Hayley Melidonis sits down with Jerome Stone, a registered nurse of 40 years and one of Bubbl's Founding Leaders, dialling in from Hilo on the Big Island in an Aloha shirt. Jerome has nursed in Colorado, Maine, California and Seattle, across intensive care, pain management, hospice and case management, and now works with a startup defragmenting electronic medical records. One question has run through all of it since nursing school: how do you help a nurse show up at the bedside with awareness and compassion?

Nursing has been the most trusted profession 17 years running, and Jerome is direct about the gap sitting behind that number — the support nurses give each other rarely survives past the shift. He wrote Minding the Bedside and has taught meditation to more than 1,000 nurses from it. Now he is building the next part in Hawaii: around ten nurses in one home near Kailua-Kona for a few days of meditation, shared meals, beach walks and play. He calls it ohana. Hayley and Jerome walk through how he is setting it up on Bubbl, why three or four days together is long enough for a group to start behaving like family, and why the Camino de Santiago — half a million walkers a year and no way to find your people on it — is where he wants to take this next.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why 40 years across intensive care, hospice and pain management led Jerome to a single question — how a nurse stays present at the bedside
• The gap behind the number: nursing has been the most trusted profession for 17 years in a row, and almost none of that trust turns into support between nurses
• Why asking how are you doing while passing in the hall is not community, and what changes when nurses eat, meditate and play together off the clock
• Ohana — the Hawaiian word for one's extended family — and why ten nurses in one home for three or four days is enough to create it
• How Jerome is using Bubbl to find his people first: showing interest, gathering preferences and prices, then choosing the home
• Play as the skill adults forget, and why both Jerome and Hayley are building serious things around it

GOLDEN NUGGET

“Malama pono. On the surface, in Hawaii, it means take care. But in a deeper meaning it means take care of the light within yourself. Take care of that spark of creativity, of mana, which is the life energy.”

Jerome Stone

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

• Minding the Bedside: Nursing from the Heart of the Awakened Mind — Jerome's book on meditative awareness and compassion as an antidote to stress. He has taught over 1,000 nurses and hundreds of lay people from it, including school teachers and hospital administrators.
• Hawaii nurses meditation retreat — Around ten nurses, one home near Kailua-Kona, a few days of meditation, shared meals and beach walks. Live on Bubbl now as a planning bubble: Halloween Meditation Retreat for Nurses

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In this energetic episode of Let's Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis sits down with Lexi Reynolds, CEO and founder of Adapt Growth Agency, to unpack why polished, high-budget influencer marketing is losing its grip — and what's replacing it. From knocking on doors as a teenage political canvasser to running full venue takeovers in Brooklyn, Lexi traces how grassroots instincts became the through-line of her marketing career.

Listeners will hear how a college drop-shipping side hustle turned into a decade in e-commerce and experiential brand strategy, why Lexi believes brands now need "one face with six different angles" to keep growing, and how she and Bubbl are planning to bring branded Bubbl Villages to Art Basel, South by Southwest, and beyond.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why door-to-door political canvassing is the best sales training there is — and how grassroots thinking still drives Lexi's marketing work today
• How the influencer economy is shifting away from reach and impressions toward real community and genuine engagement
• Why in-person moments — a farmer's market sample, a live activation — often outperform staged photo shoots on both authenticity and ROI
• How Bubbl Villages let brands connect with an audience over days, not minutes, and gather qualitative feedback that ads can't surface
• What "going a layer deeper" on audience segmentation looks like at large cultural events like Art Basel

GOLDEN NUGGET

"People are now trained to ignore the filters and the beautiful videos. That fake experience isn't resonating anymore — we need to go a layer deeper to actually connect with consumers."

— Lexy Reynolds

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Adapt Growth Agency – Marketing and experiential agency working with brands, artists, and creators
• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

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Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this high-energy festive episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis welcomes Kwasi Asare, a serial entrepreneur and the founder of 2050 House. Kwasi shares his incredible journey from institutional investment banking in New York—where he was a 9/11 survivor—to becoming a powerhouse in the music and tech industries.

The conversation explores Kwasi’s impressive resume, including selling over 35 million records with icons like Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan, and his work as a senior advisor to White House campaigns. Kwasi and Hayley discuss the evolution of their partnership, culminating in the launch of the 2050 House at the Lighthouse—the world’s first co-living village for the Sundance Film Festival, designed to bridge the gap between the UN, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley.

Key Takeaways

• The 9/11 Turning Point: How surviving the World Trade Center attacks led Kwasi to leave Wall Street and pursue a career rooted in community, music, and service.
• From Snoop to the UN: The trajectory of a career that spans digital marketing for hip-hop legends to advising the UN on sustainable development goals.
• The 2050 Vision: Why the 2050 House was created to align innovation, public policy, and culture to address existential threats like climate change and ethical AI.
• Sundance Co-Living: How Bubbl is solving the massive logistical and financial challenges of festival housing while fostering a "Burning Man-esque" spirit of giving.

Golden Nugget

"It’s about healing the earth and creating the coalitions that are going to enable us to have a better quality of life—both mental and physical. 2050 House is about that knowledge, that technology, and using culture to push those ideas to the mainstream." – Kwasi Asare

Mentioned in the Episode

• 2050 House – A bridge between the UN, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood.
• The Lighthouse – The heart of 2050 House’s community in Park City.
• Project Green – A non-profit children's charity supported by this collaboration.
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show.
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl.

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Powered by Bubbl Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this high-energy episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis welcomes Brian Figueroa, a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of GreenTech Technologies. Brian shares his journey from working in renewable energy at Intel to leading a company that is disrupting the battery storage market with cutting-edge graphene technology.

The conversation dives deep into how Brian’s commitment to personal development—including 17 firewalks with Tony Robbins—has shaped his leadership style and his vision for a sustainable future. Brian and Hayley also discuss their successful partnership using Bubbl to host intimate, high-impact networking houses at major global conferences like South by Southwest and the Global Family Office Investment Summit in Monaco.

Key Takeaways

• The Graphene Revolution: How GreenTech is utilizing graphene to create utility-level batteries that can handle 500,000 cycles, far outperforming traditional lithium-ion technology.
• The Power of Proximity: Why Brian uses "Bubbl houses" to move networking away from sterile hotel environments and into shared spaces that foster genuine human connection.
• Personal Development as a Business Strategy: How mentors like Tony Robbins and Professor Alan Tratner (co-founder of Earth Day) influenced Brian's drive to build a legacy of environmental impact.
• Arbitrage in Energy: Understanding the business model of storing energy during the day and selling it back to the grid during peak hours.

Golden Nugget

"The biggest thing is taking that first step and coming out of your comfort zone. When you apply yourself to something like this, it definitely makes an impact and helps you make things happen." – Brian Figueroa

Mentioned in the Episode

• GreenTech Technologies – Innovating in renewable energy and battery storage.
• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences.
• Professor Alan Tratner – Co-founder of Earth Day and mentor to Brian.
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl.

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Powered by Bubbl Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this insightful episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis sits down with Brad Nye, seasoned event organizer and founder of Regenworld, to explore the intersection of community building and the regenerative movement. With over 40 years of experience bringing people together, Brad shares his vision for creating "intentional trust networks" that go far beyond standard event production.

Listeners will hear how Brad’s journey through Burning Man culture and his transition from the Tribalize conference led to the birth of Regenworld—a platform dedicated to ecological restoration, circular economies, and bio-regional living. From the power of shared housing in deepening human connections to the importance of localized food systems, this episode is a masterclass in how we can design gatherings that restore both the land and our relationships with one another.

Key Takeaways

• The "Village" Ethos: Why the depth of connection at an event is often determined by the intimacy of shared living spaces and "staying together".
• Beyond Sustainability: Understanding regeneration as the creation of "self-perpetuating abundance" rather than just maintaining the status quo.
• Bio-Regional Economies: The shift toward circular, closed-loop systems that prioritize local food and energy intelligence over global extraction.
• The Future of Gatherings: How Regenworld 2026 is integrating venture showcases, artistic expression, and "cross-disciplinary" collaboration to solve modern challenges.

Golden Nugget

“I’m not just producing events; I’m building intentional trust networks. What’s truly memorable about an event is never the content—it’s the connections people take home with them.” – Brad Nye

Mentioned in the Episode

• Regenworld – A platform and community focused on ecological restoration and regenerative living.
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show.
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl.

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Powered by Bubbl Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this thoughtful episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis sits down with Jim McClellan, traveler, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Fort System, to explore how a life of global adventure shaped his career in technology and wine. From teaching English at the base of Mt. Fuji to navigating the complexities of U.S. alcohol laws, Jim shares how curiosity, resilience, and connection fueled his journey.

Listeners will hear how Jim’s time abroad inspired his openness to new ideas, how serendipity in the wine world led to love, and how building a remote-first company before it was mainstream taught him the power of trust and adaptability.

Key Takeaways

• How teaching English in Japan became a springboard for global perspective and lifelong friendships
• Why wine became both a personal passion and a professional pathway
• The challenges and opportunities of building Fort in a highly regulated industry
• How Jim balances entrepreneurship with family, traditions, and play

Golden Nugget

“Life opens up when you follow your curiosity—it’s the spark that connects people, places, and opportunities.” – Jim McClellan

Mentioned in the Episode

• FortSystem – Software platform reshaping how the alcohol industry connects
• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

Listen and Subscribe

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Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this inspiring episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis sits down with Indy Rishi Singh—social innovator, wellness facilitator, and community builder—to explore how mindfulness, humor, and human connection can reshape our approach to health and happiness. From walking away from med school to creating intentional spaces for conversation and laughter, Indy shares his journey of weaving together ancient wisdom, civic engagement, and creative play.

Tune in for fresh perspectives on well-being, why healing starts with connection, and how joy can be a radical act of service.

Key Takeaways

• Why Indy left the traditional medical path to pursue holistic and community-centered wellness
• The power of humor and play in building trust and reducing stress
• How mindfulness can be integrated into daily life and civic engagement
• Real stories of grassroots projects that brought people together in transformative ways

Golden Nugget

"Laughter opens the door for connection. When we connect, we heal." – Indy Rishi Singh

Mentioned in the Episode

• Indy Rishi Singh’s Work – Mindfulness, wellness, and community projects
• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

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Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis sits down with Annette Merriman, a Silicon Valley veteran, outdoor adventurer, and master of group experiences, to explore how intentional gatherings can deepen relationships and spark unexpected collaborations. With over 20 years in tech at companies like Salesforce and Capital One, Annette now blends her expertise in AI with her passion for travel and adventure to create unforgettable retreats.

From organizing multi-year ski leases in Lake Tahoe to scuba diving trips in Indonesia, Annette shares how she curates the perfect mix of people, setting, and activities to turn strangers into friends — and sometimes, business partners. She also dives into her latest venture, Imagine AI Consulting, and her upcoming AI and adventure retreat in Truckee.

Tune in for stories, strategies, and insights on designing experiences that leave a lasting mark.

Key Takeaways

• How group adventures create lasting bonds and open unexpected opportunities
• The role of intentional design in event and retreat planning
• Why mixing professional development with adventure amplifies learning
• How AI workshops can be paired with immersive, real-world experiences

Golden Nugget

"When you bring the right people together in the right place, magic just happens." – Annette Merriman

Mentioned in the Episode

• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Imagine AI Consulting – Annette’s AI strategy and workshop company
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

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Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis chats with Shaena Harrison — connector, collaborator, and self-described “professional wing woman.” Shaena shares how her talent for bringing people together has evolved into a career helping others create spaces where conversations turn into collaborations. From intimate dinners to large-scale events, her approach proves that networking can be fun, natural, and deeply human.

Key Takeaways

• How to make guests feel instantly welcome and included
• The power of “cross-pollinating” different social and professional circles
• Why curiosity is the ultimate networking tool
• Practical tips for sparking genuine conversations at any gathering

Golden Nugget

“Networking isn’t about selling yourself — it’s about making others feel seen, heard, and valued.” – Shaena Harrison

Mentioned in the Episode

• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

Listen and Subscribe

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Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this kickoff episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis explores the stories behind the events that bring people together. Whether it's retreats, workshops, festivals, or life-changing travel experiences, we spotlight the creators who lead with heart, intention, and a desire to build real community.

Tune in to hear how small decisions can spark deep human connection and why the world needs more experience creators now than ever.

Key Takeaways

• The purpose behind creating shared experiences
• Real examples of unexpected moments that turned into lifelong connections
• The emotional side of event planning and community building
• What it means to “Bubbl” and how the platform helps you do it

Golden Nugget

"It’s not just about the logistics. It’s about creating the space for something meaningful to happen." – Hayley Melidonis

Mentioned in the Episode

• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

Listen and Subscribe

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Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis sits down with Raman Frey, founder of Good People’s Dinners and co-founder of Camp Ernest, to unpack the art of creating environments where genuine connection thrives. From hosting nearly 200 themed dinners to curating multi-day retreats in nature, Raman shares how intentional design can turn strangers into friends and transform the way we interact.

Discover the thinking behind the cheeky name “Good People’s Dinners,” why centuries-old hospitality traditions may be holding us back, and how context shapes every conversation we have.

Key Takeaways

• Why the design of an event’s environment is as important as the guest list
• How Good People’s Dinners evolved from casual gatherings into a thriving community experience
• The difference between transactional networking and genuine connection
• Lessons from Camp Ernest on how immersive retreats deepen relationships
• The role of context in bringing out the best in people

Golden Nugget

“Community isn’t just about who’s in the room—it’s about how the room is built.” – Raman Frey

Mentioned in the Episode

• Good People’s Dinners – Thoughtfully curated themed dinners that foster connection
• Camp Ernest – An annual retreat for creative and openhearted connection
• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

Listen and Subscribe

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In this inspiring episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis sits down with Napa-based connector, photographer, and philanthropist Hunter Boon. From photographing rock legends to hosting magical vineyard dinners, Hunter has spent decades weaving together music, food, wine, and meaningful encounters. He shares the stories behind his philanthropic work feeding orphaned children around the world, his deep love for live music, and his involvement in the documentary Touching the Sky, which explores the healing power of acro yoga and human touch.

Tune in to discover how Hunter transforms passions into purpose and why creating shared experiences is more vital than ever.

Key Takeaways

• How a vineyard white party sparked a lasting friendship and creative collaborations
• Behind-the-scenes of photographing music legends over four decades
• The mission of Project Flower Power and feed a million children
• The connection between trust, play, and healing in Touching the Sky
• Why real-world, in-person connection matters more than ever in a digital age

Golden Nugget

"Music, food, and wine bring people together—but it’s what happens after the table is set that really matters." – Hunter Boon

Mentioned in the Episode

• Touching the Sky – Documentary on trust, touch, and human connection
• Project Flower Power – Philanthropic mission to feed a million children
• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Apply to share your story on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

Listen and Subscribe

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | RSS

Powered by Bubbl

Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.

In this kickoff episode of Let’s Bubbl, host Hayley Melidonis explores the stories behind the events that bring people together. Whether it's retreats, workshops, festivals, or life-changing travel experiences, we spotlight the creators who lead with heart, intention, and a desire to build real community.

Tune in to hear how small decisions can spark deep human connection and why the world needs more experience creators now than ever.

Key Takeaways

• The purpose behind creating shared experiences
• Real examples of unexpected moments that turned into lifelong connections
• The emotional side of event planning and community building
• What it means to “Bubbl” and how the platform helps you do it

Golden Nugget

"It’s not just about the logistics. It’s about creating the space for something meaningful to happen." – Hayley Melidonis

Mentioned in the Episode

• Bubbl – The platform for real-world travel and event experiences
• Book a Guest Spot – Want to share your story? Apply to be on the show
• Join Bubbl – Explore or create your own Bubbl

Listen and Subscribe

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | RSS

Powered by Bubbl

Bubbl helps people stay and travel together for events, retreats, and group adventures. Plan less. Connect more.