Month: December 2025
Reflecting on 2025 and Looking Forward: Growth, AI, and What’s Next

Reflecting on 2025 and Looking Forward: Growth, AI, and What’s Next

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What does it take to turn reflection into forward momentum?

As another year closes, the opportunity to pause and assess becomes more valuable than ever. Looking back at wins, lessons, and shifts can reveal patterns that shape how we approach what comes next.

In this episode, Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl reflect on their standout moments from 2025, the shifts they’re seeing in client needs and technology, and what they’re prioritizing as they head into 2026. They discuss personal milestones like turning 40, the importance of pushing physical limits, how AI is reshaping work and relationships, and why building community matters more than ever. They also share insights on balancing family, career growth, and staying adaptable in a rapidly changing environment.

Key takeaways:

  • Personal milestones and lessons learned from physical challenges like High Rocks competitions
  • How AI adoption is changing workflows while increasing demand for human connection and in-person events
  • Balancing career growth with family priorities and creating intentional one-on-one time
  • Finding opportunities in emerging platforms like live social shopping and resale commerce
  • The importance of evolving client relationships beyond numbers to become truly irreplaceable
  • And more!

Connect with Iván Watanabe:

Connect with Evan Wohl:

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Your Guide To Student Loans in 2025 with Joe McGrath (Ep. 112)

Your Guide To Student Loans in 2025 with Joe McGrath (Ep. 112)

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Student loans have shifted so many times this year that even well-informed professionals are unsure what rules still apply. 

Iván Watanabe and Evan Wohl talk with returning guest Joe McGrath of GradFin to help bring clarity to a landscape that feels anything but stable right now. Joe explains what borrowers should understand about the SAVE program pause, why PSLF has become harder to navigate, and how the upcoming RAP program could reshape repayment for years to come. 

He also discusses the mistakes that often derail forgiveness and the updated refinancing environment as rates continue to adjust.

What to expect:

  • A simple breakdown of SAVE, IBR, RAP, and how each affects your path to repayment
  • Why PSLF rejection rates remain high and how to avoid common pitfalls
  • When refinancing may make sense again for high earners
  • Guidance for physicians and professionals facing major policy shifts
  • And more!

Connect with Iván Watanabe:

Connect with Evan Wohl:

Connect with Joe McGrath:

About Our Guest:

Joseph McGrath presents GradFin’s services to financial advisors from coast to coast about the value of meeting with a student loan consultant to help navigate the perfect repayment plan. In addition to his current role in sales and client management, he has additional experience in both the recruiting and non-profit industries. Joseph currently lives in Philadelphia and is a graduate of Temple University’s Fox School Of Business with a BBA in Marketing.

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How to Be an Ally to Parents of Neurodiverse Kids (Ep. 111)

How to Be an Ally to Parents of Neurodiverse Kids (Ep. 111)

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How do you help a child thrive, especially when traditional methods fall short?

In this heartfelt episode, Iván Watanabe sits down with Mindy Coolidge and Meredith Greenwald, co-founders of Up, Up & Away, to talk about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), building trust with neurodiverse children, and how true progress happens when empathy leads the way.

As behavior analysts with decades of experience, they share why “happy, relaxed, and engaged” is the gold standard and how their relationship-first model is changing lives, one child at a time.

What to expect:

  • The difference between reinforcement and bribery (and why it matters)
  • Why ABA isn’t “compliance training”, it’s empowerment
  • How parents and bystanders can support children with autism
  • Practical takeaways any parent can use today
  • And so much more!

Connect with Iván Watanabe:

Connect with Up Up and Away:

About Our Guests:

Meredith Greenwald is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst, New York State Certified Special Education Teacher, and co-founder of Up Up and Away Behavior Analyst PC. She received her BA in Psychology at Lafayette College in 1998 and her MA in Special Education from New York University in 2000. Meredith has 18 years of experience using the principles and practices of Applied Behavior Analysis, working with children diagnosed with Autism and other developmental delays. She excels at developing and implementing programs, social skills training, relationship development, and family training. Meredith lives in Stamford, CT with her husband and two children. She has four dogs – Mabel, George, Pixel, and Cookie.

Mindy Lee Coolidge is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst, New York State Certified Special Education and General Education Teacher, and co-founder of Up Up and Away Behavior Analyst PC. Mindy has 11 years of experience working with children who have the diagnosis of Autism, have other developmental delays, cognitive impairments, and/or problem behavior. Mindy excels in the areas of: building meaningful relationships with students and their families, speaking as an expert witness/ advocating for a student, administering assessments and creating programming based on the results, collaborating with families and teams for best outcomes, and using the science of ABA to help every child learn in an individualized way that is meaningful, fun, and effective.

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