Cracking straight on with part 2 of my interview with newsletter subscriber and coach Ankush Jain:

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Tom: How would you have defined “a good day at work” when you worked in corporate? How do you define “a good day at work” now?

Ankush: Back in my corporate career, a “good day at work” was almost entirely defined by external markers. If I’d negotiated a big deal, hit a target or achieved something measurable, that counted as a good day. It was very outcome driven, very numbers based.

Now it’s completely different. While I still run a business and there are numbers I need to hit, most days are good days because I get to coach. I love helping people see something new about themselves and not just perform better, but access a whole different level of clarity or possibility they hadn’t seen before.

I remember realising, back in 2012, that coaching has the potential to literally change the trajectory of someone’s life. I’m not claiming that I single-handedly do that, but I do know there are people out there who are living very different lives because of what we created together. Coaching is always a co-creation between coach and client. Being part of that is an incredible privilege.

So that’s what makes a good day for me now: seeing someone shift, grow, or wake up to something that genuinely changes how they live. This work is deeply rewarding in a way that no target or deal ever was.

Tom: There's a chapter in your new book Awakening the Coach Within called “Is coaching more fulfilling than a day job?”. If any role can be approached with presence, clarity and a fresh mind, what actually separates fulfilling work from unfulfilling work? Does the work itself even matter?

Ankush: This is a great question because it gets to the heart of what “fulfilling work” really means. It reminds me of something a client once said about unconditional love: if you truly loved unconditionally, you could marry anyone. I know it’s a provocative idea. But in the same way, if you approached any job with absolute presence, clarity and an open mind, you could probably find fulfilment in almost anything.

We see this in other areas of life. Research shows that even after major life changes like losing a limb, people tend to return to their baseline level of happiness within a relatively short time. My personal trainer had a stroke this summer and is now legally blind. Of course he was devastated at first, but a few months later he’d returned to the same upbeat, grounded version of himself. Human beings adapt.

So on one level, fulfilment really is a state of mind. I had periods in my corporate career that were genuinely fulfilling and I know coaches who sometimes find coaching unfulfilling. The lens you bring to the work matters enormously.

But I also think the work itself matters. There’s truth in the idea that it’s not about “doing what you love” so much as “loving what you do” but in my experience, both are important. You can bring a fresh mind to any job, but many of us also feel a natural pull or intuition toward certain kinds of work. And when you follow that pull, the work tends to feel richer and more meaningful.

So what separates fulfilling work from unfulfilling work? Partly your mindset and the quality of mind you bring to it and partly whether the work aligns with your deeper intuition. If you feel a genuine pull towards something, I always encourage people to explore it. That inner guidance is often wiser than we realise.

Tom: When you work with clients or reflect on your own journey, what's the biggest misunderstanding people have about their jobs or careers?

Ankush: Believing their work defines them. People assume their job means something about their worth, their identity or their success when in reality, it's just one part of a much bigger life. Work can be incredibly rewarding and give us a sense of purpose, but no one on their deathbed wishes they’d spent more time in the office or made more money. They wish they’d spent more time with the people they love.

I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who are in their 60s, 70s and 80s, and the benefit of their hindsight has been invaluable. They all say the same thing: family and relationships matter far more than job titles or career milestones. Hearing that repeatedly has shaped how I see my own life.

I love my work and I genuinely feel a sense of purpose in what I do, but one of the biggest shifts for me recently has been recognising how precious my family time is. I have a young son, I’m in my early 40s, and these are years I’ll never get back. Before I know it, I’ll be much older, and this season of life will have passed. That realisation has changed my decisions. I’ve massively reduced my travel this year so I can be home more, present with him, and not end up with regrets later on.

Interestingly, even the corporate leaders I’ve admired most tend to arrive at the same conclusion. It sounds counterintuitive, but the people who understand what really matters (family, relationships, wellbeing) often end up performing better at work too. They’re grounded, clear and not chasing validation through achievement.

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That’s a wrap for Part 2.

Part 3 will be dropping into your inbox soon.

In the meantime, if you’d like to read more about Ankush’s journey from corporate to coaching, you might like his new book Awakening the Coach Within.

For my UK chums, you’ll find the book here

Your local Amazon branch will have the book too.

To fulfilment,

Tom

p.s. if you pick up a copy of Ankush’s new book Awakening The Coach Within and send me your receipt (a screenshot is fine) by 7pm UK Time on Friday 12th December, I’ll send you a one-time discount code.

You can use that code on one of Ankush’s trainings, The Secret to Radical Transformation.

This training usually costs £19.99.

But with the discount code?

Squadoosh!

That’s right. You can get the training for free.

You can read all about this training right here.

To recap:

Buy Ankush’s new book Awakening The Coach Within and send me your receipt by 7pm UK Time on Friday 12th December.

In return, I’ll send you a discount code that lets you grab Ankush’s training The Secret to Radical Transformation for free.

Now’s not the time to dilly dally.