Courage Isn’t What You Think It Is | Why Vulnerability Is the Real Strength

Conscious Leadership Isn’t About Being Nice | Seb Naum on Purpose, Conscious Capitalism and Scaling Good

What if making money and doing good were never supposed to be opposites? In this episode of Keep Pushing, I sit down with Sebastian Naum, entrepreneur, podcast host, and President of Conscious Capitalism LA, for a conversation about purpose, leadership, business, family, and what it actually means to build something that makes an impact. Seb opens up about growing up in Argentina, moving to the U.S. as a kid, feeling like an outsider, and finding his way through sports, curiosity, and entrepreneurship. We talk about his first business building eco-friendly baseball bats, the family loss that shaped his drive, and why he no longer believes one big business win is going to “save” him or the people he loves. This conversation goes deep into conscious capitalism, greenwashing, purpose washing, leadership, entrepreneurship, and the hard truth that being a conscious leader does not just mean being nice. Sometimes it means making tough calls, holding people accountable, and still choosing to lead with awareness. This is a conversation about building businesses that scale good, creating spaces where people feel safe to be honest, and learning how to keep pushing with more purpose, presence, and joy. In this episode we discuss: * How growing up in Argentina shaped Seb’s sense of family, competition, and connection * What it was like moving to the U.S. and navigating culture shock as a kid * How sports helped Seb find belonging when he felt like an outsider * The story behind Seb’s eco-friendly baseball bat company * Why getting close to Major League Baseball was not enough to keep him passionate * How family loss and betrayal shaped Seb’s early drive to “make it” * Why Seb no longer believes one big business win will save him * What conscious capitalism actually means * The difference between making money and extracting from people * Why conscious leadership is not the same thing as being nice * How to spot greenwashing and purpose washing * Why conscious businesses still need to be profitable * How asking better questions can create deeper connection Connect with Seb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebnaum/ [https://www.instagram.com/sebnaum/] Website: https://sebastiannaum.com/ [https://sebastiannaum.com/] Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NxpHuQyAihurnij5ljUmw?si=bd2ce5d2a8d6432a [https://open.spotify.com/show/6NxpHuQyAihurnij5ljUmw?si=bd2ce5d2a8d6432a] Follow Keep Pushing Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-pushing-with-brandon-desjarlais/id1884161960⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht]

The Cost of Half-Truths | Honesty, Trust, and the Private Practice of Integrity

What does it really cost to tell the truth only when it’s convenient? In this solo episode of Keep Pushing, I open up about a recent breakup and the painful realization that withholding the truth is still a break in trust. This is not an episode about blaming someone else or airing out the private details of a relationship. It is a conversation about honesty, integrity, heartbreak, and what it means to become a safer person to love. After reading Polysecure and reflecting on trust, open communication, and relationship security, I confront an old pattern: saying just enough to feel honest while still protecting myself from discomfort, consequence, and being fully seen. This episode explores the difference between truth eventually and integrity immediately, and why real connection cannot exist without honesty. In this episode I talk about: * Why a half-truth is still broken trust * The difference between real honesty and honesty on my own terms * How withholding the truth becomes a form of control * Why being admired is not the same as being known * What heartbreak can teach us about integrity, accountability, and love * Why integrity is not a brand value, but a private practice Follow Keep Pushing Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht]

Taking the Mask Off | Aaron Gambel on Male Loneliness, Rock Bottom, and Rebuilding

What happens when the mask you built to survive starts keeping you from the life you actually want? In this episode of Keep Pushing, I sit down with Aaron Gambel, a Los Angeles-based coach, father, men’s group facilitator, and creator of Dad Mode Activated, a program supporting new and soon-to-be dads. This conversation goes deep into childhood trauma, emotional neglect, divorce, fatherhood, male loneliness, and the stories men carry but rarely say out loud. Aaron opens up about growing up feeling like he was never enough, nearly taking his own life, checking himself into treatment, and beginning the long process of rebuilding from the inside out. We talk about the masks men learn to wear, why so many men wait until rock bottom before asking for help, and what it takes to become the kind of father, partner, and man your younger self needed. This is a conversation about healing, presence, vulnerability, and breaking the cycle before it gets passed down to the people we love most. In this episode we discuss: * How childhood emotional neglect shaped Aaron’s belief that he was never enough * The night Aaron nearly took his own life and the image of his kids that saved him * Why checking himself into treatment became his “mental health college experience” * The hidden cost of using anger, achievement, and overwork to avoid pain * Why men often mistake isolation for strength * How fatherhood forced Aaron to confront the parts of himself he did not want to pass down * Why presence matters more than providing when raising kids * How men’s groups create a space for vulnerability, brotherhood, and healing Connect with Aaron Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AaronMGamBEL TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@AaronGambel Website: https://www.aarongambel.com [https://www.aarongambel.com] Follow Keep Pushing Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-pushing-with-brandon-desjarlais/id1884161960 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/keep-pushing-with-brandon-desjarlais/id1884161960] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht]

What Coachella Taught Me About Judgment, Control, and Surrender

What happens when your judgment of something starts shaping what you’re able to see inside it? In this solo episode of Keep Pushing, I reflect on an unexpected weekend at Coachella that turned into a much deeper lesson about judgment, control, surrender, and trust. What started as me testing an experience I had already written off became a confrontation with the stories I create, the energy I bring into situations, and how often that energy limits what becomes possible. This conversation goes far beyond Coachella weekend 1. I talk about the moment it clicked that I was not just observing my experience, but helping create it, the wild “Monks of Stoke” moment that forced me to physically practice surrender, and how all of it connects back to childhood volatility, leadership, and the ways I still grip for control when life feels uncertain. I also reflect on Justin Bieber’s performance, the power of softness, and what it means to lead with more conviction and less performance. In this episode I talk about: * Why judging something too early can limit both the experience and your own growth * How resistance, posture, and energy can quietly shape what you end up seeing in other people * The deeper connection between control, childhood chaos, and the difficulty of surrender * What a bizarre Coachella moment taught me about trust, release, and embodied transformation * Why softness can hold more power than charisma or performance * How releasing judgment can create more openness, possibility, and support in everyday life Follow Keep Pushing Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht]

From Proving Yourself to Becoming Yourself | Narasimha (Nivedan Nayak) on Identity, Reinvention, and Self-Worth

What if the life you built looks good on the outside, but still is not fully you? In this episode of Keep Pushing, I sit down with Nivedan Nayak (Narasimha), artist, producer, and DJ, for a conversation about identity, self-worth, and reinvention. We talk about his journey from feeling like he had to prove himself, to punk rock drumming, to building momentum in the afro-house music genre, to leaving Los Angeles to study drum and dance in West Africa and reconnect with his roots in India. This is a conversation about what happens when achievement stops feeling like enough. We get into immigrant expectations, heartbreak, healing, and the deeper work of becoming who you are without needing to earn your worth first. In this episode we discuss: * How growing up younger than everyone else made Nivedan feel like he had to prove his worth * The pressure of immigrant family expectations and performing a polished image * Why leaving a good life behind can be necessary if you want a more aligned one * The identity shift from drummer to producer and why becoming a beginner again was so hard * What his time in West Africa and India revealed about grief, healing, and who he really is * How somatic work helped him release the “invisible brake” and move through life with more freedom Connect with Nivedan Instagram: ⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/garrettgentle/]https://www.instagram.com/narasimha_music/ [https://www.instagram.com/narasimha_music/⁠] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wzbr5OelMdawn7HrZRefV?si=uweJbLMXRaiggzTRrdTiLg [https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wzbr5OelMdawn7HrZRefV?si=uweJbLMXRaiggzTRrdTiLg] All His Links: https://linktr.ee/narasimhamusic [https://linktr.ee/narasimhamusic] Follow Keep Pushing Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/keeppushingpodcast/] YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuWmmT-3aLBe5jmH0o99GlzgR8owdyiht]