Turning Personal Grief Into a Global Mission for Happiness | Mo Gawdat | E103

Mo Gawdat was thriving in his career as Chief Business Officer at Google X, enjoying wealth, success, and a loving family. However, his life took a dramatic turn after the tragic loss of his son, Ali. This loss made Mo realize that happiness isn’t defined by external factors but by how we perceive and navigate life’s challenges. Letting go of everything that once defined success, including his career, Mo reinvented himself as an advocate for happiness, dedicating his life to helping others live with less stress and more joy. In this episode, Mo joins Ilana to share how he transformed his life after tragedy and reveals his formula for finding happiness, managing stress, and creating lasting fulfillment.

Mo Gawdat is an Egyptian entrepreneur, four-time bestselling author, and former Chief Business Officer at Google X. He founded the mission #OneBillionHappy, dedicated to helping others lead happier lives.

In this episode, Ilana and Mo will discuss:

(00:00) Introduction 

(02:07) Growing up in Egypt with a Passion for Tech

(05:38) Coding and Landing a Job at IBM

(11:02) Building Trust and Success in Sales

(16:14) Struggling with Happiness Despite Success

(21:35) Discovering the Algorithm of Happiness

(27:02) The Devastating Loss of His Son

(33:01) Turning Grief Into a Global Mission of Happiness

(40:00) Leaving Google in Pursuit of True Fulfillment

(46:47) Understanding and Managing Stress

(01:00:24) Why Life is Like a Video Game

Mo Gawdat is an Egyptian entrepreneur, four-time bestselling author, and former Chief Business Officer at Google X. With a background in engineering and over 30 years in the tech industry, he has held leadership roles at IBM, NCR, Microsoft, and Google, where he helped launch operations in over 50 countries. Mo developed a formula for happiness, which he shares in his book Solve for Happy, and founded the mission #OneBillionHappy, dedicated to helping others lead happier lives.

Connect with Mo:

Mo’s Website: mogawdat.com 

Mo’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mogawdat 

Mo’s Substack: substack.com/@mogawdat 

Resources Mentioned:

Mo’s Book, Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy: https://www.amazon.com/Solve-Happy-Engineer-Your-Path/dp/1501157558 

Mo’s Book, Unstressable: A Practical Guide to Stress-Free Living: https://www.amazon.com/Unstressable-Practical-Guide-Stress-Free-Living/dp/1035022729

Mo’s Book, That Little Voice In Your Head: Adjust the Code That Runs Your Brain: https://www.amazon.com/That-Little-Voice-Your-Head/dp/152906614X 

Mo’s Book, Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World: https://www.amazon.com/Scary-Smart-Future-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1529077621

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