From running an apparel brand and hosting a podcast to becoming part owner of a meal prep business and launching his own food concept, Derek took the words "I can't" out of his vocabulary and ran headfirst into anything and everything that he decided he wanted to pursue. In this very special episode where the host becomes the guest, host Paul Tran sits down with Derek to talk about his journey in entrepreneurship, his start in apparel, and his plans for the future.
Personal Instagram & Twitter: @duhricehero | Business Socials: @frstyleofficial @littledingscafe @endgoalmealprep
From a culinary arts student to a James Beard Fellow and a line cook at a well-respected establishment, Shi has been racking up experiences on her journey including streaming on Twitch, creating her own menu for her Beard Box (which she crushed), and working to start her own business. Host Derek Ting sits down with Shi to talk about her journey as a chef, her dive into content creation, and her ambitions for the future.
Instagram: @harro.shi | Food Instagram: @hungry.shi
From starting a restaurant with a few friends on "accident" to growing mom-and-pop shops to hundreds of locations and owning a chain of franchises himself, Paul Tran changed not only his life but the lives of his family, clients, and friends forever. Host Derek Ting sits down with Paul to talk about his journey in entrepreneurship, the "accidents" that led to his success, what he's learned from them, and how he rewrote his own story along the way.
Instagram & Twitter: @paulttran
From performing in front of an audience of 2 (a man passed out and his dog) to doing his first standup comedy tour and selling out shows, Neema Naz turned his passion into a thriving career. After discovering the option of comedy school to do comedy full time, Neema dropped out of college immediately to pursue his passion and has never looked back since. Host Derek sits down with Neema to talk about his journey, how he first got started, and what he's focused on to create the momentum and success he has today.
Social Media + YouTube: @NeemaNaz
Transitioning from being a full-time registered nurse to a full-time entrepreneur, Ejay Cruz took what he was passionate about in life and worked to create a career out of it. Host Derek Ting sits down with Ejay to talk about his journey in entrepreneurship, how networking and podcasting have changed his life, and how he continues to step into new identities to take on each chapter of his life.
Instagram: @itsejaycruz | Podcast: THE PARABLES | Business: @the_levelupsociety
From running a foodie Instagram page to running a full-blown food media empire, Drew Belcher further expanded his foodie portfolio with his recent launch of Sorry Not Sorry Creamery. Host Derek Ting sits down with Drew to talk about his journey in entrepreneurship and the most important things he learned along the way. They dive into the reality of starting in entrepreneurship and the mindset needed to transition from a solopreneur to an entrepreneur successfully.
Instagram: @drewbelcher | Business: @unlokt @sorrynotsorrycreamery
Focusing on the step-by-step (brick by brick) process of building up businesses, Billy has built up multiple successful businesses including one which he recently exited. Host Derek Ting sits down with Billy to talk about his journey in entrepreneurship, what he's learned from it, and how he overcame his greatest struggles along the way.
Instagram: @thebillyanderson | Business: @theleveup.group @the_levelupsociety
At the young age of 6, Elena Shinohara decided to take her passion for rhythmic gymnastics and build a competitive career out of it. Host Derek Ting sits down with Elena to talk about what it was like to make such a huge decision so early on and her experience competing at the highest levels of competition while being a full-time student.
Instagram: @elena_shinohara | TikTok: elenashinohara
From bioengineering to design, Grace created a new path for herself when she decided to pursue what she was passionate about instead of following her degree. Host Derek Ting sits down with Grace to talk about how she made the transition and how she took her passions and not only created a career out of it but also built a growing community of over 30,000 members to help them do the same.
Instagram: @candyleaf_ & @irungracepace | Community: @design.buddies
From running his first businesses out of his garage to creating internationally recognized brands, Derrick set out to create a name for himself at an early age and did exactly that. While he found massive success early on, it did not come without struggle and at one point he even lost it all. Host Derek Ting sits down with Derrick to talk about his journey in entrepreneurship and how he overcame his greatest struggles.
Instagram: @derrickstruggle | Business: @supervibe
Working a 9-5 job while working 3 part-time jobs is already an incredible feat but imagine doing that on top of building a business. How is that possible? What kind of strategies are necessary to do that successfully? Host Derek Ting sits down with guest Zach Miller who does exactly that to talk about the hustle and how moving with intention helps him.
Instagram: @theezachmiller | Business: @withintentionco
From mixing and mastering his music to rapping for professional sports teams and leagues, Thorb is a music artist and rapper who hustles like no other. Catching the eyes of many with his incredible lyrics and execution, he is making strides to become a future rap legend. Host Derek Ting sits down with guest Thorb to talk about his story, the hustle life, and what it truly takes to create success in an industry like music.
Instagram & TikTok: @iam_thorb | Twitter: @iamthorb | Spotify: Thorb
How come new years resolutions have such a high failure rate? How can we best set ourselves up for success in the coming year? Host Derek Ting answers these questions and more in this episode of the FREESTYLE Podcast.
From economics student to actor, William Shewfelt achieved his goal of booking a TV show within a year of his decision becoming the Red Power Ranger you see today on Nickelodeon. How was it possible to make such a huge jump? What does it take to achieve a goal like that? Host Derek Ting sits down with guest William Shewfelt to talk about how we can make seemingly unrealistic goals and dreams a reality.
Instagram: @williamshewfelt | Actor" @powerrangers (Red Ranger - Ninja Steel)
Michael Messina is an amazing speaker, leader, and friend. Today I get a chance to pick his mind a little bit about how he keeps himself driven and how he is able to handle so many responsibilities at one time. We talk about leadership and balancing multiple leadership positions, passion and how it helps move us forward, and also about life in general and several tips for things you can do immediately after listening to this episode. You can find this man on social media @artistmessina, or on his organizations' pages @asianoutlook @binghamtonasu @bingsase, and you can find me @duhricehero!