The Raz Patel Show

DMV readers, your next great read might be closer than you think. 📚

On October 6, I’ll be signing Frozen to Fearless, my novel inspired by true events, at Venture X Brambleton.

Spend the day discovering local authors, browsing new books, meeting the people behind the pages, getting your copies personally signed, and hearing the stories that inspired them.

If you love finding books before everyone else starts talking about them, this is for you.

📍 Venture X Brambleton
📅 October 6

DMV book lovers, come find your next story.

Lisa Ann Adams calls herself a "yes brand."

Then she said this, and I wrote it down:

"A lot of yeses lead to a lot of failures, but a lot of yeses lead to a lot of wins."

Both halves are true. That's the part people skip. We like the wins half and we leave out the failures half.

She runs The Social Collectives, and we talked about what it actually takes to build something with people in it.

Watch the full conversation and subscribe:
https://youtu.be/Lvnx0ClqNW4

Cindy Shao didn't have money or connections when she started.

Her point was simple: you're still worth a seat at the table. Early on, what you bring is your skills, your service, and the patience to build the relationship properly instead of forcing it.

Then she said something I haven't stopped thinking about. The most important relationship an entrepreneur builds is with themselves. Staying grounded through the payroll stress and the uncertainty nobody prepares you for.

That's the part that connects to everything I talk about when I talk about confidence. It isn't a mood you're born with. It's something you practice.

She's the founder and president of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce. She also talked about the model minority myth and why it leaves struggling entrepreneurs invisible, and harder to fund.

Watch the full conversation and subscribe:
https://youtu.be/P46SxWGUaak

His dad shared an apartment in the Bronx with three or four other men.

Not to save for something. To build a life for a family that wasn't in this country with him yet.

Dhaval Shah didn't understand that sacrifice until much later in life. He said it took hearing other immigrant stories to finally see it.

That's the conversation we had: growing up between two cultures, why dating gets looked at through the lens of marriage, why mental health is still something a lot of Indian households don't say out loud, and the five things he'd parent differently.

Episode 51 of The Raz Patel Show.

Watch the full conversation and subscribe:
https://youtu.be/9Ws8sizBUXk

Just a moment...

Self-doubt is not proof that you are incapable.

Sometimes, it is a signal that something matters: and that you may need more clarity, support, or space to move forward.

When you feel stuck, try this:

Name the fear.
Make the decision smaller.
Take one honest next step.

That is the heart of Frozen to Fearless.

Confidence is not the absence of doubt. It is learning how to respond to doubt without letting it make every decision for you.

Through 1:1 confidence coaching with Lumina Life Works, we can explore what is keeping you stuck, identify what you need next, and create practical steps that feel aligned with your life.

You do not need the whole plan.
You need a starting point.

Book a free connection call via Calendly:
https://calendly.com/raz-luminalifeworks/let-s-connect

What decision have you been postponing?

What have you been telling yourself you’ll do later?

Vesna Cottrell’s story is a beautiful reminder that later is not a deadline.

After immigrating as a child, navigating identity and belonging, facing difficult health experiences, and learning to advocate for herself, Vesna continued to choose a life that was bigger than the obstacles in front of her.

And at almost 60, she started a rock band.

Her conversation with Raz is about resilience, courage, and the freedom to begin again without waiting for the “right” age or the perfect moment.

Watch the full episode on The Raz Patel Show:
https://youtu.be/nwp2lEPQGBE?si=-67-rSn_OnyQhdH7

Subscribe for more candid conversations about resilience, reinvention, and fearless living.

Read the companion article:
https://razpatel.substack.com/p/the-mammogram-found-one-tumour-the

What is one thing you would begin if you stopped believing it was too late?

Content note: This conversation discusses cancer, bullying, racism, immigration, and healthcare inequity. Vesna is sharing her personal experience, not medical advice. Screening and testing decisions should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.

Today on The Raz Patel Show: Lisa Ann Adams of The Social Collectives. 🎙️

The full episode is now live. Watch it here:
https://youtu.be/Lvnx0ClqNW4

Watch the full episode and subscribe to The Raz Patel Show.

"I Created My Own Loneliness" | She Now Runs a Community of 30,000 If you have ever looked around and thought, where did all my friend...

Some stories stay with you because they remind you that a new chapter can begin at any age.

Vesna Cottrell’s story is one of those stories.

She arrived in Connecticut from Europe as a child, learned to navigate a new language and a new sense of belonging, faced difficult health experiences, and chose to advocate for herself rather than disappear into silence.

Then, at almost 60, she started a rock band.

This conversation is about resilience, identity, courage, and the people who keep becoming: even after life has asked a great deal of them.

Watch the full episode of The Raz Patel Show:
https://youtu.be/nwp2lEPQGBE?si=-67-rSn_OnyQhdH7

Read the companion article:
https://razpatel.substack.com/p/the-mammogram-found-one-tumour-the

Subscribe to The Raz Patel Show for more candid conversations about resilience, reinvention, and fearless living.

Who is someone in your life who has started again when others thought it was too late?

Content note: This conversation discusses cancer, bullying, racism, immigration, and healthcare inequity. Vesna is sharing her personal experience, not medical advice. Screening and testing decisions should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.