Failing Up

In this episode of Failing Up, John Gillen joins Claire Barthelemy for a deeply human conversation about losing faith in politics — and finding balance in life. We what it means to stay grounded in a divided world, the cost of being the “sane voice,” and how forgiveness, gratitude, and listening can rebuild both our personal and collective sanity.

From the chaos of political discourse to the quiet lessons of love and self-awareness, this conversation reminds us that balance isn’t found in certainty, it’s found in understanding.

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Timestamps:

 0:00 – Introduction

 1:00 – Zohran and the repercussions of winning as mayor of NYC

 11:00 – The alternative realities of the right & left

 21:30 – Fallout after Charlie Kirk from both sides

 25:00 – Appreciating both sides of the spectrum

 27:00 – Listen to understand

 31:00 – The consequences of trying to be the sane voice

 37:00 – Individualism vs collectivism

 39:30 – 69% of young adults ending relationships due to “toxicity”

 44:30 – You can’t love someone into changing

 51:00 – Balancing self-love & relationships

 54:30 – The importance of boundaries

 1:00:00 – Forgiveness as alleviating revenge

 1:05:00 – Gratitude & joy for the little thing

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship #politics

David Hoffman is the Co-Founder of Bankless, one of the most influential media platforms in the crypto ecosystem. In this episode, we cover everything from the evolution of crypto cycles and Trump’s influence on the digital asset space to the mental health toll of online criticism, the philosophy behind content creation, and what it means to "be the best at something in the world."

We also dive into how David broke into the crypto space, the emotional spiral that led him to discover Ethereum, and why podcasting is one of the last remaining forms of true human conversation online.

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08

Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449

Timestamps:

0:00 - Welcome David Hoffman To The Show! 

2:00 - Effective Pattern Matching and how it relates to crypto

4:00 - The difference in crypto cycles (BS is gone)

5:46 - David’s take on presidential grifting and what Trump has done for crypto

12:00 - How the Bankless podcast stays objective when reporting information

19:00 - The lost art of podcasting

26:00 - How David got into crypto to begin with

28:30 - David’s advice to students graduating who aren’t sure of what they want to do with their career

35:00 - Dealing with internet trolls

44:00 - Dating in New York

47:00 - Be the best at something in the world

48:00 - Thanks For Watching! Like & Subscribe

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship #technology #ai

Ornelle Cherazi, known online as @NelNourish, joins me to share her powerful story — from modeling to culinary school to becoming one of Canada’s most magnetic food creators.We talk about what it was like growing up between Uganda, Rwanda, and Canada, and how being a model with an obsession for health led her into the world of food, but not in the way you’d expect. Nel opens up about recovering from orthorexia, what culinary school really teaches you, the power of tasting everything, and what it takes to actually go viral and stay there.She also drops honest takes on gym culture, food trends, dealing with online hate, and why being yourself is still the best growth strategy. This one is for anyone building a brand, chasing creativity, or healing their relationship with food.Follow Us On IG: https://www.instagram.com/failinguppp/?hl=enListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Welcome Nel Nourish!1:00 – Growing up in Uganda, Rwanda, and moving to Canada3:00 – Going from model to chef: why she pivoted8:00 – Real takeaways from culinary school13:00 – “You have to taste everything”18:00 – Orthorexia: being too healthy can hurt20:00 – “Your body isn’t stupid”: healing through intuition24:00 – How Nel handles internet hate26:00 – Going viral: how to do it and how to stay there33:00 – The best kind of creator is just being yourself37:00 – Her favorite recipe right now (and why it matters)#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship #technology #ai

Louis Reggiero — founder of Nothing’s Off the Table, a podcast about overcoming addiction — lost over $100,000 in a single night in Vegas. But that wasn’t the rock bottom. It took him 10 years to get 1 year of sobriety.

In this episode, LJ shares how addiction nearly destroyed his life — and how fatherhood, faith, and the gift of desperation helped him start healing. We also talked about:

 — Gambling as emotional escape

 — Why honesty was the turning point in his recovery

 — How to rebuild trust in relationships damaged by addiction

 — The impact of having a child while in recovery

 — Unconditional love, relapse cycles, and second chances

 — Why society is addicted to gambling — and not talking about it

If you’re six feet above ground, you still have a shot. This episode proves it.

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Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/MJc2AtTQCfw

TImestamps:

0:00 - Welcome Louis To Failing Up!

2:00 - Losing 30K-100K Per night in Vegas as escapism

6:45 - How addiction affected LJ’s Family

9:00 - It took 10 years to get 1 year of sobriety once he wanted to be sober for himself

16:00 - No longer running away from the truth

19:00 - How can you build trust in a relationship with an addict

26:00 - How having a child changed his addiction

29:30 - The gift of desperation

33:00 - How unconditional love helped shape LJ

44:00 - Society’s gambling epidemic

52:00 - If you’re 6 feet above ground, you have another chance

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship #addictionrecovery #recovery #addiction

John Gillen left BlackRock to launch his own crypto fund — but this episode goes way beyond markets.

We talked about the political shift around crypto, why it shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and whether Bitcoin could realistically hit a $50 trillion market cap.

John also opened up about his personal philosophy — on time, consciousness, free will, and the emotional complexity of modern relationships.

We also explored:

 — The Christian model for forgiveness

 — How betrayal fractures trust and identity

 — The role of emotional intelligence in both connection and conflict

 — Why good friends can change how you love

 — Whether time is a real phenomenon — or just a perceptual bias

A wide-ranging, thought-provoking episode that blends crypto, consciousness, and self-awareness.

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Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/sl_esZYeF2E

TIMESTAMPS: 

0:00 - Welcome John Gillen To Failing Up? 

2:00- Working at Blackjack versus being an entrepreneurship in crypto

6:00 - Is what the Trump administration for crypto permanent or reversible?

8:00 - Why John thinks crypto should not be a “partisan issue”

11:00 - Crypto/Blockchain uses in real time

13:00 - Bitcoin market cap predicition: 50 trillion (is this viable)?

16:00 - Time is real but it is a cognitive perceptual bias

21:30 - Consciousness and how other religious teachings can be applied towards consciousness

26:00 - the Christian Model for forgiveness

29:27 - Betrayal trauma is like your head getting smashed into glass because the wounds go in all different parts of yourself

35:18 - It takes a lot of violence to be this gentle

41:00 - How to maintaining integrity while dating

45:00 - Where John thinks emotional intelligence comes from

46:30 - Good friends show you how you should be treated in a relationship

49:00 - Two people look at a painting, one cries, one asks “what time is lunch?”

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship #technology #ai

I sat down with Phil Rosen, founder of Opening Bell Daily, a leading financial newslettter for a conversation about persistence, media, and how to stand out in a noisy world.

Phil spent years inside the mainstream newsroom before building one of the fastest-growing independent finance newsletters. We talked about what journalism taught him about power, the internet as a free market of ideas, and why showing up longer than everyone else might be the real key to success.

We also cover:

— Why in-person work is underrated

— What Gen Z gets unfairly criticized for

— How tech is changing the way we think and communicate

— The difference between covering the Trump vs. Biden administrations

— Why objectivity in media is more critical than ever

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08

Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Welcome Phil Rosen To Failing Up!

1:00 - Success is persistence - just show up longer

2:30 - The internet Is the free market ideas

6:00 - What Phil learned in journalism

9:00 - Enthusiasm can take you very far in life personally and professionally

12:00 - In person work is the best for your career

14:00 - What people have wrong about Gen-Z

19:00 - The pros and cons of technology

24:00 - The difference between the Biden and Trump Administration reporting

32:00 - the downfall of mainstream media and how to remain objective

40:00 - Thanks Phil For Joining! Like & Subscribe!

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship #technology #ai

What happens when technology moves faster than our ability to understand it?

In this episode, I sat down with Brett Goldstein, founder of Micro, for one of the most thought-provoking conversations we’ve had, touching on the future of robotics, the shrinking definition of humanity, and why design still clings to the past. We talk about Philosophy of who and what we build for.

We also talk about:

 — Paradigm shifts in how we live, build, and think

 — Whether we should be capable of automating death

 — Why AI companionship might not be as far off as we think

 — Sprezzatura and the art of effortless mastery

 — Why email is actually your most powerful CRM

 — And the brutal truth: you can’t build with people you don’t respect

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08

Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449

Timestamps:

0:00 - Welcome Brett Goldstein To Failing Up!

1:00 - Paradigm Shifts that we are experiencing right now

3:00 Skeuomorphism in design

6:00 The way we define being human gets smaller as technology advances

11:00 What the world looks like in 20 years with robotics and AI

14:00 Should we be capable of automating death?

20:00 Are we ready to accept robots and AI as companionship?

21:30 - Sprezzaturra - the art of not caring (further from necessity)

32:30 - Email is in fact our biggest CRM and we don’t appreciate it

39:30 - You can’t be in a relationship with someone you don’t love = you can’t be in business with someone you don’t respect

50:00 - Thanks Brett For Joining! Like & Subscribe

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship #technology #ai

This week I sat down with Jack Kuveke, founder of Jabroni Capital. Jack Kuveke does a little bit of everything — angel investing, content, internet chaos, and bringing humor to the business world in a Bartstool Sports style, but with a twist. In this episode of Failing Up, we talk about how comedy can actually be a powerful tool in tech and marketing, and how to know when something is genuinely worth your time.

We also get into:

- Who can actually hold out longer in the US–China trade war

- Why Americans are addicted to debt (and dumb spending)

- The broken logic of NYC real estate

- How Jack prices himself, handles haters, and builds brands

- What he’s working on with Jason (hint: it involves memes and money)

- His take on virtue signaling, internet toxicity, and... radioactive orphan sources

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08

Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Who can hold out longer with the tariff war, China or the US

10:00 - The US lives off of debt

16:00 - The overpriced and trifling New York Real estate economy

18:30 - We as consumers need to spend less money on dumb sh*t

22:00 - Jack’s new show with Jason bringing humor to business and tech

28:30 - How Jack measures whether something is worth spending his time on or not

32:00 - How to market leveraging comedy

36:00 - How to price yourself with sponsorships or business

37:15 - How to deal with haters and self-doubt

43:00 - The future of Jabroni Capital

44:30 - Radioactive Orphan Sources and Jack’s opinion on the US approach to Nuclear Power

59:00 - Virtue Signaling

1:05 - Solving the problem of internet toxicity

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship

This week, I sat down with Asher Genoot, the CEO of Hut 8, one of North America’s largest digital infrastructure and energy providers — powering everything from crypto mining to AI compute. We talked about what it actually takes to build the infrastructure that powers the future — and why no one’s talking enough about energy when they talk about AI.

Asher breaks down the tension between energy sustainability and economic growth, shares lessons from navigating the 2022 crypto crash, and explains why he joined a bankruptcy committee on purpose — just to learn.

We also get into:

- How energy infrastructure is central to AI and national competitiveness

- Whether sustainable energy and growth can really coexist

- How to make tough calls during market crashes

- Why ego kills good decision-making

- The mindset of a great leader during chaos

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08

Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Welcome Asher To Failing Up! 

1:00 - Asher’s passion for finding your purpose in life and being eager to learn

10:00 - Asher’s journey into energy infrastructure

16:00 - Answering the question of how you allow power to be consumed in a way that is sustainable, economical?

19:00 - Is there a world where we can balance economic growth and energy sustainability?

23:30 - How the US can win the AI race

27:00 - How we got divided as a country

30:00 - Navigating difficult decisions during the 2022 crypto crash

34:00 - Intentionally joining a bankruptcy committee to learn

37:00 - Don’t let your ego get in the way of important decisions

41:00 - What makes a good leader during turbulent times

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship

Max Barrett, co-founder of the viral media brand Friday Beers, joins us to talk about giving up on the dream of playing in the NBA, building one of the internet’s most beloved comedy platforms, and discovering a deeper mission around men’s mental health. What started as a meme page quickly turned into a cultural movement, and Max opens up about the pressure to grow while staying authentic, the emotional toll of leadership, and why he believes crying is one of the healthiest things men can do.

This episode is a raw, funny, and honest look at what it means to pivot from your childhood dream, take creative risks, and lead with purpose in an era where vulnerability is often still taboo.

We also dive into:

- The fine line between criticism and trusting your gut

- How to tell the difference between passion and talent

- The story behind the birth of Friday Beers

- The power of memes in building community

- Why emotional health needs to be part of the conversation for men

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08

Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Welcome Max Brenner To Failing Up

1:00 - Giving up on the dream of the NBA

6:00 - When to accept criticism versus when to keep going

9:30 - Finding out what you’re good at versus what you’re passionate about

13:00 - When to know when to give up on your dream

15:35 - Does money buy happiness?

18:30 - How and why Friday Beers was born

26:00 - The craft of making memes

34:00 - Why Max became passionate about men’s mental health

37:00 - “Friday Beers has done more for the destigmatization of men’s mental health more than any government agency has”

39:30 - The fake Frat Olympics

44:30 - How to improve men’s mental health

50:00 - Crying is good

53:30 Maintaining growth versus maintaining authenticity

59:00 - Just start, make it perfect later

#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship