14 episodes

At Inner Power Particles we talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.

Your host is Farhad Niyoz, a tech entrepreneur transformed into founders self-development mentor following a life-altering near-death experience.
Follow him on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
X: https://twitter.com/FarhadNiyoz

Inner Power Particles Cocoon Program

    • Business

At Inner Power Particles we talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.

Your host is Farhad Niyoz, a tech entrepreneur transformed into founders self-development mentor following a life-altering near-death experience.
Follow him on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
X: https://twitter.com/FarhadNiyoz

    Female Founder Power: Prioritizing smart money over investors, inner growth & success - Kadi Saadlo, CEO & Co-Founder of HotelBuddy

    Female Founder Power: Prioritizing smart money over investors, inner growth & success - Kadi Saadlo, CEO & Co-Founder of HotelBuddy

    Transitioning from a corporate job to a startup world comes with a price to pay and lessons to learn. This transition might be even more challenging for a female founder entering this world of entrepreneurship dominated by masculine energy and approaches to how things should be. Less emotions, more expectations, and more pressure on yourself as a leader paying your salary and being responsible for a team of people. But should it be that way? Is this approach working also towards inner balance and healthier work-life relationships?



    In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with Kadi Saadlo, CEO & Co-Founder of HotelBuddy. Kadi tells her story of moving from Estonia to Latvia, quitting her corporate career to pursue an entrepreneurial path, and chasing smart money instead of every accessible investment. She shares her lessons learned from switching career paths and gives many valuable insights on how to take care of yourself as a founder while all the media is talking about is success stories and startup unicorns. They discuss the importance of realizing that you are not your business and where this misconception might lead entrepreneurs to health problems, relationship struggles, and negative self-talk.



    Overview of the topic:

    00:01 Moving to Riga for better relationships and change

    2:41 Differences between two neighbors Latvians and Estonians

    5:26 Kadi Saadlo, CEO & Co-Founder at HotelBuddy

    11:46 Prioritising smart money: customers not investors

    14:59 Balancing feminine self with masculine nature of leadership

    19.35 Conquering the fear of stage and public speaking

    27:51 Misleading culture of startup success stories

    32:29 Switching financial mindset: From corporate employee to Co-Founder

    39:01 The dark side of founders path and how to take care of yourself

    43:30 How and Why to improve positive self-talk

    47:29 Dealing with “founders sleep” and how to improve it

    54:04 Kadi's key entrepreneurial lessons from the past 12 months

    57:14 Describing the perfect investor for HotelBuddy

    1:01:35 Advice for female founders

    1:03:25 Importance of realising: You are not your company!



    Welcome to Inner Power Particles.

    We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.





    Resources:

    To learn more useful tools for CEOs and C-level managers,

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources



    Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity,

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale



    Follow Kadi Saadlo CEO & Co-Founder of HotelBuddy

    ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadisaadlo/



    Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Turning midlife crisis into honest relationships & trustworthy leadership - Martins Bicevskis, mentor at Cocoon Program

    Turning midlife crisis into honest relationships & trustworthy leadership - Martins Bicevskis, mentor at Cocoon Program

    It is no secret that trust is the key aspect of human connection whether we talk about business or personal relationships. It is the vulnerable nature of breaking trust and honesty that often leads to many hurtful and unnecessary arguments.



    In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with Cocoon Program mentor and professional board member Martins Bicevskis. They discuss how to build trust within an organization, and how to reduce fear and tension between different levels of team members. Martins tells his story of how fast he grew as a professional working in a fast-paced, straightforward environment as well as his experience working with 30 to 40 years older professionals in government and leading them with courage, riks, and ambition mindset. He opens up about his inner work toward mid-life crisis and becoming a more honest and authentic version of himself while making tough but necessary sacrifices.



    Overview of the topics:

    2:21 Welcome Cocoon Program mentor, professional board member Martins Bicevskis

    5:26 What value a professional board member brings to business organizations

    6:45 Experiencing fast growth in a straightforward problem-solving environment

    9:48 Martins journey of becoming a professional board member and startup mentor

    13:22 Key differences between advising as a board member and advising as a mentor

    16:06 Leading with courage, risk, and ambition

    20:40 Turning biggest defeats and midlife crisis into life long lessons

    24:16 Most dangerous lies people tell themselves

    28:43 Feelings, emotions and conflicts in workplace

    30:45 Undervalued importance of trust and how to build it within organization

    37:24 How to reduce fear with mutual and clear agreements

    42:24 The most powerful tool of a mentor: Understanding relationships

    45:35 What are the main principles of organization from mentor perspective





    Welcome to Inner Power Particles.

    We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.





    Resources:

    To learn more useful tools for CEOs and C-level managers,

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources



    Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity,

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale



    Follow Martins Bicevskis mentor at Cocoon Program

    ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinsbicevskis/



    Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz

    • 49 min
    Becoming a better COO, father, and fiance while following a passion - Roman Gnibida, COO of Stebby

    Becoming a better COO, father, and fiance while following a passion - Roman Gnibida, COO of Stebby

    To be an entrepreneur - parent means to constantly search for a  balance between your work, your life and your wife. You know that you are in trouble when your daughter says: “Dad is spending more time with colleagues than us” but often the passion and drive for career development is so big that you miss out on learning how to be a part of the family. 

    In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with the COO of Stebby Roman Gnibida. Roman begins the conversation by telling a story of turning his vision from becoming a Russian language teacher to finding himself in the COO position of a startup and eventually buying it out from its founder. Their conversation explores the differences between the roles of COO and CEO, bringing up Roman’s insights into effectively dividing responsibilities and tasks within Stebby’s organizational framework. 

    He opens up about the topic of being a passionate entrepreneur and eventually losing energy when it comes to family life. Roman tells his experience and key moments that opened his eyes to becoming a better parent as well as shares practical advice on how to approach work-life balance and bring colors back to the relationship without letting work dominate personal space. 





    00:30 Welcome COO of Stebby Roman Gnibida 

    1:58 Dealing with unknown -  buying out Stebby 

    8:10 Explaining the process of Stebby MBO experience 

    10:43 Growing confidence by gaining knowledge as a startupper 

    11:54 Importance of startup environment 

    13:30 Key differences between COO and CEO purpose 

    19:20 Moving to Tartu with no language and culture understanding 

    22:55 Balancing work - sports - startup - family 

    25:31 Importance of dividing focus in relationships  

    28:12 Lessons from three-year growth as a father and partner 

    32:23 Entrepreneurs advice on relationship and parenthood

    34:44 How to manage your negative thoughts and inner pressure 

    38:28 Constant learning how to be a part of the family

    41:18 How to bringing back colors to relationship

    Welcome to Inner Power Particles.

    We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to  share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.

    Resources:

    To learn more useful tools for CEOs and C-level managers, 

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources

    Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity, 

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale

    Follow Roman Gnibida COO of Stebby

    ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-gnibida/

    Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program 

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz

    • 46 min
    Personal growth after heart attack, mergers & founder pressures - Rems Grinsteins, Co-Founder at Baltic Software Factory

    Personal growth after heart attack, mergers & founder pressures - Rems Grinsteins, Co-Founder at Baltic Software Factory

    We tend to hear two kinds of start-up stories: ether someone just made a deal of their lifetime or scammed people to grab as much money as possible. But what happens in the middle of this ocean? What are the struggles of founders that may damage not only the company but even lead to a heart attack of years 40-year-old entrepreneur? And what about small wins - do we even know how to see and appreciate them?

    In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with the Co-Founder at Baltic Software Factory Rems Grinsteins. Listen to Rems' experience and inner struggles with merging his company with his best friend's business and how he is overcoming power struggles within himself after being the only boss for many years. Rems opens up about what happens when you ignore your authenticity as a human being. He talks about his heart attack at the age of 40 and how he committed to soul-searching and taking care of his mind before anything else. He talks about the benefits of meditation, key loopholes of making a change within oneself, and balancing the so-called “robot, perfect entrepreneur” life with being more human every day. Listen to hear an honest, vulnerable, and brave conversation between two founders searching for their inner power particles.

    Overview of the topic:
    1:11 Welcome Co-Founder at Baltic Software Factory Rems Grinsteins
    2:26 Merging a business
    4:50 Transforming from sole CEO to multiple decision-makers
    6:44 Small company reality check: dividing roles and becoming a sales lead
    11:10 Power of clearly defined motivation for leader
    13:45 Selling your team, attitude and work ethic instead of uniqueness
    17:44 Constant push to make money
    21:18 Overcoming the pressure of being half million in debt to friends
    23:12 Rems story of having a medically unreasonable heart attack at the age 40
    29:02 Turning inner lessons from near-death experience into action as a founder
    34:50 Changing inner approach: benefits of practicing daily meditation
    37:41 Difference between being ready to change and just wanting to
    41:47 The most honest and important question to ask yourself
    45:23 Breaking stereotype of being “entrepreneur - emotionless robot”
    51:47 Complicity of balancing “robot” lifestyle with simply being a human
    54:09 Beauty of being a human: Accepting the past and fearing the future
    1:01:50 Farhads key takeaway from conversation with Rems

    Welcome to Inner Power Particles.
    We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.


    Resources:
    To learn more useful tools for CEOs and C-level managers,
    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources

    Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity,
    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale

    Follow Rems Grinsteins Co-Founder at Baltic Software Factory
    ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rems-grinsteins/

    Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program
    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz

    • 1 hr 3 min
    Redefining Founder Purpose, Company Growth, And Investor Expectations - Tommi Ullgrén, Co-Founder ATRA Innovations, Cocoon Program mentor

    Redefining Founder Purpose, Company Growth, And Investor Expectations - Tommi Ullgrén, Co-Founder ATRA Innovations, Cocoon Program mentor

    What if burnout leads you to ego death and lack of clarity on your purpose? Will other stakeholders understand you? Is your new idea of how things work is the right one and others are missing out on it? Or maybe it opens up an opportunity for inner growth and lessons that need to be learned so that you can share them afterward with people around you…



    In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with Cocoon Program mentor and co-founder of ATRA Innovations Tommi Ullgren. Expect to hear a bit different conversation than the usual entrepreneurship talk between two wise minds. Tommi shares his experience with burnout and mental crisis and how it has been the second-best thing that has happened in his life. He opens up about different principles and ideas on how to redefine inner purpose while keeping up with the entrepreneurial path of life, what are the two most common paths of entrepreneurs, and what loopholes to avoid when committing to them. He also gives many practical ideas on how to balance inner peace with company growth and expectations from investors. While listening be ready to reflect on your journey and take some notes on the important but undervalued topics of emotions, passion, and reality you have defined for yourself.



    Overview of the topics: 0:30 Welcome Cocoon Program mentor, Co-Founder of ATRA Innovations Tommi Ullgren

    2:10 What is ATRA - Advanced Technology Research Alliance

    4:03 Turning burnout into a self-awareness journey

    5:50 Tommi key principles as a mentor

    7:37 Being a mentor - being there for others

    9:26 Fulfiling inner IKIGAI with mentorship

    10:44 Exploring two paths of being an entrepreneur

    12:05 Path one: Impact entrepreneurship - juggling between purpose and opportunities

    13:22 Finding your WHY with inner growth

    15:47 Redefining startupper success and failure

    18:43 Path two: The main loophole with a profit-oriented mindset

    20:59 Finding a balance between inner purpose, company growth, and investor expectations

    23:48 How to experience support and funding without giving away the company at the end

    26:32 The undervalued importance of emotions, passion, joy, and love

    30:35 Exploring the tricky human nature of fear of confrontation

    33:10 Key difference between psychotherapy and mentorship

    34:29 Practical advice on how to grow your self-awareness

    36:39 Sharing different concepts of inner wisdom

    38:15 What is synchronicity and the purpose of it?

    39:50 Tommi's experience with cooperating with different belief systems

    41:27 Advice on self-development - how to appreciate the crisis you are going through

    45:43 Talking with your inner elves: Healing practice of sauna



    Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.Here we talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.



    Resources:

    To learn more useful tools for CEOs and C-level managers,

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources

    Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity,

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale

    Follow Tommi Ullgren Co-Founder of ATRA Innovations, Cocoon Program mentor

    ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ullgren/overlay/contact-info/

    Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz

    • 53 min
    Key Lessons On Separating Identity From Behaviour - Tommi Siro, Co-Founder & CGO of Jobilla

    Key Lessons On Separating Identity From Behaviour - Tommi Siro, Co-Founder & CGO of Jobilla

    Imagine one morning waking up on the military campus and seeing 160 people laughing at you - their supposed leader. Should you run away and pretend nothing ever happened? Should you tell yourself that this is not for you and it is time to move on? Or maybe sit down for a moment, admit the brutal truth, and turn it into the most valuable leadership journey of your life? 

    In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with Tommi Siro, Co-Founder and CGO of Jobilla. Tommi opens up about making a historical embarrassment of himself while serving in the mandatory military and how many lessons he took from it to his entrepreneurship journey as a co-founder. Learn about The Stockdale Paradox and the key steps to becoming a leader that others want to follow. Tommi also shares his experience with mentorship and advice for CEOs facing a crisis or as Tommi sees them - brutal facts. 



    Overview of the topic:

    01:10 Welcome Co-Founder and CGO of Jobilla Tommi Siro

    2:35 Turning embarrassment around: Tommi's story of messing up badly in the military

    9:42 How to approach major mistakes and turn them around

    13:06 Key steps to becoming a leader that others want to follow

    18:57 Undeniable impact of loving parenthood

    22:29 Why and How: Transforming shortcomings into strength

    27:51 How honesty and carelessness might be the key to building self-awareness

    32:13 Desensitizing confrontation: Seeking WHY behind every argument

    35:26 The Stockdale Paradox: Leadership growth with honesty and gratitude

    40:26 Advice for crises: Face the brutal facts, take action accordingly

    43:04 Using mentorship to expand your bubbles and views

    47:58 Correlation between mental resilience, simplicity, and happiness





    Welcome to Inner Power Particles.

    We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to  share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person.

    Resources:

    To learn more useful tools for CEOs and C-level managers, 

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources

    Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity, 

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale

    Follow Tommi Siro CGO and Co-Founder of Jobilla

    ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommi-siro-88684260/

    Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program 

    ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz

    • 54 min

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