The One Away Show

The One Away Show
  • 5.0 (122)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Biweekly

I believe one moment can change everything. On The One Away Show, I sit down with entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders to talk about the pivotal experiences that reshaped their path—personally or professionally. These conversations go beyond the surface. We explore the decisions, turning points, and inner shifts that define who we become and how we show up in the world. If you're drawn to stories of growth, identity, and purpose, I think you'll feel at home here. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. I'm glad you're here.

  1. 4d ago

    One Eagles Game Away From Building an Empire

    Marc Shaw never planned to be in the title business. He wanted to prosecute insider trading at the SEC. Never got the callback. Instead, at the 2002 NFC Championship Game — a loss, by the way — he struck up a conversation with the guy sitting in front of him. That stranger was in the title space. And he offered Mark some closings on the side while he finished law school. That one conversation turned into a career. And that career turned into Worldwide Title — one of the fastest growing title companies in the country, built on a simple belief: technology doesn't replace trust. It just relocates it. In this episode, Marc breaks down: How a stranger at an Eagles game changed the entire trajectory of his life What he saw in the title industry that nobody else was paying attention to Why his first employees are still with him today — and what that says about culture The human expertise layer that no amount of AI can replace Why title insurance is fundamentally a promise, not a transaction The Atari to PlayStation 10 analogy for where AI is headed — and what it means for his industry Why judgment, relationships, and trust are about to become the most valuable skills in business If you've ever stumbled into something that turned out to be exactly where you were supposed to be — this one's for you.

  2. Jul 23

    One Daughter Away From Discovering His Life's Work

    Naren was a lawyer at three different venture-funded tech companies when the dot com bubble burst and took all three of them with it. So he did what any reasonable attorney would do next. He started a children's book company. It started with a bedtime story for his three-year-old daughter, a Virginia Tech mascot named the Hokie Bird, and some truly terrible illustrations. That one book sold 5,000 copies in six months — and unlocked a niche nobody had touched: children's books at the intersection of licensed sports content and university pride. 350 universities later, he had a publishing company. Then in 2018, he pivoted again — into thought leadership publishing through Amplify, helping executives, entrepreneurs, and experts turn their ideas into books that open doors nothing else can. In this episode, Naren breaks down: Why he went from law to publishing — and why it made more sense than it sounds How one proof of concept became a deal with 350+ universities and Major League Baseball The 2018 pivot to thought leadership books and why it changed everything Why a book is the ultimate long-form content flex — and what LinkedIn posts will never be able to do The AI writing question every author is wrestling with right now — and where the line actually is Why your email list is still your single most valuable asset at launch The bureau strategy that gets speakers more bookings from a single book tour If you've ever thought about writing a book — or wondered if it's still worth it — this one's your answer.

  3. Jul 14

    One Exit Away From Building Something Entirely Their Own

    Stephanie spent 20 years helping her dad grow his natural ingredient business. She fell in love with the work, the industry, and the meaning behind it all. Then they sold it — and she was left staring at a blank page. What do you do when the thing that gave your work its soul is gone? You build something new. From scratch. On your own terms. And if you're lucky, you get to do it with the person you love most. In this episode, Stephanie and Tyler share the story behind Dabble & Dollop — a kids' personal care brand built on values, not venture capital — and what it actually looks like to build a business together as husband and wife. We get into: Why selling the family business was the catalyst Steph needed to bet on herself How Tyler went from investment banking to Mint Mobile to co-founder — and why the timing finally felt right What working with her dad taught Steph about autonomy, risk, and what meaningful work actually feels like The real consumer insight that changed their entire product strategy Why parents of newborns will spend anything — and what happens at age three The cash flow reality of self-funded consumer products (spoiler: it's brutal) Why the entrepreneurship unicorn story is a lie — and what seven years of fighting actually looks like How Steph stays positive when the road gets hard If you've ever wondered what it takes to build something real — with no outside money, no safety net, and everything on the line — this one's for you.

  4. Jul 8

    One Yes Away From the Greatest Decision of His Life

    Derek Coburn has made a lot of decisions in his life. Good ones. Bad ones. But ask him which one changed everything — and the answer comes without hesitation. Marrying Melanie. Not a business deal. Not a career pivot. Not a bold financial bet. The person he chose to build his life with. And 17 years, two kids, and a thriving wealth management practice later — he's more convinced than ever that who you marry is the most important decision you'll ever make. In this episode, Derek gets refreshingly honest about what it actually takes to build a great marriage, a great career, and a great life — at the same time. We get into: Why "happy wife, happy life" is some of the worst advice ever given Starting therapy while engaged — and never stopping The privilege nobody talks about: waking up next to someone you love The Tale of Two Tonys — and why you probably only need to save 1% to retire well The $50,000 moment every parent is taking for granted right now Why he restructured his entire day around being available when his kids want him What it means to be in the "regret minimization business" Why he's not selling anything — and why that makes everything he says more worth hearing If you've ever wondered what it looks like to actually design a life you don't want to escape from — this one's for you.

  5. Jun 16

    One Crisis Away From Finding Out What You're Made Of

    In February 2020, Willie Litvack had his biggest month ever. Squadup — the self-service ticketing platform he'd spent six years building brick by brick — had just crossed $400K in monthly revenue. The business was profitable. The momentum was real. Then the phone rang. Within nine days, revenue went from $400K to zero. Willie had to furlough 17 people on a call with a lawyer billing $700 an hour — a lawyer he couldn't afford. And he had to figure out how to keep the lights on with almost nothing in the bank. What he did next is a masterclass in leading through chaos. In this episode, Willie shares: How he built Squadup from zero to $5M ARR without VC money — and why that made COVID hit harder The emotional reality of letting 17 people go in a single day and what it took to carry that Why the CEO's job is to be a shield — and what happens when the shield breaks How they used the downtime to rebuild the product and came out stronger on the other side The eventual exit and what it actually felt like Why he started Press On Ventures — and what "press on" means to him personally The three I's framework he uses to evaluate every founder: Integrity, Intensity, Intelligence The role his wife Madeline played in making all of it possible If you've ever had to hold it together when everything was falling apart — this one's for you.

  6. Jun 11

    One Meditation Away From the Biggest Bet of His Life

    Shiv Gettu didn't find his big idea in a boardroom. He found it in a basement, 45 minutes deep in meditation. That moment of stillness sparked a decision that would define the next decade of his life — convincing his co-founder Kendrick to quit his job, become a leasing agent for free, and spend nine months learning the real estate industry from the ground up. The hustle earned them their first $500K check. And then COVID wiped it all out. From burning $100K a month with no travelers and a mountain of leases, Shiv and his team did what most founders can't — they pivoted fast, built an AI leasing agent from scratch, and turned a crisis into the foundation of Zuma. In this episode, we get into: The mentor who meditated, invested, and changed everything Why the best company decisions come from silence, not spreadsheets How COVID destroyed their business — and forced them to build a better one The RV tour: driving across the country with a podcast studio to get close to customers Why relationship first, transaction second is the only enterprise sales strategy that works Naval's framework for picking the right problem — and why most founders skip this step Paul Graham's essay on doing great work and what it actually takes If you've ever made a leap that looked crazy from the outside but felt completely right on the inside — this one's for you.

  7. Jun 4

    One Field Trip Away From Building the Future

    Justin Gelinas hated school. Not because he wasn't smart, because the box was too small. Then a teacher named Laurie took him on a field trip to a design studio in Burlington, Vermont. Tribe Called Quest was playing. There was a half pipe in the basement. Twenty-somethings were designing brand strategy for Burton Snowboards on an open floor plan. And Justin walked out knowing exactly what he wanted to build. That one field trip set off a lifelong pursuit of the unconventional, from DJing at 13, to building creative technology companies, to now founding TAHO: middleware that's making AI infrastructure faster, cheaper, and more efficient at a moment when the world desperately needs it. In this episode, we get into: Why the cookie cutter school path never fit — and what happened when he found his version of it How music and business are more alike than anyone admits The role his entrepreneurial mom played in shaping how he saw work Building and selling a company right before the AI wave hit Why the infrastructure powering AI today was built for a world that no longer exists What TAHO is doing to solve the compute crisis — and why data centers running at "full capacity" are actually only at 50% His three pillars for every product decision: faster, more affordable, universally adaptable If you've ever known in your gut that the conventional path wasn't yours — this one will hit.

  8. May 20

    One Realization Away From Thinking at Scale

    Rajat Suri was supposed to be a doctor. That was the plan. The Indian dream, as he puts it. And he was on track. Then he walked into a three-hour lecture by a professor named Larry Smith at the University of Waterloo — and everything changed. One idea cracked him open: that a single individual could change the sweep of history. Not just help one person at a time, but reshape how millions of people live their daily lives. That realization sent him down a path that led to co-founding Zimride (which became Lyft), building Presto — the AI-powered drive-thru technology used in major restaurant chains — and now Tribe, a group chat platform built to bring back the intimacy of real human connection in the age of AI. In this episode, Rajat shares: The one lecture that redirected his entire life path Why he applied to MIT knowing he was going to drop out How Drew Houston of Dropbox pushed him toward Silicon Valley The problem with WhatsApp, Reddit, Discord, and every other platform — and why Tribe is different What it actually takes to build a community that lasts Why human conversation skills are going to be the most valuable skills in the AI age How he thinks about impact, wealth, and giving it all back If you've ever felt like you were built for something bigger — this one's for you. Guest: Rajat Suri, Founder of Tribe & Presto, Co-founder of Lyft

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About

I believe one moment can change everything. On The One Away Show, I sit down with entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders to talk about the pivotal experiences that reshaped their path—personally or professionally. These conversations go beyond the surface. We explore the decisions, turning points, and inner shifts that define who we become and how we show up in the world. If you're drawn to stories of growth, identity, and purpose, I think you'll feel at home here. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. I'm glad you're here.

Information

  • Creator
    The One Away Show
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    453
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The One Away Show