SFIO 206 - Curiosity, Clarity, and Catalysts: SFIO with Cherian Koshy
Release Date: 06/03/2025
SFIO 308
Still Figuring It Out
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SFIO 307 - Align and Accelerate: Fundraising with Heart with Chris Baiocchi
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SFIO 305 Relationship-Based Sales that Don’t Suck with Andrea Ferry Daniels
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SFIO 211 - “Belonging, Boundaries, and Brain Science”
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📋 Episode Summary In this thoughtful and energizing conversation, Marc and Emily welcome Dr. Jessica Sharp—organizational psychologist, educator, and champion of belonging. From her travels across the country to her work in Houston and beyond, Jessica is known for making complex topics like unconscious bias, self-leadership, and brain science accessible and engaging. Together, the trio explores the cultural baggage we carry around struggle and ease, what it means to be a grownup (with or without kids), and how boundaries are more than just saying “no.” This is a conversation about...
info_outlineIn this episode, Marc and Emily welcome their longtime friend and colleague Cherian Koshy—a nonprofit leader, AI entrepreneur, international speaker, and one of the earliest champions of the Quadrant 3 Leadership Coach Certification. They reflect on how their friendship started during early-pandemic Zoom happy hours and evolved into shared coaching, learning, and laughs across years and time zones.
Cherian shares his take on identity, career shifts, and curiosity—from his time pioneering AI use in fundraising to his deep appreciation for the Iowa State Fair (yes, it’s serious). He explains why curiosity, clarity, and catalyzing change are the throughlines in his work, and how asking “Why did that happen?”—even when others don’t—is part of what makes him tick.
The episode explores the tension between curiosity and worry, how to work with people who don’t share the same drive to go deep, and what it means to honor people’s journeys without projecting your own. Marc and Emily also ask Cherian what he’s still figuring out—his answer? How to live with both hindsight and foresight, for the sake of the people and causes he cares about most.
This is a thoughtful and occasionally hilarious conversation about leadership, legacy, and lifelong learning.
Key Takeaways
- Asking “Why did that happen?” can be the start of major innovation—if you let curiosity lead.
- Leaders don’t have to “fix” others—they can offer space, perspective, and permission.
- Clarity is different than simplicity. Clarity makes room for nuance.
- Being curious doesn’t mean you have the answers—it means you’re not done learning.
- You can take calls from the state fair and still lead like a pro.
Quote Highlights
“I hope I help people connect dots they didn’t know were there.” – Cherian
“Curiosity, clarity, and catalyst—that’s the arc of my work.” – Cherian
“We’re still trying to figure out what to do in this moment, with what we know from 30 years ago and 30 years from now.” – Cherian
“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” – Marc (channeling Doc Brown)
Resources & Mentions
- Kindsight – Cherian’s current organization
- The Surprising Gift of Doubt by Marc A. Pitman
- The Iowa, Minnesota, and Texas State Fairs
- Quadrant 3 Leadership Coach Certification (Q3LC)
- FedEx logo Easter egg (the hidden arrow)
- Back to the Future references (obviously)