Mind Soak
Mind Soak is a podcast for the curious. Curving your perspectives with others' information.
Hosted by Samuel Dignan, each episode dives deep into conversations with people who have overcome, created, and evolved. From entrepreneurs and athletes to thinkers and adventurers, we unpack the struggles, lessons, and mindset shifts that shaped them.
This podcast is about absorbing wisdom — soaking it all in — and sharing insights that can help you grow mentally, emotionally, and personally.
Whether you're chasing clarity, building something meaningful, or just love hearing how others do what they do, you're in the right place.
🧠 Stay curious. Soak it in.
Mind Soak
#08 - Taj Gow Smith - $50 to $2M at 20
In this episode of the Mind Soak Podcast, I sit down with Taj Now Smith, a 20-year-old Australian entrepreneur who turned $50 into a $2M landscaping empire. But Taj’s story runs much deeper than business.
At just 16, he was raided by 17 cops for drug dealing. Ten days before his 17th birthday, everything changed. What followed was a wild journey of redemption: starting from a car wash hustle, battling mental health, rebuilding after losing everything, and finding purpose through pain.
We dive into:
- The truth behind making money young without social media
- What it takes to break free from small town syndrome
- Real-world entrepreneurship lessons no one talks about
- Mental health, identity, and choosing purpose over comfort
If you're feeling stuck, need a fire lit under you, or want to hear a story of raw resilience, this is the one.
🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations and stories that hit deeper.
Time Stamps:
00:00 – Taj’s $50 to $2M story
01:03 – Why he chose the hard road over online fame
02:36 – Failing school, carpentry, and quitting his job
05:17 – The drug raid that changed everything
07:24 – Using car washing to escape the streets
10:06 – $50 to $10M dream: Swallowing ego and starting dirty
12:03 – The illusion of success on social media
14:51 – How Taj found a real-world mentor
16:54 – Growing too fast and losing $250K
21:14 – Mental health: How Taj rebuilt himself from zero
28:35 – The power of human connection in business
32:27 – Taj’s purpose: Helping others through real experience
