The Way In

Sports gels are everywhere in North America, but in much of Asia, the bigger challenge isn't convincing someone to switch brands - it’s convincing them to use a gel in the first place.In this episode, I’m joined by Anthea, founder of ANS, a Singapore-based sports nutrition brand built around the idea of “performance for the long run.” We talk about why she saw an opportunity to rethink the relationship between sports nutrition and long-term wellness, why she chose Singapore as a launchpad for Southeast Asia, and why she chose to build ANS the unscalable way in its first year: from showing up at running clubs and setting up fuel stations to personally talking to athletes and turning early customers into believers.We also talk about the challenge of creating your own momentum when you're the person responsible for making everything happen. And as Anthea reflects on moving to Singapore to build the business, she shares how being alone in a foreign country can give you the motivation and drive to make things happen.

After more than a decade in product marketing, Maggie left her corporate career in November 2024 without even knowing the term “portfolio career.” She initially thought she was simply making a pivot into events. But as she began freelancing, coaching, teaching, creating content, and taking on fractional marketing work, she realized she was building a career made up of multiple interests and income streams.In this episode, Maggie shares how she built her portfolio one piece at a time, why she believes in focusing on one or two things before adding the next, and how personal branding became the thread connecting everything she does.If you've ever had the itch to build multiple income streams, or you're someone with many passions who doesn't want to choose just one, you'll find this episode especially hands-on.

Eric left what many people would consider a dream job at Google after realizing that achievement alone wasn't enough. What he was missing was community, a realization that eventually led him to co-found Heylo, a platform that helps thousands of running clubs, hiking groups, book clubs, and social communities organize real-world activities.In this episode, Eric shares how a lonely marathon sparked the idea behind Heylo, the customer validation that gave him the confidence to go all in on the company, and why building for IRL requires fundamentally different incentives than traditional social media. We also discuss why Heylo measures success by check-ins instead of screen time, what the team has learned from supporting more than 20,000 communities, and how new sponsorship tools could help community leaders turn their passion into sustainable businesses.About HeyloHeylo is a platform built for IRL community groups. Today, the platform supports more than 20,000 clubs, has facilitated nearly two million verified event check-ins, and has helped community leaders earn over $5 million through memberships, events, and sponsorships.

When Miles left a stable career in biotech, he wasn't chasing the next startup idea. Instead, he began serving free tea in New York City parks— no agenda, just an open space for strangers to slow down and connect. What started as a simple experiment has since grown into The Tea Stand, a nonprofit that has poured more than 12,000 cups of tea, published a biannual zine, shipped hundreds of tea boxes to members, and built a growing community of artists, entrepreneurs, and neighbors.In this episode, we talk about the power of showing up - how consistency became the foundation for trust, belonging, and community. Miles shares why he left a conventional career, what he learned from serving tea every day for a month, and how The Tea Stand balances its mission with financial sustainability.Miles didn't ignore sustainability forever, but he also didn't let the absence of a business model stop him from pursuing an idea whose value couldn't be measured on day one.

In this episode, I sit down with Leeah, founder of Newberry Travel. After leaving a career in corporate sourcing, Leeah realized that just as every purchasing decision can shape a factory and its community, every travel dollar can shape the people and places we visit. She shares how a four-month journey across all seven continents inspired her to build a company centered on conscious travel, documenting the entrepreneurial journey in public through podcasting, and why curiosity and playfulness lead to richer experiences.Beyond intentional travel, one thing Leeah said really stuck with me: "You'll have the highest high of your life and the lowest low of your life within 20 minutes of each other." It's one of the most honest descriptions of entrepreneurship I've heard and exactly why she started documenting her journey in public.