She Scheduled Her Own Breakdown. Here's What She Found on the Other Side.

Most high-performing leaders spend years building a life that looks exactly like success is supposed to look. The title. The salary. The house. The holidays. The family photo that belongs on the front of a magazine. Deepika Sandhu had all of it. And she still felt profoundly, quietly empty. So she did something that almost nobody does. She scheduled her own breakdown. Put it in her calendar. Showed up for it. And in the space that created the slowing down, the silence, the sitting with herself she found the clarity that 25 years of relentless performance had never given her. Today, Deepika is the founder of Soul Sparks Press North America's fastest growing publishing house, built to over 106 authors in 21 months. She's a six-time award-winning bestselling author, CEO of the Year at the Unicorn Summit, and someone who now describes her life not by what it looks like but by how it feels. This conversation is between two people who are genuinely inside each other's worlds. Which is exactly why it goes to places most podcast conversations don't. Chapters 00:00 The Pressure of Silicon Valley Leadership 04:45 Transitioning from Corporate to SoulSparks Press 07:41 Redefining Success and Impact 10:26 The Journey of Self-Discovery 13:07 The Power of Scheduled Breakdowns 15:51 Dismantling Old Beliefs 18:45 Taking Risks and Embracing Entrepreneurship 21:48 Managing Pressure and Doubt 24:24 The Importance of Support and Community 27:11 Flow vs. Deadlines in Creativity 30:01 The Evolution of Self and Business 32:56 Navigating Pressure Moments 35:42 Overcoming Doubt and Inner Critic 39:38 Trusting the Process 45:44 Owning Your Choices 50:36 Lessons from Life Transitions 56:24 Finding Your Authentic Voice 59:31 The Power of Storytelling 01:10:29 Redefining Leadership 01:10:57 The Practice of Leadership Connect with Deepika: Instagram Soul Sparks Press on Instagram Soul Sparks Press Website More on me: Take the Pressure Pattern Check For more information about me go to: chethirani.com Get my Award Winning Bestselling book: Burn The Rules Here Connect, Follow & Subscribe: LinkedIn Youtube Instagram Facebook TikTok