For more than 50 years, Will carried a story he had never told in full.

In this deeply personal conversation, he opens up about childhood trauma, addiction, a suicide attempt, divorce, a near fatal heart attack, and the lifelong struggle to feel safe within his own body. He also shares how an unexpected synagogue fire and the community that embraced him afterward led him to put on tefillin for the first time and begin a remarkable journey back to Judaism.

This is a raw, moving story about surviving the unimaginable, becoming a baal teshuva later in life, learning to accept love, and discovering that returning to Hashem can also mean returning to yourself.

Content warning: This episode includes discussions of childhood abuse, substance use, and attempted suicide.

Shmulie Hartstein never planned to become a community activist.

After a young father in his community passed away without life insurance, Shmulie put his business career on hold to launch B'Sefer Chayim, a movement dedicated to helping Jewish families protect themselves before tragedy strikes. Thousands of families have since obtained life insurance through the awareness campaign.

But that was only the beginning.

In this episode of the None of Your Business Podcast, Shmulie shares why he believes the Orthodox Jewish community needs to become more engaged in politics, how a single New York City election inspired him to launch Kol Yisroel, and what he's learned advocating for Jewish communities in Albany.

Michael and Shmulie discuss life insurance, entrepreneurship, grassroots advocacy, New York politics, antisemitism, voting, school funding, community leadership, and the responsibility each person has to make a difference instead of waiting for someone else to act.

Whether you agree with every opinion or not, this conversation will challenge the way you think about civic responsibility, leadership, and the power of one person to create meaningful change.

Learn more:

B'Sefer Chayim: https://www.bseferchayim.org Kol Yisroel: https://www.wewantavoice.org

Shalom Jacobs arrived in America with just $1,200 in his pocket. Today, he's a successful real estate investor, hotel owner, entrepreneur, and philanthropist—but his journey was anything but ordinary.

In this inspiring episode of the None of Your Business Podcast, Michael sits down with Shalom to explore the remarkable path that took him from growing up in a Chabad family in Scotland to building businesses across the United States.

Shalom shares the incredible story of helping shut down the infamous High Heels strip club in Queens and transforming it into a symbol of hope for the community. He also reflects on immigrating to America with almost nothing, working for $7 an hour, navigating the 2008 financial crisis, investing in real estate, raising capital, building a hospitality business, and the lessons he's learned through decades of entrepreneurship.

The conversation explores business, real estate investing, leadership, Chabad, faith, immigration, financial risk, giving back, and why true success is measured by the impact we have on others.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, business owner, or someone looking for inspiration to build something meaningful from humble beginnings, this episode is filled with practical wisdom, unforgettable stories, and powerful life lessons.