Navigating with Zakkee Ahmad

Yes, it is time. I am excited to share more about my journey as a father! As I have done before, I want to do my best to give you some context before I just start saying things or offering my thoughts, advice or otherwise. In this episode, not only do I speak to that, but it also represents a lot of "firsts" for me: first day at Work Nicer, first day for Ilaya in a dayhome, first time I record a "preamble" segment because I was unhappy with the episode I recorded, first time I scripted a portion of the episode. (Theme Song: Jay-Z - U Don't Know)

I had an interesting conversation with Shaista (my wife) the night before recording this episode. She noted qualities that I displayed when we worked together that I didn't really consider "strengths" of mine. It reminded me that I STILL don't know what my strengths are & I'm actually devoting time to try to figure it out! What chance do people who dont think about it have? If only they knew that their true strengths / skills could probably net them a lot more in life than they think... Article referenced was written by Ayodeji Awosika & read on Medium (unfortunately my Medium app is not cooperating and I can't find the article name...)

I spent many years of my life ashamed or embarrassed of who I truly was. It is a totally different world for introverts and extroverts. I'm not gonna pretend I'm going to teach you anything about that, I'm just here to share my experiences in hopes that they help someone else one day. Gary Vee said something along the lines that it's the greatest time to be an introvert because you can become a public figure and not be forced to leave that comfort zone the same way you may have had to in the past (poor paraphrasing, but you get it...). Cheers to my fellow weirdos and introverts! Let's go get it!

I started "Soup or Salad" on my personal Instagram account and got such great engagement that I decided to dedicate a separate account to it (plus double down with TikTok). Wanna know why I'm thinking this could be big? It's fun. It's different. It's a niche. It's engaging. And it's Zakkee. Have a listen for more...

Someone gave me some advice a while ago. In a nutshell, it was to find other people whose perspectives resonated with mine. I was eager to change the world, and this advice was essentially to team up with & learn from the people who had a similar outlook. Yesterday I looked through those notes and realized I still haven't really expressed my own philosophy to the world! So here I go. My first draft: 6 points that I think and believe about us as people and about our society. Maybe this is obvious, maybe not. Either way, I also believe change starts with personal declarations. I'm sharing mine. Ps. Be sure to listen to the end for 2 bonuses.... Also on YouTube and Instagram (@ZakkeeAhmad) Intro/Outro: Jay-Z - U Don't Know.

I went to a meeting this evening and delivered a somewhat unfocused presentation. I was (of course) frustrated with myself, but it's become par for the course with me in some ways. I ask myself, "why? Why do I continue to do this??" It's not a secret that I have struggled with so little direction & mentorship in my life - especially recently. I still feel the need to be validated externally (ideas, etc.) before I can execute. It's been an adjustment and I know I'll reach a point where I do this much better. But for now, I struggle with this: executing. Being wrong. Failing and adjusting. Jumping off the ledge... I hope I offer one of you some value in some way....

This one's mostly self-explanatory. Look, if I was on my deathbed and someone told me my religion was a hoax and they orchastrated the whole thing, I'd say, "Ha! Joke's on you, motherfucker!" cause spirituality made my life what it was.... (& "Thank you"). (Sorry for the somewhat short caption, but im semi-rushing so I actually just post this same-day) Soundtrack: Jay-Z - "U Don't Know"

So I'm on vacation, right. I'm in an airbnb in Kelowna with the extended family in a place that overlooks the Okanagen. It's beautiful. I had to bring work with me, but it's fuckin football work, so I wasn't complaining about that! As you get to know current me, you'll learn that I can EASILY have bad days even in such great conditions. I was having a bad day and decided to do something that energized me instead of keep bashing my head against the wall in frustration (you know...inside my head...). I sat on the balcony and recorded 3 podcasts (yeah I love this shit). The guts of this episode is how that recording session started & the intro is how it ended. You can hear the difference in my voice (I'm sure). In this episode, I'm chatting about just this: the value of doing what energizes me! I also discuss the impact and overvaluation of our external environments as they relate to our mindsets - I think that's a massive topic that I only really can get to the tippy top of... Thanks for listening! Them

Hey Podcast! I was really excited to record this episode as it was my first ever Instagram LIVE, so I caputured the audio for this and video for my YouTube channel! It was my little kick-off for both my podcasts (the other being "More Than Just Balls with Zakkee Ahmad") and the first time i shared them on social media. The "live" concept is very normal for all my episodes, as I do little to no editing of any of my audio recordings. I also dive into the results of the 1st edition of a game I've been posting on my Instagram stories: Soup or Salad. It's a game that was spurred by my (& others') passion for food! They're fun questions that tend to spark some friendly debate among friends, but believe it or not, seem to be bringing people together as well (why not take a seat at the table to discuss something you love with others who do too??) For example, soup or salad?? Ketchup or gravy?? I share the Insta results & pad it with my commentary. For more fun, check it out on my Instagram @ZakkeeAhmad T

I'm super excited to dive into this topic today. I recently heard that a player who was once fantasy football-relevant may not make the team this year. It struck me, but then made perfect sense. Everyone can't be good enough to make teams and to get paid every year. ....What must that be like? It's a comparable, but very different professional experience from someone who works a salary job (or works as a contractor AWAY from the public eye). It reminded me that none of us share the same journey, so why do so many of us feel compelled and entitled to comment on the struggles and situations of others? At the end of the day, here's the real reason why this resonates with me so much: I am my harshest critic. I need to cut me more slack, be more underatanding and gentle with MYSELF. I truly believe that that's where it starts before I can genuinely externalize it. This is also my first CROSSOVER EPISODE! If you haven't checked out "More than Just Balls with Zakkee Ahmad" be sure to do so. Intro/Outro Track:

In this "Contextuals" Series episode, I share my thoughts on the importance of previous generations, my curiosity around generational changes, and my family background, so you have that much more context on who I am and a bit about why I think about this topic so much! One point that I forgot to mention: these topics climbed the priority list for me after I had my daughter. That has been a life changing, eye-opening, life-altering experience and is right in line with this topic! Thanks for listening to NAVIGATING with ZAKKEE AHMAD!

In my first "Contextuals" episode, I get into my school/career background: high school, University, career path #1. More importantly, I discuss what my mindsets were like at those various stages and how I ultimately reached a very unhealthy place mentally & had to (literally) call it quits! (Pardon my ice cream eating.... ) Thanks for listening to Navigating with Zakkee Ahmad!

Welcome to "Navigating with Zakkee Ahmad"! This is technically my second intro episode, but the hair is down for this one! In this episode, I'm giving you some context on why I wanted to start my own podcast & talk a little bit about who I am, what I enjoy, and what I'm secretly (not secretly) trying to achieve with my podcast and social media presence. Thanks for listening!

Hi. I'm Zakkee. Thank you for your time! The primary purpose of this podcast is the same as my purpose on all other social media platforms: documentation. I don't know what niches or worlds this journey may lead me to, but it starts with this episode. I plan to share thoughts and experiences related to some of my favourite things: the NFL, fantasy football, sports in general, human nature, business, attention, society, and generational change. I also hope to share my platform with guests and listeners to bring value to those who tune in. I'm an engineer by education & consider myself an entrepreneur on training wheels. I enjoy breaking comfort barriers and chalkenging myself to grow every day. Come Navigate with me!