Growth From Failure

This is the story of Felicia Alexander, an energetic force with a mission to bring the benefits of fitness boxing to consumers anytime, anywhere.  In this episode, we discuss:- Why she transitioned from the tech world to entrepreneurship- How the loss of her father shaped her drive and passion- When the passion for boxing entered her life- The importance of mental health- Connection not perfectionTo learn more about Felicia, Title Boxing Club and/or Box Union, you can visit:Felicia's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feeslalalandTitle Boxing Club: https://titleboxingclub.com/Box Union: https://www.boxunion.com/Please enjoy this interview with the mighty, Felicia Alexander.

This is the story of Mahya Salehi. In this episode, we discuss:- Growing up in Northeast Iran- Her passion in design and decor- Launching her own architectural firm- Expanding her business during a pandemic- Developing an elevated experience with and for clients- Learning from her "Stupid Brave" phase and creating the opportunityTo learn more and connect with Mahya, you can visitWebsitte: https://www.mahyasalehistudio.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahyasalehistudioPlease enjoy this interview with the creative and courageous Mahya Salehi.

In this episode, we discuss:- Growing up in Malaysia- Discovering, developing and cultivating one's voice- Why taking Facebook public changed her investment banking career- How she started an organization that helps the underprivileged to discover their talents- Writing a book during the pandemic- Why she wrote The Altruistic Capitalist and the three core themes:  collaboration, mindfulness and curiosityPlease enjoy this interview with the delightful, Lynn Yap.  To learn more and connect with Lynn, you can visit:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altruisticcapitalist/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAltruisticCapitalist/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lynnlyyap

This is the story of Akilah Releford. In this episode, we discuss:- Starting a company in her dorm room at Howard University- Her love of DIY skincare recipes and routines- Creating a clean beauty company- Early setbacks in growing the business, completing orders and marketing the brand- The power of manifestingPlease enjoy this interview with the dynamic Akilah Releford. To learn more about Akilah or Mary Louise Cosmetics, visit:www.mymarylouise.com

In this episode, we discuss: - Aoife’s journey to becoming a physician scientist and drug developer - Synthetic biology applications - Her role as CEO of Synlogic (Nasdaq: SYBX)- Intersection of biology and engineering - Remaining sustainably uncomfortable Please enjoy this interview with the extraordinary Dr. Aoife Brennan.

In this episode, we discuss:- Allison’s journey in pediatric physical therapy- Catalyst to creating MyKidBlooms- Importance of providing support for the entire family ecosystem- Growth and healing from traumaPlease enjoy this interview with Dr. Allison Hall. For more information on Allison and MyKidBlooms, please go to::https://www.mykidblooms.com/://signalfire.com/See how My Kid Blooms works in a quick videoLinked In: Dr. Allison Hall, PT, MPT, DPTFacebook: My Kid BloomsInstagram: @mykidblooms

This is the story of Elaine Zelby, the spectacular investor, advisor, entrepreneur, podcaster and writer who infuses so much energy into every project she works on. In this episode, we discuss: - Elaine's Shiny Object Syndrome- Why she left Slack and what it's like to be a VC Partner at SignalFire- The (Un)Sexy Podcast- Her 7-week solo journey in China- Growth in giving away your timePlease enjoy this interview with the fantastic, Elaine Zelby. For more information on Elaine, please go to:https://zelby.substack.com/https://signalfire.com/profiles/elaine-zelby/https://redcircle.com/shows/unsexy

This is the story of Michelle Meow, host of the eponymous radio and tv show and also a leading voice for the LGBTQ community.In this episode, we discuss:- Michelle's rise in broadcasting and her own show, the incredible Michelle Meow show. How a $250 check from a bail bondsmen changed the course of her professional career. Self-acceptance and reflections on love - Various IdentitiesI hope you love this interview as much as I did with the spectacular Michelle Meow. Enjoy - YinhFor more information on Michelle:https://www.michellemeow.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-meow-a690b2a3/

This is the story of Eva Shang, a Harvard dropout, Peter Thiel fellow, an entrepreneur who co-founded a software and data analytics program and is now CEO of Legalist, an asset management firm focused on litigation finance.In this episode, we discuss:- Eva's Beginner's Mindset- Why she dropped out of Harvard in her junior year- Opportunities in litigation finance- Getting off 'the path' and building a unique asset management firm- The Destination Vs The Tunnel mindset  Please enjoy this conversation with the marvelous Eva Shang. For more information on Eva and/or Legalist, please visit:https://www.legalist.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/eshang/

This is the story of Lake Dai, Entrepreneur, Investor, Professor, and all-around creator. For 20 years, she led the product and engineering teams globally including at Alibaba, Apple, and Yahoo. In this episode, we discuss:- How her Mom didn't want her to be an engineer (even though she was an aerospace engineer!) - Why she switched from economics & marketing to engineering & product creation- What it was like working out of Jack Ma's garage in the early days of Alibaba- How she created Alibaba's first generation of travel products and marketplace- Why she teaches at Carnegie Mellon while expanding to venture capital investing- Her three principles in life: Never Stop Learning, Share the Knowledge, Build a Community - The importance and power of a 'Beginner's Mind'Please enjoy this interview with the remarkable Lake Dai. 

This is the story of Lindsay Benner, performance artist and entertainer extraordinaire. Some have described her as what you would get if Lucille Ball and Charlie Chaplin had a love child ...who likes to juggle!In this episode, we discuss:- Her unique style of cabaret, comedy and juggling- How Lindsay became a popular street performer- Women in Vaudeville- The "Joy of the Drop" in Juggling (and Life) Please enjoy this fun interview with the fabulous Lindsay Benner. To find out more, please visit:Main: https://www.lindsaybenner.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaybenner/ 

In this episode, we discuss:- Becoming a professional dancer - Starting a dancing non-profit called Kalamity - Having five children and THEN being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia - Dancing her way through cancer and covid - Her maxim: Desire, Decide, Do it. For more information on Tia:https://www.instagram.com/thetiabeestokes/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/thetiabeestokes/https://www.tiktok.com/@thetiabeestokes?lang=enPlease enjoy this episode with the beautiful Tia Stokes.

This is the story of Nouria Newman, the incredible French whitewater kayaker.  She is one of the best kayakers in the world and we were able to have this interview just a few days after she made history in Ecuador and rode a 100-foot waterfall descent. In this episode, we discuss with the Red Bull sponsored-athlete:- Love at first kayak sight at the age of 4- Why she left the competitive world and focuses on extreme kayaking- Her fear factor and how that keeps her coming back to the sport- How she almost drowned in her 200+ mile solo kayaking trip in Northern India and the lessons learned- The significance of her tattoo: "Always Remember the Most Important Thing"Please enjoy this episode with the phenomenal Nouria Newman. - Yinh

This is the story of Emily Hyland, the co-founder of the wildly popular restaurants Pizza Loves Emily and Emmy Squared. This was a fantastic conversation and it wasn’t just because we talked about pizza and burgers the whole time. In this episode, we discuss:-        Emily’s journey from poetry and teaching to be a restauranteur-        Starting a pizza restaurant with her husband-        The heartbreak of getting a divorce while expanding the business-        How the restaurant business changed during Covid-19 -        Adding burgers to their menu and creating the most popular burger in New York City To quote one of my favorite food review sites, The Infatuation, "We love everything about Emily. It's the kind of restaurant you walk into and immediately know you're in a place where good things happ

This is the story of Dr. Jessica Ritch, a board-certified gynecologist that is fellowship-trained doing minimally invasive procedures. In this episode, we discuss Jessie's journey from gymnast and teen model to medical school and travels to Africa that would transform her perspectives and amplify her goals to help women.I am inspired by Jessie's positivity. A working mom balancing a high-demanding medical job in a pandemic AND three young kids..! Jessie inspires me to take inventory of all the blessings, reflect, and be grateful. Please enjoy this interview with the remarkable Jessie Ritch.

This is the story of Mei Xu - Founder of Pacific Trade International and it's subsidiary Cheseapeake Bay Candle. On this episode, we discuss how grit, innovation and a dash of good luck ignited a multi-million dollar candle success story. Mei covers:- Growing up in China and aspiring to be a diplomat- How a menial job led to a serendipitous career - The five critical elements in a candle- Logistics and operations working with large retailers like Target - Why candles are so popular in homes today- Reviewing her next venture: Yes She May Please enjoy this interview with Mei Xu. If you're burning (see what I did there) for more information about Mei, please visit:Website: https://www.meixu.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meixu1/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yesshemay/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/YesSheMay/Yes She May:  https://yesshemay.com/

This is the story of TVu, Senior Vice President at Xandr, an innovative ad tech platform and also rapper in the band Magnetic North.This was an incredibly fun interview for me, I'm not sure if it is because Tvu is also Vietnamese or also went to Cal, but I think it's really because she's just awesome. Professionally, she is a successful engineer and also musically as a rapper!In this episode, we discuss:- Her family's immigrant story from Vietnam- How she got hired as the first engineer at AppNexus despite failing in her interview- Her rap group, Magnetic North- How distributed systems embrace inevitable failures- Graceful degradation (aka how to fail gracefully for non-techies)  - Emotional hijackingPlease enjoy this interview with the best Vietnamese engineer rapper TVU. - YinhTo find out more about TVU:https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-vu-486b603/

This is the story of Amanda McCrossin, a certified sommelier and incredible content creator for all things wine related. From the podcast she hosts Wine Access Unfiltered to her YouTube channel and her other social media platforms, Amanda is my favorite wine enthusiast. What I love about her wine style is she makes wine education accessible for the lay person like me who enjoys lots of wine (but seriously has no clue) while keeping up with the likes of Robert Parker when they share a rare bottle of Screaming Eagle!In this episode, we discuss:Amanda's journey from an aspiring Broadway StarHow she pivoted her career to the wine industryAmanda's Maxim: Stay Outside Your Comfort ZoneBeing Head Sommelier at Press in Napa and why she leftHer growth from failure momentsPlease enjoy this conversation with the fantastic Amanda McCrossin. If you'd like to find out more about her, please visit: Website: http://www.amandamccrossin.com/LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-mccrossin-0099684/Inst

On this episode, we discuss:- Why Jane worked in the US Department of State's Bureau of Counterterrorism- How she created To The Market, a company that connects business and consumers with ethically made products from around the world- Her book: Buy the Change You Want to See- Dealing with rejection- What fuels her growthPlease enjoy this interview with the incredible Jane Mosbacher Morris. Thanks, Yinh!Thanks and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday week!

In this episode, we discuss:- Barbara's journey focused on public education, starting with an encounter with a friend in 6th grade who was deaf- How it feels to be a black woman in the field of deaf education, when you switch from being the minority to the majority- Coaching deaf athletes - What education really means- Being a Mom to three boys AND starting a new school in a pandemic...Please enjoy this conversation with the amazing Barbara Robinson!