Mentor Up

Have you ever had a business idea but felt stuck because you didn't have the technical skills to build it? That feeling is about to change. In this episode, I sit down with Katja Rubin, AI educator and strategist, who has made it her mission to make AI genuinely accessible to everyone — not just developers and tech people. We talk about vibe coding, why right now is actually the perfect moment to...

In this solo episode, Anja shares a candid update on what's really going on behind the scenes of running a business for over a decade. First, she talks about one of the most common founder traps: being too involved in operations. Anja opens up about how she became the bottleneck in her own company and what she's actively doing to change that — from giving her team more ownership to learning the di...

In this episode Anja sits down with AI expert Fabrício Carraro to talk about how to get the most out of AI — both in your business and your personal life. They cover the prompting mistakes almost everyone makes, how to use tools like NotebookLM to learn any topic faster, and what it really takes to build something with AI in 2026. Fabrício also shares his take on which businesses and skills will t...

In this episode, we go behind the scenes of one of the world’s most international language events — the Polyglot Conference — and talk about something most people never see: the business reality behind it. My guest is Richard Simcott — known for speaking dozens of languages, but in this episode, we focus on something deeper. What does it actually take to carry a global event on your shoulders for...

Most New Year’s resolutions don’t fail because of a lack of discipline — they fail because change is often approached in the wrong way. In this episode, I reflect on a deeply honest New Year’s Eve dinner with entrepreneur friends in Barcelona, where we had the kind of conversations founders rarely have out loud. Instead of talking about goals and resolutions, we asked each other better questions —...

In this episode of Mentor Up, I sit down with Hyunwoo Sun, one of the most respected entrepreneurs in the global language-learning industry. Hyunwoo has spent over 16 years building a brand that became #1 in its niche worldwide, publishing 50+ books and 80+ courses, all while staying deeply present as a father and leader. But this conversation isn’t about hustle, shortcuts, or overnight success. W...

REAL TALK: After 10 years of building ZALOA, I’m sharing 10 things I would actually do differently if I had to start over.  From thinking bigger and raising capital earlier to hiring smarter, avoiding shiny-object syndrome, setting clearer expectations, and finally listening to my body — this is the real talk I wish I had heard a decade ago. Number 10 is a special one: It's the only thing I wouldn...

In this episode of Mentor Up, international investor and AI expert Herby Marchetti joins us for a candid conversation about what truly makes a business successful. From the wild early days of Germany’s startup scene to global mergers and acquisitions, Herby shares insights from 17 years of investing, advising, and building startups — and how trust, clarity, and courage remain the most valuable cap...

What happens when everything you’ve built is taken from you? In this raw and powerful episode, serial entrepreneurs Laura and Ray Blakney open up about losing their company, facing betrayal, and navigating the darkness of depression. They share the unfiltered truth of hitting rock bottom — and the hard but transformative journey of finding resilience, rebuilding trust, and redefining success. For...

In this episode of Mentor Up, I’m sharing the recording of a live talk I gave at the SIBB Female Founder Event in Berlin. It’s not a how-to guide or a glorified success story. It’s real talk about what it actually means to be a nomadic founder:  9 years of bootstrapping my company ZALOA Languages — until forming a strategic partnership with one of our biggest clients who later became our investor....

What does it take to scale a business to $100 million — and what if the biggest thing holding you back is you? In this episode, I sit down with Dan Roitman, the entrepreneur who turned Pimsleur into a $100 million product and the #2 language learning brand in the U.S. We talk about the mindset shifts needed to grow past $1M, why most founders never manage to scale, and what it really takes to buil...

Launching something new is never easy — but launching a completely new product while running an already successful business? That’s a whole different game. In this solo episode, I’m sharing the honest, behind-the-scenes story of the launch of our new technology last week. From rebuilding our platform while still supporting thousands of users, to navigating shifting timelines, stretched teams, and...

In this episode of Mentor Up, we dive deep into a topic that is relevant to all of us money. In the Spotlight, we look at why financial education is still one of the most overlooked tools for personal and professional growth—and why it matters not just for investors, but for everyone who wants to build a sustainable life and business. For the Real Advice segment, I’m joined by Cristina Jaeger, a f...

Today’s spotlight is on a big question: should you have a co-founder? In the category Real Talk, I open up about how I chose my business partner back in 2017.  And in Real Advice, things get personal – I’ve invited my former business partner to join me as we publicly talk, for the first time, about why we’re no longer working together as business partners, what actually worked between us, and what...

In this episode of the Mentor App, we dive deep into the harsh realities of the startup world, exploring why most startups fail and more importantly, how to avoid becoming part of that statistic. Join us as we introduce revolutionary founder, Rava A. Zaki, who delves into the future of mobility with his Flying Houses, and shares his visionary take on sustainable innovation. As we journey through r...

Success isn’t a solo journey—it’s built on the wisdom of the right mentors. In this episode of Mentor Up, I sit down with Jeannie Edmunds to explore how to build your own personal advisory board and find the mentors who can help you thrive in both business and life.  We discuss: ✅ Why everyone needs mentors ✅ How to identify and approach the right mentors ✅ The biggest challenges in business—an...