Episode recap:

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In this episode, Marcel talks with Jay Abbasi about resilience, conscious leadership, and navigating pressure. Jay shares lessons from Tesla, introduces his resilience formula of energy, space, and choice, and explains how leaders can handle conflict, empower others, and focus on what they can control. 

Guest Bio:

Jay Abbasi is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and coach specializing in mindfulness, resilience, and leadership development. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies and coached leaders from Google, Amazon, and Wells Fargo, combining corporate experience with deep psychology insights. His practical strategies help individuals and teams thrive under pressure. 

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Show Notes

Quotes:

• “We don’t begin with the tool. We begin with the strategy.”
• “You don’t need to figure it out to start—you need to start, and then you figure it out.”
• “Your power was never in control. Your power is in choice.” 

Takeaways:

1. Protect your energy first: Use energy-producing activities (for body, mind, and connection) so you can perform without burning out. 
2. Lead like a captain, not a hero: Stop rescuing everyone and start empowering your team to solve problems.
3. Choose your response: In conflict and change, you can’t control everything—but you can control how you react. 

Timestamps:

[00:00:04] – Reintroducing the Marcel Podcast and Guest Jay Abbasi 

[00:02:02] – From Burnout in Finance to a Wake-Up Call 

[00:03:49] – SolarCity, Tesla, and Learning Adaptability Under Pressure 

[00:06:00] – Inside Tesla: Chaos, Change, and Emotional Leadership Stories 

[00:09:09] – The Roller Coaster of Entrepreneurship and Trusting Intuition 

[00:16:48] – The Resilience Formula: Energy + Space + Choice 

[00:19:14] – EPAs: Energy-Producing Activities for Body, Mind, and Connection 

[00:22:23] – Creating Space: Boundaries, Mindfulness, and “Mind FREENESS” 

[00:30:00] – What Is Conscious Leadership? 

[00:32:17] – Be the Captain, Not the Hero 

[00:34:04] – How AI Fits into Human-Centered Leadership 

[00:36:31] – Navigating Conflict with Curiosity and Psychological Safety 

[00:45:37] – Letting Go of Control and Owning Your Power of Choice 

Conclusion:

Jay Abbasi shows that thriving in high-pressure environments starts with protecting your energy, not just pushing harder. His resilience formula energy, space, and choice gives leaders a simple way to avoid burnout while staying ambitious and effective. By creating boundaries, practicing mindfulness and “mind freeness,” and leaning into healthy conflict, we build psychological safety and stronger relationships at work. Conscious leadership means leading without ego, being the captain instead of the hero, and empowering others to step into their own brilliance. Ultimately, we can’t control everything around us, but we can always choose our response, and that’s where our real power lies. 

Links/Resources: 

Connect with Jay Abbasi: 

Website – https://jayabbasi.me/ 

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/  

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast  

Connect with Marcel Schwantes: 

Substack: https://marcelschwantes.substack.com/  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/marcelschwantes/    

X: https://x.com/MarcelSchwantes  

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarcelSchwantes1  

Instagram: https://instagram.com/marcel.schwantes/ 

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