Future Optimist

Raven Faber is the founder of an increasingly-successful CannaSexTech company, with several national distributors. Watching her entrepreneurial journey has been an inspiration! Recently, I asked: "With so much crazy s*** happening in the world, should we speak up on social media or not?⁠" This episode is her response.

Connor Clerx is a reporter for Dutch national radio station BNR. He's had a lifelong passion for radio, making his first appearance on local airwaves as a teenager. Now he's worked his way up the ranks to be the on-air talent for a major radio station, where he is heard by tens of thousands of listeners daily. We get into this fascinating line of work in this episode, and you can learn more about...

EXPAT SPECIAL! Because when we are thinking outside the box, we have to be open to entirely different living situations. Victoria is an American-born European Union public affairs and communications expert who has been living in Brussels, Belgium for over 12 years. We cover a lot of the nitty-gritty details of choosing to live your life in another country, and Victoria is a great example of someon...

Dror Tamir of Hargol FoodTech in Israel has an incredible story.⁠ ⁠ He built the world's first commercial grasshopper farm, with the goal of creating a new and more sustainable protein to meet the challenges of the future.⁠ (C) 2020 Aloa LLC, All Rights Reserved

Dustin Barnett founded a chain of successful vape shops in Colorado called Vapor Core. Vaping is clearly a controversial subject for many, so we approach this talk from both inspirational/entrepreneurial standpoints as well as ethical. One thing is for sure, Dustin Barnett has a very inspirational story and personal life, and his journey will give you plenty of food for thought on how to structure...

Mollie Engelhart represents what a positive vision of the future can look like. She's opened successful vegan restaurants with Woody Harrelson, she's the founder of Sow a Heart Farm, and she's a mission-driven, regenerative food entrepreneur. When the pandemic hit, she started a new CSA box to distribute organic food from her farm directly to the community - this is an episode you won't want to mi...

Evan La Ruffa founded an awesome, mission-driven non-profit for art called I Paint My Mind, and this episode dispels myths about building a non-profit (as well as explains how you CAN make *good* money doing it).⁠ ⁠ He shares why many more entrepreneurs should consider starting a non-profit instead of a business to enact the change they want to see.⁠ (C) 2020 Aloa LLC, All Rights Reserved

Jacob Abrams has built a highly profitable career in the film business through a combination of expertise in lighting and equipment rentals. He's crafted a very unique business model that is highly inspirational for those looking to break into the film industry. (C) 2020 Aloa LLC, All Rights Reserved

Ben Allman has built a start-up called 4abilities (4abilities.org) to help the differently-abled. And he's found happiness and meaning through a life of serving a greater purpose with an entrepreneurial spirit. (C) 2020 Aloa LLC, All Rights Reserved

Isabel Galupo is a children's TV writer for Nickelodeon, published author, and activist. ⁠ She's worked on iconic Nickelodeon properties such as Dora the Explorer, The Fairly OddParents, SpongeBob SquarePants, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Casagrandes.    Now she's a current staff Writer on an unannounced Nickelodeon action-comedy show ⁠ (C) 2020 Aloa LLC, All Rights Reserved

Scott Frankfurt is someone I admire deeply, and in the music business, he's done it all. If anyone is living my dream life right now, it's him! From decades of hit records to being the VP of Spectrasonics to winning Grammy's to working with some of the literal top musicians in the game, to say that Scott has "made it" is an understatement. And more importantly, he's a great human being and a true...

Tienus, otherwise known as Goldkimono, is a world-class songwriter and musician. He's racked up hundreds of millions of plays on Spotify, writing songs for some of the world's biggest artists, like Kygo, Robin Schulz, and many more. A truly gifted multi-instrumentalist, Tienus' authenticity and unique approach to creative business makes him one of the most unique and inspiring success stories I kn...

Before this interview, I didn't even know "CannaSexTech" was a word! But apparently, it's a thing. It's a highly unusual thing, from a highly unusual, highly intelligent person.  And that made it ripe for the picking for my podcast. Raven is an awesome person with an awesome story, and there's so much to learn about building your own business without compromising and exploring new terrain. (C) 202...

In this episode, my guest is a self-made music industry entrepreneur, who was one of the bright young A&R stars of Armada Music in Amsterdam. He's got a knack for unearthing "hits", and he knows how to spot great acts and artists from a mile away. He got his start in the world of dance music/EDM/house music and has since moved onto pop music, racking up Spotify plays like nobody's business! Most i...

In this episode, I have a conversation with one of the fathers of Hardstyle and Happy Hardcore music, DJ Mental Theo. Theo is a guilty pleasure of Dutch and European audiences, and he still plays over 100 shows a year after all these years. A multi-millionaire DJ you may not have heard of, there's a LOT in his story to be learned for creatives who wish to succeed at business.