Ep. 6 | Education, Success, and Eudaimonia with Michael Escobar
Release Date: 02/03/2025
Ep. 23 | Gen Z in the Workplace with Aleeza Khan
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode Sara sits down with Aleeza Khan. Aleeza recently graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a minor in Design. She focuses on community-centered design through her work with a nonprofit organization, Tiny Village Spirit. She is also the social media manager for the Ace of Pentacles Podcast Aleeza is also the creator and host of the Livin and Loving podcast, where she shares conversations around growth, identity, and empowerment. She has completed multiple internships at M Designs Architects and currently works at IMG II, her...
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Ep. 22 | The Problem with Mental Health Days
Ace of Pentacles
The real "organizational culture" problem that companies aren't addressing.
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Ep. 21 | The Art of Communication with Dr. Swan Dao
Ace of Pentacles
In this conversation, Sara sits down with Psychotherapist and Educator, Dr. Swan Dao. As Founder and Director of the Institute of Devotional Arts, Dr. Dao is dedicated to transforming lives through creative expression. Dr. Dao shares insights on effective communication, conflict resolution, and setting healthy boundaries. Together, Sara and Swan explore practical strategies to help you navigate challenging conversations—both in the workplace and in everyday life. About Dr. Swan Dao: Dr. Swan Dao is a psychotherapist, coach, and educator. Swan studied and taught philosophy, theology,...
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Ep. 20 | The College of Extraordinary Experiences with Claus Raasted
Ace of Pentacles
Claus Raasted helps organizations both big and small become better at GETTING S**T DONE. He also serves as Director of the College of Extraordinary Experiences. He travels the globe as a keynote speaker, and has been both a Coach and Senior Advisor at the consulting giant McKinsey. Raasted is the author of 46 books, the latest of which is fittingly titled “Claus Raasted’s Little Book of Getting Shit Done”. He also has a past in reality TV, but these days, who hasn't? Last year, Sara attended the College of Extraordinary Experiences. She met many very cool people doing really cool things...
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Ep. 19 | Transformation Through Travel with Nishant Badami
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode, Nishant Badami, founder of Ubuntu, shares her journey and the philosophy behind creating soulful, transformative travel experiences. She explains that transformation isn’t about changing who you are, but how you see yourself - a distinction shaped by her own evolution through travel. Nishant debunks common myths about personal growth and emphasizes subtle inner shifts over dramatic reinventions. Ubuntu treats each journey as a living, evolving experience. Nishant designs these trips to create space for reflection, connection, and vulnerability, encouraging travelers to...
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Ep. 19 | Transform Through Travel with Nishant Badami
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode, Nishant Badami, founder of Ubuntu, shares her journey and the philosophy behind creating soulful, transformative travel experiences. She explains that transformation isn’t about changing who you are, but how you see yourself - a distinction shaped by her own evolution through travel. Nishant debunks common myths about personal growth and emphasizes subtle inner shifts over dramatic reinventions. Ubuntu treats each journey as a living, evolving experience. Nishant designs these trips to create space for reflection, connection, and vulnerability, encouraging travelers to...
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Ep. 18 | HMI Resilience Coaching with Christiana Bishop
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode, Sara sits down with Christiana, the Training Sales Manager and Certification Specialist at the HeartMath Institute (HMI) a pioneering non-profit organization that’s been at the forefront of researching heart-based tools and technologies to improve emotional well-being, performance, and human connection. A passionate advocate for heart intelligence, Christiana shares her personal journey to HeartMath and how its science-backed approach to resilience and coherence deeply transformed her own path. Together, they explore the meaning of resilience from a HeartMath perspective -...
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Ep. 17 | Archetypes at Work with Dr. Laurence Hillman
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode Sara sits down with renowned archetypal coach and consultant, Dr. Laurence Hillman, a renowned expert in archetypal psychology and co-creator of Archetypes at Work™, a powerful framework designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations uncover their deeper motivations, values, and mindset. Dr. Hillman shares the personal and professional journey that led him to this transformative work and explains how archetypes, which are ancient patterns of behavior, can be used as a practical tool for modern workplaces. They explore the origins and functions of archetypes, what...
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Ep. 16 | Navigating the Unexpected with Naveen Khan
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode, Sara sits down with Naveen Khan to discuss the unexpected changes that can impact our careers, often beyond our control. Naveen shares her personal experiences and offers valuable insights on how to prepare for and embrace change, maintain wellness in the midst of chaos, and adopt a resilient mindset that has helped her navigate multiple career transitions. About Naveen: Naveen is an experienced Event Manager at a Fortune 100 company and is currently based in Chicago, IL. As a native of the Bay Area, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from San Francisco State...
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Ep. 15 | Engineering an Authentic Life with Sneha Koka
Ace of Pentacles
In this conversation, Sara sits down with Sneha Koka to talk about authenticity in leadership and in life. Sneha opens up about her journey as an engineer, a leader, and a mom, offering a thoughtful glimpse into how she balances these roles. She shares how embracing honesty about her needs and desires—combined with an engineering mindset for solving everyday challenges—has empowered her to build a life she truly enjoys. Sneha also reflects on how her diverse background and experiences have shaped her ability to show up authentically in every aspect of her life. About Sneha: Sneha...
info_outlineIn this episode of Ace of Pentacles, Sara sits down with Michael Escobar. Sara and Michael used to volunteer together for an educational non-profit. In this episode, they dive deep into a thought-provoking discussion about the American education system. They explore how well—or poorly—we're equipped for the real world, the pivotal decisions behind choosing our majors, careers, and jobs, and how those choices shape our life stories as well as our perception of success.
Michael shares the story of how he made the decisions that guided his education and career journey and Sara and Michael talk about different ways that people approach decision making, charting their path to what they believe is success.
From ancient Greece to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, to Matthew McConaughey, to SLC Punk, this conversation is rich with tidbits on how we figure out how to do life.
About Michael
Michael Escobar grew up in Los Angeles and is a proud product of California public schools. After earning his bachelor's degree in Latin American politics and economics from UC Berkeley, he started a career in insurance and risk management touching on earthquake modeling, maritime law, civil engineering and green energy. As an underwriter he helped insure the construction of the San Francisco Chinatown subway tunnel and the renovation of SFMOMA. Subsequently moving into risk management, he worked on the construction of a solar power plant in Puerto Rico and the extension of BART into San Jose. Currently he is the risk manager at Greenbacker Renewable Energy and lives in Berkeley with his family, occasionally pursuing his hobbies of road cycling and playing guitar.