Awaiting Approval. Season 2, Episode 8 : Hardy Sidhu - Presence

Hardy Sidhu is the Founder and CEO of Format-3, but labels have never sat comfortably with him. Designer, strategist, business builder, father, philosopher…

Hardy has moved fluidly through roles and identities since entering the industry as a teenager, driven less by titles and more by a constant need to feel, question, and stay awake to the moment he is in.

In this episode, Hardy joins Adam for a raw, expansive conversation about presence, discomfort, and what it really means to be alive inside your work. He talks about growing up working class in West London, building a career without formal qualifications, and learning early on that comfort is not where he does his best thinking. For Hardy, creativity lives in tension. In pressure. In chaos. And in the willingness to sit with both the good and the bad without trying to escape either.Hardy reflects on why every project should make you feel something, how anxiety, frustration, and uncertainty are not signs of failure but signals of engagement, and why honesty with clients and teams matters more than polished delivery. He shares the philosophy behind Format-3, from vetting clients as carefully as projects, to embracing chaos as a prerequisite for innovation, to protecting his team from burnout by choosing the right partners, not just the right budgets.This is also a deeply personal episode. Hardy opens up about therapy, self-acceptance, slowing down, and learning to stop chasing and start welcoming whatever shows up. He talks about presence as a daily practice, about listening to yourself as much as you listen to users or trends, and about why love, not ego or fear, is the only sustainable way to move through life and work.

This is a powerful, unfiltered conversation about creativity, humanity, and staying present in a world that constantly pulls you out of yourself.

In this episode, we cover:* Why every project should make you feel something, not just look successful* Understanding anxiety, frustration, and pressure as part of the creative process* Growing a career without qualifications and trusting your own path* Why Hardy actively seeks discomfort and avoids staying comfortable too long* The philosophy behind Format-3 and embracing chaos as part of innovation* How radical honesty with clients builds stronger partnerships* Vetting clients to protect team wellbeing and creative quality* Therapy, self-reflection, and learning to accept who you are* Presence as a practice and why slowing down changes everything* Listening to yourself as much as you listen to users, trends, or technology* Why love, not anger or fear, is the most powerful creative force* Letting go of approval, even from yourself

===

This is Awaiting Approval. A podcast about the messy, human side of creative leadership.

Hosted by Adam Jennings - a creative leader with three decades of experience leading teams and projects for global brands including Microsoft, Salesforce, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Ancestry, Dolby, BBC and many more - this show features honest, unscripted conversations with the leaders shaping design, storytelling, and innovation today.

These are the conversations you don’t hear in keynotes. The ones about imposter syndrome, trust, failure, confidence, and finding your voice as a leader.

Whether you’re just stepping into creative leadership or you’ve been at it for years, Awaiting Approval is your place to feel seen, challenged, and encouraged.

Awaiting Approval is a Cordial Fox production.Hosted by Adam Jennings.Produced by Adam Jennings & Jasmin Egner.© Cordial Fox Limited, 2025.

Ready to level up your leadership with real, honest support?

Join the next cohort of Supercharged Creative Leaders - my flagship four-week programme for creative leaders who want clarity, confidence, and a community that gets it.

✅ Small groups (just 6 per cohort)

✅ Weekly live sessions with me and your cohort

✅ Async access to me and your cohort via a private Slack community

✅ Invitation to join my alumni community once you’ve completed the programme.

Previous attendees have gone on to win major pitches, land new roles, get promoted and step into leadership with more purpose and presence.

🚀 Learn more and apply here:

https://www.growwithadamjennings.com

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit growwithadamjennings.substack.com/subscribe