Elevation Nation

After six years and almost 500 conversations, we're taking our first real break. Parker becomes a dad next week, and he's stepping away from EY and Elevation Nation for four months to show up fully for the most important job he's ever had.In this episode:Why choosing to pause can take more strength than pushing throughHow to be honest about fear and excitement living in the same momentWhat it means that this podcast will one day be a time capsule for our kids

Elevator 263: Ben Sharf is the co-founder and CEO of Platter, one of the fastest agencies ever to reach Shopify Platinum Partner status, building storefronts for brands like NeuroGum, Gainful, and Every Man Jack that have driven over $1B in sales. He's also an angel investor, host of the Turning Pro podcast, and a former competitive hockey player who has sat in silence for ten days, trained for a boxing fight, and run 130 miles from Montauk to Manhattan.In this episode: how Ben walked away from the "safe" path and got his doctor dad on board, why chasing the next big goal will never solve your problems, the non-negotiables that keep him grounded while running a 30-person company, and the mental motto behind every hard decision he makes.

Your feed says corporate is the enemy. Quit, build your own thing, become a creator, or you're wasting your life. We couldn't disagree more.We've worked corporate jobs for eight years while building Elevation Nation on the side. In this episode, we get honest about why that wasn't settling, and why it might be the smartest path for you too.In this episode:What the creator life really costsLetting go of the shame of feeling "meant for more"Building something fulfilling while your job pays the bills

Elevator no. 262: Kourosh Ashtary is the founder of EatFree, a platform that helps people with food allergies and dietary restrictions safely eat at restaurants. DMV born and raised, dog dad of two, and a fellow Terp, Kourosh went undiagnosed for 15 years and was hospitalized five times for anaphylactic shock in college. After stints at Deloitte and Carnival, he walked away from a director-level promotion to build the tool he wished he had.In this episode:Why he left the corporate ladder, and why he calls the desk job the scarier option nowThe pivot from a "Yelp for food allergies" app to QR codes on restaurant menusLeaning on his best friend Jorge and protecting his marriage from startup stressWhy there's no perfect route, only your route

Made a mistake at work and can't let it go? Sam and Parker break down why high achievers turn small slip-ups into week-long spirals, and what to do instead.Inspired by a Yom Kippur sermon about tapping your chest instead of punching it, you'll learn a simple 3-step way to handle any mistake: own it, show how you're fixing it, and move on without over-apologizing. The guys also get into why school trains us to fear failure, why forgiving yourself matters more than being willing to fail, and how the people around you decide whether a mistake becomes a lesson or a setback.