You're not building a business, you're solving a problem. Shiv Gupta is the Founder and CEO of U of Digital, and he's spent the last eight years learning that lesson the hard way. This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Shiv to talk about business fundamentals, staying focused when you want to do everything, and why the best companies lead with problems, not solutions. They dig into what it takes to go from corporate to entrepreneur, why revenue is a hell of a drug, and how to avoid getting too high or too low when things are constantly changing. Shiv opens up about the moment he got laid off and decided to start his own thing, the mistake he made at 25 trying to start a company, and why laser focus on one specific problem is how you build credibility from scratch. This is a conversation about consistency, problem solving, fluidity, and showing up every day...even when you lose a client or things feel personal. If you're building a business, thinking about starting one, or just want to hear about what it takes to build one, this one's for you.

The best salespeople aren't selling at all, they're listening.

Lucy Markowitz is the SVP and GM of US Marketplace at Vistar Media, and she's spent her career mastering the art of getting people on board. This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Lucy to talk about what separates a great seller from an average one, and it's not tactics or scripts. It's how you show up, how you listen, and how you help people feel bought into something rather than pushed.

They dig into why building relationships overrise closing transactions, how to approach sales from a place of genuine belief, and why being present in every aspect of your life is what matters most. Lucy talks about her transition from finance to ad tech, why she only sells things she believes in, and drops some great advice for young women trying to navigate their careers.

This is a conversation about chemistry, energy, and creating symbiosis in your business and your life. If you're building something, leading a team, or just trying to get better at communicating your vision, this one's for you.

It takes so much ego to start a business, and then you have to let go of all of it to actually build one.

Anda Gansca is the CEO of Knotch, and she's spent the last 10 years building a company while simultaneously breaking down every assumption she had about what it takes to succeed. This week, host Lauren Douglass sits down with Anda for a conversation that goes beyond the typical founder story and into something deeper: spirituality and capitalism, win-win business models, and why the zero-sum game mentality just isn't that interesting anymore.

They talk about the shift from founder to CEO, why taking two days a week to think is part of the job, and how becoming a mom forced Anda into her own dark closets, which ultimately made her a better leader. Anda opens up about the haunted forest within, why companies don't fail (people give up), and what it means to build something durable when everyone else is focused on the flip.

This is a conversation about patience, clarity, and building businesses that are genuinely good for employees, customers, and stakeholders, without losing ambition or rigor. If you believe business can be serious and human, ambitious and thoughtful, you're going to love this one.