When Ahmed Hallajian quit his job at Amazon, it wasn’t part of a grand plan — just another turning point in a life marked by reinvention. A restless curiosity had already led him from accounting to YouTube, from coding bootcamps to big tech. But beneath the career pivots was a deeper question: What do I actually want? In the spring of 2024, a conversation with a friend led Ahmed to Vedic Meditation — and everything began to shift. In this episode, Ahmad shares how meditation brought clarity to his internal chaos, why he now sees his twenties as a time of tuning into the signal (not the noise), and how a Seinfeld obsession may have planted the seed for it all. From burnout to balance, distraction to direction, this is a story about pausing long enough to hear your own inner voice — and having the courage to follow it.
About Ahmed Hallajian
Ahmed Hallajian is a born and bred Londoner working in the entertainment industry. After graduating from the London School of Economics, Ahmed began a career in auditing at the National Audit Office, but quickly realized the path wasn’t for him. He pivoted into self-development content on YouTube, then into software engineering, landing a job at Amazon. Yet something still felt misaligned. In 2024, he learned Vedic Meditation — a turning point that helped clarify what truly mattered. Today, Ahmed channels his curiosity and creativity into storytelling, while continuing to explore the evolving nature of self, purpose, and personal clarity.
Key Topics Covered
Why Ahmed kept changing careers — and what he was really searching for
The surprising influence of Seinfeld and celebrity on his openness to meditation
How Vedic Meditation helped relieve a low-grade fog he hadn’t even recognized
The difference between coping and clarity, and what changed after learning
Letting go of tech and finding a more aligned, people-focused path
How meditation shifted his phone habits, screen time, and social energy
The challenge of keeping up meditation while traveling with non-meditators
A modern take on spirituality and how Ahmed talks about meditation with friends
Notable Quotes
💬 “There was life before and life after. I’m still adjusting to what my preferences are — what kind of person I am.”
💬 “I always had a sense of what I didn’t want. Meditation gave me clarity about what I do want.”
💬 “It didn’t feel like me changing habits. It just happened — like a signal I could finally hear.”
💬 “Meditation doesn’t make you wise. It just helps you notice what actually matters.”
💬 “I’m not better than anyone, but I’m more in touch with what brings me joy.”
Timestamps
00:03 — Introducing Ahmed Hallajian and his unconventional career journey
03:20 — Growing up with Seinfeld and early influences toward meditation
06:40 — Struggling at work and the turning point that led to learning
10:45 — The experience of learning to meditate and immediate after-effects
14:30 — From anxious stagnation to clarity and mental lightness
17:20 — Changing his relationship with tech, screen time, and presence
20:00 — How others noticed the change before he did
24:10 — Leaving Amazon and shifting into a more social, creative career
28:30 — Rethinking introversion and discovering his true work preferences
32:00 — Staying consistent with meditation while traveling
36:15 — How he speaks about meditation with friends and why he doesn’t evangelize
39:00 — Practical vs. spiritual benefits — and what keeps him inspired
Links and Resources