Hacks and Hobbies with Junaid Ahmed

Junaid Ahmed
  • 5.0 (66)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semiweekly

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.

  1. From Forensic Nurse to Global Mindset Strategist: The Mountaineering Mindset That Turns Survival into Peak Performance

    3d ago

    From Forensic Nurse to Global Mindset Strategist: The Mountaineering Mindset That Turns Survival into Peak Performance

    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 consequences and curiosity to iterate, not to shame. Forensic nursing sharpened rapid decision-making, de-escalation, and crisis leadership skills that translate directly to high-stakes business situations. Recognize survival mode: exhaustion, disengagement, and “quiet quitting” — and use motivational interviewing to elicit intrinsic motivation. Leaders can prevent burnout by clarifying purpose, fostering team connection, and creating rituals around small, repeatable wins. Timestamps 0:00 — Welcome & why this episode matters: Dr. Clancy’s unlikely path from nursing to global strategist 1:25 — First-generation to PhD: the education story that shaped her grit 3:26 — Forensics to business: decision-making and de-escalation as leadership superpowers 4:35 — The ice-climb defining moment: when mindset became everything 8:50 — How to actually celebrate small wins (and why peanut M&Ms are a legitimate strategy) 11:31 — Why “failure” is the wrong word — turn setbacks into learning loops 14:16 — Survival mode vs. thriving: how to spot it in yourself and your team Guest Links Website: (please provide Dr. Shanea Clancy’s website URL) LinkedIn: (please provide LinkedIn profile URL) Instagram: (please provide Instagram handle or URL) Book: (title mentioned as upcoming in the episode — please provide book title/link if available) 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    21 min
  2. The Rapid 2x Protocol: How He Reclaims Attention and Doubles E‑commerce Revenue

    Jun 18 ·  Bonus

    The Rapid 2x Protocol: How He Reclaims Attention and Doubles E‑commerce Revenue

    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 the problem 7:28 — Mobile truth: 72% of your buyers are on phones — are you designing for them? 13:53 — The first action step: run GTmetrix on your best‑selling product page (TTI explained) 18:31 — Dangerous illusion: most of your database are one‑hit wonders — how to measure RFM 22:50 — Shortcut mistakes founders make: chasing hacks instead of fundamentals 27:04 — Rapid hacks you can use today: speed and customer segmentation Guest links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabirsemerkant (30,000+ followers) Twitter: https://twitter.com/sabirsemerkant (15,000+ followers) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthbysabir/ (20,000+ followers) YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/SabirSemerkant (25,000+ subscribers) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growthbysabir/ 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    31 min
  3. The Engineer Who Turned Data Into $1B for Brands (and Why Your Shopify Store Is Dying in 2025)

    Jun 18

    The Engineer Who Turned Data Into $1B for Brands (and Why Your Shopify Store Is Dying in 2025)

    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 matters: every second above ~1.7–2.0s costs ~7% conversion. Rapid, repeatable sprints + AI can compress multi-year growth into weeks. Stop chasing “magic bullets”; focus on quality strategy, product differentiation, and execution. Timestamps 0:00 — Intro: Why this episode matters (Junaid’s warning for 2025) 1:47 — The resignation that started it all: from Big Six to internet consulting 6:42 — Early wins: turning a bankrupt brand into $52M (what that taught him) 14:27 — The three sources of truth: why looking at one data source kills scale 17:45 — The “magic-bullet” trap: why founders waste time and money 22:47 — The ad-dependency crisis: paying customers to take your product 28:50 — The single quickest fix: GT Metrix, 1.7–2.0s time-to-interact = massive lift Guest links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabirsemerkant (30,000+ followers) Twitter: https://twitter.com/sabirsemerkant (15,000+ followers) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthbysabir/ (20,000+ followers) YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/SabirSemerkant (25,000+ subscribers) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growthbysabir/ Episode notes / standalone value This episode stands alone as a practical wake-up call for e‑commerce founders: the difference between survival and failure in 2025 will be systems, not spend. If you run a Shopify store or D2C brand, treat the time-to-interact audit as non-negotiable this week. If you want to scale predictably, stop gambling on ads and start engineering your growth stack. How to act on this episode (next steps) Run your product and homepages through GT Metrix this week. Record your Time to Interactive (TTI). If it’s >2s, prioritize fixes. Audit your acquisition stack: what % of revenue depends solely on one paid channel? Pull a sample of your collected emails — are you using them? If not, create a 4-week reactivation flow. Bookmark the Rapid 2x link in the show notes to learn how Sabir structures sprints if you want a proven framework. Credits Host: Junaid Ahmed — Hacks and Hobbies Guest: Sabir Samarkent — Growth strategist, Rapid 2x founder 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    35 min
  4. Scaling With Purpose: How to Protect Your War Chest and Lead Without Losing Yourself - Michael Haskell

    Jun 15 ·  Bonus

    Scaling With Purpose: How to Protect Your War Chest and Lead Without Losing Yourself - Michael Haskell

    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 moment every founder either becomes a leader or gets eaten by growth. He explains how to spend with discipline, hire with rigor, and keep the sense of urgency that made you successful in the first place. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Michael and I dig into the fragile period after fundraising: the temptation to hire fast, the danger of diluted standards, and the single-minded focus that preserves runway and sanity. Michael shares the practical metrics, psychological habits, and leadership plays that let founders scale revenue without burning culture or cash — and why going “deep and narrow” beats globe-trotting growth streaks. Five key takeaways Treat your war chest like a loan to yourself: spend to accelerate proven revenue engines, not to chase shiny new initiatives. Keep the bar high: scaling often erodes conversion and quality — use data-driven metrics to preserve urgency and margins. Hire selectively and surround yourself with experienced shareholders/mentors who’ve been through scale. Leadership sanity = self-care + continuous learning + positive psychology; neglecting any one leads to burnout. Go deep and narrow before you go wide: capture more share locally before burning cash to enter new geographies. Timestamps 0:00 — Episode setup: Why the post-fundraise moment defines companies 1:11 — The most common mistake founders make after funding: hiring and quality slip 4:50 — Metrics that tell you when to hire and when to hold back 8:01 — Keeping urgency alive: why conversion rates fall as lead volume rises 9:09 — Advice for first-time founders managing 50 people overnight 12:11 — Three plays to scale without losing your mind (self-care, learning, mindset) 16:18 — The one lesson to remember after raising capital: don’t chase too many initiatives Guest links Navitas Consulting — (website) - https://navitasgroup.ph/ Michael Haskell — LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/navitasitgroup/ 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    23 min
  5. The Finance Architect Helping Founders Raise Smart Capital (and Why Patience Beats Panic) - Michael Haskell

    Jun 15

    The Finance Architect Helping Founders Raise Smart Capital (and Why Patience Beats Panic) - Michael Haskell

    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 walks us through two decades of building finance teams across New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and the US — and the exact playbook he uses to help founders raise capital without selling their soul. From the early bootstrap choices to the 1–5M sweet spot and the scary truth about VC term sheets, Michael strips away the noise and gives a clear, humane path: prepare your books, pick investors who add real value, and learn to walk away. If you’re building a business that needs fuel (but not a takeover), this conversation is a masterclass in raising money with confidence. 5 key takeaways Integrity over glamour: investors back founders who show character, persistence, and a clear plan more than flashy slides. Start small and smart: bootstrap or friends & family at seed, then selectively target HNWIs or VCs as your growth justifies it. Business hygiene is non‑negotiable: keep IFRS-style reporting and annual audits so you can move fast when opportunity comes. Pick investors for skill, not just cash: raise with people who bring legal, accounting or strategic value, not just checks. Patience + resilience = power: be prepared to walk away from favorable-sounding deals with hidden, harmful terms. Timestamps (5–7) 00:00 — Why I stopped treating fundraising as a scoreboard (intro) 02:00 — Leaving the US for APAC: culture, pace and the restaurant metaphor for global talent 05:10 — Seed vs. scale: when to bootstrap, when to phone angels, and when VC makes sense 09:40 — What investors really look for: integrity, track record, and believable growth 15:30 — The 1–5M playbook: how to be selective and why that matters before you go public 17:45 — Audit-ready business hygiene: the single prep that saves you millions and sleepless nights 18:50 — Patience, resilience and negotiating with VCs (walk-away power) Guest links https://navitasgroup.ph/ https://www.facebook.com/navitasgroupph/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/navitasitgroup/ 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min
  6. Author of The Mentorship Edge on Midlife, Legacy & Why Storytelling Is the Leadership Superpower You’re Missing - Dr. Deborah Heiser

    Jun 10 ·  Bonus

    Author of The Mentorship Edge on Midlife, Legacy & Why Storytelling Is the Leadership Superpower You’re Missing - Dr. Deborah Heiser

    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 practical — mentorship, storytelling, and the day-to-day legacy you can build now. This episode turns the fear of midlife into a toolkit for purpose: how emotional maturity becomes your secret power, why some stories should be retired, and how a single conversation can ripple into life-changing impact. We cover the science and the soul of later-life growth, plus concrete ways to start mentoring today — no degree required, just curiosity and presence. 5 key takeaways Aging isn’t only decline: emotional capacity often grows, making later life a time of increased happiness and purpose. Midlife is a developmental milestone: once practical boxes are checked, people naturally seek meaningful impact. Storytelling is the most powerful mentorship tool — it packages wisdom into memorable, actionable lessons. Retire unresolved stories; author forward-looking narratives that fuel growth and resilience. Legacy starts now: quantify and notice the daily ripples of mentorship and you’ll see how immortal your influence can be. Timestamps 00:00 — Opening: Why this conversation matters now (part two intro) 01:55 — What actually happens to our brains and sense of self as we age 04:54 — The emotional shift toward purpose in midlife — a developmental stage 09:23 — Why storytelling becomes the leadership superpower in later life 12:40 — Storytelling in practice: Latonya Kilpatrick’s lateral-mentorship example 16:25 — Legacy as impact today — the Legacy Tree and measurable ripples 19:31 — How to start mentoring right now: look left and right Guest links The Mentorship Edge (book) — [link placeholder for book page/store] The Mentor Project (organization) — [link placeholder for The Mentor Project website] Dr. Deborah Heiser — LinkedIn: [link placeholder] Instagram: [link placeholder] (If you’d like, send me the exact URLs and I’ll update the episode notes with live links.) 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    24 min
  7. The Mentorship Edge: How Midlife Becomes a Second Act, Not a Crisis - Dr. Deborah Heiser

    Jun 8

    The Mentorship Edge: How Midlife Becomes a Second Act, Not a Crisis - Dr. Deborah Heiser

    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 catalytic second act. Short description Dr. Deborah Heiser (applied developmental psychologist, CEO & founder of The Mentor Project, TEDx speaker and author of The Mentorship Edge) joins Junaid to dismantle myths about midlife and reveal how mentorship, generativity, and small experiments can reignite purpose after 40. This conversation moves from the lonely assumptions about aging to practical, emotional, and hopeful ways to reclaim relevance, from podcasting and community involvement to volunteering and reinventing identity. You’ll leave this episode with a fresh lens on midlife transitions — not as endings, but as opportunities to deepen impact, build legacy, and mentor (and be mentored) in ways that matter. 5 key takeaways Midlife is 40–65: a phase ripe for reinvention, not inevitable decline. Purpose decay can be reversed by small experiments: podcasting, volunteering, clubs, or a hobby can become a new calling. Mentorship in midlife = generativity: mentoring, volunteering, and philanthropy create meaning and measurable emotional payoff. Transitions aren’t crises: midlife is another life transition that requires curiosity, skill-updating, and community — not fear. Practical first steps: get your toe wet (join groups, try a show, volunteer) and look for mentors and peer mentors in unexpected places. Timestamps (5–7) 0:00 — Welcome + episode setup: Why this conversation matters now 1:42 — Deborah’s origin story: from aging research to a joy-forward pivot 3:34 — The myths we tell about midlife — and why they’re wrong 4:25 — What midlife actually looks like (the 40–65 sweet spot) 5:00 — How to reignite purpose: the “get your toe wet” approach (podcasting, clubs, volunteering) 7:03 — Midlife crisis vs midlife calling: the reframe that changed everything 8:23 — Why mentorship matters in the second half of life (generativity & legacy) Guest links : www.DeborahHeiser.com 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    25 min
  8. 1,400-Episode Podcasting Veteran on How One Interview Can Fuel a Month of Marketing - Robert Plank

    Jun 3 ·  Bonus

    1,400-Episode Podcasting Veteran on How One Interview Can Fuel a Month of Marketing - Robert Plank

    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 episodes — walks Junaid through the exact mindset and workflow that turns a single podcast into a month’s worth of magnetic content. This is less about perfection and more about systems, small wins, and the emotional grit of showing up. Robert breaks down practical, platform-first moves (YouTube, LinkedIn, syndication), the tools that save you hours, and the creative discipline to keep iterating rather than chasing production perfection. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by “more content” or wondered where to focus your energy, this episode makes repurposing feel strategic, doable — and oddly liberating. 5 key takeaways Repurposing is a systems game: identify 3–6 bite-sized moments and plan distribution by platform, not by ego. Prioritize platforms where your people actually hang out — Robert favors YouTube and LinkedIn. Use transcription + AI (ChatGPT, Cast Magic) to scale captions, posts, and title/keyword ideas fast. Syndicate smart: get on YouTube + Apple/Spotify/iHeart/Amazon to catch discovery everywhere. Start with what you have — phone recordings and simple clips beat perfect setups every time. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome back: Why one episode should become many 01:00 — The big-picture mindset: Attention, algorithms, and the path to an audience 05:56 — How people consume differently: match format to platform 08:59 — Robert’s workflow and the production tools that actually save time 16:57 — Three actionable steps to repurpose tomorrow (YouTube, host, syndicate) 20:41 — Posting strategy that wins: give value in-platform before linking away 21:31 — Where to find Robert and his Done-For-You podcasting service Guest links Marketer of the Day (podcast): https://marketeroftheday.com DFY Podcast (Done-For-You podcasting service): https://dfypodcast.com https://www.robertplank.com/in/robertcplank https://www.youtube.com/@robertplank 🎙 Wanna be a guest? Apply on PodMatch: https://www.podmatch.com/member/hacksandhobbies 📖 Home Studio resources: https://homestudiobook.com 🔗 LI: https://linkedin.com/in/superjunaid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    23 min
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5
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66 Ratings

About

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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