In this episode of Getting to Aha!, host Darshan Mehta speaks with Alex Petkas, classicist and Founder and host of The Cost of Glory podcast, about how questioning your definition of success can unlock deeper purpose. Alex shares why he walked away from academic prestige to pursue storytelling, how ancient philosophy shapes modern leadership, and why clarity of values matters more than credentials. Together, they explore the power of Socratic questioning, the dangers of ego, the urgency of time, and the timeless lessons historical figures offer. This conversation reveals how understanding human nature can guide stronger decisions in work and life.

Alex Petkas is the founder and host of The Cost of Glory, a podcast dedicated to retelling influential biographies from Greek and Roman antiquity, particularly Plutarch's Parallel Lives. With a PhD from Princeton University and former tenure-track expertise in the intellectual history of post-classical Greek philosophy, Petkas brings scholarly rigor to storytelling about historical figures and their timeless lessons.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
👉 Time as Your Non-Renewable Advantage in Career Decisions – Alex Petkas underscores that time, not titles or security, is your ultimate asset. For CMOs and brand leaders, the insight is that prestige can quietly trap you in roles misaligned with your deeper mission. The real discipline is auditing how you invest your finite “career capital” and whether your work advances purpose, not just status. Alex’s decision to leave tenure exemplifies the shift: when your calling and calendar diverge, staying costs more than leaving.

👉 Journaling as a Tool for Strategic Alignment and Clear Decision-Making – Alex shows that writing forces the subconscious to reveal truths your conscious mind avoids. For marketing leaders, this matters because most decisions are driven by buried assumptions, not strategy. Without introspection, the ego dictates reactive moves that undermine long-term brand health. A simple practice, such as regularly writing down targeted questions, surfaces clarity before major pivots or budget changes. Leaders who build this habit align intuition and strategy, creating brands that grow intentionally instead of chasing competitors.

👉 Precision Questioning as the Key to Unlocking Customer Motivation – Alex reframes the Socratic Method as the art of asking precise, layered questions that expose real motives. For CMOs, the shift is profound: broad customer research yields polite, surface-level answers, while targeted probes uncover emotional drivers behind behaviour. The technique is to peel back each response to reach the “why” beneath the “what.” Leaders who use precise questioning build positioning rooted in authentic customer motivation, creating marketing that resonates instead of relying on assumptions.

👉 First Principles Thinking to Reveal Your Brand’s Core Truth – Alex argues that identifying your core business truth requires stripping away industry assumptions to uncover what customers actually value. For brand managers, the danger is building a strategy on inherited beliefs, as Kodak’s downfall proves. A first-principles audit asks: “If everything changed, what human need do we really serve?” This reframing clarifies positioning, product decisions, and long-term growth paths. Leaders who prioritise core truth over legacy models future-proof their brands and anchor strategy in authentic customer value.

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And connect with the host and guests here:
Darshan Mehta on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshan--mehta
iResearch Website - https://iresearch.com
Alex Petkas on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-petkas-50836b33/
Alex Petkas on Twitter - https://x.com/costofglory
Cost of Glory Website - https://www.costofglory.com/
Cost of Glory Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@costofglory