In ancient times, samanas were people who stepped back from the mainstream to make sense of the human experience. On this podcast, we meet the modern-day version: individuals who’ve built tremendous success, paused, and chosen to live with greater intention. Unpack their operating principles with us.
Podcast Overview
In ancient times, samanas were people who stepped back from the mainstream to make sense of the human experience. On this podcast, we meet the modern-day version: individuals who’ve built tremendous success, paused, and chosen to live with greater intention. Unpack their operating principles with us.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
7/22/2025
1 verified contact email on file for Samana
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Recent Episodes
June 11, 2026
Ep. 6: From Bain to mobilizing capital across Africa with Taz Chaponda
<p>Our guest today is Taz Chaponda. In our conversation, we talk about what it means to build a career around impact, rather than prestige. Taz reflects on leaving Washington after seeing a job ad on a trip home, the leadership mistakes he made running a young institution, and why the most meaningful work of his career may still be ahead of him in public office.<br>We also explore why capital is not flowing into Africa at the scale it should, and how blended finance is beginning to change that.<br> This conversation is about going deep, staying open, and having the courage to come full circle.<br> —<br>Samana is a term for people in ancient times who stepped away from the mainstream to pursue an ideal higher than themselves. On this podcast, we get to know modern-day samanas: ambitious professionals who carved a unique path, not because they failed, but because they were brave enough to ask better questions.<br>Brought to you by Vijay Wealth.<br>—<br>(00:00) Intro: Meet Taz (Bain → Treasury → IMF → Malawi Investment Corp → MasterCard Foundation)<br>(04:30) Harvard to Bain: Why "I've Made It" Never Arrives<br>(06:30) The Grad School Bet: When Pausing to Learn Pays Back<br>(10:00) Treasury and PPPs: Going Deep Instead of Hopping Industries<br>(13:30) Coming Home to Malawi: Building an Institution From Scratch<br>(17:00) Inside the IMF: Reading Countries Without Imposing Answers<br>(22:00) Leadership: Trust, Listening, and Unlearning "Answer First"<br>(27:00) Blended Finance: How Capital Actually Unlocks Impact<br>(40:00) The Cost of the Path: Family, Travel, and Conviction<br>(49:00) Final Takeaways and Advice to His 25-Year-Old Self</p>
March 27, 2026
Ep. 5: Inner frameworks for outer success, with Pauline Brown
<p>Our guest today is Pauline Brown. She’s spent her career at the intersection of business, brand, and human judgment - starting at Bain, and going on to leadership roles at Estée Lauder, Avon, The Carlyle Group, and later as Chair of LVMH North America.</p><p><br></p><p>Today, she focuses on something most people overlook: the part of judgment that goes beyond data - taste, meaning, and emotional resonance - through her work on her company, Aesthetic Intelligence. She also teaches these principles at Harvard and Columbia.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, we talk about the gap between success and significance, and why prestige alone eventually stops feeling like enough. Pauline shares how she chose alignment over optics, leaned into work that felt natural to her, and made career decisions that weren’t always obvious - but were right.</p><p><br></p><p>We also get into why human judgment still matters, especially in an AI-driven world - and why qualities like taste, self-awareness, and emotional understanding will matter more, not less, going forward.</p><p><br></p><p>This is a conversation about reinvention, identity, and having the courage to define success on your own terms.</p><p><br></p><p>If you want to go deeper into Pauline’s thinking, she writes on Substack under Aesthetic Intelligence: https://substack.com/@paulinegarrisbrown?r=wxhof&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile&[…]EFLL-fxlTXXcnog6VX9VaCYFJDnvnFZOYDM_aem_6daQduul7yvO5kqxp5yz0Q</p><p><br></p><p>You can also find more details about her upcoming Global Fellowship Retreat here: https://aestheticintelligence.com/</p><p><br></p><p>—</p><p>Samana is a term for people in ancient times who stepped away from the mainstream to pursue an ideal higher than themselves. On this podcast, we get to know modern-day samanas: ambitious professionals who carved a unique path, not because they failed, but because they were brave enough to ask better questions.Brought to you by Vijay Wealth. </p><p>Production and marketing by AQ Productions.</p><p>—</p>
December 9, 2025
Ep. 4: From Harvard & Yale Law to a $40k calling with Lewis Bollard
<p>Our guest today is Lewis Bollard. He’s spent his career at the intersection of power and purpose - moving from Harvard to Bain, to Yale Law, and ultimately into his current role as Managing Director at Open Philanthropy, where he deploys capital to solve a largely overlooked global issue: factory farming. The real story goes beyond his resume - it revolves around the internal tension he learned to navigate between security and meaning, and between fear and conviction. </p><p><br></p><p>Lewis grew up wrestling with big questions earlier than most. As a teenager, he confronted purpose head-on, a process he describes as painful but clarifying. That clarity eventually led him away from conventional prestige tracks - even when every social script told him to stay. He took a 4x pay cut after Yale Law to pursue work that aligned with his values, resisted the gravitational pull of “keeping all doors open,” and built a life around contribution rather than comparison. </p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, we talk less about the polished highlights and more about what it costs to build a life that actually feels like yours. Lewis reflects on the fear that shapes high achievers, the illusion that more money always equals more security, and how identity can become entangled with status if you’re not paying attention. He shares stories of donors learning to let go, the psychology of “enough,” and why so many successful people struggle to close doors - even when the open ones are making them miserable.</p><p><br></p><p>This conversation goes beyond career ladders - it’s about the inflection points where you decide what matters, what doesn’t, and what you’re willing to trade to build a life that's yours.</p><p><br></p><p>—</p><p>Samana is a term for people in ancient times who stepped away from the mainstream to pursue an ideal higher than themselves. On this podcast, we get to know modern-day samanas: ambitious professionals who carved a unique path, not because they failed, but because they were brave enough to ask better questions.</p><p><br></p><p>Brought to you by Vijay Wealth. Production and marketing by AQ Productions.</p>
7 total episodes available
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- What is Samana?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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