Joe Hudson is one of the most sought-after executive coaches in Silicon Valley. He is the founder of Art of Accomplishment, a transformational coaching program that has helped tens of thousands of people, including many tech executives and founders from companies like Apple, OpenAI, and Google. His unique method of transformation comes from over 25 years of exploring neurological, psychological, and spiritual traditions, tested against real-world challenges. In our conversation, Joe shares: • Why the critical voice in your head is always wrong, and how to change your relationship with that voice • Why authenticity trumps self-improvement • The importance of embracing all of your emotions • How to create more enjoyable and effective meetings • The power of gratitude in transforming your life • Practical experiments for personal growth • Much more — Apply for Joe’s Connection Course: Thousands of students have taken Joe’s most popular experience, the Connection Course. Unlike most online courses, there is no reading, lectures, or written homework. It is a three-week experiential deep dive where you will apply your learnings to real-life problems—how to make your team more productive, communicate more effectively, and resolve conflicts with ease. Apply here and use the code LENNY for $300 off your enrollment: https://www.view.life/lenny. Brought to you by: • BuildBetter—AI for product teams: https://buildbetter.ai/lenny • WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny • Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace: https://coda.io/lenny Find the show notes and transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/embracing-your-emotions-joe-hudson Where to find Joe Hudson: • X: https://x.com/FU_joehudson • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-hudson/ • Website: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/ • Podcast: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/podcast • Linktree: https://linktr.ee/theartofaccomplishment Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Joe’s background (02:31) The critical voice in your head (06:39) Changing your relationship with the critical voice (13:19) Understanding and embracing emotions (19:52) The importance of emotional fluidity (24:40) Questioning assumptions and self-perception (30:25) The consequences of avoiding emotions (36:57) Experimenting with self-improvement (39:42) Understanding efficiency and enjoyment (43:17) The power of enjoyment in daily tasks (45:03) Innate enjoyment vs. learned enjoyment (46:31) Authenticity vs. self-improvement (50:01) Embracing emotional experiences (55:49) How understanding your emotions helps you make better decisions (01:02:53) Creating effective teams and meetings (01:10:40) Gratitude practice for personal growth (01:15:36) Conclusion and final thoughts Referenced: • Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain: https://www.amazon.com/Descartes-Error-Emotion-Reason-Human/dp/014303622X/ • Joe’s quote about joy: https://x.com/FU_joehudson/status/1756837774743790030 • “Emotional Inquiry”: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/podcast/emotional-inquiry • Inside Out 2: https://movies.disney.com/inside-out-2 • “Question the Assumption”: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/podcast/question-the-assumption • Bodega Bay: https://www.bodegabay.com/ • Elon Musk reveals the interview question he asks every candidate to instantly spot a liar: https://www.good.is/elon-musk-reveals-the-one-job-interview-question-he-asks-every-candidate-to-instantly-spot-a-liar • Great Decisions course: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/course/great-decisions-course • HBR Analytic Services: https://hbr.org/hbr-analytic-services • Connection Course: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/course/the-connection-course Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.