Human Success Stories

Joan Barnes — The Woman Behind Gymboree and the Life She Built After It

Joan Barnes built Gymboree from a church basement and a few thousand dollars into a global brand that eventually sold for $2 billion — and she'll be the first to tell you that's not the part of her story she's most proud of. In this conversation, Joan traces the wild arc from lonely new mother in 1970s San Francisco to accidental entrepreneur, walking us through the near-misses, collapsed deals, and the moment she realized she'd built something that couldn't sustain itself — or her. What makes Joan's story stick isn't the business — it's what came after. She talks openly about stepping away from Gymboree, the personal battles that preceded it, and the long road back to herself. Now she's clear-eyed about what she got wrong, unbothered by the money she left on the table, and genuinely at peace. Joan doesn't fit neatly into the success story mold, and that makes it a story you've got to hear. Human Success Stories is a One Wealth production, hosted by David Steele and Jonathan Steele, co-founders of One Wealth Advisors. One Wealth helps people simplify the financial complexity of their lives so they can be more present for the moments that matter. Learn more at ⁠onewealth.net ⁠ [https://onewealth.net/]or reach out at info@onewealth.net. This podcast is provided by One Wealth Advisors, LLC. This post and the content discussed in this podcast should not be construed as investment advice.

Lorne Goldberg: From Junior Tennis Prodigy to Building an Empire

Lorne Goldberg was one of the top junior tennis players in the world at 18 years old and clear-eyed enough to know it wasn't going to be enough. So he walked away, taught himself finance by reading the Wall Street Journal cover to cover, and eventually built one of the largest Chinese quick-service restaurant portfolios in North America. In this conversation with one of his closest friends of nearly 40 years, Lorne traces the arc from first-generation college graduate to self-made investor who refused to stop competing. Human Success Stories is a One Wealth production, hosted by David Steele and Jonathan Steele, co-founders of One Wealth Advisors. One Wealth helps people simplify the financial complexity of their lives so they can be more present for the moments that matter. Learn more at ⁠⁠onewealth.net ⁠⁠ [https://onewealth.net/]or reach out at info@onewealth.net. This podcast is provided by One Wealth Advisors, LLC. This post and the content discussed in this podcast should not be construed as investment advice.

Dr. Dawn McGuire, Neurologist and Poet, Examines Space Between Science and Soul

Growing up in a small town in Appalachian Kentucky, Dawn McGuire understood early on that a life well-lived meant staying curious, staying educated, and showing up for the people around her. That conviction carried her through med school, the AIDS wards of UCSF, a Master's in Divinity, and eventually to founding a free clinic that grew from serving HIV patients to serving veterans — all while writing poetry. In this conversation, Dawn traces that journey and shares how she thinks about success: not as achievement, but as being genuinely useful to the people in front of you. Dawn also reads from her work, including a love letter to her hometown. This is a rare conversation with someone who has spent decades refusing to let any one discipline be enough. Human Success Stories is a One Wealth production, hosted by David Steele and Jonathan Steele, co-founders of One Wealth Advisors. One Wealth helps people simplify the financial complexity of their lives so they can be more present for the moments that matter. Learn more at ⁠onewealth.net ⁠ [https://onewealth.net/]or reach out at info@onewealth.net. This podcast is provided by One Wealth Advisors, LLC. This post and the content discussed in this podcast should not be construed as investment advice.

John Paluska's Second Act: How managing Phish prepared him for the restaurant business

What does success look like when you've helped build one of the most iconic bands in modern music history — and then walked away to start over? In this episode, David and Jonathan Steele sit down with John Paluska, a man who has quietly shaped extraordinary things just outside of the spotlight. For nearly two decades, John managed the rock band Phish from their humble beginnings in a Vermont club in the late '80s all the way to becoming one of the most beloved and fiercely loyal fan bases in music history. But this conversation is about far more than Phish. David and John have shared thousands of miles on mountain bikes together, and that friendship gives this episode a special depth and honesty. They explore what it's like to be adjacent to fame, the fear of following a remarkable first act, and the difference between your survival dance and your sacred dance, which may be one of the most clarifying frameworks for defining success you've ever heard. Human Success Stories is a One Wealth production, hosted by David Steele and Jonathan Steele, co-founders of One Wealth Advisors. One Wealth helps people simplify the financial complexity of their lives so they can be more present for the moments that matter. Learn more at onewealth.net [https://onewealth.net/]or reach out at info@onewealth.net. This podcast is provided by One Wealth Advisors, LLC. This post and the content discussed in this podcast should not be construed as investment advice.