To The Top: Inspirational Career Advice

My next guest spent over two decades at the intersection of banking, venture capital, and the innovation economy — helping founders, fund managers, and investors build, grow, and scale some of the most exciting companies and firms in the world. He co-built one of the most respected venture banking practices in the country at First Republic Bank — and when that institution collapsed overnight in 2023, he did what great leaders do: he steadied his team, made the right call under enormous pressure, and rebuilt from scratch. Today, as Head of Emerging VC and Innovation Banking at Citizens Private Bank, he's doing it all over again — and by most accounts, better than ever. But what makes Sam Heshmati worth listening to goes beyond his résumé. He's someone who traveled the world at 24 with Richard Branson, lost everything in the 2008 real estate crash, rebuilt his career from his parents' couch, and came out the other side with a philosophy about work, leadership, and life that is as hard-earned as it gets. In this episode you'll learn: 1. Fear is not a reason to avoid opportunity Richard Branson's advice stuck with Sam for decades: assess the risk, and if it's worth it, don't let fear be the deciding factor. Fear alone is disqualifying yourself before you even try. 2. Never blindly follow a leader — ask questions The Victoria Falls barrel moment was the lesson Sam didn't expect. Just because someone you respect is willing to do something doesn't mean you should do it too. Qualify the risk yourself. 3. The first 13 years are for learning, not earning Don't chase titles, promotions, or salary bumps early on. Chase skills. If your employer won't reward those skills, someone else will — but you have to build them first. 4. Setbacks shape you more than success ever will Sam lost everything in 2008 and later watched his bank collapse overnight. Both experiences grew him more than any win. Wisdom comes from getting punched and staying standing, not from gray hair. 5. Solve problems, don't sell things Nobody wants to be sold to. Ask questions, listen, understand what the other person actually needs — and then bring that to the table. Sales is a byproduct of problem-solving. 6. Grittiness beats talent The world is full of smart, talented people. What separates high achievers is the willingness to outwork everyone else and adapt when things don't go as planned. 7. Early arrogance is a silent career killer Sam went on an apology tour years later for how he behaved as a young analyst. Be a sponge early on — you know far less than you think, and the people above you are watching. 8. Authentic relationships are your career infrastructure Being liked and building real relationships are not the same thing. In a small industry, genuine care and consistent value-add over time is what makes you the tiebreaker when it matters. 9. Set boundaries — no one will do it for you People respect the limits you clearly establish. If you don't define what matters outside of work, work will fill everything. And the people counting on you at home can't negotiate on your behalf. Get your free copy of The Career Pivot Playbook

Mark Matson is the founder and CEO of Matson Money, one of the nation's leading financial coaching and investment advisory firms serving over 500 advisors and 35,000 families. A fierce advocate for evidence-based investing, Mark is the author of the six-time national bestseller The American Dream — which he narrated himself across 40 hours in the studio. Over 35 years, he's built a business on one core conviction: that speculation and gambling with money destroys futures, and that disciplined, science-backed investing builds them. Mark brings the same no-nonsense clarity to entrepreneurship, leadership, faith, and family that he brings to finance — and today, he's back for a second conversation. What you'll learn: Stop gambling with your money — Why Bitcoin, gold, hedge funds, and AI-powered day trading tools are speculation dressed up as investing — and what the actual science says about building lasting wealth Figure out what AI can't replace — The one question every professional needs to answer right now: what can you offer that a machine never will? Mark breaks down exactly where human value is irreplaceable Discipline is the real investment — Why even a perfectly engineered portfolio fails without this one ingredient, and the story of a woman who sat in cash for 25 years because she panicked once One bad apple costs you everything — What Mark learned from Pat Riley about core covenants, and the research that shows a single negative team member can destroy 80% of a group's productivity Do what you love, then outwork everyone — The hat salesman story his father told him as a kid that became the foundation of his entire philosophy on career and entrepreneurship Time accelerates faster than you think — What Mark says he'd tell his 40-year-old self, and why the gap between 40 and 60 feels like a flash compared to everything that came before it Download my free Career Pivot Playbook

You've read the books. You know what to do. So why aren't you doing it? That's the question my guest couldn't shake — and it sent him on a six-year journey that became his most important work yet. Nir Eyal is the author of the million-copy selling books Hooked and Indistractable, and his brand new book is called Beyond Belief. Nir argues that motivation isn't a straight line between knowing and doing — it's a triangle, and most of us are missing the third side entirely. That missing piece is belief. Today we talk about why successful people are actually just better losers, how your beliefs filter the reality you're able to see, and the simple but powerful practice that can make you up to 240 times more persistent. If you've ever felt stuck between knowing better and doing better, this conversation is for you. The real reason your motivation dies before you reach your goal — and it has nothing to do with discipline or willpower Why two people can look at the exact same situation and see completely different realities How to use belief as a tool — not a truth — to get unstuck and start moving The science-backed practice that even non-religious people can use to dramatically increase their pain tolerance and persistence Why stress and productivity are not the same thing (and the limiting belief that's quietly burning you out) How to stop being a prisoner of your own diagnosis, your own story, and your own excuses

What if the secret to building a great career wasn't about having all the answers — but knowing how to ask the right questions? Today's guest, Yue Zhao, has lived that philosophy across one of the most varied and impressive career paths you'll hear on this show. She co-founded a wine startup out of Harvard Business School, helped shape the future of Instagram Feed at Meta, and led product at McKinsey-backed Thumbtack from a 20-person garage startup to a scaled technology company. Most recently, she was Head of Product at Fuzzy — a telehealth platform on a mission to reinvent pet care for the millions of pet owners who can't get timely, affordable access to a vet. But beyond the resume, Yue is someone who has thought deeply about what makes great leaders great, what it really takes to grow in your career, and why the best decision you can make isn't always the obvious one. She's also a career coach herself — so she brings both the frontline experience of building products people love and the perspective of someone who has helped countless others navigate pivotal career moments. Whether you're just starting out, stuck at a ceiling, or wondering if it's time to make a leap — this conversation is packed with hard-won insight you won't want to miss. Here's what you'll learn in today's episode with Yue Zhao: Why the best leaders never give you answers — and why that's actually the greatest gift they can give you How to choose your next job — and why your future manager matters more than the company name or the salary The one communication habit most product managers skip — and how mastering it will set you apart at any level What a wine startup, a bioengineering degree, and Instagram Feed have in common — and what Yue's winding path teaches us about building a career that compounds The mindset shift that changed how Yue coaches people — understanding what's within your control versus what isn't, and why confusing the two keeps so many talented people stuck Why two years is not that long — and how reframing the length of your career can take the pressure off your next decision The simple calendar trick Yue uses to get back on track — when life, work, or routines go sideways Land your dream job in half the time and get paid your worth with the Career Pivot Playbook for free: https://www.omaid.me/newsletter

What if the values that made you who you are — resilience, service, empathy — could become the operating system for an entire organization? Today's guest grew up in Hialeah, Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants who arrived in America with almost nothing and built everything through grit, integrity, and an unwavering belief that hard work is the price of admission. He lost his father at 12 years old, found his footing in the U.S. Army — where he'd eventually jump out of planes at night as part of an Airborne unit — and then quietly built one of the most storied careers in the travel industry. David Herrera served as President of Norwegian Cruise Line, where over more than a decade he helped transform the company's commercial operations, led its expansion into China, and championed a genuine, veteran-driven military appreciation program that earned him letters, mugs, and thank-you notes from guests whose gratitude had nothing to do with the bottom line. But what strikes you most about David isn't the titles or the milestones — it's that he leads the same way his mother lived, the same way his Army sergeant Mahoney taught him: from the front, with his word as his bond, leaving no doubt whose side he's on. In this conversation, we talk about growing up in a Cuban immigrant household that embodied the American dream, what the military teaches you about trust and team that no MBA program can replicate, how he thinks about culture not as a poster on the wall but as the answer to the question — who's winning here, and why? — and what it really means to be a servant leader when the stakes are high. In this episode we discuss: Hire your manager, not just your job. The person above you shapes everything about your early career experience. Choose them wisely. If you're not early, you're late. Punctuality is ultimately about respect — for other people's time and for the commitments you make. Share the victory, own the setback. When things go right, celebrate the team. When things go sideways, step forward and take responsibility. Culture is what gets rewarded. Not what's written on the wall — but who's winning in your organization and what it is about them that you actually respect and want to replicate. Treat everything as a learning opportunity. Doesn't matter if you're painting parking lots in Miami heat or running a division — be in the moment, observe what works, and study what doesn't so you can avoid it. Lead from the front. Never ask someone to do something you haven't done or aren't willing to do alongside them. That credibility is the foundation of real trust. Know your foxhole friends. Who in your life both genuinely cares about you and is capable of showing up when it counts? That combination is rarer than most people realize. Sometimes the right business decision comes at a personal cost. Separating emotion from judgment is one of the hardest and most important skills a leader can develop — and it never fully stops stinging.

What does a childhood obsession with comic books, a family health food store, and a Roberto Clemente rookie card have in common? For Howard Chasser, they're all threads in a life built around passion, people, and the relentless pursuit of doing work that actually means something. Howard spent over 30 years running a natural food store on Long Island that his parents opened in 1976 — navigating the loss of his father at 17, a monster expansion, a brutal economy, Superstorm Sandy, and a divorce — before walking away and ultimately finding his way back to what he'd loved since childhood: sports cards and collectibles. Today he runs a thriving sports cards business built not on transactions, but on trust, genuine enthusiasm, and an ability to make people feel like family. This is a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and what happens when you finally stop fighting what you were always meant to do. In this episode, Howard shares: Why the things we're meant to pursue often find us before we're ready for them — and how a $68 baseball card his mom almost didn't buy changed the entire trajectory of his life How soft skills will outwork hard skills in the room — Howard was a B+ student surrounded by straight-A accounting majors, but his years behind a store counter made him the one people actually wanted to hire Why you can hold an apology and a boundary at the same time — the moment he snapped at an employee taught him that accountability and delivering a message aren't mutually exclusive What a difficult customer's secret revealed about human nature — the woman who cursed at his staff turned out to be a mother whose teenage daughter had terminal cancer, and it changed how he sees every hard interaction How the right door often only opens after the wrong one finally closes — after a year of uncertainty post-store, Howard reluctantly returned to card shows and stumbled into his true calling right before COVID sent the hobby through the roof Why your kids reflect your energy, not their own chaos — a therapist-backed insight that transformed how he showed up as a father, and a lesson that applies far beyond parenting

What if the secret to building a thriving business wasn't an MBA, a venture capital check, or even a business plan — but simply the courage to say yes before you're ready? Today's guest is Eri Lozdjan, founder of Maven Lane, a premium direct-to-consumer furniture brand that's redefining what it means to bring quality, story, and soul to the spaces where we live our lives. Eri's journey is anything but conventional. He arrived in the United States from Bulgaria at age five, speaking no English, with his young mother and nothing but a relentless drive to figure it out. From working HVAC jobs as a teenager, to producing a New York Fashion Week runway show, to building a furniture brand that sells out its first inventory run in weeks — Eri is proof that the most unlikely paths can lead to the most extraordinary destinations. In this episode, Eri pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build something meaningful from the ground up — and why staying true to your vision, even when the money is tempting you otherwise, is the ultimate competitive advantage. Here's a taste of what you'll walk away with: Why saying yes before you're ready is the single greatest career accelerator — and how Eri used it to go from knowing nothing about furniture to building a brand people call life-changing The complacency trap that derails even the most successful entrepreneurs — and the simple mindset shift Eri uses to stay sharp no matter how well things are going How a late-night dream gave Eri the name, the logo, and the soul of Maven Lane — and what it teaches us about trusting our instincts The phone call from a stranger that gave Eri the confidence to go all in — and why that one conversation changed everything about how he saw his business Why "nobody cares" is actually the most liberating career advice you'll ever receive — and how embracing it can unlock a level of ownership and accountability most people never find This is a conversation about grit, creativity, identity, and the quiet power of just getting to tomorrow. You're not going to want to miss it.

What happens when a classically trained chef who cooked at Michelin-starred restaurants decides the future of cooking isn't fire—it's light? Today's guest is Travis Rea, Head of Culinary at Brava, the company that's reimagining home cooking with an oven that uses infrared light instead of traditional heat. But Travis's path to revolutionizing kitchen technology wasn't straightforward. Born and raised in Houston, he grew up watching his mom cook from scratch and fell in love with the transformation of ingredients at just eight years old. That passion led him to ditch a conventional business career for culinary school in San Francisco, where he spent four grueling years cooking at Restaurant Gary Danko—eventually helping the restaurant earn its Michelin star. But after years of vampire hours and relentless pressure, Travis made a bold pivot back to the business world, spending eight years at Williams-Sonoma developing over 800 food products and collaborating with legendary chefs like Thomas Keller. When he first heard about Brava—a startup claiming they could sear a steak in seven minutes using light bulbs—he thought it was "total nonsense." Now, eight years later, Travis has helped build a product that's been used over 13 million times, with a digital library of 9,000+ recipes. This is a story about knowing when to pivot, surrounding yourself with people smarter than you, and why the best career moves often require you to embrace being a beginner all over again. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How failing a class became the wake-up call that changed everything – Why Travis's freshman year failure was "one of the best things that happened" to him and taught him the importance of living up to his own potential The real cost of following your passion – Why Travis walked away from Michelin-starred kitchens after realizing he loved cooking but couldn't sustain the restaurant lifestyle for 30 years How to know when you're ready for a pivot – The signals Travis noticed (and ignored) that revealed he was reading cookbooks while his peers read marketing journals, and what that meant for his career Why working for the best matters more than the biggest paycheck – Travis's philosophy on taking lower-paying jobs at elite organizations early in your career and how it compounds over time The white belt mentality in action – What it's like to be the only "cook" in a house full of physicists and engineers, and why being the least qualified person in the room might be exactly where you need to be Get your free copy of The Career Pivot Playbook: https://www.omaid.me/newsletter

Sahand Dilmaghani is the founder and CEO of Terra Kaffe, a design-led coffee company reimagining the home espresso experience. Frustrated by the limitations of pod-based machines and the outdated technology dominating the super-automatic espresso category, Sahand set out to build something better—a beautifully designed, app-connected espresso machine that delivers café-quality coffee at the push of a button. What started with him walking the streets of SoHo with two prototypes and eating one meal a day to conserve cash has grown into a company serving tens of thousands of customers who demanded more from their daily coffee ritual. With a background spanning finance, hardware, and design, and fluency in Chinese that took him from Saturday school as a kid to manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen, Sahand brought a unique perspective to an industry that hadn't innovated in decades. Today, Terra Kaffe's machines—from the flagship TK-02 to the compact Demi—represent what happens when you refuse to accept the status quo and build with relentless attention to detail. In this episode, you'll learn: How Sahand's parents' immigrant journey shaped his "everything is solvable" mentality and entrepreneurial grit The moment he realized the espresso machine industry was ripe for disruption—and why DeLonghi's executives completely missed it Why the best ideas get a 50/50 reaction—half your friends think you're crazy, half think it's brilliant—and why that's exactly where you want to be How to navigate the hundreds of daily decisions that can make or break your business without letting perfect become the enemy of done The critical difference between asking "should I do this?" versus "can I do this?"—and why it defines your entire career trajectory Get your free copy of the Career Pivot Playbook here: https://www.omaid.me/newsletter

Dan Stein is a former recruiter at Google, SnapChat, and the VC firm A2Z. His wellness journey was featured in Men's Health and he launched an athletic apparel brand focused on mental health called PaxFit. Dan has also visited over 30 countries. In this episode we discuss: -The best career advice from a recruiter's perspective -Why money is a renewable resource, advice from his dad that has helped him take more calculated risks -How a cross-country move and a chance encounter with a waitress helped him land a job at Google -Why "being seen" matters more than the perfect resume -Why your manager can make or break your career -The most important life lesson from visiting 31 countries -What he means by 'finding what works for you' around health & fitness and more Get my free Career Pivot Playbook to help navigate your next move: www.omaid.me/newsletter Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/omaidhomayun/

My guest today is Josh Panko, President of Leaf Trading Cards. Josh's journey in the sports card industry started at age seven when he opened a card shop in his basement. That childhood passion turned into a remarkable career that's taken him from working at card shops as a teenager, to Upper Deck's product development team, to now leading one of the most creative trading card companies in the industry. What I love about Josh's story is how he built his career by working every angle of the business—retail, distribution, manufacturing, customer service. He learned the entire supply chain, which gave him a perspective that few in the industry have. And today, at Leaf, he's creating some of the most innovative products in the space, from on-card autographs of Hollywood legends like Al Pacino and Clint Eastwood, to unique sports card concepts that major licensed manufacturers can't touch. This conversation is packed with wisdom on hard work, taking initiative, building relationships, and staying humble even as you climb the ladder. Whether you're in the trading card world or not, Josh's lessons on career development and leadership are gold. In this episode we discuss: Why working every level of your industry early in your career creates an unfair advantage - and how Josh's experience in retail, distribution, and manufacturing shaped his leadership at Leaf The handwritten letter strategy that landed Josh his dream job at Upper Deck - and why his father's unconventional advice to FedEx overnight it to the CEO actually worked How being kind to everyone (especially people outside your department) can fast-track your career - Josh's finance department friendships got his projects prioritized over senior colleagues Why Josh would rather employees take initiative and make mistakes than wait for permission - and the Shawshank Redemption lesson about not asking to go to the bathroom The "harder you work, the luckier you get" philosophy - and how Josh turned clocking out at 5pm then returning to work unpaid into career-defining opportunities Get my free Career Pivot Playbook to help navigate your next move: www.omaid.me/newsletter Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/omaidhomayun/

Kendall Berg is a career strategist and author of Secrets of the Career Game who helps ambitious professionals navigate corporate politics with integrity and transform strong performance into visible, undeniable value. After being told early in her career that "everybody loves having you on their team, but nobody likes working with you," she dedicated herself to learning the unspoken rules of advancement—and was promoted five times in six years. Now, through her coaching practice and her tactical, no-nonsense approach, Kendall teaches thousands of clients across 27 countries how to earn more, advance faster, and feel in control of their career trajectory without burning out or losing themselves in the process. In this episode, you'll discover: Why your boss has NO idea what you're actually doing—and the weekly habit that fixes this blind spot The one person you must talk to during interviews that reveals the REAL company culture (hint: it's not the hiring manager) How asking for help makes people think MORE highly of you—the counterintuitive psychology that changes everything The "influencer list" strategy: Why you're networking with the wrong people and how to identify the 5 who actually control your career Why 82% of jobs are filled before they ever hit the job board—and what to do about it Check out Kendall's website: www.thatcareercoach.net Get my free Career Pivot Playbook to help navigate your next move: www.omaid.me/newsletter Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/omaidhomayun/

Jamie Siminoff is the CEO and founder of Ring, the camera company that transformed home security. While his viral Shark Tank episode didn't yield a deal from the sharks, it launched the video doorbell company. In 2018, Ring sold to Amazon for $1 billion. Jame published a book titled Ding Dong: How Ring Went from Shark Tank Reject to Everyone's Front Door. In this episode we discuss: -the greatest lessons from his failures -the 1 question he'd ask James Dyson in an elevator -why often the most important decisions are the ones we say "no" to -how the best thing that never happened was not getting acquired by ADT -what he learned about the relationship between money and happiness -the best career advice he ever received -the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him and more -- go to www.omaid.me to sign up for the Career Compass newsletter where I share the best career advice from high achievers

Patrick Mouratoglou is one of tennis's most successful and unconventional coaches, known for his work with Serena Williams during her dominant return to form—helping her win 10 Grand Slams and reclaim the world number one ranking. But his journey to the top began in the darkest of places: a childhood marked by crippling shyness, zero self-esteem, and such severe social anxiety that he couldn't make eye contact without fear of vomiting. When his dream of becoming a professional tennis player was crushed at 15, that rock bottom moment became the catalyst for an extraordinary transformation. Today, Patrick coaches the next generation of champions, founded the innovative Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), and has written a book about the "progress zone"—the space where confidence is built through small, daily victories. His approach to coaching is refreshingly transparent in a sport known for secrecy, and his insights on building champions apply far beyond the tennis court. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why the worst thing that happens to you might be the best thing—how Patrick's devastating rejection at 15 became the turning point that saved his life and launched his coaching career The hidden truth about motivation—why players (and people) who seem "unmotivated" are actually protecting their confidence, and what really drives elite performance How to rebuild someone's confidence from zero—Patrick's unconventional methods, including secretly rigging matches to create winning streaks and psychological breakthroughs What separates champions from great players—the mindset traits of Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic that have nothing to do with talent The art of hearing what people think, not just what they say—Patrick's most powerful coaching skill and why "the weather is nice" means completely different things in London versus Miami

Steve Lucas is the CEO of Boomi, a leading integration and automation platform. Before joining Boomi, Steve served as CEO of Marketo, where he led the company's transformation from a $1.6 billion valuation to its acquisition by Adobe for $4.75 billion in just 24 months—one of the largest software acquisitions in history. Prior to that, he held executive leadership roles at SAP and Salesforce, and cut his teeth in technology at Microsoft in the early 1990s. Steve is the author of "Digital Impact," exploring how AI and intelligent automation are reshaping business and society. A passionate advocate for diabetes research after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 26, he serves on the board of the Children's Diabetes Foundation and recently established an endowed chair for diabetes research at the University of Colorado. Known for his curiosity, authenticity, and unwavering commitment to customers—he makes it a rule to speak with at least one customer every single day—Steve brings a unique blend of technical expertise and people-first leadership to one of technology's most transformative eras. In this episode, we discuss: How Bill McDermott's simple advice—"just be you"—freed Steve from a decade of self-doubt and changed his career trajectory The power of saying "no": How Steve took Marketo from $1.6B to $4.9B by doing less, not more Why talking to a customer every single day is non-negotiable and how it transforms your entire organization Turning adversity into strength: Steve's journey with type 1 diabetes and the moment that changed his perspective forever The future of AI in the workplace and why we're the last generation of managers to manage only humans

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 standard-markdown"> Jeff Pearlman is a New York Times bestselling author and one of America's most compelling sports writers, known for his meticulous reporting and ability to bring readers inside the locker rooms and lives of sports' most fascinating figures. He spent years as a writer for Sports Illustrated, where he famously broke the John Rocker story and honed his craft of finding extraordinary stories in unexpected places. Pearlman has authored numerous bestsellers including "The Bad Guys Won" about the 1986 Mets, "Showtime" about the Lakers dynasty which became an HBO series, "Boys Will Be Boys" about the Dallas Cowboys, and books on Bo Jackson, Walter Payton, Brett Favre, and Tupac Shakur—the latter requiring interviews with 650 sources. His YouTube show "Press Box Chronicles" has become a viral sensation, with millions tuning in to hear him share nostalgic deep dives into sports history's most memorable moments, characters, and forgotten stories. Today, Jeff continues to prove that great storytelling is built on one simple principle: getting the details right and treating people with kindness along the way. In this episode we discuss: -Why getting the facts trumps fancy writing -Why we should build relationships through kindness -Why other people's success doesn't diminish yours -His extraordinary story he published on 9/11 and more.. - email questions to omaid@omaid.me

Max Richter grew up in Stuttgart, Germany, surrounded by cameras—his father was a photographer with a Leica who ran an advertising business. After studying engineering and business, Max found himself restless in corporate life, eventually making his way to Shenzhen, China, where he met a campus legend named JK who had borrowed $2,000 from his father to start a camera company. What happened next was a decade-long journey of near-bankruptcy, pivotal pivots, and ultimately building Insta360 into a company that challenged GoPro and partnered with the very camera brand that filled Max's childhood home. Today, Max serves as a co-founder of Insta360, a company that's redefined how millions of people capture and share their lives. In this episode, you'll discover: The "dark year" of 2017 when Insta360 had over 100 employees, was running out of cash, and Samsung had just entered their market—and the unexpected user behavior that saved the company Why the moment you're closest to giving up is often the exact moment you need to push through, and how this principle turned a struggling startup into a company that makes $30+ million annually The career advice Max wishes he'd known at 25 about the dangers of overthinking and why "just starting" beats perfect planning every single time How immersing yourself in uncomfortable, foreign environments shapes you into a more open-minded person—and why Max believes traveling early is one of the most underrated career accelerators The sacrifices nobody talks about when building a global company, and why finding the intersection of passion, profit, and societal impact matters more than any single factor alone

Jay Shetty has inspired millions of people through his inspirational YouTube videos, best-selling books and his podcast, On Purpose. He shares much of his wisdom as a former monk through his teachings. In this interview we discuss: -The #1 trait of high performers -The hardest part of finding your purpose -Why we should study people instead of envying them -The best career advice he ever received  -What we get wrong about trauma -How to cultivate meaningful relationships and more.. -- email questions to omaid@omaid.me

Keith "Pistol" Hawk was VP of Sales at LexisNexis where he led a salesforce of over 1,000 people. He co-authored "Get-Real Selling: Your Personal Coach for REAL Sales Excellence" and he's given many keynote speeches at corporate events about leadership.  In this episode we discuss: -How his upbringing helped him become self-reliant at an early age -The power of presence when raising children -The keys to a long, happy marriage  -Pitfalls of leadership -Having hard conversations at work, and more -- email questions to omaid@omaid.me

Ariel Kaye is the founder and CEO of Parachute, the Los Angeles-based home essentials brand she launched in 2014. With no prior retail experience, Ariel transformed a simple observation about the lack of quality, non-toxic bedding into a multi-million dollar company that has redefined the direct-to-consumer home goods space. Before founding Parachute, she worked in marketing and media, experiences that proved invaluable in building a brand known for its storytelling and customer-centric approach. Today, Parachute operates retail stores across the country and has partnered with major retailers like Target, all while maintaining its mission of bringing comfort and quality into people's homes. In this episode we discuss: Why "I'll figure it out" is a legitimate business strategy – How embracing uncertainty and learning as you go can be more powerful than having all the answers upfront The transformative power of belief – How one friend's confidence in her abilities changed everything, and why believing in others (and telling them so) can literally change lives Why asking for help is your secret weapon – How to overcome the fear that not knowing everything makes you weak, and why the best leaders are the ones who know what they don't know How to handle rejection without losing momentum – Practical strategies for dealing with hundreds of "nos" from investors while staying focused on your vision The art of progress over perfection – Why small, consistent actions often matter more than grand gestures, especially for high achievers who get stuck in perfectionist cycles -- Check out the t-shirts for the podcast: https://www.bonfire.com/to-the-top-4/