Elevation Nation
Elevation Nation is a movement to shape resilient leaders by elevating mental fortitude.
Join Sam Panitch and Parker Yablon each week as they sit down with a new Elevator: a bold thinker, creator, or leader who’s using mental fortitude to overcome adversity, lead with purpose, and make an impact.
From entrepreneurs and pro athletes to musicians, wellness experts, and changemakers, Elevators come from all walks of life - but they all have one thing in common: mental fortitude that helps them thrive in the real world.
Episodes
413 episodes
Forget the 5-Year Plan, Focus on the Next 5 Days | Fortitude in 15
Parker and Sam unpack why obsessing over long-term plans can actually hold you back. They share how focusing on short-term action, just five days at a time, can lead to more momentum, clarity, and confidence.03:45Living by Values vs....
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Season 1
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Episode 409
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18:04
Authenticity Over Algorithms: A Guide to Showing Up Online | Jenna Pereira - Founder of JP Social
Elevator 211: Jenna Pereira is the founder of JP Social and a self-proclaimed professional hype girl who helps creators and entrepreneurs show up online with confidence and purpose. From her early days freelancing on Upwork to building a boutiq...
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Season 1
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Episode 408
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48:08
More Than S’mores: How Camp Builds Leaders | Fortitude in 15
Camp isn’t just fun and games, it’s a mindset reset. In this episode, Parker and Sam break highlight the first leg of their Elevate Camp Tour at Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods Camps and discuss why summer camp is the perfect space for reflect...
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Season 1
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Episode 407
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16:01
Leading with Fortitude: Inside Joe Vogel’s Political Journey | Joe Vogel - Maryland State Delegate
Elevator 210: Joe Vogel is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing the 17th district, which includes Gaithersburg and Rockville. As a young immigrant and one of Maryland’s rising political voices, Joe shares how his family’s hi...
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Season 1
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Episode 406
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52:49
The Weight of the Choice: Why Decisions Feel So Heavy | Fortitude in 15
Why does every decision feel so intense? In this episode, Parker and Sam unpack the pressure of decision-making in adulthood from anxiety and overthinking to the fear of regret. They explore why commitment matters more than certainty, and how l...
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Season 1
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Episode 405
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15:40
Healing Starts Within | Jessie Yaffe - Holistic Health and Mindset Coach
Elevator 209: Jessie Yaffe is a certified holistic health and mindset coach who helps others reconnect with themselves through mindfulness, emotional healing, and inner child work. After navigating chronic stress and inspired by her sister’s ca...
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Season 1
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Episode 404
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51:16
Our Identity Isn’t Optional, It’s Who We Are | Fortitude in 15
Amid rising antisemitism and growing tension around the world, Parker and Sam reflect on what it means to be proudly and visibly Jewish in a time that often feels unsafe. They open up about the tension between fear and identity, and why now mor...
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Season 1
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Episode 403
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15:01
Be Proud, Show Up, Keep Creating | Libby Amber Shayo - Content Creator
Elevator No. 208: Libby Amber Shayo is a content creator, storyteller, and comedic voice known for her viral portrayals of Jewish mothers and her unique ability to blend humor with cultural insight. What began as a pandemic-era TikTok video has...
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Season 1
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Episode 402
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36:53
Using ChatGPT as a Therapist: Helpful or Unhealthy? | Fortitude in 15
Parker and Sam celebrate 400 episodes of Elevation Nation by reflecting on the podcast’s impact and how it’s fueled their personal growth. Then they explore the rise of AI therapy tools like ChatGPT and how young adults are turning to technolog...
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Season 1
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Episode 401
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15:38
Building While Becoming | Jack Adler - Founder of Out2Win
Elevator No. 206: Jack Adler is a young entrepreneur and founder of Out2Win, an athlete marketing tech company using AI to help brands, universities, and agencies streamline athlete partnerships. While still at Syracuse, Jack launched the compa...
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Season 1
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Episode 400
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46:10
Why It’s Actually a Great Time to Be a Young Creator or Entrepreneur | Fortitude in 15
Parker and Sam break down why now is the best time to be a young creator or entrepreneur. With more tools, platforms, and demand for authenticity than ever before, they explore how anyone can start building something meaningful, no permission r...
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Season 1
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Episode 399
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14:59
Effort, Recovery, and a True Meaning of Success | Matt Williams - Founder of FroPro
Elevator No. 205: Matt Williams is a testament to resilience and reinvention. After a life-changing moment in 2010, he embraced sobriety and began rebuilding from the inside out, eventually founding FROPRO, a snack bar company rooted in second ...
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Season 1
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Episode 398
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52:47
Are We Really Flourishing? Why Young People Feel So Off | Fortitude in 15
Young people today have more access, flexibility, and tools than any generation before, so why do so many of us feel stuck? Parker and Sam break down findings from a massive global study showing that 18–29-year-olds, especially in the U.S., are...
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Season 1
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Episode 397
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13:57
Protect Your Peace, Pursue Your Purpose | Kayla Schreibstein - Host of Friends of Kayla
Elevator No. 207: Kayla Schreibstein is a seasoned tech sales pro turned community-builder, storyteller, and host of the podcast Friends of Kayla. Beyond her 9 to 5, she’s redefining success through intimate Shabbat dinners, cultural c...
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Season 1
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Episode 396
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43:16
Lonely ≠ Broken: Why Feeling Isolated Doesn’t Mean You’re Failing | Fortitude in 15
Parker and Sam unpack the reality of loneliness in today’s hyper-connected world. They share personal experiences and coping strategies, emphasizing that feeling isolated doesn’t mean something is wrong with you...it’s part of being human.
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Season 1
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Episode 395
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15:12
The Professional Trier | Richie Frieman - Best-Selling Author and Entrepreneur
Elevator No. 204: Richie Frieman is a best-selling author, illustrator, entrepreneur, and former professional wrestler dubbed a "Modern-Day Renaissance Man." His latest memoir, The Optimistics, highlights powerful love stories within t...
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Season 1
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Episode 394
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48:21
Stuck in the Comfort Zone: When “Fine” Starts to Feel Wrong | Fortitude in 15
Sam and Parker unpack a feeling many of us struggle to name. When everything is technically fine but something still feels off. From job dissatisfaction to global chaos bleeding into our daily routines, they explore how comfort can quietly conv...
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Season 1
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Episode 393
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15:34
Social Fitness, Connection, and Starting Over | Orly Israel - Thought Leader on Listening
Elevator no. 114: Orly Israel returns to Elevation Nation three years after his first appearance with a powerful story of loss, resilience, and renewal. After losing his home in the California Palisades fires earlier this year, Orly reflects on...
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Season 1
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Episode 392
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1:08:50
Infinite Game Mindset | Fortitude in 15
Parker and Sam dive into Simon Sinek’s concept of the infinite game and why success isn’t about winning—it’s about staying in the game. They reflect on how this mindset shift has impacted their journey with Elevation Nation and why chasing shor...
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Season 1
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Episode 391
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14:19
Dreaming Big and Leading Boldly | Trevon Gross Jr. - Leadership Coach
Elevator no. 202: Trevon Gross Jr. is a leadership coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Craft Your Dream, an organization helping ambitious dreamers turn their goals into reality. He shares his journey from college athlete t...
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Season 1
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Episode 390
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51:09
Let’s Reintroduce Ourselves: The Origin Story of Elevation Nation | Fortitude in 15
After welcoming a ton new people to Elevation Nation the past month, Parker and Sam reintroduce themselves and share the origin story of Elevation Nation. From post-grad confusion to building a community centered on mental fortitude, they refle...
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Season 1
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Episode 389
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14:58
Fashion, Fortitude, and Redefining What It Means to Be a Man | Bradford Jacobs - Founder of the Modern Gentleman
Elevator no. 201: Bradford Jacobs is the founder of The Modern Gentleman, a men’s mental health and lifestyle magazine reshaping how we talk about vulnerability, style, and personal growth. Bradford's own personal experience and challe...
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Season 1
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Episode 388
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30:54
Feel the fear and do it anyway | Fortitude in 15
Parker and Sam explore how fear can be a powerful trigger for growth and personal development. From public speaking nerves to stepping into the boxing ring, they share their experience with facing fear head-on.
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Season 1
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Episode 387
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15:05
From Pain to Purpose: Jimmy Gavin’s Journey
Elevator No. 200: Jimmy Gavin is a former professional basketball player who earned an NCAA scholarship at 23 after never playing a minute of high school ball. His story is shaped by living with Crohn’s disease, the loss of his younger brother,...
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Season 1
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Episode 386
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58:45
No one's coming to save you | Fortitude in 15
Parker and Sam break down the hard truth—no one is coming to hand you success. They discuss the difference between structured career paths and the chaos of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the power of taking action. If you’ve been waiting for per...
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Season 1
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Episode 385
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15:48