"One of the main things you can do to be happy is to have a purpose in life. If you don't have a purpose, you're not going to be happy."

Speaker and happiness expert Richard Clarke joins me to talk about navigating the emotional transitions of selling his company, what years of studying workplace happiness has taught him, and why we should ignore clichés and get practical about what really drives happiness at work and in life.

From his journey founding and exiting a tech company (where team happiness was the number one KPI) to experimenting with every "fun" workplace trend he could find, Richard shares hard-won lessons on purpose, autonomy, and why learning what truly matters to teams makes all the difference.

We explore his research (and mistakes), why "family" at work can be a problematic metaphor, what truly motivates people after financial needs are met, and the five-part framework for happiness at work.

Highlights:

00:00 The simplest happiness hack and neuroplasticity

02:53 Introducing Richard: Building a happiness-first business

05:09 The door closing: Stepping down as CEO and selling the business

08:13 Handing over your "baby": The tough bits of letting go

11:00 Watching from the sidelines: why partial exits can be the hardest

13:27 Moving towards family time and why real change is so messy

20:07 The shock of a new chapter: Speaker life isn't what it seems

21:39 Why speaking, not coaching or writing, became his new passion

23:53 Becoming the "happiness geek"

37:03 The five drivers of workplace happiness

38:29 Community vs family and why belonging matters

43:54 Autonomy: why boundaries trump "total freedom"

52:34 Purpose: how hospital cleaners outdo the moon landing story

54:35 Auditing your own happiness: What's missing for you?

Richard's Change Toolkit:

Book: Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard

Soundtrack: "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey (and Glee)

One piece of advice: "Just see the good in things, practice noticing positives daily, even in secret, and you'll actually rewire your brain for happiness. No journal needed."

Work with Eleanor

Buy the Book - Another Door Opens; 5 steps for navigating change. Described as 'Game changing' 'Brilliant' 'A must read' 'The best book on change'.

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it's coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.

Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.

Book in a Change Mastery for a team session - when your team is navigating change.

Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

About Richard Clarke:

Richard Clarke is a speaker and facilitator who will share the secrets of happy teams.

Richard set up Secret Source in 2014, a tech company with one core belief. If he made team happiness his number one KPI, the company would naturally succeed.

He spent years learning the science of happiness in the workplace and how to make teams happier, before stepping down as CEO and eventually selling the company in 2025. Now he teaches leaders how to make their employees happier so they stay longer and perform better.

Connect with Richard:

Website:https://www.richardclarke.eu/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmclarke/