The Underswell with Derek Sabori

In this inspiring conversation, I'm joined by ocean explorer, environmental advocate, and serial nonprofit founder Tiffany Duong. From law offices in LA to diving remote reefs in Honduras, Tiffany’s career path is anything but traditional—and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Tiffany shares her courageous pivot away from corporate law after a life-changing dive in the Galápagos, and walks us through her ongoing journey to build a life that is joyful, purpose-driven, and unapologetically her own.

If you’ve ever wanted to know how to build a meaningful life while pursuing impact, adventure, and your version of success—this is the episode for you.

Tiffany’s flashpoint dive that changed everything

Building nonprofits like Tela Coral and The Seabirds

Letting go of control—and rocks at the bottom of the ocean

Why she chased a law degree (but never wanted to be a lawyer)

The challenge (and joy!) of mixing purpose with passion

Her advice for building a career you love, without naming it too early

The importance of travel, community, and being an “imperfect advocate”

"My life is never the same on purpose." Tiffany’s intentionally non-linear life is a lesson in designing work around joy.

"If data were enough, we wouldn’t have a climate crisis." Her storytelling-first advocacy approach shows why emotion matters in environmental work.

"You are also the art." A powerful reminder for founders and creatives to care for themselves as much as their mission.

"Let life move you." Her Galápagos dive taught her to stop holding on so tightly—and trust in the flow.

"Don't name it too early." Her career path proves that exploration and curiosity often lead to the best outcomes.

“I’m aggressively chasing joy with everything I do.”

“Don’t go looking for a job title—go looking for how you want your life to feel.”

Are feeling stuck in your current career

Dream of a life with more purpose and adventure

Need encouragement to pivot (even if you’ve invested years in another path)

Are building something new and wondering if you’re “doing it right”

Tiffany on LinkedIn: Tiffany Duong

Follow her adventures on Instagram: @tiffmakeswaves

Learn more about Tela Coral and The Seabirds

Music by Lidérc.

#careerjourney #entrepreneurship #meaningfulcareers #careerpivots #TheUnderswell #careeradvice #boldmoves #careerstories

How do you build a successful career and a meaningful life?

This week on The Underswell, I sit down with Breene Murphy—former sports writer turned financial strategist—whose career journey took a major turn after delivering his grandmother’s eulogy. That emotional moment led to a powerful realization: he wanted his work to help others live better lives.

Since then, Breene has built a path across personal brand strategy, climate action, and purpose-driven investing. Today, he’s focused on aligning capital with values—especially through climate-friendly 401(k)s—and helping others make smarter, more conscious financial decisions.

If you’ve ever wondered how to reconcile career success with personal fulfillment, this conversation is for you.

🧭 Flashpoint Moment

After giving his beloved grandmother’s eulogy, Breene realized he was craving deeper purpose in his work. That moment set him on a path to use his skills in writing, storytelling, and strategy to make finance—and life—more meaningful.

🧠 What We Talk About

🛠️ Breene offers a ton of career advice and a bunch of climate-related resources:

Music by Lidérc.

🔗 Connect with Breene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breene-murphy-climate-friendly-401k/

⚡ Explore Carbon Collective: https://www.carboncollective.co/

#careerjourney #entrepreneurship #meaningfulcareers #financestrategy #TheUnderswell #careeradvice #boldmoves #careerstories

What happens when you're laid off, have a newborn at home, and decide to build a business from scratch anyway?

In this episode of The Underswell, I sit down with Matt Raminick—founder of Sunnyside, a creative and marketing agency helping lifestyle brands grow through strategy, storytelling, and standout creative. Matt walks us through his unconventional career journey—from aspiring touring drummer to eComm lead at Quiksilver, Volcom, and PacSun, to agency owner. The best part? He’s still figuring it out, and he’s sharing it all as he goes.

This one’s full of perspective for career builders, creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone wondering if now is the right time to leap. Spoiler: start before you’re ready.

What We Talk About

🔑 Key Takeaways

💬 One-Liners Worth Repeating

Matt’s Advice for Entrepreneurs

Lessons for Career Builders

Listen to This If You Are...

Music by Lidérc.

🔗 Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattraminick/

⚡ Explore Sunnyside: sunnysidecalifornia.com

#careerjourney #entrepreneurship #creativeleadership #marketingstrategy #TheUnderswell #careeradvice #boldmoves #careerstories

In this special episode of The Underswell, I sit down with my dad, Mike Sabori—a.k.a. Junkyard Mike—for his first-ever podcast appearance.

With over 40 years in the automotive core and recycling industry, Mike shares the journey of building a small business from the ground up, working through extreme Arizona heat, navigating evolving technology, and finding purpose in sustainability before it was a buzzword.

From his early days rebuilding alternators to sourcing high-value parts from auto recyclers, Mike's story is about passion, grit, adaptation, and a lifelong love of cars. He opens up about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, the future of the automotive recycling industry, and why he doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.

This one’s full of old-school wisdom, hard-earned lessons, and stories that need to be heard—especially if you're a young entrepreneur or career builder looking to go your own way.

🎙️ What We Talk About:

🌊  Key Takeaways:

💬 Memorable Quotes:

🎧 Listen to this if you are:

Connect with Mike:

📍 LinkedIn – Mike Sabori https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-sabori-5a7b73105/

🌐 L&M Cores Auto Core Recycling https://www.landmcores.com/

Music by Lidérc.

#TheUnderswell #AutoRecycling #Sustainability #FamilyBusiness #CareerStories #Podcast #grit #hardwork #automotive #circularity

✨ How do you go from scuba diving in the Channel Islands to configuring customer data systems in Salesforce?

Alex Warneke did just that—and brought all her storytelling, science, and communication skills along for the ride. In this episode, I chat with Alex, a data storyteller, Salesforce consultant, science communicator, and rock-climbing digital nomad.

Her path is anything but linear—and that’s exactly the point. Together, we explore what it means to cultivate transferable skills, how to manage career pivots (especially when they involve walking away from your “dream job”), and what it looks like to build a life you love—on your own terms.

From her early days with the National Park Service to working for 3 years on the road visiting the US and Europe, Alex reminds us that growth rarely happens without stress and that it’s okay—essential even—to redefine success along the way.

🎙️ What We Talk About:

🌊  Key Takeaways:

💬 Memorable Quotes:

“Adaptation doesn’t happen without a stressor. Stress is a feature, not a bug.”

“If you don’t tell your story, someone else will—and they might get it wrong.”

“I’m here to say: your experience does count. Learn to connect the dots.”

🎧 Listen to this if you are:

🔗  Links + Resources:

📚 Alex’s Recommended Reads:

Music by Lidérc.

#careeradvice #careerpivot #sustainabilityjobs #climatejobs #nonlinearcareer #digitalnomad #salesforce #consulting

Steve Richardson has built a career that reads like an adventure log through the best of the outdoor, performance, and sustainability-driven industries—Oakley, Tesla, Patagonia,Adidas, and now contract work with Nike. But the through-line? Curiosity, a growth mindset, and a values-driven approach to work and life.

In this episode, I reconnect with Steve—one of my first sustainability consultant hires and a longtime friend. We talk about career pivots, embracing a nonlinear path, staying flexible in a volatile job market, and the essential role of self-care in career longevity. This one’s packed with real talk for anyone navigating the sustainability space, the outdoor industry, or their own mid-career chapter.

🌊 Key Takeaways:

💬 Memorable Quotes:

“I’m a generalist—and I’ve made peace with that. That’s where I thrive.” 

“Self-care won’t hit your bank account, but it will help you get there.” 

🎧 Listen to this if you are:

🔗 Links You Should Know About:

Music by Lidérc.

#careeradvice #careerpivot #sustainabilityjobs #mindfulness #nonlinearcareer #materials #strategy #brands

In this episode, I sit down with Casey Wallace, COO of Stoked Plastics, to explore the power of resilience, relationships, and what he calls "maximum effort."

Casey shares his journey from the U.S. Air Force Academy and military service to entrepreneurship, leading sustainability-driven operations, and helping to build a game-changing company that transforms ocean-bound plastics into high-performance materials.

Learn why success isn’t linear, why your network matters more than your resume, and why having a "short-term memory" might just be your best career strategy.

Key Themes:

A career explorer looking for real-world inspiration

An aspiring entrepreneur or startup founder

Navigating career pivots and wondering what’s next

Interested in sustainability, innovation, and building companies with purpose

A leader (or aspiring leader) curious about building resilience and operational excellence

Follow Casey Wallace on LinkedIn

 See how Casey delivers as an operator at his website

 Learn more about StokedPlastics

 Support Opolis Eyewear’s Kickstarter campaign (launching June!)

#careeradvice #careerstories #careerjourney #militaryservice #entrepreneur #startups #operations #strategy #theunderswell #stokedplastics #sustainabilitycareer

🎧 In this episode, I sit down with the ever-curious and deeply accomplished Kirthika Padmanabhan—an operator, strategist, and climate-focused investor whose career journey spans continents, industries, and disciplines. We talk about what it means to embrace a nonlinear path, take bold leaps, and build a meaningful career rooted in impact. From hedge funds to YouTube, startups to climate tech, Kirthika’s story is a reminder that the best paths are often the ones we didn’t even know we could take.

🗣️ What We Talk About:

💡 Key Takeaways

🧠 Memorable Quotes

“Sometimes the best paths are the ones you didn’t know you could take.”

“The future favors the bold. Build the bridge as you’re crossing it.”

🎯 Listen to This If You Are:

🔗 Links You Might Want to Check Out:

Music by Lidérc.

#careeradvice #careerpivot #climatetech #investor #nonlinearcareer #operator #strategy

In this inspiring and thoughtful conversation, I sit down with Milka Milliance—entrepreneur, leadership development strategist, and founder of Simetras. We explore her career pivots from journalism to nonprofit work, then into consulting, and ultimately entrepreneurship. Milka opens up about burnout, bold moves, and building businesses rooted in purpose and people.

Now leading Simetras, Milka is designing immersive team retreats that go way beyond offsite fun—they’re built to transform teams, fuel strategic thinking, and strengthen leadership.

This episode is a powerful listen for anyone navigating career changes, seeking inspiration to go out on their own, or thinking differently about the way we work and gather.

💡 What We Talk About:

💡 Memorable Quote: “You get back up every time you fall. And that's been one of the biggest lessons. Even if I fall or make a misstep, I don't see that as a failure. I see that as, ‘Yeah, OK, I've learned this.’ So, I feel like in each phase of my career, there is something I've had to learn. And when I've learned it, I've been able to graduate to the next phase or whatever other thing that I'm learning.”

🔑 Key Takeaways

🎧 Tune in if you’re a leader thinking about team development, an entrepreneur in the making, or someone reflecting on how to make their next move more meaningful.

🔗 Learn more about Milka’s work:

Music by Lidérc.

#careeradvice #careerpivot #corporateretreat #leadershipdevelopment

Olivia Jones is a fashion merchandising student at Orange Coast College with a sharp eye for style, a strong sense of self, and a future-focused mindset. She’s currently gaining real-world experience as a stylist at a local Levi’s store and as an event coordinator with the student-run Coast Collective, where she’s refining her creative production skills, coordinating campus events, and helping bring visibility to a student-run retail space.

Olivia and I spoke about her path from business student in Hawaii to creative producer-in-the-making. She shares what it means to take initiative, pivot with purpose, and show up fully to every opportunity—even when the path isn’t linear.

You’ll quickly see that Olivia is organized, driven, a natural networker, and someone who takes ownership from day one. She’s thoughtful, articulate, and curious—just the kind of early-career professional any brand or creative team would be lucky to have.

Why you should consider Olivia for future roles:

Olivia Would be a Great Fit For:
 

Where to Connect with Olivia:

🔗 LinkedIn – Olivia A. Jones
📸 Instagram – @oliviaanais

Music by Lidérc.

#OCCStudent #fashionmerchandiser #fashionstylist #aspiringstylist #creative #socialmedia #intern #career