Jake Kennington is a licensed structural engineer who spent over a decade designing $100 million buildings. After realizing his own life was misaligned with his values, he shifted to helping high-achieving professionals design fulfilling lives through his company, Actively Human.

In this episode, Jake shares his personal journey from career peak to personal realignment, explaining how his priorities changed with marriage and fatherhood. He describes how to apply engineering's "problem-solving" mindset and the belief that everything is "figureoutable" to personal development and life design. Jake identifies internal tension and the desire for change as key signals of an "alignment gap" between career success and personal values. He introduces his simple "reDAC" framework (redefine, realign, reconnect) for systematic life redesign.

Jake shares a case study of an engineering firm owner who adopted a "CEO identity" to delegate, reduce his 70-hour workweeks, and reconnect with his family. For those feeling overwhelmed, he suggests a "minimum viable experiment": a daily 30-minute walk to reflect on what success means in their current life phase. As a children's book author, Jake discusses how creativity complements analytical thinking and fosters connection. Finally, he defines innovation as applying timeless concepts like journaling in new, personal contexts for growth.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Jake's journey from structural engineer to personal development coach.

· Applying the engineering mindset of "everything is figureoutable" to life design.

· How to identify the "alignment gap" between career success and personal values.

· The reDAC framework for systematic life redesign: Redefine, Realign, Reconnect.

· The importance of identity change over mere habit change (e.g., adopting a "CEO identity").

· A minimum viable experiment for life redesign: the daily 30-minute reflection walk.

· How creative pursuits like writing children's books complement analytical thinking.

· The universal human desire for engagement in work and deep connection with others.

· Jake's definition of innovation as applying timeless concepts in new personal ways.

Connect With Jake Kennington & Actively Human:

· Website: https://activelyhuman.com/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakekennington/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Jake Kennington: Structural Engineer & Life Coach

01:10 The Engineer's Journey to Personal Realignment

04:14 Applying Engineering Principles to Life Design: "Everything is Figureoutable"

05:57 Identifying the Alignment Gap: Career Success vs. Personal Values

07:46 The reDAC Framework: Redefine, Realign, Reconnect

10:32 Case Study: An Engineering Firm Owner adopting a CEO Identity

17:28 A Minimum Viable Experiment for Life Redesign: The Daily Walk

20:50 The Creative Process of Writing Children's Books & Connection

24:05 Hope for Change: Human Desire for Engagement and Connection

26:53 Innovation Defined: Applying Timeless Concepts for Personal Growth

28:50 Connect with Jake Kennington & Get the "Own Your Life Playbook"

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Ken Cox is the President of River City Internet Group, an entrepreneur, best-selling author, boxing gym owner, and stand-up comedian. He is the visionary behind InLink.com, a platform for small businesses, and is now spearheading a new data compression innovation called Intelligent Storage Language (ISL).

In this episode, Ken shares his diverse journey from data center operator to boxing coach and comedian, finding the common thread in the entrepreneurial spirit of survival and overcoming challenges. He introduces his latest innovation at River City Internet Group, Intelligent Storage Language (ISL), a groundbreaking technology that rethinks data storage by saving instruction sets to recreate files instead of raw data. This approach achieves massive compression (up to 1800x for video), significantly reducing the need for space and power in data centers, a critical issue in the AI era. Ken explains the technical workings of ISL, its potential applications in video surveillance and media, and his vision for a future where more efficient computing reduces environmental impact.

Ken also discusses how coaching kids in his boxing gym taught him about neuroplasticity and the importance of self-identity, lessons he applies to coaching others. He shares how stand-up comedy and the experience of "bombing" have built his resilience to failure, making him more willing to take calculated risks in business. Ken addresses the challenge of making complex technology simple for users and predicts that the blending of AI, IoT, and robotics will be the most significant technological trend in the coming years. Finally, he defines innovation as "consistent evolution" rather than a single spark of newness.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Ken's diverse background and the common thread of entrepreneurial resilience.

· The problem with current AI growth: sustainable power and space demands.

· Intelligent Storage Language (ISL): A new approach to data compression.

· How ISL stores instruction sets to recreate files, achieving massive compression.

· The technical workings of ISL using AI for encryption and decryption.

· Potential applications of ISL in video surveillance and media streaming.

· Lessons on self-identity and neuroplasticity from coaching kids in boxing.

· How "bombing" at stand-up comedy builds business resilience and risk tolerance.

· The challenge of making complex tech simple and the future of human-computer interfaces.

· The convergence of AI, IoT, and robotics as the next major tech trend.

· Ken's definition of innovation as "consistent evolution."

Connect With Ken Cox & River City Internet Group:

· Personal Website: https://kencox.com/

· LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kencox/

· River City Internet Group: https://rcig.net/

· Intelligent Storage Language (ISL) Information: https://islhub.com/

· InLink CRM (14-day free trial): https://inlink.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Ken Cox: Entrepreneur, Innovator, & Comedian

01:05 The Common Thread: Survival and Entrepreneurial Spirit

02:19 Rethinking Data Storage: Introducing Intelligent Storage Language (ISL)

05:00 How ISL Works: Storing Instructions Instead of Raw Data

07:14 The Problem with Current AI Growth: Power and Space Sustainability

09:45 The Technical Stack of ISL: AI Encryption and Decryption

11:57 Who is ISL For? Applications in Video Surveillance and Media

14:46 Lessons from the Boxing Gym: Resilience, Identity, and Neuroplasticity

16:44 From Tech Lead to Storyteller: The Power of Stand-Up Comedy

18:25 Embracing Failure: How "Bombing" Builds Resilience

20:44 Simplicity in Complex Tech & The Future of Interfaces

22:41 The Next Major Trend: AI, IoT, and Robotics Convergence

23:55 Innovation Defined: Consistent Evolution

24:54 Connect with Ken Cox, ISL, and River City Internet Group

Support the Show:

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Yehuda Niv is the CEO and Co-Founder of Spines, the only comprehensive AI-powered publishing platform simplifying the authorship journey so writers can focus on what they do best - telling great stories. The Spines platform revolutionizes every aspect of the publishing process, from editing, proofreading, and formatting to cover design, distribution, and marketing. Authors simply need to upload their manuscripts, and within less than three weeks, they will be able to see their books published, optimized, and available to readers globally. The company’s total funding stands at $22.5M.

In this episode, Yehuda shares his entrepreneurial journey from starting a publishing house while $30,000 in debt to building Israel's largest, and then founding Spines to revolutionize the industry with AI. He identifies the specific pain points in traditional publishing—cost, time (6-18 months), and complexity—that Spines addresses by reducing the process to under three weeks at a fraction of the cost. Yehuda provides a detailed overview of how Spines uses AI to automate tasks like cover design based on category research, metadata generation for multiple platforms, and even creating audiobooks using the author's voice sample.

He addresses criticisms from the traditional publishing industry, clarifying that AI is meant to empower, not replace, authors, and that Spines serves the vast majority of authors ignored by traditional publishers. Yehuda discusses the core insights that convinced investors to bet on Spines, including founder-market fit, strong unit economics, and his own resilience as a founder. Looking to the future, he expresses hope for AI as a tool to augment human creativity, much like a calculator for a mathematician. Finally, Yehuda defines innovation as recognizing a significant problem, believing it can be improved, and persistently taking action to solve it through a process of trial and error.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Yehuda's journey from $30k debt to building Israel's largest publisher.

· The traditional publishing pain points Spines solves (cost, time, complexity).

· How Spines uses AI to reduce publishing time from 18 months to 3 weeks.

· A detailed look at AI-powered features: cover design, metadata, and audiobooks.

· Addressing criticism: How AI empowers, rather than replaces, authors.

· The difference between serving authors (Spines) vs. readers (traditional publishers).

· Key factors that secured $22.5M in funding: founder-market fit & resilience.

· The future of AI-augmented storytelling and creativity.

· Yehuda's definition of innovation: recognizing and solving big problems.

Connect With Yehuda Niv & Spines:

· Website: https://spines.com/

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yehuda_niv/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yehuda-niv-spines/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Yehuda Niv: CEO & Co-Founder of Spines

01:09 From Debt to Israel's Largest Publisher: The Origin Story

04:10 Identifying Publishing Barriers: Cost, Time, & Complexity

06:22 Spines Overview: AI-Powered Publishing in Under 3 Weeks

10:42 Deep Dive: AI Cover Design, Metadata, & Audiobook Generation

16:42 Addressing Criticism: AI Empowers, Not Replaces, Authors

21:33 Fundraising $22.5M: Founder-Market Fit & Resilience

26:55 The Future of Storytelling in an AI-Augmented World

29:00 Innovation Defined: Recognizing and Solving Big Problems through Persistence

30:26 Connect with Yehuda Niv & Spines

Support the Show:

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Junaid Ahmed is a home studio architect with two decades of experience in video production and UX design. He is the founder of Humblezone and the creator of Home Studio Mastery, helping podcasters and content creators build professional-grade studios through a systematic process.

In this episode, Junaid explains how his background in UX design informs his approach to studio architecture, emphasizing the importance of understanding the creator's audience and purpose first. He details his systematic, step-by-step blueprint for building a home studio, which begins with analyzing the room's existing light and environment before buying any gear. Junaid provides a practical demonstration of "painting a room with lights," showing the transformation from basic overhead lighting to a professional three-point setup. Drawing from his book, "Mastering iPhone Video Production," he discusses the single most important principle when using a smartphone as a main camera: getting the reps in to build comfort. Junaid identifies the most common "stuck point" in his "7 Stages of Home Studio Evolution" as the psychological barrier of self-perception on camera and offers practical exercises like a 30-day video challenge to overcome it.

Junaid discusses how a well-designed studio can psychologically boost confidence and shares a non-obvious habit of top professionals: tailoring their setup (e.g., visible vs. hidden microphone) based on content type. For budget-conscious creators, he prioritizes the best first gear investments: microphone, room treatment, and lighting. He provides actionable advice on how to treat a room for better sound without spending a fortune. Finally, Junaid looks to the future, predicting teleprompters will become a standard in studio design, and shares his definition of innovation as stepping out of the comfort zone to integrate new tools like AI.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· How UX design principles apply to building a content creator's home studio.

· A systematic, step-by-step blueprint for designing a studio, starting with room analysis.

· A practical demonstration of "painting a room with lights" for a professional look.

· The importance of getting reps with a smartphone camera to build comfort.

· Overcoming the psychological barrier of disliking your own image and voice on camera.

· How a well-designed studio environment can boost on-camera confidence.

· The difference in studio setup between podcasting and YouTube videos.

· The best first gear investments for budget-conscious creators.

· Practical, low-cost ways to treat a room for better acoustic sound.

· Why teleprompters are becoming a standard tool for creators.

· Junaid's definition of innovation: stepping out of the comfort zone to use new tools.

Connect With Junaid Ahmed & Home Studio Mastery:

· Social Media: @SuperJunaid (Instagram, etc.)

· Website: https://superjunaid.com/

· Video Studio Gear Guide: https://homestudiomastery.com/gear-guide/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Junaid Ahmed: Home Studio Architect & Creator

01:15 The UX Design Mindset in Home Studio Architecture

03:08 A Systematic Blueprint for Studio Design: Analyze First

04:54 Demonstrating Professional Lighting: "Painting the Room with Light"

08:50 Mastering iPhone Video Production: The Power of Reps

12:15 Overcoming the Psychological Barrier: Comfort on Camera

14:04 Designing a Studio to Boost On-Camera Confidence

15:29 Habits of Top Pros: Tailoring Setup to Content Type

17:23 Best First Gear Investments for Budget Creators (Mic, Room, Lights)

20:18 Low-Cost Room Treatment for Better Sound Acoustics

21:39 Future Trend: Teleprompters as Standard Studio Gear

23:05 Guest Experience Insights: Clean Setup & Pre-Show Prep

24:37 Practical Exercise for Building Camera Confidence (Q\&A)

27:02 Innovation Defined: Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone with New Tools

28:20 Video Studio Gear Guide & Connecting with Junaid

Alan Ward is a fintech innovator on a mission to make finance serve people, not middlemen. He is the founder of Securely, a payments platform that cuts out hidden transaction fees and brings fairness, transparency, and simplicity back to finance, helping businesses and families keep more of what they earn.

In this episode, Alan shares the origin of his personal mission to eliminate unnecessary transaction fees, a journey that began in the distribution world and led to the founding of Securely. He explains the architecture of Securely's platform, which works within existing financial infrastructure to identify costs while also offering proprietary payment methods like "digital cash" that bypass traditional fee structures entirely. Alan draws an analogy to the evolution of the automobile to describe Securely's revolutionary yet accessible approach. He discusses the technical and business steps required to build trust in a financial platform, including adherence to strict certifications like PCI. Alan also addresses the significant mindset shift needed for businesses to understand and adopt transparent payment models, sharing real-world examples of initial skepticism.

Alan, a father of six, discusses how his values influence his technology, aiming to provide businesses with the same granular visibility into costs that a family budget requires. He touches on the future of finance with emerging technologies like stablecoins. For developers and entrepreneurs, Alan offers counterintuitive advice on building a values-driven tech company, emphasizing the importance of having few, but unshakable, core values. Finally, he defines innovation as the process of realizing a thing's full potential, going from where it is to where it can be.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Alan's mission to make money serve people, not middlemen.

· The architecture of Securely's transparent payment platform and "digital cash."

· The analogy of evolutionary vs. revolutionary technology in payments.

· Building trust in fintech through security certifications and operational integrity.

· The mindset shift required for businesses to adopt transparent payment models.

· How family values and budgeting principles influence Securely's features.

· The future of finance with emerging technologies like stablecoins.

· Advice for building a values-driven tech company: having few, unshakable values.

· Alan's definition of innovation: realizing full potential.

Connect With Alan Ward & Securely:

· Website: https://securely.io/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-ward-63938020a/

· Resources: https://securely.io/resources/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Alan Ward: Fintech Innovator & Founder of Securely

01:02 The Mission: Money Should Serve People, Not Middlemen

03:09 Architecting Transparent Payments: Bypassing Fees with Digital Cash

06:09 Evolutionary vs. Revolutionary Technology in Finance

07:30 Aligning Tech with Family Values: Granular Cost Visibility

10:18 Overcoming Early Challenges: Building Bridges with Future Tech

12:25 Building Trust: Security, Certifications, and Integrity in Fintech

14:11 Advice for Values-Driven Entrepreneurs: Few, Unshakable Values

15:16 The Mindset Shift: Adoption Challenges for Revolutionary Tech

20:47 Future of Finance: Stablecoins and Blockchain Potential

21:52 Finding the Intersection of Tech Skills and Human Need

23:25 Innovation Defined: Realizing Full Potential

24:45 Connect with Alan Ward & Securely

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Meeky Hwang is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ndevr, a digital solution development agency helping health and wellness brands build scalable, high-performing websites. With over 20 years of experience in web development and DevOps, she guides growth-stage companies in streamlining workflows and scaling platforms for millions of users.

In this episode, Meeky shares her "accidental" journey from developer to co-founding a strategic agency. She introduces her "3E Framework" for building resilient platforms, detailing how Audience, Creator, and Developer experiences must align for success. Meeky addresses unique scaling challenges in the health and wellness space, particularly security and performance, and illustrates how improving internal workflows directly enhances the end-user experience. She offers hard-earned advice for women in tech leadership and shares her secret to translating complex technical concepts for non-technical decision-makers.

Meeky emphasizes the importance of transparency when client projects snag and identifies costly mistakes startups make with their platforms early on. As a CEO bridging technical and people leadership, she reveals the most surprising lesson she's learned about building strong company culture. Meeky provides advice for engineers with entrepreneurial aspirations and discusses the future of digital platforms with emerging technologies like AI. Finally, she defines innovation as the combination of curiosity and bravery to explore new frontiers.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Meeky's journey from developer to agency co-founder.

· The "3E Framework" for resilient platforms: Audience, Creator, & Developer.

· Unique scaling challenges in the health and wellness sector (security & performance).

· How improving internal workflows enhances end-user experience.

· Advice for women in tech leadership: embracing personality & maintaining skills.

· Translating complex tech concepts for non-technical stakeholders.

· The importance of transparency in client projects.

· Costly platform mistakes startups make early on.

· Bridging technical and people leadership as a CEO.

· Advice for engineers with entrepreneurial aspirations.

· The future of digital platforms with AI.

· Meeky's definition of innovation: curiosity and bravery.

Connect With Meeky Hwang & Ndevr:

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meekyhwang/

· Podcast: Boozy Browsing on YouTube

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Meeky Hwang: CEO & Co-Founder of Ndevr

01:15 From Developer to Founder: The Accidental Journey

03:08 The 3E Framework: Audience, Creator, & Developer Experience

05:07 Scaling Challenges in Health & Wellness: Security & Performance

07:06 Improving Workflows for Better End-User Experience

09:13 Leadership Advice for Women in Tech: Embrace Your Personality

11:16 Translating Tech for Non-Technical Decision Makers

12:58 Resilience & Transparency in Client Projects

14:28 Costly Platform Mistakes Startups Make Early On

16:09 Aligning Cross-Functional Teams: Over-Communication is Key

17:06 The Future of Digital Platforms & AI

19:10 Leadership Lessons: The People Challenge

20:15 Advice for Engineers with Entrepreneurial Aspirations

21:31 Innovation Defined: Curiosity and Bravery

22:31 Connect with Meeky Hwang & Ndevr

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Alan Lazaros is a computer engineer, MBA, and the founder and CEO of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 self-improvement podcast with over 2,200 episodes and a million listens in 180+ countries. After a near-fatal car accident at 26, he transitioned from a successful technical career to dedicate over 11,500 hours to coaching and training, helping people achieve both external success and internal fulfillment.

In this episode, Alan shares how he shifted from an externally successful but internally unfulfilled life to one of holistic growth. He explains his "system of success," where he applies engineering principles to reverse-engineer goals in health, wealth, and love. Alan discusses why a holistic approach is superior to focusing solely on career or money and identifies leadership as the most critical non-technical skill for future-proofing one's career. He reveals the two common limiting beliefs holding high performers back: lack of self-belief in the humble and delusion in the arrogant. Alan distinguishes between happiness (often tied to pleasure) and fulfillment (driven by growth, contribution, and quality of life), arguing that fulfillment is the better metric to optimize for. He details his effective daily habit tracking system, sharing the simple "goal, metric, habit" formula he uses with clients. Finally, Alan defines innovation as the continuous process of improving oneself, one's family, and one's business to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Alan's journey from computer engineer to global self-improvement CEO.

· The "system of success": applying engineering principles to personal growth.

· Why a holistic approach to health, wealth, and love is crucial.

· Leadership as the most important non-technical skill for the future.

· Two common limiting beliefs holding high performers back.

· The difference between happiness (pleasure) and fulfillment (growth & contribution).

· A simple and effective daily habit tracking formula: goal, metric, habit.

· How to start habit tracking using Google Sheets.

· Alan's definition of innovation: continuous internal and external improvement.

Connect With Alan Lazaros & Next Level University:

· Website: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/

· Podcast: Next Level University (available on all platforms)

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Alan Lazaros: CEO of Next Level University

01:29 From Engineering to Self-Improvement: A Journey of Reinvention

04:54 Applying Engineering Principles to Coaching & Personal Growth

07:54 The "System of Success": Reverse-Engineering Goals

10:58 Why Holistic Growth (Health, Wealth, Love) Matters

13:58 Leadership: The Most Important Non-Technical Skill

16:42 Limiting Beliefs Holding Back High Performers

18:39 Happiness vs. Fulfillment: Optimizing for Growth & Contribution

21:58 Daily Habits for Productivity: The Power of Habit Tracking

23:23 A Simple Formula for Habit Tracking: Goal, Metric, Habit

28:45 Innovation Defined: Continuous Self-Improvement in a Rapid World

31:42 Connect with Alan Lazaros & Next Level University

Support the Show:

· Fuel the podcast: https://iferia.nestuge.com/supportme

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Mindaugas (Min) Maciulis is the founder and CEO of Strategic AI Advisors, a go-to strategist for AI-driven business transformation. With a background scaling a startup to $70M revenue, Min helps mid-market companies cut through the hype and turn AI into measurable profits using his practical 5A framework.

In this episode, Min breaks down why many AI pilots fail to scale, emphasizing that success requires a holistic approach beyond just a new tool. He provides real-world examples of measurable ROI, from significant productivity lifts in service businesses to complex enterprise solutions. Min debunks the biggest misconceptions executives have about starting with AI, such as needing perfect data or huge budgets, and advises on where to begin for quick wins that build momentum. He details his 5A framework (Assess, Align, Architect, Automate, Amplify) designed to guide companies from initial assessment to large-scale AI implementation.

Min discusses the critical balance between hiring the right talent versus buying the right technology for building AI capability. Drawing from his experience scaling a startup to $70M, he shares the most important lesson he now applies to AI consulting: the value of bringing in experts. Min warns about the high cost of doing nothing and waiting on AI, explaining the risks of being left behind by competitors who are "in the game." He identifies the service industries seeing the fastest ROI from AI right now and offers advice on balancing quick 90-day wins with long-term digital transformation goals. Finally, Min gives a compelling one-sentence argument for skeptical CEOs to pay attention to AI now and defines innovation in the context of building micro-solutions with big impact.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Why many AI pilots fail to scale and the holistic approach needed for success.

· Real-world examples of measurable AI ROI in productivity and sales.

· The biggest misconceptions executives have about starting with AI.

· Where mid-market companies should start with AI for quick wins.

· Min's 5A framework for AI implementation: Assess, Align, Architect, Automate, Amplify.

· The importance of prioritizing talent over technology when building AI capability.

· Key lessons from scaling a startup to $70M applied to AI consulting.

· The high cost and risks of waiting to adopt AI in business.

· Industries seeing the fastest ROI from AI right now (e.g., professional services).

· How to balance quick 90-day AI wins with long-term digital transformation.

· Min's definition of innovation: building micro-solutions with big impact.

Connect With Mindaugas Maciulis:

· Website: https://strategicaiadvisors.com/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindaugasmaciulis/

· AI Readiness Assessment: https://www.eais.io/ai-readiness-assessment

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Mindaugas Maciulis: AI Strategist for Mid-Market Growth

01:17 Why AI Pilots Fail to Scale: Beyond the Hype

02:56 Measuring AI ROI: Real-World Examples of Productivity & Sales Lift

04:54 Debunking Executive AI Misconceptions: Data, Budget, and Complexity

06:52 Where to Start with AI for Quick Wins and Momentum

09:00 The 5A Framework: Assess, Align, Architect, Automate, Amplify

11:33 Building AI Capability: Talent vs. Technology

13:09 Lessons from Scaling a Startup to $70M: The Power of Experts

15:21 The High Cost of Waiting: Risks of Delayed AI Adoption

17:57 Industries with Fastest AI ROI & Balancing Quick Wins with Long-Term Goals

21:16 A One-Sentence AI Argument for Skeptical CEOs

23:04 Defining Innovation: Micro-Solutions with Big Impact

25:17 Connect with Mindaugas Maciulis & Strategic AI Advisors

Support the Show:

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Alan Lazaros is a computer engineer, MBA, and the founder and CEO of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 self-improvement podcast with over 2,200 episodes and a million listens in 180+ countries. After a near-fatal car accident at 26, he transitioned from a successful technical career to dedicate over 11,500 hours to coaching and training, helping people achieve both external success and internal fulfillment.

In this episode, Alan shares how he shifted from an externally successful but internally unfulfilled life to one of holistic growth. He explains his "system of success," where he applies engineering principles to reverse-engineer goals in health, wealth, and love. Alan discusses why a holistic approach is superior to focusing solely on career or money and identifies leadership as the most critical non-technical skill for future-proofing one's career. He reveals the two common limiting beliefs holding high performers back: lack of self-belief in the humble and delusion in the arrogant. Alan distinguishes between happiness (often tied to pleasure) and fulfillment (driven by growth, contribution, and quality of life), arguing that fulfillment is the better metric to optimize for. He details his effective daily habit tracking system, sharing the simple "goal, metric, habit" formula he uses with clients. Finally, Alan defines innovation as the continuous process of improving oneself, one's family, and one's business to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· Alan's journey from computer engineer to global self-improvement CEO.

· The "system of success": applying engineering principles to personal growth.

· Why a holistic approach to health, wealth, and love is crucial.

· Leadership as the most important non-technical skill for the future.

· Two common limiting beliefs holding high performers back.

· The difference between happiness (pleasure) and fulfillment (growth & contribution).

· A simple and effective daily habit tracking formula: goal, metric, habit.

· How to start habit tracking using Google Sheets.

· Alan's definition of innovation: continuous internal and external improvement.

Connect With Alan Lazaros & Next Level University:

· Website: https://www.nextleveluniverse.com/

· Podcast: Next Level University (available on all platforms)

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Alan Lazaros: CEO of Next Level University

01:29 From Engineering to Self-Improvement: A Journey of Reinvention

04:54 Applying Engineering Principles to Coaching & Personal Growth

07:54 The "System of Success": Reverse-Engineering Goals

10:58 Why Holistic Growth (Health, Wealth, Love) Matters

13:58 Leadership: The Most Important Non-Technical Skill

16:42 Limiting Beliefs Holding Back High Performers

18:39 Happiness vs. Fulfillment: Optimizing for Growth & Contribution

21:58 Daily Habits for Productivity: The Power of Habit Tracking

23:23 A Simple Formula for Habit Tracking: Goal, Metric, Habit

28:45 Innovation Defined: Continuous Self-Improvement in a Rapid World

31:42 Connect with Alan Lazaros & Next Level University

Support the Show:

· Fuel the podcast: https://iferia.nestuge.com/supportme

· Subscribe and leave a review!

· Share

Want to Be a Guest on The Iferia TechCast?

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· PodMatch Host Profile: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/theiferiatechcast

Gregory Lind is a founder, author, software developer, musician, and open-source advocate with a 25-year tech career spanning the globe. He is the founder of Buildly Labs, creating AI tools for product development, and the author of "Radical Therapy for Software Teams."

In this episode, Greg defines the role of AI in software development as a tool for automating mundane tasks, allowing humans to focus on creative problem-solving. He discusses the lessons learned from founding startups like Humanitec and Buildly, emphasizing the importance of being a team player and employee of your own company first. Greg introduces "radical transparency" from his book, explaining how it improves remote software teams through open communication and merit-based contribution. He offers advice for junior developers, encouraging them to embrace AI as a learning tool while cultivating their unique creative skills. Greg highlights the advantages of using open-source and cloud-native tools for scaling startups efficiently, contrasting them with the vendor lock-in of proprietary platforms. He stresses the importance of human oversight in AI-driven workflows, particularly in QA and ethical data handling. Finally, Greg shares his definition of innovation as learning from past mistakes to create something better, and why mistakes are essential for growth.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

· The role of AI in software development: mundane tasks vs. creative problems.

· Lessons from founding startups and being an employee of your own company.

· How "radical transparency" improves remote software team communication.

· Advice for junior developers on starting a career in the age of AI.

· The benefits of using open-source tools for scaling startups.

· The advantages of open-source platforms over proprietary ones.

· The critical role of human oversight in AI-driven workflows and ethics.

· Why QA is more important than ever with AI and LLMs.

· Greg's definition of innovation: learning from mistakes to improve.

· Why developers should not be afraid to make mistakes.

Connect With Gregory Lind:

· Buildly Labs: https://www.buildly.io/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greglind/

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Gregory Lind: Founder, Author, Open Source Advocate

00:43 The Role of AI in Software Development: Automating the Mundane

02:56 Lessons from Founding Startups: Being an Employee First

04:57 "Radical Therapy for Software Teams": Defining Radical Transparency

08:50 Advice for Junior Developers in the Age of AI

12:09 Scaling Startups with Open Source and Cloud-Native Tools

14:48 Open Source vs. Proprietary Platforms: Flexibility & Community

18:29 Building Trust and Motivation in Distributed Software Teams

23:00 The Critical Role of Human Oversight in AI Workflows & Ethics

25:57 Under-discussed Ethical Issues in AI Development

28:54 Defining Innovation: Learning from Mistakes to Improve

31:28 Connect with Gregory Lind & Buildly Labs

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