Host

Shannon Huffman Polson is the founder of The Grit Institute and host of The Grit Factor Podcast, where she helps purpose-driven leaders build grit, resilience, and purpose in their lives and organizations.

A former U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot and one of the first women to fly the Apache in the Army, Shannon brings real-world leadership experience from the military and corporate boardroom to her work as an author, speaker, and leadership educator. She is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World, which distills lessons from elite leaders across industries and the armed forces.

Through The Grit Institute, Shannon combines research, storytelling, and actionable frameworks to help individuals and organizations navigate transitions, overcome challenges, and lead with impact. Her work empowers people to connect with purpose and bring values-based leadership into every facet of life and work.

Whether in the cockpit, the classroom, or the boardroom, Shannon champions a mission to cultivate courage, purpose, and authentic leadership for a better world.

Guest Bio

Sam Ushio is the founder and Chief Ikigai Officer of Ikigai Lab, a social enterprise that blends ancient Japanese wisdom with modern science to help people and organizations align purpose with measurable impact. Drawing on two decades in corporate leadership and consulting, Sam's work focuses on human sustainability, values-based growth, and bringing humanity back into business.

A former financial services executive, Sam experienced a pivotal moment that transformed his understanding of success—from financial growth to personal and purposeful growth. His family's story, rooted in Japan over a century ago, deeply shaped his worldview and introduced him to the authentic essence of Ikigai—the Japanese concept of a "reason for being."

Through Ikigai Lab, Sam works with global brands and leaders to create cultures where people thrive through alignment of strengths, values, and daily actions. His frameworks integrate positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and ancient wisdom, inspiring people to live with awareness, gratitude, and intention every day.

Sam is also the creator of the Ikigai Summit (soon to be rebranded as Repurpose), an annual event that explores how purpose-driven leadership can reshape organizations and communities for a more meaningful future.

At his core, Sam believes purpose isn't a destination—it's a daily practice. His mission is to help others discover and live their Ikigai through the simple yet profound act of aligning who they are with how they live and lead.

Summary

In this conversation, Shannon Huffman Polson and Sam Ushio explore the concept of Ikigai, its origins, and its significance in personal and professional life. They discuss the importance of family legacy, personal growth, and the misunderstandings surrounding Ikigai, particularly the common four-circle Venn diagram. Sam shares his journey of discovering Ikigai through his family's history and emphasizes the need for gratitude, intentionality, and the integration of personal values in daily life. The discussion also touches on the impact of Ikigai on organizations and the importance of spirituality and rituals in Japanese culture.

Takeaways

• Ikigai is a Japanese concept meaning 'reason for being'.

• Personal stories shape our understanding of purpose.

• Financial growth should not compromise personal growth.

• Gratitude and awareness are essential for a fulfilling life.

• Ikigai is about aligning daily actions with personal values.

• The four-circle Venn diagram is a common misunderstanding of Ikigai.

• Daily life (sekatsu) is central to understanding Ikigai.

• Mindset and emotional intelligence are crucial for personal development.

• Reflecting on influential people can help clarify one's values.

• Ikigai can enhance both personal and professional fulfillment.

 

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Chapters

00:00 – What Is Ikigai, Really?
Sam Ushio introduces the real meaning of Ikigai—not just an abstract idea of life's purpose, but the alignment of daily actions with personal values and priorities.

01:05 – Purpose as the Foundation of Grit and Resilience
Host Shannon Huffman Polson shares how purpose became central to her research on grit and leadership, setting the stage for the conversation.

02:57 – Sam Ushio's Journey from Corporate Success to Purpose Alignment
Sam reflects on his background in financial services, the "lightning bolt moment" that shifted his path, and his discovery of a deeper calling through Ikigai.

03:48 – The Power of Family Heritage and Migration
Sam shares his great-grandparents' story—leaving Japan to support a 1,200-year-old shrine—and how that legacy shaped his modern understanding of purpose and sacrifice.

08:19 – Realizing the Limits of Financial Growth
Sam explains how a career focused solely on financial metrics led to personal disconnection—and how redefining growth became the start of his transformation.

11:03 – The Value of Failure and Creative Experimentation
Sam describes his early entrepreneurial struggles and creative experiments that didn't work, emphasizing how failure built clarity and resilience.

13:30 – Discovering the Family Photo That Changed Everything
A 100-year-old family photo surfaces at just the right moment, sparking deep reflection and connecting Sam's modern journey to ancestral purpose.

14:52 – Rediscovering Ikigai Through Family Wisdom
Sam's Aunt Julie plays a key role in reconnecting him with the true Japanese essence of Ikigai—as a philosophy of balance, awareness, and daily living.

16:33 – Debunking the 4-Circle Ikigai Myth
Sam and Shannon unpack the viral "Venn diagram" of Ikigai, exploring how Western interpretations often miss its true meaning rooted in sekatsu—daily life.

20:12 – Ikigai as Daily Alignment, Not a Destination
Sam reframes Ikigai as the daily practice of aligning values with actions—living your reason for being moment by moment, not chasing a final goal.

24:21 – Frameworks for Living with Purpose
Exploring the fusion of Japanese wisdom and positive psychology, Sam discusses using values and strengths (via CliftonStrengths) to guide intentional living.

26:10 – From Purpose to Measurable Impact
Sam connects Ikigai to measurable outcomes in leadership and business, linking emotional awareness, cognition, and behavior to results.

32:10 – How to Begin Your Ikigai Journey
Sam offers a practical starting point: reflect on a person who has shaped you, explore the values behind their influence, and connect that to your own life purpose.

34:05 – Practicing Ikigai in Daily Life (Sekatsu)
Sam introduces the "Minimum Viable Purpose" concept—testing small daily actions outside your comfort zone to grow purposefully, not perfectly.

38:05 – Purpose in the Age of AI
A discussion on how AI is shaping human purpose and connection, and how grounding in values helps navigate rapid technological change.

40:15 – Inside Ikigai Lab: Bridging Humanity and Business
Sam explains how Ikigai Lab helps organizations and teams connect individual purpose to measurable impact through human sustainability frameworks.

43:04 – Building Awareness and Intention Across Generations
Sam discusses bringing the Ikigai philosophy to workplaces, universities, and communities to help people live and lead with intention.

49:23 – Returning to Japan: A Full-Circle Journey
Sam shares the emotional story of returning to his family's ancestral shrine in Japan, honoring generations of purpose, resilience, and continuity.

53:29 – The Sacred in the Everyday
Shannon reflects on her trip to Japan, the power of ritual, and what it means to recognize the sacred in daily life—connecting to the heart of Ikigai.

56:11 – Purpose as a Verb, Not a Goal
Sam and Shannon conclude that Ikigai isn't something you find once—it's something you live daily, through curiosity, courage, and continual growth.

 

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