MyFinJourney

In the AI era, technical skills are everywhere — but soft skills are what actually set you apart. Sayre Blake, founder of SkillSage, argues that communication, adaptability, and the ability to grow are now the most valuable and most overlooked skills for your career and your finances.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Sayre Blake — systems engineer, classically trained illustrator, and technical founder of SkillSage, an AI-powered soft skills training platform. They talk about why soft skills drive financial growth, how AI is reshaping careers and hiring, and why the same principles show up across completely different fields.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Cold open

00:30 — Who is Sayre Blake

01:15 — SkillSage: the "Duolingo for soft skills"

05:05 — Why she opted out of the startup game

07:31 — Blue Ocean thinking (without the jargon)

10:50 — Why they built B2C before B2B

15:06 — When soft skills suddenly started to matter

18:33 — The real cost of not upskilling yourself

23:06 — Micromanagement vs. mentorship

27:26 — When it's a failure of leadership, not the person

32:14 — The interview question that changed everything

39:00 — Why "distress tolerance" is the #1 skill

40:44 — Why the game industry repeats its mistakes

46:47 — How to know when you're overreaching

What you'll learn:

→ Why soft skills matter more than ever in the AI era

→ Why communication has the biggest impact on your finances

→ How AI is reshaping careers, hiring, and upskilling

→ Why the best employee on paper isn't always worth hiring

→ Why distress tolerance is the most underrated skill for growth

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🔗 Connect with Sayre Blake:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sayre-blake

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🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

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Episode Chapters:

00:00 Cold open

00:30 Who is Sayre Blake

01:15 SkillSage: the Duolingo for soft skills

05:05 Why she opted out of the startup game

07:31 Blue Ocean thinking without the jargon

10:50 Why they built B2C before B2B

14:49 Why the free tier pays for itself

15:06 When soft skills started to matter

18:33 The real cost of not upskilling

20:18 Does anyone actually leave their comfort zone?

23:06 Micromanagement vs. mentorship

27:26 When it's a leadership failure

32:14 The interview question that changed everything

36:04 Same principles, different labels

39:00 Why distress tolerance is the #1 skill

40:44 Why the game industry repeats its mistakes

46:47 How to know when you're overreaching

49:01 How to connect with Sayre

Why do the wrong people keep getting promoted? Ellza Malok has a sharp answer: companies confuse a title with a leader. The best salesperson gets made manager, keeps their quota, has never led anyone — and a year and a half later, the whole team still quietly goes to "Joe," the person who actually earned their trust.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Ellza Malok, founder of Blue Monarch Group, a behavioral research and engineering firm. Drawing on psychology, linguistics, and years advising leaders, she explains why great strategies fail on execution, the real difference between agreement and emotional buy-in, and how understanding people becomes a competitive advantage.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Cold open

00:30 — Who is Ellza Malok

01:17 — From creative kid to behavioral science

05:05 — The books that shaped her thinking

07:39 — How language programs people

09:00 — Agreement vs. alignment vs. emotional buy-in

10:33 — Why people can "smell" a fake leader

15:28 — Introverts, extroverts & where the real value is

19:01 — How to lead people whose lives differ from yours

22:49 — Why leadership is a service role

23:51 — Why the wrong people get promoted

25:17 — Leader by title vs. leader by trust ("Joe")

30:32 — 48 Laws of Power vs. empathy

33:24 — Turning behavioral science into a real advantage

What you'll learn:

→ Why a title doesn't make someone a leader

→ The measurable cost of "agreement" vs. real buy-in

→ How language quietly programs behavior

→ Why your best performer often shouldn't be the manager

→ How to lead people whose lives look nothing like yours

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🔗 Connect with Ellza Malok:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ellzamalok

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🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

00:00 Cold open

00:30 Who is Ellza Malok

01:17 From creative kid to behavioral science

04:46 The book that started it: Influence

05:05 Books that shaped her thinking

06:14 How her Kosovo background connects

07:39 How language programs people

09:00 Agreement vs. alignment vs. buy-in

10:33 Why people can "smell" a fake leader

13:52 Gen Z, malls & the human need for connection

15:28 Introverts, extroverts & where value is

19:01 Leading people whose lives differ from yours

22:49 Why leadership is a service role

23:51 Why the wrong people get promoted

25:17 Leader by title vs. leader by trust

28:01 Why trust is the hardest skill to find

30:32 48 Laws of Power vs. empathy

33:24 Turning behavioral science into advantage

37:01 Why the same buyer converts differently

40:51 Why tone changes everything

43:04 How to connect with Ellza

Are video games actually bad for kids? Jennifer Javornik has spent over a decade making games that teach — and her answer surprises most parents: well-designed games may be a better use of your kid's time than passive social media scrolling. In this episode she explains the psychology behind why games are so engaging, how to tell a healthy game from a manipulative one, and what to do instead of just taking the device away.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Jennifer Javornik of Filament Games, whose team has built learning experiences with Roblox, Amazon, Meta, Unity, and the Smithsonian. It's a conversation about how people learn, how habits form, and why engagement is one of the most valuable currencies in business.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:30 — Who is Jennifer Javornik

01:16 — Why adults misunderstand games (the median gamer is 38)

03:05 — The parenting gaming debate, head on

06:06 — How to spot a manipulative game (loot boxes & grind)

08:00 — What to do instead of taking the device away

10:32 — Why games beat passive social media

12:26 — The real educational value of games

17:15 — The learning science behind great game design

21:44 — How she went from IT consulting to games

23:16 — How games build real communities

28:23 — Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox & kid identity

32:09 — Why "content creator" is the #1 career kids want

34:06 — Is the gaming industry saturated?

What you'll learn:

→ Why passive scrolling may be worse than active gaming

→ How to identify games designed to manipulate vs. teach

→ The "zone of proximal development" and why games nail it

→ A better parenting strategy than banning screens

→ What games teach about breaking big goals into small steps

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🔗 Connect with Jennifer Javornik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-javornik/

🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

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00:00 Cold open

00:30 Who is Jennifer Javornik

01:16 Why adults misunderstand games

02:57 The parent's fear: is gaming bad?

04:51 Women vs. men gamers (it's basically equal)

06:06 How to spot a manipulative game

08:00 What to do instead of banning screens

10:32 Why games beat passive social media

12:26 The real educational value of games

14:00 The data game that taught kids analytics

17:15 The learning science behind game design

20:12 Games as a bastion of trial and error

21:44 From IT consulting to game design

23:16 How games build real communities

28:23 Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox & kid identity

32:09 Why kids want to be content creators

34:06 Is the gaming industry saturated?

37:05 How to connect with Jennifer

Why do 9 out of 10 startups fail? Cristina Imre says it's almost never the product — it's what she calls "people debt": the compounding cost of unresolved leadership friction, founder burnout, and organizational misalignment that investors consistently fail to spot until it's too late.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Cristina Imre — fractional executive, strategic advisor, and creator of the Mirror Test Framework. With a medical and psychiatry background and two decades applying behavioral science inside startups, scale-ups, and corporations, she explains the warning signs that appear years before a company's financials break.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:30 — Who is Cristina Imre

01:24 — From psychiatry in Romania to advising founders

05:52 — Coachability: the trait that predicts success

08:54 — The "year two" wall founders hit

10:30 — Why 9 out of 10 startups fail (and how to halve it)

12:00 — "99% of the time, it's a people problem"

14:49 — What "people debt" actually means

16:47 — The Mirror Test Framework explained

17:18 — How AI is changing the business landscape

22:59 — Why AI companies can't stop themselves

26:12 — Who's actually working on AI safeguards

28:34 — Why leaders stop hearing the truth

33:47 — Building a future worth inheriting

What you'll learn:

→ Why founder psychology predicts company failure better than financials

→ The "year two" transition most founders don't survive

→ What coachability looks like — and why it's non-negotiable

→ The warning signs investors consistently miss

→ How leadership isolation quietly changes decision-making

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🔗 Connect with Cristina Imre:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cristinaimre

Website: cristinaimre.com

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🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

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Chapters

00:30 Who is Cristina Imre

01:24 From psychiatry in Romania to advising founders

05:52 Coachability: the trait that predicts success

07:00 Why she stopped trying to help everyone

08:54 The "year two" wall founders hit

10:30 Why 9 out of 10 startups fail

11:30 What investors miss when founders start to break

12:00 "99% of the time, it's a people problem"

14:49 What "people debt" actually means

16:47 The Mirror Test Framework explained

17:18 How AI is changing the business landscape

20:00 Why AI researchers started getting scared

22:59 Why AI companies can't stop themselves

26:12 Who's actually working on AI safeguards

28:34 Why leaders stop hearing the truth

31:00 How power changes a person's judgment

33:47 Building a future worth inheriting

36:32 How to connect with Cristina

August Biniaz started as a real estate agent, then built custom homes through his own development company. Then he realized something: home building has a ceiling. Private equity real estate doesn't. Today, as Co-Founder and CIO of CPI Capital, he's helped close more than $225 million in US multifamily acquisitions.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with August to unpack why he left home building for real estate private equity, how Canadian investors access US multifamily deals (without ever dealing with the IRS), and his honest read on the Texas and Florida markets right now.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:30 — Who is August Biniaz

01:37 — Growing up in a real estate family (and Iran's hyperinflation)

04:53 — The one rule: watch your debt

07:44 — US vs. Canada: mortgages, lenders, and cap rates

11:38 — Should you rent or buy? August's honest take

17:48 — Why CPI invests in Texas and Florida

20:13 — How Canadians invest in US deals without IRS filings

23:33 — Using Canadian retirement accounts to invest in real estate

30:46 — The truth about DFW and San Antonio oversupply

34:08 — Why not Austin or Houston?

36:07 — The Tampa hurricane and the insurance lawsuit

39:19 — The Hormozi rule: 10-skill person in a 2-industry

44:08 — Why home building kept him small

45:30 — GP/LP economics: small money in, astronomical returns

47:18 — How to connect with August

What you'll learn:

→ Why private equity real estate scales where home building can't

→ How Canadians invest in US multifamily without double taxation

→ What cap rate expansion means for property values right now

→ The honest risks in DFW, San Antonio, Austin, and Tampa

→ How GP/LP deal structures actually pay

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🔗 Connect with August Biniaz:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/augustbiniaz

🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

Episode Chapters

00:30 Who is August Biniaz

01:37 Growing up in a real estate family

03:08 Iran, hyperinflation & why real estate is king there

04:53 The one rule: watch your debt

07:44 US vs. Canada: mortgages, lenders, cap rates

11:38 Rent or buy? August's honest take

15:05 When renting actually makes sense

17:48 Why CPI invests in Texas and Florida

20:13 How Canadians invest in US deals without the IRS

23:33 Using retirement accounts to invest in real estate

26:36 Debt, taxes & value-add vs. development deals

30:46 The truth about DFW & San Antonio oversupply

34:08 Why not Austin or Houston?

36:07 The Tampa hurricane & the insurance lawsuit

39:19 The Hormozi rule: 10-skill person, 2-industry

42:53 Custom homes vs. multifamily margins

44:08 "You'll never see the B-word in home building"

45:30 GP/LP economics explained

47:18 How to connect with August

Ghiath Arodaki was born and raised in Kuwait — but could never be a citizen. No right to own a home, no path to belonging, and the constant knowledge that he could be deported at any time. He describes it as "renting a life." Today, he works at the intersection of AI and enterprise strategy at IBM, and teaches kids the financial literacy nobody taught him.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Ghiath to unpack the scarcity mindset that shaped his childhood, the moment a 12-year-old cousin shattered his view of what was possible, and why he believes wealth is knowledge and mindset before it's ever money.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:30 — Who is Ghiath Arodaki

03:23 — How identity and environment shape your ambitions

05:30 — The Bill Gates moment with his father

07:00 — "You can make your own Sonic" — the mindset shift

10:28 — Growing up stateless in Kuwait

15:00 — "Renting a life" — the metaphor that defines it all

17:43 — Where his curiosity and questioning came from

27:40 — Resentment, rebellion, and turning it into fuel

35:38 — Teaching kids financial literacy from age 9

40:50 — Building wealth for descendants 500 years out

43:22 — The "purple elephant" — why finance hooks kids

46:04 — What he's building with StarkCore

What you'll learn:

→ How a scarcity mindset forms — and how to escape it

→ Why "wealth is mindset and knowledge before money"

→ The difference between renting a role and owning your future

→ Why financial literacy is the one subject nobody teaches kids

→ How mentorship and apprenticeship beat passive schooling

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🔗 Connect with Ghiath Arodaki:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ghiatharodaki

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🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

00:00 Cold open

00:30 Who is Ghiath Arodaki

01:28 From systems engineering to AI at IBM

03:23 How identity shapes your ambitions

05:30 The Bill Gates moment with his father

07:00 "You can make your own Sonic"

10:28 Growing up stateless in Kuwait

13:50 "Shut up or I'll deport you"

15:00 "Renting a life" — the metaphor

17:43 Where his questioning mindset came from

19:57 The Moses story and thinking bigger

25:12 Fences, elites, and getting out

27:40 Resentment, rebellion & turning it to fuel

31:26 The George Bush airport story

35:38 Teaching kids financial literacy from age 9

38:00 Why every kid's enemies are broccoli and math

40:50 Building wealth for descendants 500 years out

43:22 The "purple elephant" — why finance hooks kids

46:04 What he's building with StarkCore

47:27 How to connect with Ghiath

Sally Gimon got a phone call that changed her life: a surprise $94,000 tax bill. Instead of paying it, she spent five months researching how wealthy families legally reduce their taxes — and built a business that has since saved clients millions.

Mustafa Ladha sits down with Sally Gimon, real estate investor and tax strategy educator, to break down the trust structures most people have never heard of — who they're for, and the costly mistakes people make setting them up wrong.

⚠️ Educational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Consult a qualified trust attorney or CPA before acting.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Cold open

00:30 — The $94,000 tax bill that started it all

05:00 — Family trust vs. spendthrift trust

08:54 — Why a cheap trust with no support is dangerous

13:57 — How wealthy families shaped the tax code

18:11 — A spendthrift trust explained simply

21:33 — Why W-2 earners can't use it

25:43 — The $400,000 dog-bite lawsuit

31:35 — How she finds clients (TikTok)

40:15 — How much she's saved clients to date

🔗 Sally Gimon: LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/sallygimon

🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

00:00 Cold open

00:30 The $94,000 tax bill that started it all

01:48 Wholesaling 7 properties — then the tax shock

05:00 Family trust vs. living trust

06:03 The trust the Rockefellers & Kennedys used

08:54 Why a cheap trust with no support is risky

13:57 The IRS memo on tax code 643(b)

18:11 Spendthrift trust explained simply

21:33 Why W-2 earners can't use it

25:43 The $400,000 dog-bite lawsuit

31:35 How she finds clients (TikTok)

36:36 Why most people never take action

40:15 How much she's saved clients to date

43:34 How to connect with Sally

Danny DelVecchio made seven figures in four years — without spending a single dollar on ads. Everything came from organic content. In this episode, he breaks down the exact system, and why chasing views is quietly killing most people's businesses.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Danny DelVecchio, founder of Content on Easy Mode, who helps founders build content systems that drive real revenue — not just vanity metrics. After 20 years in sales, Danny lost his job in a company acquisition, started from scratch, and built a seven-figure business entirely through organic content on LinkedIn.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:30 — What a "content system" actually is

01:42 — Why the same strategy works differently per platform

05:00 — How to find your ideal client (it's a past version of you)

09:28 — Advice if you're 18–24 with no experience yet

13:00 — "Success is inevitable if you do the work"

16:30 — How Danny made 7 figures with zero ad spend

17:39 — The 500,000-follower podcast he walked away from

20:26 — Why you should ignore your subscriber count

23:07 — When to pivot vs. when to keep going

27:30 — The narrow vs. broad game (Phil vs. the influencer)

33:48 — Why 95% of your content is supposed to flop

What you'll learn:

→ Why the "right 500 viewers" beat 50,000 wrong ones

→ How to pick your one platform instead of being everywhere

→ Why your ideal client is a past version of yourself

→ The mental resilience it takes to post when nobody's watching

→ Going narrow vs. going broad — and which actually makes money

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🔗 Connect with Danny DelVecchio:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dannydelvecchio

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🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

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00:00 Cold open

00:30 What a "content system" actually is

01:42 Why each platform reads differently

03:44 Omnipresent vs. pick-one-platform

05:00 Find your ideal client: a past version of you

06:16 The career coach who niched down to win

09:28 Advice if you're 18–24 with no experience

13:00 "Success is inevitable if you do the work"

15:05 Why he started a new Instagram from zero

16:30 How he made 7 figures with zero ad spend

17:39 The 500,000-follower podcast he walked away from

20:26 Why you should ignore your subscriber count

22:55 When to reassess and pivot

24:02 Why discomfort is the path to the next level

26:27 The creator who went 900 → 500K followers

27:30 Narrow vs. broad: Phil vs. the influencer

31:19 Why chasing views is so emotionally hard

33:48 Why 95% of your content is supposed to flop

35:12 How to connect with Danny

Most people think real estate means houses, rentals, or Airbnbs. But there's a quieter, lower-risk niche almost nobody talks about: flipping vacant land. Mike Deaton buys land for as little as $5,000-$15,000 and resells it for 2-3x — and he's been doing it for 10 years.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Mike Deaton, who along with his wife Ligia left corporate America (after being laid off by Microsoft in 2016) to build a land flipping business that now out-earns their old salaries. Mike breaks down exactly how the model works, why land is one of the lowest-risk real estate plays, and how owner financing creates years of passive income.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Introduction

03:00 — The Microsoft layoff that changed everything

05:46 — Do you NEED a crisis to change your life?

14:24 — How the land flipping model actually works

22:23 — Why bigger land deals are actually LESS risky

25:06 — Where to find land for $5K-$50K across America

27:39 — The exact buy-low, sell-high model explained

30:24 — Owner financing & building passive income

32:49 — Where Mike sells land (Facebook Marketplace, MLS & more)

36:54 — Does he make more than he did at Microsoft?

41:46 — The $50K coaching bet that 10x'd their business

What you'll learn:

→ How to buy vacant land for pennies on the dollar

→ Why land is one of the lowest-risk real estate strategies

→ How owner financing turns land into passive monthly income

→ Where to find cheap land anywhere in the U.S.

→ Why direct mail still beats every fancy marketing tool

→ How a layoff became the catalyst for financial freedom

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🔗 Connect with Mike Deaton: linkedin.com/in/michaelbdeaton

Website: FlippingDirt.us (free resources at FlippingDirt.us/freedom)

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🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

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00:00 Intro — flipping land & building real wealth

01:39 What "growth" really costs beyond the socials

02:14 Flipping houses as a kid → corporate America

03:00 The Microsoft layoff that changed everything

05:46 Do you NEED a crisis to change your life?

09:08 Why he pays for coaches and communities

09:55 Letting go of the fear of failure

12:33 Who he became 2.0 — the entrepreneur shift

13:00 Why real estate is still "old school"

14:24 How the land flipping model actually works

17:04 Why nobody responds to sellers (your opening)

18:24 Why most employees never stand out

19:01 The levers Mike pulls to make more money on demand

22:23 Why bigger land deals are LESS risky

25:06 Where to find land for $5K-$50K in America

27:39 The exact buy-low, sell-high model

30:24 Owner financing & building passive income

31:45 The interest rates Mike charges on land

32:49 Where he sells: Facebook Marketplace, MLS & more

33:33 What buyers actually do with the land

36:54 Does he make more than he did at Microsoft?

37:22 Why he started coaching land investors

41:46 The $50K coaching bet that 10x'd his business

42:47 How to connect with Mike Deaton

A man who built a market-making firm to a $1 billion balance sheet — and sold it to a NASDAQ-listed company — has some advice that might surprise you: don't go to college to code, become a plumber or an electrician, and learn to build AI agents.

In this episode of MyFinJourney, Mustafa Ladha sits down with Michael J. Frank — exited founder, capital markets operator, independent board director, and co-founder of Gilder, a community for startup founders. Mike has spent decades in regulated markets, governance, and risk, and now advises companies across fintech, AI, and emerging tech.

This is a raw, no-BS conversation about work ethic, the future of jobs in the age of AI, why college may no longer be worth the debt, and the networking mindset that builds real wealth.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Introduction

01:21 — From the trading floor to exited founder

05:23 — Why market makers don't exist anymore (and what replaced them)

06:41 — Should you be worried about AI taking your job?

08:00 — The brutal truth about college debt and "useless" degrees

09:38 — Why Mike says become a plumber, electrician, or welder

12:36 — Building Gilder: a community for founders

14:11 — Why school may be the wrong place to learn now

18:25 — Why star athletes and Ivy grads couldn't show up to work

21:39 — How to fix the "I can't wake up" problem

25:42 — How parenting shapes who succeeds (and who doesn't)

29:04 — Advice for the entitled young founder

33:27 — Work-life balance: why "all in" matters

41:07 — The networking habit that changes everything

46:44 — How Mike uses LinkedIn to land board seats

51:52 — Why he ended a 30-year friendship

56:00 — "You never know who you're standing next to"

What you'll learn:

→ Why "AI isn't taking your job — the person using AI is"

→ The careers Mike says actually lead to the American Dream

→ How to build wealth when AI is changing everything

→ Why work ethic beats talent and credentials

→ The networking system Mike uses to open doors at any age

→ When to walk away from relationships that drain you

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🔗 Connect with Michael J. Frank:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikejfrank

Website: MichaelJeffreyFrank.com

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🎙️ Subscribe to MyFinJourney→ https://www.youtube.com/@myfinjourney

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5UmpEcn

🔗 FOLLOW Mustafa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafa-ladha/

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Episode Chapters:

00:00 Intro — markets, AI & building real wealth

01:21 From the trading floor to exited founder

05:23 Why market makers don't exist anymore

06:41 ⭐ "AI isn't taking your job — the person using AI is"

08:00 The brutal truth about college debt

09:38 Become a plumber, electrician, or welder

12:36 Building Gilder — a community for founders

14:11 Why school may be the wrong place to learn now

16:00 How AI will level the education playing field

18:25 Why Ivy grads & athletes couldn't show up to work

21:39 The simple fix for "I can't wake up early"

22:31 How to help (or not help) an entitled person

25:42 How parenting shapes who succeeds

27:21 The rock-skipping story every parent should hear

29:04 Advice for the entitled young founder

30:14 Why distribution is the only real moat now

33:27 Work-life balance & why "all in" matters

36:02 The Italy story — what "success" really means

38:00 Gary Vee & finding money others walk past

41:07 The networking habit that changes everything

44:00 Why you never know who you're standing next to

46:44 How Mike lands board seats through LinkedIn

48:23 Meet "Boardy" — the AI that calls him weekly

51:52 ⭐ Why he ended a 30-year friendship

56:00 The $5 billion man at the ice cream shop

57:52 Closing — value, respect & doing the right thing