The Underdog Protagonist

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We’re told business is cutthroat, leadership is cold, and customers are just numbers. But what if that’s not just toxic, it’s also inefficient?

In this eye-opening episode of The Underdog Protagonist, host Pratyush sits down with Dr. Bruno Cignacco, TEDx speaker, international consultant, university professor, and author of The Art of Compassionate Business, to challenge everything we’ve been taught about business.

With over two decades of global consulting experience, Bruno argues that empathy, generosity, and human connection aren’t just “nice”, they’re powerful, profit-driving strategies that every founder, leader, and employee should master.

This episode unpacks:

• What compassionate capitalism looks like in real time
• The ROI of empathy in leadership, culture, and client relationships
• Why emotional intelligence might outperform performance metrics in the long game
• The invisible cost of transactional thinking (and how to flip it)

If you’ve ever felt like the business world is missing a soul, this conversation will show you why you’re not crazy, and how we fix it.

Connect with Bruno:
Website | LinkedIn | Books

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What do you do when the market crashes, your circle disappears, and you land in a new country with a dream, but no playbook?

In this episode of The Underdog Protagonist, Jacopo Iasiello joins us to share how he turned fear into fuel, rebuilt his life in Florida after the 2011 market collapse, and created financial freedom through real estate, all while staying grounded in purpose, prayer, and discipline.

We dive deep into his M.P.B.E. method, the mindset shifts he learned from billionaires, and how his book Healthy, Rich, and Happy reframes wealth not as a goal… but a way of being.

This isn’t just a story about flipping houses. It’s about flipping your mindset, and building a life that won’t collapse under pressure.

Connect with Jacopo:
Website | LinkedIn | Book | Instagram


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube | @ | Instagram

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
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Everyone’s talking about Web3, blockchain, and AI. But how many of them have been building it for 40 years?

In this episode of The Underdog Protagonist, we sit down with Roberto Capodieci, a serial entrepreneur, blockchain architect, university lecturer, author, and decentralization veteran. From launching his first company at 14 to pioneering peer-to-peer systems before crypto was cool, Roberto’s career has been one long thesis on the future… written in real time.

We unpack:

• What everyone gets wrong about decentralization
• The truth about blockchain beyond Bitcoin
• AI’s role in building (and breaking) trust
• How to avoid being scammed in an online-first world
• Why Bali is better than Silicon Valley (yes, really)
• And what it actually means to architect systems for good

If you’ve ever felt lost in the tech jargon jungle, this episode will not only decode what matters, it’ll re-inspire you to think bigger, slower, and smarter.

Bonus: Roberto also shares one of the best analogies for blockchain you’ll ever hear.

Connect with Roberto:
Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube | @ | Instagram

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
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How do you turn trauma into transformation, and soft-spoken strength into bold, embodied leadership?

In this episode of The Underdog Protagonist, Pratyush sits down with Karen Rudolf, Transformational “W”Holistic Guide, speaker, and 9x bestselling author, to explore the truth about real empowerment. From surviving a life-altering horseback riding accident in Costa Rica to leading global clients through her Tranquil SOULutions Clarity Tool™, Karen’s journey is proof that confidence isn’t about volume, it’s about alignment.

We explore:

• Why “Sassy, Classy, and Badassy” is more than a catchphrase, it’s a framework for self-leadership.
• How to harness inner strength when the outside world gets loud.
• What a holistic life actually looks like in modern entrepreneurship.
• How subconscious rewiring, emotional clarity, and resilience build unstoppable leaders.

Whether you're burnt out from performing strength or secretly seeking permission to be bold on your terms, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

Connect with Karen:
Website | LinkedIn


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube | @ | Instagram

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
Support the show to help us keep creating awesome content.

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To connect DM me here: https://www.instagram.com/pratyushkumar_pk/
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What if scaling your business didn’t require a single dollar in paid ads?

In this episode of The Underdog Protagonist, we sit down with Justin Abrams, the Founder & CEO of Aryo Consulting Group, a firm that’s helped 300+ businesses (from scrappy startups to Pfizer and Sony) grow using nothing but smart strategy, organic leads, and radical transparency.

Justin doesn’t believe in fluff. He shares the gritty reality of helping burned-out founders fix their funnels, revive their growth, and build companies that actually last, all without giving Meta or Google a cent.

You’ll hear about:
• Why traditional agencies are failing small businesses
• The 3 pillars behind his award-winning consulting model
• How Reddit, Facebook groups, and email newsletters are outperforming ads
• What “strategy therapy” really looks like for founders
• And how to optimize a business that’s already working but still leaking time and money

Whether you're a founder, freelancer, or creative leader, this conversation is your crash course in real, sustainable growth.

Connect with Justin:
Website | LinkedIn


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube | @ | Instagram

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
Support the show to help us keep creating awesome content.

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To connect DM me here: https://www.instagram.com/pratyushkumar_pk/
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What do you do when the life you thought would make you happy… doesn’t?

Kevin Palmieri had it all, a six-figure job, the dream body, a great car, and yet, he was sitting on the edge of his bed debating suicide.

That moment changed everything.

In this episode of The Underdog Protagonist, Kevin shares how he rebuilt his life from the inside out, and how that journey led to Next Level University, a Top 100 podcast with 2,600+ episodes and 1M+ listens.

We talk consistency, mindset, creator burnout, the BS in the self-help space, and how Kevin now defines success after hitting bottom and climbing back with purpose.

This is a powerful conversation about the quiet work no one sees, and why it always comes before the growth they do.

Connect with Kevin:
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube

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To connect DM me here: https://www.instagram.com/pratyushkumar_pk/
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You know your story matters, but how do you actually make it work for you?

In this episode of In The Feed, Pratyush is joined by Lisa Apolinski, a Forbes-featured digital strategist, five-time author, and “America’s Digital Content Futurist,” to dive deep into the new rules of building authority online. With over 30 years of marketing experience and $1.5B+ in client revenue impact, Lisa knows what it takes to make content convert, not just perform.

We talk about:
- What most people get wrong about personal branding
- The truth about “Authority Power” and how to build it ethically
- Using AI with your voice (not in place of it)
- Why your content isn’t just copy, it’s a conversion tool
- How to create a brand legacy that lives beyond platforms

Whether you're an entrepreneur, creator, coach, or founder, this conversation will show you how to build trust, traction, and transformation with your story.

Don’t just post. Position.

Connect with Adam:
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
Support the show to help us keep creating awesome content.

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To connect DM me here: https://www.instagram.com/pratyushkumar_pk/
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In this raw and eye-opening conversation, Pratyush sits down with Kerry Blaser who a shaman, mother, and author of My Inner Heroine: Exploring Feminine Pain.

From a suicide attempt to spiritual awakening, Kerry opens up about her radical journey of healing, her connection to Red Pill figures like Justin Waller and Andrew Tate, and how six men in her life mirrored her wounds back to her for deeper transformation.

She shares how she bridges shamanism with neuroscience, and how physics explains the invisible systems behind emotional trauma.

Topics we explore:

• Healing through confrontation, not avoidance
• Why pain isn’t the end, it’s a portal
• What “Red Pill Shaman” really means
• Writing from the wound vs. writing for others
• Reclaiming the feminine identity, without losing logic

This episode is for:
Anyone who’s carried pain for too long, women healing in private, men who want to support deeper, and creatives who need to know your story isn’t over.

Kerry’s book My Inner Heroine is out now.

Connect with Kerry:
Website | Instagram | YouTube


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
Support the show to help us keep creating awesome content.

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To connect DM me here: https://www.instagram.com/pratyushkumar_pk/
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Cheers!

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At almost 30, Adam Lasalle had it all figured out. A stable job, benefits, students who adored him, a future mapped out for decades. He was the founding music teacher, building a school from the ground up. Then one Friday, an email landed in his inbox. A theater contract. Someone had dropped out of a show. Could he start Tuesday?

He thought it was spam. He deleted it.

In this episode of The Underdog Protagonist, host Pratyush PK sits down with actor, musician, and creative coach Adam Lasalle to unpack the terrifying, tearful, and ultimately life-changing decision to walk away from security and bet on himself. Adam gets brutally honest about the fear that ruled his life, the therapist who told him nothing was wrong with him, his life was just out of alignment with his values and the moment his high school students taught him the lesson he'd been preaching all along.

This is a conversation about the "messy middle" nobody posts on social media. About unlearning the story that says you're only allowed to be one thing. About why practice is terrible and why that's exactly why it works. If you've ever felt trapped between the life you have and the life you actually want, this one will stay with you.

Adam shares the daily ritual that keeps him grounded, why he "wastes time" on purpose, how to tell the difference between passion and comparison, and the honest truth about choosing meaning over money (and why he refuses to accept that it's a choice at all).
You are one decision away. Press play.

Guest: Adam Lasalle (Actor, musician, creative coach, and founder of the Adam Lasalle Studio.)

This episode touches on anxiety, therapy, and mental health. If you're struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a professional.

Drop a comment if this hit home and don’t forget to subscribe for more stories that speak to the heart of what it means to care, love, and live fully.

Connect with Adam:
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube


Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
Support the show to help us keep creating awesome content.

Buy me a Coffee

Support the show

Support the show

To connect DM me here: https://www.instagram.com/pratyushkumar_pk/
Will be waiting to talk to you.
Cheers!

Send us Fan Mail

In a world obsessed with hustle and burnout, Raj Khedun is here to remind us that real wellness starts with your breath.

Raj is the Managing Director of Keep Fit Kingdom, a health and wellness brand with a mission to help a billion people live to 100. He’s also the creator of the 3:3 Metaverse Breathing Method, a powerful yet simple technique that reduces stress, heals insomnia, and helps you reclaim control of your body with no meds & no noise.

We talk about the real cost of ignoring your mental health, how to reset your nervous system in minutes, and why fitness is less about reps and more about rhythm.

If you’re tired of being tired, overwhelmed by wellness advice, or just need to breathe better, this one’s for you.

Connect with Pk: LinkedIn | X | YouTube

If you are liking the show, please share it along! Its free.
Support the show to help us keep creating awesome content.

Buy me a Coffee

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To connect DM me here: https://www.instagram.com/pratyushkumar_pk/
Will be waiting to talk to you.
Cheers!