What does it actually take to live as your authentic self — especially when it costs you friendships, comfort, and approval?

In this episode of Common Denominator, I sit down with Kayla Schreibstein for a deeply honest conversation about identity, courage, belonging, and what it means to stand for who you are when it would be easier to blend in.

Kayla shares her journey growing up disconnected from her Jewish identity, the moment October 7th forced her to confront who she really was, and the heartbreak of losing close friendships over deeply held beliefs. We talk about what it means to choose authenticity over people-pleasing, why community matters more than ever, and how showing up publicly can become a source of healing — not just for yourself, but for others.

We explore faith, culture, boundaries, fear, self-doubt, and the pressure young women feel to stay quiet or agreeable. This episode is about finding your voice, owning your story, and realizing that purpose doesn’t come from validation — it comes from alignment.

This conversation is a reminder that you don’t reach your full potential until you stop hiding who you are.

In this episode, you'll learn: 

- Why authenticity often comes at a personal cost

- How losing friends can clarify who you really are

- What it means to own your identity publicly

- Why community is the antidote to isolation

- How self-doubt shows up — even in confident people

- Why people-pleasing keeps you stuck

- How young women can step into their voice and power

- Why purpose matters more than money or approval

Follow Kayla Schreibstein: https://www.instagram.com/kay_schreibs

Friends of Kayla podcast: https://linktr.ee/friendsofkayla

Friends of Kayla instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friendsofkayla

Timestamps:

00:00 – Choosing purpose over chasing money

01:00 – Rejecting identity and the fear of being different

03:00 – October 7th and losing close friendships

06:30 – Agreeing to disagree — and when it fails

09:00 – Division, narrative, and the cost of hatred

12:00 – Building community through culture and tradition

14:30 – Showing up publicly despite fear

16:30 – Women, confidence, and self-doubt

18:30 – Boundaries, people-pleasing, and personal freedom

20:30 – Final reflections on authenticity and growth

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Website: https://moshepopack.com/podcast/

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What would you do if you lost your job, faced a massive lawsuit, and risked losing everything you built?

In this solo episode of Common Denominator, I open up about one of the hardest moments of my life — being hit with a major judgment right after I started making money again. It could have set us back emotionally for a decade. Instead, my wife and I made a decision: we would pay it… and move on.

Because here’s the truth — the only control you ever really have is your reaction.

I share what 15 years of Jiu-Jitsu, the philosophy of the samurai, Bruce Lee, and Viktor Frankl have taught me about emotional discipline, fear, and resilience. Fear is almost always false evidence appearing real. Less than 1% of what we fear actually happens — if we don’t give up.

In this episode, I talk about:

- Why choosing a life partner is the biggest (and riskiest) decision you’ll ever make

- How to handle financial setbacks without letting them define your future

- The power of breathing before reacting

- Training your nervous system to stay calm in chaos

- Why most people stay stuck — and how to break the cycle

- The mental block that keeps you from writing down your biggest goals

- Why underdogs win

- Burning the boats and creating “no choice” situations

We’re all changing. Your partner is changing. Your business will rise and fall. The world will distract you. The question is: can you regulate yourself when it matters most?

When everything feels insane — breathe. Take one step. Then another.

That’s the training. That’s the work. That’s the common denominator.

If this episode resonates, subscribe and share it with someone who needs the reminder: you are stronger than your fear.

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🎙 Common Denominator Podcast

Website: https://moshepopack.com/podcast/

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What actually separates people who say they want hard things from those who follow through for years?

In this episode of Common Denominator, I sit down with endurance athlete Mark Dowdle for a deep conversation on discipline, faith, suffering, and what it really takes to do difficult things over long periods of time.

Mark shares where his mindset comes from, why consistency—not motivation—is the real differentiator, and how his relationship with faith reshaped his identity after chasing validation through extreme physical challenges. He opens up about running the Calendar Club challenge for an entire year, racing in life-threatening conditions at Arrowhead 135, and the moment he realized that external praise was never going to fill the void.

Mark and I explore the psychology of quitting, the inner dialogue that convinces people to stop just before a breakthrough, and why no one accomplishes hard things alone. From the importance of choosing the right life partner to the role of accountability, truth-telling, and surrender, this conversation is a grounded look at what sustained excellence actually requires.

This episode is a reminder that discipline isn’t about feeling ready — it’s about showing up anyway.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

- Why some people are drawn to hard things—and how that mindset is shaped early

- How redefining failure changes everything

- The difference between real danger and mental excuses

- Why external validation eventually collapses

- How faith reframes suffering, purpose, and discipline

- Why motivation is unreliable—and discipline is required

- The role of accountability, partners, and “truth tellers”

- Why consistency is the true common denominator of high performers

Timestamps:

02:39 – Redefining Failure

03:47 – Validation, High Goals & Dropout Points

04:47 – Shifting Identity Away from External Praise

06:00 – Faith, Purpose & Olympic-Level Emptiness

08:23 – Calendar Club Challenge & Expectation Collapse

10:15 – Surrender, Entitlement & Freedom

12:24 – Pushing the Line Between Discomfort and Danger

14:28 – Inner Dialogue, Fear & Presence

16:00 – Accountability, Marriage & Not Quitting

18:11 – Love, Truth & Saying the Hard Thing

21:12 – Discipline vs Motivation

23:22 – Confidence Through Evidence

25:10 – The True Common Denominator: Consistency

26:19 – Final Reflections & Sign-Off

Like this episode? Leave a review here:

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Website: https://moshepopack.com/podcast/

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In this episode of Common Denominator, I share two powerful biblical lessons that completely shaped how I think about wealth, business, and personal growth.

Growing up, the stories of Abraham and Nachshon stood out to me. Abraham left everything familiar and walked into the unknown. Nachshon stepped into the sea before it split.

Both stories teach the same lesson: if you follow the crowd, you’ll get average results.

Real growth — whether in business, investing, or life — comes from going against the grain. It comes from choosing discomfort. It comes from building slowly and steadily instead of chasing hype.

I also talk about why emotional investing never works long term, why retail investors often get hurt during hype cycles, and why knowing your numbers is the foundation of real financial success.

If you want long-term wealth, stability, and fulfillment, you have to be willing to take the road less traveled.

Growth only happens when we’re uncomfortable.

Subscribe for more conversations about wealth, mindset, discipline, and long-term success.

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🎙 Common Denominator Podcast 

Website:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/podcast/⁠ 

YouTube: @mpopack 

Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/mpopack ⁠

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Newsletter:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/⁠

What happens when fear—not ignorance—keeps people from building wealth?

Tax expert and author Hannah Cole unpacks the real reasons so many people feel paralyzed around money, taxes, and financial decisions. We discuss how cultural conditioning and lack of education make taxes feel intimidating—especially for women and first-time founders—and why the system is often more flexible than people think.

This conversation is about agency: understanding tax brackets, startup losses, and the difference between avoiding taxes and engaging strategically with them. At its core, it’s a reframing of taxes—not as punishment, but as partnership. Because clarity, not fear, creates power.

In this episode of Common Denominator with Moshe Popack, you'll learn: 

- Fear of numbers is a common issue that many face.

- Tax literacy can empower individuals to take control of their finances.

- The tax code is designed for humans, not robots.

- There is a significant lack of tax education in schools.

- Understanding tax brackets can prevent unnecessary fear.

- The IRS is generally accommodating if approached honestly.

- Business ownership offers significant tax advantages.

- The government prioritizes economic growth through business support.

- Many wealthy individuals evade taxes, creating a fairness issue.

- Education is key to reducing fear and increasing tax compliance.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Understanding the Fear of Money

02:48 The Importance of Tax Literacy

06:03 Debunking Tax Myths and Fears

09:10 Strategies for Tax Efficiency

12:10 The Role of Government in Taxation

15:06 Future of Work and Taxes

18:07 Empowering Through Education

21:01 The Fairness of the Tax System

Like this episode? Leave a review here:

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🎙 Common Denominator Podcast 

Website:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/podcast/⁠ 

YouTube: @mpopack 

Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/mpopack ⁠

Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack⁠ 

Newsletter:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/⁠

In this episode of Common Denominator, I break down one of the most extraordinary leadership stories of our time: Jensen Huang and NVIDIA.

Over the last 36 months, NVIDIA has added roughly $100 billion in market cap per month, growing from a $300 billion company to nearly $4.5 trillion. But numbers like that don’t happen by accident. They’re the result of leadership.

In this episode, I explore what kind of leadership it actually takes to build a company like NVIDIA — and what we can all learn from Jensen Huang’s 32-year tenure as CEO.

Here’s what I dive into:

- Why leadership compounds over time

- The power of thinking in decades, not quarters

- Why betting early on AI, GPUs, and CUDA looked irrational — but wasn’t

- How staying technically fluent at scale protects standards and speed

- Why calm is one of the most underrated leadership traits

- The difference between managing outcomes and managing direction

- How great companies become infrastructure the world can’t function without

On Common Denominator, I always ask: what’s the real force behind extraordinary outcomes? More often than not, it’s leadership. Not the title — the substance.

Whether you’re building a startup, leading a team, investing, or simply trying to lead yourself better, the lessons are the same:

Think longer.

Stay close to the work.

Build for where the world is going.

Don’t let success dilute conviction.

Jensen Huang didn’t just build NVIDIA. He demonstrated what leadership looks like in an era of exponential change.

And to me, that’s the real common denominator.

Like this episode? Leave a review here:

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Website:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/podcast/⁠ 

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Newsletter:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/⁠

What separates people who last from those who fade out?

14-year NFL veteran Kelvin Beachum joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about longevity, discipline, faith, and what it really takes to keep showing up when motivation fades.

Kelvin reflects on the principles that have shaped his life on and off the field — from growing up in a small Texas town to becoming one of the longest-tenured offensive linemen in the NFL. He explains why willingness matters more than talent, why falling in love with the mundane is essential for sustained success, and how delayed gratification compounds over time.

The conversation explores everything from training and recovery after 35, to faith as a daily practice, to financial discipline, mentorship, and preparing for life after football. Kelvin also shares how his understanding of “why” has evolved — from proving himself as a seventh-round draft pick to serving others, mentoring younger players, and building a future beyond the game.

Let's call it a masterclass in consistency, humility, and doing the unglamorous work that most people avoid — and why that work is often the true common denominator of meaningful success.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

- Why willingness often matters more than talent

- How falling in love with the mundane creates long-term success

- The role delayed gratification plays in building a lasting career

- Why showing up consistently compounds over time

- How Kelvin adapted training, recovery, and rest as he aged in the NFL

- Why faith became central to his ability to endure and perform

- How financial discipline protects athletes after their playing days end

- What mentorship looks like later in a career

- How Kelvin is preparing for life after football through private equity and global investing

- Why curiosity may be one of the most underrated drivers of growth

Timestamps: 

0:00 Introduction

03:46 – The Power of Showing Up & Valuing Time

05:18 – Family Influence: Grandfather, Father & Faith

07:16 – Small-Town Roots & Growing Up with Sports

10:02 – NFL Career Longevity Explained

11:26 – The X-Factor: Loving the Mundane

13:35 – Motivation, Delayed Gratification & Competing with Yourself

16:44 – Defying Labels & Breaking Stereotypes

18:11 – Training at 36: Recovery Over Ego

21:27 – Sleep, Recovery & Non-Negotiables

23:08 – Faith as a Foundation

25:59 – Financial Discipline in the NFL

29:12 – Long-Term Wealth, Trusts & Legacy Planning

31:21 – Mentoring Younger Players

33:27 – Life After Football

35:49 – Staying Humble & Always Learning

37:02 – Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

38:07 – The True Common Denominator

38:55 – Final Reflections & Gratitude

39:09 – Kelvin’s Big Adventure & Staying Curious

40:40 – Final Thanks & Sign-Off

Like this episode? Leave a review here:

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🎙 Common Denominator Podcast 

Website:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/podcast/⁠ 

YouTube: @mpopack 

Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/mpopack ⁠

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Newsletter:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/⁠

What happens when you realize your children’s mistakes aren’t yours to fix?

I recently found myself in an emotional parenting moment — a serious conversation with my two oldest children, ages 18 and 19, that stayed with me long after it ended. As a father, I thought I was being firm, even harsh… but what I really uncovered was one of the hardest truths of fatherhood:

You can love your children deeply… and still have to let them go.

As a dad of 11 children, I’ve spent more than two decades learning — and re-learning — what it means to show up with unconditional love. Parenting at this scale teaches you quickly: you can guide, you can mentor, you can be present… but you cannot walk the path for them.

There’s a balance between unconditional love and tough love. Between wanting to protect them and realizing they need space to fail, to struggle, and to grow into who they’re meant to become.

I’ve also come to understand that so much of our stress as parents comes from expectations — expecting our kids to move on our timeline, to make the choices we think are best, to avoid the pain we’ve already lived through.

But once you accept reality for what it is, the tension eases. You remember: this isn’t about control. It’s about trust.

This episode is a reminder that parenting isn’t about saving our children from life — it’s about being a stable, grounded presence while they learn to live it.

Like this episode? Leave a review here:

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🎙 Common Denominator Podcast 

Website:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/podcast/⁠ 

YouTube: @mpopack 

Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/mpopack ⁠

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Newsletter:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/newsletter/⁠

What separates the companies that win from the ones that quietly fade away?

Nicolas Darveau-Garneau — former Google Chief Evangelist, multi-time founder, angel investor, and author — joins me to unpack what he’s learned after advising over 1,000 CEOs and investing in more than 25 companies.

Nicolas breaks down why product-market fit is everything, why most founders misunderstand who their best customers really are, and how a single clear metric can align an entire organization. Drawing on stories from Google, SpaceX, Amazon, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, he reveals why speed, clarity, and purpose consistently outperform complexity and brute force.

They explore why storytelling is not a talent but a practiced skill, why timing matters as much as the idea itself, and why the ability to “get better at getting better” may be the only sustainable competitive advantage in the age of AI.

This conversation is essential listening for founders, operators, investors, and anyone building something that matters. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

- The three traits great founders consistently share

- Why 10% of customers often drive 80–90% of profits 

- Why speed and operational cadence beat perfection 

- How great companies build systems that improve without the CEO 

- The biggest mistakes founders make when scaling 

- Why purpose—not profit alone—sustains founders through hard times 

Check out Nicolas’ new book: ⁠Be a Sequoia, Not a Bonsai: The Seven Growth Secrets of the World’s Most Successful Companies⁠ https://www.amazon.com/Sequoia-Not-Bonsai-Successful-Companies/dp/1400254248

Like this episode? Leave a review here:https://ratethispodcast.com/commondenominator

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Website:⁠ https://moshepopack.com/podcast/⁠ 

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Most people don’t have a money problem — they have a thinking problem.

In this episode of Common Denominator, I sit down with economist Laurence Kotlikoff – Boston University professor and creator of MaxiFi financial planning –  to unpack the biggest lie we tell ourselves about our financial lives: that we don’t need to look… and it’ll all work out.

Laurence explains why so many of us avoid our numbers (fear, superstition, math phobia), why much of Wall Street’s “standard advice” conflicts with real economics, and why personal finance is far more complicated than people realize — from taxes and inflation to Social Security’s 22,000-page rulebook. We talk through what it actually takes to answer the simplest question that drives everything: How much can I safely spend — and keep spending — without running out?

We also zoom out to the macro questions people feel every day: whether Social Security could be cut, whether AI has created a market bubble, how panic can move markets even when fundamentals don’t, what housing really means as an inflation hedge, and why inflation hurts households so differently depending on how their income and assets are structured.

This conversation is a reminder that “having your finances straight” isn’t about luck, hype, or perfect timing — it’s about getting clear, making sustainable decisions, and using the right tools to avoid leaving massive money on the table.

In this episode you’ll learn:

- The biggest lie people tell themselves about money — and why it’s so common

- Why personal finance isn’t “simple math” (and why most people freeze anyway)

- How to think about spending safely if you live to 100

- What a 23% Social Security benefit cut could mean — and how to plan around it

- Why many households make the wrong Social Security decision and lose big

- Whether AI stocks are overvalued — and how bubbles (and panic) form

- How the market can drop hard even without “fundamental” reasons

- When buying a home makes sense vs. renting — and what people miss

- Why inflation burns some people and spares others (and how to protect yourself)

- The “common denominator” of people who actually stay financially secure

Like this episode? Leave a review here:

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Chapters:

00:00 The Biggest Lie We Tell Ourselves About Money

02:23 Welcome + Why We Avoid Our Finances

05:10 Why Financial Planning Is So Complicated

07:34 Math Phobia, Behavioral Avoidance, and Real Solutions

11:23 Social Security “Running Out” + Planning for Benefit Cuts

14:54 AI, Market Valuations, and Bubble Risk

19:50 Panic, Multiple Equilibria, and Why Markets Crash

22:06 Real Estate: When to Buy and How to Think About Risk

25:22 Housing as an Inflation Hedge

27:26 Money Supply, Inflation, and What People Feel Day-to-Day

32:13 America’s Debt, Fiscal Solvency, and Unfunded Liabilities

34:44 Practical Solutions + “You’re Hired” Reforms

41:50 The Common Denominator of Financial Stability

44:11 Final Takeaways + Where to Find Laurence

Follow Laurence:

Website: Kotlikoff.net

Newsletter: https://larrykotlikoff.substack.com/ 

MaxiFi: https://www.maxifi.com/ 

Book: Money Magic https://www.amazon.com/Money-Magic-Economists-Secrets-Better/dp/0316541958 

🎙 Common Denominator Podcast

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