Trail Map Podcast

Trail Map Podcast

por Big Forest LLC

Emprendimiento Superación personal

Temporada 1

Cristina Marcalow – Upcycled Cashmere, Career Pivots, and Building a Business from Scratch

Cristina Marcalow is the founder of ANU, a company that upcycles cashmere sweaters into athletic neck warmers. In this episode, Cristina shares her journey from product management in EdTech to launching her own sustainable apparel brand. She talks about losing both parents while becoming a new mom—and how that pushed her to reconsider how she was spending her time. We hear about the friend who cut a sweater into a sports bra in 15 minutes, co-founding ANU as a baby clothes brand, buying out her partner and learning to sew from scratch, and the realities of building a one-woman manufacturing operation. A grounded, inspiring conversation about taking the leap and figuring it out as you go.

Kris Butler – Law, Beer, and Victorian Drinking Culture: Following Curiosity Through Life

Kris Butler is a lawyer, executive coach, award-winning home brewer, and author of Drink Maps: A History of Drinking Establishments in England. In this episode, she shares her journey from practicing adoption law to coaching lawyers at a major firm, her years as a beer judge and home brewing champion, and her deep dive into Victorian-era drinking culture that became a published book. Kris reflects on following curiosity across careers, the distinction between work "for money" and "for fun," and what it takes to commit to a passion project when no one's waiting for you to finish it. A conversation about Renaissance thinking, persistence, and building a life around what genuinely interests you.

Penelope Finnie – From Tech and Chocolate to Menstrual Equity: Building Businesses at the Frontier

In this episode, Matt and Pat talk with entrepreneur Penelope Finnie, CEO of Egal, a company making period pads on a roll. Penny shares her unconventional path from studying art in college to building businesses at the frontier of new industries — from early days at AskJeeves to opening Bittersweet Cafe, a chocolate shop with locations in the Bay Area, to ventures in cannabis and respiratory health during COVID. She reflects on why she's drawn to creating new categories, the creative act of building businesses, balancing ambition with life as a mom and artist, and her current work tackling menstrual equity.

Rahul Khopkar – Ramen, Roots, and the Realities of Building a Culinary Career

In this episode, Matt and Pat sit down with chef Rahul Khopkar, co-founder of LA’s beloved vegan ramen shop Ramen Hood. Rahul shares how his Korean and Indian upbringing shaped his palate, the winding path that took him from Whole Foods to Napa Valley to working in Copenhagen, and the process behind creating a cult-favorite vegan ramen and yolk. He also talks candidly about the hard truths of the restaurant industry—the physical grind, the psychology of leading a team, and what it takes to keep a small business running in Los Angeles for a decade. A grounded, generous conversation about craft, culture, and resilience in food.

Stephanie Hsia – Cultivating Green Spaces and a Multidisciplinary Path in Landscape Architecture

Join Matt Gregory, Patrick Dyer Wolf, and guest Stephanie Hsia as they explore the art and science of designing green spaces, the restorative power of nature in cities, and how a liberal arts, multidisciplinary path can lead to a fulfilling career in landscape architecture.

Nathan Howard - Building Clean Energy from Fusion

Nathan Howard is a plasma physicist at MIT working on the future of fusion energy — one of the most promising clean power sources on the planet. In this episode, Nathan shares his journey from childhood curiosity to cutting-edge research, explains how fusion works (and why it’s so hard), and reflects on the role of creativity, collaboration, and turbulence — in both science and life. Plus, we touch on astrophotography, fly fishing, and what keeps him hopeful about the future.

Inside the Music with Patrick Dyer Wolf (Goodnight, Texas)

Patrick Dyer Wolf is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the Americana band Goodnight, Texas. In this episode, Patrick talks about what it really takes to build a creative life — from the early days of writing songs in high school to playing the national anthem at a Cubs game. We explore the balance between art and business, staying grounded on tour, and the emotional power of music to reach people when they need it most. Plus, a few wild stories from the road and the origins of his custom songwriting project, The Song Tailor.

John Carter - from gunshot to growth

John Carter is a strength coach, gym owner, and author who’s spent his life helping people become stronger — inside and out. In this episode, John shares the winding path to opening Titanium Gym and writing Triggered to Change, his new book about taking ownership of your life. We talk about transformation, discipline, failure, and what it really takes to lead — yourself and others — through hard things.

Trail Mix: Inside 4A Coffee – Roasting a Batch and Learning to Cup

Trail Mix is our bonus episode format — shorter, more experiential. In this first one, Matt heads to 4A Coffee Roasters in Newton, MA for a morning with founder Alan Draper to learn the roasting process firsthand. Alan walks through an entire roast of the Silk Route blend — from charging the drum to first crack to the cooling tray — then sets up a side-by-side cupping of an Ethiopian natural and a Honduras washed. Show notes: 4A Coffee (order online): https://www.4acoffeeroasters.com/ AeroPress (Alan's recommended home brewing method): aeropress.com Rainforest Alliance (responsible sourcing certification Alan mentions): rainforest-alliance.org

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