Future Optimist

Lisa Lindahl is the inventor of the sports bra, or as it was known back then, the Jogbra. Her invention has changed the world of women’s sports forever, earning her a place in the Smithsonian and in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Washington alongside legendary inventors like Thomas Edison. She’s also an author, a champion of epilepsy education and empowerment, and the inventor of a device...

Ben Stern is the CEO and founder of Nohbo, Inc., a high-growth start-up that eliminates single-use plastic in a variety of consumer-facing products, like shampoo, bath products, and more. At a young age, Ben was featured on Shark Tank, where billionaire Mark Cuban invested in his company. Now he’s on a meteoric rise to greatness, with a mission that’s really worth rallying behind.   Follow me on I...

In 1989, Sharon Rowe built a business with no outside funding called ECOBAGS. She helped pioneer the greater shift away from single-use plastic and towards more sustainable business packaging and practices. She’s also the author of The Magic of Tiny Business, and she’s built an amazing life for herself, her employees, and her family. Oh and she also has a background in theater, so we’ve got that i...

On your quest for unusual success stories and inspirational tales, I’m sure you’ve noticed that many coveted jobs are all remote. From Tim Ferriss’s iconic-if-possibly-misleading 4-hour Workweek to the DJs I’ve interviewed to record label managers to songwriters to thought leaders à la Simon Sinek, Marie Forleo, and more -- many of the world’s most coveted jobs/businesses are remote or at least, l...

Leah Bonnema is a stand-up comedian and writer who recently moved from NYC to LA. She’s done performances on network television and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (a personal hero of mine), and she’s also written full-length books and scripts in addition to co-hosting a weekly podcast, Were You Raised by Wolves with Nick Leighton. Today we talk about making it as a comic in this crazy world. F...

Are your goals big enough? Are you chasing after something that you could consider your life’s work? Or are you like me, still searching for that unique combination of awesomeness? Tune in either way, because today’s guest is Vidjay Beerepoot, composer for Disney and TV/Film in Hollywood. We’ll talk about how he set the right goals and chased them down with relentless persistence, setting his targ...

That's a wrap on season 3 of the podcast! We've had some remarkable guests this season, from entrepreneurs to charitable organization founders to social media experts to a reporter for the NHL and so much more, the range of talent and skill this season has been immense. I'm beyond honored that these fine people have shared their wisdom with me! Follow me: @therosspalmer on Instagram

Once upon a time, Vikrant was down to his last dollar. He wrote several books—even though he doesn’t consider himself a writer—trying to get a bestseller. From there the idea was born to create an “angel writing” service for people who want to create a bestselling book but aren’t writers, and that idea has blossomed into a successful business for him. This episode talks about what it takes to sell...

Nicola Cavanagh had her life all planned out. She was succeeding in the corporate world, she fought hard to attain that coveted “director” status. But the further she climbed, the more she realized the corporate world wasn’t for her. So she set out on her own to build her own recruitment company. Oh - did I mention she also became a medal-winning bodybuilder? We talk about that critical moment whe...

Freek Coppens, otherwise known as Ferreck Dawn, is a Dutch musician and DJ with millions of streams per month. Before COVID, he was touring the globe continuously. In this episode, we talk about how he was able to achieve his goals by staying determined and never losing sight of what he wanted in life. It’s such an inspiring tale of triumphing against all odds. Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalm...

Aside from being a brilliant play on words, (kidding), Beat the Often Path was born out of my own desire for better input. I wanted to share some insights into the "why" of this podcast, to help you put a context around what you're hearing. 

Kara Hammer is a reporter for the Nashville Predators NHL hockey team on Bally Sports. When you discover how Kara stuck with a dream with single-minded focus, I know you are going to be as impressed with her story as I am. We’ll learn how she worked her way up the food chain to a coveted spot as an NHL reporter, fulfilling a childhood dream. This episode is perfect for anyone looking for validatio...

Lori Tierney worked for many years at one of the top language institutes in the Netherlands. When she retired, she was left with the question, as so many are, of what comes next? Never one to back down from a challenge, she began a series of long-distance bike treks around the world - a journey that led her to set up a foundation in Kenya. Now she’s using her talents to make the world a better pla...

Norman Lenden was half of the successful DJ group “Mark Norman”. For nearly a decade, he played some of the world’s largest festivals - Tomorrowland, Trance Energy, and he toured the globe professionally. Now that he’s a father, he’s transitioned into his new role as marketing manager for RAI Amsterdam, one of the largest events centers in the Netherlands. We talk about following your passion(s),...

John Vuong created an SEO company in Canada - before he knew anything about SEO. He worked in sales for many years before making the leap to business owner, starting a company and flying by the seat of his pants. Now, he's thriving and built a successful team and business! This story is so relevant to anyone looking to start a business, especially if they are unsure of the next steps to take. Ther...

Maruja Retana has a fascinating success story. She started out as a psychologist, then became a professional singer, becoming a finalist in Dutch X-Factor, getting a few radio hits under her belt, and performing routinely for thousands of people each weekend. A few years ago, she realized that many singers and songwriters suffered from the same problems, both internal and external, so she became a...

Chongor Goncz was responsible for running and building the award-winning YouTube show, Pensado’s Place, for many years, doing hundreds of episodes. This show has long been THE staple of the audio engineering world, and it has achieved impressive notoriety. Chongor is a multi-talented digital expert - he’s a music producer, an audio engineer, and videographer, editor, show producer and so much more...

Will was inspired to start performing music in New York City subways, but with a twist — instead of playing for money, he told his listeners to leave money if they had it and to take it directly from his guitar case if they needed it. He’s expanded this simple concept online during the pandemic, where he’s now able to help people in need from all around the world via live streaming his music and d...

The old saying is “it takes twice the person to ride half the bike”. So today we’re representing unicyclists everywhere with my guest, the general manager of unicycle.com , Joshua Torrans. Unicycle.com is where I bought my first unicycle many many years ago - I was *always* super cool, didn’t you know?? - and today they are a thriving e-commerce store that serves the unicycling community. Joshua i...

Kendra Richardson is the founder of Funky Town Fridge - a community-driven fridge with the goal of reducing food apartheid in Fort Worth, Texas.   I was immediately drawn to her story, because she saw injustice in her community and made that crucial step to do something about it, investing her own money and time to build something for the greater good. Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

Benton Crane is the CEO of Harmon Brothers, one of the most exciting marketing/ad agencies in the digital space today. You may not know the company, but you’ve probably seen their work. With clients like Kodiak Cakes, Squatty Potty, Poopourri, Lime Deodorant, Purple Mattress, and more, Harmon Brothers have generated hundreds of millions in sales for start-ups with funny, long-form digital advertis...

Natalie Cola has managed the social media accounts of everyone from big-league DJs to record labels, and now she does social media for Goalcast, one of the most impressive media companies in the digital world. If I’m not mistaken, Goalcast has some 44 million followers across all their channels, so suffice to say, Natalie knows what she’s doing!

Today’s guest is Maren Brombeiss, A&R and label manager for Last Night on Earth, record label of legendary house music DJ Sasha - a long-time personal favorite of mine since childhood. She’s also an artist manager of Weval, JP Enfant, and Sasha himself.   I’m a religious listener to LNOE, so I’m truly honored to have her here to discuss both her work and how she started her career on the managemen...

Canyon Castator is an enigma wrapped in a mystery packed in a can of Campbell’s tomato soup. He is a successful independent artist, which also makes him a successful entrepreneur. His story is so inspiring, because he's taken a passion and turned it into not only a thriving career for himself, but he's also built his own co-working space where he helps bring up other artists in Downtown LA as well...

David May is the Director of Marketing for the Los Angeles Regional food bank, one of the most impressive food bank operations in the world. Sadly, each month, his organization needs to feed 900,000+ people. In this episode, he shares deeply troubling statistics about the food insecurity epidemic not just in LA, but around the US and world. The silver lining? He has found personal joy and career s...