3 Conversations That Will Change Your Trajectory

3 Conversations That Will Change Your Trajectory

Today, we’re bringing you a powerful recap of lessons from three incredible leaders across industries, generations, and experiences. From building brands and products to navigating failure, and stepping into leadership, this episode is a compilation of key insights that have the power to change your leadership and professional trajectory. Hear from Prashina Chopra on passion and purpose, Dr. Gerald Patnode on failure as the foundation of entrepreneurship, and Dean Molly Sauder on how a growth mindset impacts everything. Take your seat. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Prashina Chopra - Clean Beauty Product Founder and Pioneer 05:27 Takeaways: Drawing passion, support, and inspiration from your circle 06:57 Dr. Gerald Patnode - 9x Founder 09:59 Takeaways: Entrepreneurs are shaped by failure 12:34 Dean Molly Sauder: Dean of the York College School of Business 17:32 Takeaways: Growth Mindset is Key to Success

Prashina Chopra: She Built Roes Cosmetics. Then Chose to Walk Away

Today, we welcome Prashina Chopra to the Power Seat. A beauty product developer and founder of ROES Cosmetics, Shina shares what it takes to be a trailblazer and build a brand from the ground up in the South East Asian economy and beyond. From developing 30+ products to selling out at Urban Outfitters 4x, she discusses how passion fuels you even in your darkest moments and "refusing to create without intention." Most importantly, Shina opens up about the difficult decision to walk away from ROES and what that taught her about personal integrity and values, her identity, and long-term mindset. This conversation is about building brands with intention, true passion and purpose, and learning when to keep going and when to let go. Take your seat. Learn more about Shina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashinachopra/ https://roescosmetics.com/ Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Prashina Chopra and ROES 01:42 Building ROES Cosmetics From Ground Zero 02:55 Why things can go wrong quickly in business 03:58 Developing the Liquid Love Blush 05:33 Using product development as a launchpad 06:42 What managing ROES looks like 06:55 Scheduling and planning as a founder 08:53 ROES’s small team dynamic 11:31 Being a pioneer in the Southeast Asian market 13:39 Targeting sensitive skin but made for all 15:35 Sustainability at the core of ROES 17:27 Building a brand for the consumer and the planet 20:13 First time selling in Urban Outfitters 20:57 Building a brand across borders 21:21 Challenges of global marketing and sales 22:48 Balancing passion and pressure 24:09 The decision to not compromise and step away 24:29 Building with purpose, not just another brand 26:46 Refusing to create without intention 29:05 Lessons learned 29:56 Redefining success and effort 31:05 Current chapter: returning to product development 33:09 The role of global exposure 34:00 Why people make or break the experience 35:28 Seats of Power closing traditions

A Recap and Reflection: What We Have Learned So Far and What We Bring Into the Next Chapter

Today, Riya and Alexia recap and reflect on the lessons we learned from previous guests. We discuss how we’re applying that advice as we step into our next chapters...in college! We talk about goals, building strong habits, and the power of manifesting (and how to manifest effectively). This conversation is for anyone at a turning point, figuring out what to carry forward and what to leave behind into next milestones. Take your seat. - Stay tuned and follow for more episodes - Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Recap and Reflect Episode 01:44 Next Steps for Us... 02:50 Riya and Alexia Discuss the Most Impactful Lessons From Past Guests 04:01 Alexia's Quote: "You must get comfortable with the uncomfortable so you can learn and grow" 04:38 Do you still want to be an entrepreneur? 05:22 Importance of Strong Social Circle 06:59 "Empathy brings so much more meaning into the work we do" 09:13 Stepping Away While Retaining Lessons and Skills 11:48 Goals for 2026! 12:34 Continue Showing Up and Bringing 100% 13:52 Raising $300k for Childhood Cancer in Under 1 Year 15:16 The Power of Manifesting 17:39 Effective Manifesting: Envisioning the Exact Scenario Becoming a Reality

Krystal Jugarap (2x Founder): Belonging Is the Business Model

Today, we welcome Krystal Jugarap to the Power Seat. A 2x founder, speaker, and community builder, Krystal shares how she knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur as early as high school and what she did not know back then. As a mom and founder, she reflects on the lessons that shaped her leadership and the advice she would give her 18 year old self. We dive into why community is non negotiable for growth, how she built a culture of belonging through EM/POWEREDbyWMN, and the one word she refuses to use in her vocabulary. This conversation is about being solution-driven, evolving constantly, and taking action that serves others. Take your seat. Learn more about Krystal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystaljugarap/ https://www.empoweredbywmn.com/ Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Krystal Jugarap 02:56 Start of Empowering Women Entrepreneurs 05:58 The Birth of BOOKofBIJOUX: "see a need, create a solution" 08:54 Challenge of Perfectionism Preventing Action 10:43 The moment that completely shifted my mindset: 11:31 "If you don't ask, the answer is always NO" 12:21 "Failure is not in my vocabulary" 13:41 Building a Community and Culture, Not Just a Platform 17:09 Importance of Creating a Sense of Belonging 18:09 Maintaining Magic of Connection through Virtual Events 19:59 What's next for EM/POWEREDbyWMN? 21:40 What does it mean to rebrand? 22:29 Working to Increase Access to Female Mentorship 27:17 A Day in the Life of a Female Founder 28:28 ".....You always need a mentor" 30:23 Reoccurring Leadership Lessons 33:02 How does motherhood influence leadership? 33:54 Constantly Reinventing: Rebranding Chapter 34:58 Seats of Power Tradition: Takeaways and Closing Question

Dean Molly Sauder: What It Takes to Lead Early and Educate Leaders

Today, we welcome Dr. Molly Hayes Sauder to the Power Seat. As Dean of the Business School at York College of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sauder shares what it was like stepping into the Power Seat early and how her experience as a high school and collegiate athlete with a background in sports business shaped the way she leads, shows up, and gives 110%. We talk about how putting in extra effort sets up your next move, not just for yourself but for the people around you. We gained unexpected insights into the business of sports, including the parts most people never see or talk about. This conversation is about leadership, continuous learning, and building paths for others to succeed. Take your seat. Learn more about Dr. Sauder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollyhayessauder/ Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Dean Molly Sauder 00:42 Entering the Business of Sports 01:22 "Start with what you know about yourself" 04:06 Seeing Sports Through a Business Lens 06:31 Lessons from College Volleyball 08:09 Taking Leadership Lessons from Taylor Swift 08:39 Importance of Building and Utilizing A Social Network 10:23 "This is a leadership skill not many people talk about..." 12:48 Navigating a Male-Dominated Industry 14:53 Reality of the Sports Industry 18:02 Full Transparency of the Abusive Side of the Industry 20:58 Stepping into the Dean Power Seat 21:31 Dr. Sauder's Approach to Tackling New Challenges 22:04 Today’s effort unlocks tomorrow’s role. 23:50 Changing Self-Talk for Success 25:05 Learning From Everyone and Everything 26:23 The Value of Surrounding Yourself With Diverse Perspectives 29:00 "If I wasn't continuing to learn, I would probably not be a leader people want to be around" 30:23 What You Take Away From Uplifting Others 33:15 "Growth is not always a straight line" 36:05 Is there a secret to success? 38:12 The Advantage Gained from Hands-On Experiences 41:29 Champion of Students AND Their Visions 42:36 Seats of Power Tradition: Takeaways and Closing Question