Jake Strange is an American entrepreneur, real estate investor, and former Hollywood Hills influencer-house resident who opens up about chasing success, status, and identity in modern America.

On Meeting With Americans, he talks about growing up around wealth, becoming obsessed with success, and the night he came face to face with every homeowner's nightmare.

We talk about:

▪️Growing up privileged while still wanting to build his own life

▪️Living in the Hollywood Hills around influencers and chasing status

▪️Building confidence, masculinity, and self-worth as a young man

▪️Why success, women, and money never fully fulfilled him

▪️The home invasion that changed the way he sees life and responsibility

▪️What he learned about purpose, identity, and becoming the man he wants to be

00:00 Intro

02:02 Blue Angels, Patriotism, And The Gulf Of America

08:51 Growing Up With Successful Parents In America

13:05 His Father As A Role Model

15:10 What The American Dream Means To Him

18:09 Why Comparing Yourself To Others Is Dangerous

20:35 Defining His Own Version Of Success

23:57 How COVID Changed His Career Path

25:18 Getting Started In Real Estate

30:14 The Biggest Lessons He Learned From Business

35:04 Living In A Hollywood Hills Influencer House

38:08 The Party That Brought Police Helicopters

41:04 Why He Eventually Left Los Angeles

45:13 Social Media, Pressure, And Modern Masculinity

49:55 Dating Culture In Los Angeles Vs. The South

55:51 Politics, Division, And Modern America

1:01:55 Abortion, States' Rights, And Personal Beliefs

1:03:39 Growing Up Around Guns And Hunting

1:06:44 The Home Invasion That Changed Everything

1:10:06 Why He Chose Not To Pull The Trigger

1:15:03 Why He Admires George Washington

Nesto Farinas is a Venezuelan immigrant, former tennis player, and acro yoga instructor who moved to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a professional athlete.

On Meeting With Americans, he opens up about failing in tennis, rebuilding his confidence from scratch, and realizing how much of his self-worth was tied to validation from women.

We talk about:

▪️Growing up in Venezuela and chasing a professional tennis career

▪️Moving to the United States to pursue his dream

▪️What happened after tennis didn't work out

▪️Why he tied his self-worth to women

▪️The difference between validation and real confidence

▪️What he believes actually creates happiness and fulfillment

00:00 Intro

02:33 Leaving Venezuela And Chasing A Bigger Dream

03:10 Growing Up In Venezuela

04:33 Failing As A Professional Tennis Player

06:44 Living With Insecurity And Being Bullied

12:04 His Family, His Mother And Life In Caracas

14:55 Training Like A Pro — And Struggling Every Day

17:44 Why Venezuela Felt Like "Everyone For Themselves"

19:53 Why America Felt Different

22:21 Money, Happiness And The Pursuit Of Freedom

23:53 "This Is What Love Feels Like"

27:07 The American Dream And Starting Over

29:57 Why Bali Changed His Life

34:05 How He Discovered Acro Yoga

38:26 Turning Acro Into A New Identity

41:36 Building Retreats And Making It A Business

43:30 Tying His Self-Worth To Women

46:14 Comedy, Confidence And Facing Fear

50:19 Immigration, Trump And The Broken Political System

01:01:40 Comparing America, Europe And Southeast Asia

01:04:07 Social Media, Comparison And Financial Pressure

01:06:14 Traveling Latin America And Taking Risks

01:10:05 Why People Should Stop Waiting To Live

01:11:42 Learning Not To Get Too Attached

Emily Birmingham is the daughter of a pastor who grew up between the United States, Turkey, and South Korea — surrounded by faith, structure, and strong beliefs about life.

On Meeting With Americans, she opens up about losing her sense of direction in her early twenties, the experiences that shaped her identity, and the moment she was told it was her fault after a sexual assault.

We talk about:

▪️Growing up in a religious household and moving across different cultures

▪️How she slowly lost herself in her early twenties without realizing it

▪️The moment her therapist asked, "what were you wearing?"

▪️Why she believed for years that God was punishing her

▪️Her perspective on American culture, success, and chasing fulfillment

▪️What she believes about purpose, faith, and what happens after we die

00:00 Intro

01:50 Growing Up Between Cultures And Never Feeling Settled

03:13 Her First Real Exposure To "American Culture"

06:25 What It Feels Like To Never Have A Real Home

09:14 Finding A "Chosen Family"

13:17 Growing Up As A Pastor's Daughter

14:18 Why She Actually Believes In God

19:08 What She Thinks The Purpose Of Life Really Is

21:25 Why Americans Chase The Wrong Things

26:56 The Real Meaning Of The "American Dream"

30:24 Social Media, Cancel Culture And Losing Ourselves

34:46 How She Slowly Lost Herself In Her 20s

39:41 The Moment That Changed Everything

42:54 "What Were You Wearing?"

43:41 Why She Thought God Was Punishing Her

45:21 The Truth About Faith, Guilt And Shame

47:47 Why Money Doesn't Actually Change Your Life

50:37 Do You Need Money To Enjoy Life?

53:03 Talking Politics Without Hating Each Other

55:27 What Makes Her Who She Is Today

58:00 Why She Believes In Making People Happy

01:01:38 Her Vision For The Future

01:02:20 What She Believes Happens After We Die