A Box Full of Chocolates

#4 Liyana Razman (2/2) - Building a Life in Malaysia, Mgmt Consulting & the Joy of Teaching

This is Part 2 of 2 - Liyana is an all-around badass. She speaks over 5 languages (including English, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian and French), competes in Brazilian Jiujitsu tournaments, works as a consultant, and has always been so curious about life. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to build her life in Malaysia, working as a management consultant, and her love for martial arts. Enjoy!

#3 Liyana Razman (1/2) - Bullies, Embracing Curiosity & Solo-tripping across Russia

This is Part 1 of 2 - Liyana is an all-around badass. She speaks over 5 languages (including English, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian and French), competes in Brazilian Jiujitsu tournaments, works as a consultant, and has always been so curious about life.  In this episode, we talk about her love for languages, how she dealt with getting bullied as a child, why she loved Paris, and solo tripping around Russia, and what keeps her staying curious.

#2 Otto Nagengast - Leaving Big Tech, the Power of Partnership, and Finding Self-Confidence

Otto and I first met back in school in New Mexico, in fact, I remember this pretty well because he was actually the first person I met on campus. After graduating Magna Cum Laude in economics & mathematics from Middlebury, he jumped into the heart of the tech scene in San Francisco, working for one of the largest data brokerage companies in the world. Less than 2 years later, he decided to quit. I've always enjoyed talking to Otto, I think mainly because he's always switched on, well-read, and extremely humble. I'm really happy we got to record a session together.  We start off chatting about what it's like living in a politically charged America (we recorded this episode right before the 2020 elections) and gradually dive into why he decided to quit a seemingly perfect lifestyle in San Francisco. I've not met many people as humble as Otto and I'm really grateful for him taking the time to share his journey and I appreciate how open he always is about all of it. Cheers Otto!

#1 Emilio Rodriguez - Living Purposefully, the White Saviour Complex, and Choosing Education as a Profession

Emilio is one of my dearest friends. Even back then in high school, at UWC (this acronym pops up a couple of times), he already stood out as being lovable, brave, and larger than life. Despite being half a world apart and only seeing each other twice since graduation in 2013, he continues to have a lasting impact my life. His humility keeps me grounded and his tireless work ethic challenges me to be more resilient. Over the course of our chat, we reflect on different moments in his life - all of which have important in challenging his world view and have shaped who he is today. We talk about how volunteering in India was a brutal wake up call, his decision to move into education by first spending 2 years teaching in a primary school in the outskirts of his home town in Paraguay, and finally about mortality and how his father’s death has lead him to live a more purposeful life.