The Power House Podcast

The conversation delves into the challenges of cultural differences and the experience of navigating New York City, highlighting the complexities of Desi parents and the unique dynamics of living in the city.TakeawaysCultural differencesNavigating New York CityChapters00:00 Navigating New York City

The conversation covers the impact of mentorship and the challenge of balancing academic and nonprofit pursuits. Mentorship is highlighted as a key factor in personal and professional development, while the difficulty of managing academic and nonprofit commitments is discussed.TakeawaysMentorshipBalancing Academic and Nonprofit PursuitsChapters00:00 The Impact of Mentorship

The conversation covers the journey of pivoting and change, highlighting the importance of listening to advice and learning from life precepts. It explores the impact of pivoting in careers and the value of slowing down to make informed decisions.TakeawaysPivotingListening to adviceChapters00:00 The Journey of Pivoting and Change

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Oliver Libby—Managing Partner of H/L Ventures and CityRock Venture Partners, Chair and Founder of The Resolution Project, and author of Strong Floor, No Ceiling—to unpack a defining fork-in-the-road decision:What do you do when you have a big calling, but you’re not ready yet?Oliver shares a moment that reshaped his entire path. After leaving a federal job with no backup plan, he’s on an Acela train to see his grandfather, ready to run for local office and start a career in public service.But his grandfather challenges him with a question that cuts through the noise:Do you want to be important—or do you want to serve?That question leads to a hard truth: if you want to be a good public servant, you need real life experience—business, budgets, payroll, empathy, and the real “engine” of the economy—before you earn the right to lead.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARNHow to slow time down before a major life decision (Festina Lente)Why 70–80% certainty often has to be enoughA simple test: “Have I exhausted everything reasonable to know?”How to handle the real cost of “deferring the dream”Why partnerships and integrity compound over decadesHow doubt gets weaponized in society—and why humans still must chooseCHAPTERS00:00 What The Power House is about01:47 The fork: quitting federal work + the Acela to his grandfather03:14 The default path: run for office early (and why it felt urgent)05:14 The gut-check: “Important or serve?” + empathy as qualification07:25 The advice: learn business first (don’t be afraid of the balance sheet)08:12 The pivot: consulting → building H/L Ventures + The Resolution Project12:14 Festina Lente + choosing with 70–80% certainty14:17 The cost: embarrassment, discomfort, and deferring the dream16:28 The framework: slow time down + trust your gut + commit19:09 “Through hardships, to the stars” + doubt as a societal weapon23:04 The “95% certainty” story + negative certainty (what’s worse if you wait)24:50 NYC quickfire30:57 Final remarks + where to find Oliver + Strong Floor, No CeilingAbout our Guest🌐 Oliver Libby: OliverLibby.com📘 Book: Strong Floor, No Ceiling📧 If you know someone who should be on, please send them this booking link (10-min briefing):https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg✅ Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast💬 Subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Oliver Mitchell—Managing Partner of Arkenstone Capital, Partner at ff Venture Capital, and author of A Startup Field Guide in the Age of Robotics and AI—to unpack a defining fork-in-the-road decision in robotics: when to pivot after you’ve already sunk months of engineering time and capital.Oliver tells the story of Civ Robotics (formerly Civ Drone)—a company that built an impressive autonomous staking drone… only to hear the most painful customer feedback:“We said we liked drones. We never said we’d buy drones.”That forced a high-stakes shift into a terrestrial robot for industrial solar—unlocking massive speed gains, lower cost, stronger reliability, and a path toward a full product line.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARNWhy “customer discovery” isn’t validation—it’s willingness to payThe real cost of pivoting in hardware (cash, time, fundraising risk)What changed in the first 30–90 days after the pivotOliver’s “binary” decision rule: closer to the goal vs further awayThe 5 rules of hardware startups (utility, reliability, payback + more)Where robotics wins first: heavy industry vs the homeCHAPTERS00:00 New York hustle (and the immigrant entrepreneur mindset)00:11 What The Power House is about01:18 The fork: Civ Drone → Civ Robotics (why customer discovery matters)01:59 The original idea: autonomous drone staking on construction sites03:15 The customer gut-punch: “Cool… but we won’t buy drones”04:30 Why the pivot was high-stakes (cash burn + fundraising risk)06:17 The board role: what Oliver did next (customers + capital + believers)07:39 What showed up in 30–90 days (inflection point + customer pull)09:29 Deep customer discovery (and who you should actually interview)12:18 The common first-time founder mistake12:41 The 5 rules of hardware startups (utility, reliability, payback…)14:45 Where robotics disrupts first (heavy industry, trust cycles)18:22 The binary decision rule: closer to goal vs further away19:21 What gave conviction to pivot (customer-backed certainty)21:02 NYC quickfire23:52 Oliver’s book + where to find him24:29 Final advice: partners, passion, customer discovery (and buy the book)25:13 ClosingAbout our Guest📘 A Startup Field Guide in the Age of Robotics and AI (search on Amazon)🔎 Find Oliver Mitchell on LinkedIn (search: “Oliver Mitchell ff Venture Capital”)⸻📧 If you know someone who should be on, please send them this booking link (10-min briefing):https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg✅ Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@The_PowerHouse_Podcast💬 Subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating stress and change, as well as the dilemma between choosing bootstrap or VC money for entrepreneurial funding.TakeawaysAmplified stressBootstrap vs VC moneyChapters00:00 Navigating Stress and Change

The conversation delves into the themes of bravery and pursuing dreams, highlighting the challenges and the need to be brave and trust oneself. It also addresses the changing landscape of achieving dreams and acknowledges the reality of the world, including the state of the country and the impact of external factors on pursuing dreams.TakeawaysBravery is essential in pursuing dreamsAcknowledging the changing landscape of achieving dreams and the reality of the worldChapters00:00 Bravery and Pursuing Dreams

In this episode of The Power House, JG sits down with Myra Kressner, President of Kressner Strategy Group and Co-founder of Vision Group Network, for a sharp conversation about leadership under pressure, career pivots, and the discipline it takes to keep your self-respect when someone tries to shrink you.Myra shares the line that anchors the episode: “Myra, I don’t pay you to think.”It was said to her at 19, and instead of letting it define her, she used it as fuel.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN* How to respond to criticism without letting it become your identity* The fork-in-the-road decision that changed her life: teacher vs business* What “work ethic” actually means when you’re trying to earn trust early* A simple leadership rule: don’t send the email (or say the thing) you’ll regret* Why innovation is a muscle: launching when it’s “good,” not perfectCHAPTERS* 00:00 “I don’t pay you to think.”* 14:36 The fork-in-the-road: teacher vs business* 20:33 “You’re not as good as you think you are.”* 27:18 Betting on yourself: B2C → B2B → founder* 30:29 Audience Q: innovating nonstop + building new products* 33:16 Final rule: authenticity + self-respect + humility* 34:11 ClosingAbout our Guest:🌐 Learn more about Kressner Strategy Group: https://www.kressnerstrategygroup.com/🌐 Learn more about Vision Group Network:https://vgnsharing.com/🔗 Follow Myra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myra-kressner-63b047113/🔗 Follow Vision Group Network on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/vision-group-network/posts/?feedView=all🔗Sunny New Paltz | Kressner Autism Spectrum Programhttps://www.newpaltz.edu/give/kressner/🔗2024 SUNY New Paltz Commencementhttps://sites.newpaltz.edu/news/2024/05/commencement-address-myra-kressner/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 📧 If you know someone who should be on, please send them this booking link (10-min briefing):*https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg✅ Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePowerHousePodcast💬 Subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7381364091275145216

In Episode 3 of The Power House, JG sits down with Sameera Chukkapalli Holmes and delves into the themes of values-driven leadership and adaptability. It explores her early life, the influence of her upbringing on her values, and her journey as a leader. The discussion also touches on overcoming fear, embracing change, and the importance of vulnerability in leadership.TakeawaysValues-driven leadershipAdaptability and resilienceChapters00:00 Connecting Through Values and Food11:40 Leadership and Change19:20 Overcoming Fear and Vulnerability31:01 Embracing Change and Growth______________About our Guest:🌐 Learn more about Needlab: https://www.needlab.org/🔗 Follow Sameera on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameera-chukkapalli-holmes-needlab/🔗 Follow Needlab on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/needlab/______________📧 Interested in being a speaker on The Power House Podcast? https://calendly.com/operations-josuard/podcast-briefing-with-jg✅ Subscribe to our channel:    / @the_powerhouse_podcast  💬 Subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relati...

In Episode 1 of The Power House, JG sits down with Dom Gervasi for a direct conversation about leadership under pressure, decision-making, and the mental discipline required to stay true to your values when life gets loud.Dom shares the line that anchors the episode: “Unless you program your own mind, the world will program it for you.” From there, we unpack what it looks like to lead yourself first so you don’t outsource your thinking to fear, noise, or other people’s expectations. If you’ve been stuck in analysis paralysis, second-guessing your next move, or waiting until you “feel ready,” this episode is built to help you move with clarity.In this episode, you’ll learn:How leaders make decisions when both options cost somethingA practical way to interrogate beliefs you’ve inherited (not chosen)How to regain control of your attention, narrative, and identityWhat “programming your mind” looks like in real life (not motivational talk)TakeawaysLeadership involves listening and learning from others.Entrepreneurship is about discovering the origin story, superpower, and archenemy of businesses. The importance of curiosity and humility in businessThe power of personal growth and learning from mistakesChapters00:00 The Journey to Entrepreneurship06:04 Transition and Challenges11:55 The Birth of Made in Brooklyn Tours19:11 The Superhero Concept26:18 The Power of Curiosity and Humility35:12 Leadership and Learning from Mistakes