Hacks and Hobbies with Junaid Ahmed

Most entrepreneurs are scrolling for ideas when they should be directing their own universe. In this episode of  Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid sits down with  Lefteris “Lefty” Koutinas  – a 10‑time award‑winning filmmaker and branding strategist from Toronto – who went from being a wrestling‑obsessed kid and touring DJ to crafting cinematic brand worlds for entrepreneurs. Lefty isn’t interested in co...

Short description  In this intimate conversation, David Olcott peels back the myths of “finding yourself” and reveals how we actually create who we become.  From the Florida Keys to touring with Tony Robbins, championship ice hockey and stunt-riding, David maps the real mechanics of identity, learning curves and destiny — then shows how leaders can intentionally design both their inner narrative a...

From boarded-up houses to building an empire — and a community.  In this episode, Fuquan Bilal pulls back the curtain on how he moved from small distressed rehabs to raising institutional capital, structuring deals that protect investors, and turning multi-family complexes into thriving communities. This is a conversation about grit, systems, and the ethical ambition of building wealth that lasts....

Most people want freedom. Almost no one is willing to put in the work it really costs. In this episode of  Hacks and Hobbies , host  Junaid Ahmed  sits down with  Fuquan Bilal , CEO of  NNG Capital Fund , a real estate investor and educator with over  26 years in the game  and more than  $50M raised  in real estate capital. From shadowing a family member after his corporate job to building a fund...

Most founders are trapped in firefighting, not building a business that can run without them. In this episode, Junaid sits down with  Stewart Ervin , the creator of the trademarked  Built to Run $100M System , to dissect exactly how he turns chaotic, plateaued companies into disciplined, highly profitable machines. Stuart shares the  six core plays  that bring communication, financial clarity, ope...

What if your business isn’t broken – it’s just missing a playbook? In this episode of  Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid Ahmed sits down with  Stewart Ervin , founder of  Bracket Management  and creator of the  Built to Run – $100M System , an execution-first operating system that has helped companies grow revenue by  36%  and net profit by  28% on average . From sweeping floors in his father’s business...

What do you do when the system fails your child? For  Nichole Daher , the answer was simple but terrifying: you build something better yourself. When her daughter was diagnosed with  moderate to severe autism , Nichole entered a world of locked doors, opaque therapies, and age limits that cut off treatment just when families needed it most. In this emotional and brutally honest conversation, Nicho...

He survived hurricanes, built a system in his backyard — and then built a company that took on the solar incumbents.   In this raw, curiosity-driven conversation James Showalter explains how necessity, grit and obsessive customer focus turned a DIY garage project into a hardware and battery empire that scaled to tens of millions without VC. Expect candid stories about broken batteries, brutal perm...

From telemarketing to shaping New York Times bestsellers — Tom Freiling’s publishing journey is a lesson in curiosity, grit and human storytelling.   In this episode Tom pulls back the curtain on 30+ years in publishing, the shift from bookstore gatekeepers to Amazon-era discoverability struggles, and why the rise of AI makes the uniquely human elements of a book more valuable than ever. Tom share...

What if everything you’ve been taught about social media growth is wrong? In this episode, returning guest  Dan Schinder  — founder of  Drum Talk TV , a global media brand reaching over  100 million people a year organically  — breaks down how he did it without ads, SEO tricks, or jumping on every “trending” hack. From celebrating  10+ years of Drum Talk TV  and launching a  virtual membership pla...

What happens when a shy finance kid, terrified to go on camera, commits to doing 30,000 interviews? In this raw and inspiring conversation,  Adam Torres , co-founder of  Mission Matters  and host of a top  2.5% global podcast , reveals how he went from managing millions in assets as a financial advisor to building one of the most prolific interview catalogs in modern media. He shares the  divine m...

If you feel successful on paper but numb inside, this conversation is your wake-up call. In this episode, Junaid sits down (for part two) with  David Schafran , founder of  Somo Loco  salsa immersions, to explore how  dance, emotion, and embodiment  can completely transform the way you lead, sell, and show up in your life. David shares how Latin partner dance became the missing piece that made him...

He built a cutting‑edge healthtech company at MIT. Then, in one brutal week, he lost his company, his relationship, and turned 30 — and walked away from everything. In this episode, Junaid sits down with  David Schafran , an MIT‑trained entrepreneur who traded boardrooms and burnout for  salsa, soul, and full‑body healing  in Medellín, Colombia. David went from building smartphone‑based eye diagno...

Most creators are one wrong clip, one lazy reaction video, or one AI mistake away from a legal nightmare. In this episode of  Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid sits down with  Gordon Firemark – “The Podcast Lawyer”  – to expose the legal blind spots that threaten podcasters, YouTubers, coaches, and online creators every single day. From “fair use” myths and reaction videos, to trademarks, LLCs, and the h...

Most podcasters are one email away from losing everything they’ve built — and they don’t even know it. In this episode, Junaid sits down with  Gordon Firemark , the industry’s go-to  “Podcast Lawyer”  and veteran entertainment & media attorney, to reveal the uncomfortable legal truths creators avoid until it’s too late. If you’ve ever thought,  “They use it on radio, so I can use it on my podcast,...

What if the question you’re  not  asking is costing your company millions? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with  Jon Bassford  – an operational change agent and former COO who helped lead a  $7M nonprofit out of a downward spiral , 20% revenue growth, and 500% programming growth… all starting from one simple question:  “Where is this written?” Jon reveals how  curiosity is n...

What if the stories you tell yourself are the biggest thing holding you back? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid Ahmed sits down with  Jon Bassford , a former lawyer turned nonprofit founder, startup scaler, and organizational strategist, whose  superpower  is curiosity. Jon shares how being “the inquisitive kid who always sat with the adults” turned into a career of challenging the stat...

What if one podcast interview could replace four and a half years of marketing? In this powerful conversation, business coach and author  Robin Waite  reveals how he built a six-figure coaching practice not through funnels, ads, or endless content—but through  partnerships, patience, and radical alignment . After burning out from posting “a squillion times” on social media and following every mark...

Most coaches, consultants, and creatives are quietly terrified of saying their prices out loud.  In this episode, Junaid sits down with  Robin Waite  — best-selling author, founder of  Fearless Business , and pricing strategist for coaches and freelancers — to dismantle the “underselling epidemic” that keeps brilliant entrepreneurs broke and burned out. Robin reveals how childhood money stories, “...

What if the most creative version of you never has to quit their day job? In this episode, Junaid sits down with  Kate Volman  – CEO of  Floyd Coaching , host of  Create For No Reason  and  Lead With Culture , and author of  “Do What You Love: A Guide to Living Your Creative Life Without Leaving Your Job.” Kate shares how a chamber of commerce job in her 20s unexpectedly rewired her idea of work,...

What if your most powerful leadership skill isn’t strategy or execution – but creativity? In this episode, Junaid sits back down with  creative leadership coach and CEO Kate Volman  to unpack a radically human approach to leading teams, building culture, and reigniting your own creative spark. This is part two of their conversation, but it stands alone as a deep dive into  why  people feel stuck a...

You can have the house, the car, the titles… and still wake up numb. In this intimate conversation, third-generation entrepreneur and systems strategist  Jennifer Bennett  reveals how she went from “doing everything right” in real estate — high-ranking roles, multiple states, accolades, and a thriving career — to realizing the hustle model was quietly destroying her joy, her presence as a mom, and...

What if scaling your business didn’t cost you your family, your sanity, or your soul? In this powerful part two, productivity strategist and founder of  Get Desky, Jennifer Bennett , returns to dissect the  how  behind true entrepreneurial freedom. She shares how leaders can design their days, build teams they trust, and create systems that protect what matters most—family, health, and impact. Fro...

Most founders are obsessed with “new customers” and blind to the fortune sitting in their existing list. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with  Nikita Vakhrushev , founder of  Aspect Agency  and retention specialist for over  100+ direct-to-consumer brands , to expose the hidden systems that turn casual buyers into lifelong customers. If you’ve ever felt guilty about “not ema...

Most brands think they need more traffic. Nikita says they’re already sitting on a goldmine. In this episode, email & SMS strategist  Nikita Vakhrushev , founder of  Aspect , breaks down how direct-to-consumer brands are quietly leaving  $200,000–$400,000 a year  on the table by ignoring the “boring” retention channels: email and SMS. After helping over 100 DTC brands and turning broken automation...