Samuel Lopez-Barantes, a novelist and musician living in Paris, discusses his perspective on success and failure in the creative world. He highlights the difference between the American and French attitudes toward art and how it is valued. Samuel shares his philosophy on success, which is centered around finishing a project and moving on to the next one. He also talks about his journey as a writer and the importance of recognizing what makes you tick and structuring your life around it. Samuel emphasizes the need to prioritize time over money and to be conscious of how you spend both.

Adam Paulisick is the founder of SkillBuilder.io. He’s no stranger to publishing and writing but when he trusted a company to help him build his next book, he wasn’t very careful. The result? A $20,000 loss and a lot of headaches caused by a business that turned out to be a fly-by-night operation.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

Jess Moore has had a wild career spanning from Broadway to the Beltway. In this episode, she discusses her career journey and the importance of resilience in the face of failure.

For folks thinking about the influencer world, Jess also provides insights into that environment, emphasizing the need for business acumen and finding a unique niche. She advises aspiring influencers to focus on their passion and build an engaged community. Additionally, she highlights the importance of adapting to digital trends and continuously upskilling.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

In this episode, I interview Dr. Arash Javanbakht, a psychiatrist and author of the book 'Afraid.' We discuss the intersection of fear, anxiety, and entrepreneurship. Arash shared his experiences working with anxiety and trauma in his clinic, as well as his own journey as an entrepreneur. We also explored why some people enjoyed fear and the role fear plays in motivating entrepreneurs. Arash also talked about the importance of knowing why you do what you do and the impact of fear on decision-making. He shares personal stories of conquering fear and the role of mentors in finding motivation and direction. The episode concludes with practical tips for managing anxiety and taking action in the face of fear.

This was one of my favorite interviews and Dr. Javanbakht has some amazing things to say about managing anxiety and fear. Please check it out.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

Brian Sloan sells s*x toys. For a long time he sold a lot of them and most of them sold through Amazon. Then, overnight, his competitors started to destroy his business. By breaking his advertising systems, undercutting his prices, and reviewing his products unfairly, they essentially turned millions of dollars in sales into bupkus.

In this podcast Sloan describes how he lost $500,000 in one day, sold his products at a massive loss, and invented something that changed the course of his business, turning an abject failure into a roaring success.

NOTE: This podcast discusses adult themes but we are careful not to describe too much.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

Patricia Campos Mello is a journalist who has reported from war-torn countries all over the world. A few years ago, she hired a bodygaurd - something she never did - in her own country. Why? Because Brazil's President Bolsorano had singled her out as a threat to his reelection.

In this episode, we talk to Campos Mello about her experience, what she did to cope, and what it took to remain a journalist in the face of abuse.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

Jade Kearney founded SheMatters.health to help women of color survive childbirth.

Because the health outcomes for POC were so poor, Kearney and her partner built a business dedicated to educating doctors and patients on the ways the health system had historically failed and how to solve the problems associated with pregnancy.In this podcast, Kearney talks about how she mishandled feedback from seemingly well-meaning mentors and finally realized that she, alone, was the captain of her own ship. It's an inspiring look at a woman who is solving an important problem.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

In this episode PR professional Adam Sohmer talks about how to manage a small business while surviving flaky customers, bad deals, and difficult gigs.Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/) Want more? Visit startupstrategies.cc