In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Greg Okshteyn, founder of PlayDay and Studios GO.

Greg shares the decision to start PlayDay after already building a successful architecture and design practice. The idea began when his daughter loved art but had nowhere in the neighborhood to go for creative classes. Then a retail space opened across the street from his home, and the opportunity became real.

This conversation is about starting before the plan is perfect, listening to customers, building the right team, and turning a local need into a growing business.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Greg started Play Day
• How 100 people showed up on day one
• Why Play Day became “SoulCycle for kids, but with art”
• How customer feedback shaped the business
• Why founders need to stay flexible
• What Greg calls “the failure resume”
• How art helps children build confidence

CHAPTERS

00:00 100 people on the first day
00:16 Welcome to The Power House
01:01 Meet Greg Okshteyn
02:58 The problem: no art studio for kids
03:38 The retail space across the street
04:31 Starting another business
05:48 Building the first Play Day team
06:28 SoulCycle for kids, but with art
08:14 What Play Day became for children
13:48 Starting without everything figured out
17:02 The first day Play Day opened
18:25 The Play Day rule
20:37 The failure resume
23:51 Why collaboration matters
24:42 NYC quickfire
27:43 How to find Play Day

ABOUT GREG

Greg Okshteyn is the founder of Play Day and Studios GO. Play Day helps children build creativity, confidence, and social awareness through art.

FIND GREG + PLAY DAY

Play Day:
https://playday.com

Email:
[email protected]

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:
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Book a podcast briefing with JG:
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#Entrepreneurship #Founders #Creativity #DecisionMaking #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Preeti Adhikari, co-founder and general partner of Momo VC, to unpack one real decision under pressure.

Preeti was in the middle of building an early-stage venture fund in the U.S. The legal fees had been paid. The incorporation documents were moving. The plan was no longer just an idea.

Then one of the original partners backed out.

That moment forced a hard decision.

Should she stop the fund before it fully started?

Or should she keep moving forward, rebuild the plan, and trust that the mission was still strong enough?

Preeti chose to move forward.

This conversation is about what happens when a partner leaves, how to rethink the plan without turning the story into blame, and why mission alignment matters when you are building something from scratch.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN

* What it feels like when a founding partner backs out mid-build
* Why Preeti considered stopping the fund entirely
* How she and Sajan Gautam decided to move forward
* Why co-founder alignment is about values, not just skills
* The story behind the name Momo VC
* Why founders need more than capital
* How Momo VC raised its first fund
* Why broken plans can force better clarity
* How to move forward without turning the person who left into the villain
* Why “everything is figureoutable” became part of the lesson

CHAPTERS

00:00 The plan breaks
00:09 What The Power House is about
00:54 Meet Preeti Adhikari of Momo VC
01:27 Building an early-stage VC fund
02:15 When one partner backs out
04:22 Option X vs Option Y: stop or move forward
06:58 What moving forward really meant
09:45 Rebuilding the plan with Sajan Gautam
10:56 Why partner alignment matters
13:08 The story behind Momo VC
15:15 Raising the first fund
17:20 The decision rule: diligence, belief, and grace
18:58 NYC quickfire
29:05 Who should reach out to Momo VC
30:32 Final advice: take the leap and figure it out

ABOUT THE GUEST

Preeti Adhikari is the co-founder and general partner of Momo VC, an early-stage venture fund investing in pre-seed and seed companies. She is also the founder of The Great Nepali Diaspora, a professional network for people around the world with roots in Nepal. Through Momo VC, she focuses on backing strong founders while also supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs with capital, mentorship, access, and networks.

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

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In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with GM Eric B. Bustamante, First Vice President and General Manager of Philippine National Bank New York.

Eric shares the decision that changed his life: leaving behind a successful banking career in the Philippines to start over in the United States for his family.

Back home, he had status, awards, career momentum, and a comfortable life. But his wife and children were already in America. Every promotion made it easier to stay. Every missed birthday, graduation, and family moment made the cost harder to ignore.

Then his daughter said something that changed everything:

“We’re already good without you.”

That was the moment Eric realized that success means very little if the people you love no longer feel your presence.

This episode is about family, sacrifice, migration, rebuilding identity, and learning that the most important decisions are not always made in the boardroom. Sometimes they are made at the dinner table.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Why Eric left a successful banking career in the Philippines

• The emotional cost of being away from family

• The daughter’s words that changed his decision

• Why career success can become a trap

• What it feels like to start over in New York

• How he rebuilt his career after migrating

• Why family gives success its real meaning

• How Philippine National Bank New York serves Filipinos and Filipino-Americans

CHAPTERS

00:00 The decision between success and family

00:23 Meet GM Eric B. Bustamante

01:27 A successful life in the Philippines

03:02 The U.S. petition that changed everything

04:33 Option X vs Option Y

06:24 Ego, status, and the family decision

07:24 The fear of starting over

10:33 Letting his family go first

11:52 The words from his daughter that changed everything

16:25 Rebuilding life in New York

19:02 The humbling part of starting again

21:47 What Eric learned about success

23:02 NYC quickfire

30:19 Philippine National Bank New York services

33:35 Final advice: success needs meaning

ABOUT ERIC

GM Eric B. Bustamante is the First Vice President and General Manager of Philippine National Bank New York. Before moving to the United States, he built a successful banking career in the Philippines. Today, he leads PNB New York, serving Filipinos, former Filipinos, and clients connected to the Philippines through banking, remittance, deposit, and Philippine home loan services.

Philippine National Bank New York:

561 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Manhattan, New York

Email:

[email protected]

THE POWER HOUSE

Subscribe to The Power House:

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

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 #Family #FilipinoLeaders #NewYork #ThePowerHouse

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Dr. Glenn Toby — serial entrepreneur, managing partner of RCP Venture Capital, author, speaker, philanthropist, and hip-hop pioneer known as Mr. Sweety G.

Dr. Toby shares how he grew up through housing instability in Brooklyn and Queens after his mother experienced a nervous breakdown. Even through disruption, he says something powerful:

“We didn’t have a house, but we always had a home.”

This episode is about trauma, but it is not only about trauma.

It is about discipline.

Dr. Toby explains how he stayed focused as a child, why he and his brother chose not to follow the fast-money path around them, how libraries and museums helped him imagine a bigger life, and why every emerging leader must learn to audit their own behavior before trying to lead others.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Dr. Toby turned instability into discipline
• Why creativity and structure became his survival system
• Why fast money was not worth losing his family’s pride
• How hip-hop helped shape his life and career
• Why trauma can become medicine or poison depending on how you use it
• How to “whiteboard your life” and audit your behavior
• Why leaders must be honest with themselves before leading others
• What New York taught him about respect, space, ambition, and individuality

CHAPTERS:

01:14 Meet Dr. Glenn Toby
01:57 Growing up homeless in Brooklyn and Queens
02:43 The childhood decision to stay focused
04:56 Choosing discipline over the fast-money path
09:30 Libraries, museums, creativity, and Mr. Sweety G
13:07 Turning trauma into triumph
18:26 The Self-Audit Framework: whiteboard your life
24:43 Be more honest with yourself than anyone else
32:27 How emerging leaders can make better decisions
33:23 NYC quickfire: coffee, Queens, Gabby’s, Mr. Chow, and New York lessons
43:05 Who should reach out to Dr. Glenn Toby
43:59 Final message: bring your reality and dreams together

ABOUT DR. GLENN TOBY

Dr. Glenn Toby is a serial entrepreneur, managing partner of RCP Venture Capital, author, speaker, philanthropist, and hip-hop pioneer known as Mr. Sweety G. His work focuses on leadership, trauma, discipline, wealth, creativity, and helping people turn life experience into structure, purpose, and impact.

Find Dr. Glenn Toby:
https://drglentoby.com

📧 If you know someone who should be on, please send them this booking link:
https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg

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

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

The conversation delves into the challenges of cultural differences and the experience of navigating New York City, highlighting the complexities of Desi parents and the unique dynamics of living in the city.

Takeaways

• Cultural differences
• Navigating New York City

Chapters

• 00:00 Navigating New York City

The conversation covers the impact of mentorship and the challenge of balancing academic and nonprofit pursuits. Mentorship is highlighted as a key factor in personal and professional development, while the difficulty of managing academic and nonprofit commitments is discussed.

Takeaways

• Mentorship
• Balancing Academic and Nonprofit Pursuits

Chapters

• 00:00 The Impact of Mentorship

The conversation covers the journey of pivoting and change, highlighting the importance of listening to advice and learning from life precepts. It explores the impact of pivoting in careers and the value of slowing down to make informed decisions.

Takeaways

• Pivoting
• Listening to advice

Chapters

• 00:00 The Journey of Pivoting and Change

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Oliver Libby—Managing Partner of H/L Ventures and CityRock Venture Partners, Chair and Founder of The Resolution Project, and author of Strong Floor, No Ceiling—to unpack a defining fork-in-the-road decision:

What do you do when you have a big calling, but you’re not ready yet?

Oliver shares a moment that reshaped his entire path. After leaving a federal job with no backup plan, he’s on an Acela train to see his grandfather, ready to run for local office and start a career in public service.

But his grandfather challenges him with a question that cuts through the noise:

Do you want to be important—or do you want to serve?

That question leads to a hard truth: if you want to be a good public servant, you need real life experience—business, budgets, payroll, empathy, and the real “engine” of the economy—before you earn the right to lead.

• How to slow time down before a major life decision (Festina Lente)
• Why 70–80% certainty often has to be enough
• A simple test: “Have I exhausted everything reasonable to know?”
• How to handle the real cost of “deferring the dream”
• Why partnerships and integrity compound over decades
• How doubt gets weaponized in society—and why humans still must choose

• 00:00 What The Power House is about
• 01:47 The fork: quitting federal work + the Acela to his grandfather
• 03:14 The default path: run for office early (and why it felt urgent)
• 05:14 The gut-check: “Important or serve?” + empathy as qualification
• 07:25 The advice: learn business first (don’t be afraid of the balance sheet)
• 08:12 The pivot: consulting → building H/L Ventures + The Resolution Project
• 12:14 Festina Lente + choosing with 70–80% certainty
• 14:17 The cost: embarrassment, discomfort, and deferring the dream
• 16:28 The framework: slow time down + trust your gut + commit
• 19:09 “Through hardships, to the stars” + doubt as a societal weapon
• 23:04 The “95% certainty” story + negative certainty (what’s worse if you wait)
• 24:50 NYC quickfire
• 30:57 Final remarks + where to find Oliver + Strong Floor, No Ceiling

🌐 Oliver Libby: OliverLibby.com

📘 Book: Strong Floor, No Ceiling

📧 If you know someone who should be on, please send them this booking link (10-min briefing):

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

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

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In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Oliver Mitchell—Managing Partner of Arkenstone Capital, Partner at ff Venture Capital, and author of A Startup Field Guide in the Age of Robotics and AI—to unpack a defining fork-in-the-road decision in robotics: when to pivot after you’ve already sunk months of engineering time and capital.

Oliver tells the story of Civ Robotics (formerly Civ Drone)—a company that built an impressive autonomous staking drone… only to hear the most painful customer feedback:

“We said we liked drones. We never said we’d buy drones.”

That forced a high-stakes shift into a terrestrial robot for industrial solar—unlocking massive speed gains, lower cost, stronger reliability, and a path toward a full product line.

• Why “customer discovery” isn’t validation—it’s willingness to pay
• The real cost of pivoting in hardware (cash, time, fundraising risk)
• What changed in the first 30–90 days after the pivot
• Oliver’s “binary” decision rule: closer to the goal vs further away
• The 5 rules of hardware startups (utility, reliability, payback + more)
• Where robotics wins first: heavy industry vs the home

• 00:00 New York hustle (and the immigrant entrepreneur mindset)
• 00:11 What The Power House is about
• 01:18 The fork: Civ Drone → Civ Robotics (why customer discovery matters)
• 01:59 The original idea: autonomous drone staking on construction sites
• 03:15 The customer gut-punch: “Cool… but we won’t buy drones”
• 04:30 Why the pivot was high-stakes (cash burn + fundraising risk)
• 06:17 The board role: what Oliver did next (customers + capital + believers)
• 07:39 What showed up in 30–90 days (inflection point + customer pull)
• 09:29 Deep customer discovery (and who you should actually interview)
• 12:18 The common first-time founder mistake
• 12:41 The 5 rules of hardware startups (utility, reliability, payback…)
• 14:45 Where robotics disrupts first (heavy industry, trust cycles)
• 18:22 The binary decision rule: closer to goal vs further away
• 19:21 What gave conviction to pivot (customer-backed certainty)
• 21:02 NYC quickfire
• 23:52 Oliver’s book + where to find him
• 24:29 Final advice: partners, passion, customer discovery (and buy the book)
• 25:13 Closing

📘 A Startup Field Guide in the Age of Robotics and AI (search on Amazon)

🔎 Find Oliver Mitchell on LinkedIn (search: “Oliver Mitchell ff Venture Capital”)

⸻

📧 If you know someone who should be on, please send them this booking link (10-min briefing):

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

The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating stress and change, as well as the dilemma between choosing bootstrap or VC money for entrepreneurial funding.

Takeaways

• Amplified stress
• Bootstrap vs VC money

Chapters

• 00:00 Navigating Stress and Change