Finding Founders

Eric Molinsky is the creator and host of Imaginary Worlds, a podcast exploring fictional worlds and works, the non-fiction stories behind them, and the communities around those stories. Born in Boston, Eric moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in animation for several years, thinking it was what he wanted. Eventually, he came to realize that his true passion was in crafting stories and “pieces of time.” Eric moved back to the East coast and started working for New York public radio and began finding his footing in the audio storytelling industry. Frustrated with public radio’s tongue in cheek attitude toward covering science fiction and fantasy, Eric became a freelancer to tell stories he wanted to tell, and eventually started his own podcast to do just that. Since then, he’s taught classes at NYU in podcasting and audio storytelling, and through his podcast, he’s discovered whole new imaginary worlds to fall in love with. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findin

Daisy Luther has learned the hard way how important preparation is. From debilitating poverty, to losing her father, to becoming a single mother, we follow Daisy on her story of suffering through extreme hardship. But we’ll also understand how she managed to survive and thrive in spite of it. Facing loss after loss Daisy never gave up, and now she is a successful author, the founder of TheFurgalite.com and TheOrganicPrepper.com, websites that gets millions of views and teach us how we can be more prepared when things go wrong. https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

After graduating from college and getting a corporate job, Chris Bello found himself unmotivated and looking for a new pursuit. Seeking inspiration, he read  Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Four-Hour Work Week, which led Bello to quit his job and take a one month hiatus to Asia. Afterwards, he returned and began working on his personal brand, working on a mailing list, website, and podcast simultaneously. Along the way, he also ended up working in real estate wholesale. Nowadays, he continues his mantra of “less dreaming, more doing” by continuing to work on all of these things and remaining consistent. With over 50,000 monthly downloads as well as one million total downloads on his Entrepreneur Motivation Podcast, Bello hopes to interview increasingly popular guests in order to expand his reach and inspires others to stay motivated while facing their fears. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow

In this episode we sit down with John Basset, founder of Twin Mask and an avid LARPer. Live Action Role Play, or LARP, has been part of John's identity ever since he was in high school, but what is LARP? Well, it's a role-playing game where the participants physically portray their characters. The players enter a fictional world but interact with real objects, all while in character. I'll admit even that explanation confused me, so I traveled down to the LARP event to see what it was all about. I learned how a break from reality can help you find your community, understand yourself, and bring the world a bit closer together. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

Christina Catalano is a noted human rights leader and founder of RISE. Although it started small, the RISE Anti-Bullying Initiative has grown to become one of the largest anti-bullying initiatives in the world. And Christina's influence doesn't stop there, in fact, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. But before the awards and accolades, her experience with bullying was personal. Growing up on the Jersey Shore, school was a place she felt isolated and attacked. https://www.theriseinitiative.org/ Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

In this episode of Finding Founders, we hear from Hala Taha, a leading podcast entrepreneur, founder, and CEO. Hala’s story shows a journey to realizing your self-worth in the face of post-9/11 obstacles, working without compensation, and failing time and time again. Hala started with a pretty “blessed childhood”, going with her father to work at the hospital, and was a bit of a tomboy. But, after 9/11 her life changed dramatically. In high school, she experienced a feeling of isolation and being shut out of those activities she used to love. It wasn't until college that she really found her stride. She soon found a career in entertainment, working at Hot 97, then blogging with strawberryblunt.com, and eventually starting YAP and hosting the Young and Profiting Podcast. But her journey was far from smooth. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/

This is a followup episode with Maxwell Nee from High-Performing Coach. He teaches us how to make our businesses pandemic proof, how he's scaled his business, and the tools and strategies you need to start your own coaching business. If you'd like to grow your own podcast check out our coaching cohort --> The Pod30 A bit about Maxwell: Maxwell Née spent the majority of his life pursuing a stable career, which left him listless. After 5 years at his corporate banking job, Maxwell had a moment of realization, he didn't like what his life was becoming. To combat his current life path, he picked up and moved across the world from Australia to Canada. He decided to finally start over and pursue what excited him most. This would lead to High-Performing Coach, an online coaching service that has seen amazing growth and success in the past year. In fact, Maxwell has been recognized by BRAINZ 500 Global Honoree for his work and continues to thrive in a career path he built for himself. Check out our full episode wi

How can private cities use entrepreneurship to create social good? In this episode, we meet Erick Brimen, businessman, entrepreneur, and founder of the special economic zone, Próspera. At an early age, Erick came face-to-face with the social and financial disadvantages that most people face. And that experience would eventually lead to the visionary project of prosperity districts, where entrepreneurship is used to achieve common good. But Erick’s journey was not all glitz and glamour. From not having enough money to buy groceries, to nearly getting arrested over rumors, Erick knows what it's like to experience failure. But through it all, his passion to help others prosper has guided him on a path of success, trust, and purpose. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/findin

In June of 2018, Dan was involved in “The Bucatini Dialogues: A Debate About Pasta Shapes”, a live event in which his controversial opinions about spaghetti would lead to a journey in creating his own pasta shape. From learning about the different types of flour to finding a factory which would take a chance on “the little guy”, Pashman’s 3 year journey would eventually lead to success and 'cascatelli,' a pasta which would beat day 1 expectations and go on to sell over 15,000 pounds in the first day! As for now, Pashman’s pasta story is still being written as he decides on how to pursue the Sporkful brand. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

Today’s interview is, well, a bit different. This isn’t any guest, actually this is a pretty personal story. Today we’re talking to the co founder of my family, my grandmother, Dorothy Donner. This is my dad’s mom but she’s not just my dad’s mom. In fact my dad is one of ten kids, a frikin handful to deal with. She’s raised 10 kids, has lived through the great depression, numerous wars, and a global pandemic. She definitely knows a thing or two about life’s challenges. As we progress through her story—and run into some of our own challenges along the way—I am reminded of the importance of capturing these stories while we still can. And that understanding your family’s history helps you better understand yourself. My grandparents were visiting my family home, so after finishing up some scrambled eggs, Grandma Donner hopped into a quiet room to walk me through some of the stories that made her who she is today. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co F

Navid Seyedali was born in Iran and eventually began living around the world in places such as the US, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia. These travels developed within him an exceptional sense of empathy, which, over 25 years ago, led Navid to help establish and further the Child Foundation. The organization's mission is to educate children around the world. Initially Navid began as a volunteer, but became increasingly more active which culminated in his current position where he serves as an advisor to the board of directors. Two of his major accomplishments include the creation of an Afghanistan sponsorship program during his first term of presidency, as well as the creation of the Afghanistan Crisis Fund during his time as an advisor. The ACF has distributed food to hundreds of families and continues to work tirelessly to educate children around the world. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

How many chances do we have in life, and what do we do with them? In this episode of Finding Founders, we answer this question with Jay Clue, an accomplished conservationist, explorer, and photographer. Jay began his life as a troublemaker and a bit of an outcast, narrowly escaping jail time on a couple of occasions. He turned things around, studying graphic design in college, working as an art director on ad campaigns, and going to London to get a master’s and Ph.D.  Jay eventually fell in love with scuba diving and found his way to Baja. He then started Dive Ninja Expeditions in 2017 to use an ecotourism platform to combine diving, research, and tourism to promote conservation. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

For many Americans, debt is a serious issue. A recent study found that the average American holds $53,897 in personal debt. Jason is trying to destroy debt with his new company, Relief. But he didn't always start with these altruistic intentions. His first entrepreneurial endeavor at 12 was hustling kids at lunch with three card monte. Eventually he'd enter the sales world realizing he had the gift of gab, but he soon realized that he was in that world for the wrong reasons. He didn't want his life to just be about making money for himself, he wanted to solve a larger issues. He wanted to help people outside of himself. With his new company, Relief, he's helping others in debt win at the game of debt management. Check out the relief app today! --> https://www.relief.app/ Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Sup

How much do we value stability? We discuss the answer with Karen Bradfield, a former engineer for Procter & Gamble turn founder of Adventures in Baja. Karen was born in England, and though the ocean was freezing, she still felt drawn to it, constantly swimming or sailing. After finishing her studies she worked a few conventional jobs, but always felt like something was missing. She wanted to dedicate more time to the ocean. Throughout her journey Karen has lived in Australia, Southeast Asia, Panama, Ecuador and finally Cabo. She shares with us the importance of seizing opportunities and confronting our fears. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

Hey this episode is going to be a bit different. I’m usually the one doing the interviewing, but this time I’m on the other end of the mic. A former Finding Founders editor, Nathan Tower, invited me on his podcast, the Phasey Wave show. He did a great job of bringing my story to life! We talk about my weirdest experiences with guests, my founding philosophy, building teams, insulting high profile podcasters, and the future of Finding Founders. Subscribe to the Phasey Wave show here! https://www.phaseywave.show/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

How do we discover our purpose and find work that fulfills it? In this episode of Finding Founders we discuss the answer to this question and more with Philipp Moser. He is an established tour guide, diver, and owner of Cabo Trek. Philipp was born in Austria and always loved nature, the ocean specifically. Following the conventional path, he studied to be a mechanical engineer and worked in product development. But he wasn’t happy. So Philipp quit his job and moved to Australia, working side jobs and pursuing diving. After traveling the world and surviving a tsunami, Philipp wound up in Cabo. With Cabo Trek, he shares incredible experiences with tourists while educating them about the importance of protecting and preserving the environment and marine ecosystems. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this

After Sana Javeri Kadri earned their IB diploma from UWC Adriatic, she worked as a Documentary Filmmaker for P.R.I.D.E India in Maharashtra, India and was a freelance photographer for Kadri Consultants Pvt. Ltd in Mumbai, India before attending Pomona College. While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts, she accumulated an array of experiences during college. At 23 years old in 2017, Sana Javeri Kadri used $3,000 from her tax refund to start sourcing and selling ethically farmed turmeric. Today Diaspora Co. works with nearly a dozen small family farms across India, paying an average of six times more than the commodity price, and sells seven spices including coriander and cardamom. Kadri has bootstrapped the entire operation while going beyond the norm, like paying for healthcare to farm laborers on some of its farms, with the goal of growing enough to be able to provide it to all workers on its partner farms. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website:

Is there a relationship between visual arts and discipline? For today’s episode we had the chance to spend the whole day with Enrique Bascón, a multidisciplinary artist based in Cabo San Lucas where he has his art studio and gallery. Born and raised in the Basque country in Spain, Enrique’s journey was not always about art. From wanting to follow his own rules and making his own path as a kid, to seeking financial stability, Enrique has always wanted freedom. Throughout his journey he’s studied law, been a policeman, bodyguard, SWAT agent and is now an artist. Enrique’s story explores how ambition and perseverance can get you to amazing places. There is no one path to being an artist. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueldonner/ Follow Finding Founders IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingfounderspodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/finding-founders/support

Raby Gueye emigrated from Senegal at the age of 7 to the United States. Her early childhood emphasized the importance of education, primarily due to the necessity to translate for her family. Her experience translating to teachers, doctors, and even cable/utility companies all reinforced the necessity to pursue an education and eventually lead her to become the first woman to graduate from college in her family.  During this time, she once again learned about the college process (applications, fees, tuition, etc.) all on her own as she went on to study international/global studies at Arizona State University. Eventually, she was given experiences to teach in both India and low-income schools in Arizona which eventually led her to create Teach for Senegal. In doing so, she hopes to address inequality while also encouraging children to be proud of where they come from. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders.co/subscribe Website: findingfounders.co Follow Sam: https://www.instagram.com/samueld

In this episode, we hear from Andrew Rea, the creative mastermind behind the Babish Culinary Universe. He’s amassed over 9 million subscribers on YouTube alone, but the scale of his community is far from what’s most interesting about this interview. With his humor and piercing honesty, Andrew shares a story of continuous self-improvement. Losing his mother at age 11 and enduring secondary school with no friends, he was dealt a handful of painful challenges early on in life. Upon graduating film school with flying colors and a crew of good friends, early adulthood slammed him with another set of roadblocks. Grinding endlessly to make a living, broken to his core by an emotionally abusive director and stuck in a failing marriage, Andrew spiraled into his darkest days of depression. Through every overwhelming bout of failure, loss, pain, and doubt, we learn how Andrew is able to pick himself up, grow into a better person and discover a more fulfilling life. Subscribe to our Newsletter! https://findingfounders