Catch The Upswing

Catch The Upswing -Turn energy into action.Catch The Upswing is a business and leadership podcast exploring how people build, lead, and navigate complexity in a rapidly changing world.Hosted by global finance leader Jessica Espinoza, the show features candid conversations with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping today’s economy.Each episode explores the real journeys behind leadership — from setbacks and reinvention to resilience and purpose — while translating these experiences into practical insights listeners can apply in their own work, decisions, and lives.

Catch The Upswing is a business podcast hosted by global finance leader Jessica, with 25 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

global finance leader Jessica hosts Catch The Upswing, a business show with 25 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #24

  When You Follow Your Dreams, You Don't Lose | Carolina Suárez

  Aug 5, 202654 minS1

  What does it actually cost to walk away from a career everyone tells you not to leave? What does it take to build trust across an entire continent — when the thing you're building doesn't exist yet? And how do you hold onto hope when the geopolitical context keeps shifting beneath you? Carolina Suárez Visbal is the CEO of Latimpacto — the leading impact investing network in Latin America, connecting foundations, impact investors, academia, and families working toward the same goal across the region. Twenty years ago, she was a corporate lawyer with a successful career ahead of her. She chose a differentpath. In this conversation from Lima, she shares what it took to make that decision, what she learned building a regional network from scratch, why the best leaders get closer toreality, and why she believes the most important thing we've learned in impact investing is that we cannot work alone. ️ In this episode: Why she left corporate law — and what she saw that changed everything What it actually takes to build trust across an ecosystem Why the best leaders get closer to reality What gives her hope in uncertain times What she would say to anyone wanting to leave a conventional career to build something that matters ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Trailer 01:09 Introduction — Carolina Suárez and Latimpacto 02:00 Why she left corporate law — and chose a different path 06:16 "When you follow your dreams, you don't lose" 11:53 Building Latimpacto — creating a movement from the start 17:56 Why building a network is harder than building a project 23:15 Trust — the foundation of every ecosystem 24:51 What gives her hope for Latin America? 26:48 "We cannot work alone" 28:07 How she stays grounded — and lives in the present 29:08 Why she brought her network to the Amazon 36:41 How success has changed over time 45:05 Advice for the next generation of leaders 46:53 Staying patient when change takes time 49:32 The legacy she hopes to leave behind 50:07 Thinking about leaving your career? Start here. Follow Carolina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mar%C3%ADa-carolina-suarez-visbal/ Learn more about Latimpacto: https://latimpacto.org/ Join Impact Minds 2026: https://impactmindsconference.com/ Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world.Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #23

  Why Success Doesn't Feel Like Success | Simon Alexander Ong

  Jul 27, 20261h 10mS1

  What happens when you finally achieve the life you've been working towards... and something still feels missing? Build the career. Reach the goals. Tick every box. And still find yourself wondering why success doesn't feel the way you thought it would. How does that happen? And how do you know whether you're building a life that's truly yours — or simply becoming successful at someoneelse's definition of success? Simon Alexander Ong is the bestselling author of Energize , an award-winning coach, and an internationally sought-after keynote speaker whose work on energy, leadership, and purpose has built a global following. This isn't a conversation about becoming more productive. It's about asking whether the version of success you've been chasing is actually your own. Together, we explore what happens after success — when everything looks right on paper, but something doesn't quite feel right inside. We talk about the difference between achievement and fulfillment, the stories we inherit about what success should look like, and the quieter questions that often emerge only after we've reached the goals we once believedwould make us happy. We also get into a story involving Richard Branson that Simon rarely tells — and a strange decision-making exercise he still uses before making hard choices, involving a room that doesn't exist and six people, some living, some dead. ️ In this episode: Why success doesn't always feel the way we expect it to The subtle difference between achievement and fulfillment How to tell whether you're pursuing your own ambitions — or someone else's Why two people can work equally hard and experience work completely differently The four dimensions of energy that shape how we live and lead The role courage plays in changing the direction of your life A simple exercise Simon returns to whenever he's facing one of life's biggest decisions ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:15 From Investment Banking to Finding Purpose 03:20 "On Paper, I Had It All" 06:00 The Signs You're Living the Wrong Life 10:00 The Four Types of Burnout 15:45 Why Purpose Gives You Energy 20:14 Create an Environment That Makes Success Inevitable 28:30 Journaling & Closing the Loop 33:50 The Loneliness of Reinventing Yourself 36:20 The Imaginary Room with Six Mentors 38:02 Stop Saying "Should" 42:45 The Wormhole Effect 43:35 Richard Branson, a Paper Airplane & Courage 46:15 Ambition Without Losing Your Peace 53:00 Is Hustle Culture Doing More Harm Than Good? 58:00 Recharge Yourself Like Your Devices 1:01:15 Plan Tomorrow the Night Before 1:04:40 Can You Have Energy Without Purpose? 1:08:40 Where to Follow Simon Follow Simon's work: Website: https://www.simonalexanderong.com/ Instagram: @simonalexanderong LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong/ Simon’s best-selling book Energize: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321571/energize-by-ong-simon-alexander/9780241502761 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what itactually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #22

  What Becomes More Valuable in the Age of AI?

  Jul 21, 20264 minS1

  What becomes more valuable in the age of AI? Everyone is asking what AI will replace. But I think there's another question that's just as important: What becomes more valuable because of AI? In this first episode of Walk With Me , I reflect on why judgment — not information — may become one of our greatest competitive advantages in an AI-powered world. Drawing on an experience from a senior leadership meeting, I explore why the hardest decisions are rarely about having enough data. They're about weighing competing priorities, making trade-offs, and deciding what matters most. AI can summarize. It can compare. It can analyze. But leadership begins where the data ends. Chapters 00:00 Everybody's asking what AI will replace 00:00:19 What becomes more valuable because of AI? 00:00:42 A leadership meeting that changed how I think about judgment 00:02:17 Why data alone doesn't make decisions 00:03:00 What AI can't replace 00:03:21 Why judgment is becoming the ultimate leadership skill 00:03:47 The question we should also be asking I'd love to hear your perspective: What human skill do you think becomes more valuable as AI becomes more capable? ️ Walk With Me is an invitation to step away from the noise for a few minutes. Join me for short reflections on leadership, technology, decision-making, and the ideas shaping our future. Subscribe for more episodes from Catch The Upswing . #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #FutureOfWork #DecisionMaking #CriticalThinking Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #21

  Imperfections Are Underrated | Daniela Alfieri — Noharanda

  Jul 15, 202639 minS1

  What if the moments of self-doubt you've been trying to overcome are actually a sign that you're leveling up? What if the gap between where you are and where you want to be is smaller than you think? And what if embracing your imperfections — rather than hiding them — is the thing that finally sets you free? Daniela Alfieri is known to hundreds of thousands of people around the world as Noharanda — an artist, healer, and community builder whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, consciousness, and what it truly means to be fully and imperfectly human. What began as a series of digital illustrations has grown into a global community, inviting people to reconnect with themselves, embrace life's imperfections, and discover that our greatest transformations often begin by remembering who we truly are. In this conversation, we explore Daniela's journey of reinvention — from a nine-to-five job she didn't love to becoming one of the most distinctive creative voices on the internet — and the lessons she's learned about growth, healing, and what it means to show up as yourself. 🎙️ In this episode: Why self-doubt is a signal you're leveling up — not a reason to stop How to tell the difference between fear and excitement What rapid resolution therapy is — and why healing can happen faster than you think Why high achievers often feel something is missing even when life looks great The practices that keep Daniela grounded — without sacrificing ambition Why imperfections are underrated — and what wabi-sabi teaches us about freedom What's shifting collectively in the age of AI — and why humanness matters more than ever ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:18 Art, healing and becoming more of who you really are 06:46 Reinventing your life — Daniela's journey to Noharanda 13:07 Being called to share — art as a mirror for others 19:26 Why self-doubt may mean you're leveling up 21:17 Fear or excitement? The feeling we often misread 25:24 Can healing happen faster than we think? 28:35 Closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be 33:11 How to achieve big things — and still feel alive 36:48 Why being human matters more in the age of AI 🔗 Follow Daniela's work: Website: https://noharanda.com/ Instagram: @noharanda YouTube: @noharanda Pinterest: @noharanda 🎨 Visuals & artwork: B-roll images featured in this episode were provided by Daniela Alfieri and showcase her work and art as Noharanda. 📺 Watch more episodes: Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #20

  Beyond Unicorns — Rethinking Success in Entrepreneurship | Mansi Gupta & Clôd Baumgartner

  Jul 9, 20261h 15mS1

  What does it actually mean to build something meaningful when the dominant story of entrepreneurship is: scale fast, raise capital, and exit? What if success isn't measured by valuation, but by the problems you solve? What if the businesses the world most needs aren't unicorns — but something more grounded, more regenerative, and ultimately more human? In this conversation, Jessica Espinoza is joined by two entrepreneurs who have spent their careers building exactly that. Mansi Gupta is the founder of Unconform and a pioneer in women-centred design, exploring how products, services and systems can better reflect the lived experiences of the people they serve. Clôd Baumgartner is a regenerative innovation and upcycling fashion entrepreneur who has spent years rethinking what business can look like when it works in harmony with people and planet rather than against them. Together, we explore a different kind of entrepreneurship — one built around joy, purpose, circularity, and the courage to define your own metrics of success. 🎙️ In this episode: Why the unicorn narrative puts pressure on all of us — and what zebras have to do with it Why every design has consequences Why we live in a one-size-fits-men world — and what it costs us The difference between scaling high and scaling deep Why joy — not hustle — is the fuel for regenerative businesses How to define success metrics that actually reflect what you care about Why you should never build alone What it means to become a time millionaire How to just start — without boiling the ocean ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Trailer 00:41 Introduction — rethinking entrepreneurship 01:24 Mansi's journey: building meaningful ventures 03:03 Clôd: demystifying the unicorn — why zebras matter 05:57 Mansi's ventures: leather upcycling, women-centered design, and what came next 10:51 Every design has consequences 13:07 Clôd: regenerative innovation and the garden metaphor 20:32 What if businesses were designed circularly? 27:00 The blind spot in human-centered design — and what fixes it 34:02 We live in a one-size-fits-men world 44:58 What and how — the permaculture ethics of people, earth, and fair share 49:40 Practical advice for founders: just start, don't do it alone 53:07 Just start does not mean boil the ocean 56:27 Choosing who you build with 57:00 Circular models of collaboration 01:01:40 Redefining success metrics and vanity metrics 01:05:12 Who is an entrepreneur, really? 01:13:26 Final thoughts: start, rest, and find the balance that works for you Check out Mansi Gupta's work: Unconform & women-centric design: https://www.unconformstudio.com/women-centric-learning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansigupta/ Check out Clôd Baumgartner's work: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpbaumgartner/ 📺 Watch more episodes Catch The Upswing is a podcast for people building meaningful things in a rapidly changing world. Honest conversations with leaders, founders, investors, and changemakers about what it actually takes to keep going, lead well, and stay hopeful about the future. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🔗 Follow & connect YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CatchTheUpswing Instagram: https://instagram.com/CatchTheUpswing TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@catchtheupswing

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Catch The Upswing. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.