Phil with F30 Phil Michaels

Today’s guest on the “Phil with F30” podcast is Gabe Kennedy – Founder of Plant People

Forbes List: USA
Year: 2020
Category: Food & Drink

Gabe Kennedy takes an experimental approach to life. His career started after attending the Culinary Institute of America and Cornell University. A private equity firm employed him, but he left to be a contestant on Anthony Bourdain’s reality TV competition - and he won!
Being the winner led him to a variety of experiences in the food industry. But after a traumatic spinal injury from skiing, his focus was on healing his body in non-traditional methods.
That led him to start Plant People and creating a CBD-based supplements brand, plus other plant-based products. The company sells products including infused olive oil, sleep drops, and face masks. They’ve already raised capital from Unilever.
In our conversation, Gabe shares his journey, and answers the question, “How can we be a business and build an industry that stands for equity and access, social justice, climate justice, and embodies all the values and philosophies we truly feel a business should step into.” We discuss:
Holistic science-the inspiration for products.
Make a decision and move forward.
Doing a good job now is better than doing a perfect job later.
Starting on a shoestring budget.
Spend time on what you are good at. Find others with different skill sets.
The purpose of Plant People is to heal and connect people and the planet through the power of plants. Gabe has a coupon offer for you to try one of his products.
Take advantage and enjoy the show!

“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman. It inspires the way I walk through life.

2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
Best - Investing in myself.
Worst - When I buy an avocado and it’s rotten. 

3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning and Evening routines?
AM - Meditation.  Either breathing or guided.
PM - Cooking my own food. I draw the line between business and personal time before bedtime.

4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of going to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
I’d find where I can contribute the most and have an intersection between passion and purpose.

5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
A King size bed and a good mattress. A full-size computer monitor.

In the REVIEW SECTION, please let me know…
The city / country you’re tuning in from!
How Gabe Kennedy’s story has inspired you! And, your favorite part of this episode!
Tell me the questions you’d like me to ask future Forbes 30 Under 30 Members!
 
GUEST INFO: Gabe Kennedy - Founder - Plant People
CONTACT: Twitter @gabekennedy, Instagram COMPANY: @plantpeople, PERSONAL: @gabe_kennedy
WEBSITE: www.plantpeople.co
COUPON CODE DISCOUNT for audience: "forbes15"

HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
SOCIAL: @iamphilmichaels
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/philmichaels
PODCAST WEBSITE: www.philwithF30.com
PHIL’s WEBSITE: www.iamphilmichaels.com
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Today’s guest on the “Phil with F30” podcast is Jason Gui – Co-Founder of Vue

Forbes List: Asia
Year: 2017
Category: Industry & Energy

Jason Gui, Co-Founder of Vue, had difficulties in finding a target market for the first version of his smart glasses. At one point, he cut back to a skeleton staff and had little in the bank account. He didn’t agree on taking a new direction with his co-founder, but he listened to her, anyway.

With smart pivoting and firm due dates, the second product version of his smart glasses helped him bring in over $2.2-million on Kickstarter. He sold $4-million in its first year of launch, becoming the top eyewear Kickstarter campaign of all time.

Vue smart glasses are stylish and built for everyday use. They track your activities like steps, posture, and calories, taking calls, and listening to music without the intrusive earbuds.

This MIT Innovator Under 35-Asia list winner has a long list of lessons for entrepreneurs. We discussed:
Revising a product to serve a different market than intended.
The value of listening to a co-founder who disagrees with you.
The journey in making quick pivots with due dates.
How to engage media in the early stages of product development.
The importance of asking those outside the inner circle for product and marketing opinions.
Joint ventures and new distribution channels.
Differing from Google Glass.
Jason has offered a discount on a purchase for these fantastic glasses. I hope you give them a look. Enjoy!

“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson. The book gives me a perspective of how the world works, why there are countries and governments, how things take form etc.

2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
Best - Financial investments.  I watch what goes on in China and then see how things replicate in the U.S.  I especially watch the trends relating to Covid.
Worst - Stock investments where I didn’t understand the fundamentals or the industry where I was putting my money.

3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning and Evening routines?
AM - For over 10 years I’ve made it a habit to think about who I am going to help each day.  I try to help someone every day.
PM - I don’t want regrets so I ask if there is something else I want to do.  I think about living my life as if each day was the last.

4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of going to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
Before expanding on an idea I would talk to people who are older and more experienced. I’d find people who have different perspectives.

5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
A co-founder who may not agree with me. I’ve also learned you can’t do everything on your own.

In the REVIEW SECTION, please let me know…
The city / country you’re tuning in from!
How Jason Gui’s story has inspired you! And, your favorite part of this episode!
Tell me the questions you’d like me to ask future Forbes 30 Under 30 Members!
 
GUEST INFO: Jason Gui – Co-Founder of Vue
CONTACT: Twitter @jason1081 and Instagram @jason1081nz
WEBSITE: http://vueglasses.com/
COUPON CODE DISCOUNT for audience: PHILSPODCAST for $30 off

HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
SOCIAL: @iamphilmichaels
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/philmichaels
PODCAST WEBSITE: www.philwithF30.com
PHIL’s WEBSITE: www.iamphilmichaels.com
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Today’s guest on the “Phil with F30” podcast is Bonnie Burton – Video Game Producer at Bungie 

Forbes List: USA
Year: 2020
Category: Games

At age 12, Bonnie Burton became the 1st Female Pro Gamer Ever! It started as a family bonding event, with Bonnie and her brothers traveling from city to city in an unknown phenomenon–playing computer and console games in live tournaments. It was the early stages of Esports that we know today.
The game industry, not always female-friendly, eventually welcomed Bonnie when she pursued one of her passions-working for Bungie. That company has the team that created the famous video game Halo, one of the all-time highest-grossing media franchises.
Today she works at Bungie on the Destiny franchise.
In our conversation, Bonnie shares her journey including:
How she started the journey to playing Halo at home, to competitive tournaments.
Her approach to working in a male-dominated industry.
Using powerful mantras to direct her focus to achieve goals.
How coaching affects her life and those she coaches.
Bonnie also shared how she pursued her goal of being hired in a very competitive industry. I hope you enjoy her story as she continues to expand her goals and inspire other gamers. 

“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
Coaching for High Performance, Sarah Cook
Learned Optimism, Martin E.P. Seligman

2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
Best - Coaching programs. I didn’t realize the impact it would have on my life.
Worst - I’d buy a better couch that isn’t cheap. You’re going to spend a lot of time on it.

3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning routine and the most impactful thing you do in your Evening routine?
AM - I wake up and immediately drink water.
PM - I use an app to remind me of what I am grateful for that day or in general.

4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of go to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
I’d spend time researching more about how health is linked to “gaming” abilities. I’d set up a coaching practice for gamers so they can be their best.

5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
A digital wellness timer that’s on my phone. It limits the time I can be on social media.

In the REVIEW SECTION, please let me know…
The city / country you’re tuning in from!
How Bonnie Burton’s story has inspired you! And, your favorite part of this episode!
Tell me the questions you’d like me to ask future Forbes 30 Under 30 Members!
 
GUEST INFO: Bonnie Burton – Video Game Producer of Bungie 
CONTACT: Twitter @BonnieXburton and Instagram @BonnieXburton
WEBSITE: PERSONAL: https://bonnieburtoncoaching.as.me/
COMPANY: https://www.bungie.net/

HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
SOCIAL: @iamphilmichaels
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/philmichaels
PODCAST WEBSITE: www.philwithF30.com
PHIL’s WEBSITE: www.iamphilmichaels.com
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Today’s guest on the “Phil with F30” podcast is Marek Kubik – Market Director of Fluence

Forbes List: Europe
Year: 2017
Category: Industry (Energy)

Marek Kubik is a recognized influencer and leader in the energy industry. Early in his career, Marek had an instrumental role in developing the 10MW Kilroot Energy Storage Array. It was the first utility-scale commercial battery energy storage project in Europe, and one of the largest systems in the world.
Marek is a director and founding member of energy storage tech powerhouse Fluence, a company that delivers a fleet of nearly 2000MW of energy storage solutions on six continents.
Marek has a passion for accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. And he’s great at putting high-tech issues in easy-to-understand terms.

In our conversation we discussed energy storage:
What it is.
How it solves the problem of limited fossil fuels.
How it can quickly reduce emissions leading to climate change.
Understanding grid infrastructure and how to reimagine it.
The joint venture with Siemens and an alternative method of supporting entrepreneurs.
 You can read more of Marek’s thought leadership ideas on LinkedIn. Enjoy the show!

“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman. It’s a fascinating insight into human psychology.

2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
Best - My Apple watch. It’s great for data collection.
Worst - A gym membership. I found other tools to exercise that lead to my exercising more.

3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning and Evening routines?
AM - I make my bed first thing in the morning because of the science of doing this task every day.
PM - I shut off my phone before bed because I’m a workaholic.

4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of going to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
I’d explore my interest in sustainable aviation.

5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
Flight radar. I like how you can track the plane and figure out where it is so I know ahead of time if it’s delayed.

In the REVIEW SECTION, please let me know…
The city / country you’re tuning in from!
How Marek Kubik’s story has inspired you! And, your favorite part of this episode!
Tell me the questions you’d like me to ask future Forbes 30 Under 30 Members!
 
GUEST INFO: Marek Kubik – Market Director - Fluence
CONTACT: Twitter @mlkubik and Instagram @goodsophism
WEBSITE: http://www.fluenceenergy.com/

HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
SOCIAL: @iamphilmichaels
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/philmichaels
PODCAST WEBSITE: www.philwithF30.com
PHIL’s WEBSITE: www.iamphilmichaels.com
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Today’s guest on the “Phil with F30” podcast is Lucas Sin – Chef of Junzi Kitchen

Forbes List: USA
Year: 2020
Category: Food & Drink
It was his Asian parents’ dream to send him to the U.S. for higher education so he didn’t end up working in some low paying kitchen. So it’s ironic that this son left Hong Kong, went to Yale, and returned to a Chinese kitchen. Lucas Sin, Chef of Junzi Kitchen, has four locations in NY City and New Haven, Connecticut. Lucas raised over $5-million in funding, including an investment from the co-founder of PF Changs.
Lucas’s recipe for success is based on his curiosity about American Chinese cuisine with a dash of cognitive science!

In our conversation Lucas shares: 
The importance of apprenticing-scrubbing dishes and working your way up.
Searching for nuances of Chinese American food.
Being quick to abandon things that don’t work or improve it, so it does.
Understanding the customer experience.

With ingenuity and quick pivoting, Junzi Kitchen stayed open during the pandemic. Lucas organized a system to work with existing programs and invited other restaurants to feed front-line workers with safe and scalable ways that meet hospital standards. He continues feeding workers by taking donations.

Consider making a donation. And if you get the opportunity, eat more fried noodles–Junzi’s Chow Mein. It’s really good!
 
“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
Lydia Davis books.  She packs an immense amount of meaning in a few sentences in her short stories.

2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
Best - Exercise resistance bands.
Worst - An air fryer.

3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning and Evening routines?
I don’t have a morning or evening routine. I have a coffee machine that wakes me up better than an alarm clock.

4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of going to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
I believe in going to school.  It made me a more curious and empathetic being.  I’d also invest in real-life work experience.

5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
Espresso, Aero Press, and drip coffee machines.

In the REVIEW SECTION, please let me know…
The city / country you’re tuning in from!
How Lucas Sin’s story has inspired you! And, your favorite part of this episode!
Tell me the questions you’d like me to ask future Forbes 30 Under 30 Members!
 
GUEST INFO: Lucas Sin – Chef of Junzi Kitchen
CONTACT: Twitter @chinesechipotle & Instagram @lucas.sin
WEBSITE: http://www.junzi.kitchen/
COUPON CODE DISCOUNT for audience: 
MAKE A DONATION:  https://www.junzi.kitchen/shareameal

HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
SOCIAL: @iamphilmichaels
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/philmichaels
PODCAST WEBSITE: www.philwithF30.com
PHIL’s WEBSITE: www.iamphilmichaels.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest on the “Phil with F30” podcast is Alina Alam – CEO of Mitti Cafe

Forbes List: Asia
Year: 2020
Category: Social Entrepreneurship
Dear Listeners,
There are a billion people across the world with disabilities and 70-million in India. With compassion and determination for creating a world that’s more inclusive, Alina Alam, CEO Mitti Café has helped people with physical, intellectual, and psychological disabilities to become productive, while showcasing their skills to earn a living.

She won the Mindtree Helen Keller Award, Times of India She Unlimited Award, and India’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

I am so humbled and proud to share Alina’s journey of starting Mitti Café, sponsored and located in corporate offices in four cities in India.  It’s a sustainable non-profit and a model that could be replicated around the world.

It’s incredible how executing a goal of social responsibility is keeping the cafe workers employed, even during COVID-19. The cafes are closed, but the disabled adults are giving back and continuing to work by serving those even more disadvantaged. So far, they have served 274,000 meals and drinking water to daily wage earners who are now unemployed because of the pandemic, and others who are homeless.

There is so much for all of us to take away from Alina’s remarkable cause and story.  Unfortunately, COVID-19 has been devastating to the people Alina has given an opportunity.  The project needs funds to keep operating.

I’m asking all my listeners to help contribute to Alina’s work with a contribution to her outstanding mission that will surely make you feel part of the greater purpose. Your gift will truly make an impact in saving the employees of Mitti Café as they continue to feed and serve others. And you will be part of the movement to create awareness for the cause of equal opportunities in employment.

I am grateful for our conversation.  It’s inspirational.

With gratitude,
Phil Michaels

“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie. It presents practical solutions to problems.

2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
Best - My time and money into the cafe.
Worst - Even in a bad investment you can still learn from the experience.

3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning and Evening routines?
AM - Running - a great exercise.
PM - I write everything that was amazing that day to end on a positive note.

4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of going to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
Reach out to mentors.

5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
A paper and pencil to enhance my creativity.

In the REVIEW SECTION, please let me know…
The city / country you’re tuning in from!
How Alina Alam’s story has inspired you! And, your favorite part of this episode!
Tell me the questions you’d like me to ask future Forbes 30 Under 30 Members!
 
GUEST INFO: Alina Alam – CEO of Mitti Cafe
CONTACT: Twitter @mitti_cafe & Instagram cafemitti
WEBSITE: http://mitticafe.org/
COUPON CODE DISCOUNT for audience: MitticafeRETURNturngift
Fundraising campaign: bit.ly/help-mitticafe
Also mentioned in this episode: www.volunteerworld.com

HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
SOCIAL: @iamphilmichaels
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/philmichaels
PODCAST WEBSITE: www.philwithF30.com
PHIL’s WEBSITE: www.iamphilmichaels.com
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