The Heart of Entrepreneurship

What if your biggest source of stress… is your own mind?

In this episode of Heart of Entrepreneurship, Jesse and Dave unpack the concept of ego—not as arrogance, but as the mental identity we all unconsciously carry. They explore how identifying with your thoughts creates suffering, limits your potential, and keeps even successful founders from feeling fulfilled. If you’ve ever found yourself anxious despite "winning," this episode is for you.

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Anger as a Compass: How Founders Can Use Emotion to Set Clearer Boundaries and Make Better Decisions

Most entrepreneurs are taught to suppress anger—or worse, use it as a weapon. But what if anger isn’t something to avoid… but something to listen to?

In this episode of The Heart of Entrepreneurship, Jesse and Dave explore how anger, when processed healthily, becomes one of the most powerful tools a founder can access. From radical candor to ruinous empathy, they break down why many leaders either over-express or completely shut down their anger—and how that blo...

How to Follow What Makes You Feel Alive (Even If It Makes No Logical Sense)

You’ve probably heard advice like “follow your passion” or “do what lights you up”—but how do you actually do that in practice as a founder? And how do you know when you’re following aliveness vs fear or performance?

In this episode, Jesse and Dave dive into the deeper layers of what it means to follow your aliveness—the felt sense of energy, joy, and presence that can guide your most aligned decisions in work and life.

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Ever feel stuck as a founder—uncertain about your next move, paralyzed by fear, or second-guessing what you really want?

In this episode, Jesse Pujji and Dave Kashen unpack the hidden dynamics behind “stuckness” and how founders can transform it into growth. From reframing “I don’t know” as liberation, to uncovering fear, anger, and desire as powerful guides, they show how getting unstuck is less about finding the “right” answer and more about trusting your wants, welcoming your emotions, and embracing uncertainty.

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✅ Master the In...

Can you build a wildly successful company without sacrificing heart?

In this episode, Jesse Pujji and Dave Kashen dive deep into the Sedona Method—a powerful practice for letting go of the endless chase for security, control, and approval. They share personal stories about money, identity, and ambition, and explore how founders can build businesses rooted in love, freedom, and authenticity rather than fear and scarcity.

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⏱️ Episode Guide
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What does it take to build, lose, and rebuild as an entrepreneur—while staying true to yourself?

In this conversation, host Dave Kashen sits down with Gagan Biyani (co-founder of Udemy, Sprig, and Maven) to explore the emotional and practical realities of entrepreneurship: co-founder dynamics, letting go of team members, navigating failure, and moving beyond pain-driven motivation.

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⏱️ Episode Outline
[00:00:00] Intro – Dave opens with gratitude and sets up Gagan’s j...

Ever find yourself stuck in a cycle of self-discipline, shame, and yo-yo habits? In this episode of Heart of Entrepreneurship, Jesse and Dave dive deep into the psychology behind personal growth—and why punishing yourself into change doesn’t actually work. From fitness routines to leadership patterns, they explore how to unlock lasting behavior change without guilt and willpower battles.

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⏱️ Episode Outline
 00:00 – Intro: Jesse’s fitness journey and “yo-yo” behavior
...

Why You Resist Feeling Bad (And How It Holds You Back as a Founder)

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00:00 – Intro + today's topic: “shadows” and the parts we deny
01:30 – Jesse’s shadow: the victim
03:00 – Why founders avoid “weak” emotions like sadness, shame, helplessness
05:00 – What’s the point of all this inner work? (Andrew challenges the premise)
06:30 – Peace vs. success: what are founders really after?
08:00 – Resistance is what drains you, not action
09:30 – Integrati...

7 Inner Shifts That Make You a Better Leader (Without Forcing It)

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00:00 – Intro: Dave’s coaching lineage + the Groundbreakers retreat
01:30 – Why even high-performing founders need constant inner work
03:00 – Dave’s perspective on “problems” vs. learning patterns
04:30 – First breakthrough: befriending the voice in your head
06:30 – How feelings unlock clarity (not block it)
08:00 – Why exercises over just insights in personal growth
09:30 – “Unfelt feelings are the glue” – Tara’s insight on stuck patterns...

The Personas Playing You: How Founders Get Trapped in Drama & Identity

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Show Notes:
00:00 – Intro + why entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be painful
01:30 – What is a persona? (And why we mistake it for our true self)
04:00 – The firefighter, the hero, the nice guy, the newscaster mom
06:00 – Playing your persona vs. letting it play you
08:00 – Drama Triangle: Victim, Villain, Hero explained
10:00 – A real founder example: sales team missed...

What Are You Resisting? How Founders Block Growth by Avoiding Emotion

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Show Notes:
 00:00 – Intro + recap: resisting emotions, what it means for founders
 02:00 – Why emotions feel unsafe (and how that started in childhood)
 06:00 – “I’m not an angry person” and other signs of repression
 08:30 – Judging others = a sign of emotional resistance
 11:00 – Conscious vs. unconscious resistance patterns
 13:00 – How emotions physically manifest in the body
 15:00 – Jesse's...

Emotions Are Not the Enemy: Unlocking Leadership, Clarity & Decision-Making Through Feeling

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Most entrepreneurs think their emotions get in the way. But what if they’re actually your greatest untapped superpower?

In this no-fluff conversation, Jesse and Dave explore how emotional awareness is directly tied to clearer thinking, better leadership, and faster decision-making. Drawing from real-world founder coaching, this episod...

Why do some goals drain you while others inspire action?

In this powerful conversation, Jesse Pujji and executive coach Dave Kashen unpack a core concept at the heart of entrepreneurship: the Desired Future State (DFS). They explore how clean motivation, grounded in acceptance and vision—not fear or lack—can transform the way you lead, strategize, and scale your company.

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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS / AGENDA
00:00 – What is DFS (Desired Future State...

You're Not Your Inner Voice: Meditation, Spirituality, and Mental Clarity for Founders

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00:00 – Jesse introduces the topic: spirituality for entrepreneurs
01:00 – What does spirituality actually mean (and why should you care)?
04:00 – You're not your thoughts: the voice in your head isn’t you
06:00 – The meditation misconception: you don’t have to quiet your mind
08:00 – Science vs. spirituality: where they’re already merging
10:00 – What meditation really trains: non-reactivity
13:0...

Most people think they struggle with fear or failure. But the truth is, we’re often more afraid of love, joy, and being fully seen.

In this episode, Dave Kashen, Jesse Pujji, and Andrew Warner uncover the hidden ways we resist appreciation, connection, and fulfillment—without even realizing it. They break down why receiving acknowledgment can feel so uncomfortable, especially for high achievers, and how this subconscious resistance affects success, relationships, and self-worth.

Jesse shares a powerful story about a leadership retreat that started as an awkward exercise and transformed into one of the most emot...

What if the key to creating your dream life and business isn’t about working harder—but about taking radical responsibility for your entire experience, including the belief that it has to be difficult?

In this episode, Jesse Pujji, Dave Kashen, and Andrew Warner reveal how entrepreneurs unknowingly create their own overwhelm by holding onto limiting beliefs about struggle and success. They explore why resistance to emotions leads to suffering, how blame keeps you stuck, and why reframing responsibility is the ultimate power move for building a life and business you love.

You’ll walk away w...

What if the emotions you’ve been avoiding are the key to making better decisions and unlocking your true potential?

In this episode, Jesse Pujji, Dave Kashen, and Andrew Warner dive into how emotions like fear, anger, and sadness can guide you to clarity and alignment—if you let them. They explore why resisting emotions creates stress and confusion, while embracing them leads to better decisions, deeper flow, and authentic success.

Discover how to stop reacting impulsively, process emotions effectively, and use them as a compass to navigate your entrepreneurial journey with greater ease and fulf...

No matter how big your goals are or how much you’ve already achieved, you might have an 'upper limit problem' quietly holding you back.

In this episode of The Heart of Entrepreneurship, Jesse Pujji, Dave Kashen, and Andrew Warner dive into the hidden barriers that limit success—even for high achievers. Together, they explore how unconscious beliefs and self-sabotage can prevent you from reaching your potential. 

They share practical strategies for breaking through these limits, discovering your 'zone of genius,' and designing a life that balances fulfillment with success.

If you’ve ever...

Entrepreneurs often chase success by pushing harder and striving for more, but what if the real key lies in rethinking the stories we tell ourselves?

In this episode, Jesse Pujji and Dave Kashen share practical exercises to help entrepreneurs separate facts from narratives, freeing them from the things that hold them back––like guilt, regret, and burnout. 

Joined by Andrew Warner, they dive into the challenges of letting go of old beliefs, embracing the present, and finding fulfillment beyond the relentless pursuit of 'bigger and better.'

In this episode––Jesse, Dave, and Andrew ha...

Jesse Pujji sold a big piece of his company, Ampush. He should have felt "safe" and happy and more productive.

It didn't work.

He hired Dave Kashen to coach him.

That was a huge unlock. It led him to build multiple companies, have a happier family life and embrace his love of teaching.

This podcast shows why that happened. And why they're launching a new podcast with the word "heart" in it, even though it's terrible for SEO. I mean really, which entrepreneur is searching the podcast app for the word "...