How do you resolve conflict without losing your mind... or your energy?

In this episode of Give & Receive, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov dive into the art of mediation, conflict resolution, and navigating difficult conversations in relationships, business, and everyday life.

Brian shares real-world experiences mediating disputes in both his legal practice and personal life, while Elizabeth brings research-backed insight into how tone, emotional intelligence, and human connection can completely change the outcome of disagreements.

The conversation explores:

Plus, Elizabeth shares a simple but powerful mindfulness exercise to help you approach conflict with more empathy, clarity, and compassion.

If you’ve ever struggled with difficult people, workplace tension, family disagreements, or simply want to communicate better, this episode is packed with practical wisdom you can use right away.

Listen now and learn how to turn conflict into connection.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you set healthy boundaries without feeling guilty? When should you say no? And how do boundaries actually help you give more to the people you care about?

In this episode of the Give and Receive Podcast, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov dive into one of the most important (and hardest) life skills: setting healthy boundaries. From work-life balance and difficult personalities to family time, emotional energy, people-pleasing, and self-care, they explore how boundaries shape our happiness, relationships, and personal growth.

Elizabeth shares practical ways to create boundaries that protect your energy without cutting people off, while Brian opens up about struggles with overcommitting, work demands, and balancing career with family life.

They also discuss:

✔️ Why saying “no” is really saying “yes” to what matters most

Whether you struggle with overworking, overgiving, people-pleasing, or simply protecting your peace, this conversation will help you rethink boundaries in a healthier, more compassionate way.

Subscribe for more conversations on personal growth, giving, relationships, happiness, and living with intention.

#HealthyBoundaries #PersonalGrowth #SelfCare #MentalWellness #Relationships #WorkLifeBalance #PeoplePleasing #SelfCompassion #Boundaries #GiveAndReceivePodcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it really take to succeed at work?

In this episode of the Give and Receive Podcast, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov sit down with Chris Simmons, Harvard Business School graduate, former PwC executive, and bestselling author of Nobody Told You, to break down the unwritten rules of career success that most people never learn.

From navigating corporate politics to building powerful relationships, Chris shares the strategies that helped him rise to the top, and how you can apply them immediately.

🚀 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

Why “friendship comes before favors” (and how it pays off long-term)

The Respect, Protect, Project framework for winning with your boss

How to position yourself for promotions before you’re ready

Why “smart people don’t always win," and what actually matters

How to overcome bias and control your professional narrative

The real power of giving without expecting anything in return

Chris also shares unforgettable real-life stories - from bringing pillows to work on day one to reshape perceptions, to helping others succeed and seeing it come back in unexpected ways.

This episode blends career advice, psychology, leadership, and real-world experience into a conversation that will change how you approach your work and relationships.

👤 About the Guest: Chris Simmons is a former PwC leader, executive coach, speaker, and author of Nobody Told You: What Black, Asian, and Latino Professionals Must Know to Succeed at Work.

He has led thousands of professionals and is known for his practical, no-nonsense approach to career growth.

🎯 Who This Is For:

Professionals looking to get promoted faster

Entrepreneurs and leaders building influence

Anyone navigating corporate environments

People interested in leadership, mindset, and personal growth

🔔 Don’t Forget:

Subscribe for more conversations on success, mindset, leadership, and personal growth.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 13 of the Give & Receive Podcast, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov break down how to get a better job without losing your confidence in the process. Brian shares practical job search strategies, networking tips, interview insights, and career advice based on mentoring thousands of professionals. Elizabeth brings the inner-work perspective, offering mindset tools, mindfulness, and encouragement for handling rejection, uncertainty, and the stress of looking for a new job.

This episode covers how to find a job, how to build meaningful professional connections, why most jobs come through people you know, and how to stay grounded while navigating career change. Whether you are searching for your first job, trying to leave a role you hate, or looking for a new career opportunity, this conversation offers practical and emotional support to help you move forward.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Give and Receive, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov are joined by Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson—pediatrician, bioethicist, digital health leader, and founder of Skin Metal. Wendy shares the deeply personal story behind launching a prevention-focused skincare company designed to change how boys and men care for their skin, reduce skin cancer risk, and rethink self-care.

The conversation explores what it really looks like to build a startup from the ground up, including the fear, uncertainty, financial pressure, and resilience that come with entrepreneurship. Wendy also reflects on meaningful work, Marty Seligman’s idea of using your greatest gift for the greatest good, and why confidence, health, and daily rituals matter more than we think.

Plus, the episode touches on mindfulness, gratitude, parenting, behavior change, and the simple but powerful act of making children feel seen.

In this episode:

The mission and story behind Skin Metal

Why men are often underserved in skincare and prevention

What founders don’t realize about startup life until they’re in it

The connection between self-care, confidence, and health

Wendy’s perspective on giving, receiving, and seeing others—especially children

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 11 of Give and Receive, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov sit down with Joe Alalou, Co-Founder and General Partner at Daring Ventures, a New York City–based pre-seed fund backing industry-insider founders building software for the industries they know best.

Joe shares his non-traditional path—from community college struggles and washing cars at Enterprise to transferring to Columbia, breaking into investment banking, and ultimately launching a venture fund built on one core belief: the market consistently overlooks mispriced talent.

This conversation blends entrepreneurship, career strategy, and mindfulness—plus a practical framework for evaluating your job, why founders must learn to say “I don’t know,” and how to outlast the competition by taking one more rejection than everyone else.

In this episode:

Why it’s a privilege to work hard—and how to reframe the “boring” tasks

The “Am I learning or having impact?” test for deciding when to leave a job

Late bloomer lessons: gap years, motivation, and why readiness matters more than timing

Joe’s recruiting mentorship: Wall Street After Community College and breaking into banking

Founder psychology: your relationship with adversity and why it predicts success

Playing to your signature strengths (and why you can’t be world-class at what you hate)

Rejection as proof you’re trying—and the mindset shift that changes everything

If you’re a founder, investor, or anyone navigating a career pivot, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, self-belief, and building momentum when the odds don’t feel in your favor.

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, growth, and building a meaningful life through giving and receiving.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Give and Receive, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov explore one of the most misunderstood drivers of success: energy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the true measure of success isn’t return on investment—but return on relationships?

In this powerful episode of the Give and Receive Podcast, hosts Brian Potts and Elizabeth Peidrope sit down with global business leader Paul Gyra, a former CEO, COO, and managing partner with more than three decades of experience across international banking, asset management, and executive leadership.

Paul shares his remarkable journey—from growing up in a large, artistic family in rural Vermont to living and working across Australia, London, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and Dubai. Along the way, he reveals how faith, generosity, risk-taking, and service shaped not only his career, but his understanding of success itself.

This episode explores:

Why giving without expectation creates lasting opportunity

The difference between transactional success and relational wealth

How faith, values, and compassion show up in leadership and business

Global perspectives on work, purpose, and cultural connection

Powerful personal stories about family, special needs parenting, mentorship, and legacy

Paul also shares a moving story of taking a leap to help someone build meaningful work in the Middle East—proof that generosity often creates impact far beyond what we can see in the moment.

If you’re searching for purpose in your work, clarity in your values, or a deeper understanding of what it really means to live a successful life, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends.

🎙 Give and Receive is a podcast about success, happiness, faith, and living a life grounded in generosity.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations about meaning, leadership, and living well.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Give & Receive Podcast Episode 8, hosts Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov take a practical turn into the real-world startup playbook—covering the fundamentals most founders don’t think about early enough.

Brian breaks down startup terminology in plain English, including services vs. product businesses, why product companies are often harder to scale, and what people actually mean when they say SaaS (software as a service). They also unpack the funding ladder—angel investors vs. venture capital (VC) vs. private equity—and explain how raising money works (and what “dilution” really means).

Elizabeth brings the founder mindset: how to avoid burnout, reduce attachment to one outcome, and “ride the wave” through pivots, uncertainty, and the emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurship—while staying grounded.

What “startup” really means (and why it applies to more businesses than you think)

Services vs. products: which business model is easier—and why

What SaaS means and why it can change the economics of a business

The hidden reality of product businesses: inventory, cash flow, and risk

The investor landscape: angel vs VC vs private equity

Incorporation basics: what a company is, shares, and how founders set it up

Founder mental health: non-attachment, pivots, and staying steady under pressure

A “Give & Receive” story on how generosity created unexpected opportunities

If you’re building a business, thinking about launching a side hustle, or trying to understand startup language without the jargon—this episode is for you.

Subscribe for more conversations on business, mindset, and living the Give & Receive philosophy.

#StartupAdvice #Entrepreneurship #BusinessModel #SaaS #AngelInvestor #VentureCapital #SmallBusiness #Founders #Mindset #GiveAndReceivePodcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this powerful and wide-ranging episode of the Give and Receive Podcast, hosts Elizabeth Pajove and Brian Potts sit down with Dorian Nunez, a 50-year Wall Street veteran, Harvard Business School graduate, investor, mentor, and community leader.

Dorian shares his extraordinary journey from Harlem to Harvard to Wall Street, reflecting on how mentorship, education, and service shaped his career — and why giving back has been central to every stage of his success.

The conversation dives deep into:

What values-based investing really means (and why it matters)

How ESG and socially aligned investing actually work

The growth of ETFs like DEMS and the role of data in aligning money with values

Why most people don’t know what they’re truly invested in

The power of mentorship, internships, and financial literacy

How giving without expectation leads to unexpected opportunities

Mindfulness, health, and sustaining a life of purpose and service

Dorian also discusses his work with Goods Unite Us, community development venture capital, board leadership, and initiatives designed to expand access to capital and opportunity — especially in underserved communities.

This episode is a masterclass in finance, leadership, values, and intentional living, and a reminder that how we invest our money — and our time — shapes the world around us.

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, mindfulness, business, and living with purpose.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices