Running a startup but can't get VCs interested? Struggling to keep co-founders aligned? Build IT's Matiss Neimanis breaks down why he's rejected promising startups, what happens when founders fight, and why sitting on two chairs (keeping your day job too long) usually kills the company. Managing 50+ early-stage investments taught him when to trust data versus gut feeling. Plus, he shares how getting seriously ill forced him to rethink managing both a VC fund and his personal life - without sacrificing either.
This is real talk for founders dealing with co-founder tensions, struggling with investor rejections, or trying to figure out when to quit their day jobs.
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
When one founder went from 70-hour work weeks to spending days in bed, and another switched from intense corporate life to running a health tech startup, they learned energy management is as important as business management. An honest conversation about what actually drains leaders' energy (hint: it's rarely the workload), why some team dynamics are literally exhausting, and practical ways to spot energy vampires in your organization. For leaders who want to stop confusing being tired with being effective.
🔔Welcome to Inner Power Particles. We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person. Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders: ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale Follow Remi Koscielny, Co-founder, CEO @ Shen.AI | Healthcare Innovator ❇️ Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3P8UsSY Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program ❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/ ❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
In this episode, Kristaps, CEO of Language Inspired, reveals how he bootstrapped a thriving localization company, overcame co-founder challenges, and built a remote-first team driven by values. Discover practical insights on scaling sustainably and creating a business you love. 🔔Welcome to Inner Power Particles. We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person. Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders: ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale Follow Kristaps Lapins, CEO of Language Inspired ❇️ Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3VnKW1U Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program ❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/ ❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
In this episode, Tõnu Vahtra, Head of Service Operations at Playtech, shares hard-won insights on scaling and preparing for acquisition from a buyer's perspective. We discuss the challenges of maintaining team morale and alignment through rapid growth, designing scalable decision-making processes, and why burnout prevention is crucial for high-performing teams. Tõnu also dives into what acquirers look for, common startup pitfalls, and key strategies to increase a company’s attractiveness for acquisition. For founders and leaders, this episode offers actionable advice on creating lasting value and preparing for the demands of scaling up. 🔔Welcome to Inner Power Particles. We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person. Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders: ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale Follow Tõnu Vahtra, Head of Service Operations at Playtech ❇️ Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3YYA8It Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program ❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/ ❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
When studying to be a dentist, Sergejs parallelly became a sales person at a dental supplies company, which was way out of his comfort zone. This approach of leaving his comfort zone, coupled with seeing and taking the low-hanging fruit, has led him to find and grow multiple successful dental clinics and start investing in tech companies. In this episode, we unpack and analyse his journey to extract actionable insights for others who want to improve their career and business. 🔔Welcome to Inner Power Particles. We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person. Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders: ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity ❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale Follow Sergejs Andrijevskis, Owner, CEO at Dental Art Implant Clinic Ltd ❇️ Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3Y19kYO Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program ❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/ ❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
In this episode, I sit down with Madis, a former scaleup CEO who made the tough decision to step away from his company and take a sabbatical. We discussed what pushed him to leave a growing business with 400 paying customers and how he dealt with the following identity crisis.
Madis opens up about the challenges of managing expectations—his own and those of others—and how he's finding new meaning in work and life.
If you're a founder considering a significant change, this one's for you.
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Madis Lehtmets, Designer & Entrepreneur ❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madis-lehtmets
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
Discover how Nauris Skride transitioned from a software engineer to the CEO of Adaptive Media. What challenges did he face? How did he manage team dynamics and set realistic goals?
Hear about his approach to decision-making and long-term planning. There are insights on leadership and growth in a startup environment that are not to be missed. Tune in to uncover valuable lessons and inspiring stories from his journey.
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
In this episode, Indrek and Farhad explore balancing hands-on management with effective delegation while avoiding micromanagement.
Indrek talks about his transition to empowering his team and the strategic decision to bring on a COO. Indrek opens up about dealing with betrayals, navigating team dynamics, and keeping work-life balance in check.
Learn about his real-world insights on tackling CEO challenges and building a collaborative company culture.
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Indrek Jaal, Founder&CEO at GlobalReader
❇️ Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/indrek-jaal-48107178
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
In this episode, we explore the art and best practices of running effective meetings tailored for C-level management and founders. Martins Bicevskis, a seasoned professional with extensive experience in both governmental and private sectors, and Farhad Niyoz, an experienced entrepreneur and business mentor, share their expertise on optimizing meetings to extract maximum potential.
Learn the critical steps for preparing, conducting, and concluding meetings, understand the importance of clear responsibilities, and discover strategies for leading productive discussions. Whether you want to improve decision-making, have a better team alignment, or improve the overall value of your meetings, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice.
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Mārtiņš Bičevskis, Non-Executive Director
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinsbicevskis/
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
In this episode,
we discuss how Anna switched from running startups to founding two purposeful NGOs - Riga Tech Girls and StartSchool. We explored what each organisation does for its members and the broader society.
But then we went deeper into personal topics and looked at what motivated Anna to venture into this path and how she approached the downturn that followed a fast growth period.
We looked into the organisational topics - what decisions were made and how they were made to ensure the organisation survives the downturn and thrives. And also at the personal topics - how Anna experienced that period and how her insights can support other founders navigating downturns.
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Anna Andersone, Co-founder & CEO, Chair of the Board at Riga TechGirls
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalebedoka/
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
Unresolved personal conflicts impact or even block our success and well-being, especially, with the closest ones. When we have inner tension with our father, it limits our ability to achieve our goals, to know who we are and what we genuinely desire.
In this episode, we explore reconciling with fathers:
1. when does it matter
2. what have been our journeys and takeaways
3. and how it has impacted our lives.
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Ingmar Elm, mentor and teambuilding event organiser
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingmar-elm-4a62099/
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
Behind every great leader and CEO stands a team. It is high high-performing, efficient, open-minded, and united team of professionals following a common mission and vision. It is a team with the highest-class company culture where everyone feels safe and can express themselves. Culture always comes first. Nothing is personal. There is a problem - there must be a solution. In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with a mentor at Cocoon Program and a partner of Aruma Ventures and Globus International - Jin Han. They talk about key aspects that define culture in the company; how to scale relationships within your team and also different stakeholders; and why the most important thing you might be missing is understanding what your employees believe about you and their workplace. Expect to learn lots of practical ideas and tips not only on building better relationships with team and stakeholders but also with your partner and within yourself on this journey of entrepreneurial path. Jump into the topics: 00:00 Switching continents to pursue new roles 1:35 How three simple values can guide your every choice 3:44 Consulting Fortune 500 companies: Sharing the most important scaling lesson for startups 11:17 Key to success - understanding, accepting, and mastering different business cultures 16:27 How to build a safe space for employees so that everyone can yell and scream 19:47 The problems are in the situations, not in the people 23:13 Advice for CEOs: How to deal with a situation that has escalated to become personal 27:15 Executing demotion/role change without burning relationships 30:36 Get rid of toxic employees or sacrifice your company culture 35:49 Defining “ safety in work culture” and how to build it 40:14 How employee beliefs affect their behavior 44:18 The connection between relationships and defensive mechanisms 46:25 Finding self-acceptance before seeking love 50:33 How to evaluate your self-acceptance 51:54 Advice on relationships and how to find the right partner 56:38 Difference between character and personality 57:52 Importance of living up to your values 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 Jin Han's mentor at the Cocoon Program ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanjinw/ Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of the Cocoon Program ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz
Should I pivot or keep searching for the right business model? For many founders, this dilemma feels like the final decision to make. Do we keep going or is this the end of our journey? In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with COO & Co-Founder of Monetizr Martins Bratuskins. Martins tells his experience of what happens in the founder's mind when the passion for an idea is so powerful that even after several near-bankruptcies there is a fire to keep going. Both entrepreneurs share their different perspectives on what it means to be your authentic self and how meaningful connections bring honest conversations and have transformed their business into a more open and efficient work environment. Expect to hear learned lessons and practical advice on topics such as: ➡️ How to train your intuition ➡️ Why it is important to hire fast and fire fast ➡️ When to know it is time to part ways with a co-founder ➡️ What mistakes to avoid when dealing with investor money ➡️ How being your authentic self will boost your team dynamics and trust ➡️ The difference between business-oriented and personal growth-oriented mentorship Jump into the topics: 00:30 Welcome COO & Co-Founder of Monetizr Martins Bratuskins 1:19 Creating meaningful experiences inside a network of mobile games 4:41 Three steps for validating your idea 6:05 Finding a co-founder with similar problems 8:52 How to recognize the moment to pivot instead of quitting 14:42 Saving business with the right connection at the right time 17:44 Finding the perfect customer fit for one last try 20:03 Reshaping the team's mindset for the company's final push 22:39 Learning from near-bankruptcy experiences to maintain a positive mindset 25:19 Bringing innovation to one of the biggest industries in the world 27:02 Most valuable lessons from breaking up with a co-founder 29:00 How to recognize when to split with your founder 31:50 Mastering feedback for more efficient relationships 38:17 Building with passion not a goal to exit 40:29 Avoid this mistake when spending investor money 44:39 What to focus on when onboarding new team members 50:03 Balancing data with intuition driven decision making 51:17 How to train and use your intuition 53:38 Why strong relationships will scale your startup to the next level 55:29 Importance of inner growth oriented mentorship for a founder 56:45 Most impactful changes for Martins in past years 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 Bratuskins, COO & Co-Founder of Monetizr ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/martins-bratuskins/ Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz
Want to transform the way you approach and resolve conflicts in both personal and professional life? In this video, we present a collection of valuable insights and experiences shared by our special guest Hristo Neiland, a Conflict Resolution Mentor.
See more information on our platform: https://www.cocoonprogram.com
Welcome to the Inner Power Particles podcast.
We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to grow their inner power. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can grow as a leader and a person.
Resources:
Inner growth and business growth guidance for founders and leaders:
❇️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources
Follow Hristo Neiland
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hristoneiland/
Follow Farhad Niyoz, authentic growth guide and CEO of Cocoon Program
❇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farhadniyoz/
❇️ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhadniyoz/
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
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
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
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
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
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
