• Leap Academy with Ilana Golan

  • By: Ilana Golan
  • Podcast

Leap Academy with Ilana Golan

By: Ilana Golan
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • 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, massive impact, built a reputation, and an extraordinary life. Together we discover the untold truths, the emotions, and important lessons that enabled them to reinvent themselves & leap. We take our audience on a journey that will not only inspire but also teach concrete lessons on how to leap careers: fast-track to leadership, jump to entrepreneurship, build a personal brand, portfolio career, and much more.
    © 2024 The Leap Academy with Ilana Golan
    Show more Show less
Career Success Economics Personal Success
Show more Show less
Episodes
  • Bluestone Lane Founder: How Nicholas Stone Is Redefining the U.S. Coffee Culture With Zero Coffee Experience

    Bluestone Lane Founder: How Nicholas Stone Is Redefining the U.S. Coffee Culture With Zero Coffee Experience
    Jan 21 2025
    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 an 87% revenue loss into an opportunity for innovation and reinvention, emphasizing his commitment to community, human connection, and exceptional quality. Nicholas Stone is an Australian businessman, former professional athlete, and banker. He is also the founder and CEO of Bluestone Lane, a premium coffee and café brand inspired by Australia’s rich coffee culture. In this episode, Ilana and Nick will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (01:50) The Resilience That Took Him from Sports to Finance (07:13) Moving from Australia to Chase a New York Dream (09:15) Building Connections and Networks in New York (12:23) Founding Bluestone to Fix U.S. Coffee Culture (14:59) Keeping His Day Job to Launch Bluestone Lane (20:35) Creating a People-First Café Experience (23:09) Tough Lessons on Expanding Too Soon (25:52) Filtering Advice in the Early Stages of Business (27:33) The Hidden Challenges of Running a Café Chain (32:33) How Nick Manages Founder Stress with Support (37:35) Surviving the Pandemic After Losing 87% of Revenue (45:02) Why Bluestone Sticks to Quality Over Shortcuts (48:40) Nick's Focus on Values and Promoting Internally (50:21) The Power of Celebrating Small Wins in Business Nicholas Stone is an Australian businessman, former professional athlete, and banker. He is also the founder and CEO of Bluestone Lane, a premium coffee and café brand inspired by Australia’s rich coffee culture. Under his leadership, Bluestone Lane has become the fastest-growing premium café brand in the U.S., raising $70 million in venture capital and expanding to over 65 locations. Nick has been featured in The New York Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, and more. Connect with Nick: Nick’s Website: https://bluestonelane.com/ Nick’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nicholas-stone-49465767 Leap Academy: Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW way for professionals to Advance Their Careers & Make 5-6 figures of EXTRA INCOME in Record Time. Check out our free training today at leapacademy.com/training
    Show more Show less
    55 mins
  • Former Medtronic CEO: Leadership Secrets for Achieving Success Beyond Profits | Bill George

    Former Medtronic CEO: Leadership Secrets for Achieving Success Beyond Profits | Bill George
    Jan 16 2025
    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 relationships, leading with values, and prioritizing purpose over profits, which were pivotal in driving Medtronic's success. Bill George is a renowned thought leader, educator, and bestselling author, best known for his transformative leadership as CEO of Medtronic. A strong advocate for values-driven leadership, Bill emphasizes leading with purpose, values, relationships, and heart. In this episode, Ilana and Bill will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (04:30) Learning Leadership Lessons Through Early Failures (06:50) Losing His Mother and Fiancée Suddenly (09:22) Turning Tough Moments Into Learning Opportunities (11:37) The Value of Building Relationships (13:16) Choosing Purpose Over the CEO Path at Honeywell (16:18) Measuring Impact by Lives Restored at Medtronic (21:42) Mentoring Across Different Generations for Free (24:20) Making a Risky Move to Challenge the FDA (26:47) Leadership Beyond Just Making Profits (33:18) Using Data and Intuition to Make Bold Decisions (35:48) Remarkable Leaders Who Followed Their ‘True North’ (44:21) Balancing Leadership, Family, and Self-Care (48:56) Bill's Advice for Emerging Leaders Bill George is a renowned thought leader, educator, and bestselling author, best known for his transformative leadership as CEO of Medtronic. A strong advocate for values-driven leadership, Bill emphasizes leading with purpose, values, relationships, and heart. Earlier in his career, he held senior executive roles at Honeywell and Litton Industries. He is the author of True North and serves as an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, where he taught for nearly 20 years, shaping the next generation of leaders Connect with Bill: Bill’s Website: http://www.billgeorge.org/ Bill’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/williamwgeorge/ Resources Mentioned: Bill’s Book, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/True-North-Discover-Authentic-Leadership/dp/0787987514 Bill’s Book, True North, Emerging Leader Edition: Leading Authentically in Today's Workplace: https://www.amazon.com/True-North-Emerging-Leader-Authentically-ebook/dp/B0BBSWCVT4 Leap Academy: Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW way for professionals to Advance Their Careers & Make 5-6 figures of EXTRA INCOME in Record Time. Check out our free training today at leapacademy.com/training
    Show more Show less
    59 mins
  • Former Managing Director of Facebook India, Kirthiga Reddy: How to Seize Life-Changing Opportunities

    Former Managing Director of Facebook India, Kirthiga Reddy: How to Seize Life-Changing Opportunities
    Jan 14 2025
    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, she proves that reinvention and boldness drive transformative growth. In this episode, Kirthiga joins Ilana to reflect on her career transitions and the power of embracing challenging ventures. Kirthiga Reddy is a technology leader and growth-stage investor with over 20 years of experience. She was the first female Investing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers and served as Managing Director of Facebook India. In this episode, Ilana and Kirthiga will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (02:01) Excelling Academically Despite Limited College Options (03:37) Turning Gender Bias Into a Drive for Tech Empowerment (05:37) Moving from India to the US to Further Her Education (07:58) Landing a Job in Silicon Valley (10:24) Choosing a 40% Pay Cut for the Big Picture (15:21) Joining Facebook India as Its First Employee (18:40) How Kirthiga Helped Drive Facebook’s Global Expansion (23:13) The Transition from Facebook Exec to Venture Capitalist (30:33) Transforming WeWork Into a Profitable Business (32:12) Redefining Digital Verifications with Verix (35:57) Living by a “No Regrets” Policy (38:15) Kirthiga’s Relentless Drive for Growth (40:16) Why Bold Career Moves Are Worth the Risk (42:20) How to Get 100 Free Verix-Verified Certifications (44:11) The Power of Lifting Others as You Rise Kirthiga Reddy is a technology leader and growth-stage investor with over 20 years of experience. She is the CEO of Virtualness, an AI-powered blockchain platform, and served on the Board of Directors for WeWork. Kirthiga was the first female Investing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers, managing a portfolio of over $5 billion. She also served as Managing Director of Facebook India, scaling operations across South Asia and emerging markets. Connect with Kirthiga: Kirthiga’s Website: https://kirthigareddy.com/ Kirthiga’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirthiga Resources Mentioned: Verix’s Website: www.verix.io Leap Academy: Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW way for professionals to Advance Their Careers & Make 5-6 figures of EXTRA INCOME in Record Time. Check out our free training today at leapacademy.com/training
    Show more Show less
    46 mins

What listeners say about Leap Academy with Ilana Golan

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
No Reviews are Available