Hacks & Hobbies is where passions turn into profit stories. Host Junaid Ahmed interviews entrepreneurs, creators, and builders who are turning what they love into real momentum—income, confidence, community, and impact. Expect practical takeaways on podcasting, video content, home studios, personal branding, systems, and mindset—so your next idea doesn’t stay “someday.” If you’re building something (a show, a brand, a business, a better version of yourself), you’ll feel at home here.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 39:06
5 Key Takeaways Constraints supercharge creativity Why working for Disney, Universal, and Nickelodeon taught Paul that tight budgets, timelines, and approvals don’t kill…
Sep 24, 2026 · 34:30
In This Episode, You’ll Learn: What intuition really is (and why it’s not a “psychic gift” reserved for a few) How to tell intuition from fear, anxiety, and wishful thinking in…
Sep 22, 2026 · 36:03
5 Key Takeaways Cybersecurity is human first, tech second Most failures start with people, not machines. Training, culture, and clear stories matter more than shiny tools.…
Sep 17, 2026 · 33:02
5 Key Takeaways Confidence is a process, not a personality trait Confidence comes from preparation, repetition, and trust — in your content, your photographer/coach, and yourself…
Sep 15, 2026 · 25:14
How Dr. Kary Oberbrunner Turns One Idea into 18 Revenue Streams (and Protects It in the AI Era) Episode Description You’re sitting on assets you don’t even know you own. In this…
Sep 10, 2026 · 30:44
Key Takeaways Soul-level patterns explained – Why your coping strategies from childhood silently become your adult identity (and how to see them clearly). Human doing vs. human…
Sep 8, 2026 · 39:57
Key Takeaways Clarity isn’t the problem—truth is. Most people say “I don’t know what to do,” but deep down they’re avoiding the truth they already sense God is showing them.…
Sep 3, 2026 · 38:12
5 Big Takeaways Traditional workouts were never built for busy people – they were designed in 1891 for strongmen with 10+ hours a week to train. 42 minutes a week can outperform…
Sep 1, 2026 · 28:49
5 Big Takeaways Time isn’t the real problem — method is. Traditional training was designed to get people “jacked,” not to make busy people strong, functional, and injury-free. 21…
Aug 27, 2026 · 28:21
5 Big Takeaways Responsible AI = augmentation, not replacement – Kaboom’s core principle is simple: keep a human in the loop and use AI to make people superhuman, not obsolete.…
Aug 25, 2026 · 39:38
5 Big Takeaways Intergenerational co-founding is a superpower when you combine AI-native speed with decades of enterprise pattern recognition and trust. Kaboom AI isn’t a “tool”…
Aug 20, 2026 · 36:57
Key Takeaways Expertise ≠ Authority: Why being brilliant at what you do is not enough—and how to create visible proof that positions you as the go-to. The “Uniform Problem”: How…
Aug 18, 2026 · 43:28
5 Big Takeaways Clarity is your compass: A powerful credibility foundation starts with a simple, under-10-word C-Pop that defines who you serve and what they’re trying to achieve…
Aug 13, 2026 · 41:25
5 bullet takeaways Credibility = Trusted + Known + Liked: credibility is relational, measurable, and actionable — not just reputation. Integrity lives in two places: what you say…
Aug 11, 2026 · 31:02
5 Big Takeaways Your gift is not a talent; it’s who you are when you’re fully alive. Frederick breaks down why your genius is less about skill and more about identity. Comfort…
Aug 6, 2026 · 24:04
You’ll Learn How a single late-night phone call revealed Billy’s bacon had gone from local love to a national movement. What really changes first when you scale – demand,…
Aug 4, 2026 · 21:45
Top 5 Takeaways: Brand starts with identity, not product. “Bill-E’s” was born in a college speech class long before the first slice hit a smoker. Serenaded bacon is brand magic,…
Jul 30, 2026 · 33:10
Five key takeaways: Domains behave like real estate: due diligence, legal terms and the buyer pool determine true value — not just a price tag. Payment-over-time deals are risky…
Jul 23, 2026 · 42:32
5 key takeaways: Community ≠ audience: community is recurring, reciprocal, and built through shared experiences, not metrics. The magic happens in the hallways: stages teach,…
Jul 21, 2026 · 50:46
Five key takeaways Stop collecting business cards: bring an agenda and one concrete follow-up goal per event. Small, intimate conferences often deliver deeper ROI than massive…
Jul 14, 2026 · 40:42
Five key takeaways Failure-as-feedback: The faster you fail, the faster you learn — in business and in the gym. Client-first transitions: How white-glove execution turned a…
Jul 9, 2026 · 19:48
Key takeaways: How personal crisis (vision loss + addiction + financial collapse) can be reframed into a purpose-driven business mission. Why traditional hearing aids fail many…
Jul 9, 2026 · 27:07
5 key takeaways: Moonshot as legacy: Digital assets on the moon turned an improbable idea into a deeply emotional milestone for a global community. Entrepreneurs as…
Jul 7, 2026 · 1:05:22
5 key takeaways Tell better stories: Use courtroom-tested structures (the hero’s journey + a 5-step persuasive framework) to make listeners care. Context > content: Give AI the…
Jul 2, 2026 · 25:50
Five key takeaways Surface‑level success is often a default script — define success on your own terms before you spend years chasing it. Big wins can create new misalignment;…
Jun 30, 2026 · 19:43
5 key takeaways: Discomfort is inevitable — choosing the hard path often leads to deeper, lasting growth. We habitually value immediate comfort over long-term benefit ("swipe…
Jun 25, 2026 · 21:43
5 Bullet Takeaways Mindset is the foundation, not the fluff: unaddressed limiting beliefs sabotage even the best strategies. Motivational interviewing is a powerful,…
Jun 23, 2026 · 21:20
5 Key Takeaways The mountaineering mindset: break big goals into micro-steps, celebrate small wins, and keep momentum through mini-rewards. Reframe “failure” as information — use…
Jun 18, 2026 · 31:21
Timestamps: 0:01 — What is the Rapid 2x Protocol? Sabir’s 25‑year engineering experiment that became a system 3:12 — Attention economics: the 1.7‑second rule and why ads aren’t…
Jun 18, 2026 · 35:10
5 key takeaways Growth is an engineering problem: opinions don’t scale — data does. Single-channel dependency (Meta ads only) is the fastest route to bankruptcy. Time-to-interact…
Jun 16, 2026 · 40:52
Key takeaways: Bankruptcy as a pivot, not a full stop — how Marianne framed the filing day as “the moment I could move forward.” Two daily practices that change everything:…
Jun 15, 2026 · 25:15
This episode made me rethink everything I believed about fundraising — not as a sprint for cash, but as a discipline of integrity, patience, and business hygiene. Michael Haskell…
Jun 15, 2026 · 23:05
When the funding hits the bank, everything changes — your team, your decisions, your sleep. In this raw, curious conversation, Michael Haskell pulls back the curtain on the…
Jun 10, 2026 · 23:52
A raw, hopeful conversation about growing up into yourself. In this second part of our deep dive with Dr. Deborah Heiser, we move from the neuroscience of aging into the…
Jun 8, 2026 · 25:21
Midlife isn’t a downhill spiral — it’s a calling. In this episode, Dr. Deborah Heiser reframes aging, mentorship, and legacy so you can turn what feels like a ‘crisis’ into a…
Jun 3, 2026 · 23:07
What if one recorded conversation could power an entire month of visibility? In this episode Robert Plank — the relentless creator behind Marketer of the Day with over 1,400…
Jun 3, 2026 · 28:41
Robert Plank didn’t start podcasting to chase fame — he started because he felt invisible. What followed was 1,400 episodes, a business built around conversation, and a…
Jun 1, 2026 · 38:00
If you keep waking up and losing the morning to scrolling, this episode is for you. Steven Puri — from IBM and Hollywood sets to building Suka — walks Junaid through the exact…
Jun 1, 2026 · 41:03
A filmmaker turned software founder shares the inciting moment when Hollywood craft collided with personal focus, sparking an app built to help creators reclaim deep work and…
May 27, 2026 · 29:18
Style is more than clothes — it’s the first sentence of your story. In this emotional, curiosity-driven conversation, Elaine Johnston traces a lifetime of fashion and writing…
May 27, 2026 · 15:20
You don’t need perfect to be magnetic — you need one story, one palette, and the courage to practice. In this intimate, practical conversation, Elaine Johnston — a storytelling…
May 26, 2026 · 33:00
5 key takeaways Surviving ≠ thriving: Zoraida explains the crucial mindset shift from getting through life to intentionally designing it. The three pillars: mental, physical,…
May 25, 2026 · 21:17
What if success didn’t mean sacrificing your health, family or sanity? In this episode Junaid sits down with Leo Gestetner — founder, CEO, and late-blooming endurance athlete —…
May 18, 2026 · 21:13
What if the real flex isn’t how big you build your business, but how fully you live your life while building it? In this episode, Junaid sits down with entrepreneur and endurance…
May 13, 2026 · 46:57
Stop chasing virality. Start building a world. In this episode Lefteris “Lefty” Koutinas — a 10x award‑winning filmmaker and branding strategist — takes us past tactics and into…
May 13, 2026 · 38:08
THIS IS YOUR PERMISSION TO STOP CHASING VIRAL HITS AND START BUILDING A WORLD. Lefteris (Lefty) Koutinas — 10x award-winning filmmaker, DJ-turned-storyteller and founder of the…
May 11, 2026 · 37:12
Start small. Speak big. Ship fast. Rory Paquette strips podcasting back to the essentials — showing creators how to launch and grow an audience without expensive gear, endless…
May 6, 2026 · 29:42
Start messy. Start now. Stop paying for permission. In this intimate conversation, Rory Paquette — a former public speaker turned podcast coach who’s earned the nickname “Robin…
May 4, 2026 · 20:48
THIS EPISODE CUTS PAST THE SELF-HELP NOISE. In a raw, curiosity-driven conversation, David Alcott (author of Swords of Illumination) dismantles the “do-have” myth and teaches the…
Apr 30, 2026 · 37:50
Most entrepreneurs are scrolling for ideas when they should be directing their own universe. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid sits down with Lefteris “Lefty”…
Apr 29, 2026 · 33:38
Short description In this intimate conversation, David Olcott peels back the myths of “finding yourself” and reveals how we actually create who we become. From the Florida Keys…
Apr 27, 2026 · 19:46
From boarded-up houses to building an empire — and a community. In this episode, Fuquan Bilal pulls back the curtain on how he moved from small distressed rehabs to raising…
Apr 22, 2026 · 16:57
Most people want freedom. Almost no one is willing to put in the work it really costs. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies , host Junaid Ahmed sits down with Fuquan Bilal , CEO…
Apr 20, 2026 · 23:01
Most founders are trapped in firefighting, not building a business that can run without them. In this episode, Junaid sits down with Stewart Ervin , the creator of the…
Apr 15, 2026 · 24:36
What if your business isn’t broken – it’s just missing a playbook? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid Ahmed sits down with Stewart Ervin , founder of Bracket…
Apr 13, 2026 · 23:55
What do you do when the system fails your child? For Nichole Daher , the answer was simple but terrifying: you build something better yourself. When her daughter was diagnosed…
Apr 8, 2026 · 37:08
He survived hurricanes, built a system in his backyard — and then built a company that took on the solar incumbents. In this raw, curiosity-driven conversation James Showalter…
Apr 6, 2026 · 37:40
From telemarketing to shaping New York Times bestsellers — Tom Freiling’s publishing journey is a lesson in curiosity, grit and human storytelling. In this episode Tom pulls back…
Apr 1, 2026 · 45:21
What if everything you’ve been taught about social media growth is wrong? In this episode, returning guest Dan Schinder — founder of Drum Talk TV , a global media brand reaching…
Mar 30, 2026 · 20:46
What happens when a shy finance kid, terrified to go on camera, commits to doing 30,000 interviews? In this raw and inspiring conversation, Adam Torres , co-founder of Mission…
Mar 25, 2026 · 25:12
He built a cutting‑edge healthtech company at MIT. Then, in one brutal week, he lost his company, his relationship, and turned 30 — and walked away from everything. In this…
Mar 25, 2026 · 20:00
If you feel successful on paper but numb inside, this conversation is your wake-up call. In this episode, Junaid sits down (for part two) with David Schafran , founder of Somo…
Mar 23, 2026 · 28:24
Most podcasters are one email away from losing everything they’ve built — and they don’t even know it. In this episode, Junaid sits down with Gordon Firemark , the industry’s…
Mar 23, 2026 · 25:34
Most creators are one wrong clip, one lazy reaction video, or one AI mistake away from a legal nightmare. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid sits down with Gordon…
Mar 18, 2026 · 19:03
What if the question you’re not asking is costing your company millions? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with Jon Bassford – an operational change agent…
Mar 18, 2026 · 18:02
What if the stories you tell yourself are the biggest thing holding you back? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid Ahmed sits down with Jon Bassford , a former lawyer…
Mar 16, 2026 · 25:27
Most coaches, consultants, and creatives are quietly terrified of saying their prices out loud. In this episode, Junaid sits down with Robin Waite — best-selling author, founder…
Mar 16, 2026 · 24:02
What if one podcast interview could replace four and a half years of marketing? In this powerful conversation, business coach and author Robin Waite reveals how he built a…
Mar 11, 2026 · 24:10
What if your most powerful leadership skill isn’t strategy or execution – but creativity? In this episode, Junaid sits back down with creative leadership coach and CEO Kate…
Mar 11, 2026 · 23:24
What if the most creative version of you never has to quit their day job? In this episode, Junaid sits down with Kate Volman – CEO of Floyd Coaching , host of Create For No…
Mar 9, 2026 · 20:56
What if scaling your business didn’t cost you your family, your sanity, or your soul? In this powerful part two, productivity strategist and founder of Get Desky, Jennifer…
Mar 9, 2026 · 21:10
You can have the house, the car, the titles… and still wake up numb. In this intimate conversation, third-generation entrepreneur and systems strategist Jennifer Bennett reveals…
Mar 4, 2026 · 36:18
Most founders are obsessed with “new customers” and blind to the fortune sitting in their existing list. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with Nikita…
Mar 4, 2026 · 34:50
Most brands think they need more traffic. Nikita says they’re already sitting on a goldmine. In this episode, email & SMS strategist Nikita Vakhrushev , founder of Aspect ,…
Mar 3, 2026 · 16:06
Are your stories changing lives—or quietly causing harm? In this powerful conversation, nonprofit messaging strategist Maria Bryan returns to go deeper into trauma‑informed…
Mar 2, 2026 · 33:23
What if the way you tell stories is quietly harming the very people you want to help? In this episode, Junaid Ahmed sits down with Maria Bryan , a trauma-informed storytelling…
Feb 25, 2026 · 34:07
If your life feels successful on the outside but empty, chaotic or exhausted on the inside, this episode is for you. In this conversation, Junaid Ahmed sits down with Irina…
Feb 25, 2026 · 17:25
What if 95% of your life is being run by programs you didn’t choose? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid Ahmed sits down with Irina Alexander , professional mental…
Feb 23, 2026 · 27:00
What if the only rule you followed was to never have a 0% day? In this powerful conversation, host Junaid Ahmed sits down with high-performance coach and entrepreneur Jake…
Feb 23, 2026 · 16:23
Most people don’t fail because they’re lazy. They fail because they get lost in the middle. In this raw and practical conversation, Junaid sits down with high‑performance coach…
Feb 18, 2026 · 24:06
Most entrepreneurs are building impressive businesses on a completely broken financial foundation. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid sits down with Paden Squires , a…
Feb 18, 2026 · 16:23
Most entrepreneurs are not failing because of their product… they’re failing because of their numbers. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies , Junaid sits down with Paden Squires…
Feb 16, 2026 · 24:09
What if your brand wasn’t a business, but your legacy? In this powerful conversation, Junaid sits down with Kaveh, the Inspiration Engineer , to unpack what it really takes to…
Feb 11, 2026 · 38:27
What if the very adversity that tried to break you was actually the blueprint for your breakthrough? In this powerful conversation, TED speaker, coach, artist and strategist…
Feb 9, 2026 · 23:45
What if your great‑grandchildren could sit down and talk to you… 100 years from now? In this emotional and mind‑bending conversation, entrepreneur Steve Endacott reveals how he’s…
Feb 4, 2026 · 16:50
What if you could build a company you never have to run again—yet it keeps growing, thriving, and changing lives? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with…
Feb 2, 2026 · 30:46
Most people watch house flips on TV. Scott Durham figured out how to own the deal in real life. In this episode, Junaid sits down with real estate investor and coach Scott Durham…
Jan 28, 2026 · 27:50
If your book, course, or expertise is sitting on a shelf, this episode is for you. Junaid sits down with learning strategist Parchelle Tashi , founder of The Author’s Leverage ,…
Jan 26, 2026 · 23:03
Most online courses fail not because the expert isn’t brilliant, but because the learning experience is broken. In this conversation, former high school math teacher turned video…
Jan 21, 2026 · 26:24
You can build an empire and still lose everything that matters. In this raw and practical conversation, high-performance men’s coach Mitchell Osmond returns to reveal why so many…
Jan 19, 2026 · 28:36
What if your biggest success story begins at your lowest point? In this raw and deeply honest conversation, leadership consultant and Dad Nation founder Mitchell Osmond shares…
Jan 14, 2026 · 35:39
What if selling cars had nothing to do with cars—and everything to do with your face on camera? In this episode, Junaid sits down with Ina Coveney , founder of Auto Social…
Jan 12, 2026 · 30:03
What if the niche you were meant to dominate is the one you never planned to enter? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with Ina Coveney , marketing…
Jan 7, 2026 · 25:33
She was 40, successful in tech… and secretly falling apart. Sleep vanished, anxiety spiked, brain fog wrecked her performance — and no one at work knew why. Even her doctors…
Jan 5, 2026 · 21:15
You don’t need more discipline. You need a system built for your brain. In this powerful conversation, ADHD strategist and founder of Unconventional Organization , Sky Waterson ,…
Dec 31, 2025 · 15:36
What if your overwhelm wasn’t a personal failure, but a wiring mismatch? In this episode, Junaid sits down with Sky Waterson , founder of Unconventional Organisation and an ADHD…
Dec 29, 2025 · 20:59
What if your next client, investor, or life-changing opportunity is already watching you… but you’re posting for likes instead of leverage? In this episode, Junaid sits down with…
Dec 24, 2025 · 18:13
You’re building everyone else’s brand… except your own. In this episode, Junaid Ahmed sits down with celebrity brand strategist Jeremy Bishop , the man behind brands for Netflix…
Dec 22, 2025 · 18:37
What if the algorithms you’re trying to “beat” were quietly rewiring who you become as a creator? In this episode, Junaid sits down with Tim O’Hearn , software engineer, growth…
Dec 17, 2025 · 23:33
What if the people promising you “10k followers in 30 days” are telling the truth – but hiding the real cost? In this episode, former quantitative finance engineer turned growth…
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