Lionel Nichols is the founder of Mario & Lee where he designs exclusive 1 of 1 garments from the highest quality hand sourced fabrics, trims and notions. He has dressed celebrities such as Gunna and Mark John Jeffries and offers pieces for purchase at marioandlee.com.

Hearing Lionel tell his story in audio format is inspiring, but I highly recommend you check out his Instagram below to visually grasp the unique pieces he has designed.

In our conversation, Lionel and I discuss how modeling led him to fashion, his process of designing with the end in mind, and how he plans for long-term success in his craft.

Lionel's Links

Lionel's TikTok

Lionel's Instagram

Mario & Lee Website

Mario & Lee Instagram

Alicia DeCastro is the owner of Fundati coffee shop & roastery in Lincoln, Rhode Island. She's on a mission to help you to find your Fundati or find ways to ground yourself through in-person at the coffee shop and experiences online through social media

When she's not running the coffee shop, Alicia serves as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach where she helps clients achieve sustainable habits around nutrition, sleep, relationships, and movement. She offers these services remotely. You can reach out to Alicia via the links in the show notes if you want to get in contact with her about her coaching services.

In our conversation, Alicia and I discuss the importance of mindfulness, the ethical considerations of sourcing coffee beans, and how she knew she would pursue entrepreneurship.

Alicia's Links

Fundati's Website

Fundati's Facebook

Fundati's Instagram

Avyay Chaganty is co-founder and CEO of ACCL Marketing, a creative marketing agency focused on surpassing your business goals and KPI's through the art of digital storytelling. From creating logos to executing campaigns, ACCL brings the full marketing package.

When he's not helping businesses, academic institutions, and non-profits tell their story, Avyay enjoys spending his time creating hand-made clothing for his side hustle Synapse.

In our conversation, Avyay and I discuss the art of storytelling, the importance of diverse perspectives, and how fashion design creates opportunity.

Avyay's Links

LinkedIn

Synapse

ACCL Marketing

Personal Instagram

JPCO

Sujude Dalieh is a co-founder of Gajo, an application that allows young people to create the life they want to live by redesigning career exploration and engagement. She also hosts/produces Don't Stay in Your Lane, a podcast about the unconventional and unchartered career paths that people have taken (available on Spotify).

She is also an associate at Lux Capital and is pursuing an MS in Engineering, Design Impact at Stanford University.

In our conversation, Sujude and I discuss the future of career exploration and balancing her time between VC, a master's degree, and a startup.

Sujude's Links

Gajo

Twitter

Personal Site

Don't Stay in Your Lane

L.D. Russell is a Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at Elon University, where he has taught in the areas of world religions and religion and culture since 1993. 

I had the opportunity to engage with L.D. in the classroom during my time at Elon University. His willingness to be vulnerable about spirituality, religion, and community (or a "tribe" as L.D. calls it), allows for students to explore difficult questions with great depth.

In our conversation, L.D. and I discuss finding your tribe in a remote environment and creating a legacy that will outlast you.

I hope that our conversation emulates the core tenants of LD’s classroom: have compassion for your neighbor and serve one another. 

Nate Kadlac is a digital product designer based in Los Angeles, California. He leads user experience and product design at HomeSpotter (acquired in May '21 by Lone Wolf Technologies.)


Nate also co-hosts a weekly podcast called It's Gotta Be the Mic and hosts a live monthly workshop where he teaches the fundamentals of design to non-designers. You can view some of Nate's projects here, or on Dribbble.

In our conversation, Nate and I discuss design for non-designers, why minimalism is boring, and making time for creative work.

Nate's Links

Twitter

LinkedIn

YouTube

Newsletter

It's Gotta Be the Mic Podcast

Approachable Design Course

Honoring the memory of a husband, father, brother, son, friend, and colleague by hearing his own words on leadership.

This episode was recorded on April 14th. On April 25th, Greg passed away unexpectedly at the age of 55.

In our conversation, Greg and I discuss memories he had with his late father, the time he shared with his kids, and the stories that shaped his leadership philosophy.

May we carry Greg's memory forward by living out the principles and values that he depicts in this recording.

Thank you to Bill Eggers and Nora Ellison for helping me complete this episode. 

Thank you to Greg's family for allowing me to share this conversation with others. It is one of the most meaningful pieces of work that I've ever had the privilege of being a part of.

Greg's Legacy

Greg is survived by his wife, Kristiane, his three children, John, Roman, and Mia, his mother, Annette Pellegrino Fontaine and her husband, Mel Fontaine, and his brothers Jeff and Chris. You can find his full obituary here.

Greg's Background

Greg served as a Customer Strategy & Applied Design Principal at Deloitte Consulting, LLP and as the Lead Client Service Principal responsible for Deloitte’s relationships with the Department of Veterans Affairs and The White House. 

He led large-scale, system-wide transformation efforts in critical areas such as public safety, cyber-security, transportation, and counter-terrorism. Greg helped to redesign and consolidate the civil aviation security systems for the U.S. government after 9/11, and his team was also tasked with leading the creation of the web portal for the newly created Dept. of Homeland Security.

Note

Views expressed in this podcast do not express the views or opinions of Deloitte Consulting, LLP.

Nick O'Brien serves as co-founder/CMO/CFO of Alloi, a consumer products company that brings elegant design and anti-microbial properties together.

In the recording, you will hear Nick and I speak about Aeris (different from Arist, a separate digital product startup featured on this podcast). Nick and his co-founders have since rebranded and Aeris is now Alloi. 

Here's the co-founders' statement on the rebrand: 

"We’re becoming more than Aeris — an homage to copper — and introducing a new range of products and metals. Our new identity as Alloi encompasses everything we are as Aeris Copper, and a whole lot more." (Full Statement Here).

In our conversation, Nick and I discuss combatting germs amidst the pandemic, being featured on Good Morning America, and building physical products in a digital world.

Nick's Links

Alloi

Twitter

LinkedIn

Digital Commute Newsletter