The Found Generation with Troy Farkas

Whitney Bernabei took the traditional route in life. She went to college, landed a job in cushy corporate America, attended the happy hours, and adhered to the American template for "success."

It never felt right, yet she played along. That's what she was supposed to do.

But after years of facing debilitating injuries that modern medicine couldn't solve, Whitney had had enough. She knew there had to be another way...

I recorded the first episode of this podcast from the confines of my roommate's closet in our home in Connecticut in September 2020.

And now, three and-a-half years later, we've made it to the big stage.

From the prestigious Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, it's the first LIVE edition of "The Found Generation" podcast (!!!!!!).

And in this very special episode, I'm joined by three very speci...

Happy Sunday! I'm popping in for a quick solo episode to update you on several things: expectations for this podcast moving forward, my changing values, and a recent life-changing conversation I had.

And on Monday, March 25, I'm taking the stage at The Music Hall Lounge in downtown Portsmouth for the first LIVE edition of this podcast! Throughout the evening I'll be joined by three incredible guests:

• Stephanie Pao...

I’ve produced podcasts with Peter Rosenberg for five years. And if I could use one word to describe him, it’s PASSIONATE.

And that fiery passion, which he holds for things like hip hop music, sports, professional wrestling, his dogs, and broadcasting will undoubtedly shine through in today’s conversation.

However, this conversation was not the one I expected to have with him.

I rarely talk politics. I hardly read the news, so I don...

In her twenties, Dr. Sonayna Chandran was simply going with the flow, unsure of her life's direction, unaware that she was capable of more.

Tired of living without a purpose, Sonayna decided to make a change.

She began talking to a therapist. She hired a fitness coach. She started working out religiously and eating nutritious foods that supported, not defeated, her fitness goals.

After that, everything started clicking.

Sonayn...

Jason Hartley grew up as a poor kid in rural Tennessee.

With big dreams of playing the drums with rock bands in front of sold out crowds, Jason tried as hard as he possibly could to overcome the obstacles he faced as a child.

But his efforts were never enough.

In his late twenties, Jason gave up the dream to combine two side interests of his: mixed martial arts and YouTube.

Six years after making the decision to go full-time buildi...

I owe everything to Ariel Helwani.

Without me asking, Ariel praised my work to ESPN executives when we used to walk the halls together. Then, he helped me land the producing job that gave me the safety net I needed to leave ESPN in early 2021. A few months later, he recommended me for my current role as his producer at Spotify, a fully remote job that’s allowed me to travel the world, produce impactful far-reaching podcasts for spo...

Caroline Alaimo didn't know who she was.

For most of her life, she surrounded herself with the wrong people, created more problems by running from her problems, and judged herself mercilessly for not looking a certain way. For not being enough.

But then she discovered something that completely changed the course of her life.

Caroline cried at the end of her first yoga class. Ever since that day, the day that sent her on a beaut...

According to The New York Times, the Nazis murdered approximately 500,000 Romani people during the Holocaust.

But you probably didn't know that.

And so it goes for the Romani people, a diasporic ethnic group that's long been forgotten and discriminated against in countries all over the world, even in America.

For centuries, the Romani people have relied on the sacred art of fortune telling not only to escape persecution, bu...

**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode contains references to disordered eating, addiction, and more. Viewer and listener discretion is advised. Rachel Kimberly spent the first half of her 20s at war with herself. A mom at 23 years old, Rachel found herself unable to cope with the challenges of young motherhood. To manage the stress, she resorted to drinking. A lot. Then, to gain back control of her life, she returned to controlling th...

Social media runs our lives.

TikTok dominates our attention span. Instagram likes (or lack thereof) determine our self-worth. Alluring notifications from Twitter pull us from the present moment--the most precious thing we have.

Because of the stakes, any conversation about social media is an important one. And to do it right, I've once again enlisted the help of my friend and mentor Eric Jackman, the social media guru behind MM...

Conner Burks never imagined he'd get to this point.

From 2018-21, he sleepwalked through a miserable existence working overnight shifts at ESPN while living in dreary central Connecticut one thousand miles away from his beloved Atlanta. Frustration with his life's course was exacerbated by the pandemic, as ESPN demanded he produce radio shows in the office every day while the rest of the world waited out the dangers of COVI...

Two years ago, Jake Lenok couldn't take it anymore. After three years of misery working odd behind-the-scenes jobs at ESPN, Jake took a lifeline from a close friend. An offer to a better life -- a life full of more meaningful work, more work-life balance, more money, and most importantly, more freedom.

Sitting together in his South Beach condo, Jake walks me through the tough decision to leave the industry he loved, how he land...

From Mocha Lisa Caffe & Books in my hometown of Clifton Park, N.Y., my dear friend Leah Klein (formerly Leah Zappone) joins me to talk about motherhood and her job as a physical therapist before giving some practical advice to young people on how to best take care of your physical health! We also share about lessons learned from December 1, 2012, the day that Leah lost her cousin, Deanna Rivers, in a tragic car accident that ro...

When I moved back to Portsmouth, NH this summer, my first order of business (after hitting the beach) was to find a gym. A quick Google search told me that a gym nearby offered a 7-day free trial, so I decided I'd go and give it a shot (0:00).

That gym? Seacoast Kettlebell: A hugely popular gym in seacoast NH with a cult-like following.

Voted by Men's Health as one of the top 50 gyms in the United States, SKB provides high-...

Artificial intelligence is the buzz term of 2023. You can't scroll social media or read The New York Times without coming across it. With that said, the average person -- especially the older generation -- has a lot of misconceptions about what AI truly is and what its true impact will be on the world now and in the future.

So to provide some clarity on this seemingly existential crisis, I've enlisted the help of Google res...

There is no room for anger in our lives. If we truly want to live the best possible life, then we must learn how to eliminate this nasty emotion from our lives completely. So on today's episode, I outline the following five strategies which have helped me completely remove anger from my life since my departure from ESPN led me to feel the most anger I've ever felt in my life:

• Control what you can control (4:57)
• Raise...

On Friday, I posted on Instagram to tell you about a lifelong dream of mine that's finally become a reality: writing a book.

It's called "Surrender: A Guide to Living Your Best Life in Your Twenties." As you might expect from me, it's a self-improvement book where I dive into topics like career mobility, physical and mental health, relationships, and so much more.

It's easy to read and filled with tons of ...