The Underswell with Derek Sabori

Steve Richardson has built a career that reads like an adventure log through the best of the outdoor, performance, and sustainability-driven industries—Oakley, Tesla, Patagonia,Adidas, and now contract work with Nike. But the through-line? Curiosity, a growth mindset, and a values-driven approach to work and life. In this episode, I reconnect with Steve—one of my first sustainability consultant hi...

In this episode, I sit down with Casey Wallace, COO of Stoked Plastics , to explore the power of resilience, relationships, and what he calls "maximum effort." Casey shares his journey from the U.S. Air Force Academy and military service to entrepreneurship, leading sustainability-driven operations, and helping to build a game-changing company that transforms ocean-bound plastics into high-pe...

🎧 In this episode, I sit down with the ever-curious and deeply accomplished Kirthika Padmanabhan—an operator, strategist, and climate-focused investor whose career journey spans continents, industries, and disciplines. We talk about what it means to embrace a nonlinear path, take bold leaps, and build a meaningful career rooted in impact. From hedge funds to YouTube, startups to climate tech, Kir...

In this inspiring and thoughtful conversation, I sit down with Milka Milliance—entrepreneur, leadership development strategist, and founder of Simetras. We explore her career pivots from journalism to nonprofit work, then into consulting, and ultimately entrepreneurship. Milka opens up about burnout, bold moves, and building businesses rooted in purpose and people. Now leading Simetras, Milka is d...

Olivia Jones is a fashion merchandising student at Orange Coast College with a sharp eye for style, a strong sense of self, and a future-focused mindset. She’s currently gaining real-world experience as a stylist at a local Levi’s store and as an event coordinator with the student-run Coast Collective, where she’s refining her creative production skills, coordinating campus events, and helping bri...

In this episode, I sit down with Lindsay Mauch—founder and CMO of LTM Digital, co-host of the Dose of Social podcast, and longtime social media strategist—to explore her 20+ year journey through the evolving landscape of digital media. From her roots in action sports media and her days at MySpace, to running her own thriving agency while staying present as a mom, Lindsay shares honest insights on...

What do you do when your life takes a hard left? (This episode was recorded live on 3/28/2025) In this episode of The Underswell, I reconnect with longtime friend and former action sports colleague Courtney Oman, now a thriving Senior Account Executive in the tech space. From her early days at Oakley and Volcom to selling ERP software in the life sciences sector, Courtney shares a bold, honest, an...

In this episode, I sit down with ESG consultant and writer Kaveri Marathe to talk about her unconventional career journey—from journalism to sustainability consulting to entrepreneurship and now novel writing. Kaveri shares what led her to take a sabbatical in Lisbon, her thoughts on AI's role in ESG reporting, and key lessons from launching a textile recycling startup. Tune in for insights on car...

This week I discuss career development and offer advice based on my diverse job experiences. Additionally, the episode features a spontaneous guest appearance from a former student, James Kelly, who discusses his entrepreneurial journey in AI-driven design, and thanks to an audience prompt, I take some time to reflect on my time at Volcom and the recent challenges faced by Liberated Brands. Here a...

🎙️ Professional Podcast Profile | Michael “Doshi” Doshi Meet Doshi, a skilled relationship-builder and strategic partnership developer looking to apply his expertise at a mission-aligned organization in the circular economy. Building authentic relationships comes naturally to Doshi, and his diverse resume spans content creation, talent agent, plastic pollution research, and next-generation biomate...

🎙️Professional Podcast Profile | Meet Geoff Koboldt Visit his website , and you’ll learn that he’s an entrepreneur working seamlessly on two tracks: As a business consultant, Geoff is an AI-curious operations wizard and a lean Six Sigma black belt who helps clients maximize net income and clean up their operations. As a career coach, he assists clients with resume writing, LinkedIn optimization, a...

🎙️Professional Podcast Profile | John DiGregorio Meet John DiGregorio, a passionate and driven leader who thrives in dynamic and complex environments. Based in Los Angeles, CA., John has a strong background in finance and information technology, and a proven track record delivering strategic insights, process improvements, and business solutions to global organizations like Paramount Pictures, Son...

Professional Podcast Profile | Justin Carven Meet Justin Carven, a waste reduction, circular economy, and regenerative business specialist based in Portland, OR. Throughout his career, Justin has developed creative and resourceful approaches to challenging problems and honed skills in a variety of areas, including: Business strategy Product development Mechanical design Sales and marketing Financi...

Professional Podcast Profile | Meet Annika Perry, a social impact, events, marketing, and communications specialist based in San Diego, CA. Annika has a proven track record in marketing and social impact. As she shares in her podcast profile, she has consistently designed and delivered transformative events and programs that inspire, engage, and catalyze meaningful, lasting change in organizations...

Seeing talented professionals in tough situations has inspired the next chapter of my journey: using podcasting as a service to help professionals like you stand out. Podcast interviews often highlight CEOs, founders, and industry experts (guilty as charged). But I started asking myself, why stop there? Starting today, I’m introducing the Professional Podcast Profile: a personalized podcast interv...