Eli: Monty's Pizza

In this episode, I’m joined by Sharjeel, a Pakistani immigrant and the founder of LemonLeads AI, a tech company helping SaaS businesses generate high-quality leads at scale.We dive into Sharjeel’s early life, his struggles in college, and how those challenges unexpectedly became the gateway to his career in sales. From there, we unpack how he carved out a name for himself in the Pakistani tech ecosystem, took risks without a clear blueprint, and ultimately built a company that’s now serving global clients.This conversation is about grit, reinvention, and building something meaningful where there wasn’t an obvious path forward.Follow Sharjeel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharjeelshahabb/Follow LemonLeads AI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemonleads.ai/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Eli, a college friend who always joked about opening a pizza shop—and is now actually doing it. Eli didn’t thrive in school, didn’t follow the “expected” path, and instead kept saying yes to opportunities that felt right. Today, he’s running Monty’s Pizza, a Brooklyn pop-up built on intuition, persistence, and betting on what you already know. Follow Monty's Pizza on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montyspizza.world/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

This week on For The Plot, I sit down with Pedram, one half of the jazz house duo Stella, to talk about what it means to come home to your craft.Music has been part of Pedram’s story since childhood — but it wasn’t until the stillness of COVID that he truly reconnected with it. What started as a creative outlet became a full-on homecoming to who he’s always been.In our conversation, we talk about his winding journey through music, the strange relationship artists have with social media, and how he’s learned to “gaslight” himself into believing his ideas are worth obsessing over — until they become reality.We also dive into why community is everything: the people who push you forward, reflect your potential, and remind you that your dreams are possible.Follow Pedram on IG: https://www.instagram.com/peddybeats/Follow STELLA. on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sounds.by.stella/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

This week on For The Plot, I sit down with my friend Cat, a world traveler and founder of Tempo Co-living in Cape Town, South Africa.After spending the last few years hopping from one corner of the globe to another—from Hawaii to Europe to Africa—Cat has built a life centered around community, curiosity, and connection. Her journey began at a co-living in Hawaii, where she first experienced the magic of shared living: spontaneous dinners, surf sessions, and friendships that felt like family. That experience set her on a path of designing spaces that bring people together.In this episode, we talk about what makes co-living so transformative, how travel changes your sense of home, and what it really means to create a life that expands you.Whether you’ve ever dreamed of packing up and chasing community around the world—or just want a reminder that connection is the ultimate currency—this one’s for you.Follow Tempo Co-living on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tempo_coliving_cpt/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

I sit down with Sahara, the founder of Let’s Play NYC — a community built around trying new things and bringing people together through play.In this episode, we talk about what it really means to build community and make friends in a city that’s known for being fast-paced and transient. Sahara shares her journey of starting Let’s Play NYC from a genuine love of connection and curiosity — not for clout or business, but simply because she wanted to create more moments of joy.We dive into themes of contentment, presence, and “being where your feet are” — learning how to slow down, appreciate the now, and find fulfillment in the process rather than the outcome.Whether you’re craving more connection or just looking to feel inspired to build something meaningful, this one’s for you.Follow Let's Play NYC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsplaynyc/?hl=enFollow Sahara on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saharamone_/?hl=enFOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

This week on For The Plot — meet my friend Alex, an actress, writer, and creative powerhouse behind the award-winning TV pilot Portrait Haus which was inspired by hilariously chaotic real life events.After college Alex moved to NYC knowing no one, got laid off, and somehow turned it into the start of a hilarious, heartfelt creative journey. We talk about how haters became her motivators, what it really takes to bet on yourself, and why following your most outlandish creative impulses might just be the best strategy.Follow Alex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex.paisley.stedman/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

On this week I sit down with Dasha, a stress resilience coach who created The Balanced Method with the sole purpose of helping women foster intentional practices, daily habits, and mind-body principles to revive their nervous system's resilience, and leaving them feeling more aligned with themselves and the world around them. Tune in to hear how her she turned stress into strength and self-love, and what life experiences helped catapult this business into the beautiful and supportive community she's grown. Follow Dasha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dashaglozman/Check out The Balanced Method: https://www.dashaglozman.com/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

This week on For The Plot I sit down with Tawa-- a friend who has MASTERED the art of planning travel around the world, and turned it into her side hustle?! Tune in to hear about how she caught the travel bug, how she knew it was time to leave her job and how it launched her into a year and a half on the road living bougie on a budget. Book a trip with Nomadish Travels: https://www.nomadishtravels.com/ Follow Tawa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadish_tawa/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

This week on For The Plot I sit down with my friend Ryan, who recently left his stable 9-5 to pursue his passion for videography full-time. As a kid, Ryan's first creative love was music and he was a natural self-starter. He took the safe route in college, worked a traditional 9-5, not even realizing it was setting him up perfectly for one of the scariest decisions in his career. On this week's episode, we cover his final moments in corporate, advice for those who are looking to pursue their passion (or find it!), his experience working with creators for the U.S. Open, and more!Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryannchang/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube

On this week's episode of For The Plot, I sit down with two dear friends who I know to be some of the most hardworking humans on this planet. Tune in to hear how they conquered their trials and tribulations and channeled their energy to purchase their first business together as a couple.BLUE SAPPHIRE DETAILING: https://bluesapphiredetailing.com/FOR THE PLOTInstagramTikTokWatch on YouTube