At just 36 years old, Rajiv Shah got a call from Hillary Clinton. Days later, he was running USAID. Less than a week into the job, a massive earthquake leveled Haiti. He had no time to prepare. He had to act. That was one of many high-stakes bets in his career. From launching a $5 billion vaccine program with the Gates Foundation to fighting Ebola and leading global humanitarian efforts, he has tackled some of the world’s biggest challenges and won. In this episode, Rajiv joins Ilana to share ho...
Mar 11, 2025•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ilana Golan watched others rise while she felt stuck in her career. Her identity was built around job titles and companies until she lost it all. Realizing she had spent years growing businesses but not herself, she invested tens of thousands to master public speaking and build her brand. That decision led to high-paying keynotes, advisory roles, board seats, and even the sale of her tech startup. In this episode, Ilana shares how she went from feeling stuck to unlocking massive opportunities th...
Mar 06, 2025•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast At just 10 years old, Grant Cardone lost his father. This moment flipped his world upside down. He spiraled into teenage addiction, hitting rock bottom in his mid-twenties. Determined to change, he got clean, mastered sales, and began building wealth. It wasn’t until his fifties, during the 2008 financial crisis, that he realized survival meant growing bigger. That’s when he went all in. He scaled Cardone Capital, grew his brand, and turned his hard-earned lessons into a multi-billion-dollar bus...
Mar 04, 2025•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Leap Academy Podcast with Ilana Golan is all about honest and inspiring conversations about what it really takes to leap to bigger things, amazing careers, and craft the life you want. Stories and tips you won't find anywhere else. Ilana speaks with some of the world's most influential people, experts, and thinkers who created incredible careers, had a massive impact, built a reputation, and lived extraordinary lives. Together, we discover the untold truths, the emotions, and important lesso...
Feb 27, 2025•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tiffany Williams started as a part-time receptionist with the Golden State Warriors, just looking to get her foot in the door. Two weeks later, she was offered a full-time role and quickly rose into business development. In 2015, she led the planning of the Warriors’ NBA Championship parade, an experience that fueled her drive for bigger opportunities. Her work ethic caught the attention of Steph Curry, who personally reached out and brought her on to help build his business empire at Thirty Ink...
Feb 27, 2025•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Where most people give up after a handful of rejections, Seth Godin got rejected 800 times by editors before finally making a big break. For him, every “no” was a clue. He adapted and mastered the system, and soon, the same editors who dismissed him were calling him first. His success wasn’t luck or passion. It was built by showing up, iterating, and playing the long game. In this episode, Seth joins Ilana to reveal why most people quit before they succeed, how to market ideas people want, and w...
Feb 25, 2025•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gil Shwed built Check Point into a $20 billion cybersecurity giant, but it all began with a flaw he spotted as a programmer in the Israeli military. Tasked with connecting classified networks, he uncovered a vulnerability, and the idea for a firewall was born. A few years later, he launched Check Point, betting on internet security before the web even existed. At 26 years old, he took the company public despite his doubts. Three decades later, he stepped down as CEO, having reshaped cybersecurit...
Feb 20, 2025•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast After the crash of his company, Michael Hyatt was determined to rise again. Returning to his old publishing firm, he took on a failing division and turned it into the most profitable. His hard work paid off with a massive bonus check. But when he rushed home to celebrate, his wife was in tears. He had put his all in at work, at the cost of his family. That moment changed everything. Instead of choosing between work and life, he found a way to win at both. Now, through Full Focus, he helps others...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast At 29 years old, Brandon Dawson was on top of the world. He had taken his company public, stood on the American Stock Exchange floor, and rang the bell. He felt unstoppable until his private equity investors sold his company against his will. Most people would have quit, but Brandon learned from this setback, cracked the code to scaling, and went on to build and sell his next company for $151 million. Today, he helps business owners do the same through Cardone Ventures, a $500 million business h...
Feb 13, 2025•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast After Craig Newmark moved to San Franciso in 1995, he had a simple idea: a mailing list to share local events with friends. It wasn’t fancy and certainly wasn’t meant to change the world. However, as the list grew, people began calling it “Craigslist,” unknowingly naming what would become a billion-dollar digital marketplace. In this episode, Craig joins Ilana to share his journey, from creating Craigslist without VC funding to stepping down as CEO to focus on customer service. He also discusses...
Feb 11, 2025•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gary ‘Vee’ Vaynerchuk was born to be an entrepreneur. At six years old, he was already running a lemonade stand like a boss, later flipping baseball cards for cash. By age 14, he had made thousands when his father put him to work in the family liquor store for $2 an hour. He hated it, but years later, he rebranded the business and scaled it from $4 million to $60 million. Realizing he didn’t own a piece of it, Gary walked away with nothing and started over. Now, as the founder of multiple ventur...
Feb 06, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Trent Shelton hit a low point after his NFL career ended, leaving him lost and questioning his purpose. Tragedy struck when his best friend, overwhelmed by his own struggles, took his life. The loss shook Trent to his core. Determined to honor his friend’s memory and empower others facing similar challenges, Trent picked up his phone and began sharing raw, heartfelt videos. These eventually evolved into RehabTime, a global movement helping millions turn pain into purpose. In this episode, Trent ...
Feb 04, 2025•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast John Graham went from being a shy, anxious kid to becoming a three-time USA Memory Champion and performing before 400 million viewers in China. Despite these achievements, John faced severe anxiety and daily panic attacks, which led him to confront and release suppressed emotions. Today, he has transformed his struggles into strength, helping others unlock their true potential. In this episode, John joins Ilana to share how he overcame severe anxiety through unconventional methods, the importanc...
Jan 30, 2025•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast After his parents’ divorce, Topaz Adizes discovered the power of connection through the camera. His drive to explore human connection led him to become a filmmaker. From filmmaking to his work with The Skin Deep, Topaz focuses on creating real, vulnerable conversations in a digital world. His viral documentary The And shows how shared space and honest dialogue can deepen relationships. In this episode, Topaz joins Ilana to discuss the art of asking questions that strengthen relationships and how...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Matt Higgins grew up in abject poverty, caring for his sick mother at just 9 years old. At age 16, he dropped out of high school to focus on financial growth, eventually earning his GED and getting into college. While balancing work, life, and caregiving, he lost his mother unexpectedly on the day he began a new job. Despite these challenges, among others, Matt co-founded a private investment firm, RSE Ventures, appeared as a guest investor on Shark Tank, and developed military drones for the U....
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast It seemed like all was lost after Nicholas “Nick” Stone was cut from three different teams during his sports career. However, he used this setback to transition into finance, eventually founding Bluestone Lane, a successful coffee shop chain. Despite having never made coffee before, his love for the premium coffee culture of his home country, Australia, inspired him to transform the U.S. coffee experience into a more personalized one. In this episode, Nick joins Ilana to share how he transformed...
Jan 21, 2025•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast After losing seven elections in college, Bill George realized that leadership is about building relationships and helping others grow. Personal losses, including the deaths of his mother and fiancée, taught him resilience and the value of purpose. Though on track to become CEO at Honeywell, Bill chose a more fulfilling path at Medtronic, focusing on the company’s mission to restore lives. In this episode, Bill takes Ilana through his leadership philosophies and shares lessons on building relatio...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Kirthiga Reddy’s legacy is built on bold decisions and breaking barriers. Defying cultural norms, she became a top engineering graduate in a society where her mother was denied an education. After moving to the U.S., her career soared, until she took a 40% pay cut to join a startup. That gamble led her to become Facebook’s first employee in India, scaling revenues to millions. She later made history as SoftBank Investment Advisers’ first female partner. Now, as CEO of web3 startup Virtualness, s...
Jan 14, 2025•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Despite her background in financial services, Lacy Garcia faced significant financial challenges after her marriage ended. She struggled with imposter syndrome, advising clients on finances while dealing with her own financial issues. Too embarrassed to seek help and unable to find the right advisors, Lacy turned her fear and discomfort into a drive for financial education and empowerment. She founded Willow, a fintech company focused on making financial advice more accessible, especially for th...
Jan 09, 2025•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Neil Patel’s story shows how hard work, persistence, and learning from failure lead to success. As a teenager, he started businesses, including building websites, but struggled with ineffective marketing agencies. This pushed him to learn digital marketing, and by 16, he helped a client make $20M, marking the start of his career. After facing challenges with his earlier ventures, he shifted from starting businesses to acquiring and turning underperforming ones into successes. Now, as the founder...
Jan 07, 2025•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast A former lawyer turned fitness powerhouse, Robin Arzón’s journey is one of resilience and inspiration. After surviving a traumatic hostage situation in college, she turned to running as a way to heal and challenge herself. She went from casual runs to completing marathons and ultra-marathons. Despite being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Robin refused to let it define her. She embraced the mantra, "Why not me?" and continued challenging herself to achieve more. In this episode, Robin shares with...
Jan 02, 2025•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Naveen Jain believes that no idea is too crazy to pursue. With the right questions and focus, you can turn big ideas into life-changing solutions. After his father's battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Naveen wondered why early cancer detection wasn’t possible. This led him to apply his 'Why me? Why this? Why now?' framework, sparking innovation in early cancer detection and chronic disease management. In this episode, Naveen talks with Ilana about the mindset that drives him to solve the wor...
Dec 31, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff Krauss went from being a shy kid with no prior experience in event planning to a trusted name in celebrity event management. Despite facing setbacks, including financial struggles and failed ventures in nightlife, Jeff learned the ropes of event planning and built a reputation for trust and hospitality. Over time, he expanded his network by forging key relationships and organizing high-profile events for celebrities like George Clooney and Saturday Night Live. In this episode, Jeff shares h...
Dec 26, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jessica Jackley grew up with values of generosity and compassion, which inspired her passion for helping others. Initially uninterested in business, she had a life-changing moment after hearing Dr. Muhammad Yunus speak about microfinance. This led her to East Africa, where she saw firsthand how small loans helped entrepreneurs escape poverty. In 2005, Jessica co-founded Kiva, a groundbreaking platform that enables individuals to lend small amounts directly to entrepreneurs worldwide. In this epi...
Dec 24, 2024•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Spencer Rascoff’s career is a masterclass in navigating crises. After co-founding the travel site Hotwire, the 9/11 tragedy devastated the travel industry. Spencer helped steer the company through this crisis, leading to its $685 million sale to Expedia. He then co-founded Zillow, guiding it through the 2008 housing crash and growing it to a $20 billion market cap. His third venture, Pacaso, a luxury vacation home co-ownership platform, launched just before the pandemic. Despite initial fears ab...
Dec 19, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tom Bilyeu’s journey is a powerful story of transformation, from self-doubt to self-mastery. His early years were shaped by fear of failure, a lack of direction, and doubts from those around him. After struggling to break into the film industry, he joined a startup with the goal of getting rich, but found himself unhappy and in a strained marriage. Taking a leap of faith, Tom walked away from millions to pursue something more meaningful. This gave rise to Quest Nutrition, a billion-dollar compan...
Dec 17, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chris Savage is a master at pivoting. He co-founded Wistia with his best friend in his living room, originally aiming to create an online filmmaking competition platform. When that didn’t work, they shifted to portfolio tools and later to secure video hosting for businesses, which became Wistia’s core offering. Chris wasn’t afraid to turn down major clients like HBO when their goals didn’t align. Despite running a $300k monthly loss and receiving multiple life-changing acquisition offers, he rej...
Dec 12, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast At age 12, Russell Brunson was inspired to become an entrepreneur after watching an infomercial about making money. Over the years, he faced massive personal and professional setbacks, from losing 60% of his staff to battling infertility, financial struggles, and nearly going to jail. But instead of giving up, he turned each failure into a lesson, tweaking his approach and ultimately co-founding the multi-billion-dollar company, ClickFunnels. In this episode, Russell shares with Ilana how he tra...
Dec 10, 2024•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Known for seizing “big, scary opportunities,” Bryan Power has defined his career by embracing risk, adapting to change, and staying focused under pressure. After turning down a promotion at Google for a new challenge at Square, he quickly realized he was in over his head. But it was in facing that discomfort head-on, that he experienced his most significant growth moments. In this episode, Bryan joins Ilana to discuss the importance of tackling challenging opportunities, the practices that lead ...
Dec 05, 2024•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Andrew Lacy stumbled into entrepreneurship after failing to land a tech job. His first company did so well that he eventually sold it to Disney. Believing he had business all figured out, he launched another company, only to realize that success wasn’t guaranteed. For his next venture, Prenuvo, Andrew took a more thoughtful approach, but investors repeatedly rejected the idea. Determined to make it work, he bootstrapped and secured loans to launch a clinic in Silicon Valley. Today, Prenuvo is re...
Dec 03, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
