Hi everyone, happy new year!

As we kick off 2026, many of us are thinking about New Year's resolutions—new goals to achieve, new versions of ourselves to become. But what if the real question isn't about getting more done, but about coming more alive?

Paul Millerd is the author of The Pathless Path and Good Work, and writes one of the most thoughtful newsletters on work, meaning, and designing a life on your own terms.

Eight and a half years ago, Paul left behind a high-status consulting career at McKinsey—not to get rich or start a startup, but to figure out what kind of life he actually wanted to live. Since then, he's hacked a living through freelancing, selling books and courses, basically doing whatever he needs to stay on this path that he loves.

In this conversation, Paul shares the mantra that's made him happier than he's ever been, why he designs his life around time instead of money, and practical experiments you can start right now to discover what truly gives you energy.

One thing Paul said that really stuck with me: "I'd rather buy time than buy stuff. And you're allowed to buy time—but if you're employed full-time, this is hard to see because all your time has already been sold."

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Follow Paul Millerd's work:

https://pathlesspath.com/

IG: @pathlesspaul

My guest in this episode is Steve Chung—former exec at Fox and CJ ENM, and now COO of Azuki, one of the most disruptive forces in next-gen anime and Web3.

I've been trying to get Steve on the podcast for almost two years, and it's well worth the wait.

In this conversation, we go beyond the buzzwords. Steve breaks down the bold moves Azuki is making to build what a next-gen media company could actually look like—blending storytelling, community, and new tools like AI and blockchain to reimagine what's possible in 2025 and beyond.

We talk about:

• Why Japan's anime industry is maxed out—and how AI might help tell more stories, not replace creators

• How Azuki went from being one of the biggest NFT collections in history to launching a their own anime anthologies, now airing across Southeast Asia and US cable

• What it really means to build fandom-first—and why Steve believes general entertainment is dead

• The wild story of how Steve pitched Fox a digital strategy deck...and walked out with a job offer

Towards the end, Steve gets personal—sharing career advice that stuck with me: why asking great questions is more valuable than having all the answers, and how a mindset shift from "sometimes you win, sometimes you lose" to "sometimes you win, sometimes you learn" changed the game.

Whether you're into anime, startups, Web3, or just want to hear from someone who's been at the intersection of East and West media for two decades, this one's for you.

In this episode I dive into the inspiring journey of my childhood best friend turned Zumba sensation, Prince Paltu-Ob. From breaking into the top tier hip-hop dance crew in the Philippines to becoming the country's number one Zumba instructor with a thriving dance studio and music career, Prince's story is nothing short of extraordinary.

Princess is a force to be reckoned with in the world of dance and fitness. As the number one Zumba instructor in the Philippines, Prince has not only carved a niche for himself but has also become a Zumba Education Specialist, licensing individuals worldwide to become Zumba instructors.

Prince shares the intimate details of his dance journey, exploring moments of denial, self-defense mechanisms, and the realization that sometimes, embracing the unexpected can lead to profound personal and professional growth. What stands out is his vulnerability, his honesty about not knowing where life would take him, and the courage it took to defy stereotypes and preconceptions.

As we wrap up this episode, remember that life's twists and turns are mere stepping stones to the grand stages we envision. Prince Paltu-Ob's story is a reminder that every setback is a setup for a grander comeback.

Join us as we explore the man behind the moves, his journey from Taiwan to the Philippines, and the unexpected turns that led him to inspire a global community.

How has streaming changed from the days when Lost and Desperate Housewives were first launched on abc.com?

I've waited over two years to record this episode with Albert Cheng, who is the VP of Amazon Prime Video for the US and former COO of Amazon Studios.

Years before Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, Albert made history in entertainment while at Disney by being the first to put TV episodes on iTunes and stream top broadcast shows and live feeds on abc.com.

In this episode, we covered hard problems that Albert is tackling, such as solving the consumer's paradox of choice between content. He also shared his pivotal journey from being a mechanical engineer at Boeing to taking the first step into the entertainment industry at Disney. Albert also opened up on how he balances the expectation of representation as one of the few Asian American executives in media

My favorite part? Learning about Albert's personal mission to break the "ME" culture by paying it forward. It's clear he embodies this mission, from making time to speak with me when I was a student at the GSB to his role as a board member for CAPE, where he advocates for greater Asian representation in media. This conversation reminded me how grounding a simple mindshift from me to we can be.

Lastly, a big shout-out to Desiree for her persistent scheduling efforts over the past year and reminding me just to have fun during the call. It was an absolute blast.

Hope you enjoy.

In this episode I sit down with Haley and Romain, two inspiring individuals who have embraced intentional living. Joined by their shared love for food, travel, and philosophy, we delved into a range of important life topics. From choosing a fulfilling career to establishing a healthy relationship with money, they share valuable insights that will make you question your own choices.

What sets Haley and Romain apart is their remarkable ability to balance ambitious goals with a thoughtful approach to time management. As they recount their nomadic lifestyle and temporary home in Yosemite, California, you'll discover how they have found harmony between work and personal fulfillment.

Haley, the epitome of inspiration, shares her journey of moving around from a young age and finding home in her partner and their cats. She reveals that home is not tied to a specific place but is wherever you make it. Romain, on the other hand, reflects on the crisis he faced in his early thirties, realizing the need to reassess his values and purpose. Through coaching and self-reflection, he made intentional choices to transform his career and lifestyle.

As the conversation unfolds, they explore the concept of a nomadic life and how they have hacked it to suit their preferences. They reveal their sweet spot of staying in one place for about six months before embarking on a new adventure. Their experience proves that intentional living is not about following a prescribed path but about creating a life that aligns with your values and desires.

Hope you enjoy!

Marty

In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Eugene Choi, the CEO of Collab Asia, the largest creator network in Asia Pacific that manages over 1500 channels of top creators across eight countries.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Eugene since my YouTube days, and he has been not only a good friend but also a mentor, providing invaluable advice for my career in the entertainment industry.

In this episode, we delve into Eugene's journey of scaling Collab Asia across different markets, building a competitive advantage, and his company's investment in the future of the creator economy. We also get a glimpse into Eugene's mindset as a CEO, a father of 2 kids, and his ambitious pursuits in the media industry as a third-culture kid.

Eugene describes this episode as akin to "How I built this" by Guy Raz, and I'm honored by his praises.

My favorite part? Everything started when he stumbled upon the opportunity to produce K-Town, the American American version of Jersey Shore back in 2012 with Tyrese Gibson and Eddie Kim. We went back in time and explored how he took on the challenge of producing a show at a time when Asians were rarely seen on TV.

Let's dive in to hear more.

Hope you enjoy!

First episode in 2023.

Over the holiday break, I had the pleasure of speaking with my GSB classmate Matias to learn about what he's been up to, and as part of the mission of this podcast of discovering the pivotal moments in life, I was able to learn from Matias what it was like for him growing up in Argentina, and how that has shaped him to be who he is today.

It was a fascinating conversation about the pursuit of dreams and goals, and the importance of setting a North Star especially in times of ambiguity. That, and the fact that Matias just has crazy stories to share, makes this episode so fun and rewarding.

One thing that I'm reminding myself of is the notion that we often overestimate what we can do in 1 year, but underestimate what we can accomplish in 10 years, so if you've already set your new year's resolution for the year, I'd encourage you to take another look and ask yourself, what is the lifestyle that you want to live by in 2033, and does your 2023 goal help build towards that vision.

Hope you enjoy it. Wishing you a fantastic 2023!

Hi everyone, I'm so excited to share this episode with you. I've been wanting to record this the moment I met Tony, and now it's finally here. Tony is a true inspiration, and he exemplifies what it means to hustle and chase after our dreams.

As an introduction, Tony Yang is the founder of Dream3, a Web3 platform that's taking a cinematic approach towards NFTs to solve Hollywood's content bottleneck of finding and developing new IPs. During this period of economic downturn, there's probably no better time than to provide some inspiration to keep chasing after what matters most to you.

We kicked off about how Tony sold out his company's NFTs, how he grew his Twitter followers from 2,000 to 100k in 5 months, and what he's doing to shape the future of entertainment. But this episode isn't about NFTs or Web3, but more about chasing after the big dream. 30 minutes in, Tony and I started talking about the movie, Rush Hour, and how everything Tony has done so far is just a path for him to produce Rush Hour 4.

Yup, we're talking about a boy who loves the Rush Hour franchise so much that he wrote his own script for Rush Hour 4 and found all kinds of ways to get in front of Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, and Brett Ratner to pitch them his idea.

If you've listened to the episode of Tim Ferriss interviewing Jamie Foxx on how he broke into Hollywood, this is my version of that, with, I dare say, even more ingenuity and absurdness that you'll stop and say, "Holy shit, is this for real?" I kept joking to Tony that he should just make a movie of him trying to make a movie and call it "Finding Jackie Chan". Seriously, you'll believe me when you listen to his story.

Above all else, Tony's story reminded me what it means to hustle and to keep chasing those dreams alive because they're what matters most.

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

This episode is with Shawn Maghboulegh. He's a serial entrepreneur, master marketer, and a trusted ally to content creators.

Over the past 3 years, Shawn has played a major role in the creator space. Even though he doesn't see himself as an agent, he's personally landed hundreds of brand deals for creators, ran several content houses that generated massive publicity and attracted celebrities such as Kid Laroi, Justin Bieber, and prominent NBA players.

I had a fascinating talk with Shawn - we talked about how 2021 was the perfect storm for content houses that will never be replicated again, what's the mindset like for a 17 year old content creator today, as well as his hope for all of us who are deeply ingrained with social media - that in a world where the lines between reality and perception gets blurry, we should always strive to live for ourselves instead of living for the image.

Enjoy!

This episode is with my good friend Eric. I've known him since high school when I first moved back to the US and he's always been known as the guy that makes awesome music videos, but somewhere along the line he's stopped making content.

Fast forward 10 years later, after building his career in finance, after business school, after ending a 7 year relationship, he decided to move to NY where we reconnected.

He talked about wanting to start a YouTube channel and we grabbed a beer near K-town. A few weeks later I saw the first video, and then fast forward again to now, Eric's made 80+ videos on his YouTube channel, including some famous series "Love in the time of corona" where he broadcasted his dating experience to the public, and "stooptalk" where perfect strangers share their deepest secret with Eric on a magical stoop right in front of his apartment, and my favorite episode so far, How I found Love in New York City.

I've had a ton of fun learning about his creative process, how he's able to outsource some editing work so that he still has a life while having a full time job, but more importantly, the satisfaction he's able to get by connecting with people on a deeper level. As his channel mission states, behind any person there's a story. Hope you're as inspired as I was from listening to Eric's story. Enjoy!

Book recs by Eric: Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl The War of Art by Steven Pressfield