Humans of Business (former Community Life)

“Sometimes success feels ordinary when you’re the one who lived it.”

In this episode, we talked about how to build trust, authority, and impact by understanding yourself, embracing change, and learning to communicate with clarity, warmth, and presence, in particular:

👉 Why storytelling is not optional, but is a survival skill.

👉 Public speaking vs. “private speaking”, and why both matter.

👉 How to build trust fast in high-stakes conversations.

Join Tre Balchowsky, a coach, a trainer, and a public speaker on a mission to make powerful ideas understandable, memorable, and impossible to ignore, from coaching tech founders to secure funding, win trust, and own the room to co-founding a storytelling community Odd Salon that delves into history, science, art, and adventure in San Francisco, she helps people turn knowledge into narratives that move people with the power of storytelling, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Tre and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/trebalchowsky/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Tre Balchowski

(01:07) Travel obsession, favorite places, and cultures

(04:19) What Tre does

(07:51) Storytelling podcast + books + comfort sci‑fi read

(10:54) Why everyone needs storytelling

(13:30) How story sells connection

(17:03) Story essentials

(19:26) Using failure the right way

(23:05) Building trust fast

(27:45) How to Stop Sounding Uncertain

(29:04) How to Replace “I Think” and “You Know”

(33:50) General Trust vs Subject-Matter Trust

(37:36) Telling Your Own Success Story

(42:19) Tre's Hidden Superpower

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

“My business exists because I once felt invisible in a room.”

In this episode, we talked about how vulnerability, belonging, and human connection become competitive advantages in business, in particular:

👉 How introversion can be a leadership strength, not a weakness.

👉 Why relationship-building is a long-term investment, not a tactic.

👉 Why success today means helping people feel less alone.

Join Jan Keck, a people-loving introvert, facilitation trainer, experience designer, TEDx speaker, and the mind behind ‘Ice Melters’, who turned shyness into a superpower, and now helps leaders and teams move from awkward silence to real connection, and is on a personal mission to ensure people feel less alone and more seen, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Jan and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jankeck/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Jan Keck

(03:44) The Austrian Alps Adventure

(06:47) Challenges in Business and Writing a Book

(11:24) Building a Training Business

(16:05) The Importance of Feedback and Connection

(21:26) Using Video for Deeper Connections

(26:03) Building Trust in Relationships

(27:41) The 36 Questions to Build Closeness

(28:53) Mastermind Groups and Personal Growth

(32:18) The Art of Starting Conversations

(35:46) Finding Genuine Happiness

(39:05) Connecting Through Shared Experiences

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

“Most of our decisions feel rational until you realize how much of them were borrowed from other people.”

In this episode, we talked about how understanding human behavior helps us build better businesses, deeper relationships, and more meaningful creative work, in particular:

👉 Why saying “I don’t know” can actually make you more credible, not less.

👉 Why many small failures hurt far less than one big one.

👉 Why success in creative work often comes from chaos, chance, and consistency over time.

Join Phill Agnew, the voice, the mind, and the human behind the UK’s #1 marketing podcast, Nudge, the show that turns behavioral science into simple, practical insights for anyone trying to influence, persuade, or build something people love, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Phill and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Phill Agnew

(01:39) Phill's Wikipedia Adventures

(05:55) The Power of Behavioral Science in Marketing

(12:28) Social Proof and Herd Mentality

(18:28) Building Connections with Influencers

(25:27) The Power of Exponential Bets

(28:36) Embracing Failure and Learning from Mistakes

(29:14) The Viral TikTok Campaign Experiment

(31:27) The Myth of Overnight Success

(32:46) Building Genuine Human Connections

(40:24) The Importance of Admitting Flaws

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

“Your energy tells the truth long before your words do.”

In this episode, we talked about how understanding your energy, your wiring, and your human story reveals the clearest path to building a sustainable business, in particular:

👉 Why you should stop looking outside yourself for answers.

👉 How to listen to your body when logic pushes you the wrong way.

👉 How to navigate the chaos of online advice and find what truly fits you.

Join Nicoline Huizinga, a Human Design coach, business mentor, and story-based marketing expert who believes growth should come with clarity, confidence, and client, and who helps entrepreneurs build businesses that feel like home, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Nicoline and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolinehuizinga/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Nicoline Huizinga

(01:14) James Bond and Guilty Pleasures

(03:53) Building a Business with Clarity and Confidence

(06:46) Navigating the Noise: Finding Your Path

(12:57) Embracing Mistakes and Learning

(19:09) The Power of Human Connection

(24:01) Discovering Human Design

(29:05) Skepticism and Science Behind Human Design

(30:07) Energy and Authenticity

(36:52) Listening to Your Body

(41:04) Philosophical Insights and Personal Stories

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

“I’d rather lose business than work with people who don’t share my values.”

In this episode, we talked about why an entrepreneurial journey is not just about business, but about staying true to yourself, choosing independence over comfort, and building companies that feel like real human communities, in particular:

👉 The importance of choosing people with shared values over short-term profit.

👉 How passion and intelligence are the only real hiring criteria.

👉 Why happiness and freedom are the ultimate measures of success.

Join Marc Clemens, a true entrepreneur who’s been reshaping the way we work for over a decade, from launching a curated online wine shop early in his career to now building 9am, a platform that simplifies freelancers' lives, and who, as a co-founder of Europe's first conference for freelancers Freelance Unlocked, is on a mission to drive the Freelance Revolution worldwide, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Marc and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcclemens/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Marc Clemens

(01:17) From Reggae DJ to Entrepreneur

(03:45) The Freelance Revolution

(06:55) Building a Passionate Team

(11:11) Navigating Business Relationships

(14:50) Personal Reflections and Core Identity

(16:30) Balancing Friendship and Professional Life

(17:02) Dealing with Uncertainty

(18:30) The Importance of Honest Feedback

(21:05) Maintaining Optimism and Passion

(23:48) Knowing When to Pivot or Exit

(27:10) Defining Success Beyond Financial Metrics

(27:41) Balancing Work and Personal Life

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

“I thought I was building a business, but I was actually rediscovering myself.”

In this episode, we talked about how embracing our humanity—vulnerability, loss, intuition, and joy—can become the foundation for authentic success, in particular:

👉 Why frustration and failure can be the greatest gifts for transformation.

👉 The story of leaving corporate success to find soulful purpose.

👉 The power of seeing life’s collapses as seeds for new beginnings.

Join Blanca Vergara, a transformational coach, speaker, and founder of The Ripple, who empowers women to move from self-doubt to confident, heart-centered leadership, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Blanca and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/blancavergara/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Blanca Vergara: Transformational Coach

(00:58) The Power of Expectations and Reality

(03:13) From Business Coach to Transformational Leader

(04:36) Discovering True Passion and Purpose

(08:24) The Journey of Self-Realization

(14:53) Spiritual Insights and Human Experience

(16:20) The Collapse of Structures and Embracing Change

(17:22) Dancing with Reality: Adapting to Life's Challenges

(19:15) Seeing Benevolence in Adversity

(21:07) Decentralization and Individual Authenticity

(24:32) Navigating Personal Collapses and Finding Hope

(27:37 )Advice to My Teenage Self

(29:13) The Importance of Presence and Courageous Actions

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

"Letting go creates space for something new, something better, something real."

In this episode, we talked about how presence and peace can fuel both personal growth and professional impact, and why letting go is often the ultimate leadership skill, in particular:

👉 Why true success means returning to peace, not chasing metrics.

👉 The difference between being in control vs. being in connection.

👉 What we gain when we stop clinging and start trusting the moment.

Join Balach Hussain, a people coach by day, and a writer and amateur athlete by night, who uses the Pantarei Approach to help individuals and businesses find clarity, resilience, and joy at work and in life, and a founder of letsroll.ai, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Balach and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/balach/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Balach Hussain

(01:35) The Power of Patience and Long-Term Goals

(03:41) Signs from the Universe and Synchronicity

(07:56) Building Two Businesses

(10:59) The Journey to Coaching

(22:15) The Importance of Letting Go

(28:06) The Power of Perspective in Coaching and Leadership

(29:41) Living in the Present Moment

(32:36) Dealing with Burnout

(35:00) Small Steps to Recovery and Coaching Others

(43:29) Defining Success Beyond Financial Metrics

(45:31) Finding Happiness in Everyday Life

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

"Authenticity isn’t something you stay in, it’s something you show up with."

In this episode, we talked about why success starts with self-trust, and how aligning who we are with how we show up, helps our business to become an extension of our purpose, in particular:

👉 Why building trust starts with inner alignment.

👉 Why consistency matters more than perfection.

👉 How to create impact by being, not just doing.

Join Ieva Drazniece, an introvert passionate to empower who turned speaker, mentor, and entrepreneur, who helps leaders and teams build trust, show up authentically, and create meaningful connections that drive growth, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Ieva and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ieva-drazniece/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Ieva Drazniece

(01:08) The Art of Photography and Human Connection

(03:17) Building Trust and Authentic Connections

(05:08) Navigating Social Media and Authenticity

(11:52) Procrastination vs. Motivation

(13:55) Discovering Life Purpose and Passion

(16:42) The Journey to Community Building

(22:07) Public Speaking and Leadership for Introverts

(29:06) Defining Success Beyond Financial Metrics

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

"Some of my best business deals started with one hour of talking about video games, not business."

In this episode, we talked about how human traits like resilience, curiosity, and authenticity fuel not only freelancing success but also the growth of a multimillion-euro company, in particular:

👉 Importance of building real human connections in business and beyond.

👉 How to push through self-doubt and build resilience as a founder.

👉 Danger of comparisons and how to define success on your own terms.

Join Thomas Marbella, an entrepreneur, developer, investor, and mentor with over 15 years of experience in app development, who started out as a freelancer earning over €200K a year building apps for brands like Spotify and Porsche, before turning his one-man business into OneCode, a company now making over €3M in revenue, and he also mentors developers and entrepreneurs through his platform, Rich Dev Poor Dev, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Thomas and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasmarbella/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:

(00:00) Meet Thomas Marbella: Entrepreneur and Mentor

(02:58) The Importance of Human Connection in Business

(04:38) Hiring the Right People

(10:28) The Value of Friendships and Business Relationships

(13:54) The Power of Human Connections in Networking

(18:46) Holiday Networking Strategies

(19:28) The Value of Making Mistakes

(21:14) Resilience and Overcoming Self-Doubt

(24:30) The Importance of Humility and Lifelong Learning

(25:32) The Trap of Comparisons

(30:04) Defining Success and Happiness

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business

"I don’t have the energy to control other people’s perception of me."

In this episode, we talked about building an agency from scratch, embracing cultural identity, using humor to connect, and redefining success on her own terms, in particular:

👉 Balancing ambition with self-acceptance in a high-achievement family culture.

👉 Why comparing yourself to your past self can be healthier than comparing to others.

👉 Why letting go of control over others’ opinions can be liberating in business and life.

Join Defne Gencler, a Turkish-Dutch-American marketer, storyteller, and stand-up comedian who helps B2B SaaS and AI startups turn content into revenue: from Google and Viacom to the comedy stages of New York, her career has been all about connecting with audiences, sharpening messages, and helping brands bring the right people through the door, in uncovering the human side of successful business! 🤗🤩😎

Connect with Defne and Yurii on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/defnegencler/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurii-lazaruk-community-consultant/

Timestamps:
(00:00) Meet Defne Gencler: Marketer, Storyteller, Comedian

(02:42) The Journey from Freelancer to Agency Owner

(05:16) Balancing Ambition and Self-Worth

(10:24) Cultural Influences and Professional Growth

(14:12) The Standup Comedy Experience

(18:53) Using Humor and Reading the Room in Business

(22:44) Balancing Learning and Growth

(23:56) Dealing with Others' Perceptions

(25:37) Embracing Imperfection

(27:30) The Value of Saying 'I Don't Know'

(28:21) Building Friendships and Business Relationships

(30:15) Client Relationships and Human Values

(32:54) Defining Success and Happiness

#HumansOfBusiness #HoB #humans #business