Israa Nasir is a New York City–based psychotherapist, writer, and the founder of WellGuide, a digital community dedicated to mental health awareness. She holds a master’s in counseling from Adelphi University’s Derner Institute and advanced certifications in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy from the Beck Institute and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy from the Albert Ellis Institute.

With over six years in the digital mental health field, she has cultivated a following of more than 350,000 people across social media for her honest, evidence-based approach to mental health and productivity.

As a Pakistani-Canadian child of immigrants, she brings a special focus to healing, identity, and empowerment in the AAPI immigrant community. Her first book, Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World That Always Demands More, explores the hidden drivers of overwork and provides tools for reclaiming balance.

Israa’s expertise has been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Time, NBC, Vox, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Vogue India, and more. She’s spoken at Google, Instagram, Microsoft, Pepsi, Columbia, Yale, and major conferences including SXSWn. She also serves on the Mental Health Advisory Boards of PopSugar and August, where she continues to advocate for accessible, stigma-free conversations around mental health.

Johnny Rickard calls in from Raglan, New Zealand, where he has built a full-time martial arts dojo on his family’s ancestral land.

Johnny was a dedicated schoolteacher for 15 years when life circumstances gave him a nudge (or perhaps a calling) to change paths.

With over 30 years of experience in martial arts and personal training, Johnny is the founder of THE REFINERY, a community space that’s far more than a training ground. It’s a sacred place for healing, connection, and rediscovering who you are. He was raised by a fifth-dan black belt father, mentored by his whānau, and is deeply grounded in Māori values of stewardship and unity.

In this episode, Johnny shares his story and the deeper meaning of martial arts,  beyond the punches and kicks.

Dr. Sarah Daccarett is a board-certified physician, hormone specialist, and founder and CEO of Inner Balance, a personalized hormone therapy platform that just closed a significant investment round and is scaling quickly.

Today’s episode is all about menopause (perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause) and the physical, emotional, and hormonal shifts that come with it. We talk about common symptoms, how they’re often dismissed or misdiagnosed, and what women can do to start feeling better.

Now, Dr. Sarah’s expertise is in hormone replacement therapy, so that’s a big part of our discussion. But there are many approaches to menopause care, and this episode is meant to inform, not prescribe. My hope is that it helps you feel more seen, ask better questions, and advocate for a path that feels right for you.

This conversation is not medical advice. It’s for informational purposes only. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider when making decisions about your personal health.

Today’s guest is Jason Graystone, a professional investor, trader, entrepreneur, and founder of the Tiers of Freedom program. He’s the author of Always Free, shares generous education on financial freedom, wealth building, investing, trading, and creating passive income YouTube, and creates financial empowerment content on his own podcast.

I’ve been self-taught in forex trading for a while now, reading books, doing my own research, and watching videos, including some of Jason’s. So I’m especially excited for you to hear his insights today.

Jason has been featured in Forbes, speaks at live events, writes a weekly newsletter, and has made it his life’s mission to help people achieve true financial independence and live their most inspired lives.

The information in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Please consult a qualified professional before making any financial decisions.

Elizabeth Husserl is a financial advisor, registered investment advisor representative, and the cofounder of Peak360 Wealth Management, a boutique wealth planning firm based here in the Bay Area.

Elizabeth has this rare and fascinating blend of expertise: she holds a degree in economics from Tulane and a master’s in East-West psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, where she’s also served as an adjunct professor. Her work weaves together money, meaning, entrepreneurship, and mental well-being, a thread I found both timely and deeply resonant.

Before launching Peak360, Elizabeth worked across the Americas in nonprofit settings, and today she’s also a sought-after speaker, having led workshops at places like Airbnb, Unity, and Google.

She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and daughter, and I can’t wait for you to hear the way she approaches personal finance through the lens of both human psychology and long-term vision.

Today, I’m excited to bring back a guest whose first episode was one of the most listened to of Season 1 and in May this year, it topped the charts again as the most streamed episode on Spotify.

Loren Vandegrift is a partner at Business Exits and has brokered over $500 million worth of business sales in just the past five years. He’s also no stranger to the founder journey himself... he previously built and led a couple of tech strategy consulting firms. But it was actually a bad experience selling his own company that motivated him to jump into the world of M&A, determined to give other entrepreneurs a better path than the one he faced.

Full disclosure: Loren was my business broker when I sold my last company in 2020. Because that experience was so positive, we’ve kept in touch, and I’m lucky to now call him a friend. In this episode, we talk about how business brokering has changed in just the past year and a half, and what current trends buyers and sellers should be paying attention to.

Lauren Vermette is the founder and CEO of Franchisee Insight.

Lauren has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between franchisees and franchisors, offering a unique perspective on the franchise industry.

She truly understands the challenges and rewards that come with franchise ownership, having successfully built and sold multiple units in her own portfolio.

Now, Lauren’s mission is to guide aspiring entrepreneurs through the journey of self-discovery—helping them take that first step toward business ownership and, ultimately, toward wealth and independence.

And just like a health insurance broker, Lauren’s services are completely free to you as the franchisee; she’s compensated by the franchisor for connecting the right people with the right opportunities.

Today’s guest is John Clapham or JC, and I met him in Raglan, New Zealand last year when I walked into his shop hoping they weren’t yet closing and said while huffing from my brisk walk, “What time do you close?” 

He responded with a smile, “depends on whose asking…LOL." 

And from there, we ended up chatting for about half an hour.

I left thinking, I want to hear more of this guy’s story.

JC didn’t go to college and worked his way up from tagging surf leashes in a retail shop to becoming CEO of Volcom Australia. He is the co-founder of the Raglan Surf Emporium, is a partner of Raglan Roast Coffee - which now has eleven locations across New Zealand - owns a gas station, holds major real estate investments, and continues to consult and build new ventures.

In today’s episode, we only scratch the surface of JC’s journey. 

But wow -  what an inspiration.

What began as a tribute to my dad has unexpectedly become part of my healing journey, transforming from purely business and entrepreneurship to learning through storytelling. 

How I Built My Small Business recently won a 2025 Communicator Award of Excellence as an educational series, validating the creative endeavor of hosting, editing, and producing this show.

Podcasting itself has been healing by providing space to express my authentic voice after years of people-pleasing

Season One focused on business creation and growth while Season Two explores guests' expertise and perspectives beyond business

Today’s guest is Dave Pope, a friend of mine from college who spent 14 years in sales in the Northeast before making a bold move and buying Kaytech, Inc., a surface preparation company based in Greenville, South Carolina. At the time, he had no prior experience as a business owner.

In this episode, Dave shares what it’s really like before, during and after acquiring a small business with stories from his first year as an owner-operator.

Samantha Rose is an Emmy award-winning television writer and three-time New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter.

She’s the founder of Yellow Sky Media, a literary development company that collaborates with celebrities, experts, and industry leaders to bring their powerful stories to life.

Recently, Samantha stepped into the spotlight with her own memoir, Giving Up The Ghost, a poignant exploration of the grief and unanswered questions that followed her mother’s suicide.

Her work has reached readers around the world, with projects translated into more than twenty languages and featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harper’s Bazaar, Time, and selected as Reese’s Book Club and Target Bookmarked picks.

Glenn Harrold is a a meditation guide whose relax and sleep well recordings have personally helped me get much needed rest at times when I’m tired but wired.

He is an international best selling self-help author and one of the world’s most successful hypnotherapists. His guided meditations and mindfulness audio titles have been streamed over forty million times.

And, his CD title, Complete Relaxation, is the only gold disc ever awarded by Nielsen for a self-help title. 

Glenn’s story is pretty incredible, from rough teenage years to success in the music business, hitting rock bottom and eventually founding Diviniti Publishing to help bring mindfulness and self-help recordings and products to a global audience.

It was the deep personal challenges he faced that led him to dedicate his life to helping others break through mental barriers, find inner peace, and create lasting change.

As the daughter of immigrants, I’ve often turned to my own parents’ story for inspiration, a belief that we’re all capable of achieving anything we truly believe in, and a reminder that taking risks is often the key to making meaningful leaps in life.

Today, I’m joined by Neri Karra Sillaman, who shares her extraordinary journey, from fleeing her home country as a refugee to building a global, multi-million dollar luxury brand, and teaching entrepreneurship at Oxford.

She’s a 3-time TEDx speaker and the author of Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs, which has reached #1 in multiple Amazon categories, including Entrepreneurship, Business Diversity & Equality, and New Releases.

Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review and Fast Company, and she’s calling in from Paris for today’s interview.

Buy Pioneers on Bookshop.org (Supports Indie Bookstores)
Buy Pioneers on Amazon

Today’s episode is not so much about starting a business, but a glimpse into the neuroscience of influence and the power of Neurolinguistic Programming.

 My guest is Dr. Josh Davis, PhD in psychology and neuroscience from Columbia University. He’s the international bestselling author of Two Awesome Hours and an upcoming title The Difference that Makes the Difference.

Josh is the founder of the Science-Based Leadership Institute, a sought-after keynote speaker, and his writing has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Psychology Today, Inc., and more.

In this interview, explore the fascinating world of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)—what it is, how it can help us connect, communicate more effectively, lead with greater empathy, and shift self-limiting beliefs.

Jennifer Tsay is the co-founder and CEO of Shoott - with two Ts, a fast-growing company making professional photography more accessible for clients and a reliable supplemental income for photographers.

In just seven years, Shoott has grown from $800K to over $9 million in revenue, achieving operational profitability and expanding services to over sixty cities across the US.

"Jen" shares her journey in a very candidly and authentically, and we talk about leadership, giving and receiving feedback, and why experience (even unpaid) is one of the most undervalued assets in today’s time-value culture.

She was named a Forbes #Next1000 honoree, Brit + Co’s 30 AAPI Founders We Love to Support, and on the side, she works as an actor and speaker.

Shoott has been featured on Forbes, Oprah Daily, The Today Show, People, and much more.

Today we have Lloyd Rooney sharing his journey - from leaving the traditional schooling system at 12 due to dyslexia, learning how he learned best, to bartending in the UK and now owner-operating multiple restaurants in New Zealand, employing over 135 people.

Lloyed is a co-founder of The Jetson Group, a collection of distinctive restaurants in New Zealand:

The Quay, No. 8, Loco, and The Cove Cafe.

I had the chance to meet Lloyd and Mike during a recent stop at The Cove Cafe and I was struck, not only by their approach to hospitality but also their business philosophies - ones that blend creativity, strategy, and a deep respect for community and locally sourced ingredients.

In this episode, we dive into the behind-the-scenes decisions that have fueled their restaurant success, with a focus in this episode on The Cove Cafe in Waipu, New Zealand - which is highly seasonal. At that one location, his staff swells from 16 year-round to 45 employees for the summer months.

Lloyd opens up about the realities of scaling in the hospitality industry, how dyslexia shaped his entrepreneurial style, and why trusting your team is essential to sustainable growth.

Tara Bielawski is a medium and today’s conversation is not so much about starting a business and more so about perspective, her gift and her journey to mediumship.

Losing my dad was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, and it’s what led me to start this podcast. Conversations like this, whether you believe in mediumship or not, are part of my journey of asking bigger questions about life, connection, and what really matters.

Back in December of last year, I was invited to attend a group medium session. I’m pretty open to at least experiencing things once before I knock them, but I won’t lie - while I was curious, I was also very, very skeptical.

In my thoughts, I said - “Dad, this is your opportunity to prove to me there’s something else.”

And, my mind was blown when Tara started telling me about specific memories with details that have never been written or talked about outside of our family.

They weren’t vague details… not like how a horoscope can be bent to apply to anyone’s life.

And, there wasn’t just one memory, but several.

Today’s conversation with Dr. Bill Rawls and Braden Rawls is about understanding health at a cellular level.

Dr. Bill Rawls is a licensed physician with over 30 years of experience in medicine. After facing a personal health crisis in his early forties, he turned to herbal and alternative medicine, restoring his health and becoming a leading voice in holistic wellness. He is the bestselling author of "The Cellular Wellness Solution," and serves as the Medical Director and Co-Founder of Vital Plan, a holistic health company and Certified B Corporation.

Braden Rawls is the CEO and other Co-Founder of Vital Plan, a company she established with her father, Dr. Bill Rawls, in 2008. Under her leadership, Vital Plan has developed meticulously crafted supplement blends using the highest quality ingredients, aiming to empower individuals to take control of their health.

Kerri Futch is a friend of mine who moved from Northern California to Wisconsin to be closer to family and to chase a dream vision for a boutique winery and an event space.

This episode is more of a casual conversation and catch-up between friends, but there are oodles of nuggets in her story, her strategic approach, and you’ll get real-time insights and perspective into what it’s like being in the midst of a less than one year-old business.

Kerri and her husband, Jon, purchased forty acres of land with a barn in Calumet County, Wisconsin with motivation to cultivate a diverse, sustainable farm, vineyard, and community event space.

Let’s hear how it’s going.

Duncan Wardle, the former head of innovation and creativity at Disney, is on a mission to teach people how to access their natural creative abilities, to be innovative, explore curiosity, connect through empathy and tap into one’s intuition.

This interview was so entertaining to host because I felt like I was back in college for an hour and had the most interesting guest teacher who made me laugh, play games, and have fun - all while learning.