I climbed volcanoes, walked on fire, and survived 10 days with no food

In Episode 199 of My First Step Ever , Ishani Nigam welcomes Liz van Zyl , a key figure in Australia and New Zealand’s startup ecosystem, for a thoughtful conversation about courage, resilience, and the foundations that shape who we become. Liz shares stories from her childhood in South Africa, where strong family values, curiosity, and community were deeply ingrained. She reflects on formative moments — from stepping up for a school race she felt unprepared for, to learning how support and belief from others can carry us further than we imagine. This episode explores: How family values shape confidence and character Why courage often begins with saying “yes” before feeling ready Planning for worst-case scenarios without letting fear run the show How completing difficult challenges rewires self-belief Lessons from navigating uncertainty — in life and in startups Today, Liz operates across founders, funding, and networks — helping startups access alternative capital and scale sustainably. But at the heart of her work is a simple truth: growth comes from stepping forward, even when the path isn’t clear. This is a grounded, inspiring conversation for anyone building something meaningful — professionally or personally. Learn more about Liz: linkedin.com/in/liz-van-zyl About Your Host – Hi, I’m Ishani Nigam, a podcaster, presenter, and storyteller! 🎭💡 My passion is to EDUTAIN (educate + entertain) my audience through powerful conversations that help dreamers, disruptors, and underdogs turn their doubts into action. 👉 Connect with me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes fun: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎬💃Sound and music credit: ***

You can listen to I climbed volcanoes, walked on fire, and survived 10 days with no food online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

I climbed volcanoes, walked on fire, and survived 10 days with no food is an episode from My First Step Ever by Ishani Nigam.

This episode is 01:08:57 long.

This episode was published on Feb 13, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from My First Step Ever when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.