Think Forward Podcast

Sadra Khorvash
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  • Self-Improvement
  • Weekly

Just a curious Canadian young man picking the brains of people he finds interesting

  1. Oct 20

    Faith, Money and Growing a Content Agency | Merrick

    Merrick runs a social media content agency and found faith this year. He explains why he works 3:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. for his family, how faith now guides his business decisions, and what actually grows a personal brand: volume plus testing, a tight niche and a big enough audience. Follow Merek van Bylandt on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/merek.vb/ Many leaders today act as if they are their own gods, detached from any higher accountability. This conversation explores why a return to christian values could be the missing piece for those in power. We examine the current state of business ethics and why the lack of a shared moral framework creates instability in our institutions. Beyond the boardroom, we also touch on the human experience of suffering and pain. It is a reality that connects us all, yet it is rarely discussed in professional settings. This is a raw look at what happens when we stop pretending we have all the answers and start looking for a deeper purpose. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:51 Why Jesus Christ? How Merrick found faith 1:51 Why is the world in such a bad place? 3:54 What if leaders answered to a higher standard? 7:33 Is the Bible logical? Probability and science 9:12 When money becomes your god 11:30 How faith guides business decisions 15:15 Why work 3:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.? Family first 19:54 Is social media pushing faith out? 22:24 Action bias: when to kill a strategy 22:52 Why posting every day isn't enough 23:48 Learn from every video: hooks, curiosity gaps, payoff 25:48 Pick a niche: speak to a few people 28:46 Personality vs niche: how big is your TAM? 33:29 On camera: why reading scripts kills your content 35:41 The 5 people he models (Patrick Bet-David) 40:13 Fear of failure: the goals-by-30 pressure 41:58 Top 3 advice: the valley of death and informed optimism 45:48 What is the meaning of life?

  2. Oct 2

    He Made a Client $1.6M and Never Got Paid

    Merek Van Bylandt, co-founder of Dominant Media, explains how he went from working on film sets to running a social media agency with 40 to 55% net margins. He talks about a client who made $1.6 million in six months but never paid the agreed 15% cut. He also covers how moving into a garage and then signing a $4,000 a month apartment lease pushed the business to double. Follow Merek van Bylandt on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/merek.vb/ In this raw interview, Merek Van Bylandt lays out the agency models that failed, including the Growth Operating revenue share deal and an unlimited editing offer that looked too good to be true. He shares the five fundamentals a mentor used to fix his margins: being accountable for the finances, fixing funnel bottlenecks, talking to clients wherever they prefer, holding mandatory client check-ins, and steering clear of distracting projects like an AI script writing agent. He also explains why net profit matters more than gross revenue and walks through his 3:30 AM daily routine. If your agency brings in revenue but you have no profit to show for it, this episode will change how you run it. Which lesson from Merek hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 00:15 - Why a Normal Career Path Wasn't Enough 01:41 - From Film Sets to Failed Dropshipping 09:17 - Landing the First $3,500 Client 10:05 - Agency Ups and Downs: Revenue Share and Unlimited Editing 20:39 - Net Profit vs Gross Revenue 21:42 - The 5 Business Fundamentals From His Mentor 29:00 - Why the AI Script Agent Failed 30:14 - Why He Still Takes 95% of Client Calls 30:47 - His 3:30 AM Daily Routine Key Themes: Social media marketing agency growth | Agency net profit margins | Revenue share deal gone wrong | Unlimited editing offer mistakes | Using financial pressure to grow a business | Fixing marketing funnel bottlenecks | Client retention and check-ins | Entrepreneur daily routine🔔 Subscribe to Think Forward Podcast for weekly stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. Follow us: ✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/ ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/ #AgencyGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #socialmediaagency

  3. Sep 28

    The Real Reason You Don’t Have Premium Clients

    Samuel Games, founder of Canine Car Care, explains why understanding psychology is his unfair advantage: it lets him charge higher prices, market with less effort, and build a team that performs. This is how to sell the feeling instead of the service, find your bottleneck, and attract premium clients. In this raw interview, Sam breaks down his "don't be that guy" approach to social pressure marketing, the ad copy formula that moves people from pain point to dream outcome, and the difference between internal and external urgency. He also shares how he tracks close rate, show rate, and lead quality to find the real constraint in his business, how he incentivizes his team, and the time an employee almost sued him. If you run a service business and can't land premium clients, his framework will change how you market and hire. Which lesson from Sam hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. 🤝 CONNECT WITH SAMUEL GAMES (Canine Car Care) ▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caninecarcare ▶ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@caninecarcare ▶ Website: https://caninecarcare.ca ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 06:05 - Why AI Is an Echo Chamber 09:52 - The One Skill He'd Keep If His Business Disappeared 10:50 - Business Psychology: Sell the Feeling, Not the Service 11:50 - The Ad Copy Formula: Pain Point to Dream Outcome 15:04 - "Don't Be That Guy" and Internal vs. External Urgency 17:56 - The Employee Who Almost Sued Him 20:36 - How to Incentivize Your Team 24:38 - Finding Your Bottleneck: Close Rate, Show Rate & Lead Quality 29:24 - His Best Advice: Trust Yourself Key Themes: Marketing psychology for small business | Selling emotion over features | Social pressure and "don't be that guy" ads | Internal vs external urgency | Hiring and incentivizing employees | Finding your business bottleneck | AI as an echo chamber | Car detailing business🔔 Subscribe to Think Forward Podcast for weekly stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. Follow us: ✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/ ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/#MarketingPsychology #CarDetailingBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset

  4. Sep 25

    You Only Silence What You're Afraid Of: Is There a War on Christianity?

    Carter Griffin went from never going to church to fully surrendering his life to Jesus after healing from depression and a knee injury. This is how to find faith, submit to God, and build a daily relationship with Jesus. Follow Carter Griffin on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/carter_.griffin/ In this raw conversation, Carter breaks down his exact journey to Christianity, why God's reality became undeniable to him, what submitting to God actually means, how to pray and read Scripture daily, and how the Bible explains Old vs New Testament, the Trinity, and end times. If you are curious about Jesus, struggling with doubt, or want to experience God's peace for yourself, his framework for opening your heart and letting go will change how you think. What part of Carter's testimony hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 00:37 - Who Is Carter Griffin, Follower Of Jesus? 02:04 - Finding God Without Growing Up Christian 04:47 - How To Experience God For Yourself 06:40 - What It Really Means To Submit To God 11:47 - Proof Of God: Healed Knee Injury And Miracle Healing 16:25 - Old Testament Vs New Testament Explained Simply 19:54 - Fruits Of The Spirit: What Defines A True Christian 26:20 - End Times Prophecy And Current World Events 28:36 - Daily Prayer And Bible Reading Routine To Stay Close To Jesus Key Themes: Finding faith without growing up Christian | What it means to submit to God | How to pray and read the Bible daily | Old Testament vs New Testament explained | Fruits of the Spirit and true Christianity | End times prophecy and current world eventsFollow us: ✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/ ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/#ChristianFaith #FindingJesus #HowToPray

  5. Sep 23

    The Sadra Podcast #18 Bijan Ahmadian | Law, Entrepreneurship & Parenthood | (#13 Part-III)

    Timestamps: 00:08 Working with Farris LLP - One of the leading Law firms in Canada01:46 The most interesting cases that Bijan has overtaken06:19 Family & its role as a substantial rite of passage09:03 Importance of Travelling11:08 What advice do you have for the younger generation?13:51 What is the meaning of life?

  6. Sep 23

    The Sadra Podcast #15 Bijan Ahmadian | Law, Entrepreneurship & Parenthood | Part-II

    Timestamps: 0:00 Fighting the Law Society of B.C.19:42 How much power does the Law Society of B.C. hold?27:28 Bijan's petition against the dysregulated power in the judicial system34:07 Owning your law firmLinks:Bijan socials -- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bijanahma... -- Instagram:   / bijanlaw

  7. Sep 23

    The Sadra Podcast #13 Bijan Ahmadian | Law, Entrepreneurship & Parenthood | Part-I

    Timestamps: 0:00:00 Intro0:02:20 Why choose Canada?0:04:46 Value of University Education0:05:59 How was life before you moved to Canada?0:08:50 How did you end up in Dubai?0:12:45 Being part of the UBC Board of Governers0:17:24 Odyssey Bar & Online Content Management systems0:22:44 Confrontational approach in EntrepreneurshipLinks:UBC LipDub 2011 YT link:    • [OFFICIAL] UBC LipDub - Raise Your Gl...  Global News Cover on Viral LipDub Video: https://globalnews.ca/news/113981/vid... Bijan socials -- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bijanahma... -- Instagram:   / bijanlaw

  8. Sep 11

    How to GROW a Car Detailing Business to $20,000/month

    20-year-old Samuel Games went from reselling vintage clothes to building a $700+ per-detail car detailing business for dog owners. This is how to start a business with no money, find your bottleneck, and scale. In this raw interview, Sam breaks down his exact entrepreneur mindset, how low self-esteem fueled his drive, why he niched into Canine Car Care, how Google Ads got him to his first 20K month, and how Facebook Ads made him #1 in Victoria. If you're stuck at 3-4K/month, his framework for finding your business bottleneck and ruthlessly fixing it will change how you think. What part of Sam's journey hit you hardest? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe for weekly founder stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. 🤝 CONNECT WITH SAMUEL GAMES (Canine Car Care) ▶ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caninecarcare ▶ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@caninecarcare ▶ Website: https://caninecarcare.ca ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction 00:48 - Who is Samuel Games, Founder of Canine Car Care? 01:30 - How He Started: Reselling Vintage Clothes as a Teen 02:15 - Starting a Car Detailing Business & Hitting $3-4K/Month 03:05 - The Pivot: Why He Niched Into Dog-Owner Detailing 04:10 - Rebrand Failure, Then First $20K Month with Google Ads 05:15 - Google Ads Died: Scaling with Facebook Ads to #1 in Victoria 08:44 - The #1 Growth Lesson: Finding Your Business Bottleneck 09:07 - Laughed At For Wanting To Be a Millionaire 13:17 - Reframing Bullying & Low Self-Esteem Into Drive Key Themes: Starting a business with no money | Car detailing business niche strategy | Finding and fixing business bottlenecks | Entrepreneur mindset and identity | Turning low self-esteem into drive | Scaling from $3K to $20K months 🔔 Subscribe to Think Forward Podcast for weekly stories on mindset, startups, and scaling. Follow us: ✅ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hwOppw3mfk8UvqGP57rLs?si=3e87ffd6722f4edd ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadra.manouchehri/ ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadra-khorvash-ab9bb4210/?originalSubdomain=ca ✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.manouch ✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkforwardpodcast/#EntrepreneurMindset #CarDetailingBusiness #HowToStartABusiness

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About

Just a curious Canadian young man picking the brains of people he finds interesting

Information

  • Creator
    Sadra Khorvash
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    115
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sadra Khorvash
  • Show Website
    Think Forward Podcast