The Ariane Tavakol Podcast

There are people in this world that touch you deeply just by virtue of being themselves. They don’t need to say much but just show up as their true self.My guest today did that for me. I met him a few weeks ago for the first time on Clubhouse as we were both part of a panel discussing what it’s like to be a successful expat.While many would take this opportunity to rave about their accomplishments and accolades, dedicated his time there to uplift and share words of wisdom he acquired over the years. We all know how much positive messages are not only needed but necessary, especially these days.Paulie Kazanofski, better known as one of the top real estate investors in the U.S as well as a highly successful entrepreneur, author and speaker has an undeniable presence - from the sound of his voice, his body gestures and contagious energy, Paulie is a force.If  you've been playing around with the idea of getting into real estate but have no idea how, then this is for you!

"Only dead fish go with the flow." - Confucius "A fish that is alive swims to the right or the left of the current or against it." - JC. Biver, this is not for everyone but if you're into upgrading your life, your brand, your relationships, your job .. then it definitely is for you.You may think to yourself, what on earth is she talking about?"All day, everyday, all I hear and read about is how important it is to go with the flow to find happiness and contentment, and now you're telling me that only dead fish go with the flow?"Let's first make a clear distinction.There's "going with the flow" as being relaxed and accept a situation for what it is and not try to control or change it.and,There's "going with the flow" as drowning in the sea of sameness with everyone else to avoid standing out.Standing out and being Unique comes at a price:A life filled with new and unique experiences.Being first.Being different from the majority.Upsetting some people - those who don't understand your desire to feel alive and to constantly grow.To be different requires courage, resilience and humility.Unfortunately through our education system (school, home, church, social circles..), we have been taught (and actually asked) to be ordinary because being different would require accepting failure, facing rejections, asking challenging questions and being wrong a lot!Who wants to fail, being rejected or admitting to being wrong? I certainly don't!But I also know that the only path to success for me is to own my voice and what I stand for. (not easy but with practice, courage, resilience and a good amount of faith it eventually works) Mr. Jean-Claude Biver, "the Godfather of the Swiss Luxury Watchmaking.Don't take it from me! Take it from a man whose life and legacy is full proof of this philosophy. My guest is one I have had the chance to see in action and interview a couple of times. He's a true legend in the watch industry and marketing.I really hope that you'll watch this interview because you'll be inspired .. no matter who you are and where you are in your life.Mr. Biver's wisdom comes from his age, the life he designed and his willingness to be different and take chances.Listen now and learn how Jean-Claude Biver has always stayed on top of his game (even in his 70's) so you can too. "You don't need easy, you just need possible." - Bethany Hamilton

"What keeps us stuck in pain, what destroys companies, what disrupts our relationships, is our belief that our perception is fact. It is us being blinded by the stories we tell ourselves and believing that they are true. Treating them like fact. Treating them life the hard truth. We begin to filter everything to match the story we are telling ourselves and reject anything to the contrary. We stop listening openly and we argue anything that doesn't match our story."

Today I am joined by my dear friend Manu Kapur, the chair of learning sciences and higher education at ETH Zurich who studies the concept of productive failure - how failure can be deliberately designed to enhance learning.For most of us, we try to avoid failure like the plague. We don’t welcome it into our lives and definitely never want to talk about it, unless it concerns someone else.We have been conditioned to view failure and mistakes as our enemies. Most of us, especially in Europe, view failure as taboo and inadmissible.But what if we understood that mistakes are just temporary interruptions that are made to make us reflect back and think? What if we learned to embrace failure and use it to our advantage?During this podcast we dive deep into the concept of learning with failure based models, methods to embracing failure in our lives, and how to see failure as a necessary step to achieving success. Listen in and let's start embracing failure together!

If I could sum up 2020 in one word I would say that 2020 has been a year of resilience.In honor of the new year, for my last podcast of 2020 I am beyond thrilled to have my dear friend Beatrice Lessi join me as we reflect on the year together, her personal story of resilience, and how she has trained her mind to overcome mental roadblocks she has experienced while running.Beatrice is an Italian ultra runner who has completed over 20 marathons and ultra marathon including Marathon des Sables and Everest Marathon. She started running at 40 years young, is a passionate world traveler, and runs one of the top fashion blogs in Switzerland, Ask The Monsters.Let me know what you valued most from the podcast this week!  Cheers to 2021!

A creative woman doing what she loves? She’s most likely broke!I have heard this too many times growing up. Many people assume that a woman choosing a career in the creative field (Artist, Writer, TV personality, Creative Director, Photographer, etc.) as a way to escape her mundane life or her 9-5 job.People are quick to write off this creative “passion” as nothing more than a hobby which from time to time, if she’s lucky enough, will earn her some money. However, this is simply not true! It is possible to thrive as a creative doing what you love while making money. To prove it, on this episode of The Ariane Tavakol podcast I am joined by three incredible successful creative women entrepreneurs Camilla Fischbacher, Roshi Khalilian, and Ana Maria who share their personal journeys in the creative profession. 

On today’s podcast we get NAKED… figuratively of course! I am joined by my dear friend Ana Maria Montero who takes us through her journey of self-discovery, the evolution of her personas, and what it means to be completely naked and comfortable with who you are.For those that don’t know Ana Maria yet, she is a multilingual, multi-platform broadcast journalist with 15-plus years in front of the camera. She grew up professionally at CNN – from intern to anchor desk – hosting her own daily show out of Los Angeles as well as conducting live coverage from numerous high-profile events across the globe. The pursuit of her own personal story brought this native American to Zurich, where she has spent the last few years discovering Switzerland.Ana Maria, like many of us, occasionally develops a persona or ideal version of ourselves to fit into the spaces we find ourselves in. Listen to Ana Maria’s personal story to learn how she has identified her personas and the steps she has taken to discover and celebrate who she is naked.

Awin Tavakoli embodies resilience through every aspect of her life and challenges existing models as a champion of change as a lawyer, business advisor, speaker and trainer. Awin’s mission is to make law accessible and understandable for others. As a pioneer in change and innovation, she has been disrupting the traditional legal industry by creating a unique business model out of her knowledge in mathematics and logic, and her skills in risk mitigation and law.On this week’s podcast, we speak with Awin to learn from her personal journey, the obstacles she has overcome throughout her life that have made her who she is, and advice for rising professionals.

The constant obstacles in which 2020 has brought has been daunting. However, many businesses continue to adapt to the challenges they face in new innovative ways to still come out on top. Sarah and Fortii, co-founders of Villa Nomad, a Zurich-based event and digital marketing bureau, had to pivot their plans completely due to the global pandemic and they did it all with a smile on their faces!On this week’s podcast episode we speak with Sarah and Fortii to learn more about how their business has been impacted during these times and how they still manage to thrive in the uncertainty. 

Fear of the unknown is part of life. Pitof has learned from his experience as a director in Hollywood and has overcome many instances of failure and fear throughout his career.  He is using what he has learned to pivot his career into VR technology to help others dealing with stress and anxiety.Want to learn how you can turn your setbacks Into comebacks?The answers In this podcast.

What do you do when you know you are ready to pivot in your career but you are scared to make the change?On this episode of the Ariane Tavakol Podcast we are going to be learning from Alex Marmaziu, CEO & Founder at EATbyAlex who decided to leave her job at UBS Investment Bank after working there for nearly 10 years to follow her passions and jump into the world of entrepreneurship.

Listen to Matt Beard, Hollywood Photographer and Director.In times like today planning for the future seems like a thing of the past. Uncertainty seems to be the only certain thing that we can rely on. And with uncertainty comes fear. Fear of not knowing what to do next, fear of starting something new, fear of being rejected, fear of failure… life is full of different fears! But we cannot let that fear rule us and stop us from living a full life. So how can we learn to find the fun in fear?The answers In this podcast. 

Ready to rebuild your life on your own terms and create the freedom, wealth, and joy that you have been secretly dreaming about? Join me on The Ariane Tavakol Podcast for inspiration on how to make those dreams a reality . I've been so lucky to spend time with  some of the brightest opinion leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives across the globe. My ultimate goal is to show you with real life stories that anyone can reinvent themselves - at any age, any time, or any place. To learn more go to https://www.arianetavakol.com/

Listen in to Candice Puthawala, the Founder of Beauty Bar Chocolate.How do you start creating the life you want when you don’t even know what that looks like?Candice asked herself this same question when she stepped away from the fashion industry which she had thrived working in for nearly two decades.Although she was able to thrive in her career, Candice knew that the fashion industry was causing her overwhelming amounts of stress that began taking a toll on her body. She desperately wanted out of her current situation in pursuit of a new life for herself.How do you know it is time to move on from your current situation in life?I always say, “If the pain of being where you are right now is greater than the joy that you would feel from being somewhere else that means it is time to move away.”But what do you do next when you don’t know what you want to do yet?The answers in this podcast.