Podcast
Mentor Buffet
Hosted by Alexi Pappas · EN
Alexi Pappas's Mentor Buffet is a podcast about mentorship: Who influenced the people who influence us? Who helped them along their journey?
Alexi is an Olympian, filmmaker, actress, and bestselling author, and she's leaned on mentors to help her level up faster than she could on her own. After losing her mom to suicide when she was four, she needed to find other people to lean on. Now, it's Alexi's turn to peel back the curtain on mentorship. In each episode of Mentor Buffet Alexi sits down with people who inspire her—athletes, entrepreneurs, creatives, and beyond—to have conversations about chasing dreams and befriending pain, through the lens of those who have shaped them into who they are today.
29episodes
Episodes
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NAYEEMA RAZA: Allergic to Certainty
3d ago00:59:09Tap to summarizeNayeema Raza is the host of the podcast “Smart Girl, Dumb Questions” and she joins Mentor Buffet host Alexi Pappas to share about the influence her upbringing has had on her values. Her father worked for the World Bank and their family moved around constantly. Nayeema learned how to communicate, even across language barriers. She shares how her upbringing has given her her openness, her flexibility, her curiosity, how she values experiences over achievement, how she rejects routine, and how boundaries don’t come naturally. Nayeema shares what it means to live with urgency, why it’s unproductive to take things personally, and why she’s allergic to certainty. She also shares what she’s learned getting fired, what she’s learned through breakups, and what she’s learned from guests on her show. Add a comfy pair of Merrell's to your rotation with 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET2026 at https://merrell.com. Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Visit https://goodr.com/mentorbuffet to claim $10 off their first order. Visit GoBrewing.com/alexi50 for 50% first beer club subscription order with code ALEXI50. If recovery is something you know you should be taking more seriously, visit therabody.com and use the code MENTORBUFFET at checkout for 15% off one product of your choice.Listen to Nayeema’s podcast, Smart Girl, Dumb Questions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ_OvJyBz8qlqFSrFoyt3ndvZ-xlS3QQM
Transcribe →How do I chase my big dream when it feels like nobody’s supporting me?
2w ago00:23:05Tap to summarizeAlexi answers listeners’ advice questions about how to deal with feeling like everybody around you is less ambitious than you, how to navigate a flirtatious friendship, and the best way to proceed into romantic situations with a complicated sexual health condition. Add a comfy pair of Merrell's to your rotation with 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET2026 at https://merrell.com.
Transcribe →Mother's Day Episode with DAVID GREENE
4w ago01:01:59Tap to summarizeDavid Greene is a longtime journalist who for many years was the host of NPR’s Morning Edition. On this episode of Mentor Buffet, he joins host Alexi Pappas for a conversation about their moms, who both struggled with depression and passed away when they were young. How do you know what to do when you’re a kid? How does my relationship to my mother affect my current relationships? What is the nature of love? David, whose journalism has taken him to active warzones and has allowed him to spend time with world leaders, shares advice he got early in his career that he still holds onto. Alexi and David also talk about not fitting in. Add a comfy pair of Merrell's to your rotation with 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET2026 at https://merrell.com. Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Visit https://goodr.com/mentorbuffet to claim $10 off their first order.
Transcribe →MARTA POZZAN: You don't have to know what comes next
May 100:55:21Tap to summarizeCreative icon Marta Pozzan joins host Alexi Pappas to talk about femininity, what it means to be your true self, and why creation is her orientation toward the world. Marta and Alexi discuss their childhoods, and what it feels like for them to be alone. Marta shares a story about an influential early mentor of hers working at a magazine in Italy. Marta also shares her style icons and about the roles she gravitates toward as an actress. She explains why she sees the truth as a responsibility, why she’s not afraid of the work, and why she doesn’t stress about knowing exactly what comes next. Marta’s new movie Perfumania (Fior Di Latte), which she produced and starred in, is now screening all over the world: https://www.instagram.com/perfumaniamovie/ Add a comfy pair of Merrell's to your rotation with 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET2026 at https://merrell.com. Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Visit https://goodr.com/mentorbuffet to claim $10 off their first order. Visit GoBrewing.com/alexi50 for 50% first beer club subscription order with code ALEXI50. If recovery is something you know you should be taking more seriously, visit therabody.com and use the code MENTORBUFFET at checkout for 15% off one product of your choice.
Transcribe →How do I let go of trying to be perfect?
Apr 2400:21:49Tap to summarizeAlexi answers listeners' advice questions about being busy, comparing yourself to others, and trying new things. She also offers tips on how to avoid your emails going to the junk folder, how to quit shoplifting, and how to tell your friend bring her dog everywhere is not the vibe. For a limited time, we’re partnering with Merrell to give you an exclusive offer of 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET25 when you checkout on Merrell.com.
Transcribe →KRISTEN FAULKNER: Set goals that make you grow
Apr 901:01:55Tap to summarizeKristen Faulkner, the two-time Olympic champion cyclist, joins host and fellow Olympian Alexi Pappas to discuss the decision of leaving her thriving career in venture capital in favor of her Olympic dream. Kristen is somebody who can change: She grew up in Alaska and then moved to New York City, she rowed for Harvard and then took up cycling, she left her prestigious job in favor of something with no security. More than winning, she values the satisfaction of evolving as a person in order to achieve her goals. This episode of Mentor Buffet is especially suited for you if you’re hesitant to embark on a new journey—whether that’s career, fitness, or anything else, because Kristen cherishes the beginning. Kristen also recounts her Olympic experience. She originally wasn’t slated to race. And then she won gold. This episode is full of advice and inspiration. For a limited time, we’re partnering with Merrell to give you an exclusive offer of 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET25 when you checkout on Merrell.com. If recovery is something you know you should be taking more seriously, visit therabody.com and use the code MENTORBUFFET at checkout for 15% off one product of your choice. Your body (and goals!) will thank you! Terms and conditions apply.
Transcribe →DAN LaMORTE: Don't Numb Your Pain
Apr 101:09:02Tap to summarizeDan LaMorte, comedian and ultramarathoner, joins host Alexi Pappas to discuss mentorship (and the lack of mentorship) in the comedy world. He encourages us to sit in the presence of suffering without trying to numb it. All experiences are good, even painful ones. He shares what it’s been like going through his divorce, talks about his love for running, and shares how important his family’s been in his life. Alexi and Dan talk about respecting their audiences and what artistic integrity means to them. They recount running the half marathon at the LA marathon together. Dan names Ram Dass and Mitch Hedberg as mentor figures. He even cracks a joke or two. For a limited time, we’re partnering with Merrell to give you an exclusive offer of 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET25 when you checkout on Merrell.com. Visit GoBrewing.com/alexi50 for 50% first beer club subscription order with code ALEXI50 If recovery is something you know you should be taking more seriously, visit therabody.com and use the code MENTORBUFFET at checkout for 15% off one product of your choice. Your body (and goals!) will thank you! Terms and conditions apply.
Transcribe →Am I pretty enough?
Mar 1900:12:52Tap to summarizeAlexi answers listeners' advice questions about confidence, cohabitating with the in-laws, and how to break a bad habit.
Transcribe →JACQUELINE NOVAK: Enjoy the particular suffering you’ve worked so hard to have
Mar 1201:28:40Tap to summarizeJacqueline Novak is a comedian and writer and actor. Her show “Get On Your Knees” was a smash hit and in 2024 it became a Netflix comedy special. On this episode of Mentor Buffet, Jacqueline and Alexi discuss mentorship in the abstract. They offer hypotheses about what their purposes might be. They discuss their systems of motivation. Jacqueline shares how she got into comedy and what makes a project worthwhile to her. Jacqueline asks Alexi about long distance running. Jacqueline expresses her gratitude for having creative agony. It’s a beautiful conversation, unlike any other episodes of Mentor Buffet. Jacqueline is on tour now through May performing comedy. You can find a show coming to your city on jokesnovak.com. Follow Mentor Buffet on Instagram, www.instagram.com/mentorbuffet For a limited time, we’re partnering with Merrell to give you an exclusive offer of 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET25 when you checkout on Merrell.com. If recovery is something you know you should be taking more seriously, visit therabody.com and use the code MENTORBUFFET at checkout for 15% off one product of your choice. Your body (and goals!) will thank you! Terms and conditions apply.
Transcribe →MOLLY SEIDEL: How to be there for yourself
Mar 500:56:46Summary readyOlympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel joins host Alexi Pappas on Mentor Buffet to discuss her transition into the ultramarathon. She shares about the process of getting in touch with what she actually wants, and how she’s come to break her old pattern of doing what she thinks other people expect of her—both in her running career and in her relationships. She talks about why she’s attracted to the infinite unknown of the trails, and explains how she came to realize that no single moment of success would ever fix her problems. The girls also discuss what it means to be a good friend and talk about how they’ve been there for each other the past few years. For a limited time, we’re partnering with Merrell to give you an exclusive offer of 25% off your first purchase using the code MENTORBUFFET25 when you checkout on Merrell.com. If recovery is something you know you should be taking more seriously, visit therabody.com and use the code MENTORBUFFET at checkout for 15% off one product of your choice. Your body (and goals!) will thank you! Terms and conditions apply. Visit GoBrewing.com/alexi50 for 50% first beer club subscription order with code ALEXI50.
Summary