The Found Generation with Troy Farkas

Season 4 of "The Found Generation" podcast, which began days before the release of my first book last summer, is finally over. I'm a bit burnt out from the grind of indie podcasting, and I need a break!

But before I disappear, I have one final episode for you. Today, we're going to celebrate Season 4 -- the best season of this podcast to date -- by looking back on 10 highlights from this season, which saw me travel to places like Miami, Boston, New York City, and London, as well as to the Portsmouth Music Hall Lounge for my first-ever live show! What a season it's been, and words cannot express how grateful I am to those of you who have pressed play or offered any words of support. It means the world to me.

Here's who you'll be hearing from today -- and if you'd like to hear these episodes in their entirety, just click the hyperlinks!

SUBSCRIBE to "The Found Generation" here on YouTube to get highlights from the show while we're off for the next few months.

Much love <3

Whitney Bernabei took the traditional route in life. She went to college, landed a job in cushy corporate America, attended the happy hours, and adhered to the American template for "success."

It never felt right, yet she played along. That's what she was supposed to do.

But after years of facing debilitating injuries that modern medicine couldn't solve, Whitney had had enough. She knew there had to be another way to alleviate her physical, mental, and emotional suffering.

The solution? Alternative medicine.

Not only did this style of treatment cure her physical ailments, it also led her to the live in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, start a business in Portsmouth around energy healing, and help Whitney feel, look, and think the best that she's ever had.

In this conversation from Empowered Aura, her energy healing studio in downtown Portsmouth, Whitney and I discuss the following:

To learn more about booking sound healing sessions at Empowered Aura, visit https://www.empowered-aura.com/ or follow them on Instagram.

To support this podcast, please follow us on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.

Thank you for listening <3

I recorded the first episode of this podcast from the confines of my roommate's closet in our home in Connecticut in September 2020.

And now, three and-a-half years later, we've made it to the big stage.

From the prestigious Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, it's the first LIVE edition of "The Found Generation" podcast (!!!!!!).

And in this very special episode, I'm joined by three very special people from my beloved Seacoast community:

Stephanie Paolini is the proud owner of 3 Bridges Yoga in Portsmouth. In our conversation, we dive into her CRAZY backstory, which involves getting robbed at gunpoint, a tough battle with cancer, illegally buying a home, and more. Despite this madness, she is perhaps the kindest human being on the planet, and Stephanie is someone I have immense respect for.

Sam Robbins is often described as an "old soul singer songwriter." A Nashville-based musician whose music evokes the likes of James Taylor, Robbins has gained recognition from extensive touring and from his 2018 appearance on The Voice. In our conversation, we discuss his decision to leave the Seacoast for Nashville, the state of the music industry, the realities of touring, his songwriting process, and more. He also tries to get me canceled.

Jennifer Desrosiers is the CEO/Founder of Altitude Companies, as well as beloved Seacoast staples LANEY & LU, Ginger Fox Baking, and PALETTE. After spending 20 years climbing the ranks of soul-sucking corporate America, Desrosiers left that world behind in 2012 so she could pursue the "integrated lifestyle" she craved for herself. In our conversation, she gives advice to anyone who wants to take the leap, and we also talk about managing ambition, the keys to being a great leader, and what she hopes her legacy will be.

SUPPORT:

CHAPTERS:

Happy Sunday! I'm popping in for a quick solo episode to update you on several things: expectations for this podcast moving forward, my changing values, and a recent life-changing conversation I had.

And on Monday, March 25, I'm taking the stage at The Music Hall Lounge in downtown Portsmouth for the first LIVE edition of this podcast! Throughout the evening I'll be joined by three incredible guests:

To hear from these three inspiring people (and me), get your tickets now by visiting this link.

Thank you for the support, and I can't wait to see you there.

I’ve produced podcasts with Peter Rosenberg for five years. And if I could use one word to describe him, it’s PASSIONATE.

And that fiery passion, which he holds for things like hip hop music, sports, professional wrestling, his dogs, and broadcasting will undoubtedly shine through in today’s conversation.

However, this conversation was not the one I expected to have with him.

I rarely talk politics. I hardly read the news, so I don’t feel comfortable speaking of topics I know very little about. 

But in the name of my own self-improvement, of getting out of my comfort zone, I accepted Peter’s willingness to speak so candidly about subjects he holds very near and dear to his heart.

So in today’s unique podcast, Peter and I begin by discussing his very busy schedule hosting TV shows/radio shows/podcasts for New York City’s Hot 97, ESPN, The Ringer, Wondery, and WWE. After that, Peter opens up about his addiction to social media and how the negative comments — ones like he just received from far right voice Candace Owens — can affect his self-image. Then, we’re led into a conversation about Joe Rogan’s podcast, which then opens up a Pandora’s Box of controversial topics I never discuss: Donald Trump, political polarization, and the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Palestine.

These are important conversations to have, and I'm grateful Peter and I got to have it in an open, honest, and non-judgmental safe space.

To support more important conversations like this, please follow "The Found Generation" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

And if you're in the New England area, I'm hosting a LIVE version of my podcast at The Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth, NH! Click here to get your tickets.

In her twenties, Dr. Sonayna Chandran was simply going with the flow, unsure of her life's direction, unaware that she was capable of more.

Tired of living without a purpose, Sonayna decided to make a change.

She began talking to a therapist. She hired a fitness coach. She started working out religiously and eating nutritious foods that supported, not defeated, her fitness goals.

After that, everything started clicking.

Sonayna started feeling better about herself. She gained more confidence, something she'd long struggled with. Her relationships blossomed. Toxic self-defeating behaviors became a thing of the past. Plus, she started seeing her abs!

Amazed by how some simple lifestyle changes could drastically affect the quality of her day-to-day life, Sonayna decided during the pandemic that she also wanted to help people stop with the self-destructive behaviors that once threatened to derail Sonayna from realizing her own potential.

Now, Sonayna spends her days in London helping, healing, and educating as an online women's coach. And on today's episode, she ⁠returns to the podcast ⁠to discuss the following:

To support Sonayna (b/c she deserves it), please give her a follow on Instagram @sc.coaching_

To support this podcast, please give it a follow on my Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube feeds.

Thank you <3

Jason Hartley grew up as a poor kid in rural Tennessee.

With big dreams of playing the drums with rock bands in front of sold out crowds, Jason tried as hard as he possibly could to overcome the obstacles he faced as a child.

But his efforts were never enough.

In his late twenties, Jason gave up the dream to combine two side interests of his: mixed martial arts and YouTube.

Six years after making the decision to go full-time building MMA On Point, Jason and his growing team now live and work in London creating exceptional daily content for one of the preeminent YouTube channels in combat sports.

From the MMAOP studios outside of London, Jason and I discuss:

Plus, we talk about why I'm a flight risk in the dating world, how much longer Jason plans on living in London, the ultimate dream, and more.

To support Jason, please subscribe to MMA On Point.

To support me, please subscribe to the YouTube channel for "The Found Generation: A Self-Improvement Podcast."

Thank you for listening <3. I had so much fun making this one.

I owe everything to Ariel Helwani.

Without me asking, Ariel praised my work to ESPN executives when we used to walk the halls together. Then, he helped me land the producing job that gave me the safety net I needed to leave ESPN in early 2021. A few months later, he recommended me for my current role as his producer at Spotify, a fully remote job that’s allowed me to travel the world, produce impactful far-reaching podcasts for sports fans, and work with the people I love to work with at the top audio company in the world.

Furthermore, Ariel generously agreed to write a blurb for the front cover of my book, another example to add to an incredibly long list of unnecessarily kind things he’s done for me since we started working together five years ago.

When I began this podcast in 2020, I knew I wanted to ask Ariel to join when I was ready. That day has finally come.

Ariel Helwani -- the top combat sports journalist in the world, one of the best interviewers in the media industry, and one of the most prolific content creators on planet Earth -- joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about his career, personal life, what he still has left to prove, our work together, and so much more:

To support Ariel, give him a follow on Instagram @arielhelwani.

To support this podcast, please follow "The Found Generation" on Spotify and YouTube.

If you’re a fan of "The MMA Hour," then you’ll love my recent conversations in New York City with Ariel’s producers Conner Burks and Eric Jackman.

Thank you <3

Caroline Alaimo didn't know who she was.

For most of her life, she surrounded herself with the wrong people, created more problems by running from her problems, and judged herself mercilessly for not looking a certain way. For not being enough.

But then she discovered something that completely changed the course of her life.

Caroline cried at the end of her first yoga class. Ever since that day, the day that sent her on a beautiful path toward healing, self-discovery, and true happiness, Caroline has devoted her life's work to helping others overcome their demons so that they can realize their true potential.

On today's episode, Caroline (@carerosewellness) joins me in Portsmouth to share her story, and also to go deeper on several self-improvement strategies you can use TODAY that will start your 2024 off the right way. Here's what's coming up:

To book virtual sessions with Caroline, visit her web site carerosewellness.com.

To purchase my book, which covers many of subjects discussed on today's episode, visit this link.

Thank you for the support <3

According to The New York Times, the Nazis murdered approximately 500,000 Romani people during the Holocaust.

But you probably didn't know that.

And so it goes for the Romani people, a diasporic ethnic group that's long been forgotten and discriminated against in countries all over the world, even in America.

For centuries, the Romani people have relied on the sacred art of fortune telling not only to escape persecution, but also to create community, carry on legacy, and escape the dire poverty that's come to cripple so much of the Romani community.

Today's guest Jezmina Von Thiele is a proud Romani fortune teller. On today's episode, she joins me in Portsmouth to enlighten and educate me on the following subjects:

Jezmina Von Thiele is a fortune teller based in New Hampshire. A writer, podcast host, lifelong fortune teller, and former professor, Jezmina is committed to upholding Romani traditions and educating the masses about the centuries-long persecution of the Romani people she loves so dearly.

To support, you can listen to Jezmina's "Romanistan" podcast and follow her on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele.

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