Our next guest has struck a balance between work, family, and hobbies. He’s known to some as a jiu jitsu phenom by consistently training 6 days per week on top of his already busy schedule with work and fatherhood. We reflect on his journey through school and pivoting from a solely finance career to a tech career with a focus in finance. We explore…

Our next guest shares her journey through dietetics and opening up a private practice as a board-certified sports dietitian during the pandemic. Her witty and relatable hot takes or as she calls it, yapping caught my attention and I’ve been hooked ever since. She specifically aims to work with combat athletes that require peak mental and physical p…

Our next guest is the Founder and Executive Director of the Fatherhood Initiative, The Dovetail Project. An organization that provides African American and Latino fathers from ages 17-24 with the skills and resources to be great fathers. We reflect on their tumultuous upbringing, becoming a father themselves, and what their organization has been up…

Our next guest has been making waves in the pizza community with his take on the pan pizza. He had childhood dreams of opening a restaurant one day and after 16 years of waiting tables, he decided to go all-in on himself at the start of the pandemic. What started as a personal project for him and his wife is now a brick and mortar with two location…

Our next guest revisits us after almost 5 years. She reflects on how she lost her way and almost gave up her lash and brow business. She shares how she reprioritized herself which inevitably cultivates discipline and clarity of what’s truly important to her. We then explore her current iteration and how she’d like to change the culture of lash arti…

Our next guest is shifting the perspective of Cannabis from simply a vessel to get high to more of a modality for wellness. Whether that be through the run club he co-founded, Runner’s High, where they normalize cannabis with an active lifestyle and community clean-ups or through his non-alcoholic cannabis infused cocktails, these groups are destig…

Our next guest is the creative force behind Drip Collective, West Loop’s newest coffee spot. He reflects on his earliest memories working for Peet’s Coffee as well as being the coffee buyer at Whole Foods. He then leans further into coffee by taking on a manager role with La Colombe and even relocated to LA to help open a West Coast location. Only …

Our next guest is the owner of a unique bottle shop in Lincoln Park. He helped us find a handful of anniversary wines that we had our wedding guests sign. He reflects on his earlier memories of hospitality in the kitchen, moving up to the bar, and then becoming responsible for a wine list. It was then that he developed his palette and appreciation …

Our next guests are childhood friends, dance teammates, pharmacists, and entrepreneurs. We explore their friendship through dance, becoming pharmacists, and the entrepreneurial journey. After completing the stereotypical Asian parents’ dream of becoming a doctor, they set out to pursue new dreams. What started as a series of pop ups and catering ev…

Our next guest has an energy that is palpable. From theater, modeling, film, and TV, she is a creator within many vessels of the performance arts. We explore her humble beginnings in Arkansas, moving to Chicago, all the odd jobs she worked to make ends meet, and how she’s balancing life at the moment. She shares some insights into freelance modelin…

Friends of the podcast will be familiar with Jenn Dieas but in this episode, we get to catch up with what she and her partner, Shane, have been up to. Finding the right life partner is one of the most important life decisions you can make. They truly complement each other so well. They are an example of the quote, “if you want to go fast, go alone.…

Our next guest was in town for a photoshoot as he finalized his prep before his bodybuilding show. This episode was recorded on May 29 and since then he’s already completed two bodybuilding shows. We explore his humble beginnings of bodybuilding and personal training. We manifest his entrepreneurship and his potential dream gym. We also discuss uti…

Our next guest is an aspiring actor and has made a name for himself through comedy sketches on tik tok, youtube, and instagram. If you’re a Chicagoan, you’ve probably seen his skits about cops vs firemen, portillos, and northside vs southside. The comments are always filled with either people feeling seen or triggered. Please enjoy my conversation …

Justine and I recently took a trip to Michigan for her birthday and thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect on our wedding day and the last 8 months of married life. It’s been nothing short of great. We’re currently planning our 1 year anniversary honeymoon to Italy so if you have any recs, throw them our way. Please enjoy my conversation…

Our next guests are the founders of a local kombucha called RMBR (which is short for Real Memories, Better Rituals). They share their individual journeys as well as how they all came together. We reflect on the wave of kombucha and nonalcoholic beverages, navigating farmers markets and getting into retail stores, as well as how to scale into other …

Our next guest is an executive assistant and wedding planner. In fact, she was our wedding planner and was very instrumental in helping us experience the best day of our lives. Her energy is palpable, her attention to detail is unmatched, and she’s an absolute joy to work with. We cover some early moments of planning family events, becoming an exec…

Our next guest is one of the Founders of the local nonprofit, EcoShip. An organization that collects used shipping materials and redistributes them to small business owners for free. It was an insightful chat about what materials are actually not recyclable. Depending on your local protocols, those white and blue amazon poly mailers or even bubble …

Our next guest shares his experience within Notre Dame Football, politics, and generating sales for a beverage distribution company. He’s now known for his work as a producer and Host of the Emmy winning show, The CEO series. He’s talked with CEOs of companies like Portillo’s, DUDE Wipes, Lou Malnati’s, and the Chicago Blackhawks to name a few. He …

Our next guest has had several iterations on his way to realizing his dream. He’s created a space that overlaps retail, fashion, hair, and networking. Whether it be working at his family’s Carnitas restaurant (Carnitas Don Alfredo) or cutting hair, hospitality and gratitude are at the forefront of Blankness Studios. Gratitude for this blank canvas …

Our next guests are the Founders of Pickled Prince. A condiment brand that’s making waves through local farmers markets and collaborations with local restaurants. They recently won Chicago Reader’s Best Preserves in 2023! They’ve collaborated with the likes of Pizza Friendly Pizza, Umamicue, and TriBecca’s Sandwich shop. We explore their individual…

Our next guest is a mentor and a friend. He’s a dad of three girls, practitioner and teacher of jiu jitsu, and the Founder of the best cold brew I’ve ever had, Kyoto Black Coffee. For the OG’s of the podcast, Justin came on a little over five years ago when he was still at the cafe, Edge of Sweetness. Since then, we briefly cohosted a tasting show …

Our next guest hosts the Chicago exploration page, Chicago Food Guide. He also operates a social media agency and teaches to ESL students at a local high school. We explore his humble beginnings in the south suburbs living on link all the way to navigating client deals. He’s collaborated with local comedians and athletes while showcasing some great…

Our next guests are shedding light on the short and long term effects of Concussions. Leading from personal experiences, Dr. Chris Nowinski who is a former Ivy League Football Player, a former professional wrestler [lookup Chris Harvard], author, and neuroscientist who co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation. An organization that performs resea…

Our next guest is a young man who’s evoking compassion and fostering community in Chicago. You might have seen some of his videos of charitable acts at a grocery store or a gas station helping people pay for their bills. My favorites are the follow ups with certain individuals like Marcus who was battling homelessness. These videos are just one asp…

Our next guest is a creator in every sense of the word. They and their partner Stephen are the humans behind Edgewater Candles and they’re going into their 8th year this year. We journey through their many iterations. From discovering a love of scents, getting their first sale, moving to Evanston, and eventually coming home to Edgewater, you get a …

Our next guest is a Certified Sake Sommelier. He was recently nominated for Sommelier of the Year by The Jean Banchet Awards. He’s currently a manager for Sushi San and The Omakase Room at Sushi San. His love for hospitality and knowledge of sake are palpable. We go into his personal journey with sake as well as explain where one would begin when t…

Our next guest is the current Medical Director for the local animal rescue, One Tail at a Time. She shares some of her experiences that led her to pursue Veterinary Medicine and specifically shelter medicine. We even explore some conversations around adoption and what pet owners can do to keep their fur babies healthy. Please enjoy my conversation …

Our next guest is the fourth generation owner of J.P. Graziano Grocery Company. They were voted the Best Sandwich Shop by Chicago Reader in 2023. The shop is an icon of nostalgia in the West Loop neighborhood that instantly transports you to the 1930’s. We talk a lot about family and legacy. From his relationship with his father to carrying the tor…

Our next guest is a travel influencer and content creator. While feeling unfulfilled in his corporate role, he began to dabble in creating content and found some success. With the encouragement of his inner circle, he decided to go all in on the content creator journey this year. He highlights underrated bites and places local to Chicago as well as…

Our next guest helps us explore role playing games (RPG). I’ve never personally played, but our guest makes it approachable and exciting. The first half of the episode explores his upbringing in Nebraska and some of his earliest memories of creating narratives through adventure. We transition into his time in Theater and some of the nuances that co…

Our next episode is literally a treat. They’ll be celebrating 30 years this year as a donut shop. This is an episode about the immigrant experience, finding your way, and cultivating community through the vessel of donuts. The shop experienced a tragic fire in the summer of 2014 and they overcame the obstacles through community support and winning …

Our next guest takes us on his journey of starting Club Doctor. His products clean and restore every part of a golf club. This episode is a great fit for anyone on the entrepreneurial journey. We go into leveraging his interests and identifying a potential demand all the way to scaling the brand through marketing and potentially wholesaling. I was …

Our next guest is a full-time, board certified neurosurgeon and Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at The Chicago Medical School. She is one of roughly 200 board-certified women neurosurgeons in the United States. Her journey is an example of purpose, discipline, and determination. She had an early interest in neuroscience but her initial interacti…

Our next guest shares his journey of becoming a physician. I met him at our recent EMT graduation party for our students. We briefly talked about his time as a Physician in Emergency Medicine but to my surprise, he’s board certified in Family Medicine. He previously pursued a path in journalism and pivoted a little later in life. This episode would…

Our next guest is a holistic healer. Built on a foundation of chiropractic medicine, his curiosity has led him to modalities like muscle testing and Neuro-Emotional Technique to name a few. He has a knack of helping you explore any blocks you may have within the physical, spiritual, or emotional realms. He can host individual sessions, group sessio…

Our next guest shares her journey of deprogramming from the beauty industry. We explore some of the exhausting standards that women have been raised to meet. She’s attentive, thoughtful, and resolute. She has a knack for stirring up discussions about self worth in relation to the beauty industry on her instagram page, notyourmanicpixiedreamcurl. I …

Our next guest was introduced to me by Dr. Dave Nayak. He completed a timelessly realistic tattoo that lives on Dr. Dave's arm. After decades of producing tattoos for private clients, the next chapter seems to include being a part of something larger than himself. He is currently the Creative Director at the WNDR Museum. He's a creator, curator, an…

Our next guest comes on to share their journey into the nonprofit space. They currently partner with over 50 pizzerias and provide some amazing pies to various shelters in the Chicagoland area. Looking back, it seems like it was meant to be since he grew up around pizza and til this day, can not get sick of it. He has an incredible ability to conne…

Our next guest is a journalist turned multi-hyphenate. She has experience within tech, media, and entrepreneurship. She’s worked with the New York Times, Business Insider, and CNBC. She’s currently a Program Manager at Google and a Finance Contributor at Forbes. She’s passionate about exploring the Latino influence in the world of business. She sha…

Our next guest is the principal architect of Robbins Architecture. Her firm has designed elegant and functional dream homes in Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, and Wyoming. Their homes bring out a sense of harmony, elegance, and livability. Our guest shares some of her earliest memories of design and entrepreneurship. Becoming an architect seemed like…

Our next guest is coincidentally Justine's cousin, but we met prior to me meeting Justine. When Justine introduced me to the cousins, Josh accurately guessed what I drove. He's taken care of me on several occasions when I would bring the car in for service. Just another example of how small the world can feel sometimes. Josh recently popped up at S…

Our next guest shares how she forged her identity and purpose as a creator. She’s the definition of “leaving no stone unturned.” She’s authored a cookbook, been a finalist on Food Network’s Supermarket Stakeout, and is currently releasing her dumpling-making kit. She’s been trying to recreate experiences where people come together over good food an…

Our next guest is a physician, deacon, family man, farmer, and he’s currently running for Senate in Illinois. He’s created a 100% free allergy and asthma clinic through his foundation, Strength to Love. He has a knack for identifying root causes of an issue, coming up with a potential solution, and scaling these methods to reach a larger group of p…

Our next guest stops by all the way from Canada. She's cultivated a passion for writing and has recently stepped away from being a course editor for a university to freelance full time. She also shares a bit about what life was like living with a parent who was dealing with mental health issues. She's the host of the Finding Fifty Podcast and refle…

Tom returns to share what's been going on in his life one year after our last recording. We touch on his transition from property management to risk response at a restoration company and finally striking a work life balance. We revisit his journey of loss with his dad and the importance of family. And we explore what goes into preparing to be the b…

Our next guest has become one of Chicago’s favorite urban historians. This man is a walking encyclopedia. He shares how he expanded his curiosity of the city through his time as a lifeguard for the Chicago beaches as well as being a meter maid for ComEd. We also discuss some possible solutions to the uptick in crimes committed by our youth as well …

Our next guest shares his passion for creating an inclusive space for people with disabilities. He wants to show that, when given an opportunity, people with disabilities can do anything. Growing up with Auditory Processing disorder and ADHD, he cultivated a passion for this niche. He works with Keshet as a Recreation Program Manager, a group that …

Our next guest shares his journey of pursuing his dream of baking pastries. From his first time in a commercial kitchen in high school with After School Matters to sharpening his skills at Lost Larson to even running his own pastry program at Big Jones. He now shares his pastries through his bakery Del Sur Bakery and you can find them at Side Pract…

Our next guest is a best-selling author, TedX speaker, and strategic consultant to corporate executives, business students, and entrepreneurial leaders. Anyone that’s spent time with her can tell that she’s figured something out and her gift is sharing it with others. Her presence is palpable through the level of attention she gives you through eac…

Our next guest is the creator of the intimate dining experience, family meal. Cambodian culture and cuisine were decimated during the Khmer Rouge. Ethan is on a journey to share Cambodian cuisine with Chicago and explore what it could have looked like had the genocide didn’t happen. Although his path isn’t a linear one, it seems like his curiosity …