose
✅ Energy and ownership to thrive at work and at home

📍 A Bit About Me

- PCC Certified Coach (ICF)
- 1,200+ leaders coached in 18+ countries
- Clients from Google, Coinbase, Dropbox, Salesforce, Intel, EA Sports, Rubrik, Visa, Zynga and more
- TEDx Speaker: Can Fear Push Us to be Courageous? Google it!
- Founder, IgnitedNeurons — a platform helping build a culture of high performance, growth mindset and based in values!
- Building the IgnitedNeurons Podcast to extract lessons you and I can apply in everyday life

💼 If You’re Leading a Team or Organisation:
I also partner with founders, HR heads, and L&D leaders to design bold cultures, build values-driven teams, and humanise leadership.

📩 Ready to Take the First Step?
Take the free 5-minute Ignite Life Quiz to discover what’s holding you back.

Let’s ignite your next chapter.

Utkarsh Narang

Most career advice tells you to bounce back fast.

This story says something far more important.

At the 2026 Golden Globes, EJAE (Kim Eun Jae) accepted the award for Best Original Song for “Golden” from Netflix  Kpop Demon Hunters.
She became the first Korean-American to win at the Golden Globes.

But that’s not the part that matters most.

What matters is what came before the win.

She spent 10 years chasing one dream.
To become a K-pop idol.

She was rejected.
Told her voice wasn’t good enough.
Watched the original plan fall apart.

So she did what many of us are doing right now.

She adapted.

She leaned into what still worked.
She stayed close to her craft.
She rebuilt her identity instead of abandoning it.

And years later, she stood on that stage not as what she once wanted to be
but as something truer to who she was becoming.

Here’s why this matters if you’re:
• scared of being laid off
• already laid off
• quietly questioning your career path
• thinking about a pivot but afraid to start over

A detour is not a downgrade.
A rejection is not a verdict.
And changing direction is not failure.

Careers are not ladders anymore.
They are stories.

And the people who win long-term are not the ones who never get disrupted.
They are the ones who don’t let disruption silence their voice.

If you’re in a season of uncertainty, remember this:
Your next chapter does not need to look like your last one to be meaningful.

♻️ Repost this for someone navigating a career reset right now.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for grounded perspectives on career change, resilience, and rebuilding with confidence.

Executive Coach Helping Ambitious Professionals Breakthrough Stuck Careers & Inner Frustration | Ignite Life Method™ | Coached 1,200+ Leaders at Dropbox, Salesforce, Coinbase | Take the Quiz to Reignite Yourself

My dad hired a tennis coach at 70.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Seventy years old.
Retired.
Comfortable.

And yet, he decided to hire a tennis coach.

Not because he wants to compete.
Not because he wants to prove anything.
Just because he wants to get better.

That one decision stayed with me.

Most people slow down with age. They protect comfort.
They say things like, “What’s the point now?”

My dad doesn’t.

He shows up to the court.
Listens. Practises. Learns.

Like a beginner.

Watching him, I realised something important about growth.

Growth is not driven by fear of falling behind.
It is driven by love for learning.

No pressure. No urgency. Just curiosity.

As a son, it inspires me.

That is what I have always prioritised. Learning. Growing. 
Always asking what more and what’s next?

I thank my dad for it. 70 years. Racket in hand. On the court.

That’s discipline.
That’s presence.
That’s a quiet kind of courage.

And most of all, that’s love, for life, for movement, for becoming a little better than yesterday.

If I ever wonder what kind of man I want to be as I grow older, I don’t have to look far.

I just look at my dad.

If this lands, don’t rush past it. Sit with it.

Growth has no expiry date.

li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #personalgrowth, #bebettereveryday, #leadershiplessons, #utkarshbrainspark, and #leadershipcoaching

During one of the worst layoff periods at a global cryptocurrency company, I was coaching their senior leaders.

The market had turned. 
Pressure was relentless. 
Decisions were being made fast, often without the space to process the human cost.

The instinct was predictable.
“We need to rebuild fast.”
“Let’s hire stronger people.”
“Let’s bring in fresh energy.”

But that wasn’t the real problem.

The people being let go weren’t weak.
They weren’t uncommitted.
They weren’t unrealistic.

They were exhausted from uncertainty, confused by shifting priorities,
and slowly losing trust in how decisions were being made behind closed doors.

What finally changed things wasn’t a new hiring plan.

It was a harder, quieter set of conversations.

Leaders started asking different questions.
Not “How do we replace them?”
But “What made staying feel impossible?”

Layoffs don’t just reduce headcount.
They expose culture.

They amplify how safe it feels to speak up,
how clearly people understand the future,
and whether leaders default to control or clarity when things get uncomfortable.

If people keep leaving, hiring faster only treats the symptom.

The real work is understanding what your culture is teaching people about loyalty, growth, and honesty when the pressure is on.

Because the truth is simple and inconvenient: people don’t quit companies at scale, they quit environments where staying starts to feel like self-betrayal.

Before you open the next role, make sure the work environment you’re hiring into is one people would actually choose to stay in.

♻️If this resonated, repost it so someone else sees it today.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more thinking on growth, resilience, and building momentum over time.

Did you know most people quit their goals by the second week of January?

Not because they’re incapable.
But because they’re relying on motivation instead of structure.

Motivation is unpredictable.
Systems are not.

The people who actually stick with their goals don’t “try harder.”
They design their environment to make follow-through easier.

That means:
• clear reminders
• real accountability
• visible tracking
• time protected on the calendar

If you’re feeling stuck, scattered, or unsure what to focus on next, clarity is the real starting point.

Take the Ignite Life Quiz to understand where you are right now and what deserves your energy next. 
(📌DM “Quiz” for the link)

♻️ Repost if this resonated.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for practical thinking on career growth, transitions, and building stability in uncertain times.

1 simple way to stay more consistent with your 2026 goals

Most people see pressure as a sign they are doing something wrong.

But the people who grow see it differently.

Pressure often shows up right before something meaningful changes.
Not as a threat. As a signal.

The same goes for mistakes.

Not proof of failure.
Proof of engagement.

You only get feedback when you are actually in the arena.

The real shift is this:
stop taking friction personally.

Treat it as information.
Something to study, not escape.

Curiosity does what confidence cannot.
It keeps you moving when certainty disappears.

Growth does not come from ease.
It comes from staying present through discomfort and choosing to refine instead of retreat.

If things feel heavy right now, that does not mean you are off track.

It might mean you are finally working on something that matters.

♻️If this resonated, repost it so someone else sees it today.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more thinking on growth, resilience, and building momentum over time.

A year ago, on January 1, 2025, the IgnitedNeurons podcast had 24 subscribers. 

Not 24 thousand.
Twenty-four.

There was no launch strategy.
No momentum.
No guarantee anyone would care.

Just a decision to show up… even when it felt pointless…
to have real conversations, hit publish, and do it again the next week.

Fast forward to January 1, 2026: 873 subscribers.

Still not viral.
Still not flashy.
But undeniably built.

Here’s what changed in that year:
not my talent,
not my confidence,
not my circumstances.

What changed was that I stopped waiting to feel ready
and started acting like the life I wanted was already under construction.

Most people don’t fail because they aim too low.
They fail because they keep rehearsing a better future
instead of tolerating the boredom and doubt of building one.

One year will pass anyway.
The question is whether you’ll be able to point to something real or just another version of the same wish.

What are you quietly committing to build this year, even if no one’s watching yet?

♻️ Repost if this feels like the right reminder for this stage of the year.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth and inner work.

I took a two-week break from work recently.

It was calm.
It was slow.
It was peaceful.

And yet, something felt uncomfortable.

Not because of money.
Not because of pressure.

I was okay on that front.

The discomfort came from somewhere else.

Freedom isn’t time off. It’s knowing what you return to.

Work gives me energy.
It gives me joy. It gives me a sense of who I am.

During the break, I realised how much I value that.

We are often told that if you truly love life, you should want to escape work.
That wanting to return means you are trapped or over-attached.

That isn’t true for me.

When I came back to work on January 5, it felt… right. Almost joyful. Not because I had to work. But because I wanted to.

That moment taught me something important.

Freedom is not about getting away from work. Freedom is about choosing work that gives you energy instead of taking it away.

If something lights you up, don’t push it aside. Don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t let someone else’s definition of balance make you doubt yourself.

Hold on to it.

And if you haven’t found that yet, keep going.

Try new things.
Change direction.
Learn about yourself.

There is a place where effort feels meaningful.
Where work feels like contribution, not compromise.

When you find it, you won’t need convincing.

You’ll feel it.

♻️ Repost if this feels like the right reminder for this stage of the year.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth and inner work.

I have learned to enjoy my own company.

This didn’t come naturally to me.

There was a time when silence felt heavy.
When being alone felt like something was missing.

So I filled the gaps. Anything to avoid sitting with myself.

Over time, I realised something uncomfortable.

If I couldn’t be alone with my own thoughts, no amount of company would fix that.

So I started small.

Early mornings.
Quiet walks.
Journaling with no agenda.

At first, it was awkward.
My mind kept wandering.
I wanted to reach for my phone.

But slowly, solitude stopped feeling empty.

It started feeling honest.

In solitude, there is no performance. No role to play. No one to impress.

Just you, as you are.

That’s where I hear myself most clearly.
That’s where I notice what excites me and what drains me.
That’s where my values show up without being forced.

Solitude is not loneliness.

It is presence.

It is choosing to sit with your life instead of escaping it.

And the more comfortable I became with my own company, the richer my relationships became. With my work, family, and with myself.

Now, I protect my solitude.

Not because I want to disconnect from the world. 

But because it helps me show up fully when I do.

The most important relationship you’ll ever build
is the one you have with yourself.

Getting Joshua Freedman on the IgnitedNeurons  Podcast didn’t happen because of reach, status, or a perfectly crafted pitch.

It happened because of patience.

I reached out.
Then I waited.
Then I followed up, respectfully.
Across platforms - LinkedIn. Email.
Not chasing. Not spamming. Just staying present.

And I did it with love, one of my core values.

There were long gaps with no response.
Moments where it would have been easy to assume disinterest and move on quietly.
But something told me to stay consistent.

Eventually, he said yes.

What followed wasn’t just an episode.
It became one of the most powerful conversations I’ve had on emotional intelligence - 
deep, grounded, honest, and deeply human.

That moment reminded me of something I keep relearning:

The best things in life often come not from intensity,
but from sincerity sustained over time.

Perseverance doesn’t always look loud.
Sometimes it looks like showing up again, calmly, without entitlement.

Grateful for the conversation.
Grateful for the patience it took to get there.
And grateful for what happens when values lead the way.

Leadership isn’t about your resume.
It’s about your ripple effect.

Want to be remembered?
Leave people better than you found them.

✅Speak truth.
✅Stand for something.
✅Choose compassion over ego.
✅Listen more than you talk.

That’s the real scoreboard:

→ Not your position, but your presence
→ Not your awards, but your actions
→ Not your accolades, but your attitude

Robin Sharma said it best:

“Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence and inspiration.”

How you lead matters.
But how you make others feel, that’s what endures.

Be someone who lifts others.
It’s the kind of wealth that multiplies.

♻️ Repost if this hit home
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more on human-centered leadership

Six months from now, you’ll either have....

six months of real progress behind you
or six months of very reasonable excuses.

I’ve learned this over the years:

You don’t grow because you’re the smartest person in the room. 

You grow because you are deliberate, intentional, and willing to sit with discomfort longer than you’d like.

Most of the time, the thing holding you back isn’t lack of ability.

It’s avoidance —
> of the hard conversation,
> the awkward decision,
> the honest admission that something in life or work is no longer working.

It’s easier to stay busy than to be brave.

Easier to explain why now isn’t the right time than to admit you are scared of what happens if you actually try.

Six months will pass whether you confront this 
or keep negotiating with yourself.
 
The question isn’t whether time will move.
It’s whether you will.

When you look back, you don’t regret moving too slowly.

You regret the periods where you knew better and chose comfort anyway.
Six months from now, you want evidence... not intention.

If this hit, you already know what you’ve been avoiding.

Save this to re-ignite that spark and follow Utkarsh Narang for more!

I need to admit something. I am being vulnerable here.

Selling does not come naturally to me.

I love deep conversations. Meaning. Reflection. Human connection.

Sales calls used to feel like a performance. I’d walk in hoping they’d like me. Hoping they’d say yes. Hoping I wouldn’t mess it up.

And every time I needed the outcome… I stopped being myself.

Then I learned a concept from Daniel Priestley that changed everything:

“With or without you” energy.

It doesn’t mean I don’t care. It doesn’t mean I’ll succeed at your expense.

It means this: I want you with me. But my success is not dependent on your approval.

The moment I started walking into conversations with that energy:
– the pressure disappeared
– the conversation deepened
– I stopped performing and started practising my craft

I was no longer trying to convince. I was trying to understand.

People don’t respond to desperation.
They respond to calm conviction.

So here’s a question for you:

👉 Where in your life or work are you needing the outcome a little too much?

Try walking in with “with or without you” energy this week. Care deeply. Release the outcome.

That’s not arrogance. That’s leadership.

Welcome to another beautiful week. When an idea sparks that I think is worth sharing, it becomes this weekly newsletter. If something hits home, write

Open article: With or Without You Energy by Utkarsh Narang • 3 min read

We romanticize success.
But survival comes first.

Tesla didn’t grow in a straight line.
It stayed alive long enough to figure things out.

That’s the part most people skip.

Before scale comes stability.
Before dominance comes endurance.
Before momentum comes survival.

If you’re in a phase where the goal is simply to last,
you’re not failing.

You’re building the foundation that growth requires.

Survive first.
Refine next.
Scale later.

♻️ Repost if this reframes how you see slow or difficult seasons.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth, resilience, and long-term thinking.

Comfort rarely looks dangerous.

It looks like stability.
Familiar routines.
Staying “reasonable.”

But comfort has a quiet cost.

❌It delays hard conversations.
❌It postpones decisions you already know you need to make.
❌It keeps you busy, but not moving.

Failure, at least, gives feedback.
Comfort gives none.

Most careers don’t stall because people fail too much.
They stall because people wait too long.

If something has been on your mind for months, maybe years, it’s probably not going away on its own.

Discomfort is often the price of growth.
Avoiding it is often the reason dreams fade.

♻️ If this made you pause, repost it.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for grounded thinking on growth, career transitions, and building momentum without burning out.

Most people want business ideas.
They just don’t look in the right place.

They look outward.
Markets. Trends. Tools. Tactics.

But some of the most powerful ideas come from lived experience.

On the latest episode of the IgnitedNeurons Podcast, I sat down with Bart Merrell, an entrepreneur who believes that life’s challenges often carry the seeds of opportunity.

We spoke about:
• Why setbacks are not wasted
• How adversity can become an asset
• The “lemonade stand” mindset for entrepreneurship
• When monetization makes sense and when it doesn’t
• Why perspective matters more than strategy

This conversation is not about hustling harder.
It’s about seeing differently.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your experiences matter, this episode might shift how you think about work, business, and opportunity.

🎧 Listen on Spotify and Youtube!

♻️If this resonates, support IgnitedNeurons Podcast by sharing it with someone who’s navigating a challenge and wondering what to do next.

Your brain is not stuck.
It is trained.

And anything trained
can be retrained.

Every reaction you repeat
teaches your nervous system what to expect.

Tension becomes familiar.
Chaos feels normal.
Rest can feel unsafe.

Healing is not a personality change.
It is a pattern change.

Pausing instead of reacting.
Choosing calm on purpose.
Staying present when avoidance feels easier.

By now, the new year energy has settled.
This is when real change begins.

Not loud.
Not rushed.
But consistent.

You are not broken.
You are rewiring.

♻️ Repost if this feels like the right reminder for this stage of the year.
➕ Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth and inner work.

Most people wait for permission
before they begin.

The right title.
The right funding.
The right room.

But progress rarely starts in boardrooms.
It starts in garages.
Side projects.
Rough drafts no one applauds.

Apple did not begin fully formed.
Neither do ideas worth building.

Small starts are not a disadvantage.
They are an advantage.

They force clarity.
They reward focus.
They build resilience early.

Start smaller than you want.
Think bigger than feels reasonable.
And keep going longer than feels comfortable.

That is how most meaningful things are built.

♻️Repost if this is the reminder you needed.
➕Follow Utkarsh Narang for more clarity on growth, leadership, and long-term thinking.

Most people aren’t failing.
They’re just stuck trying to be perfect.

In the latest episode of the IgnitedNeurons Podcast, I sat down with Olaolu Ogunyemi to talk about leadership, identity, parenting, and what it really takes to grow.

Olaolu has led in high-pressure environments as a U.S. Marine officer.
But some of the most powerful lessons he shared came from fatherhood, self-discovery, and learning to let go of perfection.

We spoke about:
 • Why being yourself is the hardest job you’ll ever have
 • Why failure isn’t a setback, but a teacher
 • How identity shapes leadership
 • The role parents play in shaping future adults
 • Why life works best when treated as an experiment
 • How support systems quietly determine success

This conversation reminded me that progress doesn’t come from having it all figured out.
It comes from taking the next honest step.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify.

If this episode resonates, support IgnitedNeurons by sharing it with someone who’s trying to grow, lead, or parent with more intention.

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