Jul 03

7 Ways to Turn Adversity into Your Greatest Business Asset

Payam Zamani's journey from refugee to tech mogul is a masterclass in resilience and innovation for creators and entrepreneurs. At 16, Payam fled religious persecution in Iran, arriving in the U.S. with just $75 in his pocket. Within 11 years, he had founded AutoWeb, a company he would later take public for over a billion dollars. His story is not just about success against the odds, but about transforming challenges into catalysts for growth and... read more ›
283 reads
Dec 11

Is Creativity Feeling Like A Grind?

In the world of creativity, there's a common misconception that the process is all about spontaneous bursts of inspiration and effortless genius. However, the reality is often quite different – and that's not a bad thing. Creativity isn’t without hard work, a consistent effort of refining, iterating, and persisting.  It's easy to feel overwhelmed and disheartened when the creative journey feels more like a relentless grind than a path to success. But here's the thing:... read more ›
600 reads
Oct 09

Why Tinkering Matters: Unlocking Creativity and Breaking Routine

 Remember when we were kids, and we'd just... mess around with stuff? No goal, no agenda, just pure, unbridled curiosity.  I’ve always been about experimenting. Most of the things I've built and loved began with tinkering. Fun projects that were simple explorations. Take the first camera on the iPhone, for example. That sparse 2 megapixel "camera" wasn't something to be taken seriously. People actually made fun of me using it. What “pro” photographer uses a... read more ›
1.3K reads
Feb 27

Why You Need Rejection (+ How It Can Change Your Life)

Are you held back by a fear of rejection or failure? You're not alone. In fact, fear of rejection is incredibly pervasive in our culture. But what if there was a way to turn rejection into a tool for personal growth and success? But what if there was a way to turn rejection into a tool for personal growth and success? What if, instead of trying and failing to avoid rejection, we leaned into it?... read more ›
982 reads
Jul 26

You Must Fail to Succeed

"Opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” -Richard Branson Friendly Reminder: Failing is necessary in order to succeed. If we are only focused on what could have been, we fail to see opportunities that are right at our fingertips. In this episode I recount the experience building “Best Camera,” a photo sharing app that gained global publicity and over 1 million downloads. Today's story begins with a barrage of texts and emails, and... read more ›
287 reads
Feb 24

Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable with Jamie Kern Lima

If you’ve ever doubted yourself or felt truly underestimated, this episode is for you. Jamie Kern Lima is a self-made entrepreneur, champion of women, philanthropist, keynote speaker and Co-founder of IT Cosmetics, a company she started in her living room and sold to L’Oreal for $1.2 Billion, becoming the first female CEO in L’Oreal’s 100+ year history. Her journey from growing her fledgling company from her living room to 1.2 Billion came with hard-won wisdom,... read more ›
471 reads
May 27

Citizen Cope: Personal Growth and Understanding

Clarence Greenwood, aka Citizen Cope, is a renowned singer, songwriter and producer. He has built an entire career on trusting his gut and following his muse, and if his new album, ‘Heroin & Helicopters,’ is any indication, his instincts are sharper now than ever before. The success of his music has always been a slow burn, rather than a flash in the pan. His single “Let The Drummer Kick” went Platinum without any support from... read more ›
395 reads
Apr 20

Finance Fireside Chat with Ramit Sethi

In this episode, I'm chatting with my longtime friend and financial guru, Ramit Sethi. Ramit has been on the show several times, and this time, we're connecting virtually from our living rooms during quarantine. We dive deep into finances during these uncertain times, but even more importantly, we discuss adaptation, resilience, and finding small joys to stay motivated. Ramit shared some interesting ways people are discovering entertainment on a budget, like using gratis spins på... read more ›
942 reads