Running on Diesel

About Running on Diesel

The Stroll discusses wellness and careers in the first few years of post-graduate life. New episode Wed 7am ET every other week! - Learning objectives for listeners - 1. reflect on how health, well-being, and purpose are maintained or challenged across high-performing careers 2. appreciate the complexity and individuality of each guest’s career journey and personal evolution 3. evaluate how well a guest’s industry, values, and lifestyle align with their own aspirations and priorities 4. understand the personal sacrifices and tradeoffs guests have made in pursuit of professional success

Publisher

Sam Thompson

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Jan 2025

Latest episode

3 Sept 2025

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Sept 2025

   #15: S1E15 - Basketball Business - how business impacts the NBA, journey into independent journalism, and living in Austin Texas

   It didn't take long before Kyle Tannanbaum identified the driving force behind the rise and fall of NBA teams: business. With experience in the Dallas Mavericks front office, he began to see how ownership groups, contracts, CBA agreements, and other business interests dictated what was happening on the court. Today, he shares his findings and insights through an independent YouTube channel: Basketball Business. Tune in to learn about the business forces behind the NBA, how they affect what happens on the court, Kyle's journey to starting Basketball Business, and his experience living in Austin, TX. Donate to SoChabe at SoChabe.org Much love, one love! Topics discussed: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:31 - How this episode came to be 00:06:05 - Definition of common NBA finance terms 00:11:57 - New CBA impacts on the NBA 00:16:41 - How business affects the NBA on-court - the death of regional streaming networks (local TV deals) 00:28:32 - WNBA growth and CBA negotiations 00:33:50 - Pursuig independent journalism with Basketball Business 00:38:29 - Why we love the '16-'17 Celtics 00:40:09 - Experience living in Austin, TX 00:48:06 - Journalistic process behind basketball business 00:52:22 - Variety of skills needed in multimedia creation 00:57:13 - Emotional and mental challenges in starting a podcast/YouTube channel 00:58:09 - Development from Basketball Business to help in future career

2. 

   20 Aug 2025

   #14: S1E14 - Starting ifsowhatfor with lifelong friend, value of experience in talent management, and spring 2025 tour with Dogpark

   Music first piqued Jamis DeKay's interest when his Mom played him classic rock albums as a 6 year old. Today, Jamis is pursuing his own music full-time as a part of ifsowhatfor, an indietronic duo. He also recently toured as a bassist with Dogpark - an indie rock band - on their spring 2025 tour. Before pursuing his own music full-time, Jamis was a talent manager at Hallwood media and had released a single and EP under the name mohw. Tune in to hear about Jamis' journey in the music industry, how his experience working in talent management developed his understanding of the industry, and his outlook prior to going on tour with Dogpark in spring 2025. Much love, one love! Donate to SoChabe at SoChabe.com 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:38 - Beginnings and early career in music 00:14:04 - Co-founding ifsowhatfor to go all in on music and the different roles within an indietronic duo 00:26:56 - Experience working in artist management 00:31:50 - Improved understanding of music industry and self-managing ifsowhatfor 00:37:03 - Prior experience managing Dogpark and spring 2025 tour 00:46:13 - Managing volume as a performer 00:48:54 - Keeping the love for music as it's a full-time career 00:51:36 - Lifelong career goals from the start of music journey 00:52:56 - Goal learnings from spring 2025 tour with Dogpark

3. 

   6 Aug 2025

   #13: S1E13 - McKinsey analyst to COO and transforming engineering talent evaluations at Ropes AI

   Adam Liang left McKinsey as a Senior Business Analyst and joined Ropes AI as the COO. However, it was a more natural transition than you might expect. Today, Ropes is working to transform the way in which engineering talent is evaluated by delivering asynchronous assessments custom-made to the specifications of each role and the given customer's domains and tech stacks. Tune in to hear how Adam made the decision to leave McKinsey for Ropes, what the transition was like, and how Ropes hopes to transform the hiring process for engineering talent. Donate to SoChabe at SoChabe.com Much love, one love! Topics discussed: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:21 - Analyst to COO Transition & Ropes AI 00:10:58 - Balancing needs of customers and users 00:20:50 - How McKinsey prepared Adam to be a COO 00:29:04 - Sense of agency as a COO 00:33:28 - Balance when working 9a-10p 6 days a week 00:42:58 - Communicating culture in hiring process 00:48:33 - Family and friends reaction when leaving McKinsey for a start-up 00:52:54 - Why now? Timing of leaving McKinsey for Ropes 00:56:24 - Personal development goals at Ropes

4. 

   23 Jul 2025

   #12: S1E12 - Directing a feature film with no budget, premiering at the historic Village East by Angelika theatre, and working at Barstool sports

   Quentin Tarantino said that the best film school is directing a feature film with no budget… Ben Klein has graduated from film school. At UW Madison, Ben co-directed Wasted, a film unapologetically depicting the post-COVID college experience in its rawest form. He also organized a one-night only premier to bring Wasted to the historic Village East by Angelika theatre in NYC. Fast forward to today, Ben currently works as the Executive Producer for the In The Slot brand at Barstool sports. Tune in to hear about Ben's experience directing and premiering Wasted, as well as his journey and experience at Barstool. Much love, one love! Donate to SoChabe at SoChabe.com Use code STROLL for 14% top tier supplements from Momentous @ https://www.livemomentous.com/ Topics discussed: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:50 - Directing a premiering a feature film 00:18:17 - Having your co-stars fall in love while filming 00:22:14 - Preparing for and doing sex, drinking, and drug scenes professionally 00:24:19 - Bringing Wasted to Village East by Angelika in NYC 00:37:22 - Experience working at Barstool sports 00:42:52 - How The Stroll came to be 00:48:14 - Working as the executive producer for In The Slot 00:58:47 - Journey from intern to executive producer 01:01:03 - Measuring brand success within a large company like Barstool 1:02:56 - Balancing Barstool and personal life 1:13:32 - Goals for the coming years

5. 

   9 Jul 2025

   #11: S1E11 - Beating leukemia, playing safety at Wesleyan, and professional experiences in health care

   Evan Lasseter's journey to collegiate football is truly one of a kind. Diagnosed with leukemia during a post-grad athletic year, he deferred college to undergo treatment. When chemotherapy failed - a rare outcome affecting just 5% of patients in his situation - he pivoted to immunotherapy and a bone marrow/stem cell transplant. Now, cancer free, Evan plays safety for the Wesleyan football team. He has also carried his experience with him into the professional world, working in financial operations for Northwell Health before an upcoming summer 2026 internship in investment banking. Much love, one love! Donate to SoChabe at SoChabe.com Use code STROLL for 14% top tier supplements from Momentous @ https://www.livemomentous.com/ Topics discussed: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:12 - Leukemia diagnosis and managing athletics and treatment 00:14:07 - Wesleyan football experience and rebuilding muscle 00:21:00 - Diagnosis story and pivoting treatment from chemo to immunotherapy and bone marrow/stem cell transplant 00:34:26 - Officially beating cancer 00:39:01 - Wesleyan football experience and balancing academics & football 00:45:21 - Internship experiences in health care finance 00:51:27 - Value based care and incentives in health care 00:55:46 - Future professional plans and reflections on past experiences 01:08:27 - Takeaway from beating leukemia

6. 

   25 Jun 2025

   #10: PR @ ESPN, nontraditional journey to working in sports, and experience in and transition from DI swimming

   Bea Panitz discusses her unconventional path from Michigan State Swimming to a public relations role at ESPN, including pitching ESPN's presence at the Met Gala, in this interview.

7. 

   11 Jun 2025

   #9: S1E9 - FDNY EMS Academy, impact of 9/11 on present day FDNY EMS training, and impact of COVID-19 on transition from HS to college

   Michael Callahan recounts his experiences at the FDNY EMS academy, detailing how 9/11 shapes the FDNY's values and how COVID-19 impacted his transition from high school to college in this interview.

8. 

   28 May 2025

   #8: S1E8 - Remote work cross country road trip, transcendental meditation, and product management at Capital One

   Joey Lane recounts his cross-country road trip while working remotely, explores transcendental meditation, and reflects on his product management role at Capital One in this interview.

9. 

   14 May 2025

   #7: S1E7 - Planning neonatal surgery, outlook for medical school, new hobbies, and living in Jacksonville

   Cam Bell took an unconventional step after graduating from Yale in 2023: he decided to move down to Jacksonville, Florida to plan neonatal surgeries at KLS Martin. Cam and I - former college roommates - sit down and discuss his time at KLS, outlook on medical school, his period of self discovery living in Jacksonville, and his hobbies and health routine. Much love, one love! Topics discussed: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:33 - KLS Martin & planning neonatal surgeries 00:17:29 - Outlook for medical school 00:26:53 - Move to and culture in Jacksonville 00:31:15 - Relationship with self and new hobbies 00:35:44 - Podcasting and skill development 00:45:42 - Getting into the flow state 00:52:19 - Routine in Jacksonville 00:57:50 - Workout program 01:02:53 - Sleep and nutrition 01:06:43 - Dating scene in Jacksonville 01:11:19 - Refection on time in Jacksonville Tags: The Stroll, The Sam Thompson Stroll, The Stroll Podcast, Sam Thompson, Cam Bell, Biomedical engineering, Yale University, Yale, Cameron Bell, Jacksonville Florida, Jacksonville, surgical planning, neonatal surgery, medical school, planning for medical school, exercise, sleep, nutrition, worklife balance

10. 

    30 Apr 2025

    #6: S1E6 - Co-founding CityMaps (and doing what's right), product management, and NYC poker scene

    Fed up with his friends complaining about the price disparities of Zyn (nicotine pouches) across NYC, Will Goldman sat down with his co-founder and did something about it. With a background in product management, programming, and entrepreneurship, they found immediate success with ZynMaps, an app that displayed stores selling Zyn and their prices in a map based format. Discontent with the values promoted by ZynMaps, Will and his co-founder decided to pivot to CityMaps, an app that displays prices and/or ratings for specific foods, drinks, and qualities across NYC restaurants and stores. Barely have had time to mention his love for poker and career in product management! Tune in to hear all about it: much love, one love! Topics discussed: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:34 - Co-founding City-Maps 00:08:12 - Building ZynMaps, entrepreneurial background, and initial growth 00:14:11 - Pivot to CityMaps 00:21:25 - Crowdsourcing data & incentive structures 00:29:21 - Expansion plans 00:35:15 - To monetize or not to monetize 00:44:49 - Learnings as a PM to build CityMaps 00:48:21 - Poker background & NYC poker scene 01:03:23 - Transition to non-compete 01:07:40 - Work-life balance in product management and career perspective 01:17:49 - Life goals

11. 

    16 Apr 2025

    #5: S1E5 - Investment banking to private equity transition, pursuit of longevity, founding The Hitting Rope, and different American cultures

    After hanging up his bat and mitt, Jake Gehri entered the world of NYC finance. He also developed a mindset shift towards longevity, or preparing his body to continue to do the things he loves well into old age. In this episode, we discuss his exercise framework throughout the years, his professional journey (including him founding The Hitting Rope) and upcoming transition to Private Equity, and the differences between American cultures. Topics: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:50 - Exercise framework before, in, and after Yale 1510 - Practices to pursue longevity 22:57 - Phone use and social media 28:45 - Professional journey - founding THR and Rothschild 39:26 - Boston v NY culture 50:25 - East v West coast culture 58:58 - Transition to Private Equity 1:03:04 - Diffulties in professional journey 1:08:16 - Optimism for the future

12. 

    2 Apr 2025

    #4: S1E4 - SF longevity institute and NYC experience & mindset shifts post-grad working in local government

    Rory Fleming's experiences in PE and at an environmental non-profit gifted him invaluable realizations: what he didn't like. After graduating Yale in 2024, Rory began working in local government in NYC. In this episode, we discuss Rory's unique experience at the SF longevity institure, his work-life balance in NYC, and his long term career mindset following his internships and experiences while at Yale. Oh, and we touch upon his passion for yoga, skiing, and bowling! Much love, one love! Topics discussed: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:33 - Skiing culture and experiences 00:07:06 - NYC Experience 00:16:34 - Work cadence and routine 00:21:24 - Bowling league 00:28:12 - Yoga & hot/cold therapy 00:33:38 - SF longevity institute experience & longevity mindset shift 00:47:35 - Long-term career mindset

13. 

    19 Mar 2025

    #3: S1E3 - Moving from NYC to Tel Aviv and overseas professional basketball with Theo Henry

    Theo Henry packed up his bags in NYC and left his SWE job at Snapchat to move to Tel Aviv and join Maccabi Beer Yaakov as a professional basketball player. In this episode, we discuss Theo's move to Israel, his experience playing professional basketball, and his career as a software engineer and entrepreneur. Much love, one love! Topics: 00:00 - Introduction 01:17 - Move to Tel Aviv 07:11 - Growth from Snapchat & entrepreneurship 14:57 - Basketball career 21:50 - Israeli basketball culture 26:14 - Exercise, preparation, and nutrition 32:57 - Tel Aviv social life & culture 45:41 - Apartment process in Tel Aviv 49:29 - Part of the US missed most 51:29 - Maccabi USA Experience

14. 

    5 Mar 2025

    #2: S1E2 - Sustainability x finance, Morgan Stanley fellowship experience, and journey into men's fashion with Sol Thompson

    Tune in for my discussion with Sol Thompson, who is pursuing a PhD in sustainable finance while also hosting his own Podcast that covers (mostly mens) fashion: Pair of Kings. In this episode, we focus our discussion on sustainability x finance, his fellowship experience at Morgan Stanley, and his journey into men's fashion. Much love, one love! 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:02 - Sustainability x finance; carbon storage 00:11:28 - Climate adaptation 00:17:27 - Morgan Stanley experience 00:33:35 - The little things that make a difference 00:38:04 - Takeaways from fellowship experience 01:00:20 - Men's fashion 01:10:17 - Health and lifestyle in grad school 01:17:57 - NYC basketball

15. 

    19 Feb 2025

    #1: S1E1 - Investment banking, hyrox, and balance in post-grad with Ben Schwartz

    In this episode, the very first episode of Running on Diesel, I sit down with Ben Schwartz. Ben is an investment banking analyst at Solomon Partners, a hyrox athlete, and is the definition of a glue guy. We discuss balancing the demands of his job in investment banking with his exercise and health regiment, digressing into hobbies, humor, and banter along the way. Enjoy! Episode topics: (00:00) - Introduction (01:20) - Work life balance in IB (12:29)- Exercise (15:58) - Hyrox (26:03) - Hobbies (32:24) - Leisure hydration (36:09) - Nutrition (39:28) - Digression into banter

16. 

    18 Jan 2025

    #1: Running on Diesel - Introduction

    Welcome to the inaugural episode of Running on Diesel! Tune in to learn more about the podcast's mission to explore the intersection of health, high-performance careers, and life. In this episode, I share my journey, the inspiration behind "Running on Diesel," and what you can expect from upcoming episodes featuring engaging conversations with young professionals balancing their health and demanding careers.

Who has been a guest on Running on Diesel

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Bea Panitz
• Michael Callahan
• Joey Lane

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

21,476

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

4.4 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

59

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

31

Contact Running on Diesel

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.