Surviving the Side Hustle

This week on Surviving the Side Hustle, I sat down with Robin Carr — award-winning motivational speaker, author, and mindset coach — whose journey from corporate security to full-time speaking and trauma-informed coaching is a masterclass in choosing growth over fear. Robin’s momentum didn’t start from confidence. It started from collapse. And what she built from that place is powerful. The Proble...

If you’re a skill-built business owner — someone with real expertise, strong work ethic, and a desire to build security without blowing your life up — this episode was built for you. Because here’s the trap most high-performers fall into: We know how to work hard. We don’t always know how to build wealth responsibly. We trade time for money. We add side hustles without systems. We chase upside wit...

What if real success isn’t loud, flashy, or viral — but patient, disciplined, and built with family at the center? That’s exactly what this week’s conversation with Jordan DePuy reveals. Jordan is a longtime banking professional in the Hudson Valley who has quietly built an impressive portfolio of side businesses while maintaining a full-time career, raising a family, and staying grounded in value...

What if the version of success you’ve been chasing your entire life was never actually yours? That’s the question at the heart of this week’s conversation with Caroline Sangel , and it’s one every driven, capable, high-performing listener needs to sit with. On paper, Caroline was the definition of success: high school valedictorian, PhD in polymer science, fellowship recipient, elite performer in...

What if the version of success you’re chasing isn’t wrong — but it isn’t yours ? In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , I sit down with Caroline Sangal , a former high-achieving scientist turned career coach, to unpack what happens when traditional success starts quietly draining your health, relationships, and sense of self. Caroline checked every box: valedictorian, PhD in polymer scienc...

What if the biggest advantage you could give yourself as an entrepreneur wasn’t speed — but patience? This week’s conversation with Michael K. Cobb was a powerful reminder that real success is rarely fast. In a world obsessed with overnight wins and viral moments, Mike represents the opposite: long-term vision, deep preparation, and the willingness to do work that doesn’t pay off for years — somet...

In this episode, Rob sits down with Michael K. Cobb , an international entrepreneur and investor with over 30 years of experience building businesses across Central and South America. What started as a “side hustle” overseas turned into long-standing enterprises in international banking, real estate development, timber, and global investing. This conversation is a masterclass in long-term thinking...

What happens when you achieve the life you were told to want… and realize it doesn’t actually feel like yours? This week’s conversation with Florian Kemmerich , founder of On Vocation , explores a quiet but powerful truth many high performers face: success doesn’t always equal fulfillment. This episode isn’t about quitting your job or blowing up your life — it’s about choosing your life consciousl...

What happens when you achieve the life you were told to want… and realize it isn’t yours? In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob sits down with Florian Kemmerich — founder of On Vocation , author, investor, and global thought leader — to explore what it truly means to align your work with who you are. At just 33 years old, Florian walked away from a high-level corporate career, a marri...

Here’s a hard truth most high performers don’t want to hear: Your body isn’t slowing you down — your ignorance of it is. In this Friday Recap, Rob breaks down the biggest lessons from this week’s conversation with Beth Mielbrecht, a health coach with 35 years of experience as a mechanical engineer. Beth doesn’t treat health as mysterious or spiritualized — she treats it as a system. And systems, w...

What if your biggest business bottleneck isn’t strategy, effort, or execution — but your health? In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob sits down with Beth Mielbrecht, a health coach with a surprising background: 35 years as a mechanical engineer . Rather than abandoning her engineering identity, Beth layered it into her work — applying systems thinking, problem-solving, and structure...

Friday Recap – Featuring Stanley Bronstein What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of knowledge, motivation, or opportunity — but the stories you’ve been telling yourself for years ? That’s the real challenge behind this week’s conversation with Stanley Bronstein. 🧠 Who Is Stanley Bronstein? Stanley is an attorney, CPA, author, and systems thinker with over four decades of experience. One...

Some transformations don’t come from motivation, hacks, or quick fixes — they come from radical honesty and long-term commitment . In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , I sit down with Stanley Bronstein — an attorney and CPA with over four decades of professional experience — whose story is as powerful as it is grounding. Stanley lost over 220 pounds , kept it off for more than a decade,...

This episode picks up Part 2 of the Top 10 Takeaways from Surviving the Side Hustle — pulling lessons from some of the most impactful conversations since the show began. These aren’t tactics or hacks. They’re foundational truths about confidence, awareness, communication, consistency, and alignment — and how Prime Performers actually sustain momentum over time. 6️⃣ If You Don’t Take Yourself Serio...

As we close out 2025, reflection matters just as much as goal-setting. In this solo episode, Rob looks back on five of the most impactful conversations from Surviving the Side Hustle so far — not tactical how-tos, but core truths about health, identity, effort, and alignment . Sometimes Life Has to Break You Before It Can Align You Guest: Holly Porter Holly shared her near-death experience and the...

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, “I’m doing everything right… so why does it feel so heavy?” You’re productive. Responsible. Capable. But beneath it all, you’re exhausted — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. That’s exactly what this week’s conversation with Dr. Maureen “Mo” Gibbons cracked wide open. Here’s the truth she dropped that stuck with me: You cannot hustle y...

In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob sits down with Dr. Maureen “Moe” Gibbons — physician, entrepreneur, lifestyle medicine expert, and author of the new book Freedom to Shift . Dr. Moe specializes in helping high achievers trade burnout for bandwidth through systems, biology, boundaries, and intentional living. After spending 15 years in emergency medicine, completing seven Ironmans...

What happens when you do everything right your whole life — follow the path your family and culture laid out — and still feel like something is missing? That’s where this week’s guest, Mo Salami , found himself. On paper, Mo was the blueprint of success: multiple science degrees, a respected healthcare career, six-figure income, the nice neighborhood, the nice car, the title that makes people nod....

In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob sits down with Mo Salami — a scientist turned global speaker who walked away from a high-paying pharmaceutical career to pursue a life of purpose, service, and personal development. Mo’s story begins in a world where academic achievement defined success. After earning multiple science degrees and securing a prestigious role, he found himself worki...

In this recap of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob dives into the key lessons from his conversation with Meredith & Craig — a husband-and-wife duo who turned their marriage into the foundation for a thriving coaching business. After leaving corporate careers, stumbling through real estate, and facing financial stress, they discovered their true gift wasn’t in properties — it was in people , conn...

In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob and Greg sit down with Meredith and Craig, a couple from Prince Edward Island who walked away from comfortable corporate careers to build a life and business together. After being asked to move across the country, facing a serious illness in the family and stumbling through a real estate venture that drained their energy, they realized something i...

In this episode of "Surviving the Side Hustle," host Rob Tracz sits down with Quinn Magnuson, a former professional football player turned leadership and performance coach. They explore the transformative power of focusing on effort over results. Quinn shares his journey from the CFL to the boardroom, emphasizing the importance of resilience, grit, and creating environments that prioritize psychol...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob sits down with Quinn Magnuson — a former professional football player turned leadership and performance coach who now leads the Effort Over Results movement. From growing up in poverty and battling a “world’s out to get me” mindset, to competing for Team Canada and eventually becoming a business owner and coach, Quinn’s story is o...

Episode Summary: In this week’s recap of Surviving the Side Hustle , Rob unpacks his powerful conversation with Scott Maderer — a stewardship coach, author, and host of the Inspired Stewardship Podcast . Scott turned burnout, financial chaos, and even suicidal thoughts into a purpose-driven mission: helping Christian men and couples master their time, money, and mindset so they can live out their...

Summary In this episode of Surviving the Side Hustle, Rob Tracz interviews Scott Maderer, a stewardship coach who helps Christian men and couples master their time, talent, and treasure. Scott shares his journey from various careers to coaching, emphasizing the importance of communication styles, leadership, and understanding client needs. He discusses the difference between coaching and consultin...