Worthy for Thirty: Where stories of leaders doing good while doing well are told!

Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Ai Marketing Guild.

The AI Marketers Guild (AIMG) is dedicated to empowering professionals to improve their skills in the rapidly evolving field of AI, specifically as it applies to marketers. We foster a collaborative community, offering targeted professional development and networking opportunities while enabling members to share their knowledge and experience.

Use code Worthy at checkout to receive 20% off your membership.

Hello Everyone!

Did you support any causes or charities during Giving Tuesday? Which ones? Let us know!! #GivingTuesday

Thank you, Avery Schlicher, for introducing me to my next guest, Sarah Steinardt.

If you know of a leader who is doing good while doing well, please email me at [email protected] or comment here.

Welcome to the Worthy for Thirty Podcast, where remarkable leaders embody success and benevolence. In this conversation, I spoke with Sarah Steinhardt, Co-Founder of Welcome Baby USA. Sarah transitioned from a career in journalism to a passionate mission supporting underprivileged new mothers.

Join us as we explore her inspiring journey and the invaluable impact of Welcome Baby USA.

Sarah's Journey to Changing Lives

Sarah, a former producer for ABC and CNN, discovered a new calling after becoming a mother herself. Her personal experience led her to recognize the daunting challenges faced by underprivileged families in providing postnatal care for newborns. This realization sparked the creation of Welcome Baby USA.

The Birth of Welcome Baby USA

Sarah's epiphany struck during a snowy trip to the pharmacy, just two weeks postpartum. Overwhelmed and in tears, she questioned how families without adequate support manage these challenges. Inspired by the Finnish baby box program, Sarah envisioned a similar initiative for the U.S. In 2019, Welcome Baby USA officially took off, packing essential boxes from their living rooms, and eventually partnering with distributors to expand their reach.

Inside the Welcome Baby USA Box

Each Welcome Baby box contains 200 diapers, wipes, rash creams, feeding essentials, clothing items, baby wash, and more. These items are carefully selected to meet crucial needs, supporting families during those initial months of parenthood.

Collaborations and Impact

Sarah emphasizes the importance of collaboration and feedback. Partnering with healthcare organizations, they maintain open communication channels to understand recipients' needs. Surveys and dialogue with social workers and pediatricians further refine the box's contents, ensuring they cater to essential requirements.

Accessing Welcome Baby USA Support

Families in need can access Welcome Baby packages through hospitals or local clinics. Sarah highlights the critical role of donations in their mission, inviting individuals and corporations to contribute. Partnerships with large companies for in-kind donations significantly impact their ability to provide more boxes.

Looking to the Future

Welcome Baby USA's vision for 2024 involves scaling up to distribute 3,500 packages, targeting more partner institutions across various states. They aim to conduct surveys and studies to showcase the impact of these boxes on families and child development.

Advocating for Change

Sarah discusses the need for systemic change, advocating for government support in providing essential baby care resources. She stresses the significant impact such initiatives can have on maternal and infant health, hoping for progress in policies and awareness.

How You Can Help

Donations and partnerships are crucial to Welcome Baby USA's mission. Donors can contribute through their website and reach out for further engagement and inquiries.

Email Welcome Baby USA with your questions and/or feedback to: [email protected]

Conclusion

Sarah’s journey from journalism to nurturing new life exemplifies the transformative power of empathy and action. Welcome Baby USA's commitment to providing essential support for new families stands as a beacon of hope, relying on collaboration, feedback, and community support to drive meaningful change in the lives of the most vulnerable.

For more information on Welcome Baby USA and ways to contribute, visit welcomebabyusa.org and join their mission to make a difference in the lives of newborns and new mothers across the country.

Follow Welcome Baby USA on Instagram

Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Ai Marketing Guild.

The AI Marketers Guild (AIMG) is dedicated to empowering professionals to improve their skills in the rapidly evolving field of AI, specifically as it applies to marketers. We foster a collaborative community, offering targeted professional development and networking opportunities while enabling members to share their knowledge and experience.

Use code Worthy at checkout to receive 20% off your membership.

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving where you spent time with loved ones. Did you take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals?? What did you purchase?

Today is #GivingTuesday where there’s a collective movement to support nonprofits, charities, and other great causes.

I also thought the timing was perfect to share my latest conversation with ShoppingGives Founder & CEO, Ronny Sage.

In this latest episode, we explored Ronny's inspiring journey and delved into the transformative potential of aligning business objectives with meaningful societal impact.

Ronny's journey started with a profound question: How can businesses authentically engage with consumers while staying within budget constraints? This question, coupled with his extensive background in digital marketing agencies and brand management, led him to recognize the prospect of redirecting marketing expenditure towards creating a positive social impact.

ShoppingGives emerged as a platform revolutionizing the interaction between businesses and customers. It strives to foster genuine relationships, fulfill business objectives, and concurrently contribute to social good. Ronny shared his insights, explaining the three core pillars that comprise ShoppingGives' approach: Identify, Social Impact Stack, and Compliance.

The Identify pillar empowers merchants and nonprofits within the network to determine their partnerships, strategies, and preferences. By leveraging data analytics, ShoppingGives helps businesses to make informed decisions about impactful initiatives.

The Social Impact Stack actualizes impact throughout the customer journey, seamlessly integrating cause marketing across various touchpoints. Ronny highlights diverse approaches adopted by brands like Olaplex, Coach, and Kenneth Cole, showcasing their commitment to social causes at different stages of the customer experience.

Moreover, Ronny emphasizes the pivotal role of Compliance and Measurement. ShoppingGives ensures adherence to regulations, spearheading clear and accountable donation processes. The platform allows businesses to assess the return on investment (ROI) of their impact initiatives, fostering informed decision-making for future investments.

A noteworthy revelation from Ronny's insights relates or correlates to a possible substantial increase in customer lifetime value (LTV) when consumers engage in philanthropic activities through businesses. He shared instances of brands experiencing over a 40% increase in LTV when customers actively participate in donation initiatives.

The conversation then moved into the depths of authentic messaging, emphasizing the significance of clear and personalized communication to resonate with consumers' values. Ronny emphasized the importance of aligning brand messaging with impact stories, thereby fostering genuine connections with consumers.

The dialogue concluded with advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Ronny emphasized the value of finding the right partners and teams aligned with the venture's vision. He advocates for curiosity, learning from mistakes, and embracing discomfort as key elements in the entrepreneurial journey.

Ronny's perspective illuminates the evolving landscape where businesses mesh success with sincere societal contributions. As the podcast drew to a close, the audience gained a profound understanding of how purpose-driven strategies can shape the future of commerce, and help businesses connect with their consumers on a deeper, more relatable level.

Thank you, Mark Karlan, for the connection to Ronny!

To follow ShoppingGives:

ShoppingGives on Instagram

ShoppingGives on LinkedIn

Thank you to our sponsor, Ai Marketing Guild.

The AI Marketers Guild (AIMG) is dedicated to empowering professionals to improve their skills in the rapidly evolving field of AI, specifically as it applies to marketers. We foster a collaborative community, offering targeted professional development and networking opportunities while enabling members to share their knowledge and experience.

Use code Worthy at checkout to receive 20% off your membership.

Hi Everyone -

This community and platform are built on relationships. Thank you to supporter and past guest Jeff Ragovin for introducing me to Karen Cahn, CEO & Founder, IFundWomen.

In a world that is progressively becoming more inclusive and diverse, women entrepreneurs still face a significant funding gap. A promising solution to this problem emerged in 2016 with the creation of IFundWomen, a crowdfunding platform founded by Karen Cahn. Since its inception, IFundWomen has been on a mission to empower female entrepreneurs from all walks of life by providing them with the financial support they need to turn their dreams and aspirations into reality. In this blog post, we'll delve into the remarkable journey of Karen Cahn and her brainchild, IFundWomen.

The Gender Funding Gap

One staggering statistic that underlines the need for platforms like IFundWomen is that only 1.9% of all venture capital (VC) dollars go to female-started or founded companies. To put that in perspective, that's just 1.9% of a whopping $330 billion in VC funding in 2023. These numbers reveal a stark imbalance in the entrepreneurial landscape, and it's a gap that Karen Cahn was determined to close.

Karen Cahn's Journey

Karen's journey into the world of female entrepreneurship began after she quit her job at AOL. She had all the right ingredients for a successful venture – she was working at Google, based in New York City, and had an impressive network. However, when it came to securing venture capital, Karen found herself facing a disheartening roadblock.

Despite her impressive credentials and connections, she couldn't find a single investor willing to fund her business. This experience was a turning point for Karen, as it led her to discover the potential of crowdfunding. She saw that this approach could be a game-changer in bridging the gender funding gap. Determined to make a difference, Karen took a bold step.

The Birth of IFundWomen

In a true entrepreneurial spirit, Karen Cahn decided to take matters into her own hands. She bought a domain name for $2.99 and began her journey towards creating a crowdfunding platform that could empower women entrepreneurs. Her vision for IFundWomen was clear – a platform that would not just be accessible to a select few but inclusive for all women, regardless of their backgrounds, to fund their startups and chase their dreams.

IFundWomen's Impact

Since its founding, IFundWomen has made substantial progress in leveling the playing field for female entrepreneurs. Some of its remarkable achievements include raising over $400 million for more than 20,000 startups, which in turn employ over 80,000 people. These numbers reflect the tangible impact that the platform has had on the lives and aspirations of women entrepreneurs.

Closing Thoughts

Karen Cahn's journey from a frustrated entrepreneur seeking venture capital to the founder of IFundWomen is a testament to the power of determination, innovation, and inclusivity. Her platform continues to be a beacon of hope for female entrepreneurs, offering them the support they need to break free from the constraints of the gender funding gap. As we look to a future that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive, IFundWomen stands as an inspiring example of how individuals can drive change and provide opportunities for women to thrive in the world of entrepreneurship.

In a world where 89% of all net new businesses are started by women each day, it's more important than ever to support and empower these entrepreneurs. IFundWomen is not just a platform; it's a movement, and it's changing the way we think about funding and entrepreneurship for women

Links:

IFundWomen on Instagram

Karen Cahn on Instagram

Thank you to our sponsor, Ai Marketing Guild.

The AI Marketers Guild (AIMG) is dedicated to empowering professionals to improve their skills in the rapidly evolving field of AI, specifically as it applies to marketers. We foster a collaborative community, offering targeted professional development and networking opportunities while enabling members to share their knowledge and experience.

Use code ‘worthy’ at checkout to receive 20% off your membership.

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful summer. As we transition into fall, I'm excited to share my first post-break conversation with you.

I had the privilege of talking with Mindy Scheier, the Founder and CEO of both the Runway of Dreams Foundation and Gamut Management. Mindy's mission is clear: she's dedicated to making more adaptive products available for people with disabilities. Her journey began when her son, Oliver, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy, expressed a desire to wear jeans to school. At that time, there were no adaptive jeans available. Leveraging her fashion expertise, she designed a pair of jeans that met his specific needs. Right after that, she delved into research on how to bring more adaptive products and fashion to the market, leading her to establish Runway of Dreams in 2014, with her objective of partnering with brands to make the aforementioned a reality.

In 2016, Runway of Dreams kicked off its first collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger. Today, they're working with nearly 13 different brands.

Recognizing the positive response to her work, Mindy founded Gamut Management in 2019. This venture specializes in helping brands enter the adaptive products space, guiding them from the initial product concept all the way through to market launch.

According to the CDC, 1 in 4 US adults identify with having some sort of disability. As a result, brands like Mattel and Procter & Gamble are increasingly developing marketing campaigns and products tailored to this significant consumer demographic.

There’s a ton of inspiration and wisdom that Mindy shared which can fill many more conversations.

My key takeaway: Stick to your purpose, cherish each moment. On the ambitious path, life might meander, but staying true to your purpose is the ultimate reward!

Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments

Links:

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Follow Mindy on Instagram | Follow Runway of Dreams on Instagram | Follow Gamut Managment on Instagram

Hello Everyone!

Summer is almost over (ahhh). School is almost starting (ahh!)

But great conversations with leaders doing good while doing well never abate!

First a word from our sponsor:

The AI Marketers Guild (AIMG) is dedicated to empowering professionals to improve their skills in the rapidly evolving field of AI, specifically as it applies to marketers. We foster a collaborative community, offering targeted professional development and networking opportunities while enabling members to share their knowledge and experience.

Sign up & receive 10% off your membership | Use code: Worthy at checkout

For today’s conversation, I was connected to Grapevine CEO and Founder, Emily Rasmussen through show guest and supporter Aria Finger. The reason I reached out to Aria was that Grapevine was first brought to my attention through a cold email from a digital marketer giving circle that is hosted on the platform. Technology + marketing + doing good while doing well = a great future conversation.

Grapevine’s mission is dedicated to hosting and facilitating giving circles. As Grapevine defines a giving circle is “a charitable model where people come together, pool their donations, and give back as a collective to amplify their impact.”

Today, Emily and her team, announced their seed round funding of $1.85MM to further scale their mission. The goal by 2025 is to move $100MM+ from giving circles on the platform to nonprofits. As part of their mission, Grapevine, is disrupting the traditional philanthropic model and allowing diverse, smaller donors to pool their resources and amplify their impact.

It’s super easy to either join an existing giving circle on the Grapevine platform or create one. You can create a giving circle based on a variety of factors and common interests and Grapevine provides you and your giving circle with the tools to recruit members to the giving circle, manage it, as well as recruiting nonprofits to nominate for the giving circle to donate money raised either once or recurring.

I asked Emily during our conversation to break down or simplify the impact a giving circle can have beyond the dollars and cents.

“Like if we talk about the model that I shared earlier, 100 people each pitch in $100, now you’re giving a $10,000 check. I mean, your $100 has now been turned into $10,000, right? And you still get to be part of deciding where that money goes. And so in that way, there’s a 100x multiplier on the impact you migh be able to have with that $100. And we also know through this model is that through this community based way of givign, you hear about organizations from other pepole who have their own experience with them and can surface what we see in the research is often much smaller, more local, more diverse organizations where your money goes further that typically have a harder time tapping into the more established fund.” — Emily Rasmussen, CEO & Founder, Grapevine

It’ll be fascinating to watch Grapevine’s impact unfold and how it further democratizes charitable and nonprofit giving.

What is super interesting for the folks focused on CSR (corporate social responsibility) is Grapevine’s new offering, Grapevine for Companies. According to today’s press release, “The goal is to create community and connections, while doing good with your company that can reverberate out through the community.”

Watch our entire conversation on YouTube

Find a Grapevine (Giving Circle) to Join

A word from our sponsor

The AI Marketers Guild (AIMG) is dedicated to empowering professionals to improve their skills in the rapidly evolving field of AI, specifically as it applies to marketers. We foster a collaborative community, offering targeted professional development and networking opportunities while enabling members to share their knowledge and experience.

Sign up & receive 10% off your membership | Use code: Worthy at checkout

Hello Everyone -

Love catching up with friends especially ones who are leaders that are doing good while doing well.

In this conversation, I spoke with John Rough, SVP Enterprise at UnitedMasters + Translation. Both businesses were founded and are led by music industry veteran and advertising maven, Steve Stoute.

UnitedMasters is a platform for independent artists to build a business around their craft: from music distribution, promotion, and working with brands.

“So our platform, so UnitedMasters, is home to 1.7MM artists that come and do everything from distribute their music, use creator tools to better their music, as well as what my team’s role is to broker brand partnerships for independent artists.”

“and so a couple of examples of that are we measure our programs on impact, right? So we work with Bulleit Bourbon under the Diageo portfolio to bring mentorship to artists in sync licensing, in performing, performanceing, performance, it’s not even a word, performing and writing, right?’ - John Rough, SVP Enterprise, UnitedMasters

John doesn’t mince words when it comes to his unconventional yet creative-infused career journey and path, and how each stop along the way to where he is today was deliberate in hindsight even if it didn’t feel so in the moment.

“But the Weiden and Kennedy’s and BBDO’s of the world thought differently [graduating college in 2008] and obviously coming out in a recession was tough. So I pivoted my career towards sort of the media side of the world and understanding how TV media works and then product and tech media works and digital media works was kind of this kind of assemblance of a journey towards getting back to my creative side.”

What has helped fuel and shape John over his career are the people who surround him — bosses and colleagues who have become good friends and mentors. Mentorship is something that John thinks is invaluable. And in doing so, he makes a conscious effort to give back and provide guidance to those climbing the ranks.

“Yeah, I take a lot of the lessons that I learned throughout my caeer and try to implement them, not in the ‘this is how to be successful’ phase, but I think the general lessons we as humans should lean into, right? And I mentioned curisoity. I think that’s what fuels growthin creative industries. Trying to do net new things take a level of curiosity.”

John’s advocacy for coaching and mentorship has been answered…

“So I’m always constantly raising my hand. I just got an email today that I’m allowed to be an advisor for our intern class. I’m incredibly honored to do that. I’m a huge fan. Not only do I work in youth culture, but I’m a huge fan of being able to learn from youth culture.”

Links:

Watch our Full Conversation on YouTube

Learn more about UnitedMasters

John Rough's LinkedIn Profile

Hello Everyone -

Thank you again to the Serial Marketers community for recommending Leslie to come on the show!

It’s always fun and exhilarating to speak with a startup founder whose purpose in starting her business was borne out of a personal need. Leslie, a mom, was looking for childcare in her local community. And she wasn’t necessarily looking for childcare that looked or seemed transactional. She wanted to connect with parents in her local, Brooklyn community. Perhaps creating a care circle where they can build relationships and watch each other’s children.

“At the same time, I was a mom. I was a single mom living in New York. I was busy and also stressed out trying to balance life and work. And so when I was between jobs, at one point I was taking care of my son. He was three at the time. I was trying to figure out how to entertain him, while getting a break and that’s sort of how Carefully it came to be. And I decided to kind of put my skills to use and solve my own progblems and kind of dig into it.” - Leslie Borrell, CEO & Founder, Carefully

Carefully is a mobile app that you can download to either your Android or Apple phone. It helps you find collaborative childcare wherever you live.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Leslie and her team to quickly pivot to allow virtual connection to thrive.

“But during that time, I used Carefully also to survive. We started doing virtual events, we started thinking about how we could use Carefully to support ourselves and to connect with others. And so, it was a way to stay connected during that time. Ultimately, my vision for Carefully has always been to connect people in real life and not be a totally digital experience.”

The cooperative or collaborative nature of Carefully with it’s mission to make childcare equitable for all walks of life makes it stand out.

“Community-based care is really nothing new. It’s not about paid for care, to be honest. It’s about people coming together and exchanging childcare. So you think about, you’ve might’ve heard of a care circle, a babysitting co-op, swaps, those are some of the terms people use to talk about comunity-based care. It’s this spirit of mutualism where people give and receive and help each other out.”

With childcare becoming a $600B+ industry and bringing in more businesses and people working on solutions, innovation is bound to happen but Leslie cautions that any innovation should be rooted in what is right for a child.

“Now you see a lot more people coming into the space and creating which is great because you, know, more ideas breeds innovation. But I think also you have to be careful because you’re trying to create solutions that take care of our kids.”

Leslie and the team have recently launched a content arm — fixchildcare.com — of their business to educate and inform parents and caregivers. And in part, giving a platform for parents and caregivers to tell their stories and share!

To watch our full conversation on YouTube

Leslie's LinkedIn Profile

Carefully on Instagram

Hi Everyone!

How was everyone’s July 4th?? Short week. Why not another inspirational and motivational conversation to kick off the weekend?

Shall we….

I met my next guest, Tara Tersigni, at a Montclair Starts Up event at Montclair State University. (Thank you, Zack Rosenberg!) Tara spent the early aughts of her career in TV production and pivoted to working with and alongside beauty icon, Bobbi Brown. In fact, Tara was Bobbi’s co-founder in her more recent company, Jones Road Beauty.

Parlaying her TV production expertise with her operational and CPG chops, Tara left Jones Road Beauty in 2021 where she then went on to consult on an interim basis before starting her next venture, La Cosa Ventures.

All brands Tara and her team at La Cosa Ventures incubate or launch is all built around the premise of being a role model brand for the next generation.

Keep an eye out for Tara’s first brand launch, Speckhart, this summer.

“This is my new thing that all the brands that we do from now on, I want to be role model brands. For the next generations, and maybe not Gen Z, but Gen Alpha and beyond, think of what Patagonia does, but that it, it, that's tricky. So right, like this new generation of role model brands that at least try to do everything a little bit smarter, a little bit safer, and a little bit more sustainable.” — Tara Tersigini, La Cosa Ventures

What wasn’t lost on me when talking to Tara is the appreciation she has for the mentors and advisors who helped her on her journey. Bobbi Brown and her first boss in TV production, Terry Woods who was the President of CBS Television at the time. Tara was her assistant which got her foot in the door.

And it’s this level of appreciation and gratefulness that compels Tara to mentor. To provide a helping hand and advice to those coming up the ranks in their profession (she made time to speak with one of my mentees). It’s also something she attributes to her upbringing in addition to the examples Bobbi and her husband, Stephen set for her.

I love this quote from the above clip:

“….it's so easy to help people”

How are you helping or mentoring?

Links:

Watch our full conversation on YouTubeLa Cosa VenturesTara's LinkedIn

Hello Everyone -

Goodbye, June. Big plans for July 4th?

To the task at hand.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Charitybuzz CEO, Ben Erwin. CharityBuzz is an asynchronous online auction marketplace that allows charities to auction off items or experiences which directly benefit a charity’s beneficiaries.

Traditionally, charities and causes run various fundraising efforts throughout the year — renting out a hotel ballroom for instance — as moments in time. Charitybuzz is allowing these same charities to unlock deeper value with their staff and board of directors to find opportunities throughout the year to raise money.

Check out this exclusive Alicia Keys concert experience which benefits Green Side Up Foundation. Green Side Up Foundation is an Asheville, NC-based non-profit organization providing support for local pediatric cancer patients. You’ll see on the auction listing that this experience was donated by a friend of the foundation.

Charitybuzz is using a for-profit model to drive maximum yield which directly benefits the beneficiaries of these charities and causes.

“Like go to the Oscars, hang out with this celebrity, go backstage to this concert, but’s only being offered to a room of 3, 4, 500 people which 5% are bidding. So you’ve got these opportunities that have global demand, global desire, but just in this really samll group. So why not bring those online, distribute them, more people that see them, if you target correctly, more people bid, more money raise. So that was really the impetus of CharityBuzz. But as we knew, the only way to really grow and scale the business was to create more of a platform or marketplace.” - Ben Erwin, CEO, CharityBuzz

Charitybuzz was founded in 2005 and was acquired by entrepreneur, Todd Wagner (founder, Broadcast.com) in 2016. At the time, Todd, Ben, and the team created the Charity Network as the parent company with CharityBuzz and Prizeo, an online giveaway platform, operating underneath. CharityBuzz has grown its marketplace to offer vertically integrated experiences and merchandise in addition to its curated auctions from outside charities and causes.

“…leading up to the Super Bowl, we know there’s, we could probably move upwards of a hundred different packages to have a really like a really fun, unique Super Bowl experience. But through our charity partners, we’re only able to secure 10. Well, we have to fill that void because it’s what our customer want and that’s our commitment to them. So we’re more and more going out and we’re putting together these experiences ourselves.”

Ben shared his perspective on driving innovation within the charity / cause fundraising sector, which starts with educating and removing any misconceptions about charity.

Ben and Charitybuzz are only adding incremental value to existing charity fundraising efforts.

“Let’s focus six months opposite your event. Let’s focus on opportunities you’re not going to include in your event that will do really do well on our platform. We got to understand your goals. Like everything that plays into your existing fundraising efforts. And then we just need to figure out where we fit into add incremental value. We’re not taking anything away from what you’re already doing. Keep doing that. What if we can find 20%, 50% more money over there?”

Links:

Watch the full conversation on YouTubeBen Erwin's Linkedin Profile

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone had a great Father’s Day weekend!

Boy, am I excited to share my next conversation with The Profile’s Founder and Author, Polina Pompliano.

Did I mention today is her book release too? Her new book, Hidden Genius, is available for sale.

If you’re not subscribed to The Profile, it’s a weekly original and curated digest of profiles of amazing humans — entrepreneurs, celebrities, politicians, motivational speakers, the list goes on and on.

Polina has been focused 100% on growing The Profile for the past 5 years. Previously, she spent 5 years working at Fortune Magazine running their regular startup newsletter, The Term Sheet. It was around this time she started The Profile more as a side hustle because of her passion for writing original pieces or profiles on interesting people.

“I didn’t just want to curate profiles, but in order to do that, I would have to work on it full time. So that’s kind of when I started toying with the idea of what The Profile would look like if I dedicated 100% of my time of it instead of just doing it on the side.” - Polina Pompliano, Founder & Author, The Profile

Whether you’re interviewing or profiling someone on a show (or podcast!) or in Polina’s case, the written word, it’s interesting to understand the common thread that ties people together.

“[I] definitiely think that one of the pieces is they are people who have either gotten burned by something external, therefore, they’ve been forced to tie their identity around something they control, or they’re people who are constantly seeking ways to bet on themselves and take risks that lead to growth in learning.”

After years of profiling who we believe to be remarkable people, Polina complied mental frameworks readers can employ from reading her new book, Hidden Genius.

“But when people ask me like why ‘Hidden Genius?’ And I’m like,’ because the people I choose to include in the book and also feature in The Profile are not people who are, who you traditionaly think are geniuses.’ They’re people who have a certain view of the world, a certain like framework in the way that they solve problmes that that’s what makes them unique and uniquely prepare to solve certain problems and that is why they each have a hidden genius like many of us like I think all of us have some sort of hidden genius. It’s just a lot of us haven’t discovered it yet.”

There’s a chapter in Hidden Genius on ‘mental toughness and mental resilience,’ which many of us can relate to in our daily lives. One example Polina points to is ultra-athlete, Navy Seal and Army Ranger and motivational speaker, David Goggins.

While mental resilience and toughness is necessary to face the kinds of physical pain that David Goggins endures, I asked Polina about emotional anguish and stress caused by uncertainty from the rise of Ai, Silicon Valley Bank imploding, untamed inflation, etc. What sort of mental model should we be tapping into?

🎧 to her response and advice:

Polina dispenses many more 💎 during this conversation which are expounded upon in Hidden Genius.

🎧 to the full conversation from wherever you listen to podcasts or 📺 the full conversation on YouTube.

🔗 👇🏼

Links:

Watch the full conversation on YouTube

Come to Polina’s book launch event at NYC’s P&T Knitware this coming Saturday

Subscribe to The Profile