Active Endeavours

Well, hello there!

Can you believe it’s the holiday season already? It’s the time of the year we all look forward to to unwind, catch up with friends, and hang out with family. Although this year has been an exceptionWe talk to three guys who give life to the party through music, DJs! Jeff took on DJ-ing as a hobby, from spinning at parties to weddings. Artie is a 2nd generation DJ. His dad may have been the first Filipino DJ in Chicago. Mike started as a rapper and became an audio engineer to MC & got his gear later on. If there’s one thing in common with these guys is that they love music and to party. The gathering of people, especially weddings, is one we’ve all been missing these months.In this episode, they tell us how they have shared their passion for music despite not getting people together. Through the internet, they started playing tunes on Facebook Live & through Twitch. From that, Dance from Home DJs was born.This virtual festival has grown into a community of DJs around the world. At the rate they’re going, the party never stops. It’s not just about partying but sharing a collective passion for music and community building.Should you want to unwind & through a party in your living room with all your friends online, find them here:Jeff: instagram.com/jeffmabi | facebook.com/jeffmabi | twitch.tv/jeffmabi Artie: FB & IG: djwildcat; Twitch & Twitter: djwildcat3; Website: remixmyparty.comMike: IG mikerocka.Give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.com

Welcome to Episode #10! We take a different turn from what a lot would typically expect from this podcast. At first, we were unsure about how to approach the topic of grieving. When we were approached to talk about this, we asked ourselves of its significance to our current state. It dawned on us that all of us right now are going through a time of grief. May it be the upheaval of plans, travels on hold, careers suspended, & maybe even the loss of loved ones.Susie & Renae have & are currently going through all of the above. What brings them here is to chat about losing someone dear to them due to a virus. In this case, Susie's husband & Renae's brother, Matt. This loss happened way before Covid-19. We thought it was fitting to talk about the process of remembering a life well-lived & how to take the days that come after.It is inevitable to talk about the mourning & the legacy left behind. Most importantly, the sisters remind us of finding ways to get up & fight for the days ahead. They teach us the ways on how they’ve ridden the waves knowing that the highs come with the lows. Through sharing the process as a widow & a sister, they remind us that you are never alone weathering through a storm. Someone will always be there to get you towardsthe bright days ahead. It was hard to contain the emotions during this talk to a point that we all got teary-eyed. Sit back & get cozy. This episode is all the feels. Connect with the sisters on:IG: @sistersgrimblogFB: https://www.facebook.com/sistersgrimblogTwitter: https://twitter.com/sistersgrimblogBlog: https://thesistersgrim.wordpress.comFor everything else & see how we’re making it through these trying times, please give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.com

This is the continuation of our conversation with John on what it took to see his goals through. He takes us through his journey of riding his custom-made bike that was designed for the US National Cycling team as a means to tick the Ironman World Championships box. The road to Kona (his only US Ironman) was adorned with near misses & injuries. He sure has hard-to-forget experiences of crashes. It is part of a day in the life of someone accustomed to being behind the cockpit of a bicycle or an F18 fighter jet. At one time hitting the cheese grater-like pavement in New Zealand, another floating in the middle of the sea after being ejected out of a plane. The value of consistency prevailed. This was key to eventually toeing the line with the fittest triathletes in the world.What's the next endeavour for this man after ticking off the Boston Marathon, Western States 100, Ironman World Championships, & a virtual Everesting attempt during this Pandemic? After he stopped breaking the speed of sound for a job, he hasn't stopped pushing the barriers of his limits. Now you see why I want to be like John IF I grow up!You have to listen to keep up. Promise there won't be any deafening sonic booms.ou can find John's killer rides on Strava or on Instagram: jjriv79Resources mentioned in this episode:Peter DeftyKristian Manietta/TriSpecific - @kristianmanietta IGEF Pro Cycling - @efprocycling IGLachlan Morton - @lachlanmorton IGAlex Howes - @alex_howes IGDavid Goggins - @davidgoggins IGRich Roll - @richroll IGGive us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.com-Linus & Michele

Do you feel the need...The need for speed?We spoke with someone I (Linus) want to be "if" I grow up on this two-part podcast, John Rutherford.This man is a husband of 15 years to an author, father to 2 boys, a Marine, former F-18 fighter pilot, US National Cycling Team member, 5-time Ironman (including 1 World Championships in Kona), & Western States sub-24-hour finisher (the Kona of ultra running). How's that for a start?Waaaaait, we're not done yet. He speaks multiple languages you can count with your hand (4). He is also a diplomat who has traveled & lived in some of the world's idyllic places. Relocating from one continent to the next, this man's curiosity in pushing his limits will make you want to step up to being comfortable being uncomfortable. Part one of this episode takes us through John's journey from almost becoming a professional cyclist, a Marine, fighter pilot, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, & eventually finishing the Western States 100-mi ultra marathon. He talks about how vital endurance sports played a role in his endeavours on top of balancing family & life as a diplomat.Is this guy even for real? You have to hear it from the man himself.You can find John's killer rides on Strava or on Instagram: jjriv79.Some resources worth checking from this episode:Dean KarnazesScott JurekTahoe Rim TrailVermont 100Give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXSubscribe here: www.activeendeavours.comWe would love to hear from you!

Erica’s love for searching great deals on everything led her to start a blog to share the great stuff she could find for runners and fitness enthusiasts alike. This inclination for writing and running makes her a self-professed “blogging runner.” She ran in high school and picked it up again after college as a means of losing weight. Inevitably, a marathon came into the horizon. A friend invited her to run her first, and a hilly one at that in San Francisco. She got the bug, and that eventually lead to over 400 running races, and 50+ of them are marathons. Twenty of those are the New York Marathon.Today Erica tells us the beginnings of her running career by way of the East Coast, settling in the Midwest, and how it has blossomed into a passionate endeavour. Not just a means of stress release, but also an encompassing lifestyle that has made Erica help countless others discover its joys. You can find her running around the city & starting what will soon be running tours on:www.ericafinds.com @ericafinds (FB) @EAgran (Twitter)@ericaagran (IG)Give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.comWe’d love to hear from you!

Jenny grew up in the pursuit of physical activity. Since she was young, her interests have ranged from gymnastics to eventually becoming a gym rat later in life. As suggested by her husband, she started going to yoga and got hooked. One day, she got a phone call about an opportunity to be in her favorite show. Thinking it was a prank, she ignored it until they insisted. After discussing with her family if it was the right time to do it, she booked the flight, had some interviews, and got screened by producers. Right after she was going to be in Survivor: Cook Islands.Being on an island without your loved ones, trying to fend for yourself with the less than the bare necessities, and competing with many who are just as motivated to win a million dollars was one of the most challenging times she experienced. Needing to be grounded and centered, she went back to her yoga practice and discovered the inner focus to make it through.In this episode, Jenny tells us her story of being a determined mom and a successful realtor to eventually becoming a yoga teacher. The sacrifices made and the contentment found from working a financially lucrative career to helping others discover their path to self-discovery with yoga. All these shifts have rewarded her by being a Lululemon Ambassador and eventually leading yoga retreats around the globe.You can reach Jenny and learn about joining her retreats on:IG @jennyogini @yogawithinyouretreatsFB: jennyguzonbae, JennyGB Yoga, Yoga Within You, LLC, YT: JennyGB Yoga, Twitter: jennyguzonbaeLinks to resources on this episode:http://jennygbyoga.com/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/survivor-cook-islands-race-cbs_n_5ef4b995c5b615e5cd3a3c6f Give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.comWe’d love to hear from you!

WARNING: Should you listen to this episode & the prior one, have a cup of something warm & sweet like a cup of hot cocoa or any chocolatey treat. If you haven’t listened to the past interviews yet, what in the world are you waiting for? Not another pandemic!Get them all here: https://activeendeavours.com/podcast-episodes/Valerie Beck had enough of reading & writing fine prints. She needed to socialize & started bringing friends along with her jaunts around chocolate shops in Chicago. That was the inception of what became the original Chocolate Tours in the city. The popularity reached 3 other cities and needed 50 more people to keep the show running. After 10 years of sharing her love of chocolate, her business pivoted to educating others, not just about its benefits, but also the ethical means on how cacao is harvested, and eventually become the bars we enjoy.Chic, empathetic, and philanthropic are not enough to define Valerie’s zest for life. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Having a conversation with her makes you think about “working in alignment with your values.”Sit back, grab a cup (of cocoa) and enjoy this uplifting talk about life and everything else chocolate.When not practicing “Valisthenics,” you can find her walking around town, enjoying nature, and reading her Haikus on: Instagram: @chocolateupliftGive us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.comMuch gratitude.https://activeendeavours.com/episode-5-valerie-beck-part-2/

Valerie Beck set out to leave a mark as a lawyer. Going to Harvard University in undergrad and graduate school, that path to corporate stardom was well paved. Practicing law in Europe and then the US was paramount. Until it dawned on her that writing fine prints was not how she intended to spend her life. Instead, “choosing health over work” was the way forward.Brewing behind was an entrepreneurial itch that needed to be scratched. The idea came about after studying for a semester in Paris. Time was well-spent experiencing culture, seeing all the art and touring chocolate shops. Chocolate! It was an intuitive decision to share the sweet love for chocolate.She started bringing friends along her jaunts around chocolate shops in Chicago. That was the inception of what became the original Chocolate Tours in the city. The popularity reached 3 other cities and needed 50 more people to keep the show running. After 10 years of sharing her love of chocolate, her business pivoted to educating others not just about its benefits, but also the ethical means on how cacao is harvested, and eventually become the bars we enjoy.Chic, empathetic, and philanthropic are not enough to define Valerie’s zest for life. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Having a conversation with her makes you think about “working in alignment of your values.”Sit back, grab a cup (of cocoa) and enjoy this uplifting talk about life and everything else chocolate.You can find more of Valerie and her work on ethical chocolate at: https://chocolateuplift.com/When not practicing “Valisthenics,” you can find her walking around town, enjoying nature, and reading her Haikus on: Instagram: @chocolateupliftGive us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.comhttps://activeendeavours.com/episode-4-valerie-beck/

TJ Moran always had a passion for helping others. Growing up, he was always drawn to the water until he became a swim coach. However, it wasn’t a straight road through. A climbing accident brought him to reassess what he would do next.Unable to walk for months, being stubborn paved the way to recovery aided by his Labrador retriever, Bailey. The months spent on rehab in the pool was a sign that he’d be back helping others love the water. In this episode, he tells us the importance of learning that everything is a process. Driven by the path he took working in retail, to a gym, and eventually becoming a swim coach for kids as well as adults. Later on he married his high school sweetheart & now they have a son, Tre. Born with Fragile X Syndrome, Tre has filled their life with so much love that it shows in the way he approaches coaching. TJ has swam mightily well in the waters of life and he tries to keep himself afloat by lifting up others through influencing the minds of future swimmers. Life laid down all these hurdles for him, yet he always reminds us of that “if it’s important to you, you’ll do it.”You can catch TJ on Instagram at @coachTJ and see the adventures of his son Tre @tre_fxs_life.Links to resources on this episode:Atomic Habits by James ClearGive us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.com

Jennifer comes from a family of health care workers. Raised in Chicago, she always had an inclination for the arts. She played the piano and aspired to be on Broadway. The calling to help those in need was so strong. She followed her parents’ footsteps to become a nurse. However, her interest in the performing arts never faded away. She auditioned for “Popstars,” a TV show searching for the next all-female group. She was only a few steps behind Nicole Scherzinger, the would-be leader of the Pussycat Dolls.Her career has been spent caring for others. Eventually, she met her husband who opened her eyes to the world of triathlon. Admittedly not knowing how to swim, her being stubborn pushed her limits from doing short course races all the way to the Ironman distance. Life steered her away from racing, but it also pointed her back to dancing with her two kids.In this episode, Jennifer tells us how she gracefully waltzes through life as a wife, mom, homeschool teacher, being an essential worker, battling a disease, and adding some dancing with her kids. All of that during the time of this pandemic! Impossible? Tell her she can’t do it and she’ll “shut you up and prove you wrong.”You can see all the dance moves of J.La (plus Sacha & Sebby) on Instagram @jlagman, @theycallmesacha, & @theycallmesebby. As well as their pup Bailey & chickens Piper, Penelope, and Phiona.Links to resources in this episode:Vision Quest Endurance Training: https://visionquestcoaching.com/Visceral Dance Chicago: https://www.visceraldance.com/Inside Out Dance Crew at Prelude Dance Competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz4DAbA6RPcDrew’s Crew at World fo Dance Chicago 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sjF8KXLA6M@leedaniel13@kmaher56Give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook:@activeendeavours@myethree@linusaurusXwww.activeendeavours.comWe’d love to hear from you!

Welcome to our pilot episode! Whoever thought we’d eventually launch this?We figured it was best to start this podcast talking about what we dread the most: us. It’s a bit ironic because we get to know and tell stories about others in the day jobs that we did before this pandemic. Jobs? The lack & loss of those are why we started this little passion project.Michele and her husband Andy worked in healthcare & did photography on the side. Wanting to take full control of how they spend their time caring for their daughter, they dropped the predictability of their jobs provided & pursued going full time doing photography & videography. It has been the best decision ever! On top of her interests in doodling, singing, & playing the guitar, Michele started running, which lead her to do triathlons, too. Triathlon part is how they eventually met Linus.Linus, on the other hand, moved to the US just right before the great recession. Another ironic time to search for greener pastures. Contrary to the paths his family has taken living & working in hospitals, he ended in hospitality. This became a good fit to his liking meeting & mingling with interesting acquaintances. Peer pressure got him into triathlons. The racing has greatly impacted his curiosity in how he travels the world, meets people, & perceives life.It does come full circle that we who barely tell stories of ourselves want to learn & tell stories about you. Because other than the routines we were so used to, our other passions have kept us on track through the madness of this world. We hope that hearing about others’ interests will inspire you to take action and voraciously chase those endeavours, too.