Courageous Ones

Tenzin Kelsang is a Tibetan cinematographer and colorist based in Mumbai who has spent five years working his way into the Indian film industry, shooting music videos, short films, and commercial projects while building his craft from the ground up.We talk about what it's actually like being a Tibetan in Bollywood, how he learned to stop saying yes to everything and nearly burned out doing it, and why he eventually stopped editing his own work to protect his creative energy. Tenzin breaks down color grading, guerrilla shooting, and the real difference between beginners who overthink and professionals who just cut.The back half gets personal. We go into perfectionism, his short film about the irony of Tibetan identity and counterfeit culture, and what it means to finally let yourself enjoy life after years of putting work first.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Jinsel is the founder of KHOE, a Tibetan streetwear brand based in Delhi rooted in Tibetan art, symbols, and silhouettes. He spent three years in a corporate IT job before quitting to build something of his own, starting with almost nothing and learning everything from sewing to manufacturing on the way.We talk about why he chose fashion as a vehicle for cultural preservation, how he survived months of zero sales without giving up, and what it actually means to have a USP when you're building a brand from scratch. Jinsel also breaks down the content creation side, the Lakar series he built around Tibetan culture, and why niche matters more than volume.The back half covers Buddhism, his dream of documenting Tibetan fashion before it fades, and why his one mantra is just two words: just do it.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Lopsang Soepa is a Tibetan comic artist and muralist from Arunachal Pradesh who left college to pursue art, moved to Bangalore to train, and is now working on an eight-part comic series rooted in Tibetan folk tales and Buddhist stories. He also paints murals in Dharamshala's Mcleod Ganj, turning forgotten alleyways into conversations about Tibetan history and culture.We talk about why he started the comics, what it took to finally release an imperfect first issue, and the chaos of working with Indian print factories while juggling commissions, murals, and language courses in Nepal. Lopsang is honest about doing too much at once and learning to slow down.The back half covers the tension between art and business, why he uploads his latest comic for free, and what it means to create work that might outlast you.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Aniq Malu is a fitness coach and endurance athlete based in Ireland who went from barely running 1km to training friends for half marathons. He lost his dad at a young age, grew up with a single mother, and has been doing the hard work of proving that little boy wrong ever since.We talk about the valley of despair, why most dreams die in the middle and not at the start, and what it actually means to be persistent versus just busy. Aniq breaks down why intrinsic motivation is the only thing that keeps you going when results are nowhere in sight.The back half gets into self-love versus selfishness, living in seasons, and the question that cuts through everything: what are you willing to suffer for? One of the most honest and energetic conversations on the show.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Sonam Dendup is a Bhutanese introvert who spent 25 years living on autopilot before deciding to do something hard. He started a clothing brand rooted in Tibetan Buddhism and Bhutanese cultural heritage, designing pieces inspired by the mask dances, temple motifs, and stories he grew up with.We talk about what it actually takes to start something when you overthink everything, how introverts can use their sensitivity as a strength, and why keeping promises to yourself is the only way to build real confidence. Sonam shares how stacking small evidence, one kept promise at a time, changed his relationship with himself.The back half gets into creativity, performing versus expressing, and why he thinks discipline and self-expression are inseparable. One of the most honest conversations about what it feels like to start from zero.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Mouad Bennali is a cybersecurity specialist from Morocco who has spent the last few years building a deep understanding of AI, automating his own workflows, and teaching his growing audience how to actually use AI properly. He runs a weekly Substack newsletter sharing what he learns as he goes.We get into why 90% of people are using AI wrong, the difference between thinking with AI versus thinking for you, and which tools are actually worth paying for. Mouad breaks down how he starts every morning with a custom automation that scrapes trending AI news tailored to his content.The back half gets serious. We talk about the Anthropic experiment where an AI chose to blackmail a person to avoid being shut down, reward hacking, and why AI still isn't safe enough to trust without a human in the loop. One of the most eye-opening conversations on the show.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Daniel Cuttle is a 21-year-old British content creator and boxer building his YouTube channel around fighting, self-belief, and living life on his own terms. He got lucky-dip selected to fight in a KSI video, refused to stop, and walked away with no prize money and a story worth telling.We get into what fighting actually teaches you about handling stress, why he thinks every man should step in a ring at least once, and how he went from burnout to outsourcing his editing and scaling his output. Daniel also shares his $5 million affirmation, his take on manifestation, and the books that shaped how he sees the world.The back half gets honest. We disagree on money versus purpose, talk about masculinity, social media as a dopamine trap, and what it actually means to retire your parents. Raw conversation. Good one.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Joachim Badejoh is a growth partner and digital nomad who has been running his agency remotely for five years, helping e-commerce brands and online coaches scale through ads and full-funnel optimization. He's also a new dad figuring out what location freedom looks like with a family.We talk about the real cost of shiny object syndrome, what 18 months of severe anxiety taught him about letting go, and why the thing that was always working was right in front of him the whole time. Joachim also opens up about his recent ADHD diagnosis and how finally understanding his brain changed his relationship with himself.The back half gets into happiness, success, flow state, and why he deleted social media for three months. One of the more honest conversations on the show.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Tenzin Jangchup grew up as a Tibetan refugee in Manali, India, moved to Belgium as a teenager, and went on to fly with Qatar Airways for three years across 50+ countries. He's now the owner of Amma Tibetan Mom's Kitchen in Bruges, a restaurant built around authentic Tibetan food, family, and the immigrant story behind it all.We talk about what it actually took to get the Qatar Airways job, what traveling that much does to the way you see people, and why he chose to open a Tibetan restaurant when everyone told him it wouldn't make money.The back half gets into the real stuff. Working with your parents every day, surviving a full year without a wage, and why the menu is their family story told through food. His mom's advice has followed him everywhere: the show must go on.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Dominic is a biohacker and digital nomad living at Network School, a "society as a service" experiment built by Balaji Srinivasan on an island next to Singapore. We get into what it's actually like to live there, why he left Europe, and how the community is built around aligned people, shared meals, and no decision fatigue.We go deep on biohacking. Dominic walks through his microbiome experiment, growing Lactobacillus reuteri at home in a yogurt maker and drinking it daily for gut health and mood. We cover omega-3, vitamin D dosing based on blood tests, and why he takes 10-15g of creatine a day for brain performance, not the gym.The episode closes on longevity, Brian Johnson, microdosing, and the health startup Dominic is building inside Network School.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2qlgAkv72v7ml42BjsPgyu?si=b47765bb3a2a4abb Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/courageous-ones/id1895268405Record your podcast with Riverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/DWLdOj Learn with Skillshare (1 month free): https://skillshare.com/en/r/profile/Tenzin-Lhoden/210780170Follow Tenzin: Instagram: https://instagram.com/tenzinlhoden TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenzinlhoden YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tenzinlhodenThis description contains affiliate links.

Aniq spent 10 years going to the gym with nothing to show for it. Inconsistent, stuck in cycles, starting on Monday and quitting by Friday. Then he got a coach. Nine months later, everything changed — his body, his energy, his mindset, and eventually his whole direction in life.Now he coaches others through the same process. This conversation is about what discipline actually looks like when the motivation runs out.We get into:Why adherence — not the perfect program — is the only word that matters in fitness How going all in from zero is the fastest route to quitting The all or nothing mindset that keeps most people stuck for years Why a body transformation is one of the best ways to learn delayed gratification How creating content makes you smarter — because the best way to learn is to teach Why doom scrolling is destroying attention spans and what to do instead The difference between instant gratification and the boring unsexy work that actually compounds How Aniq started running half marathons despite having asthma — and inspired everyone around him to run too Why being the example is more powerful than any lecture How fitness changes the way you treat everyone around youThe boring stuff is the stuff that works. That's the whole game.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Yassin is 22 years old, studying the hardest master's specialization he could choose, building apps on the side, learning Japanese without a translator, and praying twice every single day for two things: to become a multi-millionaire before 25, and to figure out how before the end of this semester.This is one of the most honest conversations on the show. Yassin doesn't perform. He thinks out loud.We get into:Why he grew up feeling less than everyone around him — and how that became the root of everything How Japan changed him at a cellular level and why part of him is still there The difference between chasing happiness and finding peace — and why peace is harder What it means to be a deep thinker and why it's both a gift and a source of constant suffering Why he tried a Shopify store, an Amazon KDP journal, an app, paper trading, and lost 2K in one night How his mom walked into his room crying after watching him beat himself up in a video Why he wouldn't want to live if he couldn't have the life he actually wants What Jordan Peterson, David Goggins, Marcus Aurelius, and Naruto's Rock Lee all have in common The pressure of a self-imposed deadline — and why he keeps going anywayStay low enough, long enough, and you'll be big enough soon enough.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Standly grew up in Cameroon. He moved to Cyprus, then back to Cameroon, then to Belgium — alone, no family nearby, working an 11-hour student job, editing videos at midnight, going to the gym before anyone else is awake.He started his content creation journey the day Tenzin told him: if you want to make me happy, just record one video today. He did it that night. This conversation is about what happened after.We get into:Why he started his self-improvement journey after a breakup and a difficult period with his documents in Belgium How he went from watching videos to actually taking action — and what changed in his mind Why he believes in thinking 5 to 10 years ahead instead of chasing quick results The difference between people who see to believe and people who believe in order to see How the Courageous Ones community changed his daily output and consistency What it means to chase your dreams when your family back home doesn't fully understand what you're building yet Why the person you become on the journey matters more than the result you get How he works all day, comes home, and still finds time to create, read, and train Why quitting one thing makes it easier to quit everythingIt's simple. Not easy. There's a difference.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Samm grew up on an island in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, where his grandfather taught him to farm, the fishermen gave free fish to anyone who helped, and the ocean was 150 meters from the front door. That upbringing shaped everything.In his late twenties, a doctor told his family he wouldn't survive. They didn't tell him. He found out six years later. By then, he had already rebuilt his life from the ground up — through farming, community, and a philosophy he lives by to this day: kindness will win.This is one of the most human conversations on the show.We get into:How Samm learned organic Japanese farming techniques over 8 days via phone speaker — and passed the exam Why healthy soil is the foundation of everything, and what happens to humanity when it's gone How he left his wife, his business, his house, and his land in a single day and arrived in Bali with almost nothing How a dog bite, a medical bill, and a stranger's Instagram post turned Sam's Farm into something people couldn't stop talking about Why he let customers eat for free for almost a year during hard times — and what came back to him The farm-to-table vision behind Sam's Farm and why he wants to teach people to grow their own food Why sometimes a husband and wife need to separate for a while to find each other again What it means to give without expecting anything backStart small. Be kind. Don't complain. The good time will come.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Pjotr grew up in Amsterdam feeling like the black sheep. While his friends were partying and smoking weed, he was working out, reading, and building something. He started posting his transformation online, people responded, and a business was born.He's 22 years old and already coaching entrepreneurs on fat loss, muscle gain, and the mindset behind both.We get into:Why he felt like he never belonged growing up — and how that became his biggest strength How his morning routine of ice baths, sunlight, breathwork, and meditation sets him up every single day Why he stopped listening to music and what happened to his mental clarity after The difference between fake friends and real ones — and how starting a business shows you which is which Why he quit three different study programs and how his dad eventually said "I believe in you" The connection between working out and discipline, confidence, testosterone, and focus Why living with three locked-in people in Bali changed his output completely How gratitude journaling eliminated his bad days — and why he thinks most people's struggles come down to hormones and habits Why your girlfriend might be killing your goals — and how to think about it honestlyStart small. Be consistent. Master the basics. Everything else follows.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Sofia grew up in Thailand, got into the hardest high school in the country, earned a full scholarship to study aerospace engineering in South Korea, landed a job in Milan, moved to Los Angeles with nothing but ambition, and helped grow a shoe company from $1,000 a day to $1 million a day — before it sold for $2.5 billion.She describes herself in three words: entrepreneur mind, athlete body, artist soul. This conversation earns all three.We get into:Why she turned down USC and moved to South Korea on a full scholarship instead How a fashion blog she started in 2010 became the reason she got hired as a marketing manager The creative strategy behind content that actually converts — and why most photographers get it wrong Why "dream big" might be the worst advice you ever receive How to define success on your own terms instead of copying someone else's version Learning to speak on camera with an accent and why that's a strength not a weakness Why you need to learn a skill yourself before you hire someone to do it The mindset behind never giving up — and why most people quit right before the breakthrough How your environment shapes everything, and why Bali changes peopleSofia's why is simple: she has no safety net. Everything is on her.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Amin spent 10 years climbing the ladder — military, engineering degree, project manager, stable salary. From the outside it looked like success. Inside he knew something was wrong.Then came burnout. Then cancer. And then a decision to walk away from everything in a single day.This is one of the most honest conversations on the show. Aman doesn't dress it up.We get into:How burnout and cancer hit him at the same time — and what that forced him to face Why he quit his new job on the very first day The difference between objective and subjective results in fitness — and why most people only track one How he uses fitness and nutrition as tools to change people's mindsets, not just their bodies Why self-love and self-respect are the real foundation of any health journey Growth mindset vs fixed mindset — and the flat tire analogy that explains it perfectly Why part-time commitment gives part-time results How to stop chasing shiny objects and trust your strategy long enough to see results What Bali taught him about environment, community, and the people you surround yourself withChoose your pain. One gives you nothing back. The other gives you everything.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Dominic is a software developer who got into biohacking for one reason: he wanted to perform better at his work. What started as optimizing brain performance turned into a deep obsession with health, longevity, and the science of the human body.We recorded this one outdoors in Bali as the sun went down. It's a loose, honest conversation about what it actually takes to build a healthier life.We get into:Why Dominic started biohacking and what he was trying to solve Cold plunges, ice baths, and the mindset required to stay in longer than you think you can The truth about microplastics and what they may be doing to testosterone levels Why being vegan is harder than people think — and what you actually need to know to do it right Intermittent fasting, blood sugar spikes, and why skipping breakfast sharpens your focus The 60/40 rule applied to health — and why most people quit before they find their real limits Brian Johnson's longevity blueprint and whether living forever is actually something you'd want How to use AI as your personal health advisorThis one is for anyone who wants to take their health more seriously but doesn't know where to start.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

Oneeb has been overweight most of his life. He tried losing weight several times, got fairly far, then stopped — without ever really knowing why. This time was different.In this conversation, we talk about what finally made the change stick, why self-compassion matters more than discipline, and what Stoicism taught him about building a body and a mindset at the same time.We get into:Why motivation will fail you and what to use instead The 60/40 rule from David Goggins and how Oneeb applied it to running How perfectionism sabotaged every previous attempt at weight loss What his mother's death taught him about pushing through the hardest moments The Socrates quote that guides how he approaches learning and life Why starting small is not a compromise — it's the strategyThis one is honest, personal, and practical. Oneeb does not give you a blueprint. He gives you a mindset.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden

The first episode. No studio, no guest, no perfect setup. Recorded from the car with Tibetan butter tea.This one is a monthly reflection for February and an honest answer to the question: why start a podcast at all?In this episode:Why I stopped waiting for the right time to start The architect vs. the archaeologist — two ways to approach any goal Why I consume podcasts more than any other content Running: from hating it to racing a 10k in Paris Training goals for the year — hybrid training, Ironman on the horizon What I'm reading: Feel Good Productivity, The Alchemist, and a chess book I haven't opened yet Getting back to meditation and why it matters more now than ever Consistency, patience, and enjoying the process before you reach the destinationThis is the start. It won't be perfect. That's the point.Subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Join the Courageous Ones community: https://www.skool.com/courageous-ones-6313/aboutFollow on Instagram and TikTok: @tenzinlhoden