Aware with Seb

Today I’ve got the authors of a worldwide artistic movement. Evan Meyer and Ruben Rojas. Evan, the founder of a highly successful SAS company, and Ruben with a finance background.  Both artists, who were able to use their business knowledge and scaling abilities to turn this hobby of making “ugly” walls beautiful and run a successful nonprofit and for-profit called Beautify Earth...which is responsible for painting murals for over 60 brands, in over 80 cities worldwide, over a hundred local NGO’s with over 10,000 murals!

• Ruben’s last oh shit moment.
• Evan’s oh shit and hell yea moment.
• We’re gonna talk about making ugly things beautiful, about art, we’re gonna talk about making money with art, bureaucracies, and loops, but first Sebastian wants to know how Evan and Ruben met.
• Evan and Ruben share a bed together.
• Comfortable of masculine men to share close spaces. Importance of sharing vulnerability amongst business partners.
• A moment in Evan and Ruben’s initial friendship when they realized they could potentially be business partners.
• Beautify Lincoln in Venice, CA. The very first Beautify Earth project.
• Why should we beautify cities and boring or ugly walls? Besides the obvious visual aspect.
• Started mini projects like Beautify Williamsburg and other cities.
• Seb asks, “How can you just reach out to cities? It sounds very bureaucratic to get permits and things like that can you give any advice to anyone trying to get through to a city for a specific project?”
• Ruben was in finance and at one point realizes, “Hey I can be an artist full time and make a living out of this.”
• Seb asks, “How does it feel when you realize you can make money doing something that drives you like art? Especially with art… seems very fairy tale.”
• Evan’s successful SAS company Ride Amigos and handling a side hustle and passion.
• Where is Beautify Earth at today? Beautify Earth’s for-profit sector.
• Importance of implementing a for-profit aspect in order to scale.
•  Importance of implementing operations into such a large scale art project and bring in skills from “traditional” business into scaling art and creativity. 
• Showing companies what badass wall art can do for them.
• Ruben’s favorite art installation.
• How artists can get in touch with Beautify to become a part of the team in their own city.
• Evan and Ruben give their 2 most important traits for a conscious leader to embody.

Visit Beautify Earth and find Beautify on Instagram. 

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Jonathan Shooshani & Sebastian Elghanian. They’re the founders of Joon, a super innovative health technology company and wellness solution for remote work. Jon shares how living a not so conscious and NOT so healthy past leads him to love and obsess over healthy food, wellness, people, technology, and how they all connect. Sebastian has a strong financial background and talks to us about their first startup, which was a wellness-focused debit card… and how a memory of a highly inspirational and serendipitous event in a taxi ride shifts this previous business into what Joon is today. I freakin loved spending time with these epic co-founders and conscious leaders and I’m sure you’ll love it too!

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Jon’s Oh shit moment lead into his Oh Yeah moment.
• Sebastian’s Oh shit and Oh Yeah moment
• How Jon and Sebastian met at a young age
• Drinking at Bar Mitzvdah’s and dating a girl with mono
• Jon is a yoga teacher now and co-founder of a health-focused tech company but he was living a life that wasn’t super focused on health.  
• Jon’s journey into health
• Sebastian shares their first startup, the Avo debit card, and rewards people for voting with their dollars
• Finance and behavioral change
• Conscious banking 
• The Avo card transitioned into JOON through a sparked memory of an infamous taxi ride.
• Iranian revolution
• Sebastian’s great uncle ran a conscious business before it was a thing
• Why do companies care about health? Is there a real shift in companies caring more?
• JOON is changing the game in HR through health-focused tech.
• Can Jon & Sebastian actually help shift some companies to actually care more about their employees or are they only catering to those who are already on board with a more conscious model?
• Flexibility as an important trait for a conscious leader to embody
• Tom Brady’s flexibility
• Feelings of gratitude and its expression and how that can shift leaders and company stakeholders

Visit JOON and find Joon on Instagram. 

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

In this episode, we’re joined by Sydney Webb, the founder and CEO of Madeby which is a line of GOOD-FOR-YOU, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, low-sugar cookie dough made from the world's most powerful superfoods + adaptogens. Even more epic than these cookies themselves are Sydney’s story and the serious health challenges that she experienced at an early age that led her to her magic creation. Tune in with us as Sydney shares her personal journey and how it led her to form a successful impact-driven brand.

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Sydney’s last “oh shit” moment
• Sydney’s Last hell yeah moment
•  Sydney’s cookie company forms a partnership with Equinox Hotels and gets into Whole Foods.
• Sydney trained to be a professional soccer player from a young age but life happened and that all changed. 
• Living with an “unknown” disease 
• Sydney shares how she lost her scholarship and dream of playing soccer professionally.
• Sydney’s life changes when she meets a stranger at a coffee shop
• How Sydney got off all medication with a proper diet.
• Living with Crohn’s disease and colon cancer.
• Chemo or no chemo?
• What are adaptogens and types of adaptogens.
• How to consume adaptogens and why.
• Adaptogens and cancer.
• Sydney tricks her parents into eating adaptogens in a delicious form.
• Madeby is born. The supercookie. 
• Conscious aspects of Sydney’s company.
• Sustainability and giving back.
•  Growing fast and making conscious hires.
• Sydney’s 2 most important traits for a conscious leader to embody

Learn more at Madebyfoods.com and find Sydney on Instagram. 

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Mark Horoszowsi is co-founder and CEO of MovingWorlds.org, a global platform that helps people volunteer their expertise with social impact organizations around the world. His clients include Microsoft, SAP, and eBay amongst many others. In this episode, we discuss impact investing, the importance of ROI, how impact-driven movements can actually increase profits for companies, as well as conscious business practices that Mark implements in his own company to succeed.

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Mark’s last “oh shit” moment
• Mark’s most recent hell yeah moment
• Mark shares his tipping point and why got into the social enterprise industry. 
• Why should anyone care about social purpose for their for-profit company? 
• Does the implementation of social purpose in business only apply to CEO’s and entrepreneurs or also c level executives at large corporations? 
• What is impact investing? Is it harder to get money for impact-driven brands? 
• Are there specific groups of VCs for impact investing?
• Mark gives examples of companies that started making more money once they implemented social impact initiatives. 
• Companies sponsoring volunteer programs for their employees. 
• How MovingWorlds teaches corporate employees new skills related to social impact.
• How corporate employees bring those skills back into their companies.
• Creating networks of people that create impact.
• How Mark’s company MovingWorlds practice conscious business internally?
• Mark’s 2 most important traits for a conscious leader to embody today

Learn more at MovingWorlds.org and find MovingWorlds on Instagram. 

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Eugene is a Chek Institute certified holistic health coach who specializes in fat loss and operates TrufkinAthletics.com He is also the author of the book “Anti-factory Farming Shopping Guide.” We get into the truth about grass-fed, cage-free and USDA organics. This episode taught me a lot about things I thought I already knew in regards to food and farming practices. We don’t just explore the problems that are out there, we also discuss possible solutions from an everyday consumer standpoint and we also get into the challenge of being a conscious business owner in the farming industry.

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Last Oh Shit moment for Eugene Trufkin.
• Eugene talks about growing up on an off-the-grid farm in Ukraine
• Eugene’s wake up moment about the truth about food and farming
• Grass-fed and grain-fed
• Omega 6 Vs. Omega 3 ratios in grass-fed vs grain-fed meat
• Omega 6:3 ratios and their relationship to cancer, Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases
• It’s impossible to find healthy food
• Competition for farmers to produce up to demand
• How meat and vegetable distribution works between large scale companies like Tyson, the grocery stores and its relationship to farmer demands
• How this relationship affects the food you're eating
• Is organic truly expensive?
• Why switching to a clean food diet actually fills you up more and helps you lose weight/fat
• Eggs: the truth about organic, cage-free, and pasture-raised
• 1955: Factory Farming
• Possible solutions for sustainable farming
• How to be a conscious eater and consumer. 
• Consumer resources

Check out Eugene Trufkin’s book Anti-factory Farm Shopping Guide, visit Trufkin Athletics and find Eugene on Instagram. 

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Krista Berlincourt & Danny Steiner. They’re the founders of Kensho health, which has been getting a ton of attention and is described as the “antithesis of Goop” merging together holistic health care, data, and technology into a new online platform. Krista & Danny were both extremely successful people who felt the calling for something greater. In this episode, they share their stories and the exciting challenge of balancing purpose, profits, and innovation!

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Last Oh Shit moment for Danny.
• Last Hell Yeah moment for Krista.
• Krista was living large before Kensho. She shares what this life was like.
• Danny talks about being in media and tech consulting. Shares his journey with Brami Snacks, a snack company that is all over the country including chains like Whole Foods.  
• Why Krista and Danny left successful careers. 
• The importance of having a higher “why” as opposed to just scale to make money.
• The idea for Kensho Health at Burning Man.
• What exactly is Kensho Health?
• 87% of deaths are the result of preventable chronic and lifestyle-driven illnesses. Krista dives into this. 
• The timing for holistic health.
•  What aspects of Kensho make it a Conscious company.
• Danny shares what it’s like to have a female co-founder.
• Raising money for a purpose-driven company instead of a money-driven model.
•  Putting people first to increase ROI.
• “What are two traits the NEW conscious leader should embody?” answered by both guests

Visit Kensho Health and find Kensho on Instagram. Follow Krista Berlingcourt and Danny Steiner on Instagram.

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Called “crazy or genius” by Forbes, and recognized as one of the 100 most influential creatives working today by HOW Magazine, Matthew Manos is the Founder and Managing Director of verynice, a design strategy practice that gives half of its work away for free. Matthew is also the author of How to Give Half of Your Work Away for Free and Towards a Preemptive Social Enterprise. His free tools have reached countless of people in over 170 countries. Driven by a mission to redefine the way pro-bono is done all the while running a for-profit business.

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Matthew’s last “oh shit” moment
• Awarded by Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, etc because of disruptive business model
• The first thing he designed on a computer screen
• Skateboarding tricks and falls
• Give away for free or give nothing away for free. Two schools of thought
• How pro-bono work painted the path to verynice’s agency model
• How Matthew chooses who gets free work and who pays
• Operating pro-bono clients as regular paying clients
• Matthew creates a toolkit with all his secrets to be given away for free
• How can this business model survive
• How do you encourage volunteers to work hard
• Instilling purpose & mission
• Matthews graphics and his upcoming comic book
• Matthew tells us the 2 most important traits of a conscious leader. He shares a very unique point of view.

Visit verynice and find Matthew Manos on Instagram

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Rocio Villalobos is a creative strategist who became an “accidental entrepreneur” after being laid off from her dream job. Since, she has helped launch and lead the Conscious Capitalism movement in Los Angeles and remains an active board member of the LA chapter. Rocio's journey of merging who she is with what she does for a living, has been a series of moments of profound awareness, followed by inspired action... and let’s be honest, a lot of hard work! 

Show notes in order of appearance:

• The Week Sebastian realized his passion for conscious business
• Rocio talks about her experience of growing up in Lima, Peru and seeing true poverty
• Rocio’s dream Job at Paramount Pictures
• Living in Spain and experiencing 9/11 looking outside in.
• Creating a successful business in digital design but experiencing a professional and personal funk.
• Joining toastmasters
• Rocio’s introduction into the world of “Purpose & Profit” 
• Bringin together who she is and what she does?
• The Together Conference
•  Creating Conscious Capitalism Los Angeles 
• What exactly is CCLA?
• Building a purpose-driven consultancy
• Conscious Capitalism as a term and its negative reactions.  
• Voting with our dollars can be expensive and the struggle for purpose-driven brands.
• Where is CCLA at today? How virtual events have remained personal.
• Rocio’s 2 traits that the NEW conscious leader should focus on.

Connect with Conscious Capitalism Los Angeles, on IG @CCLA.LA and Conscious Capitalism International 

Connect with Gracely on all socials @wearegracely and Rocio Villalobos

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Kevin is a High-Performance Coach, Workshop & Retreat Facilitator, and Podcast Host. He is also described as a Performance Philosopher, Folk Psychologist and Spoken Word Poet. I highly recommend this episode where Kevin and I get into the Old vs New paradigm of leadership and talk about the importance of emotional intelligence for leaders

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Kevin greets us from Bali
• Kevin’s viral video called Masculinity is Dead
• Old Paradigm vs New Paradigm of leadership
•  Why has the paradigm of leadership changed? 
• Conscious Leadership in business
• How important is it for a leader to be self-aware?
• Self-improvement and continuous growth.
• Should a CEO show vulnerability? 
• Why is it easier for Females to demonstrate this vulnerability?
• Compassion in leaders
• Emotional Intelligence and business leaders

Visit Kevin’s Website and find him on Instagram

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com

Show notes in order of appearance:

• Danny talks about being in flow during coronavirus
• How do we destroy 80,000 acres of rainforest daily?
• Why should we care about destroying rainforest land
• The rainforest and medications
• Danny talks about corporate life and being comfortable
• How the sale of 1 bracelet can save an acre of land
• Fairtrade jobs in the Amazon
• Danny talks about companies that practice “greenwashing”
• Understanding a social enterprise and how its profits can scale the help of an environmental cause
• The importance of quantification in a social enterprise
• How consumerism can actually help
• Danny talks about his bankruptcy and divorce and how labels can affect us
• Danny shares the 2 traits of a conscious leader

Visit OMA Earth and on IG @omaearth

Connect with Sebastian on Instagram

SebastianNaum.com