In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Dr. Fredrick Echols, MD, a physician and public health leader.

In 2014, he was Director of Communicable Disease Control for the State of Illinois during the Ebola outbreak. The question was not just how to share information, but how to make sure vulnerable communities, health care workers, rural areas, and people with different language and literacy needs could actually understand and use that information.

Later, during COVID-19, Dr. Echols applied those lessons as Director of Health for the City of St. Louis.

This conversation is about data, trust, public health, community engagement, democracy, and what leadership looks like when lives are on the line.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why standard public health communication was not enough
• What Ebola taught Dr. Echols before COVID-19
• Why vulnerable communities need tailored communication
• How data should guide crisis response
• Why trust must be built before the emergency
• How to educate lawmakers and community members
• Why consistency matters in public communication
• How the scientific method can help with personal decisions
• Why everyone has a role in shaping democracy

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Ebola outbreak
02:20 Option X vs Option Y
04:59 Prioritizing the highest-risk communities
06:13 Status quo vs community engagement
07:22 Staying flexible during a crisis
08:48 Lessons from COVID-19
09:13 Leading public health in St. Louis
17:18 Communicating consistently
19:07 The power of educating communities
20:15 Talking with lawmakers during scarcity
22:45 Using existing government infrastructure
25:37 What crisis taught him about leadership
27:02 Everyone has a role in shaping democracy
28:45 The scientific method for better decisions
32:43 Why AI cannot replace critical thinking
33:26 Who should reach out to Dr. Echols
34:13 Subscribe to The Power House

ABOUT DR. FREDRICK ECHOLS

Dr. Fredrick L. Echols, MD is a physician and public health leader. He is the Founder and CEO of Population Health and Social Justice Consulting, LLC, where he helps governments and community-based organizations use evidence-informed public health strategies to improve health outcomes and address inequities.

His work focuses on population health, public health infrastructure, community engagement, health equity, and system-level change.

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-house-podcast/id1875393726

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ug3AXGHXVYFII8NKwxee

Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing with JG:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

#PublicHealth #Leadership #HealthEquity #DecisionMaking #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Consul Chico Borromeo of the Philippine Consulate General in New York.

Chico shares the decision to leave a stable private-sector banking career and accept his appointment into government service through the Philippine Foreign Service.

At the time, he had spent almost five years building his first career. Banking gave him stability, a clear path, and a life that made sense. But when the appointment papers arrived, the door to public service finally opened.

The decision was not easy.

Staying meant comfort. Leaving meant cost, uncertainty, bureaucracy, and stepping into a completely different world.

This conversation is about public service, career change, Filipino leadership, and what it means to move when fear is the only thing stopping you.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Chico left banking for public service
• What made the Foreign Service worth the leap
• The cost of leaving a stable first career
• Why comfort can become the thing you need to outgrow
• How asking a neutral third party can help with big decisions
• What New York taught Chico about reinvention
• How the Consulate connects with Filipino and Filipino-American communities

CHAPTERS

00:00 Stepping outside the comfort zone
00:28 Welcome to The Power House
01:18 Meet Consul Chico Borromeo
04:15 Life before the big decision
06:40 Option X vs Option Y
07:22 The private-sector path
09:48 The vision for government service
14:01 The appointment papers arrive
16:42 Public service vs comfort
19:05 What Chico learned quickly
20:30 His decision rule
22:06 NYC quickfire
35:43 In New York, you can reinvent yourself
39:00 What New York taught Chico
40:13 Who should reach out to the Consulate
41:29 Final advice for emerging leaders

ABOUT CONSUL CHICO BORROMEO

Consul Chico Borromeo serves at the Philippine Consulate General in New York. His work includes engaging with Filipino and Filipino-American communities, including emerging Filipino leaders and young professionals in the city.

Philippine Consulate General in New York:
556 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10036

Official website:
https://newyorkpcg.org

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-house-podcast/id1875393726

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ug3AXGHXVYFII8NKwxee

Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing with JG:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

#FilipinoLeadership #PublicService #CareerChange #DecisionMaking #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Steve Westby, a higher education administrator, Obama Foundation USA Leader, U.S. Army veteran, and photographer.

Steve shares the decision to leave Tucson after graduate school and move to New York City for a role at New York University supporting military-connected students.

At the time, Steve had built a real life in Arizona. He had friends, professional relationships, a strong student veteran network, and the first sense of stability he had known after years of moving around.

Then NYU called.

The opportunity was not the biggest title he was considering. But the impact was real, the institution mattered, and New York had always been a dream.

This conversation is about opportunity, identity, student veterans, choosing impact over title, and what it means to take the leap when a city calls your name.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Steve started applying before graduation
• The real choice between Tucson and New York
• What happened when NYU offered him the role
• Why the title mattered less than the impact
• What he gave up to make the move
• How New York helped him live more fully as himself
• Why opportunity does not always look the way you expect
• What New York teaches about humility
• Why leaders should take chances and take care of people

CHAPTERS

00:00 What New York taught Steve
00:20 Welcome to The Power House
01:09 Meet Steve Westby
01:44 Life before the big decision
02:05 Option X vs Option Y
03:13 Why the decision felt urgent
04:36 The people around the decision
06:33 When NYU called
08:58 The emotions after the offer
11:22 What the move cost him
13:39 Coming out more fully in New York
15:17 Rehoming Scout
16:42 Steve’s decision rule
18:54 Choosing impact over title
21:44 What New York saw in him
24:02 NYC quickfire
28:04 What New York taught Steve
29:00 Final advice for emerging leaders

ABOUT STEVE WESTBY

Steve Westby is a higher education administrator, U.S. Army veteran, Obama Foundation USA Leader, and photographer.

His work focuses on supporting military-connected students, student veterans, and their families as they navigate higher education, belonging, transition, and success.

In this episode, Steve shares the decision to move to New York City, join NYU, and choose impact over title.

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-house-podcast/id1875393726

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ug3AXGHXVYFII8NKwxee

Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing with JG:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

#Veterans #HigherEducation #Leadership #DecisionMaking #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Gary Benerofe, General Partner at Mu Ventures.

Gary shares the story of building Media Spa for seven years, entering an acquisition process, and realizing that the company he built had become tied to his identity, his financial plan, and his sense of worth.

But while the deal was moving forward, everything around him started tightening: company integration, another acquisition, a lawsuit, COVID pressure, team changes, and constant work across time zones.

Then his body started breaking down.

This episode is about founder burnout, identity, health, marriage, ego, and the moment a leader has to ask:

What am I actually fighting for?

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Media Spa became more than a company

• The pressure of being one yard from the exit

• What founder burnout can feel like physically

• Why Gary ignored the warning signs at first

• The role his wife played in the decision

• Why taking a break felt like weakness

• What he learned during “the summer of Gary”

• The rule he now uses: your body knows first

• What New York taught him about freedom

CHAPTERS

00:00 Your body knows first

00:18 Welcome to The Power House

01:03 Meet Gary Benerofe

01:40 Building Media Spa for seven years

03:28 The acquisition starts going wrong

04:18 COVID, lawsuits, and too much complexity

06:01 Ignoring the warning signs

07:30 Identity vs money

08:29 The panic attack moment

10:58 The decision to take a break

14:50 The summer of Gary

16:37 Your body knows first

18:33 NYC quickfire

26:49 Who should reach out to Gary

27:17 Final remarks

ABOUT GARY

Gary Benerofe is a venture capitalist and General Partner at Mu Ventures. He works with early-stage founders building in commerce infrastructure, marketplaces, vertical software, and CPG.

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe:

https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Newsletter:

https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing:

https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

#FounderBurnout #Leadership #DecisionMaking #Startups #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Matt Hooper, angel investor and creator of the show Right to Invest.

Matt shares the decision to leave a comfortable, well-paying role at Barclays Investment Bank and build a creative media business around startups, innovation, and live performance.

At Barclays, Matt was inside the New York innovation ecosystem. He helped manage Rise New York, worked with startups through the Barclays Accelerator with Techstars, and connected founders, executives, and corporate teams.

But Matt left to build Live from Tomorrow, a live show and media business that combined comedy, music, startup pitches, and technology. One of the first big projects was for IBM Blockchain: Steven Sondheim-influenced spoof songs about blockchain.

On paper, it sounded strange.

For Matt, it made perfect sense.

This conversation is about comfort, creativity, career risk, startup community, and why being in the room can change the direction of your life.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why comfort became the warning sign
• What Matt learned inside Barclays
• Why he left a stable innovation role
• How Live from Tomorrow became a business
• Why the IBM Blockchain project changed everything
• The risk of leaving salary for client revenue
• Why putting yourself in the room still matters
• What Matt teaches young founders and students
• Why New York made the whole path possible

CHAPTERS

00:00 The weirdest decision Matt ever made
00:29 Welcome to The Power House
01:14 Meet Matt Hooper
02:04 Life before the big decision
04:23 The best part of the Barclays role
06:44 The career ceiling
08:09 Option X vs Option Y
10:36 Making technology entertaining
11:32 Leaving a well-paying job to write blockchain songs
12:08 The smarter choice vs the honest choice
15:37 The economic anxiety
16:44 The IBM moment
19:35 Knowing the idea was good
20:39 When it became a real business
21:59 Matt’s decision rule
23:40 NYC quickfire
36:18 Who should reach out to Matt
37:06 Final advice

ABOUT MATT

Matt Hooper is an angel investor and creator of the show Right to Invest. He works with startups, founders, and sponsors across the early-stage technology ecosystem, with a focus on AI-enabled software, the creator economy, and startup storytelling.

Before Right to Invest, Matt built Live from Tomorrow, a creative media business that turned startup and technology stories into live shows, podcasts, and branded content.

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-house-podcast/id1875393726

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ug3AXGHXVYFII8NKwxee

Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing with JG:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Greg Okshteyn, founder of Studios GO and creator of Play Day, to unpack one real decision under pressure.

Greg had already spent decades building a successful architecture and design practice. His firm, Studios GO, designed restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and buildings around the world.

Then a different kind of opportunity showed up close to home.

His daughter loved art, but in Long Island City there was no dedicated creative art studio for young kids. There were martial arts classes, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, music — but no strong art option.

Then a retail space opened across the street from his house.

That became the fork.

• Why Greg started Play Day while already running Studios GO
• How a missing neighborhood need became a real business opportunity
• How Play Day evolved from art classes into camps, birthday parties, and flexible programming
• Why founders need to listen to customers instead of forcing the original plan
• Why your “failure resume” can be just as important as your success resume
• How Greg thinks about building teams
• Why collaboration matters more than control
• The Play Day rule: listen to the customer and work hard to accommodate

00:00 Over 100 people on the first day
00:16 What The Power House is about
01:01 Meet Greg Okshteyn
01:36 Building Studios GO and the architecture path
02:58 The missing art studio in Long Island City
03:38 The retail space across the street
04:31 Taking another entrepreneurial plunge
05:48 Building the first Play Day team
06:28 Why Play Day was like SoulCycle for kids
08:14 From art studio to confidence-building space
09:58 Why start another business?
11:39 The fear, risk, and uncertainty
13:48 Building without every answer figured out
15:16 How camp and birthday parties emerged
16:07 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
17:02 The first day: 100+ people showed up
18:25 The Play Day rule
20:37 The failure resume
22:20 The founder mistake: not staying open to change
23:51 Why founders need to collaborate
24:42 NYC quickfire
27:43 Where to find Play Day

Greg Okshteyn is the founder of Studios GO, an architecture and design practice with work across restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and buildings around the world. He is also the creator of Play Day, a children’s creative art studio that began in Long Island City and has expanded across multiple neighborhoods, including Brooklyn, Manhattan, Hoboken, and more.

Play Day helps children build creativity, confidence, social awareness, and communication skills through art.

Website: https://playday.com
Email: [email protected]

📧 Booking link:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

✅ Subscribe to our channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

💬 Subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Josue De Paz, CEO and Co-Founder of Honor Your Dreams.

Josue shares the decision to start what was then called First Tech Fund during the pandemic, after being laid off from what felt like a dream nonprofit job.

While watching the news with his wife, Josue saw New York City students going to parking lots and public spaces just to access Wi-Fi for remote school. That moment brought him back to his own childhood, when his mom worked extra shifts to buy the family a computer.

That computer became a bridge for him.

So he decided to build that bridge for other students.

This conversation is about economic mobility, first-generation students, undocumented experience, financial risk, community, and turning lived experience into a real organization.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Josue left the corporate path for nonprofit work
• What happened when he was laid off during the pandemic
• The news story that sparked Honor Your Dreams
• Why laptops and Wi-Fi can change a student’s future
• How Josue launched in six weeks
• What it took to build while working a full-time tech job
• Why community is the way
• What New York taught Josue about possibility

CHAPTERS

00:00 Believe in what you are capable of
00:26 Welcome to The Power House
01:11 Meet Josue De Paz
01:50 The corporate career and nonprofit pivot
03:00 The dream job at Girls Who Code
04:05 The pandemic layoff
04:50 The news story that changed everything
06:15 The computer that changed Josue’s life
07:13 The idea for Honor Your Dreams
08:32 Fear, funding, and starting a nonprofit
09:51 Launching with 50 students
10:21 Building while working a tech job
11:10 Building financial stability first
18:27 Watching students search for Wi-Fi
20:50 The real fork in the road
24:28 The personal trade-offs
27:19 Going from idea to launch in six weeks
30:49 The objection that almost stopped him
33:20 Building it while surviving
36:11 What Josue learned about himself
38:06 NYC quickfire
40:58 Final advice for emerging leaders

ABOUT JOSUE

Josue De Paz is the CEO and Co-Founder of Honor Your Dreams, a nonprofit focused on economic mobility for low-income and first-generation students. The organization began as First Tech Fund, supporting students with computers, Wi-Fi, mentorship, and college access support.

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-house-podcast/id1875393726

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ug3AXGHXVYFII8NKwxee

Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing with JG:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

#NonprofitLeadership #EconomicMobility #FirstGeneration #DecisionMaking #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Jason Malefakis, Founder and CEO of Wayo, a curated workspace marketplace built for modern work.

Jason shares the decision to leave a stable hedge fund technology career and start a company he had wanted to build since middle school.

The safe path gave him financial stability, predictable income, and a more manageable family life. The risky path meant building Wayo while newly married, raising a young child, and putting real money, time, sleep, and family energy on the line.

This conversation is about entrepreneurship, family pressure, modern work, and how to reduce risk before making a big leap.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Jason left a stable hedge fund technology career
• How becoming a father changed his priorities
• What his wife had to carry during the founder journey
• Why Wayo is building “in-person remote” work
• How curated workdays create productivity and connection
• Jason’s rule for reducing risk before a big decision
• What New York taught Jason about resilience

CHAPTERS

00:00 The atmosphere that makes people more productive
00:19 Welcome to The Power House
01:08 Meet Jason Malefakis, Founder & CEO of Wayo
01:35 Life before the big decision
01:59 Option X vs Option Y
02:30 Why the safe path was hard to leave
04:18 Why Jason wanted to build Wayo
05:02 The problem Wayo solves for remote workers
06:07 Starting a business after becoming a father
08:22 The cost: money, time, sleep, and stability
09:43 What Jason’s wife had to carry
11:52 When Wayo started feeling real
14:43 The first Wayo workday
17:36 How structured connection changes the room
20:52 What Jason wants his son to learn
22:09 Jason’s decision rule
24:36 NYC quickfire
33:24 Who should reach out to Jason
33:56 Final advice for big decisions

ABOUT JASON

Jason Malefakis is the Founder and CEO of Wayo, a curated workspace marketplace built for modern work. Before Wayo, he worked in hedge fund technology and finance operations at Blackstone and Renaissance Technologies.

Wayo helps people find inspiring spaces where productivity, hospitality, and meaningful professional connection can happen together.

FIND JASON + WAYO

Wayo:
https://wayo.club

Power House audience offer:
Use promo code POWERHOUSEVIP for $20 off your first Wayo workday.

Available for the first 25 people.

LinkedIn:
Search “Jason Malefakis”

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-house-podcast/id1875393726

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ug3AXGHXVYFII8NKwxee

Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing with JG:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Ivy Woolf Turk — certified professional coach, freedom fighter, and storyteller.

Ivy shares the story of losing everything, coming home from federal prison, and making one decision that changed the direction of her life: instead of disappearing into shame or survival, she chose to rebuild herself and help other women do the same.

Her turning point came in her first hours out, after she was mugged, injured, and afraid that asking for help could send her back.

That moment forced the question:

If someone with her background could barely survive reentry, what about the women she left behind?

This conversation is about shame, survival, reinvention, service, and what Ivy calls living a liberated life.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The moment Ivy’s life changed
• What reentry really feels like
• Why she chose coaching school after prison
• How Project Liberation was born
• The women who helped her rebuild
• The Be-Do-Have rule
• Why freedom starts with telling the truth
• What New York taught Ivy

CHAPTERS

00:00 Living a liberated life
00:29 Welcome to The Power House
01:14 Meet Ivy Woolf Turk
02:30 Life before the decision
03:22 The arrest that changed everything
04:57 Coming home from prison
05:23 The first three hours out
06:19 Choosing a new credential
07:38 Rebuilding from the halfway house
10:16 Asking for the scholarship
12:41 What made the decision hard
14:42 The day the dream became real
15:12 Teaching GED in prison
17:39 Your Right to Heal
19:05 The lottery-funded opening
21:32 The probation officer’s message
22:47 Telling her story publicly
24:10 Judge Loretta Preska stands up
24:52 Project Liberation is born
26:21 The Be-Do-Have rule
27:05 NYC quickfire
30:30 Final remarks
33:46 Subscribe to The Power House

ABOUT IVY

Ivy Woolf Turk is a certified professional coach, storyteller, freedom fighter, and founder of Project Liberation and A Liberated Life. Her work helps people move beyond shame, survival, and personal imprisonment into lives that feel authentic, dignified, and free.

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-house-podcast/id1875393726

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/76ug3AXGHXVYFII8NKwxee

Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing with JG:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

#Leadership #Reinvention #Resilience #DecisionMaking #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Ivy Woolf Turk — certified professional coach, freedom fighter, and storyteller.

Ivy shares the story of losing the life she built, coming home from federal prison, and making one decision that changed everything: instead of disappearing into survival, she chose to build work that could help other women come home with dignity, identity, and hope.

Her turning point came in her first hours out, after she was mugged, injured, and afraid to report what happened. That moment forced the question: if someone with her background could barely make it through reentry, what about the women she left behind?

This conversation is about shame, survival, reinvention, service, and the discipline of living a liberated life.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The moment Ivy’s life changed

• What reentry really feels like

• Why she chose coaching school after prison

• How Project Liberation was born

• The women who helped her rebuild

• The Be-Do-Have rule

• Why freedom starts with telling the truth

• What New York taught Ivy

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Ivy Woolf Turk

01:16 Life before the decision

02:10 The arrest that changed everything

03:43 Coming home from prison

04:09 The first three hours out

05:32 Choosing a new credential

06:24 Rebuilding from the halfway house

09:02 Finding coaching school

11:27 What made the decision hard

13:28 The day the dream became real

14:47 Teaching GED in prison

16:12 Your Right to Heal

18:24 The lottery-funded opening

20:17 The probation officer’s message

21:33 Telling her story publicly

22:56 Project Liberation is born

25:07 The Be-Do-Have rule

25:51 NYC quickfire

29:16 Final remarks

ABOUT IVY

Ivy Woolf Turk is a certified professional coach, storyteller, and founder of Project Liberation and A Liberated Life. Her work helps people move beyond shame, survival, and personal imprisonment into lives that feel authentic, dignified, and free.

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe:

https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast

Newsletter:

https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

Book a podcast briefing:

https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

#Leadership #Reinvention #Resilience #DecisionMaking #ThePowerHouse