In this conversation, author & creator Paul Millerd and I discuss breaking from the "default path" of work and success, how to navigate uncertainty, and redesigning our work lives with intention. He shares insights on the pathless path, the role of leisure in creativity, and the evolution of work paradigms in society.

Timestamps:

00:00 Navigating Identity and Labels

02:22 The Influence of Location on Personal Growth

05:06 The Pathless Path: Embracing Uncertainty

07:21 Work, Worth, and the Default Path

10:06 The Role of Leisure in Creativity

12:28 Shifting Paradigms in Work and Life

15:01 Embracing Emotions and Existential Fear

17:19 The Hero's Journey in Personal Growth

20:17 Parenting, Needs, and Self-Actualization

22:23 Writing as a Journey of Self-Discovery

25:05 The Interconnection of Work and Life

27:39 The Evolution of Success and Fulfillment

Paul's website

Paul's Substack

Paul's Twitter

In this solo episode, we explore one aspect of the "inner game" of entrepreneurship, shifting gears from strategy to spiritual alignment. I explore the role of grief-as-catalyst, sharing my journey of confronting unmet grief and its transformative power. We discuss how unprocessed pain can distort our efforts towards success and I offer some ways to address these emotions and unlock their transformative potential. (00:15) The Inner Game of Entrepreneurship

(01:01) Soul-Aligned Business

(01:23) The Role of Grief in Entrepreneurship

(02:11) Personal Journey and Reflections

(03:16) Ego and Ambition

(10:03) The Power of Grief and Emotional Healing

(11:23) Practical Steps for Emotional Healing

In this episode I talk to Melissa Palmer, co-founder and CEO of OSEA Malibu, a wellness brand doing good for people and the planet through its beloved clean beauty & skincare products. Melissa shares insights into her family's inspiring history, the evolution of OSEA, and her mother's pioneering approach to clean beauty before it became a trend. We delve into the challenges and triumphs of running a mission-driven business, the importance of intuition in leadership, and how they build their brand with authenticity and kindness at its core. Melissa also discusses the impact of community and support networks in her entrepreneurial journey and offers valuable advice for aspiring founders.

(01:10) Introducing Melissa Palmer of Osea Malibu

(03:47) The Story of Elsa and the Inspiration Behind Osea

(07:09) Osea's Commitment to Sustainability16:38 Balancing Intuition and Business

(23:20) The Victoria Beckham Story

(30:26) Navigating Challenges and Scaling the Business

(31:38) Navigating FDA Regulations

(32:18) The Power of Community and Networking

(32:58) Personal Development and Leadership Growth

(34:02) The Importance of Founders' Support Systems

(34:46) Finding Balance and Groundedness

(37:22) The Role of Kindness in Business

(39:17) Authenticity and Brand Building

(40:21) Embracing Uniqueness and Weirdness

(42:52) Challenges and Successes in Entrepreneurship

(49:29) Customer Feedback and Product Impact

(54:02) Leadership Evolution and Team Dynamics

(58:08) Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Melissa's Instagram

OSEA's website

Get 10% off your first OSEA order with code INFLUENCEFM

Get 20% off Magic Mind with code INFLUENCEFM20

Female sexuality isn't bad, dirty, or wrong. And our human capacity to give & receive pleasure isn't shameful. It's the physical manifestation of our ultimate creative capacity, and it's time to reclaim this capacity for pleasure & intimacy from the cultural conditioning of shame so we can tap into the vitality and creative force that is unlocked when we can honor our sexuality, liberate it from distortion or wounding, and re-integrate it into our daily lives as a joyful expression of being human — and especially of being feminine.

In this episode I go over the 8 principles that have helped me unlock a greater capacity for pleasure in the hopes that they will help you access your own aliveness and turn-on — both in and out of the bedroom.

In this episode, I interview Liah Yoo, founder & CEO of Krave Beauty and skincare creator with 1.6M follower across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. We discuss Liah's path from launching her YouTube channel in 2012 while living in South Korea to starting Krave Beauty, her sustainable skincare brand in 2017. We delve into topics like the book that helped her unlock her growth as a YouTube creator, how to slow down the beauty industry & why it's so needed, evolving as an entrepreneur and a content creator, self-censorship in content creation, and lessons on sustainability for consumer brands.

Links & resources:

Liah's YouTube

Liah's Instagram

Krave Beauty's website

In this special New Year's episode, I interview my friend and fellow podcast host Danny Miranda for a raw and reflective conversation on 2024 and what lies ahead in 2025. We discuss growth, vulnerability, balancing masculine and feminine energies, Danny's lessons on coaching, and how to heal shame.

(11:15) Embracing Dreams and Self-Worth

(23:44) Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies

(33:44) Embracing Vulnerability and Truth

(34:46) Exploring the Depths of Shame

(36:44) The Power of Acceptance and Love

(39:29) Parenting and Personal Growth

(41:56) Navigating Relationships and Self-Discovery

(54:27) Lessons on Coaching and Self-Love

(57:55) Reflections and Future Aspirations

Links & Resources:

Danny's podcast on ⁠Apple⁠ & ⁠Spotify⁠

Danny's ⁠Twitter/X⁠

Danny's ⁠Substack⁠

My interview on Danny's podcast [⁠YouTube⁠]

In this episode, I interview Michelle Lin, CEO and co-founder of Mooncat, the cult favorite witchy nail care brand known for its ethereal & artistic shades. We dive into Michelle's creative process, exploring how she transformed Mooncat from a nail care brand into wearable art. We discuss overcoming Asian cultural expectations, her unique leadership style, the balance between structure and creativity as an entrepreneur, and the mental health challenges of being an online creator in addition to being a founder. We also talk about her latest collection, the importance of staying true to oneself, and what it means to create wearable art for a passionate community of 'weirdos.'

[Solo Episode] If you're a content creator (or you're thinking of going into content creation) but want to do it in a soul-aligned and sustainable, here are five lessons you need to know based on my own TikTok journey of going from zero to full-time to creative burnout.

Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton is the cofounder & CEO of ⁠Chillhouse⁠. In this conversation we discuss the importance of founder storytelling, how to stay focused while experimenting, decision-making that combines data with intuition, the challenges of running a brick-and-mortar business, how to evolve your brand while staying true to its DNA, and hard-won lessons from the last 8 years. Cyndi also shares how she approaches self-care as a mother & founder and what it's like to work with her husband as her co-founder & COO.(04:39) How I discovered Chillhouse

(05:07) Heritage as superpower

(06:11) Chillhouse's approach to wellness

(09:28) Business challenges and COVID-19

(10:28) Product innovation & omnichannel

(14:17) Balancing focus & experimentation

(23:49) Hospitality industry lessons

(27:32) Brick-and-mortar survival tips

(30:21) Expanding to Paris

(32:45) Closing the Paris location

(33:33) The emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship

(37:51) Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship

(46:55) Personal branding for founders

(52:51) Working with your partner/husband

(53:55) Reflections on resilience & more

Links & resources:

Chillhouse ⁠website⁠

Cyndi's ⁠Instagram⁠

Brands mentioned:

⁠Magic Mind⁠ — Get 20% off using INFLUENCEFM20

Laney Crowell is the founder & CEO of Saie Beauty, a cult favorite clean beauty brand sold in Sephora and backed by leading CPG investors like Gwyneth Paltrow, G9 Ventures, and Unilever Ventures. Prior to founding Saie Beauty in 2019, Laney founded and ran The Moment, an editorial platform and consultancy celebrating clean beauty & wellness. Before that she was Executive Director of Online Global Communications for The Estée Lauder Companies, Fashion & Beauty Director at StyleCaster, and also worked at Elle and Lucky magazines.

What we cover:

(02:36) Laney's winding career

(07:53) Her love of storytelling

(09:59) Being shaped by different cultures

(11:52) What inspired Saie's aesthetic

(13:43) Deciding to start a beauty brand

(17:16) How clean beauty has evolved

(20:15) Saie's innovative approach

(22:42) Sustainability from authenticity

(23:39) Staying focused with messaging

(24:57) Their reproductive rights activism

(27:09) Laney's philanthropy & activism

(30:17) Profit vs. impact

(33:25) Laney's fundraising journey

(36:24) Raising money from Gwyneth Paltrow

(37:13) Fundraising advice for beginners

(38:28) Getting into Sephora

(40:57) Manifestation as a founder

(43:25) Laney's spiritual tools & practices

Links & resources:

Saie's website

Laney's Instagram

Weekly recommendation:

About A Boy: The Story of Vladimir Putin on Spotify & Apple