Episodes

  • Pivot or Stay? Employee to Founder ft. Les Alfred

    Pivot or Stay? Employee to Founder ft. Les Alfred
    Jun 23 2026
    Nobody told you there was a word for the person who thinks like a founder but does not necessarily want to own the whole thing. That word is intrapreneur — and this episode might change how you see your options.

    Host Nicole Russell-Wharton sits down with Les Alfred - podcast host, media entrepreneur, angel investor and wellness expert. Les talks about what it actually looks like to pivot, build, and bet on yourself. In this episode, she sits down with Nicole to get real about what building a life you actually want looks like — the pivots, the pressure, the setbacks, and the slow build that most people don't talk about. She shares how she taught herself to podcast in a week, and why she believes luck isn't something that happens to you it's something you create. If you've ever felt behind, lost, or like everyone else has a plan except you, this episode is for you.

    In this episode:
    • Why your 20s are supposed to feel uncertain (and what to do with that)
    • The difference between being lucky and creating your luck
    • Why entrepreneurship isn't the only path — and what to do if it's not yours
    • How she went from googling "what is a podcast" to millions of downloads
    • The AI tools she swears by (and the one thing she'll never hand off to AI)
    • What she wishes someone told her when she was your age
    Key Moments
    • 05:00 Les talks about sitting in a corporate office as an intern, bored out of her mind, and just assuming that was her future. If you've ever felt stuck in a path you didn't choose, this one hits.
    • 06:30 Les gets honest about being a first-gen college student with zero entrepreneurial role models. She didn't even know creating your own job was an option until she stumbled onto it.
    • 07:47 A real question submitted by a young cohort member. Les's answer is honest and reframes everything — life doesn't get easier, we get better.
    • 10:55 What luck actually means. Les breaks down how people use "she's just lucky" to dismiss women who work hard. Her take: every lucky thing that happened to her had a specific decision behind it that put her in position to receive it. Luck isn't random — you build it.
    • 13:55 Les stops mid-conversation to look straight into the lens and tell you: entrepreneurship is not the only path, and if it's not for you, that is completely okay. No guilt, no shame. Just honesty.
    • 17:34 Les talks about the top 3 tools she uses to support her business.
    • 22:15 During a rapid fire, Les says the thing young women building something need to stop doing is overthinking and looking for a perfect answer outside of themselves. You learn by doing, not by waiting until everything is perfectly lined up.
    • 23:01 Les talks about the pressure to have a perfect plan. She talks about making the best decision you can with what you have right now, and that's enough.


    Follow us on IG and Tiktok

    Connect with Les Afred:
    https://www.shessoluckypodcast.com/
    She's So Lucky Podcast on IG
    She's So Lucky Pod on Tiktok

    A Podcast Presented by Precious Dreams Foundation
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    25 mins
  • YOLO Has a Price Tag ft. Troy & Rashad of EYL

    YOLO Has a Price Tag ft. Troy & Rashad of EYL
    Jun 16 2026
    Host Nicole Russell-Wharton sits down with Rashad Bilal & Troy Millings, the founders of Earn Your Leisure — a highly popular financial literacy platform and podcast. Their platform approaches finance from a practical, "assets over liabilities" perspective, breaking down complex wealth-building concepts into language that is accessible to everyday people.

    In this episode, they talk about how two best friends from the suburbs of New York built one of the most influential financial literacy platforms in the world, and what it really takes to get there. From recording in a dining room with iPhones to becoming New York Times bestselling authors and creators of Invest Fest and EYL University, Rashad and Troy break down the mindset, strategy, and daily habits behind their success — and what young people need to hear right now.


    You’ll learn:
    • How Earn Your Leisure started (and why the audience demanded it)
    • The meaning behind the name "Earn Your Leisure"
    • How they're using AI every single day in their business and investing
    • How young people can use AI to budget, get out of debt & build wealth
    • Hard work vs. smart work — what's the difference?
    • Their advice for anyone starting with no savings, no credit, and no blueprint
    • YOLO vs. planning for the future — can you do both?

    Key Moments:

    • 04:17 Rashad explains how EYL was born from audience demand
    • 07:25 Troy breaks down how he created the name as a hashtag, inspired by LeBron's "Earned Not Given" motto
    • 09:20 Nicole asks in order to start a successful business, can you have a balance of working extremely hard and having “living a soft life”?
    • 11:21 Troy talks about incorporating hard work with smart work.
    •  13:33 Feeding AI ideas and then getting its feedback
    • 15:50  Nicole asks is there a relationship that our young people should be building with AI to improve their relationship with their finances?
    • 16:47 Troy talks about using AI as a tool that can give you everything you need to know about finance.
    • 37:12 Troy talks about going from survival mode to “thrival” mode.


    Follow us on IG and Tiktok

    Connect with Earn Your Leisure:
    https://eyluniversity.com

    EarnYourLeisure
    EYL University
    EarnYourLeisure

    A Podcast Presented by Precious Dreams Foundation
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    38 mins
  • Cybersecurity, Sextortion and the Upside of AI Feat. The Cybersecurity Girl

    Cybersecurity, Sextortion and the Upside of AI Feat. The Cybersecurity Girl
    Jun 9 2026
    Host Nicole Russell-Wharton sits down with Caitlin Sarian (aka @cybersecuritygirl), one of the top cybersecurity experts in the world and former head of TikTok’s global cybersecurity advocacy team, to talk about the side of the internet nobody puts in the captions. From deepfake nudes and sextortion to “fast money” scams, online dating, passwords, and using AI for “therapy,” this episode is your crash course in staying safe without logging off.

    You’ll learn:
    • What to do if someone makes a deepfake or fake account with your pics
    • Why “fast money is not a thing” and how scammers are finessing people every day
    • How to set up your phone, socials, and passwords so you’re harder to play with
    • Why sending nudes is risky business
    • How to use AI as a tool, not your therapist or diary
    If you’re growing up online, this is your starter pack for staying safe.


    Key Moments:
    • 03:23 – Meet Cybersecurity Girl
      Caitlin shares her mission to protect regular people, not just big corporations.
    • 5:37 – Deepfake OnlyFans of a Minor
      Nicole shares a real story of a teen whose photos were used to make a fake OnlyFans. Caitlin breaks down what deepfakes are and where to go for help.
    • 10:39 – “Fast Money Is Not a Thing”
      Caitlin goes off on job scams, quick cash offers, and sketchy DMs, and why “fast money” is basically a red flag every time.
    • 13:28 – Dating Apps, Data Brokers & Google Voice Numbers
      How much should you really share when you’re meeting people online?
    • 32:00 – AI Is the Future (If You Use It Right)
      How Gen Z can use AI to learn, create, and solve real problems without oversharing their mental health or bank info.
    Important links:
    https://www.missingkids.org/home

    https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/

    Follow us on IG and Tiktok

    Connect with Caitlin “Cybersecurity Girl” Sarian:
    https://www.cybersecuritygirl.com/
    IG and Tiktok


    A Podcast Presented by Precious Dreams Foundation
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    30 mins
  • Before You Use AI Again, Listen to This | ft. AI Expert Jayeeta Putatunda

    Before You Use AI Again, Listen to This | ft. AI Expert Jayeeta Putatunda
    Jun 2 2026
    Welcome to the first episode of Adulting with AI Assists — where we make being grown a little less confusing.

    Host Nicole Russell-Wharton sits down with Jayeeta Putatunda — AI leader, advocate, and one of the most influential voices at the intersection of artificial intelligence, equity, and opportunity.

    Together, they unpack what AI means for the next generation: from career opportunities and critical thinking to the hidden environmental costs of the technology shaping our future. They explore why human curiosity and judgment still matter, how young people can use AI to work smarter, create faster, and stay ahead, and what it really means to build a future on your own terms.

    Key Moments:
    • 09:15 – Will AI Replace Jobs?
    • 10:35 – Vibe Coding & Building a Business with AI
    • 19:20 – Do You Need a Degree to Work in AI?
    • 33:10 – AI's Environmental Impact

    If you're curious, skeptical, or simply trying to understand the rapidly changing world of AI, this episode is for you.

    Follow us on IG

    Connect with Jayeeta:
    • Website
    • Instagram


    A Podcast Presented by Precious Dreams Foundation
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    35 mins
  • Adulting with AI Assists: Trailer

    Adulting with AI Assists: Trailer
    May 26 2026
    Meet Nicole Russell-Wharton, founder of Precious Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit helping thousands of young people transition into adulthood with the means, resources, and support they deserve.

    Adulting with AI Assists is a conversation series and podcast co-produced with young people from the foundation's Dream Equity Cohort, built to make sure this generation knows how to get it right, advocate for themselves, and understand how AI is impacting all things. Real conversations with real experts and cultural voices about the tools you are already using and how to use them with intention.

    Like, follow, and subscribe and keep up if you can.
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    1 min