🎙️ 33 CONVERSATIONS PODCAST

Michael Abney
  • 4.9 (11)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Daily

33 Conversations Podcast helps mission-driven founders, creators, and leaders in transition turn honest conversation into visible authority. Each episode goes beneath the polished bio, pitch, or success story to reveal the real person behind the work: the tensions they are navigating, the identity shifts shaping their leadership, and the deeper signal behind what they are building. This is not performance-driven thought leadership. It is authority built through clarity, presence, and truth. For listeners, it is a window into the messy middle of meaningful work. For guests, it is a conversation that helps people understand who they are, what they stand for, and why their work matters now.

  1. 3d ago

    Your Business OS: Why Your Business Can’t Outgrow You | Georges Hanna

    What if your business is simply reflecting the OS of the person leading it? Georges Hanna believes that many founders try to fix the visible problem first: sales, marketing, strategy, money, or team performance. But sometimes the real issue sits underneath all of it. In this conversation, Georges shares how his own business failures pushed him to examine what he calls the internal operating system of a leader: the beliefs, habits, emotional patterns, standards, and practices that shape how we make decisions and take action. We talk about why information alone rarely creates change, why repetition and practice matter, how founders become bottlenecks in their own companies, and why a business often cannot grow beyond the internal capacity of the person leading it. Georges also shares his framework around the four levels of profit and why profit is about more than money. This conversation explores: • The founder as the business OS • Why sales and marketing problems may be symptoms • The four levels of profit • Information vs. practice • How habits shape business outcomes • Why founders become the ceiling • Leadership before systems • Achievement vs. becoming • Collaboration instead of competition • Building a business that can grow beyond you • Why your business can become a mirror One idea sits at the center of the conversation: Your business can only grow as far as you are willing to grow. Guest bio Georges Hanna is the founder of Smart Income Lifestyle, a business coach, leadership architect, and mentor who helps founders and leaders strengthen the internal systems that shape how they lead, build, and grow. Host bio line Hosted by Michael Abney, 33 Conversations explores the honest conversations founders and leaders are having while building what comes next.

    Your Business OS: Why Your Business Can’t Outgrow You | Georges Hanna

  2. Sep 8

    Pressure Reveals You: Leading with Clarity | Alexandra Mahanna

    Pressure doesn’t create your leadership habits—it reveals them. In the Season 9 premiere of 33 Conversations, Michael Abney sits down with executive coach and U.S. Navy veteran Alexandra Mahanna to explore what happens when pressure rises, priorities compete, and clarity becomes difficult. Alexandra explains why capability alone does not earn trust, how self-awareness strengthens decision-making, and why leaders must practice clear communication before the stakes are high. They also discuss imposter syndrome, questioning the status quo responsibly, delegating with intention, and the shift from capable service provider to confident CEO. In this conversation: • Why pressure amplifies your existing leadership habits • How competing priorities and unclear communication erode trust • A simple daily reflection practice for greater self-awareness • How to question existing systems responsibly • The shift from service provider to CEO • Why steady, values-aligned leadership matters more than performance What does pressure reveal about the way you lead? Connect with Alexandra Mahanna: https://www.alexandramahannaleadership.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandramahanna Explore 33 Conversations: https://33conversations.com/

    Pressure Reveals You: Leading with Clarity | Alexandra Mahanna

  3. Jul 30

    How to Turn Self-Doubt Into Clarity | Abdul Fattah Ismail

    Self-doubt doesn’t have to stop you—it can become a signal that greater clarity is needed. In this episode of 33 Conversations, Michael Abney sits down with Abdul Fattah Ismail to explore how doubt, daily routines, reflection, and intentional action can help us make clearer decisions and move forward with purpose. In this conversation: • Why doubt can be useful instead of shameful • How morning routines shape focus and momentum • Turning uncertainty into clarity and action • Building the self-awareness to make better decisions • Moving forward with intention and purpose Discover more conversations and resources at https://33Conversations.com

    How to Turn Self-Doubt Into Clarity | Abdul Fattah Ismail

  4. Jul 23

    Treat the Drink, Not Your Body

    Paul Lagerstedt, founder of ALKAA, shares how a personal question about his own physical reactions to alcohol became a multiyear journey of testing, laboratory validation, product development, and category creation. This conversation explores founder courage, imposter syndrome, product proof, mindful drinking, and the harder challenge of helping people trust something they have never seen before. Episode SummaryPaul Lagerstedt did not begin with a plan to create a company. He began with a physical pattern he could not explain. Instead of accepting the usual advice, he approached the problem like a mechanic and began investigating what was happening inside the drink itself. That curiosity eventually led to ALKAA, a patented product built around the concept of treating the drink rather than the body. Paul and Michael discuss experimentation, founder fear, self-trust, product validation, category creation, and why earning trust can be more difficult than developing the product. Content NoteThis episode discusses alcohol and drinking wellness. It does not encourage excessive alcohol use and is not medical advice. Individual responses to alcohol vary, and listeners should consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding personal health concerns, medications, allergies, or alcohol use.

    Treat the Drink, Not Your Body

  5. Jul 16

    Healing Is Voltage: Rethinking Fatigue and Hidden Stressors

    What do you do when your body feels wrong, but no one can clearly explain why? Persistent fatigue. Brain fog. Pressure in the jaw. Old injuries that never fully resolve. Symptoms that appear unrelated, yet continue asking for attention. In this special bonus episode of 33 Conversations, Michael Abney speaks with Stephen Heuer, B.S. Nutripath and founder of Synergistic Nutrition, about the personal health experiences that led him to question conventional assumptions about aging, energy, dental health, minerals, and the body’s electrical systems. Stephen shares the framework he describes as “healing is voltage,” along with his experience of jawbone infections, dental procedures, chronic physical pressure, mineral balance, alkalinity, nervous-system stress, and other potential hidden stressors. Michael also opens up about his own experience with failed root canals, jawbone loss, dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, and the frustration of trying to understand symptoms that did not come with clear answers. This is a conversation about curiosity, self-advocacy, and learning to ask deeper questions when something in the body does not feel right. In this episode: • Stephen’s personal experience with dental infections and chronic symptoms • Why he views the body as both biochemical and electrical • Michael’s experience with failed root canals and unexplained health changes • Questions to consider when seeking dental or medical support • Stephen’s perspective on minerals, energy, alkalinity, and structural health • The importance of listening to physical signals • Why aging does not have to mean accepting every symptom as inevitable • The role of curiosity and discernment in personal health decisions About Stephen Heuer Stephen Heuer is a B.S. Nutripath and the founder of Synergistic Nutrition. His work explores nutrition, mineral balance, structural health, and alternative approaches to personal wellness. Connect with Stephen: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-heuer-122535202/ Website: [ADD STEPHEN’S WEBSITE] Medical disclaimer: This episode presents personal experiences and the guest’s individual perspectives. It is provided for general informational and conversational purposes only and is not medical or dental advice. Some ideas discussed are non-mainstream, may not reflect established scientific consensus, and have not been independently verified by 33 Conversations. Do not use this episode to diagnose or treat a condition. Consult an appropriately licensed medical or dental professional before making decisions regarding symptoms, diagnoses, medications, supplements, tests, dental procedures, or treatment. 33 Conversations is hosted by Michael Abney and explores the inner experiences, difficult questions, and human transformations shaping founders, leaders, experts, and people building meaningful lives.

    Healing Is Voltage: Rethinking Fatigue and Hidden Stressors

  6. Jul 9

    Money, Legacy & Family: Rebuilding Your Relationship with Money

    Michael sits down with Gino Barbaro, money coach and co-founder of Barbaro 360, for a powerful conversation about money, legacy, family, and the emotional stories that shape our financial lives. Together, they explore how childhood money memories influence adult decisions, why families avoid honest money conversations, and how to begin rebuilding trust with money one conscious choice at a time. Episode NotesIn this conversation, Michael and Gino explore: Why money is often about fear, safety, love, and identityHow childhood experiences shape adult money patternsWhy financial success without emotional awareness can feel emptyThe role of family culture in building legacyHow couples can stop fighting about money and start understanding each otherThe difference between money as status and money as stewardshipWhy mindfulness matters in rebuilding your relationship with moneyHow financial education can begin with one simple bookPull Quote“Money is not the destination. It is the tool.” Guest BioGino Barbaro is a multifamily investor, certified money coach, financial educator, and co-founder of Barbaro 360. After building and selling his real estate education company, Gino shifted his work toward helping families understand their relationship with money, build financial intelligence, and create legacy through stewardship, purpose, and conscious family conversations.

    Money, Legacy & Family: Rebuilding Your Relationship with Money

  7. Jun 25

    Rebuilding Identity After Loss

    What happens when life removes the physical evidence of who you thought you were? In this episode of 33 Conversations, Michael Abney sits down with Monica Leigh Rodriquez to explore what it means to lose everything and still find a deeper sense of self. After the Eaton fire destroyed Monica’s home, she was forced into a painful but clarifying process of grief, rebuilding, and identity transformation. Together, they talk about loss, self-worth, creative work, sociology, rebuilding a business, and the surprising clarity that can emerge after trauma. This episode is for anyone moving through grief, transition, reinvention, or the slow work of rebuilding a life that feels more aligned than the one that came before. If you’ve ever asked yourself who you are without the things that used to define you, this conversation is worth your time.

    Rebuilding Identity After Loss

  8. Jun 23

    You Built the Life. But Is It Yours?

    Kenny Zablotsky spent years in corporate facilities and construction, building polished environments for major brands. But the life that looked structured from the outside was no longer aligned with what was happening inside. In this episode of 33 Conversations, Kenny joins Michael Abney to talk about sobriety, leaving corporate identity behind, reconnecting with Jewish heritage, and building JewishJoy.co as a creative business rooted in meaning, memory, and joy. This conversation explores the uncertainty of creative entrepreneurship, the tension between art and profitability, and the deeper process of rebuilding a life from the materials of your own story. For founders, creatives, and anyone in a season of identity reconstruction, this episode is a reminder that clarity often arrives after the exploration, not before it.

    You Built the Life. But Is It Yours?
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

33 Conversations Podcast helps mission-driven founders, creators, and leaders in transition turn honest conversation into visible authority. Each episode goes beneath the polished bio, pitch, or success story to reveal the real person behind the work: the tensions they are navigating, the identity shifts shaping their leadership, and the deeper signal behind what they are building. This is not performance-driven thought leadership. It is authority built through clarity, presence, and truth. For listeners, it is a window into the messy middle of meaningful work. For guests, it is a conversation that helps people understand who they are, what they stand for, and why their work matters now.

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