The Next Mountain Podcast

What if the most important investment you'll ever make isn't in a business plan — it's in people? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Patrick Lor, co-founder of iStockPhoto and Managing Partner of Panache Ventures, shares his journey from bootstrapped entrepreneur to seasoned investor and mentor. We explore how leaving a company behind opened the door to something more meaningful: learni...

What if everything you've built was powered by a belief that's now needs to be reexamined? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Dr. Anne-Marie King, UK-based performance psychologist and former psychiatrist, unpacks why high achievers feel lost after their biggest wins. We explore the unconscious belief she calls conditional worth, how to move through the emotional aftermath of an exit, a...

Natasha Freidus calls herself an "accidental founder." While volunteering with refugees in France around 2015, she went looking for a simple tool to match needs with offers in real time, and when she couldn't find one, she used a wedding registry instead. That improvised fix became the proof of concept for Needslist, a software company that went on to match millions of dollars in aid through crise...

Colin Beavan is an executive coach, writer, Zen teacher, and self-described "professional quitter." He spent years building a successful PR business in London, then walked away from it on a motorcycle trip he was terrified to take. He went on to write the bestselling No Impact Man , run a nonprofit, and now coaches founders, philanthropists, and leaders through the question that brought him to Zen...

Jeffrey Hollender spent 20 years building Seventh Generation into a $150 million pioneer of the sustainable products movement, a decade ahead of the market. Today he teaches social entrepreneurship at NYU Stern, sits on Morgan Stanley's Sustainability Advisory Board, and has just published his seventh book, Built for a Better World . In this episode, Jeffrey makes the case that most of what passes...

Chris Erler built a sales automation company in Berlin, bootstrapped it to 140 employees, and sold a majority stake to a private equity fund after just four years. He hit every target he'd set for himself at 21: financial freedom by 33, a dent in the economy, the works. Then, an autoimmune condition flared up so badly he couldn't work for three months. His body had been keeping score the whole tim...

What if the most powerful business decision you ever make is to stop analyzing and start listening to your heart? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Louis Gagnon shares a career that defies a single label. He left McKinsey in his twenties to build an AIDS prevention program in Rwanda, work that saved an estimated 15,000 lives. He then went on to hold senior leadership roles at Monster,...

What happens when you reach the end of the rainbow and realize you don't know where to go next? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Raman Sehgal shares his journey from accidentally starting a marketing agency to raising private equity and navigating the unexpected emptiness that followed. He never set out to be a founder. Two decades later, he'd built a thriving pharmaceutical marketing...

What if the skills that make you an entrepreneur are exactly what the planet needs right now? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Ananda Fitzsimmons shares her unlikely journey from psychotherapist to ag-biotech founder. She built a company that raised $50 million, all while navigating a world that couldn't quite make sense of someone who called herself "just a witch." After her exit in...

What happens when reaching the pinnacle of success turns out to be the most miserable experience and you have to find what actually matters next? In this episode, Sami Inkinen, CEO of Virta Health and founder of Trulia, shares how he went from post-IPO misery to discovering a mission worth building his life around. We explore his unconventional path to finding purpose: rowing across the Pacific Oc...

What does it really mean to take ownership, not just of a company, but of your life and the impact you leave behind? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast , Kerry Siggins shares her journey from overcoming personal challenges to becoming CEO of StoneAge at just 28 years old, despite having no prior experience in the role. We explore the power of employee ownership as a model for building we...

What if regeneration isn’t something you add to a business, but a completely different way of seeing the world? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast , Cordell Jacks, CEO & GP Regenerative Capital Group, shares his journey into impact investing and regenerative thinking. We explore why regeneration represents a true paradigm shift, one that asks businesses and investors to move beyond e...

What happens after you exit a business and realize the real work might just be beginning? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast , Roy Moëd reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, the emotional complexity of building and exiting companies, and the quieter questions that surfaced once the exit was behind him. He speaks candidly about the peaks and troughs of entrepreneurship, the relief and...

What happens when purpose driven work pushes the body past its limits, and success comes at the cost of vitality? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast , we sit down with Yancy Wright , leadership retreat facilitator, conscious communication guide, and founder of a retreat center in Puerto Rico. Yancy shares his deeply personal journey from climbing his first mountain of professional succes...

What happens when you discover that moving from personal ambition to unconditional love becomes the key that opens the door to your greatest growth, in business and in life? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Jordi Ricard of CURATED Vintage Supercars opens up about his journey from chasing money to building a life grounded in authenticity, generosity, and purpose. He talks honestly abou...

What shapes a founder beyond the metrics, the milestones, and the story on paper? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast , Dao Jensen opens up about her journey from arriving in the United States as a Vietnamese immigrant to becoming a successful tech entrepreneur and CEO. She talks about the challenges she faced, the mentors who changed her trajectory, and the personal loss that forced her...

Duncan Grossart shares his shift from a successful career as a photography agency owner to a purpose-driven life focused on rewilding, nature conservation and community. We talk about curiosity, the emotional side of transition, and how reconnecting with nature can reshape purpose and impact. His journey shows how following your heart and engaging with the living world can lead to deeper fulfillme...

Anastasia Mourogova Millin shares her path from science and finance to building solutions that blend systemic investing, community stewardship, and real social impact. We talk about trusting your values, leaving old identities behind, and creating financial models that help both people and nature thrive. Her journey shows how bold choices and collective action can reshape the systems we all rely o...

After leading global ventures and impact funds, Florian Kemmerich began questioning how success could serve something larger. In this episode, he shares his journey from corporate achievement to a life centered on impact investing, purpose, and personal growth, exploring how vocation, authenticity, and reflection can turn experience into meaningful contribution. 🌐 To Learn More About Florian New...

What happens when a lifelong entrepreneur realizes that success isn’t just about growth, but regeneration? In this episode of The Next Mountain Podcast , Marie France Montpetit shares her journey from building multiple ventures to becoming a catalyst for meaningful change. She reflects on how following intuition, embracing failure, and building community can transform both business and life. We ex...

What happens when a fast-rising corporate leader realizes that success needs a deeper meaning? In the first episode of The Next Mountain Podcast, Nathalia Del Moral Fleury shares her journey from a rapid rise leading a global cosmetics brand to redefining success as a coach and regenerative economist. We explore how she reframed leadership, redefined achievement, and found purpose in contributing...