Chai Tea with Nina D.

Follow Nina Dixon & CTND on Instagram for BTS + Daily Takeaways https://www.instagram.com/ninapaldixon/ https://www.instagram.com/chaiteawithninad/ She started with 70 dates in her freezer and Amazon craft boxes with a sticker slapped on top. One year later, Gabriella Labi's company Gato Dates is on Goop's gift guide, stocked at Erewhon, and in hundreds of stores across the country. Kristin Cavallari is obsessed. Nina is obsessed. And Gabi is still answering every single DM herself. But this isn't just a brand story. It's the story of a woman who spent a decade bouncing through entertainment, real estate, Paris, and Pilates — not lost, but quietly building the foundation for something she couldn't name yet. Until her body broke down and a doctor asked the right questions. Until she started making dates in her kitchen just to have a dessert she could actually eat. Until her best friend said: this should be a business. One month later, they were at a farmer's market with no plan and no packaging. They sold out in three hours and made $1,500. They didn't know they were building a company. Now they can't keep Gato Dates on the shelves. This is the honest, unglamorous, deeply personal founder story you rarely get to hear — before the profile piece, before the acquisition, before the world catches up. 💡 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✅ Why launching before you're ready is the only way to actually get ready ✅ How a "scattered" career path can be the ultimate training ground ✅ The zero-dollar marketing strategy that got Gato Dates into Erewhon and onto Goop's gift guide ✅ What building a wellness brand actually does to your own wellness ✅ How to celebrate the wins so the lows don't swallow you whole Follow Gato Dates on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gato_dates/ This episode was filmed at a private residence in the hills in Los Angeles, hosted by The Maimon Group. Learn more at themaimongroup.com. 🔔 Subscribe for more elevated conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@ChaiTeawithNinaD 💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts

You're the faucet. Money is the flow. This was one of the first solo episodes I ever did on Chai Tea with Nina D, and a year later, it's still one of the most watched. So as part of our anniversary celebration, we're re-releasing it with a fresh edit. If you've ever felt like money is something happening TO you instead of something flowing through you, this is the one to sit with twice. In this solo I get into the childhood beliefs running your bank account on autopilot, why "money is neutral" actually means something, my mom vs my dad's money mindset and why I absorbed one and not the other, the energy of money and why it responds to your nervous system before your effort, what wealthy people do differently in vision mode vs survival mode, the 25% financial literacy gap between men and women and what we as women have to stop doing about it, and the tangible shifts you can actually start tomorrow. 💡 What You'll Learn: ✅ How childhood experiences shape your unconscious money beliefs ✅ Why wealthy people see opportunities where others see problems ✅ How women can break financial communication barriers ✅ The difference between fear-based and vision-based financial decisions ✅ Why generosity and circulation actually attract more abundance ✅ How to align your passion with your finances for sustainable success 00:00 Your Money Is a Reflection of Your Life 0:40 The Beliefs You Picked Up as a Kid 1:30 Why Most People Stay Stuck Financially 2:20 How to Actually Change Your Money Story 3:02 Why Money Stress Controls Your Life 3:40 The Real Reason People Avoid Talking About Money 4:25 Money Is Neutral (And Why That Matters) 5:42 The Money Mindset I Chose to Keep 7:03 Why You Shouldn't Tie Your Worth to Money 8:03 The Energy That Controls Your Finances 10:26 Scarcity vs Flow (Most People Get This Wrong) 12:03 Why You're Responsible for Your Financial Reality 13:20 Why the Rich Actually Get Richer 15:24 The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything 17:49 Stop Making Decisions From Fear 19:05 Money Creates Freedom (Not Status) 21:09 Why Women Need to Talk About Money More 23:12 How to Take Control of Your Finances 25:22 Start Asking for More (And Mean It) 27:13 Rewrite Your Money Story 29:15 The Truth About Abundance and Flow This isn't financial advice. It's mindset work. And in my opinion, mindset is where 90% of your money story gets decided. If this episode ruffles your feathers…good. That was the point. 🔔 Subscribe for more elevated conversations: https://www.youtube.com/@ChaiTeawithNinaD 💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

She helped build the AI systems shaping your world. Now she's warning you about what's coming and what it's already costing you. Sol Rashidi is the world's first Chief AI Officer for Enterprise. She's worked inside IBM, Watson, Royal Caribbean, Sony Music, Merck, Estée Lauder, and Amazon. She holds 11 patents, has delivered 3 TED Talks, and has been named a Forbes AI Maverick of the 21st Century. And when her kids are asked what mom does for work? "Mommy's trying to stop robots from taking over the world." They're not wrong. In this episode, Sol pulls back the curtain on what's actually happening inside the world's most powerful AI companies, the consequences that never make the headlines, the tech billionaires opting out of having children until Neuralink chips exist, and the quiet alarm being sounded by the researchers who built these systems. She also opens up about the personal cost of holding the line inside institutions that hired her for who she was, then asked her to be less of it. This is not a doom-and-gloom AI episode. Sol is the ally we've been waiting for: someone who has been inside the machine and is fighting for the humans inside it. If you've been tuning out AI content because it feels like it has nothing to do with your life — this is the episode that changes that. 💡 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✅ The one AI boundary everyone needs to set right now ✅ What "Intellectual Atrophy" actually means, why Sol coined the term, and why it might already be happening to you ✅ What the world's most powerful AI insiders are saying privately and why 90% of it never goes public ✅ Why she left one of the most powerful companies in the world in under a year and what that decision required of her ✅ How to use AI to create space in your life, not just speed. And the specific tools Sol uses herself ✅ The real cost of being told to "play smaller so others can feel bigger" and what it finally took to stop paying it ✅ Why progress that costs our humanity isn't progress at all 💬 What's one thing you refuse to outsource to AI no matter how convenient it gets? Drop it in the comments. We want to know where you're holding the line. 🎧 New episodes every Wednesday & Sunday. Honest conversations on mindset, identity, purpose, and the stories that shape us. 🔔 Subscribe for more elevated conversations 💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

What does it really take to build something that lasts… without a roadmap, a safety net, or anyone who's done it before you? In this episode, entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and community builder Courtney Spritzer joins Nina to share the real story behind building multiple businesses from the ground up. From losing her father at ten to quitting corporate America with three months of savings and a dream, Courtney's path is a masterclass in resilience, calculated risk, and the kind of self-trust that only gets built through doing hard things. She opens up about co-founding SocialFly in the early days of social media, when no one was using it for marketing yet, and how she and her business partner Stephanie turned a corner table in someone else's office into a thriving agency. But this isn't just a success story. It's an honest look at burnout, partnership challenges, the year everything nearly fell apart, and the deep inner work that followed. Courtney also shares what she's building now with The Entrepenista League, a community designed to give female founders the resources, confidence, and support system that she had to piece together herself. Because entrepreneurship can be lonely… but it doesn't have to be. From transcendental meditation to Landmark to the Hoffman Process, Courtney reflects on the institutions and practices that helped her stop dwelling and start choosing. Choosing how she responded. Choosing what she built next. Choosing herself. Her message is grounded and clear: you don't need certainty to move forward. You need resilience, the right people, and the willingness to keep making decisions today for the life you want three years from now. What You'll Learn: ✅ Why a little naivety might be exactly what you need to start a business ✅ How to take a calculated leap when the timing is never perfect ✅ What a business partnership and a marriage actually have in common ✅ Why delegating early and hiring well is how you actually scale ✅ How female founders can turn their unique challenges into a competitive edge ✅ What "business magic" happens when women genuinely support each other ✅ How to stop taking things personally… even when you really want to ✅ Why a business that can run without you is the real mark of success If this conversation challenged or inspired you, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT with your biggest takeaway. 🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📱 Watch on Spotify Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for behind-the-scenes moments and daily insights.

Case Kenny is a bestselling author, mindfulness coach, and New Mindset, Who Dis? podcast host best known for helping people build stronger self-worth and healthier relationships. He went from successful sales executive to teaching the language of optimism to millions (including Fortune 200 companies and the NFL!)... but the journey started with a painful realization: he had no idea who he was as a person. Case breaks down: Why your language changes EVERYTHING! The neuroscience behind word choice (he literally hooked his brain to monitors!) Why optimists speak in VERBS, not adjectives The "will I?" vs "I will" framework that unlocks intrinsic motivation How he sold 250,000 journals while working a corporate job Why "settling up" (not down) transforms relationships Competing beliefs – the hidden sabotage pattern no one talks about! Being "unrushed" and characteristics of being highly ambitious but certain of success Why patience is actually faith in yourself 0:00 The Advice That Changed How He Sees Love 1:12 Why People Stay in the Wrong Relationships 2:28 The Truth About "Potential" in Dating 3:41 When You Know It's Not Right (But Stay Anyway) 5:03 Why Closure Doesn't Always Come 6:17 The Habit That Keeps You Stuck on Someone 7:42 Moving On Isn't About Time 9:08 Why You Keep Going Back 10:26 The Difference Between Love and Attachment 12:02 What Healthy Love Actually Feels Like 13:35 Stop Chasing What Isn't Choosing You 15:10 The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything 17:22 Learning to Trust Yourself Again 19:05 You Don't Need Another Sign 21:18 The Real Reason You Haven't Let Go Case Kenny: https://www.instagram.com/case.kenny/ https://www.youtube.com/@CaseKenny If this conversation challenged or inspired you, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT with your biggest takeaway. 🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📱 Watch on Spotify Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for behind-the-scenes moments and daily insights.

What does it really take to perform at the highest level… not just physically, but mentally and emotionally? In this episode, professional soccer player Aleja Sanchez shares how her unconventional path to going pro forced her to redefine what high performance actually means. Rather than chasing outcomes, Aleja learned that sustaining success requires becoming someone who can hold it. She opens up about discovering soccer at age ten and the discipline that initially drove her forward… until it led to burnout. After stepping away and into corporate life, Aleja made the radical decision to pursue the sport again on her own terms, ultimately landing a professional contract within months. Along the way, she explores the inner work that transformed her performance: nervous system regulation tools for pressure moments, identity shifts that reframed her relationship to success, and holistic practices ranging from breathwork to EFT and affirmations. She also reflects on adversity abroad, team dynamics that shaped her playing time, and her broader perspective on women's soccer as both a business and access issue. Today, as a pro athlete and co-founder of a creative agency bridging art, music, and football culture, Aleja's message is clear: define what joy means to you — and make decisions from there. Because true high performance isn't just about reaching your goals. It's about becoming someone who can live fully once you get there. What You'll Learn: ✅ Why high performance isn't just physical preparation… it's emotional and nervous system capacity ✅ How burnout can signal identity misalignment, not lack of discipline ✅ Practical tools for regulating your nervous system in pressure moments ✅ Why success only feels fulfilling when your identity evolves with it ✅ How stepping off the "expected path" can actually accelerate your growth ✅ What elite performers understand about self-talk and mental safety ✅ Why joy is a strategic decision… not a luxury ✅ How to pursue ambition without disconnecting from yourself If this conversation challenged or inspired you, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT with your biggest takeaway. 🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📱 Watch on Spotify Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for behind-the-scenes moments and daily insights.

What does it mean to build something that lasts… not just structurally, but emotionally? In this episode, Nina sits down with internationally renowned architect Kobi Karp to explore the mindset behind meaningful creation: how respect for people, history, and place can shape work that endures far beyond trends or transactions. From the way he treats collaborators and communities to the philosophy he brings to each design decision, Kobi shares why great building is never just about structure; it's about stewardship, curiosity, and honoring the human experience inside the spaces we create. They dive into his most iconic projects - the restoration and redevelopment of the historic Surf Club into the Four Seasons Surf Club - as a case study in navigating pressure, preservation, and progress. Kobi walks through the tension between honoring legacy and innovating for the future, negotiating with stakeholders, and designing in a way that respects both history and modern life. Along the way, he reflects on his journey from immigrant beginnings to global architect, how his international work shaped his perspective on community and leadership, and why technology will never replace human intuition, empathy, or vision. This conversation isn't just about architecture. It's about what it takes to build anything meaningful: a career, a company, a life, or a legacy. Kobi Karp: https://www.instagram.com/kobikarp/ What You'll Learn: ✅ Why the way you treat people is a core leadership skill, not a personality trait ✅ How to balance honoring the past while still building something new ✅ What navigating public pressure and competing opinions teaches you about conviction ✅ Why meaningful work requires curiosity, humility, and emotional intelligence ✅ How global perspective and historical awareness create stronger long-term decisions ✅ What emerging technology actually means for human creativity and professional relevance ✅ The mindset shift that turns success from achievement into stewardship If this conversation challenged or inspired you, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT with your biggest takeaway. 🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📱 Watch on Spotify Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for behind-the-scenes moments and daily insights.

In this episode, Megan Klein, founder of the non-alcoholic cocktail company Little Saints, shares the unfiltered story behind building a $14 million dollar brand without venture capital, hype, or a safety net. Launching during COVID, navigating early missteps, and facing moments where the company nearly collapsed, Megan was forced to make hard decisions - not just about her business, but about herself. As Little Saints grew alongside a cultural shift around alcohol, Megan was also quietly reevaluating her own relationship with drinking, and shaping intuition, discernment, and self-trust into essential leadership skills. From appearing on Shark Tank to learning when to say no, this conversation explores what it really takes to build something sustainable - internally and externally - as a solo female founder. It's a candid look at resilience, sobriety, self-worth, and the discipline required to keep going when no one is coming to save you. What You'll Learn: ✅ Why intuition is a skill you can train, not a trait you're born with ✅ How to make aligned decisions when everything feels at stake ✅ What sobriety revealed about Megan's leadership and self-worth ✅ How saying no became a growth strategy, not a limitation ✅ How to distinguish intuition from fear or impulsivity when making high-stakes decisions ✅ Why growth sometimes requires subtraction — and how letting go can be a strategic advantage ✅ What it looks like to lead a company while actively redefining your identity and values If this conversation challenged or inspired you, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT with your biggest takeaway. 🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📱 Watch on Spotify Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for behind-the-scenes moments and daily insights.

From the front lines of crypto regulation to the CEO seat. In this episode, Marco Santori, widely known as the Dean of Digital Currency Lawyers, shares his extraordinary journey from shaping the legal foundations of cryptocurrency to leading Solmate, a digital asset treasury company navigating the future of finance. Marco takes us inside his work advising regulators, his time at Kraken, and what it's really like to go head-to-head with the SEC in high-stakes litigation that helped define the crypto industry as we know it today. But this conversation goes beyond law and markets. Marco opens up about leadership, decision-making under pressure, building high-performing teams, and the personal growth required to step into larger responsibility. This is a candid, grounded look at what it takes to operate at the edge of innovation – where regulation, risk, and conviction collide. Timestamps: 0:01 Marco Santori: From Crypto Lawyer to CEO 2:02 Impostor Syndrome as a CEO 4:03 What Being a CEO Really Means 7:12 Confidence vs Competence in Leadership 10:17 Why Self-Doubt Is a Strength 11:13 Immigrant Parents & Early Ambition 14:24 Raised to Become a Lawyer 22:33 Discovering Impostor Syndrome in Law 26:16 Getting Scammed Into Bitcoin (2012) 32:03 Becoming One of the First Crypto Lawyers 44:08 "They Tried to Annihilate Me Publicly" 1:03:16 Testifying Before Congress on Crypto 1:10:21 Beating the SEC in Court 1:15:01 FTX Collapse & Crisis Leadership 1:38:23 Raising $300M & Becoming a CEO What You'll Learn: ✅ How choosing the right people (and trusting yourself) shapes long-term success ✅ Marco's pioneering role in the legal framework behind cryptocurrency ✅ The pivotal career moves that led from crypto law to CEO leadership ✅ Why conviction and deliberate decision-making matter more than certainty ✅ How high-performing teams are built – and sustained – under pressure ✅ The origin and impact of the SAFT project and what it changed If this conversation challenged or inspired you, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and COMMENT with your biggest takeaway. Marco Santori: https://x.com/msantoriESQ Solmate: https://solmate.com/ 🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📱 Watch on Spotify Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for behind-the-scenes moments and daily insights.

From writing the hits behind Justin Bieber, Usher, and Mariah Carey to navigating the years nobody saw, @Poobear breaks down the habits, creative process, and mindset that took him from New Haven to global hits. In this episode, Nina sits down with Jason " @Poobear " Boyd for a clear, grounded conversation about how his life and career actually took shape. He talks through growing up in New Haven without his father, the instability and pressure of his early years, and how music became both an outlet and a path forward. Poo Bear explains how he learned to work consistently instead of waiting for inspiration, how he approaches writing at high volume, and how he decides when a song is finished. He shares what working closely with artists like Justin Bieber and Usher taught him about collaboration, trust, and long term creative partnerships. They also discuss what it feels like to be successful while still feeling unseen, why songwriters often stay behind the scenes, and how he protects his integrity in an industry driven by attention and ego. The conversation surfaces lessons on loyalty, healing family relationships, and why giving second chances is not just a belief for him but something he actively puts into practice through music and mentorship. What You'll Learn: ✅ How to reframe a hard childhood into motivation you can actually use ✅ How to handle being overlooked without losing confidence or quitting ✅ A repeatable way to start creating even when you do not feel inspired ✅ How to tell when a creative idea is finished so you stop overworking it ✅ A simple approach to building better relationships through trust and second chances 👉 If this conversation inspired you, don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT your key takeaway, and SUBSCRIBE for more insightful discussions! 💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

In Part 2 of this mind-expanding conversation, Robert Breedlove digs even deeper into the belief systems that quietly shape our relationship with money, value, and identity. This episode explores what happens when you start questioning money itself, and how that shift can transform the way you think, work, love, and live. From the philosophical roots of Bitcoin to the emotional cost of waking up to uncomfortable truths, Robert breaks down why most of us inherit a financial operating system that was never designed for our freedom… and what it actually takes to reclaim it. This isn't just a conversation about money. It's a conversation about becoming more fully yourself. What You'll Learn: ✅ Why questioning money is the path to real freedom ✅ The beliefs that shape how we see value and risk ✅ How Bitcoin shifted Robert's worldview ✅ What reinvention requires in adulthood ✅ Why awakening means letting old identities go ✅ How money influences love and relationships ✅ How to break free from financial conditioning Breedlove X: https://x.com/Breedlove22 WiM? X: https://x.com/WhatisMoneyShow Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/breedlove22 Instagram: https://instagram.com/breedlove_22 https://whatismoneypodcast.com https://breedlove.io 00:00 – The Truth About Money 02:15 – The Student Loan Trap 04:51 – Knowledge But No Solution 06:42 – Success… But Still Lost 07:45 – The Crypto Spark 09:00 – When Bitcoin "Clicked" 10:12 – Losing It All 11:00 – Facing the Fear of Being Seen 12:43 – A Hard Message for Young Men 17:07 – A Love Story in Mykonos 20:25 – What Love Really Is 25:19 – Masculine vs. Feminine Energy 30:13 – A Relationship Breakthrough 36:44 – The Money Question Everyone Misses 43:32 – If Freedom Tech Wins 👉 If this conversation inspired you, don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT your key takeaway, and SUBSCRIBE for more insightful discussions! 💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

Are you tired of losing yourself every time you get into a relationship? In this episode of 'Chai Tea with Nina D', Nina tackles the timeless dilemma many women face - maintaining your self-worth and identity while dating, and even after getting married. Nina shares personal stories and practical tips to help you retain your individuality, set boundaries, and recognize red flags. Learn how to navigate relationships without compromising your true self, so you can build a love life that complements you rather than consumes you. What You'll Learn: ✅The crucial importance of knowing your worth before falling in love ✅Effective strategies to set and enforce boundaries in relationships and marriage ✅ How to identify and not ignore red flags early in the dating phase ✅ The significance of keeping your own life full and independent outside of your relationship ✅The dangers of chasing someone and how to attract the right energy instead 👉 If this conversation inspired you, don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT your key takeaway, and SUBSCRIBE for more insightful discussions! 💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways

In this two-part series, Nina opens up with Chris Do, the mastermind behind Design and Branding. Chris shares how he transitioned from humble beginnings to leading an education platform that inspires millions. His most significant struggles, his unique philosophy on fear and motivation, and how he found his true self. What You'll Learn: ✅Chris Do's biggest challenges and how he overcame them ✅The difference between being driven by fear and being driven by the pursuit of a better self ✅ His mission to educate 1 billion people without compromising their souls ✅ Insights on self-awareness and the search for identity ✅Key business strategies for creative entrepreneurs 👉 If this conversation inspired you, don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT your key takeaway, and SUBSCRIBE for more insightful discussions! 💻 Watch on YouTube 📱 Watch on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow @NinaPalDixon & @ChaiTeaWithNinaD for BTS + daily takeaways