The Struggle is Real is built for young professionals who are looking to gain instruction for solving the small and big problems they are now beginning to face as they transition into adulthood, along with the inspiration for acting on that instruction.
We are so excited about the transition of graduating from college to being eager and nervous about finding our place in the world. We are putting more of a concerted effort into improving aspects of our life including our career, personal finances, relationships, and health.

We are energetic, entry-level to mid-level individual contributors or we’ve recently moved into a first-time manager role.

Along with graduating from college, we have thankfully moved on from the broke college life. Now that we have a steady paycheck, we are looking to get our personal finances in order. Tackling student loans, investing for retirement, and saving for near-term purchases (first home, here I come) are priorities for us.

Should we talk about our relationships real quick? Things are getting serious with our partner. With marriage on the horizon, we are committed to becoming the awesome partner that our better half already is. For those of us that aren’t in a serious relationship, we are interested in learning how to find that fish in the sea thing. Sure, we have a little anxiety about it because we see all of our friends coupling up, but we are confident we’ll find the one.

The most disappointing thing we’ve figured out is pizza and cheap wine do a little more damage on the body now that we aren’t sophomores in college. We are wondering how we figure out healthy living within the time strain of our already busy life.
If you can relate to any of this, join me on your favorite podcast player every other week. I have conversations with guests on the myriad of struggles we’ll be facing in our 20’s. For those of you who are a bit over the hill, don’t worry, I believe you’ll learn a thing or two as well. At minimum, I’ll give you flashbacks (maybe anxiety?) from this thrilling decade.


From professional development, to optimizing your outlook on life, to financial and productivity tips, Justin’s podcast is the ultimate guide for leveling up your life and self. It’s thoroughly entertaining and often funny too. Highly recommended to anyone with ambition!!
– Brian H.
Love the energy of the show!
Love Justin’s interview style – he’s a natural interviewer and the conversations flow well. Excellent tips and tactics are shared by Justin and his guests. Well done Justin!
-Tracey B.
A wealth of info for 20-somethings
Justin dives into a range of great topics, from business, to career planning, to health and fitness. This is a well rounded podcast that delivers a ton of value to people looking to live life to the fullest.”
-Anonymous
An awesome personal development podcast
Justin is great at synthesizing information, and this podcast is no exception. He really has a way of getting to the important topics with his guests, and gives the audience actionable items to take away into their own lives. If you’re looking for a reliable personal development podcast, this is a great choice for your podcast library, and I highly recommend it!
-Gaby D.
By acting on his advice, Justin catapults me into tons of growth. He’s done of the few people I can consistently count Ono for advice in any facet of life. And now he’s sharing it with far more people. I’m always excited to see who’s coming on the podcast next, and I know Justin will squeeze every drop of wisdom into the conversation. If you’re a young aspiring adult, then go listen to this podcast!By acting on his advice, Justin catapults me into tons of growth. He’s done of the few people I can consistently count Ono for advice in any facet of life. And now he’s sharing it with far more people. I’m always excited to see who’s coming on the podcast next, and I know Justin will squeeze every drop of wisdom into the conversation. If you’re a young aspiring adult, then go listen to this podcast!
-Kyle P.