Robbie Bent: From Near Death to Building a Multi-Million Dollar Wellness Cult

Robbie Bent: From Near Death to Building a Multi-Million Dollar Wellness Cult

Today I’m talking to Robbie Bent, CEO and co-founder of Othership. Othership has scaled from a DIY backyard ice bath to a cult-like wellness brand with multiple sold-out locations across North America and plans to open a first-of-its-kind “social spa” on the Upper East Side. Robbie is a former drug addict-turned founder who’s built something genuinely novel: a space where emotional processing and human connection are the product, and sauna and cold plunge are the delivery mechanisms. What’s rare about his story is that he’s done it with four co-founders — two couples working full-time together after seven years — and he’s obsessive about building the best version of the product, not the fastest path to profit. We talk about the long-term vision, the willingness to go all-in on something nobody thought would work, and what it means to build a company around healing and community in a culture obsessed with optimization. Robbie gets vulnerable about the financial terror of physical retail, the near-death moments when he thought it was over, and why he turned down aggressive investor terms to maintain control and equity. Topics covered - From backyard experiment to $2M+ first location — and how he knew it was real - Why he thinks fear doesn’t disappear when you succeed — it just evolves - The almost-zero odds of building a successful company with two couples as co-founders - How a sauna and cold plunge became a Trojan horse for emotional healing and friendship - Why he’s terrified of competition (and how that terror drives everything he does) - From ADHD, boredom with early fatherhood to being present — the shift that changed his priorities SO much more! Timestamps  00:00 Intro  01:52 The 20-year vision  05:50 Horse trough to $2M  10:00 Building with 4 co-founders  15:39 The New York crisis  22:10 Why didn't he quit  24:25 What still scares him  27:19 The social spa experiment  31:16 Does fear ever disappear?  34:00 His anxiety toolkit  39:25 Health and clarity  40:21 Competition and abundance  43:08 Product creates community  49:48 From addiction to healing  53:58 How his wife changed him  58:35 Fatherhood evolution  01:02:18 The balance act (work, family, health, friends) 01:07:53 Other cultures and values  01:12:46 Learning from founder stories  01:16:31 Bathhouse inspiration worldwide  01:21:05 Creative retreats and psilocybin  01:23:14 Acceptance Links Robbie Bent Instagram: https://instagra.com/robbiebent X: https://x.com/robbiebent LinkedIn: Robbie Bent Luba Yudasina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeoflubaa X: https://x.com/LubaYudasina LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yudasinal

Sam Parr: How to Build a $20M Empire Without Destroying Your Marriage

Today I'm talking to Sam Parr, Co-Founder of Hampton and Founder of The Hustle, and co-host of My First Million. Sam built The Hustle to over 1.5 million subscribers, sold it for more than $20 million, and now runs one of the most exclusive founder communities in the world. Sam is a Midwestern kid turned serial entrepreneur: from running a hot dog stand to building a media empire to co-hosting My First Million, one of the biggest business podcasts out there. He's also one of the most refreshingly honest people I've ever talked to about money, marriage, and what it actually takes to build a life you're proud of. We go deep on relationships, ambition, and what it means to commit — to a partner, to a company, to a version of yourself you haven't become yet.  Topics we cover * Why he and his wife had a "co-founder conversation" six months into dating and how it changed everything * What billionaires all agree on about luck that most people starting out don't want to hear * His controversial take: overnight successes are real — and sometimes you should quit faster * How he uses negative visualization to stay grateful  * SO much more! Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:55 When Money Doesn't Feel Real 05:55 Why My Wife Bet on Me 08:35 Run Your Marriage Like a Startup 13:43 Luck Is Real 16:57 Commit Then Figure It Out 21:43 Imagine the Worst, Feel Grateful 24:51 40 Hours Can Make You Rich 27:06 Am I a One-Hit Wonder? 30:43 How to Make Anyone Open Up Links Sam Parr Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesamparr X: https://x.com/thesamparr [https://x.com/thesamparr]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MyFirstMillionPod Luba Yudasina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeoflubaa X: https://x.com/LubaYudasina [https://x.com/LubaYudasina]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yudasinal

Kevin Zhang: Inside the Mind of an Investor Writing $35M Checks

Today I'm talking to Kevin Zhang, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures. BCV sits inside Bain Capital, a $200 billion investment manager spanning private equity, credit, life sciences, and real estate, and Kevin has been there nearly a decade, leading early-stage bets from seed through Series B across AI, crypto, longevity, and industrials. We talk about confidence, self-doubt, and what it actually takes to back people before it's obvious. Kevin opens up about feeling like there was a pane of glass between him and the people who got to make big decisions — and the slow, honest process of earning his own seat at the table. We cover * "Hyperstition": why enough people believing in something can make it true * Why he thinks imposter syndrome is often just an accurate self-assessment * The BCV Fellowship: a secret program to find star talent years before they start companies * Full stack capitalism: why the most ambitious founders need more than just venture dollars * His dream second career: political talent scout * SO much more! Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:01 The Invisible Glass Ceiling 08:40 Surviving the Almost-Dead Startup 13:40 Full Stack Capitalism 19:24 Bet on People, Not Sectors 23:32 Spotting Greatness Early 27:05 Build Conviction 30:36 Beyond the SaaS Playbook 36:34 Understanding Society 39:21 Why He Stayed at Bain Capital 43:52 Investing in Founders 47:24 Rapid Fire Links Kevin Zhang X: https://x.com/kevinzhang [https://x.com/kevinzhang]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinzhang711/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinzhang711/] Luba Yudasina Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifeoflubaa X: https://x.com/LubaYudasina [https://x.com/LubaYudasina]  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/yudasinal

Hiten Shah: The Batman & Robin Rule: Why Your Business Partnership is Failing

Today I'm talking to Hiten Shah, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics, and Nira — which he sold to Dropbox. Hiten has been building SaaS companies for over 20 years and has quietly become one of the sharpest operators and thinkers in tech. We go deep on metacognition, self-improvement, and what it actually takes to understand yourself well enough to build great companies and great relationships. Hiten opens up about his process for "poking at the world" to test his own thinking, how he uses Enneagram and Human Design with AI to unlock blind spots, and the mental models that have shaped how he works with co-founders, teams, and his own family. We cover - His "purple bruise" approach to giving advice — and how he trained himself to go from six-month-delayed feedback to next-day impact - The Batman and Robin framework for co-founder relationships, partnerships, and even marriage - Why building faster with AI doesn't mean learning faster — and the companies that have figured out the difference - "Trust takes ten years" — the advice from a relative in India that keeps proving itself right His life philosophy: "It was all a dream" — and what that has to do with presence - SO much more! Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:45 Start Your Year in October 06:15 The Purple Bruise Method 12:23 AI as a Thinking Partner 20:13 Thinking About Your Thinking 25:06 Find Your Triggers First 29:32 Decide Fast With Less 34:50 Entrepreneur Since Age Four 42:17 Shed Judgment, Stay Curious 46:09 When Strengths Become Sabotage 49:56 Batman and Robin Partnerships 52:43 Finding the Right Co-Founder 59:53 Trust Takes Ten Years 1:05:04 Fast Success Hides Lessons 1:11:57 Build Faster ≠ Learn Faster 1:21:31 The Lost Craft of Startups 1:29:38 Follow Energy, Not Goals 1:36:05 The Crisis Nobody Sees 1:44:03 Selling at Peak Value 1:52:00 Know Yourself Through AI 2:07:15 One Idea, Many Posts 2:19:20 "It Was All a Dream" Links Hiten Shah  X: https://x.com/hnshah LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hnshah/ Luba Yudasina Instagram:  https://instagram.com/lifeoflubaa X: https://x.com/LubaYudasina LinkedIn:  https://linkedin.com/in/yudasinal

Ankur Nagpal ($250M founder) joins Naval Ravikant to Disrupt Venture Capital

Today I'm talking to Ankur Nagpal - founder of Teachable (nine-figure exit) and Carry (acquired by AngelList), angel investor in 100+ startups, and now a GP at USVC, AngelList's public venture fund. We talk about what it really feels like to sell two companies, why honesty is more powerful than hype, and what Ankur's learned about building, investing, and knowing when enough is enough. He gets refreshingly real about the parts of startup life nobody talks about — from emotional runway to the immigrant lens on America's self-help culture. We cover: - Why most people should never raise venture capital - The three things he looks for in founders (and why the third one is controversial) - From reading Losing My Virginity at 13 to wanting to buy a sports team — and put himself on the roster - SO much more! Timestamps 00:00 Intro 00:55 Twice Lucky, Still Humble 05:53 Confidence Is Just Age 08:18 Stress Beats Every Biohack 12:28 Venture Investing for Everyone 19:17 What Makes a Great Founder 23:05 Emotional Runway Kills First 27:53 Don't Raise Venture Capital 30:02 Your Happy Number 34:17 The $20K That Becomes Millions 37:42 Finding Your Zone of Genius 41:59 Read for Joy, Not Optimization 48:23 Maximize Your Surface Area Links Ankur Nagpal X: https://x.com/ankurnagpal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankurnagpal/ Luba Yudasina Instagram:  https://instagram.com/lifeoflubaa X: https://x.com/LubaYudasina LinkedIn:  https://linkedin.com/in/yudasinal