In this episode of A Founder’s Life, host Leo Gestetner sits down with Andy Zimmerman—CEO of Journey and former head of Frog Design—to explore the rarely told truth behind success. From high-powered corporate roles to a life-altering spiritual awakening, Andy shares the personal and professional pivot that helped him rediscover balance, purpose, and empathy.

🔥 Discover how six million air miles and relentless ambition nearly cost Andy everything—and how one soul reading in Glastonbury reset his life and leadership forever.

🎧 Whether you’re a founder chasing growth or a leader craving alignment, this conversation will challenge what you think success really looks like.

What You’ll Learn:
•The hidden cost of ignoring yourself in the name of growth
•Why vulnerability is a superpower in leadership
•How Andy built “Journey”—a creative agency designing immersive experiences (like The Sphere in Vegas and Empire State Building’s new deck)
•How spiritual practice, family, and writing helped him reset
•What “balance” means when the world doesn’t slow down

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🌍 Learn more about the podcast: https://leogestetner.com/podcast/

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro & Andy’s background
02:10 - From corporate to creative
07:20 - Mental health and the power of pause
11:45 - Designing The Sphere & immersive experiences
17:10 - Burnout, family, and reconnection
22:30 - The pivotal moment that changed his life
27:00 - How to build your business without losing yourself
30:00 - Final thoughts & where to find Andy

Learn more about Journey.World:

Journey.world

Connect with Andy:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewzimmerman1/

LinkedIn

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Website

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Feeling stuck in a business that controls your life instead of supporting it?

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Leo Gestetner sits down with Andy Root—co-founder of Better Every Day—to explore how founders, especially in high-pressure industries like accounting, can break free from burnout and build a business that aligns with the life they want to live.

Andy shares how working 60+ hour weeks nearly cost him his health and family time—and what changed everything. From losing 40 pounds to redefining work-life integration, this episode is packed with actionable insights for entrepreneurs seeking balance, fulfillment, and sustainable success.

✅ Value You’ll Get:

• The truth about hustle culture and how to escape it

• How to build a business that fits your life—not the other way around

• The importance of daily routines, mindfulness, and health data

• What intentional living actually looks like for busy founders

• How to be present with your family without sacrificing your business

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

03:30 – Andy’s backstory: Air Force, accounting, and founding Better Every Day

08:00 – Breaking out of hustle culture in the tax industry

12:30 – Work-life integration vs. balance

15:00 – Andy’s journey: losing 40 lbs and prioritizing mental health

18:00 – Meditation, fitness, and health tech

22:00 – Family time, coaching softball, and the power of presence

26:00 – What a balanced day looks like (and how to build it)

31:00 – Andy’s best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

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In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Leo Gestetner sits down with Roy Vella, fintech veteran and founder of NextCoLabs, to explore what it really means to live with intention. From building PayPal in its earliest days to creating AI-powered meeting tools, Roy shares why presence—not productivity—is the true key to success.

🔥 Topics include parenting with purpose, optimizing health and sleep, founding companies in fintech and AI, and what exponential technology means for the future of work and life.

📌 You’ll learn:
• How to prioritize family and still lead at the highest level
• Why “you get what you measure” applies to life and business
• The science behind Roy’s biohacking and sleep strategies
• What founders can learn from feedback loops
• How to create a life that blends innovation, parenting, and fulfillment
• A behind-the-scenes look at his startup, NextCoLabs

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & Roy’s Background
03:00 – Fatherhood and Attention as Currency
07:00 – Presence, Priorities, and Corporate Respect
10:00 – Personal Loss, Transparency, and Trust
13:00 – Sleep, Biofeedback, and Optimizing Health
22:00 – AI and the Future of Personal Assistants
30:00 – Building NextCoLabs and the CoLab Score
40:00 – Adventure, Curiosity & Continuous Learning
47:00 – Advice for Entrepreneurs

LinkedIn

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Website

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In this episode of A Founder’s Life, host Leo Gestetner sits down with Reeto Mookherjee, co-founder and CEO of Angler AI, to discuss his journey from academic researcher to startup founder. Reeto shares the pivotal moments that changed his life—from turning down a tenure-track role to founding an AI-driven adtech company solving real-world marketing challenges in the post-privacy era.

Whether you’re a data-driven leader, aspiring entrepreneur, or founder juggling family and business, this conversation is packed with relatable lessons.

🔍 What you’ll learn:
• The mindset shift that took Reeto from academia to entrepreneurship
• How to build AI-powered solutions for privacy-conscious marketing
• The role of mentorship and networks in startup success
• Balancing startup chaos with family life and mental health
• Why “starting now” is the best advice for any aspiring founder

🎧 Subscribe to A Founder’s Life for weekly conversations at the intersection of business, wellness, and parenthood.

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📩 Join our newsletter for exclusive founder insights: [Newsletter Link]

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - Reeto’s journey from academia to industry
04:00 - Founding Angler AI in the wake of Apple’s privacy changes
07:30 - Balancing startup life with family responsibilities
10:30 - The importance of mental health and mentorship
13:00 - Why community and networks matter more than ever
15:30 - How Reeto defines a balanced life
17:00 - The pivotal moment that changed Reeto’s career
22:30 - Reeto’s best advice for aspiring founders
27:00 - How to connect with Reeto

Learn more about Angler.AI:

https://www.getangler.ai/

Connect With Reeto:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/reetomookherjee/

LinkedIn

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Website

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In this episode of A Founder’s Life, we sit down with Courtney Kehl, founder of Expert Marketing Advisors, to uncover what it really takes to build a business rooted in freedom, flexibility, and purpose. If you’re an entrepreneur navigating the rollercoaster of growth, self-doubt, and personal evolution, this is the episode for you.

Courtney shares her journey from Silicon Valley acquisitions to running a 40-person B2B marketing agency built on trust, partnership, and adaptability. We discuss the realities of leading during life’s toughest seasons—like the loss of a parent—and how she created a business that supports both high performance and personal well-being.

You’ll learn:
• The mindset shift that led Courtney to start her agency
• How to build a team culture rooted in ethics, trust, and flexibility
• The unspoken power of saying yes (and when to say no)
• The reality of mental health and PTO in fast-moving companies
• How family—blood and chosen—shapes her leadership
• What balance actually looks like for high-performing founders

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & Courtney’s Background
02:30 – From Side Projects to Full-Time Founder
05:00 – Building a Scalable, Flexible Team
07:00 – Leadership, Loyalty & Life Transitions
10:00 – Mental Health, Self-Care & PTO Culture
13:00 – Living a Full Life Outside of Work
16:00 – Personal Loss & Business Beginnings
18:30 – What Balance Means in 2025
19:30 – Where to Find Courtney

LinkedIn

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Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Leo Gestetner sits down with Dametric Burnett, COO of SNK Building Services, to explore his incredible journey—from cleaning windows to leading a fast-growing company with 16+ locations. 🚀

We dive into the realities of entrepreneurship, leadership evolution, building companies with heart, mental health, and redefining success after becoming a parent. Dametric shares powerful lessons on resilience, work-life balance, and making a real impact—both professionally and personally.

Here’s what you’ll discover:
•How Dametric grew from entry-level to COO.
•Lessons on scaling businesses sustainably.
•Why mental health matters for leadership success.
•How becoming a father redefined his purpose.
•Why balance is less about time and more about priorities.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:30 - Starting from humble beginnings
04:00 - Embracing new opportunities
07:00 - Fatherhood and redefining purpose
10:00 - Mental health and leadership
14:00 - Why balance is really about priorities
18:00 - Pivotal moments and future vision

LinkedIn

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Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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What if the real key to entrepreneurial success was a morning hike, a cup of coffee with your partner, and 400 hours of movement a year?

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Leo Gestetner sits down with Lee Roquet—a 25-year tech and startup veteran who traded hustle culture for purpose, nature, and a balanced life. From scaling SaaS companies and building a physical product business from scratch, to tracking outdoor hours like P&L spreadsheets, Lee shares what it really means to live well while leading.

If you’re a founder, exec, or high-performer seeking a more sustainable way to work and live—this episode is for you.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How Lee shifted from burnout to balance
• Why 400 hours of outdoor activity keeps him focused and healthy
• How he led multiple startups through growth and exits
• The role of journaling and executive coaching in mental clarity
• How to redefine your identity beyond work
• How to show up for both your team and your family

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - From ski bum to software executive
04:04 - Founding DECT and scaling physical products
05:48 - The family coffee business
06:06 - Health as a non-negotiable
08:55 - What Lee does for fun
09:57 - Pivotal career moments and transitions
11:47 - What balance looks like in real life
13:45 - The role of partnership and mental fitness

LinkedIn

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Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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Are you a founder or entrepreneur feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or stuck in survival mode?

In this episode of A Founder’s Life, we sit down with Keith Alper, a seasoned entrepreneur and leadership expert, who shares what 40+ years of building businesses—and navigating personal loss—have taught him about sustainable leadership, emotional resilience, and building companies that don’t burn you out.

🔥 Keith opens up about how grief, therapy, and vulnerability made him a better leader—and why success today is about leading with love, building aligned teams, and putting purpose first.

This episode is a must-watch if you’re an entrepreneur looking to grow without losing yourself in the process.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

01:45 – Keith’s early business journey and managing 400+ people

05:30 – Starting The Nitrous Effect and reinventing creative leadership

11:20 – The cost of burnout and the myth of hustle culture

17:15 – Losing his wife & redefining success through personal healing

24:00 – How therapy and coaching helped him lead with more heart

30:00 – Loving your clients: a different approach to business growth

38:10 – Advice for entrepreneurs who feel exhausted or misaligned

45:00 – What legacy really means (and how to live it daily)

✅ Subscribe for more weekly episodes on:

• Entrepreneurship without burnout

• Purpose-driven leadership

• Mental wellness and emotional resilience for founders

• Work-life alignment (not just balance)

LinkedIn

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Website

leogestetner.com/leo

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