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Chasing My Hero

Chasing My Hero

by Debbah Dounia

Business Education

Season 2

#18 I Think I Forgot Who I Was

Some chapters aren’t written during victories. They’re written when you realize you’ve quietly stopped becoming the person you promised yourself you would be. In this deeply personal episode of Chasing My Hero, I open up about something I’ve been hiding for months: feeling lost while everything around me keeps moving forward. I talk about burnout in medicine, the pressure of preparing for my Goethe C1 German exam, creating content out of guilt instead of passion, watching friendships slowly change, fearing that I’m wasting my twenties, struggling with perfectionism, questioning my dreams, searching for love, and wondering whether I’ve already missed my chance to build the life I once imagined. This isn’t an episode about having the answers. It’s about finally admitting the questions. If you’ve ever felt stuck… If you’ve ever watched everyone else’s life seem to move while yours stood still… If you’ve ever wondered whether you should chase your ambitions or simply enjoy the present… I hope this conversation reminds you that losing your direction doesn’t mean you’ve lost yourself. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stop waiting for a green light that was never coming… and choose a new direction. Thank you for walking through this chapter with me. If this episode speaks to you, consider following the podcast and sharing it with someone who might need to hear it. Because maybe… we’re all just trying to keep chasing our hero. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Standing In Front of a Red Light Letter 01:19 — Why I disappeared 6:05 — The Things I'm Consistent At 8:40 — Family And Friends 11:08 — I Need To Remember 14:56— The Dreams I Had At Sixteen 17:19—Am I Already To Late ? 17:45- Searching For Love And Getting Hurt 26:28 A Promise To Myself Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#16 When Breath Becomes Air

In this episode, we explore 12 unforgettable lessons from Paul Kalanithi’s masterpiece When Breath Becomes Air. A story written at the edge of life — where a brilliant neurosurgeon becomes a patient, where fear turns into clarity, where love deepens, where meaning becomes urgent. Through my own letters, reflections, and the emotional struggles I lived this year, we dive into: What it means to be mortal How illness transforms identity Why meaning matters more than career How medicine breaks you and heals you What love looks like when life is fragile And ultimately… what death teaches us about living This episode is raw, personal, and filled with the most powerful insights I’ve ever shared. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Intro 02:14 — Lesson 1: When your worst fear becomes reality 07:18 — Lesson 2: Choosing meaning over a career 11:20 — Lesson 3: Identity And Feeling Lost 14:43 — Lesson 4: The chaos and beauty of medicine 29:34 — Lesson 5: Families, suffering, and truth 36:10 — Lesson 6: What makes a good doctor 41:17— Lesson 7: Hardship as a teacher 46:34— Lesson 8: The parent I want to become 47:47 — Lesson 9: Love in the face of death 54:39 — Lesson 10: Fear, confusion, and Sickness 1:05:05 — Lesson 11: Learning to notice the present moment 1:10:35 — Lesson 12: Death — the lesson we avoid, the lesson we need 1:14:26 — Final reflections 📚 RESOURCES & MENTIONS When Breath Becomes Air — Paul Kalanithi Stanford Medicine articles on Paul Kalanithi His wife Lucy Kalanithi’s TED Talk My personal letters & reflections (as shared in the episode) Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#15 Silence, Memory, and the Promise to Become Someone

Some people come into our lives without warning — and disappear just as quietly. Friends, crushes, mentors, strangers we swore we’d never forget. We don’t always get closure. We don’t always get to say goodbye. But in the empty space they leave behind… something else begins to take form. In this episode, I share letters I wrote to my future self — about the people I cared for, the ones I lost, the ones I never reached out to… and the quiet fear of being the only one who still remembers. And from that heartbreak, I trace the path toward something deeper: great work. The kind of work that outlives us. The kind of work we build after we’ve let go — or been forced to. This is an episode about: Missing people you’ll never see again Learning when to hold on and when to release Choosing purpose over nostalgia And what it really means to create something that matters If you've ever missed someone in silence — or felt the ache of wanting to become someone greater than your circumstances — this one’s for you. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Letters About the people who vanish without goodbye 5:30 – Turning to work when connection fades 11:40 – Lessons From H0w To Do Great Work By Paul Graham 35:25 – What it means to “Be Ready” 📚 RESOURCES & MENTIONS Founders Podcast – Episode on Phil Knight Elon Musk’s Algorithm (from Walter Isaacson’s biography) Paul Graham – “How to Do Great Work” Quote by Norman Vincent Peale CRISPR-Cas9 (Jennifer Doudna & Emmanuelle Charpentier) Apple design inspirations Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#14 Dreams, Doubts, and the Debt We Owe to Others

Episode Description: In this episode, I share the story of the exam that freed me, my first time in London, and the deep questions I still face about the future — should I stay close to family in Algeria, or chase knowledge and growth abroad? Along the way, I explore Robert Cialdini’s principle of reciprocation from his book Influence, and how it shapes the way we give, belong, and build our lives. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Passing the exam & the feeling of freedom 07:00 – Lessons from London: Belonging, growth, and inspiration 15:23 – Influence 27:00 Reciprocation: What giving and receiving really mean 39:50 – One last Letter 38:00 – Closing thoughts and gratitude Sources Mentioned: Robert B. Cialdini, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Chapter on Reciprocation) Personal notes & letters Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#13 Love, Loss & Everything I’ve Never Said

In this episode of “Chasing My Hero,” I open my heart like never before. I share my story with love—what I believed, what hurt me, what healed me, and what I still dream of. From childhood ideals shaped by romantic comedies, to the heartbreak of expectations unmet, to powerful letters like Richard Feynman’s that made me question it all. This is about longing and patience, about the paradox of wanting love without losing yourself. About what truly matters in a partner. About the journal entry I never thought I’d share. But mostly… this is about hope. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Richard Feynman’s Letter 03:19 – Hopeless Romantic or Just Honest? 07:07 – The Witness: “Shall We Dance” & Being Seen 13:47 – What Richard Feynman’s Letter Taught Me 20:00 –The Love That's Worth It 22:10 – Logan Ury: The Prom Date vs The Life Partner 26:23 – Attachment Styles & Emotional Dependency 30:07 – The Qualities That Actually Matter 38:42 – Matthew Hussey's Framework 44:23 – A Journal Entry: My Letter to My Future Husband Referenced Books & Ideas Attached – Amir Levine & Rachel Heller Love Life – Matthew Hussey How to Not Die Alone – Logan Ury Shall We Dance (2004) – “A witness to your life” scene Richard Feynman’s letter to his late wife Arline Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#17 Choosing Between Dreams And The People You Love

There comes a moment in life… where you’re no longer asking what you want— but what you’re willing to lose to get it. In this deeply personal episode, I open my heart about one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever faced: 👉 staying close to the people I love… 👉 or stepping into the unknown to become who I’m meant to be. Through raw letters, real fears, and honest reflections… I take you inside that silent battle between comfort and growth, love and ambition, certainty and the unknown. But this episode is also about something bigger. It’s about the lessons I learned from three inspiring Algerians who chose courage over comfort… and what their journeys reveal about building a meaningful life abroad. From that, I distilled 5 powerful principles to guide anyone standing at a crossroads. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — The fear of the future & stepping into the unknown 12:35 — Stories of Algerians who chose to go abroad 17:26 — Lesson 1: Faith, values & parents come first 28:53 — Lesson 2: Vision, belief & no plan B 42:28 — Lesson 3: Hard work & starting from nothing 52:19 — Lesson 4: Courage creates opportunities 59:27— Lesson 5: Growth outside the comfort zone 📚 SOURCES & INSPIRATION This episode was inspired by the journeys and insights shared in the following videos: https://youtu.be/u-UCjZXSCjU https://youtu.be/HAVzQLzOLN8 https://youtu.be/BxY_eJLBflk https://youtu.be/JEFbfwg9dek https://youtu.be/r0WC5xYAmCM https://youtu.be/Q8GSxlis2Y4 If you’ve ever felt torn between your dreams and your people… this episode is for you. Because maybe… you were never meant to choose. 🎧 Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#12 Transurfing: Want Less. Attract More.

Episode Summary Sometimes the thing standing between you and what you want… is how badly you want it. This episode is about loosening the grip, softening the energy, and trusting life again. Based on Reality Transurfing by Vadim Zeland, we explore the energy of desire, obsession, and how to stop pushing away what we crave the most. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: A Letter From My Future Self 1:14 - Chasing My Hero Updated 5:00 -My Confusion About Energy Vibrations, Manifestations... 8:14 - Why Reality Transurfing 9:19 - A Story From The Book 13:01- Fate 15:45- Lesson 1: What You Choose Is What You Get 16:32 -Lesson 2: This Is Science 18:02- Lesson 3: Lifelines 19:58- Lesson 4: Materialization Of Thoughts 21:43- Lesson 5: Energy And Pendulums 24:26- Lesson 6: Thoughts And Lifelines 25:00 Lesson 7: You Get What You Avoid 27:35 Lesson 8: Letting Go 28:45 Lesson 9: Solving Complex Problems 29:28 Lesson 10: What Happens When You Let Go 30:30 Lesson 11: Optimism... Always 34:48 Lesson 12: Balance 35:20 Lesson 13: Work, Resentment 38:00 Lesson 14: Importance 42:35 Final Thoughts Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

Season 1

#11 Chasing My Hero: One Last Letter for Season One

🌟 Episode Summary In this deeply personal season finale, I reflect on everything I’ve been through—what broke me, what built me, and what I still want to become. From sleepless nights during my Emergency Medicine rotation to quiet moments of hope and healing, this episode is a letter to myself… and maybe to anyone who needs to hear it. I talk about the things I’ve finally learned—like letting go, holding on, and finding meaning in fleeting moments. But I also open up about what I still want to learn: how to be mentally strong, emotionally intelligent, confident, optimistic, and full of love—for others and for myself. I share my hopes for my relationships, my future in medicine, my dream business, my health, and the kind of life I want to build. This is more than a goodbye to Season One—it’s a promise to keep chasing, keep growing, and keep believing. This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of something deeper. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: A Letter From My Future Self 2:09 - The Beginning Of Chasing My Hero 2:44 - What I've Learned In Spirituality 3:46 - What I've Learned In Relationships 5:42 - What I've Learned In Business 12:17 - What I've Learned In Medicine 17:21 - 12 Weeks Year 17:40 - What I've Learned In Health 18:15 -What I've Learned In Wealth And About Episode 10 18:51– Letting Go 19:35 – Learning to Stick 22:33 - The Beauty of Fleeting Moments 24:04 - What Do I Want To Learn Next? 28:25 – The Final Letter of Season One 30:35 – Outro: The End of a Chapter, The Beginning of a New One Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#10 Just Do It — Lessons From Shoe Dog

Episode Summary: In this episode, we dive deep into Shoe Dog, the powerful autobiography of Nike’s co-founder Phil Knight — a raw, vulnerable, and inspiring memoir about building one of the most iconic brands in the world. This is more than a book summary. It’s a heartfelt reflection on the ideas that shaped a company and a life — from crazy ideas that didn’t seem crazy to the power of belief, perseverance, family, failure, leadership, and passion. I also share some personal reflections from my own journey, as a medical student and aspiring entrepreneur, and the lessons that truly moved me. This episode is for anyone chasing a dream, anyone who’s felt lost, or anyone who needs a reminder that the best things in life take time, and sometimes, silence. Timestamps [00:00] – Intro: A Purple Nike Dunk and a Childhood Dream [02:14] – Lesson 1: Play — Find the game you’re willing to play forever [11:12]– Lesson 2: Crazy ideas aren’t crazy… they’re yours for a reason [15:38] – Lesson 3: It’s okay not to know. It’s okay to doubt. [16:13] – Lesson 4: Don’t stop — protect your dreams at all costs [19:38] – Lesson 5: The father’s story is in the son [25:10]– Lesson 6: It’s okay to be shy [27:20] – Lesson 7: the power of adventure [25:50] – Lesson 8: Belief is contagious — just ask Steve Jobs [28:54] – Lesson 9: Everything starts ugly. Start anyway. [30:20] – Lesson 10: You’ll mess up. It’s not the end. [32:50] – Lesson 11: Money will always be a problem. [36:46] – Lesson 12 and 13: Find your people. Build a family. Lead with love. [43:31] – Lesson 14: Parenting [45:45] – Lesson 15: Business [48:10] – Lesson 16: Regret [50:50] – Closing thoughts: 12 Weeks Year Applied Resources Mentioned: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight David Senra — Founders Podcast Quote by Francis Ford Coppola Steve Jobs Biography by Walter Isaacson Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

#9 How to Get Rich (Without Getting Lucky) – A Deep Dive

Episode Summary: Have you ever dreamed of financial freedom—of living life entirely on your own terms? In this episode, we explore Naval Ravikant’s wisdom on money, success, and freedom by diving deep into The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. But this isn’t just about getting rich; it’s about shifting your mindset, finding work that feels like play, and understanding that true wealth isn’t just about numbers in a bank account—it’s about time, freedom, and meaning. I also share my personal experiences witnessing extreme wealth—from Barcelona’s yachts to the extravagance of Dubai—and what they taught me about what truly matters. Let’s embark on this journey together, learning from one of the greatest minds on wealth. Timestamps [0:00] Introduction: A Personal Story About Wealth [3:20] Realizing What Wealth Is Really About [5:13] A Deep Dive in The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant's Wealth Formula [52:20] Closing thoughts Resources Mentioned: Shoe Dog, Phil Knight The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future by Eric Jorgenson Follow me on Social Media: On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dounia-debbah-5ba3b720b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dounia_dbh_bip?igsh=cXJidTd3cGxjcDdy&utm_source=qr On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@douniadbhbip?_t=8oldi9r0xcr&_r=1 On Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chasingmyheropodcast-l5x?si=H1ZZGH5rb87qDMdx

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