Today’s conversation stuck with me long after we hit stop. My guest is Elan Gelfand, a 20-year-old college student and podcaster who caught my attention almost immediately because of his superpower – self-directed learning. From the moment we connected, I could tell he is not your typical college student. He is not waiting for other people to tell him what to learn and do in order to be successful. He is taking ownership of his learning, asking the hard questions most people avoid, and doing the internal work that rarely shows up on a transcript. Instead of chasing grades, credentials, or social media likes, he chases insights. We talk about the quiet burden of being different, the hard moments that shaped him, and the deep sense of purpose that fuels him. This is not just a story about another Gen Z-er trying to become an influencer, but about a young man determined to make the most of his life.