Emotional Business
Emotional Business is a podcast for founders, creators, and change-makers who believe there’s more to business than spreadsheets and strategy. Hosted by Olga Skipper, this show explores the often-overlooked emotional undercurrent of entrepreneurship—highlighting how gut instinct, heart-centered decisions, and so-called ”illogical” paths can lead to powerful and profitable ventures. Through candid conversations with a wide range of guests—from top executives and tech leaders to unconventional entrepreneurs—Olga dives deep into what it really takes to build a business that not only makes money but feels meaningful. Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of how to: - Embrace emotions as a strength, not a liability, in business. - Make bold decisions based on inner truth, not external pressure. - Create a business model that truly fits who they are—and make good money doing it. This podcast is for anyone tired of cookie-cutter formulas and ready to explore success on their own terms.
Episodes
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Gonzalo Arenas, VP of Operations at Dunia, about the evolving role of operations in startups and the human side of building sustainable businesses.
Drawing on his bicultural upbringing and diverse career, Gonzalo shares how pragmatic idealism shapes his approach to leadership, trust, and team-building. He offers a grounded look at what it truly means to operate at scal...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Šárka Betke—entrepreneur, former FinTech leader, and mother of two—about what it truly means to craft your own path.
Šárka shares her journey of moving from a successful career in finance and technology into the world of purpose-driven business. She opens up about learning to trust herself amid external doubt, the courage it takes to start again, and how to bring the w...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper sits down with Nektarios Liolios—former banker, FinTech pioneer, and mental health advocate—to explore the unseen human side of startups.
From his early career in banking and FinTech to co-founding The Future Farm, Nektarios has experienced the high-stakes, high-stress reality of entrepreneurship. His story shines a light on the toll burnout can take—and why connection, resilience...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper speaks with Hilary Aylesworth—a former educator turned product strategist and AI leader. Hilary brings a unique perspective on leadership, weaving together her background in teaching, her work in AI at CoachHub, and her lived experience as both a professional and a parent.
This conversation explores how intuition, transparency, and emotional intelligence can shape leadership in th...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper is joined by Alex Farcet—entrepreneur, impact investor, and co-founder of the Raspberry Syndicate, a collective investing in climate tech startups across Europe and Africa.
From Silicon Valley to corporate boardrooms, from personal crises to purpose-driven leadership, Alex has lived many lives. Through each, he’s discovered that alignment—between values, risk, and passion—is the t...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper is joined by Severin Zugmayer—founder of New Renaissance Ventures, the first dedicated venture fund for the cultural and creative industries in Europe. With a background spanning Red Bull, Google, and Speedinvest, Severin isn’t your typical VC. He’s redefining what it means to invest—not just in products or founders, but in culture, creativity, and meaning.
Severin shares how his ...
What happens when you close a 25-year arc of success — and realize the next chapter demands something entirely different?
In this episode of The Emotional Business Show, Olga Skipper talks with Oleg Bibergan, founding partner at S16, a venture fund and community investing in transformative startups. With a background spanning Goldman Sachs, technology, and venture capital, Oleg has built a reputation for clarity and conviction. But...
What does it mean to lead thousands of people without losing your humanity?
In this episode of The Emotional Business Show, Olga Skipper speaks with Matthias Hofmann, Executive Vice President of Last Mile Logistics Austria at Austrian Post, about what it takes to lead with clarity, empathy, and authenticity at scale.
Matthias shares his journey from consultant to corporate leader, and how he discovered that the real key to leadersh...
What does it take to achieve success early—and stay grounded while chasing more?
In this episode of The Emotional Business Show, Olga Skipper sits down with Olga Shikhantsova, former VC partner at Speedinvest, Forbes 30 Under 30 alum, and now Head of Product Strategy at Finom, to explore the emotional undercurrents of rapid achievement and reinvention.
Together, they unpack:
- How family values, movi...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper sits down with Aape Pohjavirta—serial entrepreneur, systems thinker, startup mentor, and founder of impactful ventures like Funzi—to explore what it really means to lead, live, and build with heart in a world addicted to hustle.
Aape doesn’t play by the usual rules. From starting his first company at 19 to losing it all—and doing it again—his journey is anything but linear. He sha...
In this powerful episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper is joined by Dana Pavlychko—entrepreneur, transformation mentor, strategic advisor, and co-founder of Empower Impact Academy.
Dana’s story is anything but ordinary: she rebuilt her life and career after fleeing Ukraine with her family, sold her publishing business in the middle of a crisis, completed her Executive MBA at Oxford, and now helps leaders thrive in chaos—not b...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper is joined by Thor Mitchell—a seasoned product leader, mentor, and former Google and Miro executive—who brings over 25 years of experience leading product teams across Europe, the US, and Australia.
But this conversation isn’t about frameworks or velocity charts.
It’s about the human side of product leadership.
We dive deep into:
- How emotional inte...
In this episode of Emotional Business, host Olga Skipper sits down with Olga Lorenz—partner at global executive search firm True Search, practicing visual artist, and mother of three—for an honest conversation about identity, creativity, and leadership in a changing world.
Olga shares how her international upbringing shaped her worldview, why executive search is more art than algorithm, and how painting keeps her sane amid high-sta...
In this episode of Emotional Business, Olga Skipper is joined by Max Niederhofer, partner at Heartcore Capital—one of the rare venture firms where strategy meets spirituality, and values are not just written but lived.
Max brings a rare blend of intellectual depth, operational experience, and personal conviction. From founding companies to investing across Europe and the U.S., his perspective on what it means to build something tru...
In this episode, we sit down with Blanka Šupe—founder of Haos Community Space in Belgrade and a visionary entrepreneur who’s redefining what it means to build community-driven businesses. Blanka shares her personal origin story, growing up across multiple cultures and navigating the ups and downs that shaped her unique leadership style.
Throughout this conversation Blanka reveals the unexpected path from chaos to connection and the...
Welcome to Emotional Business: Where Intuition Meets Strategy
Hosted by executive coach and former startup exec Olga Skipper, Emotional Business is the podcast for founders, creatives, and changemakers who want to build aligned, impactful businesses from the inside out.
In this trailer episode, Olga shares why this show exists, who it’s for, and what you can expect from each episode. If you're tired of trying to follow someone else...
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