Harnessing Tailwind

Join us for an episode with Israeli geopolitical expert Idan Lahav on a break down of what's going on currently in the Middle East. Topics include how the landscape of the Middle East has been shaped by Donald Trump's US election victory, the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria, Trump's ultimatum to release all hostages in Gaza by Saturday (2/15/25), and the role Jordan and Egypt may play in absorbing Gazan civilians.

Among being a digital media entrepreneur, angel investor, and co-host of reality TV business show MoneyHunt, Miles Spencer is an American adventurer who back in 2006 trekked from Saudi Arabia up to Syria via Jordan. Along the way, he gained some valuable insight about the Middle Eastern world, and in response of the recent conflict in the Middle East decided to write a novel. Although fiction, it hints upon many topics that are relevant and applicable to today's world. Please take a listen to this episode as we discuss Miles' adventure in the Middle East and outlook on the current state of affairs in the region. And don't forget to check out his book available on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/Line-Sand-Novel-Miles-Spencer/dp/1917185820

Idan Lahav is an Israeli lecturer, author, tour guide, podcast host, and geopolitical expert specializing in Middle Eastern studies. He's part of the 2% of Jewish Israelis that are fluent Arabic speakers and runs an organization aimed at creating bridges between Arabs and Jews in an effort for long lasting peace. In this episode Idan shares information about the history of Israel, the Zionism movement, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Islamic Republic, and information about current events currently unfolding in the region. Idan shares his perspective as someone who has a deep context of both the Israeli and Palestinian sides, and he shares his ideas and aspirations of pathways towards peace. Idan's website: https://www.idan-lahav.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idan.lahav.7/ Podcast: https://pod.link/1700849906

Have you ever wondered how people survive on a 100% plant based diet? Owen, a New York based consultant and calisthenics athlete, has turned that idea into a reality. Years ago after learning more about the factory farming industry through some illuminating documentaries, Owen made the choice to live on an exclusively vegan diet. In this episode we'll discuss the reasons for veganism, its intersection with morality, and how being vegan can be considered more of an ideology rather than simply just a diet. Join us on an exploration of a plant based life.

Meytar is an actress, podcast host, and IDF reservist who left her life in LA to defend her country in a time of war. Her second time on the podcast, Meytar explains what it was like to drop everything in the US and bravely return back home in an act of patriotism. On the podcast we discuss the morale of Israel and her citizens during this difficult time and the role of media, propaganda, and news as the war is fought both militarily and diplomatically. We discuss the seeming insignificance of the typical day to day worries of the average American compared to the realities of war, and the importance of appreciating the little things in life before they are taken away from you. Please join us during this meaningful discussion to learn more about the grit and resilience of the people of Israel.

Seth Fineman is a Boston based physical therapy student, an avid cyclist, ultra-marathoner, a triathlete, as well as most importantly an all around good dude. In Yiddish, we can this a mensch. In this episode, Seth discusses his journey from being a wilderness therapy coach into an up and coming physical therapist. Seth's mentality on life is on full display in this episode. It's a mentality that supports honesty, love, compassion, self-reflection, and constantly pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone to become the best possible versions of ourselves. From sports, to current world affairs, to philosophy, listen in to get some takes on what makes Seth tick and his profound mentality on how to approach living life.

Matt Cacioppo is an American entrepreneur and adventurer currently living in Medellín Colombia. Matt rode a bicycle starting from Prudhoe Bay Alaska, the northernmost road in the Americas, and made his way south. From fending off flesh hungry swarms of mosquitoes to protecting himself from grizzly bear attacks, Matt endured the ups and down of his cycling journey through California, Mexico, and Central America up until he reached the point of impenetrable land in Panama where the road simply ends, the Darién Gap. Instead of taking the easy way out with a ferry or flight, he packed up his bike, put it on a kayak, and continued his man powered journey through the Americas by paddling. In this episode, Matt discusses what it was like paddling through choppy waters, encountering tribes of Native Americans on the Panamanian islands, and making his way past the cartels to reach his new promised land of Latin America. Beyond just the adventures, we discuss Matt's profound takes on what life is all about, and ways in which he plans to fulfill purpose and meaning as well as inspire others to do the same.

Stu Fransman, also known by his rapper name Paradox, is a Boston based musician whose works focus on rhythm, reflection of personal experiences, and a comedic parody of the oddities of society. Coming from an unconventional background for a rapper, Stu was born and raised in the suburbs where he gravitated towards rap as a means of self expression and has found meaning in the practice of producing music in a community of other artists who share the same passion. Join us on a conversation that transcends just rap by hitting topics such as gratitude, purpose, religion, extraterrestrial life, the cosmos, America, and the pros and cons of capitalism. You won't want to miss this one as we discuss how the hidden paradoxes of the universe are what fuels this man's work. I give you: Paradox.

After a 5 month long hiatus, Adriel shares a solo episode previewing his upcoming book Golilocks America. Rooted from his experiences growing up on the bluest place in America and riding through the Redest, the books goal is to find common ground between the two sides who seem to be more polarized then ever. In an effort to keep the United States united, the upcoming book attempts to bridge the gap of polarization, providing the arguments on both sides of the political divide in an effort to foster understanding and unity. Listen now to get a sneak peak of a book that could save the country.

Ben Avrahami and Kaitlin Stonebridge share their knowledge and expertise on Narcissistic Personality Disorder for our very first three person episode. Listen as Ben and Kaitlin take the listener on an educational journey all about this mental health condition, from causes, to symptoms, to ways a narcissist can negatively impact lives of others. Although not licensed therapists or mental health professionals, Ben and Kaitlin have both done extensive research on the topic and aim to help raise awareness about the mental disorder to prevent people from falling victim to the manipulation and abuse of those who exhibit the behavior. Please listen, and educate yourself about this mental disorder.

Listen to a reflection of over a month of living on a radical diet called veganism, an abstinence from consuming any animal products. I try to avoid virtue signaling here as I may not be vegan forever, in fact I may decide to go back to a regular meat eater diet tomorrow. Instead, the episode aims to focus on why I decided to go vegan and outline the pros and cons of a vegan diet. If you take away nothing else, take away this: Drawing analogies from the ongoing shift from gas to electric vehicles, what if we can make veganism be so cheap, delicious, healthy, and convenient so that it makes more sense to be vegan than not to be? It's food for thought, literally! Take a listen.

Ben Avrahami is an Israeli Defense Forces veteran, bioinformatic specialist, and mentor for community college students. Ben was born in the land of Israel and at the age of twelve made his way to the Boston suburbs along with his family. What was supposed to just be a year or two long visit became long term as Ben eventually gained citizenship and found himself a second home. However, once turning of military age, Ben courageously decided to become a soldier for the Israeli Army, where after one year transitioned to become a medic inspiring him to a love of learning and academics. After coming back stateside, he decided to pursue his academic aspirations by enrolling at Massasoit Community College and the University of Massachusetts where he graduated with a degree in biology. Today he works in the same field while also giving back by mentoring younger community college students like his former self. Someday he hopes to set up a crowdfunded scholarship to empower first generation university students to succeed academically. Listen to Ben's journey and more in this episode.

Years ago, Courtney wanted to start her own business and travel the world. Today, she's done just that. As the CEO of a marketing agency, she's able to work 100% remote and is taking advantage of that today. Making a leap into the deep end, she left her hometown of Toronto, Canada and ventured forward into the scary world of the unknown with a one way ticket to Central America. Months, adventures, and fulfilling experiences later, she's travelled through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Mexico. Listen to Courtney's journey and soak in the key takeaways that she's acquired through her adventure as she ripped off the bandaid in an effort to challenge herself out of her comfort zone into the life that she wanted. Also give her a follow @courtneympeyy if you’d like to learn more about her journey.

Demetrius "Big D" Hullum is a stand up comedian and actor. He performs almost on a nightly basis in Boston and around the country. Listen to Big D's story from his humble beginnings stumbling through his first open mic to today where he's the headliner at popular comedy clubs in one of the nation's greatest comedy cities. Big D's lessons about himself go beyond just comedy. Years ago he started “manifesting” his goals in life by writing them down, turning them into vision boards, and surprised even himself by seeing those goals he wrote down come to life. Learn about his story and get a laugh or two through absorbing a bit of Big D's remarkable journey mixed with his natural comedic abilities including on-point impersonations of Barack Obama, an Italian lady with a Boston accent, and stereotypical white women. And of course, don't forget to follow him at ⁠@officialbigdcomedy⁠ and subscribe to his newsletter for upcoming shows via ⁠his website⁠.

Vincient Fleury is a young French Canadian who got himself a one way ticket to Costa Rica with his bicycle and is planning on riding all the way back home to Trois-Rivières in Quebec via Central America, Mexico, and the USA. In this episode listen to Vincient’s motivation for traveling and experiences on a slight pause of his journey in the mystical Ometepe volcanic island situated in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. Follow his journey via @vincent_fleuryy and if you’re situated along his way back and would like to host him through his journey please reach out! Photo credit to Midjourney.

Korei Klein is an engineering manager at Shopify, beard-growing aficionado, up and coming jiu jitsu athlete, and fantastic Baba Ghanoush chef. Listen in on this episode to learn about Korei's journey as a software engineer, starting from just a curious boy who loved math, to an engineer at Google, into now a software engineering manager at a tech giant. As he dives into his journey, listen in to Korei's mentality on taking risks and why doing so is so important. Photo credit to Midjourney.

Matt Cacioppo is a serial entrepreneur, having started businesses at the ripe age of twelve until recent years, his hard work in the business world has made way to give him the opportunity to travel the world on a pedal powered adventure. He is currently riding his gravel bicycle from Northern Alaska way down to the end of the road in Argentina. While bicycling is a major part of his day to day, his passions lie beyond the wheels and spokes. He has dreams of helping folks with disaster relief and aspirations for giving back to the less fortunate via the start of a non-profit. Learn a bit about Matt, what led to his pedal powered journey, his aspirations to give back, and an extremely epic plan to kayak from Panama to Colombia through the Caribbean. Photo credit @midjourney.

Kyla Denault is a Canadian entrepreneur who decided to break off from the traditional corporate employee career path to follow her passions and start a cage free dog kennel. Her entrepreneurial spirit didn't stop there and after navigating through a variety of other business ventures she ended up starting her very own dog training service, wrote a book about how to keep your dog mentally sharp in both English and French, created an online dog training course, and is on her way to publish her second book. In the episode, learn about Kyla's journey in entrepreneurship, how she overcame some grim financial setbacks, and how she ultimately is living a fulfilled life following her passions to help people, work with animals, and embrace her creative side. Check out Kyla's resources: Easy Breezy Dog Training Brain Games For Your Dog Enriched Dog Academy

Audrey Larner is talent acquisition specialist, digital nomad, avid meditator, recreational surfer, and up and coming blog writer. As a filipino-American raised in Los Angeles, learn about how her life changed with a free trip to the holy land, Israel, embracing her Jewish heritage culminating in a relocation to the city that never sleeps, New York City. In the big apple, her life continued to evolve where she stumbled upon meditation to change her life for the better, eventually resulting in other positive changes in her life like taking up the sport of running and elevating her spiritual side via a transformative type of yoga. Keep an eye out for future updates on her up and coming inspirational blog!

Gary Ly helps disenfranchised students find their niche at an NGO, has travelled the world while teaching English, and challenges both his mind and his body on a regular basis as a Muay Thai fighter. A proud Minnesotan and Master at the University of Minnesota , Gary has some wisdom to share about finding balance in one's life not just in regard to travel, but in life in general. Gary's Resources: https://genesysworks.org/twin-cities/ https://www.facebook.com/gary.ly1

Meytar Zehavi is an Israeli podcast host and content creator. As an Israel Defense Forces veteran she has experience teaching teams in one of Israel's most elite military intelligence branches, Unit 8200. Her commitment towards educating others didn't stop there, in fact it spread to content she creates. She's interviewed other notable content creators like Nas Daily with the focus of finding ways to share content that will educate and bring value to others. Meytar is about to launch a brand new podcast of her own called The 5 People Pod and uses travel as means to find interesting people who she can connect with and learn from. Meytar's Resources: Instagram The 5 People Pod Youtube

Kemar Johnson is the host of the It's Relational podcast, a U.S. Army veteran, loving husband, and a soon to be father. As our very first guest, we discuss what it's like to start a podcast, strategies for growth, and the power of community and network to achieve our dreams and uplift others. It's Relational Resources: Podcast on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/itsrelational Podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/itsrelationalthepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsrelational.co/ E-book: https://www.itsrelational.co/top25tips

How did this podcast come to be? What will be covered? What can I expect to gain from it?