• Embracing a New Definition of Success | Founder of Money Abroad Dexter Zhuang
    Nov 19 2024

    Elevator no. 185: Dexter Zuang is the founder of Money Abroad, an online education platform that helps high-performers design their independent money path. Starting his career in San Francisco, he has lived and worked across Southeast Asia and Latin America for the past 6 years. He has 10+ years of experience building products and teams at public companies (Dropbox) and scaling startups (Xendit). His work has been featured in global outlets like Business Insider, CBS, US News & World Report, and Tech in Asia. He graduated from Dartmouth College.

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    39 mins
  • Elevating the Entrepreneurial Spirit | Justin Leusner and Ben Wasserman of TDAY
    Nov 12 2024

    Elevators 183 & 184: Justin Leusner and Ben Wasserman are building TDAY Sports, which they call "Gen-Z's ESPN".

    Justin, a 21-year-old student at Penn State University, is the founder and CEO of TDAY Sports, which connects millions of Gen-Z sports fans monthly and offers ROI-driven social media services through TDAY Production. Ben, a Penn State graduate, manages partnerships at TDAY Sports, building relationships with big names like Gatorade, DAZN, and SMACKIN’ Seeds.

    Together, they’ve grown TDAY into a media brand that’s more than just sports—it’s about fostering a mindset of ambition, adaptability, and genuine connection.

    02:09 - The Entrepreneurial Spirit at Penn State
    10:03 - The Reality of Entrepreneurship
    20:08 - Building a Unique Media Brand
    29:45 - Navigating Young Adult Life and Career Choices
    39:57 - Mental Mottos

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    44 mins
  • Resilience | Fortitude in 15
    Nov 7 2024

    Parker and Sam discuss recent election and the importance of resilience in young people. They share insights from their experience at Camp Collab, emphasizing the need for community and the role of camps in fostering growth and resilience among youth.

    03:13 - Reflections on the Election
    05:58 - Insights from Camp Collab: Building Resilience
    09:05 - The Importance of Camp and Community
    11:55 - Elevator Shoutouts

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    16 mins
  • A Passion for Connecting | Head of Business Development at JUUCE Daniel Kramer
    Nov 5 2024

    Elevator no. 182: Daniel Kramer is the Head of Business Development for JUUCE, a portable charging company dedicated to enhancing charging accessibility nationwide. Driven by a passion for innovation and a strong commitment to customer experience, Daniel is focused on building meaningful relationships to further the growth of JUUCE.

    Together with the JUUCE team, he is focused on expanding the company’s presence in the U.S. market in order to establish it as a household name.

    01:47 - Daniel's Journey and Passion for Juice
    05:17 - The Drive Behind Success
    10:12 - Accountability and Personal Growth
    15:29 - Building Emotional Intelligence
    23:22 - Transactional vs. Genuine Relationships
    27:32 - Rapid Fire Questions
    31:34 - Daniel's Mental Motto

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    34 mins
  • A wild week ahead | Fortitude in 15
    Oct 31 2024

    On this Halloween Fortitude in 15, Parker and Sam share their perspectives on the wild week ahead in the United States.

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    14 mins
  • From Friends to Founders | Founders of QB Ventures Quinn Caputo and Bennett Kramer
    Oct 29 2024

    Elevators no. 180 & 181: Quinn Caputo and Bennett Kramer are the founders of QB Ventures. Back in November 2023, they ventured into entrepreneurship by purchasing their first business together - a dog grooming business based in New Jersey.

    Bennett and Quinn met while studying abroad in Barcelona. After graduating from the University of Texas and Ohio State University, respectively, they have been fascinated with the idea of starting a business together. Now a year later, they shed light on their mental fortitude mindset and lessons learned after acquiring the business.

    03:06 - The Journey of Entrepreneurship Begins
    09:03 - The Importance of Franchising in Business
    11:52 - Building a Strong Company Culture
    15:09 - Navigating the Challenges of Entrepreneurship
    18:04 - Highs and Lows of Business Ownership
    24:10 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
    27:12 - Rapid Fire Questions and Personal Insights
    30:13 - Mental Mottos

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    50 mins
  • Does Success = Happiness? (March 2023) | Fortitude in 15
    Oct 24 2024

    Fortitude in 15 replay from March 9, 2023: Parker comes across a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal titled "Is this it? When Success Isn't Satisfying" by Rachel Feintzeig that left us asking the question... Does success equal happiness?

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    16 mins
  • Building the FritoLay of Real Food | Co-Founder and CEO of Ancient Crunch Steven Rofrano
    Oct 22 2024

    Elevator no. 178: Steven Rofrano is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ancient Crunch. Steven and his team are building the FritoLay of real food focused on developing classic snacks "how they are supposed to be". Their products consist of no seed oils, fully organic ingredients, and are traditionally prepared.

    Their first product MASA Chips launched in July '22 and reset the tallow-fried snack industry. Made with just organic corn, grass-fed tallow, and sea salt, MASA is the tortilla chip, perfected.

    Steven and his team remain committed to growing Ancient Crunch. Their newest product Vandy crisps which they deem "the potato chip perfected” are available now.

    02:08 - Stephen's Background and Transition to Food Industry
    05:19 - The Influence of Childhood Food Experiences
    10:21 - The Decline of American Food Quality
    18:21 - The Importance of Knowing Where Food Comes From
    23:24 - Building the Frito-Lay of Real Food
    36:11 - Making Healthy Food Accessible
    43:23 - Stephen's Mental Motto

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    58 mins