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Nicholas Whitaker

A story from a Hong Kong bathroom floor: Dispatches From The Quiet Rebellion

Published 5 months ago • 2 min read

Feb 14th, 2025

Checked Baggage: A story from a Hong Kong bathroom floor

Hey Rebel Reader!,

I never told this story before until now.
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The hotel bathroom tiles were cold against my cheek.

7,500 miles from home, alone at 3am, I was convinced I was dying.

My heart raced, my vision blurred, and all I could think was "I can't let anyone know. Leaders don't break down like this."

That night changed everything.

Today, that story (along with 24 others just as raw and real) is part of Leading with Compassion: Cultivating Connection From The Inside Out.
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Not because we set out to write a book, but because we desperately need to change how we work.

"I could visceral feel your suffering when i read your chapter. It sent chills down my spine....I've been there, and know exactly how scary that must have been for you...thank you for making me feel like I'm not alone."

This is why we wrote this book. Because somewhere right now, someone is feeling alone, broken and crazy...believing that they are the problem.

I'm here to tell you that you're not, and so are 24 other conscious leaders who shared their stories in this book.

For today only, the book is $3.99 on Amazon.​
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Not because we want to hit bestseller lists, but because we want these stories in the hands of everyone who needs them.

It would mean the world to me if you would pick up a copy, and give it a review.

"What's the ROI of compassion?" someone asked me recently.

What's the cost of its absence?

Read the stories. Share them.

Let's change this, together.

With hope and determination,

In Solidarity ✊

Nicholas Whitaker

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“We all have everyday moments where we have choices to make.
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We notice them all the time when we’re up against it, when we’re faced with frustration behind the wheel, when our children or parents or partners remind us of our flaws, when we listen to our work colleagues take a tone with us. In those moments, we have to decide whether we lean into old fears, or whether we can summon our better selves, our compassionate selves. Each of us has the ability to make someone else’s life better.
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And if you know that you have the ability to make someone else’s life better, then you need to go do that.”
— Derek Lewis, former President, PepsiCo

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Nicholas Whitaker

Coach and Co-Founder

Guiding Leaders & Founders Through Uncertainty | Be Rebellious: Reclaim Your Time, Energy, Attention & Sense of Alignment | Conscious Leadership & Human BE-ing Coach | Co-Founder @Changing Work | Ex-Google

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