Feel like you’re behind in life? Or unsure how to make your first job count?

Jacob Karnes has coached hundreds of young professionals, and in this episode, he reveals exactly what he wishes he knew when he started out and how you can master your mindset, your brand, and your career.

Jacob is the bestselling author of Master Your First Job and the founder of Waves Business Coaching. He spent 10 years climbing the ladder at Chick-fil-A before starting his own company. And now, he’s on a mission to help Gen Z build careers with purpose and authenticity.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

✓ How to stand out from day one in your career

✓ Why you don’t need to wait for permission to pursue big goals

✓ How to build a personal brand (before your first promotion)

✓ A mindset that makes you impossible to ignore

✓ The mistake most people make when asking for a raise

✓ Why your identity isn’t tied to one job

🎯 In this episode, we explore:

– Jacob’s journey from Chick-fil-A employee to business founder

– The #1 thing you must do to be seen as a leader early on

– Why your values matter more than your resume

– His top 2 books that changed how he sees life

– What to tell your younger self (or your future kids)

– Why writing his first book was the breakthrough he needed

📚 Grab Jacob’s book, “Master Your First Job,” on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZW5BZBX

In this episode:

00:00 Welcome & Intro

02:07 3 Life Lessons Jacob Would Tell Every Young Professional

06:27 The 60-Second Pitch: Why You Should Read His Book

08:06 The Turning Point That Sparked His Business

10:51 Building His Dream Job (Without a Job Description)

13:06 How to Ask for a Raise (and Actually Get It)

17:12 What Most People Get Wrong About Promotions

20:43 Branding Yourself as a Teen: What He’d Tell His 17-Year-Old Self

23:17 Building a Reputation That Precedes You

29:19 What Jacob Wants His Daughter to Always Remember

32:17 The Books That Shaped His Life (Atomic Habits & Man’s Search for Meaning)

35:25 The Limiting Belief That Almost Stopped Him

38:30 Final Message: Find Where Your Purpose & Skills Align

🔔 Subscribe for more weekly episodes that fuel growth, clarity, and leadership from the inside out.

📅 New episodes every Monday at 11 AM EST

📺 YouTube: @soniamartaauthor

🌍 Website: www.soniamarta.com

📲 Instagram: @soniamartaauthor | linktr.ee/soniamartauthor

Do you feel overwhelmed by money or unsure where to begin with investing, saving, or building wealth? You’re not alone, and this episode will help you turn confusion into clarity.

In this episode of The SMARTA Podcast, I’m joined by certified money coach, international speaker, and founder of MoneyPal, Luca Caruana, to talk about financial confidence, emotional wealth, and starting small with your finances, even if you’re 17 and just getting started.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

✓ How your emotional relationship with money shapes your success

✓ Why starting small is the smartest move you can make

✓ The psychological blocks that hold most people back

✓ How to set goals and define your Happy Money Fund

✓ The biggest budgeting mistakes and how to avoid them

✓ Why your past doesn’t have to define your financial future

📚 Luca’s 2 books that completely transformed his perspective of life: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel & Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

🎯 In this episode, we talk about:

– The emotional side of money no one teaches us

– Budgeting mistakes that hold people back

– How to set clear, motivating financial goals

– Monetizing your passions and hobbies

– Building your own “Happy Money Fund” guilt-free

– The truth about investing

🧠 Who is Luca Caruana?

Luca is a certified money coach, keynote speaker, and the founder of MoneyPal, with years of experience helping people across Europe achieve financial clarity. Known for his focus on emotional intelligence and financial wellbeing, Luca helps individuals rewrite their financial story, without shame, math phobia, or jargon.

📖 Check out Luca’s upcoming book Unspoken and explore his work: MoneyPal.com

🎬 In this episode:

00:00 Welcome + Luca’s top 3 takeaways

01:45 How to build money habits that last

03:40 Where to start if you’re lost financially

07:00 Luca’s personal wake-up call and financial healing

13:30 Renting vs buying & defining your life goals

18:00 Why you need an emergency fund ASAP

23:00 The Happy Money Fund explained

25:30 Monetizing your passion & purpose

29:20 Why your WHY matters more than your income

31:00 Luca’s top 2 life-changing books

34:10 No-lose decisions and money confidence

36:00 Top mental barriers to financial growth

39:30 Unspoken stories and breaking generational patterns

41:30 Luca’s message to the listener

AD: Learn how CGS can support your company at www.romania.cgsinc.com

🔔 Subscribe for more weekly episodes that fuel growth, clarity, and leadership from the inside out.

📅 New episodes every Monday at 11 AM EST

📺 YouTube: @soniamartaauthor

🌍 Website: www.soniamarta.com

📲 Instagram: @soniamartaauthor | linktr.ee/soniamartauthor

What if the worst thing that ever happened to you became the reason you succeed?

In this episode of The SMARTA Podcast, I sit down with speaker, storytelling coach, and emotional clarity guide Brian Drury to talk about how your biggest pain can shape your greatest platform. From the power of emotional shifts on stage to building a life that feels as good as it looks, Brian shares the exact mindset, habits, and healing practices that helped him turn rock bottom into the foundation for an intentional, fulfilling life.

Whether you’re an aspiring speaker, a high achiever chasing meaning, or someone ready to slow down and reconnect with your truth, this conversation will ground, challenge, and uplift you.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

✓ What separates a great speaker from a good one

✓ How to use your rock bottom as a catalyst for finding your purpose

✓ The difference between overdelivering and resonating

✓ Why storytelling isn’t about you, it’s about service

✓ Why your intuition is important, and why you should stop ignoring it.

📌 In this episode, we talk about:

– Brian’s 3 top lessons for graduates starting out

– His raw story of hitting emotional, physical, and professional burnout

– The one mentor who changed everything for him

– The difference between information and emotional connection

– How grief shaped his ability to lead with clarity and compassion

– Why slowing down is the secret to true success

🧠 Who is Brian Drury?

Brian is a globally respected speaker, emotional clarity coach, and founder of the Speaker’s Lab. He’s trained 1,000+ people to tell transformational stories and believes the most powerful message you can deliver is the one rooted in truth and service. His viral speech “The First Time I Saw My Dad Cry” touched over 20 million hearts on Facebook alone. Brian’s journey is one of depth, resilience, and leading with heart.

📚 Check out The First Step by Brian Drury https://a.co/d/gJl6ZVe

In this episode:

00:00 Welcome Brian Drury to The SMARTA Podcast

00:45 Top 3 lessons for graduates starting out today

06:30 How to know when you’re truly listening to your intuition

11:00 Why you can’t logic your way to fulfillment

17:40 What separates people who thrive from those who plateau?

25:30 How to create emotional connection as a speaker

33:30 How his lowest point became his turning point

40:00 Meeting his mentor and what it changed in him

46:00 What makes a good speaker vs. a great speaker

51:00 Why emotional shifts matter more than information

54:45 What changed between his first and most recent speech

01:02:00 Tips to slow down and stop overdelivering

01:06:50 Advice 17-year-old Brian wished he had

01:12:20 Why holistic success matters more than external success

01:17:20 The importance of rest, presence, and perspective

AD: Learn how CGS can support your company at www.romania.cgsinc.com

🔔 Subscribe for more weekly episodes that fuel growth, clarity, and leadership from the inside out.

📅 New episodes every Monday at 11 AM EST

📺 YouTube: @soniamartaauthor

🌍 Website: www.soniamarta.com

📲 Instagram: @soniamartaauthor | linktr.ee/soniamartauthor