At Business Unusual 2025, Ashdin Doctor & RJ Rahul Makin challenged the idea of power, fitness & success – one habit at a time
Session 5 of Business Unusual 2025 struck a chord precisely because it questioned a phrase everyone recognizes but few stop to interrogate. Titled “56 Inches, But Where?: How Fit Is The CEO?”, the session brought together Ashdin Doctor, India’s leading Habit Coach, RJ Rahul Makin, the country’s popular Love Coach from Fever 104 FM, in conversation with Shibani Seth. What began as a clever play on a political slogan soon evolved into a deeply relatable discussion on fitness, mental well-being, leadership and life design.
The phrase “56-inch chest” has long been part of India’s political vocabulary – symbolic rather than literal, a piece of rhetorical branding meant to convey courage, decisiveness, and machismo. But Shibani Seth wasted no time in reframing the question: is fitness about sleeping six hours, clocking 10,000 steps, or something else entirely? Is “56 inches” an attitude – or an action?
Sandwiched between a Love Coach and a Habit Coach, she steered the conversation toward redefining fitness beyond gym culture. When Ashdin Doctor admitted he once lived an “unfit life,” the room leaned in. Overweight, stressed, and constantly told to “just go to the gym,” he recalled how that advice only amplified pressure and led to ‘stress-eating’. The turning point came at age 30, when he actually collapsed. That moment forced a reckoning – and sparked a journey toward getting six-pack abs. “That’s where habit coaching came from,” he shared candidly. For Ashdin, fitness was never about aesthetics; it was about removing friction & frustration. A Habit Coach, he said, helps you reclaim control.
Enter RJ Rahul Makin, bringing warmth, wit, and emotional intelligence to the stage. Known as India’s Love Coach, Rahul has spent years handling conversations around heartbreak, relationships, and vulnerability on radio, podcasts, and YouTube. Hosting the number one nightshow across Delhi NCR, Pyaar Ka Punchnama, he has seen emotional stress at close quarters. When asked how he managed intense “love talks,” Rahul explained that it was about managing experiences – not absorbing them. Early in his career, he said, calls from people with suicidal tendencies were common and deeply challenging. “It was tough then,” he admitted, “but now it’s easy.” The reason? He learned not to carry the weight home.
The conversation shifted seamlessly to the idea of home as a foundation for success. Ashdin dropped a truth bomb: “The Number One business decision is the life partner you choose.” We work to be happy at home, he said, yet we bring work stress home and personal stress to work. “How many of us are ready to truly switch off?” he asked. In a world that is perpetually ‘on’, he challenged the obsession with motivation. “Motivation is the worst word,” he insisted. What really matters is ‘intention’. Ask yourself ‘why’ – then ask why twice more to the answers that you get. If you don’t arrive at a strong enough reason, it’s probably not worth pursuing!
On staying safe – mentally and physically, Rahul spoke about yoga as his anchor, while Ashdin championed sleep with evangelical fervor. “I want everyone to become champion sleepers,” he declared. Sleep, he reminded the audience, is when the body is busiest, repairing and resetting. Eight hours is not indulgence – it’s strategy. “We create SOPs for businesses,” he said, “but we need SOPs for life plus business.”
Rahul’s personal SOP was refreshingly simple: learning to say ‘No’. Not just to others, but to oneself. You can’t please everyone, he said, echoing Warren Buffett’s belief in the power of refusal. Discipline, prioritization, and clarity, according to Rahul, are the real KPIs. “Love was my purpose,” he admitted, underlining the importance of aligning work with meaning.
Ashdin brought the discussion back to measurable health, highlighting two underrated KPIs: waist-to-hip ratio and grip strength. These, he explained, reveal far more about long-term health than crash diets or gym selfies. The secret lies in small, consistent changes.
Even the chai-versus-coffee debate got its moment. Rahul voted for cutting chai, while Ashdin reminded everyone that tea culture is among the longest-living in the world (especially without milk!).
As the session wrapped up, one principle stood tall: One habit a day. Small action. Big impact. The idea, central to Ashdin Doctor’s One Habit a Day philosophy, left the audience reflecting. Consistency, not intensity, is the real superpower.
The takeaway was simple yet profound: you don’t need a 56-inch chest to lead powerfully. You need the discipline to choose one small habit today – and repeat it tomorrow.
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