🎧 An Olami Mentorship Podcast with Rabbi Shlomo Landau and Abbey Wolin

As the founder of the largest ambulatory anesthesia group in New York and New Jersey, you could say that he is already busy saving lives. But for Avishai Newman that was not enough. He joined Hatzala - the largest volunteer emergency service organization, then he helped launch Hatzalah Air, and then drove back and forth between hospitals in Israel saving lives after October 7th.

Avishai shares fascinating insights into his journey; the challenges along the way, how to know when to take a different path, and what it takes to build a successful career, alongside a family, and a busy volunteering schedule.

His advice is legendary. His humility exemplary. His success remarkable. And today, he's sharing how he got there.

Most people spend their careers trying to climb one ladder. Jordan Kavana has built a career by knowing when to switch ladders entirely.

He’s moved across industries, launched new businesses, followed opportunities others might have ignored, and reinvented himself more than once along the way.

And in a world where very few of us will have one job, one company or even one career for life, that ability to start again may be one of the most valuable skills you can have.

In this episode of Jewish Grit Jordan shares what years of restarting have taught him: how he spots opportunity, how he decides when to pivot, how he gets moving before everything is figured out, and the mindset that allows him to keep building from scratch.

This isn’t advice about finding the perfect career path.

It’s advice for what to do when the path changes.

David Moore has seen it all: sudden loss, near-business collapse, explosive successes, and reinventing himself as both a CEO and a stand-up comic. David's title of “Chief Appreciation Officer” is not a gimmick, but a philosophy that pays off far beyond perks. In this episode, he shares:

✅ A view of responsibility that will change how you view your team

✅ How to cultivate an authentic attitude of gratitude as your company culture

✅ The power of saying yes.

✅ Why he advises people to stop networking.

“Don’t over-strategize your path — just say yes more often,” David reminds us. Success and impact come from owning your responsibilities, stepping up for others, and building a culture of gratitude, on and off the job

Adam Sasouness of Hudson Oak Development and Dwight Capital spent years grinding with almost nothing to show for it — and almost quit before it clicked.

In this episode, he shares:

✅ How to tell the difference between stuck and slow

✅ How to keep going when your peers seem further ahead

✅ Why quitting early is the only guaranteed way to lose

✅ Why daily consistency — not one big break — builds a career

If it feels like nothing's moving, that's not proof you're wrong. It might just mean you're not done yet.

Sara Sicherman used to work 12–18 hour days and wear it like a badge of honor — until one night at the printer, missing her family's celebration, she realized the hustle wasn't serving the life she actually wanted. In this episode, she shares:

✅ Why "grit" and "grind" aren't the same thing — and how to tell which one you're doing

✅ The book that changed everything: working ON your business instead of just IN it

✅ Why leaning into your natural strengths (not fixing your weaknesses) is the real key to sustainable growth

✅ How writing down your personal definition of success — on an actual index card — can redirect your entire business

Success isn't one-size-fits-all. Sara's reminder: build a business that serves your life, not the other way around.

Shai Stern is a serial entrepreneur. He has built and sold multiple companies — not because he had a grand master plan, but because he knew how to spot an opening and "go." In this episode, he shares:

✅ How to spot the next opportunity before you feel ready for it

✅ Why you should treat the Jewish community as a growth strategy, not just a support system

✅ How to pair hustle with faith so ambition doesn't burn you out

✅ Where to actually bring your challenges — instead of carrying them alone

Don’t waiting for certainty. Spot the opening, take it, and let the rest follow.

You don't need everything figured out to get far. Steven Biondolilo didn't start with a plan — he started with what life handed him, and made every opportunity count. In this episode, he shares:

✅ Why setbacks are setup, not the end of the story

✅ How to recognize an open door and walk through it before you talk yourself out of it

✅ Why the right mentor can help you see further than you can alone

✅ How grit isn't about where you start — it's about what you do with the next opportunity

Wherever you're starting from, remember: it's not about where you begin. It's about how you respond when a door cracks open.

When Ivan was a young man, his father gave him one piece of advice on his deathbed.

Years later, that advice would be put to the ultimate test.

As the financial crisis brought businesses across his industry to their knees, Ivan's company was one of the few that survived - not because he predicted the crash, but because he never forgot what his father had taught him.

In this conversation, Ivan shares:

•⁠ ⁠Why the biggest opportunities often hide inside life's toughest moments

•⁠ ⁠How faith can steady you when everything around you feels uncertain

•⁠ ⁠Why giving isn't just something you do for the reward

•⁠ ⁠And what he believes is the single most important vaccine is for the Jewish people today.

Whether you're building a career, running a business, or simply trying to navigate an unpredictable world, this is a conversation full of practical wisdom from someone who's lived through the storms and come out stronge

Businesses don't survive by staying the biggest — they survive by staying willing to change. In this episode, Mark Hirshberg shares lessons from decades of leading a family business through shifting markets, customers, and technology.

What you'll learn:

•⁠ ⁠How to spot the moment it's time to pivot — before you're forced to

•⁠ ⁠Ways to challenge assumptions that no longer serve you

•⁠ ⁠How to lead teams through uncertainty with confidence

•⁠ ⁠Practical habits for staying relevant as industries evolve

Perfect for anyone launching a career, building a business, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve.

Ann Zeilengold didn't start with charisma or connections — she started $90K in credit card debt with three kids, determined to fix what she'd broken. Nearly four decades later, she runs a thriving mortgage practice built on a simple formula: know your field cold, ask more questions than anyone else in the room, and never let one bad day define the next one. In this episode, she breaks down the mindset that gets deals done when everyone else says no — and the career advice she'd give anyone starting out in high-pressure, commission-based work.