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J.R. Yonocruz welcomes back Alex Hung for his third appearance to discuss AI tools, agents vs chat models, and how his company is rolling out Claude to improve efficiency. They share real examples like automating sales-lead prioritization through a CRM and summarizing work across Slack/Jira, while noting its clear limitation due to lack of context and inconsistencies. The conversation also explores AI’s impact on layoffs and entry-level roles, plus advice to broaden skills, build proof-of-work, and develop resilience through failure. Alex closes with leadership insights from his LinkedIn posts on toxic high performers, professionalism, and keeping teams engaged through progress, clarity, and recognition.
02:45 Career Shift and AI
04:42 From Chatbots to Agents
08:42 Claude Product Breakdown
14:37 Rolling Out AI at Work
17:42 Automation Use Cases
21:59 Birthday Freebie Workflow
25:52 AI and Layoff Reality
34:44 Entry Level Jobs Squeeze
36:19 Doom Loop and Entrepreneurship
39:33 Go Horizontal With AI
42:41 Advice For Students
46:33 Gen Z And Caring
48:14 AI Fake Content Labels
51:32 LinkedIn Topics
52:55 Toxic High Performers
54:29 Be Yourself At Work
57:46 Keeping Teams Engaged
01:03:23 Managing Toxic Stars
01:06:51 AI Anxiety And Gratitude
01:10:54 Disconnect And Reset
Guest bio:
Alex is the Chief of Staff at a start-up that provides back-office solutions for property managers, focusing on business enablement and strategy to grow the business, and unblock operational challenges. He loves debating with friends to challenge his ideas and opinions. His best friend is his white and grey shih tzu, Teddy.
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One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Relaxation, Compassion, and the Hidden Cost of “Good Deals” | Random Show with Aeden Pham
J.R. Yonocruz welcomes repeat guest Aeden Pham for a chill random-show catch-up on recent life updates and personal reflections. They discuss how relaxation improves learning and performance in music and dance, plus navigating dating by managing eagerness and staying genuine. They also unpack therapy lessons on compassion and emotional processing, frustrations with people whose words and actions don’t align, and the difference between self-care and indulgence. The conversation closes with reflections on spending habits, recurring subscriptions, and the “phantom cost” of buying things that take up space.
02:31 Life Updates Catch-up
03:50 Relaxation In Music
06:13 Relaxed Dance Mindset
09:29 Managing Dating Eagerness
11:25 Adult Authenticity Talk
16:47 Therapy And Compassion
23:12 Burnout Versus Self-Care
27:30 Boundaries And Recovery
31:37 People Who Just Talk
35:05 Aspirational Talkers
38:25 Ethics Versus Deals
42:42 Phantom Cost Of Space
49:04 Spending Habits Reset
56:41 Questioning Your Subscriptions
01:00:24 Own Your Vices
01:01:25 Gratitude And Sign Off
Guest bio:
Aeden Anthony Pham is a published researcher, knowledgeable in the topics of race, gender, and sexuality in popular media, has 2 masters degrees, and has studied in 5 different countries. Professionally, he has worked in multiple industries, including service, non-profit, entertainment, and technology. In their 20+ years of work experience, they've received recognition from the city council, the state government, the office of the president, and even Disneyland. Aeden is an award-winning singer, dancer, writer, and film director also enjoys investing their time in various activities, such as stand-up comedy, archery, ice skating, and video/board gaming.
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Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Host J.R. Yonocruz recaps Season 8 of One Thousand Gurus (episodes 71–79, recorded February through early April) to highlight key lessons and invite listeners to revisit the season. He reviews solo episodes on Tony Robbins’ achievement vs fulfillment and Marie Kondo’s KonMari “spark joy” method, plus interviews on frugal homebuying, LinkedIn recruiting and personal branding, dance/DJing to audio engineering, 75 Hard and self-talk, depression and faith, and an unconventional creative life in Europe. He also summarizes a long, wide-ranging conversation on AI, careers, and practical life decisions.
00:00 Season Eight Recap Intro
01:27 Episode 71 Tony Robbins
02:37 Episode 72 My Vo
03:37 Episode 73 Max Navarro
04:38 Episode 74 Marie Kondo
05:48 Episode 75 Herbie De Guzman
07:10 Episode 76 Richard Hardy
08:11 Episode 77 Andre Malicdem
09:24 Episode 78 Random Show Julie
10:49 Episode 79 Kenta Naoi
12:40 Season Wrap Up Sign Off
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One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Reconnecting Through Movement, Coaching, and Non-Attachment with Kenta Thomas Naoi
J.R. Yonocruz reunites with high school friend Kenta Thomas Naoi, now Denmark-based, to reflect on their dance-era origins and Kenta’s journey from design school to New York entrepreneurship, burnout, and a shift into integrative business coaching. Kenta shares an origin story of losing mobility from transverse myelitis, how movement and storytelling shaped his work, and his current projects Studio Rana and Movement Design Research. They discuss joyful movement, critical thinking, and lessons on non-attachment, expectations, and giving grace.
02:35 High School Dance Memories
06:37 From Design to Europe
11:11 Not With That Attitude
15:02 Coaching and Self-Trust
18:04 Personality Types and Perception
28:37 Mobility Loss and Healing Through Movement
32:10 Connecting the Dots to New York
37:19 Scrappy Survival Jobs
44:27 Agency Growth and Burnout
49:38 Coaching Business Model
55:39 Non-Attachment Lessons
59:06 Joyful Movement Practice
01:03:19 Finding Dance Joy Again
01:08:16 Host Journey and Coaching
01:12:13 Loneliness and Ambition
01:16:38 Integrating Work and Passion
01:18:17 Five to Ten Year Vision
01:22:22 Rapid Fire Begins
01:26:57 Non Attachment and Identity
01:35:18 Critical Thinking and Nuance
01:39:53 Gratitude and Wrap Up
Guest bio:
Kenta is a multi-modal creative-researcher, integrative business coach, designer, inbodied-inquiry practitioner and facilitator, bog-person, and level 4 animist druid world builder. His work often centers the body as location for insight, play, and possibilities for more loving futures. He runs 'movement-design-research', a project in making and moving sustainably, he also runs studio-rana, a movement studio, with his wife, and he talks to cats.
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Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Random Show with Julie Huynh: Mastery Tradeoffs, AI at Work, Love Languages, Burnout, and Purpose
J.R. Yonocruz chats with returning guest Julie Huynh in a wide-ranging “random show,” covering her life updates (travel, untraditional engagement, wedding planning, and moving to LA) and reflections on turning 30-something. They also dig into mastery tradeoffs, automation and AI at work, atypical love languages, renting vs owning parallels with jobs vs business, and burnout, purpose, and coaching.
Guest bio:
Julie is an OC native, though originally from Chicago. She went to school for bio and Asian American Studies, and ended up joining the workforce as a graphic, web, UX, and product designer. She's passionate about community building, service, and in her free time, likes to dance, bake, read, draw/paint, and side hustle.
Links/resources:
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Andre Malicdem on Depression, Reconnecting With Family, and Renewed Faith
Host J.R. Yonocruz reunites with his cousin Andre Malicdem, with a trigger warning for depression and suicide. Andre recounts four years of isolation, a dark period that led to a near-suicide attempt stopped after calling his mother, and his ongoing therapy and reconnection with family. They reminisce about childhood and party-era memories, discuss Andre’s fitness routine and diet, his love of racing influenced by their grandfather, and his career path from military-adjacent years and nightlife work to biotech, caregiving, and a VA-supported goal of entering cybersecurity. Andre shares how returning to Christian faith reshaped his values, and the episode closes with gratitude for family and his wife.
00:00 Intro and Disclaimers
01:25 Meet Andre
02:22 Four Years Missing
03:39 Dark Spiral and Identity
06:39 Suicide Attempt and Call Home
10:02 Childhood Bay Area Memories
14:17 College Parties and Modeling Era
16:47 Fitness Regimen and Diet
24:35 Racing Roots and Mindset
29:54 Career Journey Setup
30:24 Lost After Service
31:08 San Diego Nightlife
32:02 Biotech Lab Shift
33:25 Caregiving To Cybersecurity
36:19 Faith Reboot
38:29 Hennessy Wake Up Call
45:14 Family Drunk Story
47:57 Born Again Journey
51:41 Rapid Fire Reflections
01:01:54 Gratitude And Closing
Guest bio:
Family man, born-again Christian.
Links/resources:
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Door-to-Door Solar Sales, 75 Hard, and the Power of Self-Talk with Richard Hardy
Host J.R. Yonocruz interviews Richard Hardy, a door-to-door solar salesperson. Richard recounts moving from New Jersey to Texas doing door-to-door windows/doors and water filtration before COVID halted canvassing, then entering solar and later joining NuSun Power after being recruited. He demonstrates his door pitch, explaining the shift from buying/leasing solar to a utility-style program, typical homeowner objections (lack of interest, aesthetics, roof concerns), and his role setting appointments for advisors who design and close in a two-touch process. The conversation then shifts to mindset and Richard’s 75 Hard discipline regimen, his reset after failing on day 62, added Bible reading, and how disciplined habits and improved self-talk—reinforced by coworkers and the book As a Man Thinketh—changed him. Rapid-fire topics cover success, purpose, recommended books, gratitude, and advice to hear people out.
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:55 Back After Cutoff
01:00 Richard Sales Journey
02:27 Door Knock Pitch Demo
08:51 Booking and Objections
11:22 Solar Misconceptions
16:07 75 Hard Explained
17:04 Fail and Reset Lesson
22:26 Mindset and Self Talk
25:47 Rapid Fire Round
36:03 Gratitude and Final Advice
37:21 Where to Connect and Outro
Guest bio:
Works in door-to-door sales for solar.
Links/resources:
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Herbie De Guzman: Dance, DJing, Audio Engineering, and Filling Your Cup
J.R. Yonocruz sits down with Herbie De Guzman—dancer-turned-DJ and audio professional—to talk about growing up Filipino in San Diego, learning Tagalog through family and karaoke, and pivoting from kinesiology to an audio career that led to SeaWorld and Universal Studios. Herbie shares how DJing started as a way to keep dancers moving, why sound quality and engineering matter, and what makes a good DJ—reading the room and serving the crowd. They also discuss grief, aging parents, a recent breakup, and Herbie’s guiding takeaway: fill your own cup first so you can pour into others.
01:24 First Podcast Vibes
04:24 Moving to LA from SD
10:58 Filipino Culture and Tagalog
15:15 From Kinesiology to Audio
19:49 SeaWorld to Universal Audio
25:55 Audio Career Advice
28:51 DJ vs Audio Engineering
31:02 What Makes a Great DJ
33:18 Reading the Room
36:00 Talking About Mortality
38:56 Cherish Your Parents
41:57 Breakups and True Love
46:56 Rapid Fire Questions
50:02 Best Advice: Fill Your Cup
52:18 Definition of Success
57:58 Media Recs
01:01:07 Gratitude and Wrap Up
Guest bio:
Former Dance Director for 220, Veteran DJ in the San Diego Club Scene, Former Audio & Media Studio Engineer for SeaWorld San Diego, Audio Mixer for Universal Studios Theme Park. Now also part of the production team for Seafood City's "Late Night Madness".
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Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: KonMari, Spark Joy, and Designing Your Ideal Life
Host J.R. Yonocruz explains how Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up reshaped his relationship with possessions, time, and happiness while he was preparing to downsize. He breaks down the KonMari Method—tidying all at once, sorting by category, discarding first, and keeping only what “sparks joy”—as a mindset practice rooted in gratitude and intentional living. The episode highlights practical steps (vertical storage, designated homes, paper rules, handling gifts and mementos) and the broader effects: clearer values, improved decision-making, understanding attachment patterns, and applying “spark joy” beyond stuff to time, commitments, and relationships.
00:00 Welcome and Book Intro
01:42 Why This Book Matters
02:13 My Downsizing Story
03:08 Core Themes Gratitude and Less
04:02 KonMari Mindset Shift
04:30 Tidy All at Once
06:39 Lifestyle Vision and Goals
07:13 Discard First Then Store
07:33 Spark Joy Test
08:22 Category Order Explained
09:23 Clothes and Folding Method
11:07 Books and Papers Rules
12:21 Komono Gifts and Mementos
13:34 Storage and Maintenance Habits
15:28 Life Changing Effects
16:26 Attachment Patterns Past Future
17:30 Gratitude and Detox Effect
18:58 Key Quotes Recap
20:25 Practical Takeaways Checklist
22:01 Final Thoughts and Outro
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Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
Maximillian Navarro on Recruiting, Fashion, and Building a 10-Year Relationship | One Thousand Gurus.
J.R. Yonocruz reconnects with his younger cousin, Maximillian Navarro, to discuss his journey from UC Riverside grad to agency recruiting and his move into a recruiting consultant role at LinkedIn. Max shares practical job-search and interviewing advice, plus what he believes makes a great recruiter. They also dive into how he got into fashion and sneakers, and close with lessons on sustaining a long-term relationship and deciding when to propose.
03:57 Life Update After College
05:42 Bay Area Roots and Sci Fi
07:06 Homeschooling and Social Skills
13:06 High School Dreams and Identity
16:17 Choosing UCR and Sociology
20:23 Post Grad Sales and Layoff
24:16 Staffing Sales to Recruiting
32:35 Landing LinkedIn Recruiting
39:35 Recruiter Advice Communication
41:39 Fashion and Sneakers
47:09 Discovering Your Style
51:54 Trends And Subgenres
57:09 Choosing The Right Partner
01:01:31 Sustaining Long Relationships
01:08:19 Rapid Fire Questions
01:16:48 Atmospheric Music Ritual
01:21:58 Gratitude And Sign Off
Guest bio:
Recruiter, fashion enthusiast, music lover, fan of the arts, and video games.
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Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.
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Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a software project manager, self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, dancer, stand-up…
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https://bio.site/onethousandgurus