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Hacks and Hobbies with Junaid Ahmed

Junaid Ahmed

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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41 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 33 min
English

Episodes 41

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S8 · E51
Today · 35 min
The Four Cs of Trust—and Why He Walked Away From a Billion-Dollar Career
What does it take to trust someone with a million-dollar decision—and how do you know when it’s time to leave a successful career behind? After 32 years in biotech and pharma, Andrew Paetow traded corporate leadership for luxury real estate on Long Beach Island. He joins Junaid Ahmed to share the high-stakes lessons behind that shift, what “success” means to him now, and the trust framework he built over decades of leading teams. Andrew breaks down his Four Cs—competence, confidence, commitment
S8 · E50
Thursday · 26 min
From Tough Mudder Lawyer to Wellness Community Builder—Why Relationships Beat Marketing
What if the secret to growing a business isn’t a clever marketing playbook—but getting the right people in a room? Brian von Ancken shares how he went from law school to Tough Mudder, learned to trust his instincts, and accidentally started a community that now connects more than 200 leaders across health and wellness. In this conversation, Brian explains why a true community is more than events or an online platform: it’s the relationships that continue to grow beyond them. He also reflects on
S8 · E49
October 6 · 49 min
How to Scale a Business Without Losing Your Values
What if your values aren’t holding your business back—but are the reason it can grow? Strategic advisor and Forerunners co-founder Awais Sheikh joins Junaid Ahmed to explore how founders can scale with purpose without being pulled away from what they believe in. Drawing on his experience at Amazon Web Services and as an entrepreneur, Sheikh unpacks “financial gravity”—the pressures that can push growing companies to put profit ahead of mission. He shares ways to make your convictions explicit,
S8 · E48
October 1 · 48 min
The “Santa for Nerds” Who Turns Your Business Into a Game You Can Actually Win
You don’t have a business problem. You have a story and systems problem. In this powerful conversation, Junaid sits down with Paul Pape – artist, “Santa for Nerds,” and creator of Gamify Business – to completely rewire the way you think about selling, storytelling, and building a creative business. If you’re a creator or entrepreneur who hates “sales,” feels like an imposter, or keeps stalling on your next move because you’re waiting for the perfect moment… this episode will hit you right in th
S8 · E48
September 29 · 39 min
How “Santa For Nerds” Paul Pape Turns Creative Entrepreneurs Into Game Masters (And Destroys the Starving Artist Mindset)
Most creative entrepreneurs aren’t failing because they’re not good enough – they’re failing because they’re playing business on “hard mode” without a rule book. In this episode, Junaid sits down with Paul Pape – TEDx speaker, prop designer for Disney, Universal, and Nickelodeon, and creator of Gamify Business – to rewrite the way creatives think about money, sales, and success. Known as “Santa for nerds”, Paul has spent 20+ years building custom props and experiences… and just as long watching
S8 · E47
September 24 · 34 min
How to Train Your Intuition Like a Muscle & Stop Living in Fear
Episode Description What if the voice you’ve been ignoring is actually the key to the life you’re praying for? In this powerful conversation, Junaid sits down with Emily Atlantis, an intuition teacher who has helped over 3,500 people activate their inner compass, move through grief and “shamanic death,” and step into lives of courage, clarity, and spiritual alignment. Emily breaks down intuition in plain language—no fluff, no “woo-for-woo’s-sake.” She explains how to tell the difference betwee
S8 · E46
September 22 · 36 min
Former NASA CIO on Space-Grade Cyber Resilience, Satellite Threats & The Human Side of Security — with Renee Wynn
Episode Description What if your cybersecurity had to be good enough to keep astronauts alive? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with Renee Wynn, former CIO of NASA, to unpack what mission assurance and space-grade resilience really look like — and how those same principles apply to your business, your team, and even your family. Renee pulls back the curtain on how NASA protects life-support systems on the International Space Station, why cybersecurity is first a human pro
S8 · E45
September 17 · 33 min
How to Look Credible on Camera (Even If You Feel Awkward) — With Visual Branding Strategist Ana Gil
How to Look Credible on Camera (Even If You Feel Awkward) — With Visual Branding Strategist Ana Gil Episode Description Most people don’t struggle with the camera… they struggle with the version of themselves they think they’re supposed to be on camera. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with visual branding strategist, photographer, and video producer Ana Gil, founder of Ana Gil Studios, to break down what real camera confidence looks like — and why it has nothing to do wi
S8 · E44
September 15 · 25 min
How Dr. Kary Oberbrunner Turns One Idea into 18 Revenue Streams (and Protects It in the AI Era)
You’re sitting on assets you don’t even know you own. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Kary Oberbrunner — Wall Street Journal best-selling author, creator of Instant IP, and TEDx speaker — pulls back the curtain on how to turn your hidden intellectual property into 18 streams of income… and why if you don’t protect your ideas in the age of AI, someone else will. We go deep into the mindset shift from “I just do this thing” to “I own a proprietary framework,” how naming your process instantly
S8 · E43
September 10 · 30 min
How Soul-Level Patterns, Worthiness & Visibility Shape Your Success (And How To Rewrite Them)
Dr. Donna Tashjian: How Soul-Level Patterns, Worthiness & Visibility Shape Your Success (And How To Rewrite Them) Episode Description Most high achievers don’t have a clarity problem — they have a truth problem. In this deep, vulnerable conversation, faith-based strategist and activator Dr. Donna Tashjian returns to unpack the hidden soul-level patterns that quietly drive your decisions, your success, and your burnout. If you’ve ever felt like you’re always striving, never “enough,” or secretl
S8 · E43
September 8 · 39 min
How Faith, Truth & “Spiritual Intelligence” Unlock Your Highest Purpose — with Donna Tashjian
Episode Description What if your problem isn’t clarity…it’s truth? In this raw and faith-filled conversation, Junaid sits down with Donna Tashjian — strategist, activator, and founder of Vibrant Living International — to dismantle some of the most celebrated myths in personal development. Donna believes most people don’t have a clarity problem; they have a truth problem. And the cost of avoiding that truth is burnout, striving, and a life that looks “successful” but feels empty. In this episod
S8 · E42
September 3 · 38 min
The 21-Minute Workout That Rewires Your Brain, Melts Fat & Gives Busy People Their Life Back
Description Most people don’t fail at fitness because they’re lazy. They fail because the system is broken. In this powerful part two with PJ Glassey – exercise scientist, founder of XGym, and creator of a 21-minute workout protocol for insanely busy people – we unpack why traditional training was designed in 1891 for bodybuilders, not modern parents with careers, commutes, and no time. PJ reveals how time under tension (TUT) and complete muscle fatigue (CMF) can turn just 42 minutes a week int
S8 · E42
September 1 · 28 min
The 21-Minute Workout That Rewires Your Muscles, Your Brain, and Your Excuses
Most people don’t fail at fitness because of time — they fail because of how they use it. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with PJ Glassey, founder of X Gym and creator of a radically different training methodology that compresses three and a half hours of traditional strength training into just 21 minutes, twice a week. If you’ve ever told yourself “I’m too busy to work out,” this conversation will completely dismantle that belief. PJ explains why the traditional fitness
S8 · E41
August 27 · 28 min
How Kaboom’s Responsible AI Is Redefining Revenue & Relationships — with Anoushka & Ram (Kaboom AI)
We’ve been sold the myth that AI will replace humans. This episode proves the opposite. In this powerful conversation, Junaid sits down with Anoushka and Ram from Kaboom AI to unpack what responsible, enterprise-grade, revenue-driving AI actually looks like when you strip away the hype. They go deep into security, trust, and real-world adoption—from SOC 2 and role-level security to how AI can turn a stack of untouched business cards into real revenue conversations. If you’ve ever felt overwhel
S8 · E41
August 25 · 39 min
How a Father–Daughter Duo Is Redefining Revenue Intelligence With Human-Centered Agentic AI (Anoushka Ram Kumar & Ram Gunnison)
What really happens when you build an AI startup with your dad? Not the Instagram version, but the friction, the boundary-setting, the late-night debates over product and sales — and the unfair advantages no traditional founding team can copy. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid sits down with Anoushka Ram Kumar, Yale-trained computer scientist and AI-native co-founder, and Ram Gunnison, battle-tested serial entrepreneur and former VP of IT at 1-800-Flowers, to unpack how they’re build
S8 · E40
August 20 · 36 min
Marley Jax on Turning Hidden Expertise into Market Authority (Stage, Story, and the “Stage Book” Flywheel)
Most experts don’t have an expertise problem. They have a visibility problem. In this conversation, Junaid sits down with brand strategist and storyteller Marley Jax, who has quietly helped expert founders step out from being the “best-kept secret” into becoming undeniable authorities in their niche. If you’ve ever felt like you get results for clients, you’ve written the book, done the podcast circuit, created the content… and still feel invisible – this episode is going to sting a little, the
S8 · E39
August 18 · 43 min
How to Build Unshakable Credibility with a 3-Word Message (and Stop Sounding Like Everyone Else)
Credibility is not a vibe. It’s a practice. In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, Junaid Ahmed sits back down with Global Credibility Expert Mitchell Levy to turn credibility from a fuzzy concept into a clear, repeatable system you can use to attract better clients, build trust faster, and stop hiding behind overcomplicated marketing. Mitchell breaks down his C-Pop (Customer Point of Possibilities) framework—the same method he’s used with 1,400+ leaders—to help Junaid sharpen his own message l
S8 · E39
August 13 · 41 min
Global Credibility Expert on Why Credibility Starts With Clarity (and the 3‑Circle Framework That Changes Everything)
If credibility feels like an image you’ve been trying to polish, Mitchell Levy pulls it apart and rebuilds it from the inside out. In this candid conversation, Mitchell — a two‑time TEDx speaker, author of 60+ books, and serial Silicon Valley founder — reveals why credibility isn’t what the world thinks it is, how leaders lose it without noticing, and the simple clarity practice that will make people stop guessing who you are. Short description Mitchell reframes credibility as three interlockin
S8 · E38
August 11 · 31 min
The Advisor to Icons on Breaking Orbit and Finding the Genius Inside You
What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of opportunity, but your refusal to believe you’re extraordinary? In this powerful, faith-filled and deeply honest conversation, Junaid sits down with Frederick Douglass Bussey – investor, author of Breaking Orbit: Rip Out the Regular by Unearthing the Power Within, and founder of Icon Status – to unpack what it really means to discover your gift, step out of the “comfort cage,” and live as the one-of-one you were created to be. From growing up a
S8 · E37
August 6 · 24 min
How Billy Turned Small-Batch Bacon into a National Cult Brand (Without Losing Its Soul)
What if the thing you loved most could pull you into survival mode… and then become the very thing that saved you? In this episode of Hacks and Hobbies, I sit back down with William “Billy” Sid, the man behind Billy’s Small Batch Bacon—a handcrafted, music-infused bacon brand that went from a local secret in Fairhope, Alabama to a nationally recognized, TV-featured cult favorite. We go beyond flavor and into identity, burnout, and the brutal reality of building something real in the meat indus

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