The Kids Like Us

Vlad had six months to learn English or get sent back to Russia.

No film school. No connections. A phone and pirated editing software he couldn't afford.

That's where this episode starts. With a 13-year-old kid who didn't speak a word of English, opening Google Translate while the other kids opened Snapchat.

Ten years later, Vlad Nikifarov (aka Vlad) is a 22-year-old creative director and videographer in Minneapolis. He lands brand deals with Adobe, Young LA, and Delinquents Truly.

He gets paid to travel. He lives with the same creators he used to watch on YouTube before he ever picked up a camera.

But this conversation isn't as much "stategy" as it is a story underneath the story.

The doubt. The loneliness of not having friends who speak your language. The first paid gig for $150.

Working at Marshalls with headphones in, listening to the guy who would eventually fly him to LA. The shoots where he went completely mute because he was so deep in his head. The moment it felt weird to call himself an artist and the day he claimed it anyway.

If you've ever felt like the dream is for other people, this one is deadass for you.

In this episode:

• How Vladka landed brand deals with Adobe, Red Bull & Young LA with zero connections
• The green card lottery win and the six-month ultimatum that followed
• Why calling yourself a creator feels weird when nobody in your family is one
• The spec ad strategy that got Yes Theory to DM him in 20 minutes
• How he funded his first camera, then quit the job and went full time
• Why your creative passion should be the full-time and rent money the side gig
• The biggest mistake young videographers make (and the habit that fixes it)
• How to engineer your authority before you feel qualified
• The DM that turned a Marshalls shift into a flight to LA
• The truth about being terrified on big sets, even after you've "made it"

Find Vladka: Instagram

(work) — https://www.instagram.com/vladdkka/

Personal — https://www.instagram.com/vladsjournal

00:00 — From pirated software to Adobe

06:20 — Six months to learn English or get sent back

09:45 — "If I can learn English, what else can I learn?"

18:42 — First gig: $1.50 (and what it taught him)

25:50 — How Adobe actually reached out

32:10 — The Marshalls voice memo that changed everything

41:18 — The Yes Theory spec ad that worked in 20 minutes

1:02:15 — The biggest mistake young creators make

1:14:50 — Why it felt weird to call himself an artist

1:26:40 — For the kid who feels meant for more

Kids Like Us is the podcast for ambitious 18–30 year olds who feel something needs to change but don't know where to start.

Hosted by Syd Meyer: 22-year-old agency owner, sponsored kiteboarder, filmmaker, and world traveler who built this because she needed it when it didn't exist.

Real stories. Raw conversations. Evidence that the life you picture is closer than you think.

New episodes weekly. Subscribe/follow so you don't miss the next one.

Starting a business when you're scared to be seen? This one's for you. New entrepreneur. Real conversation. No filter. ft. Ella Herbert

Ella typed out a post yesterday.

Had it ready. Caption written. Video filmed.

And then she stopped herself.

Changed it from a Reel to a Story because she got scared of what people would think.

That's where this episode starts — not at the finish line, not with someone who figured it all out — but right in the middle of the fear, with someone who is Day 1, doing it anyway.

Ella Herbert is building EllaVate Wellness from scratch. Health coaching, moving to Texas, zero clients, zero blueprint. Just a dream and a whole lot of "what if nobody gets it."

And I'm right there with her — because four months ago I made a decision to stop posting and start treating my content like a scientist treats data. No more throwing things at the wall. No more hoping something lands. In the last 30 days that decision generated 3.6 million views.

This episode is the unfiltered conversation I wish someone had with me at the beginning. The stuff they don't tell you. The stuff that actually moves the needle when you're scared, broke on ideas, and building something from nothing.

If you've ever typed something out and talked yourself out of posting it — this one is deadass for you.

In this episode:

• Why the fear of being seen is a wall you built yourself
• The content funnel that takes someone from stranger to paying client
• Storytelling: why we connect through pain and how to build trust fast
• The viral format working right now on Instagram in 2026
• Why LinkedIn is 2008 YouTube and nobody in your circle knows it yet
• How to use AI without losing what makes you, you
• Why going niche feels wrong but is the only way forward
• The moment I spent two years stuck — and what finally changed

Find Ella:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellavate.wellness/

Personal: https://www.instagram.com/ellamherbert

00:00 — How we met & why this episode exists

02:00 — Ella's business: EllaVate Wellness & the health journey behind it

04:48 — Are you scared? We ball.

06:52 — The brutal grind: what building behind the scenes actually looks like

08:55 — LinkedIn in 2026: the opportunity nobody in your circle is using

12:05 — The content funnel explained (whiteboard breakdown)

16:22 — Storytelling: how you get people to love you

22:44 — The viral format working right now & why keywords matter

26:54 — Nobody is thinking about you tomorrow

28:43 — "I don't know if I should post this" — Ella's real moment

39:40 — AI, niching down & building your brand framework live

45:46 — Two years. No results. The pain of staying the same.

He was on track for medical school.

Instead, he pivoted...again… and again… and again.

Five different career paths later, he finally built something of his own.

Traveling the world, running his business, and buying gear he never thought he could afford.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to pivot when you don’t know what you want
• The real cost of staying on the wrong path
• How Chris went from pre-med to running a business
• Why most people stay stuck in careers they don’t want
• How to turn curiosity into something that actually pays $$$$

About Chris:

Chris Gleadall is an entrepreneur and business owner who walked away from the traditional path and built a career around creativity, autonomy, and ownership.

Full Context:

This episode is about what it actually looks like to figure your life out in real time.

Chris started on the pre-med track, with a clear path laid out in front of him. But instead of committing, he pivoted—multiple times. Pilot, EMT, creator, and more. Each path taught him something, but none of them fully clicked.

Eventually, that led him to entrepreneurship.

We talk about the pressure to follow a “safe” career, the fear of wasting time, and why most people stay stuck even when they know something isn’t right.

If you’re in your 20s trying to figure out your path—or questioning the one you’re on—this episode will give you a more honest look at what it takes to build something for yourself.

Find Chris:

Instagram: @lead.shots

Keys Media Studio Website

00:00 Intro — The Path That Almost Locked Him In
02:10 Growing Up With a “Safe” Career Plan (Pre-Med)
05:30 The Pressure to Stay on the Traditional Path
09:20 Realizing “This Isn’t My Life”
13:10 The Fear of Wasting Years of School
17:40 First Pivot — Trying a Different Direction
21:30 Bouncing Between Career Paths (Pilot, EMT, etc.)
26:50 Why Nothing Felt Right
31:20 Identity Crisis — “Who Am I Actually?”
36:00 Moving to Charleston & Starting Over
40:10 Early Struggles Chasing Something Different
44:30 Turning Curiosity Into Opportunity
48:20 The Shift Into Entrepreneurship
52:10 Making Money for the First Time on His Own
56:00 Why Most People Stay Stuck
59:10 Letting Go of Other People’s Expectations
1:02:00 Final Advice — Choosing Your Own Path

Being ambitious is hard.

Nobody talks about the days when everything feels like too much.

The to-do list is overwhelming.
Business is hard.
Your brain spirals.

And suddenly it feels like everything is collapsing at once.

This episode is for when sh*t hits the fan.

Motivation is not always high,

Things are not always moving like they should.

Its for that exact moment when things feel heavy and you’re trying to figure out how to move forward.

Because sometimes the problem isn’t your situation.

It’s that you mistake your perception on the day for the truth of the world.

And when you zoom out far enough, your problems look very different.

In this episode we talk about:

• What to do when overwhelm hits
• Why ambitious people struggle more with pressure
• The execution-to-idea gap
• How creativity can pull you out of mental spirals
• Why zooming out to the scale of the universe changes everything

If you're ambitious, building something, or trying to create a life that doesn't follow the normal path…

this episode is for you.

Especially on the days when it feels like everything is falling apart.

Watch the full episode:

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/_H92MqmNZVU

Connect

Kids Like Us

All socials: https://linktr.ee/thekidslikeus

Syd Meyer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syddiegurl

Chapters

0:00 – Trespassing on a stolen toilet
0:35 – When shit hits the fan
1:45 – The day everything felt overwhelming
4:10 – Why ambition and entrepreneurship are mentally hard
7:05 – The execution to idea gap
10:20 – Turning sadness into creation
14:40 – Anxiety and the future spiral
18:30 – Getting back to the present moment
23:15 – Why perspective changes everything
28:10 – Billions of galaxies and the scale of your problems
32:45 – The probability that you even exist
36:00 – Why ambitious people can’t give up
40:30 – Let art take over
45:10 – When your best ideas show up unexpectedly
50:00 – Final perspective shift

If this episode helped you, send it to someone who might need it today.

Sometimes one conversation can change how someone sees their entire situation.

Luis Borjaa is the kind of creator people think is “just lucky..."

traveling, filming campaigns, meeting big creators, experiencing it all...

In this episode, he breaks down the unsexy truth: emails, DMs, follow-ups, reps, discipline, and the reality of what this life looks like...

We talk about how he got brands to help fund trips (including Hawaii), why “closed mouths don’t get fed,” how to build leverage with a portfolio, and how to stop waiting for permission when you’re young, new, or dealing with impostor syndrome.

In this episode:

– How Luis approaches brands to fund travel + shoots
– The difference between “annoying” and professionally annoying (follow-ups that work)
– Why your early work should be bad (reps > perfection)
– Sacrifice, late nights, and the real cost behind the highlight reel
– How to stay aligned with who you are while building momentum

Find Luis:
IG: @luis.borjaa
YouTube: @projectsploosh

—

Luis Borja is living the creator life people talk about, but he didn’t get it by waiting, wishing, or “manifesting.” He got it by asking, following up, building proof, and doing the reps until his work spoke for itself.

This episode is a blueprint for creators who want more opportunities, more freedom, and more alignment who are willing to put the work in.

—

Brands don’t “discover” you. They respond to proof, persistence, and a clean pitch. Luis breaks down how he turns content into travel, campaigns, and real momentum.

—

Luis Borja shares how he turns content into real opportunities, brand-funded travel, campaigns, and creator momentum, through reps, outreach, and “professionally annoying” follow-ups.

—

Chapters:

00:00 Luis Borja intro — living aligned
03:00 Hawaii: getting the trip funded
08:30 “Closed mouths don’t get fed” + follow-ups
15:00 The real sacrifices behind the dream
17:10 Posting daily: reps, burnout, momentum
20:00 DMs, emails, and getting brands to say yes
24:50 Being the connector: value > ego
29:00 Cameras, origin story, first reps
33:00 Viral moment + early proof
39:00 “Kid” identity + confidence
43:00 Doing what you don’t want to do (the right kind)
50:20 “Just do it” + asking for help
57:40 Worldview, travel, perspective
1:02:00 Final message + where to find Luis

I walked with the monks for 2,300 miles...

from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C.

And I’m saying that like it’s literal… because in my head, it is.

There was a time I was stuck in my body.

I couldn’t get up.

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t escape it.

And if I’m honest, I can trace the tools that got me through that season back to the same principles I’m about to share with you.

Right now, the world feels heavy.

A lot of people feel like their attention getting hijacked every single day

rage, fear,

doomscrolling,

distraction,

shutdown.

This ep, is about keeping your mind clear when everything around you is trying to pull you into reactivity,

so you don’t spiral, you don’t harden, and you can respond with a steady hand.

Especially as an ambitious person. Ambitious are more likely to break if they don't implement this.

I'll play short clips from a monk’s talk and translate them into real life

the situations relevant in the world...

and ambition, burnout, relationships, pain, money, and the monkey mind. You don’t have to live like a monk to think like one.

The best part: you kind find complete freedom from it all TODAY.

You'll find out exacly

• The “dirty mirror” metaphor
• The 86,400 seconds rule
• Monkey mind + negativity bias (and how to detach from thoughts)
• Pain vs suffering: (you create suffering)

Watch the episode (best experience)
YouTube: [https://youtu.be/StQHFQn3gmc]

Connect
IG: @thekidslikeus [https://www.instagram.com/thekidslikeus/]
Tiktok: @http://the.kids.like.us [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.kids.like.us?_r=1&_t=ZP-933AaQ9t3te]
Syd's Instagram: @syddiegurl [https://www.instagram.com/syddiegurl]

0:00 – I “walked” 2,300 miles + why mind regulation isn’t optional
0:40 – Quick PSA: the world feels heavy (and your mind is getting hijacked)
2:05 – Ambition + burnout: how we spiral and sabotage
4:20 – Why monks: ancient wisdom that actually works (Buddhism + Stoicism)
6:10 – How I accidentally met them in South Carolina
10:30 – The Walk for Peace mission + who monks really are
12:45 – Mirror metaphor: mental “spots” and distorted reality
18:20 – Non-reactivity under pressure (getting cursed at)
19:45 – Driving rage + “how many seconds am I giving this?”
21:00 – 86,400 seconds a day (don’t give them more than 10)
24:10 – “Just let them”: resentment, control, and relationship walls
27:30 – World peace starts at home (and inside your own mind)
29:40 – The “glass of water” rule: conflict + kindness + timing
33:20 – Meditation + monkey mind (thoughts as clouds)
39:10 – Hospital / jail / funeral: the cost of reactivity
45:00 – “Today is going to be my peaceful day” (write it down)
47:10 – Barefoot pain: pain vs suffering
50:30 – My knee surgeries: being trapped in the body and what helped
56:00 – Money, freedom, and why chasing doesn’t fix the mind
2:00:00 – The 7-day challenge: notice the urge, pause, breathe, reassess
2:02:30 – Closing: join the walk + share this with one person

Dropping Out of College, Couchsurfing, to Achieving My Pipe Dreams

I dropped out of college. Couch hopped. And bet everything on a life I couldn’t explain without sounding delusional.

This is the true origin story behind KIDS LIKE US—what happened, what it cost, and the mindset that kept me from crawling back to “safe.”

In this episode, you’ll hear:

The "out of the matrix" moment that changed my perception on how life can be (yes… the school bus + silent disco astronaut)

The injury that forced me to stop wasting time

How I started building my agency from scratch while broke, grinding, and isolated

Why your “gut” is usually ahead of your logic (and what to do with that)

The uncomfortable truth about chasing big goals: loneliness, pressure, identity shifts

If you’ve felt the pull toward more—but you don’t know how to trust it—start here.

Watch the episode (best experience)

YouTube: [https://youtu.be/iQ30h-qNpUI?si=u89CJca8DhekL920]

Listen to the episode

Spotify: [https://open.spotify.com/episode/08uag2S86wWX1wdVcxW9pd?si=Sqy5WpdeRT2c--doHs-kag]
Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dropping-out-of-college-couchsurfing-to-achieving-my/id1868845583?i=1000745227515]

Free Personal Brand Kickstart (10 minutes)

Get the quiz + free guide sent to your email: [https://ssslighthousecreative.com/brand-clarity-quiz/]

Connect

IG: @thekidslikeus [https://www.instagram.com/thekidslikeus/]
Tiktok: @the.kids.like.us [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.kids.like.us?_r=1&_t=ZP-933AaQ9t3te]
Syd's Instagram: @syddiegurl [https://www.instagram.com/syddiegurl]

Timestamps / Chapters

0:00 – The 4:30 a.m. mess + why this podcast exists
1:40 – “I dropped out” (and why)
4:10 – The Charleston moment that rewired what’s possible
8:30 – The injury + the journal line that changed everything
12:45 – The real cost: loneliness, doubt, pressure
16:10 – Building the agency + trading skills for opportunities
20:30 – Why “safe” can be the riskiest option
24:00 – The promise of this show + what’s next