I'm Here Too

Honor Your DNA, a conversation with Leelila Strogov

In this episode, I talk with Leelila Strogov about ambition, stewardship, identity, and what responsibility looks like in midlife. Leelila is the Founder and CEO of AtomicMind, a global education consulting firm helping high-achieving students navigate some of the world’s most competitive institutions. But this conversation isn’t really about admissions. It’s about formation: how people learn who they are, what becomes possible for them, and whether ambition expands or constricts under pressure. We talk about honoring identity early, the difference between joyful ambition and imposed ambition, and why excellence should feel alive rather than extractive. We also explore technology as a tool for becoming more human, the discipline of protecting attention and trust, and what it means to use influence in ways that create possibility for others. Throughout the conversation is a deeper question: What responsibility do we have for the systems, stories, and environments shaping the next generation? Topics include leadership, parenting, institutional culture, technology, identity, ambition, stewardship, and generational responsibility. About Leelila Strogov Leelila Strogov is the Founder and CEO of AtomicMind, a global education consulting firm helping high-achieving students gain admission to the world’s most selective schools. AtomicMind is known for its exceptional success rates at Ivy League and IvyPlus institutions, driven by deep admissions intelligence and insight. Before launching AtomicMind, Leelila was an Emmy Award–winning investigative reporter and producer at Fox News in Los Angeles. She holds a B.S. from MIT and is recognized as a notable alumna. Blending analytical rigor with powerful storytelling, Leelila helps students stand out beyond grades and test scores—ultimately guiding students to craft applications that are strategic, authentic, and compelling.

I Wanted to Want It, a conversation with Rory Eakin

If you've ever chased a career path mostly because it was expected, and felt the gap between what you wanted and what you thought you were supposed to want, this one is for you. Rory Eakin spent a summer in a suit, in an office building, knowing it was wrong. He wanted to want it. He didn't. He said no to the job, went to Cape Town to teach math, and began a series of career deviations that he says got easier with each one. We talk about what it means to grow up with an inherited picture of what success is supposed to look like, and what happens when you start pulling away from it. About burnout and the self-understanding it can unlock. About identity and how hard it is to separate who you are from what you do. And about something that surprised him: a pull toward faith and community after years of describing himself as a confident atheist. About Rory Rory Eakin is a co-Founder and Director of CircleUp, a data analytics company founded to help entrepreneurs thrive. Prior to CircleUp, Rory served as Director of Investments at Humanity United, a private foundation. He started his career as a math teacher at the University of Cape Town. Rory received his MBA from Stanford, and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Cape Town. He grew up in Washington DC, and now lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children, where he enjoys hiking, board games, and Mario Kart.

Do the Doing, a conversation with Jon Zweifler

What would make you walk away from a Fortune 500 career to become an “old founder?” In this episode, I reconnect with my middle school buddy, Jon Zweifler. We talk about hitting a ceiling in your career and what happens when you realize there is no “next job” that will teach you something new. Jon shares his journey from the Fortune 500 to life as a tech founder who is building Reed AI from the ground up to turn real-world language into learnable moments for neurodivergent kids and how his personal journey inspired a platform helping children make more sense of the world around them.  We also get into parenting in a rapidly changing world, including the realization that some teenagers don’t see the point of having a driver’s license, what it’s like to raise a child without a clear timetable or milestones, and letting go of velocity when you are wired to optimize everything. Jon’s lightning round answers don’t disappoint. He manages to choose both options on more than one occasion, makes a bold claim about Carmen San Diego, and has a relatable insight as to why he didn’t need to watch The Real World. Join us as we talk about the long game of doing the work, even when there are no guarantees.

Live as You're Going, a conversation with Kahwa Douoguih

“You have to live as you're going to your objectives. You can't just wait for them.” Kahwa and I met in elementary school. We grew up together at the same small private school in New Jersey and lost close track when her family moved in middle school. On September 11, 2001, she was working at the IMF in Washington, D.C. That experience and the very specific decision she made the next day became a guiding principle for her. During our conversation, we talk about protecting your time. About choosing space over status as members of a generation that was trained to optimize for both. About growing up multiracial, having hair that wasn’t like our classmates. We talk about why she enjoys having Scotland as a second home, losing a parent, and what happened when she had a baby she wasn't planning for in her 40s. About Kahwa Douoguih Kahwa is an entrepreneur, economist and educator committed to creating and growing business ventures and sustainable solutions in Africa and helping the next generation develop a globalized perspective in business and entrepreneurship. She has a broad scope of international experience in Africa and the Americas in the areas of economics, development and finance at both public and private sector institutions including the Vale (Inco), Africa Finance Corporation, IMF and several start-up ventures. She is on the Board of Directors of local and multinational manufacturing, natural resource and economic development organizations.

The Dream Can Change, a conversation with Sunil Ayyagari

In this episode, I reconnect with Sunil Ayyagari, someone I’ve known since we were kids, to talk about time, identity, ambition, and what it looks like to build a life that surprises you. Sunil reflects on growing up queer in the late 80s and 90s, when stigma and fear shaped what was visible, and how pop culture touchstones like Madonna and Pedro Zamora, plus early AOL chat rooms, helped him piece together a sense of self. We talk about moving to New York, working in theater, and the moment he realized the dream had limits, including burnout, money, and the feeling of hitting a ceiling. From there, he walks through a full reset in his early thirties: business school, a new industry, a new city, and eventually marriage and a move back to North Jersey. We also get into attention and technology, what we miss about appointment TV and mixtapes, and how our cohort came of age before constant connectivity, then got addicted anyway. At its heart, this conversation asks: what happens when the life you thought you wanted changes? About Sunil Ayyagari Sunil Ayyagari works in brand strategy and innovation for national and global brands.  From 60+ theater productions, to sexual lubricants to soup, he’s had the opportunity to market a diverse range of products, keeping the work days interesting Outside of work, Sunil’s passions include the performing arts, fundraising for the MS Society of NJ,  and seeing the world with his husband of 7 years.  He’s also a cat dad, with two children named Biscuit and Gravy, who are delicious as they sound.