The HERO Pod

Sandra was born in Tehran on Christmas Day during a snowstorm. By seven, she was a refugee. By ten, she was hitchhiking at 3am through Virginia trying to find her mother. By eighteen, she was arrested in Iran and had her hair cut off. What followed was five decades of the most complete Hero's Journey we have ever recorded on this podcast. New York fashion. Betsy Johnson. Ray J and Kim Kardashi...

Alessandra Z grew up in Barranquilla, Colombia — Shakira's city, home of the second biggest carnival in the world, a place where rhythm lives in everything and everybody knows everybody. She built a swimwear brand, a fashion label, a gym line, and a restaurant. Multiple times. By herself. When COVID hit, she had 5 days. This is one of the most honest entrepreneurship stories we've had on H...

Maria grew up in Medellín with Spanish blood, became a lawyer, moved to Miami for a man she met on Instagram, lost a pregnancy, walked away from drugs and the party life — and built everything that followed on a foundation of faith so solid it shapes every decision she makes. She talks about God not as a concept but as a presence. One she's felt since she was four years old, kneeling in prayer...

Thiago Izabel grew up in Rio de Janeiro — 26-building complex, beach runs, soccer in the streets, acting as an extra on Brazilian soap operas. Life was full. Life was fast. And then it got dark. By his teens he was kicked out of three schools, running with the wrong crowd, using drugs that he says "destroy one's life." His dad — a Navy man who traveled the world and brought back gift...

Leidy grew up in Cali, Colombia before moving to Las Vegas at 15. She learned English in one year, went from straight-A student to go-go dancer at The Palms, and survived an abusive relationship that ended when a truck rolled over her entire body at 21 — breaking her pelvis, collapsing her lungs, and leaving her in a coma for 21 days. The doctors said she'd never walk again. Her mom prayed alo...

Charlotte is a Swedish-Australian artist who grew up between Sweden and Sydney before spending nine years in Paris and eventually landing in Miami. In this episode she names the cultural force that punishes people for standing out — Tall Poppy Syndrome — and what it taught her about authenticity and courage. She also opens up about following your joy over what makes sense, why she doesn't beli...

Johanna grew up in Nice, France — raised between Moroccan roots, Italian heritage, and a deeply open-minded family. She spent 20 years living across New York, Sydney, Los Angeles, and Bali before landing in Miami. In this episode she shares the clairvoyant message she received in Bali in October 2019 — a warning about a coming global event that sent her searching for a house in France and pulling...

In this deep and grounded conversation, I sit down with Sanu, a man whose story bridges Watts, California, architecture, spirituality, and self-mastery. We explore how environment shapes identity, why comfort breeds weakness, and what it means to keep reinventing yourself through every season of life. From gang culture to higher purpose, from creative resistance to divine design, Sanu shares wisdo...

In this episode of The Hero World Podcast, I sit down with Didi — a dancer, teacher, and storyteller originally from Turkey. We talk about her upbringing in Istanbul, the challenges of growing up in a different culture, and how she found her identity through movement and teaching. Didi shares how her students gave her the name “Miss Didi,” how she transformed her struggles into strengths, and what...

In this episode of The Hero Project, I sit down with Analys Falchuk to explore the hidden dynamics behind how we think, feel, and talk about money. From green flags and red flags, to money in relationships, to the simple but powerful act of asking your friends “what does money mean to you?” — Analys breaks down how financial conversations can open doors to self-awareness, intimacy, and freedom. We...

In this episode of The Hero Project, John Acosta and I explore the hidden patterns that shape our lives. From Family Constellations to the righteous victim, we dive into how unhealed wounds—personal, familial, and cultural—keep us stuck in cycles of pain. We discuss why we carry burdens that aren’t ours, how victims can become perpetrators, and why entire nations hold “collective trauma scores.” A...

I lived in New York City for two years—throughout 2018 and 2019. I left, thanks to a series of seemingly random events that, in hindsight, made me realize they weren’t random at all, just before Covid and all the chaos that followed. What could be said about New York City that hasn’t already been said thousands of times? Very little. Those were interesting years, filled with equally interesting re...

Some time ago, I made friends with a guy. I don’t speak his language very well (Spanish), but I speak it much better than he speaks my second (English). But, you know, when there’s a connection, words aren’t really necessary. He’s from Colombia, which, apart from being famous for coffee, plastic surgery, or Pablo, has a rich, mysterious, fascinating, and “shamanic” indigenous culture. https://open...

The idea for this came while listening to a podcast by Joel Osteen, a famous pastor/motivational speaker here in the United States. What Joel talks about is that many people live in a constant state of "proving mode," feeling that their worth is tied to how well they perform, how successful they are, or how much they impress others. This mindset leads to exhaustion constantly striving to...

I always thought,  ' Why the hell do they do it (walking)? If you want to chat, you can do it sitting on the couch. If you need to get from point A to point B, you can do it faster by car/motorbike/bicycle.' I held on to this belief until recently. At nearly forty years old, without any specific plan or intention to explore that particular place, I suddenly found myself on a Swiss Air flig...

In this episode I'm in doing my evening walk in Downtown Miami. And you know what? It's noisy as hell. Not only external noise, but also, internal. Airpods, Apple Watches, Audiobooks, Podcasts, Social Media. Why do we always need to fill silence? Why can't we just sit still and quiet our minds? For the full story head to my blog: https://open.substack.com/pub/theheroblog/p/staying-in-s...

In this episode I'm in Lugano, Switzerland. In an Idyllic setting, surrounded by the quietness of the lake and a beautiful full moon, I have nightmare. I'm jumping off a building in Manhattan, freefalling at a high speed towards the asphalt. My life flashes through my eyes and a question arises: When have I made the passage into adulthood? For the full story head to my blog: https://theher...

In this episode I talk about "The Knight in Rusty Armor" book by Robert Fisher. And the Hero's Journey. I talk about Australia and body surfing. Press play. If you want to read the whole article I recommend you go and check out my blog : https://theheroblog.substack.com/ and subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out when I'm dropping new stuff. A hug.

In this episode I talk about Panic Attacks. What do two ER visits, an Ayahuasca Ceremony in aboriginal land in Australia, and getting in touch with your hidden self, your dark side, your SHADOW, have in common? Press play and you'll know. If you want to read the whole article I recommend you go and check out my blog : https://theheroblog.substack.com/ and subscribe to the newsletter so you don...

In this episode, the official first episode of The Hero Pod, I talk about Matura Masculine Archetypes. The King, The Magician, The Lover, The Warrior. I talk about patriarchy and what it is. For a full experience, I recommend you go and read the article posted on my blog here ( https://theheroblog.substack.com/ ), and if you want, you can subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out when...

This is Matteo (@mattscaletti) and this is The Hero Pod. I introduce you to my new podcast, and why I'm doing it. It is in conjunction with The Hero Blog, in which I send a weekly newsletter where I share personal thoughts on self improvement, wellness, spirituality and how you can be the best version of yourself. I am no "expert", this is just what I have learned in almost 40 years...

An encounter that happened three years ago, in a midweek night in a restaurant in Soho, Manhattan. That led to me writing a story, this story, that became the first episode I created of this podcast. That episode is SUNDANCE, the last of this season. Hope you enjoy

What I wanna talk about tonite is SMOKE. No, it's not about cigarettes, or cigars or weed. This is a Movie.  It Came out in 1995. If you like Blockbusters like Marvel movies or Transformers, maybe this one is not for you.  But if you like neighborhood stories, like me, give it a shot...

On this day, my life changed. Here is the story of that day.

This story the came to me, unexpected, during Covid lockdown in Italy, 2020.