The Underdog Protagonist

Send us Fan Mail 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 everyth...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 leadi...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 Lev...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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 epis...

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,...

Send us Fan Mail Jamie Hughes is a social psychologist, certified therapeutic writing instructor, and the author of several mental health books but his real gift lies in helping people feel seen in the middle of their storms. In this episode, we talk about trauma, self-care that actually works, managing anxiety and ADHD, and what resilience really looks like when it’s not performative. Whether you...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling stuck in your career, health, or relationships even though you’re doing “everything right”? Dr. Alain Salas knows exactly what that’s like. A best-selling author, chiropractic physician, and the creator of the Mind Clearing System, Dr. Salas went from living the dream to total collapse, losing his business, his marriage, and even facing cancer. In this episode of The Under...

Send us Fan Mail Sam Mitchell doesn’t just talk about autism he lives it, owns it, and redefines what it means. As the host of Autism Rocks and Rolls , Sam has interviewed legends like Temple Grandin and Mick Foley. But his real impact is proving that success doesn’t come in spite of being different, it often comes because of it. In this episode, Sam joins host Pratyush to talk about breaking stig...

Send us Fan Mail Mark Steven Porro never planned to move back home and become a full-time caregiver for his 89-year-old mother but when “the call” came, everything changed. In this heartfelt episode, Mark shares his honest, humorous, and award-winning journey of role reversal, writing his debut memoir A Cup of Tea on the Commode , and what caregiving taught him about trust, legacy, and uncondition...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2 of The Underdog Protagonist comes to a close. 24 episodes of honesty, uncertainty, growth, and showing up through the messy middle. In this finale, Pratyush reflects on what this season really meant, why some dreams go quiet but never die, and what’s coming next. 🎙 What’s ahead in Season 3: A shift from solo episodes to real conversations. Guests who are still building, q...

Send us Fan Mail The last year has been the year of rebrands. From global giants like Pepsi, Jaguar, and PayPal to design-savvy shifts from SanDisk, Miro, and Sprite. But not all makeovers are created equal. In this deep-dive episode, we unpack the brands that nailed it, the ones that sparked backlash, and the hidden messages behind every pixel change. We go inside the pitch room, break down the m...

Send us Fan Mail Everyone’s a creator now, especially the people who never wanted to be. Founders, VCs, product managers... they’re all publishing, performing, and building personal brands in public. In this episode of In the Feed , Pratyush explores the strange, quiet shift where builders are now storytellers , and creators are being pushed behind the scenes . We ask: What happens when startup CE...

Send us Fan Mail What keeps a creator going when the money isn’t? In this solo episode, Pratyush takes you on a raw, vulnerable, and unfiltered journey into the reality of building when you're broke, not just financially, but emotionally and mentally too. This isn’t just a podcast episode. It’s a mirror, a reset, and a permission slip for every underdog who's still creating while silentl...

Send us Fan Mail We live in an era obsessed with numbers - reach, likes, followers, engagement rates. But what happens when you’re doing everything right… and the metrics still don’t move? In this episode of In The Feed , we explore a question creators rarely ask out loud: If growth isn’t visible… is it still real? Host Pratyush peels back the illusion of "growth equals visibility" and i...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you keep building and no one sees it? This raw, solo episode is a cinematic deep-dive into the quiet chaos behind creative progress. From burnout and breakdowns to small wins and identity resets, Pratyush shares the truth behind the invisible work, the part of your journey that doesn’t get claps, likes, or viral moments… but changes everything . If you’ve ever qu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of In the Feed from The Underdog Protagonist , we dive into the deeper side of personal branding and the quiet burnout many creators are facing today. From the polished, performative trends to the cookie-cutter templates we all seem to be stuck in, we explore the question: Has personal branding lost its soul? Pratyush reflects on the overwhelming pressure to stay r...

Send us Fan Mail In this premiere episode of Mindset in the Margins , we’re unpacking a feeling so many of us quietly carry, loneliness in the hustle era. When you're posting like clockwork, growing a brand, juggling a dozen dreams, and still feel unseen... what do you do with that? This isn't about burnout or productivity. It's about presence. In this deeply personal audio essay, I...

Send us Fan Mail You’re sitting on brilliant ideas, unfinished projects, or vulnerable stories - but they never see the light of day. Sound familiar? In this episode of The Underdog Protagonist , I dive deep into the fear, perfectionism, and self-doubt that keep us from sharing our work with the world. More importantly, I explore what it costs us when we stay silent, and what changes when we final...

Send us Fan Mail After a four-month pause, I’m back behind the mic. This time, with more clarity, purpose, and truth than ever before. In this deeply personal comeback episode, I reflect on the silent reset I didn’t plan but desperately needed. It wasn’t burnout. It wasn’t quitting. It was life demanding a recalibration. We talk about what happens when passion takes a backseat to survival, why res...

Send us Fan Mail Are your weeks starting off in chaos? In this episode of Recharge Sundays , we’re diving into the art of the Sunday reset with a simple, 4-step routine to help you reflect, recharge, and refocus for the week ahead. Forget complicated schedules and long vision board sessions. This is all about creating a routine that works for YOU. Whether you have 10 minutes or 20, you’ll learn ho...