Jew From The Lou

What happens when the dream you spent your entire life chasing no longer fits the person you've become?

Former NFL tight end Hakeem Valles went from undrafted to the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and New York Giants, then walked away to build something new. He gets honest about the financial reality of pro football, losing his identity when the game ended, becoming a father in the middle of it all, and starting over with Empyr Coffee, where he now helps lead 32 employees around the world.

In this episode:

• The truth about money, roster cuts, and identity in the NFL

• Why fatherhood changed his definition of success

• Walking away from football and the comeback attempt two years later

• From coffee novice to coffee builder: the Empyr story

• Leadership, grief, and why no one is truly self-made

• Finding your "freedom number" from survival mode to abundance

As Hakeem says: "The fortune is in the follow-up."

Connect with Hakeem: Instagram: @hakvalles80 | TikTok: @hakeemvalles Empyr Coffee: empyrcoffee.com | @scratchcoffeestl

Connect with Jew From The Lou: 📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #HakeemValles #EmpyrCoffee #NFL #LifeAfterFootball #Entrepreneurship #Fatherhood #Leadership #CoffeeBusiness #StLouisPodcast

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What happens when the vision in your head is bigger than what everyone else can see? This is the story of building it anyway — one cup at a time.

Parker Dill — Director of Partnerships at Empyr Coffee and founder of Scratch Coffee STL — sits down for a conversation about entrepreneurship, coffee, networking, faith, and what it really takes to build something from scratch. Parker shares how a high school internship unexpectedly led him into the coffee industry, the relationships that helped shape his career, and what he's learning while helping bring a new coffee shop to life. From navigating the messy middle of entrepreneurship to trusting timing, building the right team, and recognizing the role faith and serendipity can play along the way, this conversation is about much more than coffee. At its core, it's a conversation about putting yourself in a position for opportunity, doing the work, and believing in what you're building before everyone else understands it. Because as Parker reminds us, "I always say I'm lucky, but I put myself in a position to succeed."

In this episode:

• High school internship to coffee career

• Brick-and-mortar reality

• Collaboration over competition

• Relationship-building without constant selling

• Timing, team, faith, serendipity

• People buying into the person behind the vision

Connect with Parker and Scratch Coffee:

📱 Instagram: @parker_dill

📱 Instagram: @scratchcoffeestl

Connect with Jew From The Lou: 📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #ScratchCoffeeSTL #EmpyrCoffee #Entrepreneurship #CoffeeBusiness #Networking #SmallBusiness #Busi

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

What happens when life knocks you down again and again — and you still choose to get back up? This is a story of resilience, recovery, and hope.

In this episode of Jew From The Lou, I sit down with Brandon Shipley for a deeply personal conversation about military service, trauma, addiction, recovery, love, and what it means to keep moving forward. Brandon shares his experience with a traumatic brain injury, the loss and guilt he carried from his time in the military, and his journey through alcohol addiction, hospitalization, rehab, and rebuilding his life. We also talk about the people and purpose that helped him keep going — from the love he has for his wife to the sense of community and fulfillment he finds through cooking and serving others. At its core, Back From the Edge is a conversation about resilience, recovery, and taking life one step at a time. As Brandon reminds us: "Life gets hard, but it gets better. Keep moving forward, one step at a time."

In this episode:

• Military service, trauma, and carrying loss and guilt

• Traumatic brain injury and its lasting impact

• The journey through alcohol addiction, hospitalization, and rehab

• Rebuilding a life: the people and purpose that kept him going

• Finding community and fulfillment through cooking and serving others

• Resilience and recovery — taking it one step at a time

Connect with Jew From The Lou: 📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #BackFromTheEdge #Sobriety #VeteranStories #TBI #MentalHealth #AddictionRecovery #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #StLouis

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

What if finding yourself isn't about becoming someone new — but remembering who you were before the world told you who to be?

I sit down with Ksandra Roehr, intuitive guide, spiritual practitioner, and founder of Hear Me Roehr, for a conversation that goes far beyond what we typically think of as spirituality. Ksandra shares how a near-death experience became the beginning of a much deeper awakening — opening her world to intuition, shamanism, shadow work, embodiment, plant medicine, and a completely different relationship with herself. We explore what it means to listen to your inner wisdom, why healing sometimes requires going toward the parts of ourselves we've hidden away, and how the people and experiences that trigger us may actually reveal what is ready to be seen. We also dive into the intersection of spirituality and business: charging for work that feels deeply personal, building a brand with integrity, becoming an ethical influencer, and creating success without manipulating the very people you hope to serve. Whether you're deeply spiritual, simply curious, or still figuring out what you believe, this conversation is an invitation to look inward. As Ksandra reminds us, how we relate to ourselves shapes how we relate to the world — and sometimes the greatest question we can ask is: what part of me is ready to come back home?

In this episode:

• A near-death experience that sparked a spiritual awakening

• Intuition, shamanism, shadow work, embodiment, and plant medicine

• Listening to your inner wisdom and facing the parts of yourself you've hidden

• Why the people who trigger you may reveal what's ready to be seen

• Spirituality and business: charging for personal work and building a brand with integrity

• Remembering who you were before the world told you who to be

Connect with Ksandra / Hear Me Roehr:

Instagram: @hearmeroehr | Website: hearmeroehr.com | Linktree: linktr.ee/hearmeroehr

Connect with Jew From The Lou:

📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #HearMeRoehr #Spirituality #SelfLove #ShadowWork #PersonalGrowth #Intuition #Embodiment #Entrepreneurship #StLouis

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

Everyone dreams about finding the perfect home. But what if creating a beautiful life has less to do with where you live — and more to do with how you choose to live?

In this episode of Jew From The Lou, I sit down with realtor, entrepreneur, and the creator behind Property Mom STL, Nicole Simon, for a conversation that goes far beyond real estate. We explore what it means to build an authentic brand, create a home that brings you peace, and navigate the constant balancing act of entrepreneurship, motherhood, and everyday life. Nicole shares how she built her business by leading with relationships instead of sales, why authenticity has become her greatest marketing strategy, and how she intentionally creates beauty in the everyday. We also dive into social media, time management, setting boundaries, balancing family with business, and why success looks different in every season of life. Whether you're building a business, searching for your next home, or simply trying to create a life that feels more intentional, this conversation is filled with practical wisdom — and one simple reminder: all you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough.

In this episode:

• Building a business by leading with relationships instead of sales

• Why authenticity has become her greatest marketing strategy

• Creating beauty in the everyday and a home that brings you peace

• Social media, time management, and setting boundaries

• Balancing family, motherhood, and entrepreneurship

• Why success looks different in every season of life

Connect with Nicole / Property Mom STL:

📱 Instagram: @propertymomstl

Connect with Jew From The Lou:

📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #PropertyMom #RealEstate #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Motherhood #Authenticity #PersonalGrowth #Home #StLouis

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

Everyone talks about finding the right relationship, the right career, or the perfect path. But what happens when the life you worked so hard to build no longer feels like the life you're meant to live?

I sit down with entrepreneur, bodybuilder, and plant business owner Lindsey Shaw for one of the most honest conversations we've had on the podcast. We explore what it looks like to outgrow relationships, redefine success, and give yourself permission to evolve into someone new. Lindsey opens up about the difficult decision to leave her marriage, the therapist's advice that completely changed her perspective, and why staying in a life that no longer aligns with who you are can be one of the hardest choices you'll ever make. From bodybuilding prep to business ownership, we talk about discipline, consistency, raising your personal standards, and why the small choices you make every day ultimately shape the person you become. We also dive into friendships, networking, entrepreneurship, social media, confidence, and building a life that reflects your values instead of other people's expectations. Because sometimes the bravest thing you can do isn't holding on — it's giving yourself permission to become someone new.

In this episode:

• The difficult decision to leave her marriage and start over after divorce

• The therapist's advice that completely changed her perspective

• Outgrowing relationships and redefining success

• Friendships, networking, and building a life that reflects your values

• Discipline and consistency: from bodybuilding prep to business ownership

• Raising your personal standards, one small choice at a time

Connect with Lindsey:

📱 Instagram: @shaw.lins

🌿 Plant Business: @stlgreendeath

🌐 Website: stlgreendeath.com

Connect with Jew From The Lou:

📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #PersonalGrowth #Entrepreneur #SelfDevelopment #Bodybuilding #Mindset #WomenInBusiness #Authenticity #Relationships #GrowthJourney

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

What does strength really look like? Most people think it's about pushing harder — Lyndsey Warner learned it looks nothing like that.

I sit down with Marine veteran, entrepreneur, nutrition and CrossFit coach, and mom Lyndsey Warner for a conversation that goes far beyond fitness. Lyndsey shares the unexpected moments that completely changed the direction of her life — from a corporate layoff that became a turning point to discovering the career she was actually meant to pursue. But that's not what stayed with me. Somewhere along the way, the conversation shifts: we get into grief, motherhood, people-pleasing, purpose, and the quiet realization that sometimes protecting your peace takes more strength than proving yourself ever will. This isn't just a conversation about fitness — it's about the moments that redefine who you are. Because strength looks different than most of us have been taught.

In this episode:

• From corporate layoff to calling: the turning point that changed her direction

• Life as a Marine veteran, entrepreneur, nutrition and CrossFit coach, and mom

• Grief, motherhood, people-pleasing, and purpose — the real conversation

• Why protecting your peace takes more strength than proving yourself

• The moments that redefine who you are

Connect with Lyndsey:

📱 Instagram: @lynzrose144 | @crossfit_r2l | r2lwellness

Connect with Jew From The Lou

📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #StrengthLooksDifferent #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #PurposeDriven #EntrepreneurLife #Motherhood #Veteran #Mindset #SelfAwareness

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

Everyone wants to know the latest marketing hack, the newest algorithm trick, or the secret formula to going viral… sound familiar? What if the real growth strategy isn't online at all?

I sit down with entrepreneur, marketer, and wellness advocate John Scott to dive deep into what it really takes to build a business that actually lasts. From leaving the corporate world to stepping into entrepreneurship — and how functional medicine completely shifted his perspective on health and performance — no topic is off limits. John shares what he's learned about the evolution of social media, why chasing trends can actually hold you back, and how building real relationships will always outperform any algorithm. We also get into coffee (of course), premium products, Facebook's unexpected role in growing a business, and what it really means to create a brand people genuinely want to be part of. We talk about authenticity, consistency, and the balance between growing a business and staying true to yourself in a world that constantly pushes you to do more, be more, and post more. Because at the end of the day, people don't buy algorithms — they buy trust.

In this episode:

• Leaving the corporate world for entrepreneurship

• How functional medicine shifted his perspective on health and performance

• The evolution of social media — and why chasing trends holds you back

• Why real relationships outperform any algorithm

• Coffee, premium products, and Facebook's unexpected role in growing a business

• Authenticity, consistency, and building a brand people want to be part of

Connect with John:

Instagram: @jscottphoto_ | @moov.stlouis

Connect with Jew From The Lou

📱Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #MarketingTruth #EntrepreneurLife #BuildWithTrust #AuthenticityWins

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

A messy house, a busy life, and a never-ending to-do list… sound familiar? Here's why a clean home might be the calmest thing you can give yourself.

I sit down with my friend Grace Erbschloe, owner of Happy Haven Cleaning Co., and we completely nerd out over all things cleaning. From why men and women often see mess differently, to our biggest cleaning pet peeves, to what your cleaning professional secretly wishes you knew — no topic is off limits. Grace shares what it's really like running a cleaning business, how she helps create peaceful homes for busy families, and why having help isn't about perfection — it's about making room for what matters most. We also dive into clutter, routines, expectations, and the surprising connection between our homes and our stress levels. Whether you're naturally organized or currently pretending that pile of laundry doesn't exist, this episode is packed with laughs, relatable moments, and practical cleaning tips to help make your home feel a little happier. Because sometimes a clean home isn't about having it all together — it's about creating a space where you can breathe.

In this episode:

• Why men and women often see mess differently

• Our biggest cleaning pet peeves

• What your cleaning professional secretly wishes you knew

• Running a cleaning business: creating peaceful homes for busy families

• Clutter, routines, and expectations

• The surprising connection between your home and your stress levels

Connect with Grace / Happy Haven Cleaning Co.:

Instagram: @happyhavencleaningco | Website: Happy Haven Cleaning Co.

Connect with Jew From The Lou

📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #MessStressCleanHomes #CleaningTips #HomeOrganization #WomenInBusiness

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036

Getting your life together looks inspiring… until you're the one fighting your own body to do it.

I sit down with Rylin Rossano, a 19-year-old author, podcast host, psychology grad student, yoga instructor, and chronic illness advocate. Rylin graduated high school at 15, started college early, built her podcast, wrote two books, and created her own publishing company — Take Care Press — but that's just the surface. What we really get into is what happens when life forces you to grow up fast: how to advocate for yourself, how to keep going when doctors don't have answers, and how to turn your mess into a message. We talk about POTS, chronic illness, being misunderstood, sharing your story before you feel ready, and why vulnerability is one of the most powerful ways to help people feel less alone. Her life lesson? Be scared and do it anyways. This one is a reminder that your struggles don't disqualify you — they might be the exact thing that helps someone else heal.

In this episode:

• Graduating high school at 15 and growing up fast with chronic illness

• POTS, chronic illness, and being misunderstood

• How to advocate for yourself when doctors don't have answers

• Sharing your story before you feel ready

• Turning your mess into a message

• Be scared and do it anyways — Rylin's life lesson

Connect with Rylin:

Instagram: @rylinrosee | Podcast: Take care of Your Body by Ry (Spotify)

Books: Once Upon A Time I Survived Myself | Everything Was Here But You

Take Care Press

Connect with Jew From The Lou

📱 Instagram: @jewfromthelou 📱 TikTok: @jewfromthelou 📱 YouTube: @jewfromthelou

#JewFromTheLou #Podcast #ChronicIllness #POTS #HealingJourney #MentalHealth #Wellness #AuthorLife #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #DoItScared

Loved this episode? Follow Jew From The Lou wherever you listen. It's free, takes two seconds, and it's the number one way to help the show grow. If you're on Apple Podcasts, please leave a rating and review. It means everything.

Feel called to share your story? Your story is safe with me. DM @jewfromthelou on Instagram to be a guest.

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

Enjoying the show? Follow Jew From The Lou and leave a 5-star rating and review. It takes 2 seconds: https://pod.link/1704236036