Out of Patients EP413: The Uncensored, Unapologetic Olivia Battinelli
There’s a reason Olivia Battinelli runs NYU Steinhardt’s internship program, teaches interviewing strategies, and has her own career coaching business by 28. It’s because the world still churns out young professionals with zero skills, zero spine, and zero idea how to write a resume. Olivia is the antidote.
She grew up Jewish and Italian in Westchester, turned down the corporate hamster wheel after a soul-deadening stint at one of the Big Four, and rebuilt herself into the career whisperer Gen Z didn’t know they needed.
Her story isn’t sanitized for LinkedIn. It’s full of decisions that piss off parents and confuse HR departments.
She quit a “good job” in under a year, refused to accept misery as a milestone, and now tells her students to put on a damn shirt before showing up to a Zoom call.
We talked about invisible illness, fake coaches, corn syrup addictions, bad phone etiquette, and what happens when you try to “goal set in the shower.” Her honesty hit hard. Her clarity made me think. And her Maple Syrup of Choice? Weaponized nostalgia.
Matthew Zachary
Producer
Matthew Zachary never planned on becoming a healthcare advocate. At 21, while training to be a concert pianist, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and told he might never play again. That was nearly thirty years ago. Spoiler alert - he survived! Instead of returning to the recital hall, he set out to change the healthcare system that nearly broke him.
In 2007, Matthew founded Stupid Cancer, a groundbreaking nonprofit that gave young adults with cancer something they’d never had before: a voice, a community, and the freedom to be angry. Through national conferences and online platforms, it helped millions of patients and families find connection and purpose in the face of isolation.
That same year, he launched The Stupid Cancer Show, the first talk radio program to cover the patient experience with the urgency of breaking news. It later evolved into Out of Patients, his award-winning podcast known for its honest conversations and unapologetic tone. His media work also includes the acclaimed documentary The Cancer Mavericks, which tells the story of the rebel patients who helped transform modern oncology.
Today, Matthew leads Matthew Zachary Worldwide, a media and consulting company that helps brands and organizations better understand the real needs of patients and how to co-create solutions with them, not just for them. His upcoming book, We the Patients: A Field Guide to Surviving American Healthcare (Wiley, June 2026), draws on three decades of lived experience and advocacy to help readers navigate and challenge the U.S. healthcare system.
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Out of Patients EP413: Miss Diagnosed: Sophie Sargent
