Jay Abbasi (see bio below) spent years doing what ambitious people are supposed to do.
Work harder. Say yes. Keep moving. Chase the next thing.
At one point, that meant working midnight to 8 a.m., going to graduate school, working another job on weekends, neglecting his health, and watching his marriage suffer.
Then his father died unexpectedly at 55.
That changed the questions Jay was asking.
Instead of “How do I accomplish more?”, he started asking:
What am I doing all of this for?
That search eventually took Jay through renewable energy, Tesla, four promotions in six years, mindfulness, coaching, entrepreneurship, keynote speaking, and his podcast, Unstuck.
Jeff and Jay talk about what Tesla taught him about adapting when everything changes overnight, why Jay voluntarily left during a round of layoffs to save someone else’s job, and how surrendering instead of forcing his next career move unexpectedly led to starting his own business. jay abbasi-jeff
They also get into mindfulness without the incense-and-cushion requirement, why human communication matters even more in the age of AI, and one leadership lesson Jay learned the hard way:
Acknowledge before you solve.
And because this was a podcast swap, Jay gets off The Corporate Couch only to put Jeff on Unstuck later that same day.
Apparently, neither of us understands healthy podcast boundaries :-)
This is a conversation about ambition, burnout, loss, adaptability, mindfulness, leadership, surrender, and learning that sometimes getting unstuck starts when you stop pushing so damn hard.
At Pelaccio & Partners, we help leaders stay connected to their people as their organizations grow. We create internal podcasts that make leadership communication more human, give employees a voice, and help build a more connected and engaged workforce. Think less corporate broadcast. More conversation people actually want to hear. Whether your employees are across the hall or across the country, an internal podcast can keep leaders visible, employees connected, and important messages from getting buried in the inbox. Curious what one could look like for your organization? Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn or schedule a 15-minute call with Jeff.
About Jay: Jay Abbasi is a global keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, coach, and former Tesla leader who helps professionals thrive under pressure without burning out. At Tesla, he led national training programs for over 1,000 employees, and has since coached leaders at Google, Amazon, TikTok, Wells Fargo, and many more. He’s been featured in Forbes Founder, Authority Magazine, and Medium, and is the host of the top-rated podcast Unstuck with Jay Abbasi. Blending corporate experience with deep expertise in mindfulness, resilience, andwell-being, Jay offers a powerful message: success isn’t about avoiding challenges, but mastering them with clarity, energy, and purpose.
