Welcome to the in-between. The Almost Era explores the space between who we are and who we’re becoming - that slightly comic, deeply honest in-between where ambition, identity, and reality collide. Hosted by Vallabhi Singh, it’s a cultural diary for the stylishly self-aware. Equal parts reflection and reinvention.
Entrepreneurship on Guardrails | Babson College's Ab Igram on Building Through Franchising
You want to be an entrepreneur. But you’re still waiting for The Idea. What if you don’t need to invent something to build something worth owning?
Recorded at Babson College, this episode features Ab Igram, (https://www.babson.edu/about/our-leaders-and-scholars/faculty-and-academic-divisions/faculty-profiles/ab-igram.php)Executive Director of the Tariq Farid Franchise Institute, Babson MBA alumnus, and a mentor whose encouragement comes with experience. Across more than 25 years, he has helped finance businesses, co-founded companies, and worked on over $350M in venture capital investments at GE Equity. He knows entrepreneurship from the investor’s seat, the operator’s seat, and the classroom.
This episode explores franchising, challenging the assumption that following someone else’s playbook means you aren’t an entrepreneur. We discuss how much room is there for creativity, why we overlook businesses that don’t sound glamorous, and what should you actually look for before becoming a franchisee. We also discuss using an MBA to change direction, the difference between advising a business and running one, and recognizing opportunities in everyday life.
9 Sept 2026
Is This the Life You Want? | Lauren Makler on Agency and Living Intentionally
Most women learn early to arrange adulthood around a clock: finish the degree, build the career, find the partner, have children. Lauren Makler, Co-Founder and CEO of Cofertility (https://www.cofertility.com/), joins Vallabhi for a conversation about personal timelines and the pressure women feel to have their lives figured out “on time.”
They discuss what it means to design a life intentionally: choosing a partner without letting the biological clock govern the decision, understanding fertility before urgency sets in, and how having more options can change the way a woman approaches her career, relationships and future.
Lauren founded Cofertility from her own fertility experience to make egg freezing more accessible and expand reproductive choice. Its investors include Maria Sharapova, who has spoken about the tension between fertility timelines and the demands of an athletic career.
Previously, Lauren was an early Uber employee, where she founded Uber Health and helped millions of patients access care through innovative transportation solutions. In 2023, Lauren was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business.
2 Sept 2026
Suffering, on Purpose | Backyard Boston’s Lauren “LK” Rich on HYROX and Choosing Hard Things
Lauren Rich, the woman who introduced Hyrox to Backyard Boston (https://www.backyardbos.com/) lost her first boxing match before a sold-out crowd at Boston’s House of Blues, and left the ring feeling as though she had won.
Boxing helped her rebuild her confidence and find community after arriving in the city with no phone, no car and no job. Today, she co-owns Backyard, that has quickly become a fixture of Boston's fitness scene.
Approaching 40 and pregnant with twins, Lauren chose Hyrox as the challenge that would be waiting for her after pregnancy. Now preparing for her first solo race, she speaks candidly about motherhood, mom guilt and why training with a partner once made time away from her children easier to justify.
Beneath the training lies a more difficult question: after years of showing up for everyone else, can she choose something hard simply because it belongs to her?
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
22 ratings
Contact The Almost Era
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of The Almost Era?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
