Don't Be a Jerk

What if your success has nothing to do with you? That is the worldview of Bing Chen. And it has shaped two massive revolutions: the YouTube creator economy and the rise of Asian representation in Hollywood.Bing and I go all the way back to Wharton. We were in the same senior society. After college we’d grab coffee in New York and he’d casually say things like, “I think millions of people will make their full-time living on YouTube.” He was right. He helped build it.Today he is the CEO and Co-Founder of Gold House. Under his leadership the collective has supported over 600 projects, helped 100 films and shows reach #1 total debuts, and driven billions in revenue.But none of that is why this conversation blew me away. The real story is Bing’s philosophy.This is a conversation about generosity, legacy, culture, and what leadership actually looks like when you center it on others.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Why Bing and I still feel like caffeinated college kids03:00 – The early YouTube years and the birth of the creator economy07:00 – Bing’s definition of success and how losing his father changed everything10:00 – Why real givers never count who owes them11:30 – Naming the “creator.” The internal battles inside YouTube15:00 – How Gold House accidentally came to life16:00 – The strategy behind rallying a global diaspora17:00 – The three universal human desires (health, love, meaning)20:00 – The truth behind #GoldOpen and engineering cultural wins23:00 – Why 100 films and shows reached number one in total debuts25:00 – How community movements are intentionally built28:00 – The manifesto of Gold House and why it is built on giving29:30 – Why they chose the color gold and how brand identity shapes culture31:00 – Being “the first call” when people win or fall33:00 – Building a Marvel-scale creative universe about death36:00 – Why contemplating mortality makes you more generous41:00 – How to design community experiences that spark real impact44:30 – Ethics, character checks, and the courage to excommunicate the wrong people47:00 – The leadership principle Bing wishes he learned earlier50:00 – How to be “the only one,” not the best one55:00 – Final reflections on kindness, ambition, and legacyThis episode is a masterclass in impact, community, and leadership.If you’ve ever wondered how to build something bigger than yourself, Bing is the blueprint.🎧 Listen to the full episode of “Don’t Be a Jerk” now on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Most people meet a quantum physicist and think they have nothing in common.But Anastasia Marchenkova is built different.She went from breaking the servers at Georgia Tech to building quantum chips at Rigetti, to investing in deep-tech startups, to teaching introverts how to communicate. And along the way she discovered something surprising.Being smart is not the hard part. Being human is. In this episode, we talk about how Anastasia rewrote her entire identity. From shy scientist to founder to creator to someone who believes empathy is a core technology.You will hear:- The night she accidentally took down Georgia Tech’s internet and got seed funding for it- Why scientists struggle to admit “I don’t know” and how it kills innovation- The “misogyny is a skill issue” problem in tech and what confident people do differently- Why 85 percent of career success comes from people skills, not IQ- How she taught herself charisma using physics-level study habits- Why scientists should fire clients faster- The rule she lives by online: never punch down- How to handle haters who can’t spell “your”- The moment she realized asking for help is a superpower- How boundaries make you kinder, not harsher- The real cost of being the smartest person in the roomThis conversation is part science, part philosophy, and part survival guide for anyone who has ever felt like their intelligence outran their communication skills.EPISODE TIMESTAMPS00:00 — The supervillain origin story03:00 — Breaking Georgia Tech’s servers and starting a company07:00 — The academic mindset vs the startup mindset11:30 — Why saying “I don’t know” increases innovation15:00 — The danger of needing to be the smartest person in the room17:30 — Why founders should fire faster20:00 — People skills as a competitive advantage27:00 — Misogyny as a skill issue30:00 — Handling online hate and setting boundaries35:00 — The psychology of communication in deep tech40:00 — What scientists can teach founders (and vice versa)48:00 — The most important question every technical leader should ask🎧 Listen to this episode of Don’t Be A Jerk wherever you get your podcasts.Follow along for more conversations on leadership, kindness, and the future of work:IG: @healeycypher | @dontbeajerkpodcastLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/healeycypher

What happens when you build everything you ever wanted… and still feel empty?For Jesse Pujji, that moment came after bootstrapping Ampush to a multi-eight-figure exit and realizing that money and titles weren’t enough.So he stepped back, did the inner work, and started Gateway X, a venture studio built around one radical idea: you can scale businesses and stay human.Jesse and I met as college kids at Wharton 20+ years ago. He was the calm, wise one. Let’s just say I was… not that. That’s why this conversation felt like a full circle moment for me.In this conversation, Jesse and I talk about what happens behind the curtain of “success” and how fear, ego, and self-awareness shape everything from our leadership style to our happiness.You’ll hear:Why fear and extrinsic motivation (money, titles, status) will get you far but can’t take you all the way.The 5 motivators that drive every founder (and how to choose yours consciously).How to find your “one thing you can’t NOT do.”Why Jesse left a $1M offer on the table to start his company.How to turn anxiety into presence: in real time, even in a meeting.The difference between treating people like employees vs. adults.What it means to run your business as a spiritual practice.The moment humility became Jesse’s superpower.This episode is for for anyone building something big and trying to stay grounded while they do it.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 — How Healey and Jesse met at Wharton (and the TA story that started it all)03:30 — Why Jesse left Wall Street to build a company from scratch06:00 — The crash after the win: what happens when external success stops working07:30 — The 5 motivators that drive all human behavior (and how to choose your fuel)10:00 — When money stopped motivating and what filled the gap11:50 — “What’s the one thing you can’t not do?” Finding purpose through practice13:20 — From purpose to play: how to live in your “zone of genius”18:00 — The decision to leave a $1M job offer and follow intuition25:30 — “Fear is excitement without breath.” How to reframe fear as energy27:00 — Aliveness as the compass: how to know you’re on your path30:00 — Work as a spiritual pursuit (and how to turn frustration into curiosity)33:00 — Mirrors, ego, and the parts of ourselves we don’t want to see38:00 — The moment Jesse said “I feel scared” in a meeting (and how it changed the room)42:00 — Why presence is contagious and awareness builds trust44:30 — Treating people like adults (and why “loving candor” works better than control)47:00 — How humility became Jesse’s leadership advantage50:00 — What he wishes someone told him earlier about money, fear, and fulfillment52:30 — Where to find Jesse today and what he’s building next—🎧 Listen now to Don’t Be a Jerk wherever you get your podcasts. Follow for more conversations on leadership, kindness, and the inner work of building something that lasts.IG: @healeycypher | @dontbeajerkpodcastLinkedIn: Healey Cypher

What happens when authenticity becomes your superpower?For Goldie Chan, she turned her authentic, vulnerable story into a personal brand everyone wants. She’s the founder of Warm Robots, a Forbes contributor, and the author of Personal Branding for Introverts, a guide to building influence without pretending to be someone you’re not.Dubbed the “Oprah of LinkedIn,” Goldie built one of the most trusted voices in storytelling and leadership by doing something revolutionary in the age of algorithms: leading with heart.In this episode, Healey Cypher sits down with Goldie to talk about how stories shape trust, why vulnerability is magnetic, and what it really takes to connect in a world run by metrics.You’ll hear:How emotional intelligence beats IQ in leadership and influenceThe two versions of every great story (and when to use each)Why authenticity builds more trust than perfection ever couldHow to make one-to-many communication feel one-to-oneWhy “Yes, and…” might be the secret to better teams and conversationsHow Goldie’s cancer story became a masterclass in vulnerabilityThe storytelling framework that every founder should stealThis conversation is equal parts strategy and soul. It’s about turning your humanity into your advantage and proving that empathy, not ego, is the real growth engine.⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS00:00 — The story behind Don’t Be a Jerk (and Adam Grant’s advice)05:00 — Meet Goldie Chan: from poetry to the “Oprah of LinkedIn”10:00 — Why storytelling is the most human skill we have left14:30 — “Broetry,” bad writing, and how to actually hook your reader19:00 — Vulnerability as a superpower: Goldie’s cancer story22:00 — The two versions of every story: short vs. long26:30 — Authenticity → Trust → Performance: the leadership loop31:00 — The improv rule that transforms conversations34:00 — How to make one-to-many feel one-to-one40:00 — Confidence vs. ego — and why both are contagious47:00 — Storytelling as a muscle: how to keep it strong55:00 — Goldie’s final lesson: tell the story that resonates🎧 Listen now to this episode of Don’t Be a Jerk wherever you get your podcasts.Follow along for more conversations on leadership, empathy, and storytelling in the age of AI:IG: @healeycypher@dontbeajerkpodcastLinkedIn:Healey Cypher

What happens when life throws you something you can’t control?For Lucy Aragon, the answer was to keep dancing.She’s been to 105 countries, built a life around optimism and adventure, and faced her husband’s cancer diagnosis with humor, perspective, and a contagious belief that joy isn’t luck. It’s work.In this episode, Healey Cypher sits down with Lucy to talk about the art of staying light when life gets heavy. From her solo travels through war zones to the lessons she learned about resilience, confidence, and perspective, Lucy’s story is a reminder that happiness isn’t something you find. It’s something you create.You’ll hear:- How travel rewires your empathy and your brain- Why “the rules were invented by people way stupider than you”- The moment in Yemen that changed how she sees courage- How humor became her greatest survival tool- Why optimism is a health advantage, not a personality trait- The 50 Cent quote that helped her beat anxiety and depression- What lighting poop on fire taught her about leadership and joyThis conversation is equal parts philosophy and laughter. It’s about choosing perspective over panic, humor over fear, and joy as a daily act of rebellion.⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS00:00 — How Healey and Lucy met (and why she lights up every room)04:00 — Travel as a teacher: empathy, perspective, and the Yemen story10:00 — “The rules were invented by people way stupider than you”15:30 — Disneyland, the 8-year-old, and the moment Lucy realized most rules are fake24:30 — Facing cancer with confidence, humor, and perspective31:00 — Why optimism isn’t denial35:45 — How comparison became the thief of modern joy39:00 — Travel, gratitude, and the psychology of happiness45:20 — “Depression is a luxury” from 50 Cent49:00 — Anxiety, control, and the mental rewiring that joy requires55:00 — The loneliness epidemic and how to fight it with connection01:05:00 — The art of humor (even when life is serious)01:10:00 — Lighting poop on fire (yes, really) and parenting through joy01:17:00 — Why intention matters more than perfection01:22:00 — Lucy’s final lesson: You can just be happy, without being rich or successful—🎧 Listen now to this episode of Don’t Be a Jerk wherever you get your podcasts.Follow along for more conversations on leadership, kindness, and the science of joy:IG: @healeycypher | @dontbeajerkpodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/healeycypher/