Elevation Nation

Elevator no. 166: Myles Grossman is the Director of Retail Leasing at Fisher Brothers and a co-founder of Hallie 225 Foundation. Myles committed to living life to the fullest, elevating to achieve his highest potential, while inspiring others to do the same. A family tragedy encouraged him to quit his job, leave his home in NYC, and book a one-way trip to Paris, starting a journey of travel across the world. This life-changing 9-month journey covering 4 continents and 23 countries completely shifted his perspective, and for the first time he opened his vault of untold stories, lessons, and takeaways from his journey.1:00 - Travel Experiences and Life Lessons34:54 - The Pursuit of Happiness: Choosing vs. Chasing46:26 - Prioritizing Oneself: Mental Fortitude and Self-Discovery01:00:16 - Contribution and Inspiration: Living Life to the Fullest

Sam spent his MDW in Denver and had a unique experience with white water rafting. Sam had a realization about the significance of whitewater rafting as a metaphor for life. Additionally, the guy discuss the excitement of upcoming speaking engagements.

Elevator no 165: Tara Vander Dussen is a fifth-generation dairy farmer from New Mexico, who has built her career as an environmental scientist out of her deep love for agriculture. Her influence extends beyond her home state, as she speaks at prestigious national and global conferences on agricultural sustainability. Tara also is the co-host of the popular podcast and TV series Discover Ag, where she combines food and pop culture to explore the intricacies of our food system. Her work creates captivating conversations that are both informative and light-hearted. Tara’s contributions continue to shape the dialogue around sustainable agriculture. 02:48 - The Importance of Knowing Where Our Food Comes From06:04 - Challenges of Misinformation in the Food Industry11:25 - Growing Trend of Connecting with Farmers and Ranchers25:22 - The Personal Nature of Food Choices and the Dangers of Fear Mongering30:06 - Feeding People and the Challenges of the Food System During COVID-1937:14 - The Gratification of Farming and the Impact of Food

Sam and Parker explore the concept of always wanting more and the balance between contentment and ambition. They get a bit vulnerable and share their personal struggles with finding this balance and the importance of gratitude and meaningful experiences and how they have approached those situations.01:19 - The Concept of Always Wanting More05:06 - The Personal Struggle of Balancing Ambition and Contentment=07:47 - Societal Pressures and the Culture of Wanting More09:53 - Finding the Right Balance11:30 - Elevator Shoutouts

Elevator no. 163: Andrew Bernstein, a Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame sports photographer, has captured sports history for over three decades. Working on the sidelines for teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, and Kings, he has captured countless iconic sports moments. Notably, he collaborated closely with Kobe Bryant, shooting all of the photography for Bryant's acclaimed book "Mamba Mentality." Today, Andrew directs his passion towards Legends of Sport, a company dedicated to honoring legendary athletes, teams, and pivotal moments in the world of sports.02:13 - Andy's Elevator Pitch05:31 - Andy's Journey in Sports Photography10:35 - Taking a Leap of Faith and Pursuing Passion22:16 - Elevating in Other Areas of Life27:29 - Memorializing Kobe Bryant's Murals29:25 - Favorite Moments with Kobe Bryant32:21 -The Mamba Mentality and Elevator Mentality36:08 - What's Next for Legends of Sport40:52 - Most Memorable Sports Moment46:18 - Curb Your Enthusiasm Experience50:08 - Andrew's Mental Motto

Parker and Sam discuss how they deal with anger and frustration. They share their personal experiences and strategies for managing anger, such as focusing on self-awareness, changing environments, and having open and honest conversations.02:28 - Managing Anger: Acknowledging and Responding to Emotions06:51 - Changing Environments: Finding Healthy Outlets for Anger09:41 - Open Conversations: Resolving Conflict and Promoting Growth13:41 - Elevator Shoutouts

Elevator no. 162: Jesse Rosen is the Founder and CEO of Rose Gold Presents, a leading event production and curation brand based out of New York City. Rose Gold Presents has created a community of tens of thousands NYC-based, experience-driven, house music loving, self-expressive individuals looking for the ultimate nightlife and entertainment experiences.

Parker and Sam discuss a tweet by Author Polina Pompliano where she shares 11 public speaking techniques by the world’s top public speakersLink: https://x.com/polina_marinova/status/1788199462331937172?s=46&t=WOOOofx7szAhdTb2iAM9uQ00:00 - Introduction and Catching Up03:00 - The Power of Vulnerability in Public Speaking06:01 - Raising Your Heart Rate for Better Performance09:35 - The Perception of a Speech and Giving Your Best Effort11:17 - Ending with a Clear Call to Action12:14 - Elevator Shoutouts to Ryan Kenny and Rachel Yaffe

Elevators no. 160 & 161: Bridget Sicsko and Lydia Bagarozza are the co-founders of Visibility on Purpose, a media training school founded in 2023.Lydia, a publicist, and Bridget a public speaker, founded Visibility on Purpose to teach online business owners how to gain media attention through press outlets such as top tier digital magazines, TV and podcasts. Their students have been features in media giants like Time Magazine, Yahoo, Fortune, mindbodygreen, Bustle, SheFinds, AskMen, Medium and top podcasts.00:00 - Introduction and Connection07:29 - Defining Brand and Its Importance13:32 - The Power of Personal Branding34:39 - Pitching High-Quality Guests and Seeking Speaking Opportunities44:13 - Mental Mottos: Mental Endurance and Going Through the Window

Parker’s came across an article in the Wall Street Journal highlighting a book called “Slow Productivity” by Cal Newport. It touches on an interesting idea that although we think we are being productive by doing more, we are just leading ourselves to burnout and poorer outputs. Cal flips that idea on its head with Slow Productivity.

Elevator 159: Jordan Leonard is the co-founder and CEO of Coach Corner the premier networking site connecting schools, teams, and private organizations to the athletic coaches in the youth sports industry.Jordan and his team have created an extensive marketplace of quality, vetted coaches that we aim to match to different programs based on their ideal candidate criteria. Recently, they were accepted into a Techstars program in London, England where the team is focused on elevating Coach Corner to the next level.03:25 - The Importance of Finding Coaches07:12 - Exciting Opportunity with Techstars13:17 - The Power of Communication and Follow-through14:14 - Learning from Rejection and Fueling Motivation16:12 - The Vision of Coach Corner26:35 - Lessons from Working with Friends32:27 - Using Coach Corner to Give Back36:30 - Favorite Sports Memory41:47 - Mental Motto: Be Curious, Not Judgmental

Parker came across a post on X from Sahil Bloom who uses a metaphor to describe three types of friends: leaves, branches, and roots. During the conversation, Sam and Parker discuss the importance of different types of friends in their lives and how friendships evolve as they grow older. They also touch on the challenges of maintaining friendships and the value of new friendships.00:00 - Introduction and Catching Up06:01 - The Value of New Friendships10:51 - Letting Go of Unhealthy Friendships

Parker and Sam recap Parker's wedding and reflect on the experience. The guys touch on the emotions, the speeches, the moments, and the incredible people who made the event special. They also talk about planning for the future and what's next for life after the wedding.00:00 - Reflecting on the Wedding Experience06:27 - Planning for the Future13:33 - Celebrating Achievements and Elevating Others

The guys discuss Parker's upcoming wedding. Parker reflects a bit on life and the excitement of the celebration...

Elevator no. 158: Lian Zucker is the co-founder / CEO of Loop, the matchmaking app where everyone gets to be a matchmaker for their single friends. Through Loop users can create their a profile and check out their friends connections. Then if they see someone that is interesting to them they can ask their friends for an introduction. As a result your friends become a trusted source and help make all of the matches on the app, improving the vetting component of the matchmaking process. Before founding Loop, Lian was on the founding team of Thirty Madison / Keeps.com, an early product employee at Jet.com, and an investment banking analyst at Evercore.

The guys discuss Parker's upcoming wedding and the excitement surrounding it. They then shift their focus to the incredible journey of the NC State basketball team in March Madness. They highlight the team's momentum, the power of mental fortitude, and the importance of embracing change and pivoting.00:00 - Introduction and Wedding Countdown03:06 - NC State's Journey in March Madness05:00 - The Power of Momentum06:27 - Embracing Change and Pivoting12:28 - Elevator Shoutouts

Jeff LoVecchio is a retired professional hockey player turned off-ice performance coach working with elite hockey players worldwide in person and online. Jeff has played professional hockey both in the United States and abroad. Now, he focuses his time on helping hockey players get into the best shape possible so they can bring their best selves to the ice daily, with the main goal being to help others achieve their dreams while leaving the world a better place. 03:47 - Building a Home Gym and Online Training09:11 - Living and Playing Hockey Abroad11:22 - Instilling Mindset and Motivation in Athletes22:03 - Reverse Engineering Goals25:08 - The Impact of Social Media29:24 - Failure is Not Final31:18 - Celebrating Little Wins Along the Way35:38 - The Power of Music38:02 - Resilience as the Most Impactful Lesson39:45 - Mental Motto: Give More, Be More

This week's F15 explores the concept of happiness, focusing on the impact of social media and screen time on young adults' well-being. We chat about the World Happiness Report, which reveals that the United States has fallen out of the top 20 happiest countries, with young adults being the most affected. 00:00 - Introduction01:18 - The World Happiness Report06:05 - Screen Time and In-Person Interaction09:41 - Phone Addiction12:25 - Getting Back into a Routine13:23 - Elevator Shoutouts

Briana Blair is the Co-Founder of LEAD networking and a digital marketing VP. At LEAD Networking based in Charlotte, her goal is to revolutionize networking by fostering genuine connections. Through a blend of professional networking, personal development workshops, and social events, Briana and her team create a supportive environment where members can grow both personally and professionally. Additionally, as a seasoned digital marketing leader in Fortune 100 companies, Briana specializes in cultivating impactful community relationships and driving significant ROI through innovative strategies. 00:00 - Introduction03:10 - Building Relationships First06:08 - Authentic Networking11:48 - Balancing Work and Entrepreneurship15:01 - Adapting to Different Networking Situations23:34 - The Importance of Feeling Challenged26:34 - Networking After Being Laid Off33:31 - Book Recommendations37:06 - Mental Motto

Sam and Parker reflect on recent personal losses and the mental fortitude displayed by their loved ones. They celebrate the milestone of reaching episode 300 and Sam shares stories of his grandmothers' resilience and strength. Parker honors the birthday of his stepdad Philip and they discuss the importance of living each day with purpose and making a positive impact in the world.00:00 - Episode 300 Celebration01:10 - Grandmother's Story04:19 - Grandmother's Life and Legacy07:46 - Honoring Philip's Birthday10:18 - Elevator Shoutouts

Marianna Cuomo Maier is a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach and thefounder of Grata Wellness. Marianna helps individuals feel their best inside and out by taking daily actions that improve their lifestyle and achieve their goals sustainably through one-on-one coaching and group sessions. Marianna also leads wellness workshops, meditation, and journaling groups at wellness events.Marianna graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and has a Master's in Teaching from National Louis University. Marianna is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach and Wellcoaches Certified. 00:00 - Introduction and Welcoming Mariana Cuomo Meyer03:00 - Mariana's Journey to Grata Wellness12:33 - Defining Wellness and Personalized Approach21:32 - Challenges of Young Adulthood and Tips for Wellness29:57 - Balancing Work and Personal Life35:25 - Feeling Energized in the Morning and Drained at Night40:29 - Experimenting with Food Preferences42:53 - Mental Motto

Millie Blumka and Taylor Borenstein are the co-founders of Stakt, a company rethinking the way we can move. Their patent-pending mat is the only 2-in-1 foldable fitness mat that doubles as a block for added versatility, support, and convenience.Millie and Taylor return to Elevation Nation to discuss their journey since the last time they joined the podcast in February 2022. During that time, they have fully launched their signature product, went on Shark Tank, quit their full-time jobs to go all in on Stakt, and now continue to elevate more than ever as they grow their company.

Tuesday was an elevated day for us. We spent the day at our full time job to host a 90 minute “Elevate Mental Fortitude” workshop with over 130 high school students from the New York City area. The students all thought deeply about their mindset and each walked away with a mental motto.

Jess Diamond is a Confidence Coach, host of the podcast How To Twenty-Something, and is the founder of Jess Diamond Coaching. Jess focuses on helping college students and young professionals build a solid foundation in their mental, emotional, financial, and physical health to develop the confidence within themselves to handle any future challenges, take calculated risks, and reach their full potential.As a Certified Life and Nutrition Coach and Personal Trainer, Jess is on a mission to help as many twenty-somethings as she can so they don’t feel all alone in their journey through adulthood and feel confident in anything they put their mind to.

Parker comes across a story of a young Will Smith and how his dad asked him and his brother to build a wall. It took them a year and a half as they build the wall brick by brick. The story reminds Sam and Parker of the stacking method they have used to build Elevation Nation

Sammy Kaye is an entertainment entrepreneur who currently works at William Morris Endeavor (WME) in Los Angeles. Fueled by his passion to elevate, Sammy has created a social gift card app, became a commercial actor, worked in life insurance and the estate planning business. Now, new to LA, Sammy is going all in on himself and has begun to pursue his passion in the entertainment industry.00:00 - Introduction and Getting to Know Sammy Kaye04:35 - Following Your Dreams and Pursuing Passions07:38 - Taking a Leap of Faith and Moving to Los Angeles15:48 - Embracing Negative Emotions and Using Them as Fuel23:23 - The Butterfly Effect and Embracing the Unknown26:49 - Defining Success and Finding Fulfillment34:52 - Favorite Movie: Interstellar38:52 - Book Recommendation: Heaven and Earth Grocery Store40:22 - Mental Motto41:24 - Funny Interaction with Will Ferrell

Sam has been experiencing a little health issue that he opens up about on the pod.02:19 - Sam's Health Issue: Alopecia Barba04:48 - Stress at Work and its Impact10:04 - Managing Stress through Healthy Models11:33 - Elevation Moments of the Week15:00 - Elevator Shout-outs

Aaron Chasan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Thred, a company that helps employees find meaningful connections at work. Thred builds connections at work by facilitating “Stitches” (1:1s) for coworkers based on shared interests, then measuring the impact of those connections with organizational network analysis.Outside of building Thred, Aaron is an avid skier and board game enthusiast, always looking for new ways to build connection with others. Chapters05:10 - The Problem of Loneliness in the Workplace010:00 - Creating Connections Based on Shared Interests16:48 - The Impact of Connectivity on Employee Turnover24:24 - Challenges and Decision to Start a Company31:16 - Tips for Finding Fulfillment in the Corporate World39:20 - Approaching Each Day with Fulfillment in Mind41:59 - Prioritizing Health and Well-being42:21 - Book Recommendations47:20 - Mental Mottos

Parker and Sam discuss the book 'Million Dollar Weekend' by Noah Kagan which leads them to a conversation on the concept of taking action and executing ideas within a limited timeframe. As mentioned in the book, Sam and Parker discuss Noah's thoughts on the power of asking for support, advice, and help, and how it can lead to growth and success. 00:00 - Introduction01:44 - The Power of Taking Action03:10 - The Power of Asking06:29 - Exploring Web3 and Blockchain09:23 - The Power of Rejection12:17 - Elevator Shoutouts

Sam Evans is the Founder & CEO of Lifestyle Redesigned. Sam is on a mission to inspire others to embrace their unique paths and create a life filled with purpose, adventure, and fulfillment. As a podcast host, entrepreneur, and digital nomad, Sam shares inspiration and travel recommendations on social media.Over the past three years, Sam has traveled to over 30 states and 10 countries. As she travels she has been focused on personal growth, reshaping her beliefs, deepening her self-awareness, and reframing her worldview, all while sharing her experiences with her audience.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Travel Plans03:44 - Sam Evans' Journey and Lifestyle Redesigned06:07 - Post-College Plans and Freelancing08:16 - Income and Financial Stability as a Freelancer13:44 - Navigating Conversations with Parents19:37 - Balancing Corporate Jobs and Elevation Nation25:21 - The Importance of Mental Fortitude37:04 - Future Plans and Inspiring Others42:06 - Travel Hacking with Credit Cards46:41 - Book Recommendation: Designing Your Life48:03 - Mental Mottos: Trying New Things

Sam and Parker just spent a full week in Colombia celebrating for Parker’s bachelor party. They talk through some of the highs and lows from the trip to Cartagena and Medillin. You better believe they found ways to exercise mental fortitude…

Stone Fredrickson is an entrepreneur and influencer who helps people grow and expand their social media presence so that they can take more control of their lives. Instead of going the "traditional" route after high school, Stone looked beyond a four-year university to chase his dreams. He has pushed himself to travel throughout all parts of the world and while doing so is sharing inspiration and tips on how to grow on social media.Now Stone has a thriving coaching business and has over 500K followers across all social platforms.

Sam and Parker highlight their main takeaways from a film called “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” which is about a world renowned sushi chef in Japan.

Massimo Austin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Allaway Events, a full-service event management company that creates vibrant experiences for community-driven brands and companies. Launched in 2023, Allaway has planned and hosted a variety of events from company retreats to production events for clients such as Forbes, Bombas, The Farmer's Dog, and Paul Mitchell.After working in the camp industry for four years, Massimo and his co-founders saw the opportunity to start an events company that transforms the way people connect — immersed in fresh air, genuinely engaged, and cared for through every detail. As the Allaway team continues to expand, Massi is elevating himself through discipline to take him and the company to new heights.LinkedInWebsite

Parker came across a HOT TAKE on Twitter regarding therapy and we try out a new segment of the podcast!

Rob St. Claire is a professional sports broadcaster and media personality with an emphasis on volleyball. While working as an acoustics engineer for his full time job, Rob continues to pursue his passion and dream of becoming a full time volleyball personality.As someone who grew up playing volleyball and eventually became an All-American in college, Rob has always had a deep passion for the sport. Now, he is committed more than ever in sharing his love with the world through following and sharing the stories of the most talented volleyball players throughout the world.

We came across a video on TikTok of Rick Rubin (Link) explaining how he approaches creative work. His perspective left us with a big question that we had to debate.

Laura Ter Meer is the founder of Lifting The Mood (LTM), a company focused on empowering women through fitness.Laura and her team have created the adjustable (and patented) LTM dumbbells, a tool designed to help women build confidence, raise the bar higher, and unleash their inner strength. She is empowered to not only revolutionize the fitness space for women, but Laura continues to elevate each day to bring LTM to life.

New year, same thought. How long do we go until we forget about about our new year’s resolutions. While it is natural to make them at the start of each year, do they make it harder for us to reach our real goals? We debate on this Fortitude in 15.

Matthew Schkolnick is the Co-Founder and COO of Pepper, a social cooking platform empowering home cooks with tools & community to improve the cooking experience.After five years in consulting, Matt and his co-founder Jake decided to go all in on Pepper. Pepper has had more than 750K app downloads, was the iOS app of the day in February 2022 and has been featured on Gordon Ramsey's show Food Stars.

Jack Smiley is a college hockey player for Endicott College in Beverly Massachusetts. Jack was thriving as a college hockey player pursuing his dream and doing what he loved. Then he had a stroke in February 2022, that changed everything for him. At first he didn’t even know if he was going to walk again. Now, 21 months Jack has a goal of getting back on the ice which many thought would be impossible. Jack is what it means to have mental fortitude and shares his journey to recovery on social media promoting awareness and inspiration for thousands around the globe.

Parker checks in on how he is feeling about getting married in four months. Sam is feeling good about things, minus his beard. All in all, it’s a good day to have a great day. As the year comes close to a close, we are grateful for today and excited for what’s to come.

Ayomi Samaraweera is the founder of Canopy, a startup focused on building an anonymous social app for content creators to ask questions, gain industry insights, and spill the tea in a safe space.Ayomi has over eight years of management consulting experience and during the pandemic discovered her passion for the creator economy. From there, she joined TikTok and became their Global Head of Internal Communications. Now she is going all in on Canopy.

Changing it up this week with a little rapid fire. Sam and Parker go back and forth asking each other some hard-hitting questions...

Brian Dubow is the founder of Hit of Happiness, a company founded to help people feel purpose-driven, alive, healthy, and happy by leveraging the science of happiness.Founded in March of 2020, Hit of Happiness came from Brian's desire to make a difference as a response to COVID-19. What started as a blog and coaching business has now grown into a podcast, a thriving community, a corporate consulting company, and a happiness revolution.As a Certified Happiness Trainer, Brian works with individuals across the globe helping them build habits backed by the science of happiness.Website

Bringing back Episode 193 of the Elevation Nation Podcast recorded on December 8, 2022.We are always up for a deep conversation. This one was fun talking about space, life and motivations.

Aimee Estrin is a Psychotherapist at Realistic Remedies, a company of “transition” therapists based in New York, New Jersey and Florida.Aimee specializes in mental health concerns including but limited to anxiety, depressions, coping with life transitions, relationships, trauma and self-doubt. As a therapist, Aimee uses evidence-based techniques to help her clients develop practical skills to manage their symptoms and improve their overall quality of life.

Yannis Goldman is the Director of Real Estate at Coastal Equities. Yannis' journey includes moving across the world, playing highly competitive basketball, and elevating himself in the business world through various ventures. Among all of his experiences, he brings a unique perspective of philosophy and motivation to Elevation Nation. He is a mission to teach others to embrace and become the creator they were destined to be.

Parker is coming up on his 28th birthday and Sam made his way to the Israel rally in Washington D.C. that brought almost a quarter of a million people together.

Joey Lane (elevator no. 1) got his start as a walk-on turned captain of The Ohio State University basketball team. From there he turned his playing days into a career, starting the “Drive the Lane” podcast. Joey also works as a basketball personality discussing Ohio State hoops on TV and the radio. Joey is back with us for his third appearance on Elevation Nation and we turn the microphone over to him. Joeys asks us the hard-hitting questions about life as a young adult.