No Straight Path

Launching an all-in-one corporate spend and expense management platform for businesses and global markets is no easy feat, especially when you are a newcomer to the Fintech industry. But innovation can come from the unlikeliest places, and sometimes your outsider status can be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it. Today on the show, we welcome Dileep Thazhmon, CEO and Founder of Jeeves, a Y Combinator company providing financial infrastructure for global startups, covering regions as diverse as Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the UK, Europe, and more. When Dileep first started Jeeves, he did not have extensive experience in the Fintech space. But he did have experience in starting — and running — an international company. And it was during that process that he recognized a problem that needed solving. In our conversation with Dileep, we talk about his entrepreneurial journey, the importance of failure, and why so many entrepreneurs start a company based on a problem they’ve experienced (and that they are passionate about fixing). He describes how lessons from his upbringing connect to his company today and how his lifelong curiosity has been integral to his journey as an entrepreneur. Dileep also reflects on why you need to love the process of building (not just attaining a successful outcome), the advantages you have as a small company, and his advice to listeners looking to pursue a non-traditional career path. Today’s conversation is both comprehensive and candid and will leave you with a lot to think about. For a firsthand account of Dileep’s fascinating journey and the many lessons he learned from it, be sure to tune in today!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dileep Thazhmon on LinkedIn

Dileep Thazhmon on Twitter

Jeeves

Spiraling Up

Y Combinator

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

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Every entrepreneur has a different origin story. For some, it’s a natural progression within their career, where they were always going to set out on their own, while others have dreamed of doing it their entire life and just needed the right opportunity. And for another set of people, it happens almost as if by accident. I never set out to become an entrepreneur, and in the beginning, it felt a bit odd calling myself that. My goal had simply been to make people feel seen and heard. But somewhere along the way, I found myself embarking upon my own entrepreneurial path and changing in ways I could never have predicted! Today’s episode is all about taking a step back and reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned on my accidental entrepreneurship journey, like how entrepreneurship can help you step into a better version of yourself and teach you how to give yourself grace. You’ll hear me unpack the benefits of starting your entrepreneurial endeavor as a side hustle, why you can’t understand the amount of work it takes until you’re doing it, and how listening to open and honest interviews with other entrepreneurs can help you feel less alone. I also reflect on the entrepreneurial endeavors of both my mother and grandmother and the role this has played in my own journey, before providing a timely reminder that no one achieves success in business without help from others. Join me for a retrospective of my journey into entrepreneurship, the lessons I’ve learned, and what you can expect from this podcast in the coming months!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sign up for Ashley's Newsletter

Lessons Learned After One Year of Podcasting with Ashley Menzies Babatunde

The Pivot with Ashley Menzies Babatunde (Part 1)

The Pivot with Ashley Menzies Babatunde (Part 2)

Guyana Medical Relief

A Side Hustle is a Form of Self Love with Sterling Smith

Finding Alignment with Your Values with Jordana Confino

What Success Feels Like with Jenna Kutcher

The Goal Digger Podcast

Side Hustle Pro

Black Freelancer

Upscaling Your Business & Life with Scott D. Clary

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Rate & Review:

If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you! 

Welcome to part two of our interview with Tola Sunmonu-Balogun. If you haven’t listened to part one already where we discussed her childhood, the loss of her mother, her podcast, how she finds balance, and so much more, go do so now! In this episode, we take a deep dive into her career, neutralizing her ego and separating herself from external accolades, developing boundaries at work, hating consulting and ultimately growing to love it, and so much more! Tola shares the importance of working with enthusiasm, why she feels anxious about work, and how she overcomes those feelings. Our incredible guest even shares who she really is with us before describing how her imposter syndrome shows up and how she plans on healing that part of her. Finally, Tola tells us how she is trying to figure out what her purpose is and why not knowing doesn’t scare her. This thoughtful, honest, raw conversation is one of a kind and you don’t want to miss out on it so tune in to hear from Tola and to be reminded to be kind to yourself!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tola Sunmonu-Balogun on LinkedIn

Tola Sunmonu-Balogun on Twitter

Tola Sunmonu-Balogun on Instagram

Return to Self Podcast

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Rate & Review:

If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you! 

Today’s guest is the perfect example of someone whose path has had its twists and turns, even though it seemed linear. And her story, although more conventional than that of our usual guests, is just as important to be told. Tola Sunmonu-Balogun is an associate partner at a top consulting firm in Nigeria, and she is here with us to discuss her journey to living a more authentic, peaceful, and fulfilled life. We hear about her adventurous childhood as an extrovert with a focus on being her absolute best, her ‘life with no borders’, how those things informed who she is today, losing her mother, her podcast, Return to Self, and what made her want to begin the journey of rediscovering her identity. Tola shares the lessons she learned from her mother. Our guest even shares the unconventional way she balances her high-pressure career with the rest of her life, her motherhood journey, and the love unlocked in her from having children. This episode is incredibly relatable and beautiful so press play now and stay tuned for part two!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tola Sunmonu-Balogun on LinkedIn

Tola Sunmonu-Balogun on Instagram

Return to Self Podcast

A New Earth

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

[Trigger Warning for Sexual Harassment story: 30:00-33:00]

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If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you! 

If you have a business and you want to reach a wider audience, or if you are looking for a creative outlet, or if you want to connect with like-minded people on a topic you feel passionately about, I highly recommend starting a podcast! Podcasting has changed my life for the better in so many ways, but it comes with its fair share of challenges. In this episode, I share the tools and resources that will help make your experience of starting a podcast as smooth as possible! 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Affiliate Link for We Edit Podcasts

HubSpot Podcast Network

Affiliate Link for Riverside.fm

Shure 

Blue Yeti

Beats by Dre

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Rate & Review:

If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you! 

Particularly in American culture, productivity is seen as a measure of moral good, and subsequently, many people define their identity by the work they do. Simone Stolzoff is trying to turn this way of thinking on its head. Simone is an author, designer, and workplace expert from San Francisco. Through his book, The Good Enough Job, Simone promotes the idea of separating self-worth from output and treating work more transactionally. One of the central questions that Simone explores in the book is, “How do we pursue meaningful work without letting what we do for work subsume who we are?” In this episode, Simone shares the journey that led him to write the book, examples of how you can redefine your identity as more than just the job you have, and his vision for the future of work. This is the book I wish I had written, and I hope it changes your life as much as it has changed mine!

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The Good Enough Job

Simone Stolzoff

Simone Stolzoff on Instagram

Simone Stolzoff on LinkedIn

Simone Stolzoff on Twitter

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Drawing on insights from a handful of past guests, this throwback episode outlines five powerful tips for career and life as your host, Ashley Menzies Babatunde shared. Tune in to get inspired by advice rooted in real-life experience. Hear how understanding that things are often grey can help you adopt a growth mindset and even find more success in your career. Learn why freedom and work simply don’t co-exist and how making that distinction can enrich your life. This episode also explores the need to fundraise and appeal to donors and why you should accomplish the goals you want to achieve rather than focusing on what others expect of you. Tune in today to hear all this and more!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

33 Lessons for 33 Years of Life 

Finding Fulfillment with Sabreena Merchant 

You Can’t Lie to Yourself with Spencer Paysinger Part I 

You Can't Lie to Yourself with Spencer Paysinger Part II 

Becoming Your Best Teammate with Kristin Turner (Part 1) 

Becoming Your Best Teammate with Kristin Turner (Part 2) 

Pursue Your Dreams with Mike Thomas (Part 1)

Pursue Your Dreams with Mike Thomas (Part 2) 

Picking the Destination, but not the Journey with Dawn Dickson 

Success Is Not a Destination with Michelle Odemwingie Part 1 

Success Is Not a Destination with Michelle Odemwingie Part 2

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Rate & Review:

If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you! 

Today we have a special conversation in honor of Mother's Day! Ashley sits down with her four aunties to talk about motherhood, family dynamics, their reflections on raising kids, leading with love, and so much more. We get to hear a little about each of the guests and their families and personalities before diving into some insightful questions and answers on learning from moments of loss, the power of maintaining faith, how being an aunty differs from being a mother, and some funny memories of their children! In such a close-knit family, there is a real sense of togetherness to go along with life's inevitable challenges, and Ashley's aunties talk about their experiences facing mom guilt, making time for self-care, and embracing new societal norms. Ashley also talks about the impactful conversations she had with her mother about acceptance and non-judgment, with her aunties weighing in with some beautifully succinct advice for the next generation of mothers! Join us to hear it all.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Fatherhood & Career with the Menzies Brothers

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Rate & Review:

If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you! 

Today, we are joined by Maria Failla to hear about her journey from Broadway to becoming a professional podcaster in the gardening space. Maria hosts the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast, which is the top Home & Garden podcast about houseplants and gardening in the world, and is the author of the book Growing Joy: The Plant Lover’s Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants). Maria is evidently a natural-born leader and performer and she is dedicated to using her voice to help people cultivate joy in their lives through plant care. In this episode, we hear her astounding life story of achieving her lifelong dream, recognizing the toll it was taking on her sense of self-worth, and marching forth to reclaim her autonomy and sense of intuition. We learn about her pivot to the podcast and how it transformed her from plant killer to plant lady. Maria also opens up about how the pandemic steered her in a drastically new direction and shares the “exquisitely painful” process of writing her book. Tune in to discover how Maria released her plans and turned to nature to regulate her nervous system and find greater joy than ever before!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Maria Failla on Instagram

Maria Failla on TikTok

Growing Joy with Plants Podcast

Growing Joy: The Plant Lover’s Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)

Growing Joy Garden Society Community App free trial

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Rate & Review:

If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you! 

The evolution of AI will change our lives for good and bad, but today we’re focusing on the positive. We are joined by attorney-turned-entrepreneur Jack Xu to discuss the intersection between law and coding. Jack Xu holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BS in computer science and AI from the University of British Columbia and after working as a patent attorney specializing in intellectual property, he set out to found PatentPal. In this episode, Jack shares insight into patent applications and explains how PatentPal uses generative AI to automate patent drafting. We learn about how his business-centric family culture informed him, as well as the role video games played in his language assimilation as a child. We discuss the way that technology is evolving, touching on the fundamental shift in people’s opinions of AI. Tune in to discover more about Jack’s remarkable entrepreneurial story from his pivot from legal practice to startup founder to the lessons he learned along the way, and hear his advice for others looking to start something seemingly left-field.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jack Xu on LinkedIn

PatentPal

Ashley Menzies Babatunde

Ashley Menzies Babatunde on Instagram

Hubspot Podcast Network

Rate & Review:

If you enjoy listening to No Straight Path, please make sure you write a review and rate the show. It helps other listeners find the podcast. You can rate and review the show here. Thank you!