Edvolution Podcast

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Jen opens up about her path to finding a meaningful career for herself.  From her high school teacher telling Jen she would never be a good writer, to her best friends calling Jen's business ideas "the dumbest they've ever heard," Jen talks about rejecting societal expectations every step of the way and betting on herself. We talk about the unconventional 80 year old mentor Jen found in her twenties, her struggle with a deep trauma, and the mindset she's developed to create a meaningful life on her terms. 

About Jen Glantz:
Jen Glantz is the founder of the viral business, "Bridesmaid for Hire", the creator of the project, "Finally the Bride", the founder of the blog, "The Things I Learned From", the voice of the podcast, "You're Not Getting Any Younger", the founder of the coaching business, "Jen & Juice", and the author of the Amazon-bestselling books, "All My Friends are Engaged", & "Always a Bridesmaid for Hire", published by Simon and Schuster. 

She's told her stories on hundreds of press outlets around the world, such as TODAY Show, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, and Fox News, where they called her job the “weirdest of all time."

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Tyrone shares how he lifted himself and his family out of poverty, became a track star, qualified for Olympic tryouts, only to see his life fall into pieces within one year. As he battled a deep depression, Tyrone found himself contemplating suicide. He opens up about the moment that almost ended his life and the flood of realizations that followed as soon as he decided to live for himself. We further discuss the impact of "living for your resume" and how we process (and ignore) deep societal trauma. 

About Tyrone:
Self-described as the voice for the voiceless and son of two superhero survivors, Tyrone is the CEO of Onramp Invest, the founder of 401stc, a storytelling consultancy, and host of Altruist’s the Human Advisor Podcast. He is a graduate of Seton Hall University, and was also a 2004 Olympic Trials qualifier in track and field in the 400 meters. He was recognized by Investment News 40 under 40 (2019), and as a top ten advisor set to change the industry in 2019.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Justin opens up about how he built a successful tech career in sales despite experiencing failure after failure in his earlier years. From struggling in school as a teenager to jumping from job to job in his early twenties, Justin recounts the moments that led him to bet on himself and others that threatened his sense of self-worth. We further discuss how he found the motivation that enabled him to find his own path.

About Justin:
Justin Welsh is an SMB SaaS advisor, executive mentor, and operator with 10+ years of revenue leadership experience. He recently led LA-based PatientPop from $0 to $50M+ in ARR in 4.5 years. Justin specializes in SMB SaaS sales and partners with early-stage founders to craft the sales story and achieve scale. Prior to PatientPop, Justin was the 10th employee at NY-based ZocDoc, where he held multiple revenue leadership roles over nearly five years.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Carlita tells us why she ended an 18-year marriage and shares the journey that led to this life-changing decision. Carlita also talks about navigating the world of new challenges after her divorce, from overcoming financial insecurity to dealing with a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. 

About Carlita:
Carlita L. Coley is a licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia with 10 years of experience providing mental health services to women and youth. As the founder of theFosteringYOUInitiative, LLC, Carlita works to educate and empower women to find their voice; “I aim to help women and young girls rebuild their confidence, and their lives, after tragedy and despite adversity.”  

In this episode, LaToya opens up about the sexual and emotional abuse that started for her at the age of five. She tells us about the societal messaging that prevented her from recognizing the toxicity of her environment and worse, influenced LaToya’s understanding of her self-worth. We learn about how LaToya finds her voice and overcomes years of trauma, limiting beliefs, and millions of voices telling her she’s not good enough. We further discuss her work as a chaplain in the military and the path to get there as a woman.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Emily talks about her decision to leave her family, the Amish culture, and everything she knew at the age of 17. We discuss the many culture shocks and challenges that she had to overcome, from identity crises to abusive relationships. As Emily takes her happiness into her own hands, she commits to making positive changes and finding strength within herself. This road brings her to powerlifting, and Emily tells us how she went from a scared 17-year-old to a nationally competitive athlete, mom of 2, and a successful businesswoman.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Chris talks about experiencing homelessness at the age of 19 and finding himself without a job, unable to pay for school, and without support from family or friends. This month, four years later, Chris became a home owner at the age of 24 and is making six-figures. Chris shares how he overcame depression and suicidal thoughts to find his path despite the odds being against him. 

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Alex shares how she built a successful sales career in New York City, only to leave the glamorous lifestyle and buy a one-way ticket to Brazil. She tells us about dealing with a pre-cancer diagnosis at the age of 24 and battling fear, insecurities, and awakenings all at the same time. We further discuss the importance of stepping outside of your environment and unapologetically being yourself.

About Alex:
Alexandria Smith is a seasoned Sales Leader that has worked for some of the hottest startups for the last decade all over the country. Currently leading Global Sales Development at Headspace, she is best known for developing happy, healthy, high performing sales teams that help win revenue targets, acquisitions, fundings, IPOs, and scale. She is passionate about bringing awareness and discussion to diversity and inclusivity within sales orgs and leadership teams with a strong focus on reversing a “CRUSH IT” sales culture and its impact on mental health. Alexandria is also a world traveler and educator on the science and benefits of meditation and mindfulness and is a certified yoga and breath-work instructor.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Nabila shares her experiences as a solo-traveler and how she visited 30+ countries while being a full-time student. Coming from a traditional South Asian family, Nabila talks about being the girl that always followed the rules and stayed on the path that her parents wanted for her: going to pharmacy school, getting a job, marrying, and having a family. But when Nabila found herself miserable during school, she decided to make a change. She tells us about overcoming familial and societal pressures to empower herself and beginning her journey as a solo traveler. Nabila believes traveling has been her greatest teacher and shares the invaluable lessons, as well as some fun (and not so fun) memories she made along the way.

In this episode of the Edvolution Podcast with host, Shireen Jaffer, Rebecca discusses her decision to reject the corporate route after business school and fly to Tanzania instead. She talks about losing her father at the age of 9 and her mother's cancer diagnosis, both of which influence her to question, “What would I do if I only had one year to live?” Rebecca tells us about her journey into the world of international development and discovering the darker side of “good” work. We further discuss entrepreneurship, the loneliness of betting on yourself, and how "feeling alive" feels to each of us.

About Rebecca:
After graduating from Babson College with an entrepreneurship degree, Rebecca moved to Tanzania to work in international development. She quickly became disillusioned with the industry and began searching for solutions in 2017. With no clear path forward, she realized that if she wanted things to change, she would have to step up and be part of the change. With that, Anika Works Inc. was born in 2019.