Let's Ride w/ Paul Estrada

Paul Estrada
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Who else is trying to figure $hit out?Welcome to Lets Ride w/ Paul Estrada – the podcast where a dad tackles the big questions of life, career, and everything in between, by talking to interesting people that have the answers!When I turned 18, I lost sleep at night with questions that Google was not yet sophisticated enough to answer: What career should I pursue? How can I be more than just average? And how do successful people get to where they are (was there a secret handbook I didn't know about)? After 22 years of pondering these existential dilemmas, I’ve finally pieced together some answers – An answer that is sufficient for now, but one always in need of refinement.Join me each week as my 6 ½ year old son, Adrian, throws out a thought-provoking question or idea, and I invite a guest to help me sufficiently respond to him. From learning about money and investing, to finding a passion in life, and exploring careers that can be meaningful for you, we cover it all with a dose of humor and some soundbites of wisdom. So, if you’re a parent or a young adult navigating these tricky waters, or if you want confirmation that other people are sometimes just as lost as you, you’ve come to the right place. 

  1. Movie Screenwriter: From Capitol Hill to Hollywood, The Journey of Reinvention

    4D AGO

    Movie Screenwriter: From Capitol Hill to Hollywood, The Journey of Reinvention

    A life can change direction without warning, but the real shift often starts with a quiet tug that refuses to go away. That’s the throughline of our conversation with Chris Plochin, who went from Senate mailrooms and House back rooms to writing a feature film that made it onto set and onto screens. We dig into the unglamorous grind behind both politics and Hollywood, and why the five percent you see never tells the whole story. Chris takes us inside Washington’s machinery—where 95 percent is routine and the incentives have drifted from bipartisan outcomes to performance for the camera. He learned to write in the voices of real people, translating policy into speeches that sounded like the speaker. That skill became the backbone of his creative pivot. When he finally stepped out of the current, it wasn’t a leap off a cliff; it was a planned march into uncertainty, supported by a partner who believed in the risk and a collaborator who brought process to the page. We get tactical about screenwriting: carving a story across coasts on Zoom, trading pages, eating hard notes, and revising for directors and actors. There’s no myth-making here. It took a decade of “no” before a real “yes,” followed by the surreal moment when Lorraine Bracco pulled Chris aside to discuss a line—proof that the words mattered. We also talk parenting and ambition: how to champion big dreams like pro sports or filmmaking while naming the odds and the daily work that actually moves the needle. If you care about reinvention, creative process, political storytelling, or simply finding validation in the work itself, this one delivers substance over sizzle. Tap play, then tell us what’s been tapping on your window. If the show resonates, follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—your support helps us keep the journey going.

    51 min
  2. Athlete Advisor: Faith, Purpose, and Raising Kids with Character

    JAN 20

    Athlete Advisor: Faith, Purpose, and Raising Kids with Character

    What makes a goal worth chasing if no one is handing you a trophy? We open with that simple, disarming question and follow it into a rich conversation about character, faith, and the kind of grit that lasts longer than applause. Our guest, leader and advisor Jen Paulino, grew up in a military family where “it builds character” and “remember who you are” weren’t slogans—they were scaffolding. She shares how that foundation carried her into entrepreneurship, why starting a business exposed hidden insecurities, and how returning to core values rebuilt her confidence. We zoom out to the bigger picture: faith versus organized religion, and how belief can inform work without becoming a wedge. Jen breaks down the myth of tidy success formulas and shows why presence in the process matters more than any playbook. We talk athletes, trauma, and purpose—how scarcity hardens discipline, why achievements don’t heal old wounds, and what drives many high performers to give back through schools, nonprofits, and community projects. The throughline is clear: purpose outlasts status, and alignment outperforms hustle theater. Parents will find practical takeaways, too. We tackle screen time with nuance, showing how to trade passive consumption for creative play and social skills without demonizing tech. We share smarter reward systems—affirm effort, teach endurance, and skip the hollow participation trophies. Jen also makes the case for seeking wisdom in community: journaling, scripture, mentors, and elders who help us see what we can’t yet name. For creators and founders, she offers a powerful reframe—rejection is redirection—especially when earning trust in guarded spaces. If you’re ready to build goals that stand on values, not vanity, this conversation will meet you where you are and nudge you forward. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with the one insight you’ll act on this week.

    43 min
  3. Motivational Speaker: Stop Chasing Titles, Start Becoming Your Best Self

    12/02/2025

    Motivational Speaker: Stop Chasing Titles, Start Becoming Your Best Self

    A simple moment—a kid feeling overwhelmed by second-grade responsibilities—opens the door to a bigger truth: life keeps asking more of us, and the way we answer shapes who we become. That set the stage for our conversation with Scharrell Jackson, a leader who turned “amazing” from a word into a way of living. From her rise through finance and operations to founding a leadership consulting firm, Scharrell shows why chasing titles is hollow and how becoming your best self pulls titles and opportunity toward you. We dig into the mindset and mechanics that make growth real. Scharrell breaks down the chain from thoughts to habits—how your self-talk becomes your behavior—and why an honest personal inventory is the first step to confidence. She shares the role of a small, trusted tribe that tells you the truth, and the discipline to study, ship, and negotiate from value. Her time as a single mom of three anchors it all: morning routines that set the tone, systems that replaced guilt, shared responsibility at home, and the hard choices that turned sacrifice into momentum. A stroke accelerated her pivot from the C-suite to entrepreneurship, sharpening her focus on impact over prestige. Scharrell is direct about what stops most people—fear and confusion—and how to move anyway. Build tools to act while afraid, get crystal clear on your end game, define the problem you solve, and prove your results. If you’ve felt stuck or unsure whether you’re “qualified,” this conversation offers both the inspiration and the blueprint: clarity, courage, consistency. If this resonated, share it with a friend who needs a push, subscribe for more thoughtful conversations, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway—what’s your next brave step?

    47 min
  4. Survivorman Les Stroud: The Difference Between Surviving & Living

    11/18/2025

    Survivorman Les Stroud: The Difference Between Surviving & Living

    The cold is honest. That’s one of the first lessons Les Stroud shares as we dig into what real survival feels like when there’s no crew, no scripts, and no second takes. Beyond the legends of Survivorman, Les opens up about pain, boredom, and the quiet clarity that only arrives when you’re truly alone—and why those moments matter for anyone feeling stuck in a world of endless noise. We dive into the craft behind his solo expeditions: a full week learning from locals, absorbing edible plants and fire skills by passion, not by notes, and then deliberately trying new techniques on camera so the outcome stays real. From there, the conversation widens to what nature does to our minds and bodies. Les explains how time outside reduces stress, sharpens thinking, and heals, and how solitude can feel both awe-inspiring and cripplingly lonely. That tension becomes a mirror, exposing fragility and building humility. Fear shows up too, not as a roar but as laziness—the insidious kind that keeps you from starting. Les shares simple, physical resets to escape doomscrolling, plus a practical survival kit for modern life: breath work, a walk in the woods, and one small action completed before touching your feeds. We also talk late blooming, the joy of completion, and the timing of ideas, tracing the long path from an early concept to the right cultural moment for Survivorman. Along the way, we swap parenting stories about cultivating independence through calculated risks and letting kids learn by doing. If you’ve been craving focus, meaning, or just a reason to step outside, this conversation will nudge you there. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Then take a breath, go for a walk, and tell us: what’s your wilderness?

    45 min
  5. Sales Entrepreneur: Building, Losing, And Choosing Contentment

    11/04/2025

    Sales Entrepreneur: Building, Losing, And Choosing Contentment

    What does it really take to walk away from a cushy six-figure job, sell your house, and bet on yourself? Marty joins me to share the unfiltered story of building a product company from scratch, finding his edge in trust-based sales, and staying centered when COVID and tariffs punched a hole in the balance sheet. He’s equal parts sharp operator and laid-back realist—someone who can talk Walmart buyers one day and laugh off stress the next. We start with responsibility learned at home and follow the thread into a career wake-up at thirty, when drifting turned into discovery. Marty realized sales was his natural lane—not by chasing commissions, but by building rapport, reading the room, and listening before pitching. He breaks down exactly how to earn trust, design win–win terms, and avoid the rookie mistake of giving away the house. Then we dive into product: how reviews, store visits, and packaging tweaks transform shelf conversion, why “great” beats “different,” and how to iterate faster than copycats. A single packaging change—making the product visible—flipped a laggard into a leader. Marty explains the mechanics of tariffs in plain English: a 30 percent hit due immediately at the port, while receivables lag for months. That mismatch crushes cash flow and forces hard choices on pricing. He survived by saving during strong years and choosing clarity over wishful thinking. There’s also a moment of grace: head down, doubting the plan, a $190,000 purchase order lands by fax and resets the trajectory. Through it all, he keeps returning to the point—money buys comfort, not contentment; the prize is freedom, not flash. If you’re an entrepreneur, seller, or builder chasing product-market fit, this is a masterclass in resilience, customer insight, and cash discipline. Hit play, subscribe, and share this with a friend who needs a nudge. And if the story resonated, leave a quick review—your words help more people find the show.

    46 min
  6. Philanthropist: How Small Acts Can Lead To Big Change

    10/21/2025

    Philanthropist: How Small Acts Can Lead To Big Change

    What if the most reliable path to impact isn’t a grand gesture, but a habit? We sit down with Ann Canela to unpack how a childhood marked by strict rules and food insecurity forged an uncommon lens on giving, volunteering, and community. At 17, Ann left Northern California for New York City, learned to stand on her own, and eventually built a career at the intersection of philanthropy, corporate giving, and community partnerships. Her core insight is disarmingly simple: small actions, done consistently and locally, are “too small to fail” and add up to real change. We trace Ann's journey from limited holidays and censored music to leading programs that mobilize thousands of employees for authentic, high-impact volunteering. She explains why handing out cash at a stoplight rarely solves the problem you hope it does, and how working through shelters, food pantries, and outreach teams can turn generosity into outcomes. If you’ve ever felt stuck between a quick donation and wanting systemic change, this conversation gives you a practical roadmap: design volunteering that teaches, connect with credible local orgs, and build daily habits that move the needle. Along the way, we get tactical. How do you turn a once-a-year holiday shift into a year-round practice? What does “transformative” volunteering look like inside a company? How can parents model empathy so kids see service as normal life, not a special event? Anne also shares results from a behavior-driven campaign that boosted civic pride and recycling by double digits simply by inviting residents to take tiny actions they could do every day. It’s proof that people lean in when they can see themselves in the solution. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to start, this is it. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who cares about community, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then pick one small action today—email a local shelter, sign up for a cleanup, or just pick up that piece of litter—and make it part of your routine.

    44 min
  7. NICU Doctor: Navigating Our Daughter's First Fight

    10/07/2025

    NICU Doctor: Navigating Our Daughter's First Fight

    A quiet dinner turned into alarms, an emergency C-section, and a crash course in the NICU. When our daughter arrived five weeks early with her cord tightly wrapped and knotted, we met a calm, clear voice in the chaos: Dr. John Tran, a board-certified neonatologist at CHOC. He walked us through what was happening, what mattered right now, and how time and targeted temperature management could protect our baby’s brain after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). There’s a human side to the science. Dr. Tran shares how he chose neonatology, the resilience he sees in preemies, and the weight doctors carry home after difficult days. We explore mentorship, teamwork in a teaching hospital, and the support networks that keep clinicians steady through 24-hour shifts and unpredictable calls. We also touch on how AI can help parents ask better questions, bridging gaps when stress makes it hard to process information. If you’re a parent, expect clear takeaways on fetal movement, advocacy, and what to ask when you hear words like HIE and NICU. If you’re just curious, you’ll hear a candid look at medicine where seconds count and empathy guides every decision. Our daughter’s story ends with relief and gratitude—and a renewed respect for teams who turn fear into focus. If this conversation helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s expecting, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more families find lifesaving clarity when every minute matters.

    40 min
  8. Content Creator: From Memes on the Couch to Industry Influencer

    09/23/2025

    Content Creator: From Memes on the Couch to Industry Influencer

    Paul Bernard-Jaroslawski's journey from freight broker to influential content creator begins with a unique international upbringing that shaped his worldview. Born in Chicago to Polish immigrants who fled communist Poland just before its fall, Paul's childhood straddled two worlds—modest living conditions in America and summers spent with grandparents in Poland, fostering a deep connection to his heritage. The catalyst for his unexpected career path? A knee surgery during the pandemic that left him bored on his couch in Poland after relocating from Ukraine. What started as creating simple logistics-themed memes for fun quickly gained traction when one post went viral, dramatically growing his following overnight. This success sparked a realization that his hobby could potentially become something more significant. Paul's extensive travel experiences, made possible by his father's airline employment benefits, profoundly influenced his approach to risk-taking and content creation. Visiting countries across Asia and Europe from a young age gave him perspective on privilege and opportunity that many Americans take for granted. This global mindset makes his content distinctive in an industry not typically known for its creativity or humor. The conversation reveals fascinating insights about content creation psychology, with Paul explaining how edgier content often garners more attention in crowded digital spaces. His background in psychology helped him navigate this landscape, gradually finding a balance between being distinctive without crossing inappropriate boundaries. What's particularly refreshing is his admission that behind the polished social media presence lies personal struggles and challenges—a reminder that influencers face the same human experiences as everyone else. Perhaps most valuable is Paul's discovery through interviewing industry leaders that success isn't some complex formula or secret—it's simply about putting in the work and taking action. This demystification of achievement resonates deeply, as he shares that content creation is "not easy, but it's simple." For anyone considering this path, his advice emphasizes patience regarding monetization and focusing on enjoyment and consistency first. Ready to transform your perspective on content creation and discover how authentic storytelling can create unexpected opportunities? Paul's journey shows that sometimes our most significant career pivots begin with the simplest actions—even creating memes while recovering from surgery.

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Who else is trying to figure $hit out?Welcome to Lets Ride w/ Paul Estrada – the podcast where a dad tackles the big questions of life, career, and everything in between, by talking to interesting people that have the answers!When I turned 18, I lost sleep at night with questions that Google was not yet sophisticated enough to answer: What career should I pursue? How can I be more than just average? And how do successful people get to where they are (was there a secret handbook I didn't know about)? After 22 years of pondering these existential dilemmas, I’ve finally pieced together some answers – An answer that is sufficient for now, but one always in need of refinement.Join me each week as my 6 ½ year old son, Adrian, throws out a thought-provoking question or idea, and I invite a guest to help me sufficiently respond to him. From learning about money and investing, to finding a passion in life, and exploring careers that can be meaningful for you, we cover it all with a dose of humor and some soundbites of wisdom. So, if you’re a parent or a young adult navigating these tricky waters, or if you want confirmation that other people are sometimes just as lost as you, you’ve come to the right place. 

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Estrada
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Let's Ride w/ Paul Estrada
  • Show Website
    Let's Ride w/ Paul Estrada