đď¸ Part 1 of 2: âThe Soul of Meaningful Work: From Scarcity to Significance | Mef Shebi
Release Date: 11/09/2025
The Dov Baron Show
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info_outlineđď¸ Part 1: âThe Soul of Meaningful Work: From Scarcity to Significance | Mef Shebi
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đĽ âWhat if the greatest poverty isnât material, but the emptiness of a life without meaning?â
Follow The Dov Baron Show to catch upcoming conversations that redefine leadership and purpose.
Episode Summary
đĄ This is far more than a story about escaping poverty, itâs a powerful and very human story of transcending it.
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In Part 1 of my two-part conversation with Meftehe (Mef) Shebi; career strategist, executive coach, and author of Howâs Work, we journey from his early life in Ethiopia, where survival was the goal, to his rise as a respected voice on purpose-driven leadership.
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Mef's childhood ânormalâ meant scarcity, long hours, and the unspoken belief that work was something you endured, not enjoyed. But when animated TV, and movies in a foreign language gave him a view beyond the landfill and brothel he lived next door to, education and opportunity brought him to the United States, he realized the real poverty wasn't in what he lacked, it was in how disconnected modern professionals had become from meaning.
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Together, we unpack what it truly means to find fulfillment in a world obsessed with achievement. Mef reveals how his hardships became the foundation of his lifeâs work: helping people rediscover purpose, contribution, and alignment inside their careers.
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This conversation bridges the personal and the universal; itâs a story of migration, mindset, and the soul of work itself.
What Youâll Learn
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How growing up in Ethiopia shaped Mefâs understanding of work, purpose, and survival.
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Why true poverty has less to do with money and more to do with meaning.
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The mindset shift that turns struggle into service.
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How ambition, when untethered from purpose, leads to burnout.
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The surprising ways culture and upbringing shape our relationship with success.
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How to recognize when your work is feeding your ego instead of your soul.
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Why fulfillment requires alignment, not balance.
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What leaders can do to create workplaces that nourish identity and belonging.
About Meftehe (Mef) Shebi
Meftehe (Mef) Shebi is a career strategist, executive coach, and author of Howâs Work: A Practical Guide to Finding Fulfillment and Purpose in Your Career. After graduating from university as an engineer, he became a management consultant and later a policy advisor. From there, he became the Director of MBA Career Coaching at UCLA Anderson School of Management.
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Mef founded MC² Career Coaching to help individuals and organizations redefine success through the lens of meaning, growth, and contribution. His work invites professionals to stop chasing status, and start building significance.
Connect with Mef Shebi
đ Website: mc2careercoaching.com
đ Book: âHowâs Workâ Available Now!
đą LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mefshebi
đ¸ Instagram: @mef.shebi
The Big Questions We Tackle
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What happens when achievement replaces meaning?
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How do you transform work from survival to significance?
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Whatâs the hidden cost of chasing external success?
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How can leaders build cultures that reconnect people to purpose?
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What does âwealthâ look like when fulfillment is the new currency?
đŻ Why It Matters for Leaders
In a world addicted to metrics and performance, this story cuts through the noise. Mefâs journey is a masterclass in rediscovering humanity at the heart of work. His life proves that leadership isn't about titles or accolades, it's about contribution, courage, and connection.
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For anyone whoâs ever achieved everything they thought they wanted and still felt something missing, this episode is your mirror.
Call to Action
If this story moved you, hereâs how to deepen the conversation:
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Follow the show so you donât miss Part 2, where Mef and I reveal the framework for finding fulfillment and purpose in your work.
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Rate & Review with one insight that challenged your view of successâit helps other conscious leaders find the show.
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Share this episode with someone whoâs chasing success but starving for meaning.
Appleâs algorithm rewards completions, saves, and shares. If you listen all the way through, youâll understand why fulfillment isnât foundâitâs remembered.
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