Call to Adventure

An incredible conversation with Elli Richter, a transformational life coach who shares her story of growing up in Germany and breaking out of her traditional family expectations and moving to America. She has a fantastic way of being brutally open and honest and discussing difficult subjects with an air of lightness, compassion, and freedom. The conversation is in the usual three parts: First, we talk about her childhood in Germany, her German programming, and her education as a physical therapist. Then we talk about her marrying an American football player, moving to America, and becoming a personal trainer. And for the last adventure, we talk about the breakdown of her marriage, and the death of her father, and the incredible rebuilding process she underwent to transform herself into the strong, fulfilled, successful woman she is today.

wonderful conversation with an incredible singer songwriter Brendan James. we talk about the significance of having a mentor; having someone recognize your gifts before you even recognize them; the freedom that comes from giving up a backup plan; the music industry hustle; putting down the persona and expectations; touring in the age of social media and the intimacy of house shows; selling his house and traveling the world; leap off the cliff and the net will appear.

wonderful conversation with an incredible singer songwriter Brendan James. we talk about the significance of having a mentor; having someone recognize your gifts before you even recognize them; the freedom that comes from giving up a backup plan; the music industry hustle; putting down the persona and expectations; touring in the age of social media and the intimacy of house shows; selling his house and traveling the world; leap off the cliff and the net will appear.

wonderful conversation with an incredible singer songwriter Brendan James. we talk about the significance of having a mentor; having someone recognize your gifts before you even recognize them; the freedom that comes from giving up a backup plan; the music industry hustle; putting down the persona and expectations; touring in the age of social media and the intimacy of house shows; selling his house and traveling the world; leap off the cliff and the net will appear.

wonderful conversation with an incredible singer songwriter Brendan James. we talk about the significance of having a mentor; having someone recognize your gifts before you even recognize them; the freedom that comes from giving up a backup plan; the music industry hustle; putting down the persona and expectations; touring in the age of social media and the intimacy of house shows; selling his house and traveling the world; leap off the cliff and the net will appear.

We are pleased to bring you the 28th episode, and first four-part playlist, of Call to Adventure. We had the pleasure to interview a good friend, Robert Lange. Rob is an incredible hyper-realist painter, a gallery owner, father, husband, and all around great guy. He is a long-time meditator, who brings this contemplative mindset along with a playful and positive energy to his paintings. He began painting at a young age but was recognized as a mathematical prodigy and subsequently followed his gift to college. It wasn't until his second year at Northeastern University, which he attended on a full math scholarship, that he decided to follow his passion for art and transferred to Rhode Island School of Design. There, he was again awarded a full scholarship, but this time for his painting abilities. In 2003 he both graduated from RISD and opened his first gallery, Robert Lange Studios, with his wife Megan in Charleston SC. The gallery quickly became a fixture of the Charleston art scene, and has garnered national attention and an incredible stable of talented artists. We cover a wide range of topics, and there are so many gems to savor. Rob recounts an emotional description of his younger brothers hemispherectomy as a teenager and how that altered his life. He shares sage parenting advice given by his father-in-law while hiking together across the Annapurna Pass in the Himalayas. And we talk fatherhood, daily routines and creative process. Hope you all enjoy! Favorite Quotes: “Our imagination should be nurtured with the utmost care, for it is the tool of liberation from the bonds which tie down this existence. We can do anything we can imagine, become anything we are able to visualize, for the images we create in our minds will inevitably lead us to the world which affects their realization.” - Anonymous “I am not who you think I am, I am not who I think I am, I am who I think you think I am” - Thomas Cooley “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” ~ E.B. White Links: www.robertlangestudios.com www.brendanjames.com

We are pleased to bring you the 28th episode, and first four-part playlist, of Call to Adventure. We had the pleasure to interview a good friend, Robert Lange. Rob is an incredible hyper-realist painter, a gallery owner, father, husband, and all around great guy. He is a long-time meditator, who brings this contemplative mindset along with a playful and positive energy to his paintings. He began painting at a young age but was recognized as a mathematical prodigy and subsequently followed his gift to college. It wasn't until his second year at Northeastern University, which he attended on a full math scholarship, that he decided to follow his passion for art and transferred to Rhode Island School of Design. There, he was again awarded a full scholarship, but this time for his painting abilities. In 2003 he both graduated from RISD and opened his first gallery, Robert Lange Studios, with his wife Megan in Charleston SC. The gallery quickly became a fixture of the Charleston art scene, and has garnered national attention and an incredible stable of talented artists. We cover a wide range of topics, and there are so many gems to savor. Rob recounts an emotional description of his younger brothers hemispherectomy as a teenager and how that altered his life. He shares sage parenting advice given by his father-in-law while hiking together across the Annapurna Pass in the Himalayas. And we talk fatherhood, daily routines and creative process. Hope you all enjoy! Favorite Quotes: “Our imagination should be nurtured with the utmost care, for it is the tool of liberation from the bonds which tie down this existence. We can do anything we can imagine, become anything we are able to visualize, for the images we create in our minds will inevitably lead us to the world which affects their realization.” - Anonymous “I am not who you think I am, I am not who I think I am, I am who I think you think I am” - Thomas Cooley “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” ~ E.B. White Links: www.robertlangestudios.com www.brendanjames.com

We are pleased to bring you the 28th episode, and first four-part playlist, of Call to Adventure. We had the pleasure to interview a good friend, Robert Lange. Rob is an incredible hyper-realist painter, a gallery owner, father, husband, and all around great guy. He is a long-time meditator, who brings this contemplative mindset along with a playful and positive energy to his paintings. He began painting at a young age but was recognized as a mathematical prodigy and subsequently followed his gift to college. It wasn't until his second year at Northeastern University, which he attended on a full math scholarship, that he decided to follow his passion for art and transferred to Rhode Island School of Design. There, he was again awarded a full scholarship, but this time for his painting abilities. In 2003 he both graduated from RISD and opened his first gallery, Robert Lange Studios, with his wife Megan in Charleston SC. The gallery quickly became a fixture of the Charleston art scene, and has garnered national attention and an incredible stable of talented artists. We cover a wide range of topics, and there are so many gems to savor. Rob recounts an emotional description of his younger brothers hemispherectomy as a teenager and how that altered his life. He shares sage parenting advice given by his father-in-law while hiking together across the Annapurna Pass in the Himalayas. And we talk fatherhood, daily routines and creative process. Hope you all enjoy! Favorite Quotes: “Our imagination should be nurtured with the utmost care, for it is the tool of liberation from the bonds which tie down this existence. We can do anything we can imagine, become anything we are able to visualize, for the images we create in our minds will inevitably lead us to the world which affects their realization.” - Anonymous “I am not who you think I am, I am not who I think I am, I am who I think you think I am” - Thomas Cooley “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” ~ E.B. White Links: www.robertlangestudios.com www.brendanjames.com

We are pleased to bring you the 28th episode, and first four-part playlist, of Call to Adventure. We had the pleasure to interview a good friend, Robert Lange. Rob is an incredible hyper-realist painter, a gallery owner, father, husband, and all around great guy. He is a long-time meditator, who brings this contemplative mindset along with a playful and positive energy to his paintings. He began painting at a young age but was recognized as a mathematical prodigy and subsequently followed his gift to college. It wasn't until his second year at Northeastern University, which he attended on a full math scholarship, that he decided to follow his passion for art and transferred to Rhode Island School of Design. There, he was again awarded a full scholarship, but this time for his painting abilities. In 2003 he both graduated from RISD and opened his first gallery, Robert Lange Studios, with his wife Megan in Charleston SC. The gallery quickly became a fixture of the Charleston art scene, and has garnered national attention and an incredible stable of talented artists. We cover a wide range of topics, and there are so many gems to savor. Rob recounts an emotional description of his younger brothers hemispherectomy as a teenager and how that altered his life. He shares sage parenting advice given by his father-in-law while hiking together across the Annapurna Pass in the Himalayas. And we talk fatherhood, daily routines and creative process. Hope you all enjoy! Favorite Quotes: “Our imagination should be nurtured with the utmost care, for it is the tool of liberation from the bonds which tie down this existence. We can do anything we can imagine, become anything we are able to visualize, for the images we create in our minds will inevitably lead us to the world which affects their realization.” - Anonymous “I am not who you think I am, I am not who I think I am, I am who I think you think I am” - Thomas Cooley “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” ~ E.B. White Links: www.robertlangestudios.com www.brendanjames.com

welcome to the 27th episode of Call to Adventure, where we sit down with Kathryn Budig - internationally celebrated yoga teacher and author known for her accessibility, humor, and ability to empower her students through her message, "aim true.”. With over a decade of experience in her field, Budig served as the yoga editor to Women's Health magazine for five years, on the Yahoo Health Advisory Board, regularly contributes to Yoga Journal, The New Potato, and MindBodyGreen. She was an athlete in Under Armour's "I WILL WHAT I WANT" campaign, the co-host of espnW's podcast, Free Cookies with her fiancé Kate Fagan, and is the founder of her animal project, Poses for Paws. She is also the creator of the Aim True Yoga DVD produced by Gaiam, author of The Women's Health Big Book of Yoga and Aim True. often celebrity can bring scrutiny and controversy, especially in the unusual world of modern postural yoga - and Kathryn is no stranger to this reality - she has been the unintended catalyst for debate in the yoga community about the sexualized and commodified female form, and more recently about body image. and she seems perfectly suited for that role - with the strength and confidence to step into the lion’s den and emerge better for it - sparking much needed conversations about difficult subjects. we cover a wide range of topics: can success and fame co-exist? how to use jealously and competition as inspiration… labels, sexual identity and finding your human; meatsuits, body image and the yoga industrial complex; and stepping out of the box… so, without further adieu here’s our conversation with Kathryn Budig… hope you enjoy…

Chris Jordan, who lives in Seattle, works with photography, digital photo illustration, and film to create unmistakable bodies of work in unified themes exploring contemporary mass culture. His series “Intolerable Beauty” and “Running the Numbers” give artistic visual form to the enormity of global consumerism. His collection “In the Wake of Katrina: Portraits of Loss from an Unnatural Disaster” feature the devastation in New Orleans post-Katrina - and while the images are devoid of any people, they read as intimate portraits. A winner of the prestigious Prix Pictet prize in Paris, he traveled to Kenya to document native tribes, and the killing of elephants for their tusks, producing photographs with a haunting mixture of beauty and horror. His latest work brought him to Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to capture firsthand the consequences of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch on a colony of Albatross who are feeding toxic plastic to their young. This turned into an unexpected 8-year journey culminating in the creation of an original feature length film called "Albatross". What began as a documentary morphed into a powerful, paradigm shifting, contemplative poem about contemporary culture, interconnectedness, grief and love. This is our first true long-form podcast and couldn’t have come at a better time, because it felt like a real luxury to spend two hours talking with the incredibly inspiring Chris Jordan. Cheers. Alex & John http://www.chrisjordan.com/  http://www.albatrossthefilm.com/ https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_jordan_pictures_some_shocking_stats/up-next http://halsey.cofc.edu/main-exhibitions/midway/ http://www.prixpictet.com/growth/commission/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR6qRXo4y7c&feature=youtu.be

"Time is a river that flows backwards and forwards" - A wonderful conversation with Kelly Jean Moore, owner and founder of Mission Yoga in Charleston SC, and founder of her own style Sarayana Yoga. We discuss "changing the narrative" and how complicated that can be. The idea of "life as creative process", forgiveness, and healing a family and DNA moving forward through her son Owen - loving backwards and forward in time.

Karen joins us in the studio to discuss the personal tragedy of her long term partner committing suicide, and how that led to the unexpected 'death of herself' as well. We talk about her ditching pharmaceutical school to follow her passion to be a full-time artist. An incredibly talented painter, she moved to Charleston to become the executive director of REDUX Contemporary Art Center, then became an associate director at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. We talk about moving towards a life where everything she does is in alignment - and how the death of her long-time partner has her contemplating moving away from the female figure as a subject and instead painting her succulents.

"I'm don't think I'm the brightest guy, so I try to make up for it with hard work." - Chad Walldorf Alex and John sit down with the ever-modest Sticky Fingers BBQ co-founder Chad Walldorf. The conversation ranges from a serendipitous stint on President Ronald Reagan's staff while in college that later inspired him to work as Deputy Chief of Staff for SC Governor Mark Sanford in Columbia, to unexpectedly running a successful restaurant chain with his only prior experience being a summer at Wendy's in high school. They discuss his moving from a fear of responsibility, to a desire to be the one directing the ship. And how small incremental changes collectively create the unique culture of a restaurant, and the result is greater than the sum of its' parts. Chad also recounts an experience with his father that made him reflect personally about the responsibility of engaging in current big societal issues in order to confidently answer the future question from his children, "Dad, in 2016 this was a big issue, where were you?"

In the first episode of Season 2, John and Alex interview Grammy-nominated jazz percussionist and musician Quentin Baxter. We discuss his journey from pharmaceutical school to the College of Charleston, planting his roots of involvement in the Charleston community, and how, as an artist, one must be able “to maximize moments in your world.”

Alex and John sit down to reminisce about the first season - discussing what it was like to manifest from idea to reality, then they highlight favorite moments from each of the first 20 guests, and they close it out by pondering what season 2 may have in store...

Alex interviews co-host of the show, John Duckworth. They discuss his pivotal AWAKE exhibition from late 2014, transformation as a continual process, inner voices, moving in harmony with what is, cycling the Alps, and getting involved in community...

“Hallucinating and being alone on the ocean is not a good mix, getting off the boat to go grab a Domino's pizza and a six-pack is a bad idea”. Brad Van Liew, America's undisputed champion of solo sailing, shares his story of racing around the world three times, winning twice. He discusses the moment the pinnacle of success merged with financial and personal breakdown, and how "Talladega Nights" felt so autobiographical it inspired the design of his last boat. As he says, "it's not worth living unless you can smile".

A wonderful conversation with Vikki Matsis, the trailblazing woman who helped start OHM Radio in Charleston. We discuss her book on running a hostel, a 30-day trek in the wilderness, and how the seed was planted for OHM Radio. She tells us that her "bad wolf" is laziness, and that her next Call to Adventure is sharing her own songwriting with the world. (*Photo by Adam Chandler for Charlie Magazine 50 Most Progressive 2016)

A fun conversation with musician McKenzie Eddy, Hilton Head native, USC graduate, who moved to NYC to work with hip-hop legend Damon Dash and later became the president of his label Bluroc Records. We discuss musical collaboration, the fear and excitement of moving to NYC and the fear and hesitation in leaving NYC for Charleston SC, her startup venture King Dusko, and her current musical project The Very Hypnotic Soul Band.

Tim Hussey, artist, speaks about 'life as composition', and following the 'tracks in the sky'. Our conversation follows Tim from Charleston, to Rhode Island, New York, Paris, Tennessee, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and back to Charleston as he develops an understanding of the tools of commercial communication and begins to apply them to his personal paintings, and then discard them. He discusses "copying ambition" as he headed off to college at RISD, how "New York is for amateurs", the demons of depression, the beauty of reinvention, and the lifeline of relationship. www.husseyart.com

A great conversation with Kurt Cavanaugh - the lead advocate at Charleston Moves (Executive Director)... we talk about finding Charleston by way of Michigan, North Carolina, Brooklyn and Manhattan. A lover of urban centers, bicycles, mobility innovation, simplicity, and mindful consumption. Kurt gave up his car over a decade ago and hasn't looked back. A true radical in a button up shirt, Clark Kent glasses, and blazer on a single-speed bike.

Vince Graham, civic artist and now chair of the South Carolina State Transportation Infrastructure Bank, comes in to talk to us about being a maladjusted radical, and inquisitive contrarian. Vince steadily pushes the edges by taking the time to stop and notice, to really look at the reality of things, and ask questions before taking action. "look and listen mode" he says. (*image of Vince on the Ravenel Bridge graciously provided by The Post & Courier and staff photographer Wade Spees)

Great conversation with filmmaker Chris Hanson about his voracious appetite for books, transcendent live music experiences, how working for NOLS help connect him with his own inner nature, and his recent spiritual awakening aided by yoga, meditation and clean living.

We turn the tables internally and John interviews Alex this time - providing listeners with some insight into one of our own, and his unique Calls to Adventure. Alex discusses the death of his father, and his evolving relationship with competition, vulnerability, and creative process.

We sit down with Marjory Wentworth, Poet Laureate of South Carolina, to discuss the value and role of poetry today. She writes, "In stillness we see the things that are not visible" - from her poem "Sand". This ability to notice, to see more than we first knew to be there, is a talent that poets deftly refine by cultivating stillness - something we would all be wise to emulate.

Rob Swan - Arctic stories about adventure and discovery, and one man's steadfast dedication to the integrated health of the planet, calmly sounding the alarm, offering a unique perspective, and a helping hand.

Alex and John sit down with Benji Towill, a fantastic gem of human being, to discuss passion and purpose, how setbacks often provide inspiration, how perseverance can be disguised as luck, and how energy is everything. Benji has that brilliant way of making each person he is speaking with feel important, and this quality has opened many doors for him and led to some fantastic adventures.

A warm conversation with a wonderful person, Karalee Nielsen-Fallert - one of the most prolific and innovative restauranteurs in Charleston, and she is also a founding member of the Green Heart Project - creating urban gardens at schools connecting students to nature and healthy food. We discuss how new knowledge can "corner her" into action, being blessed with too much to do, and how picking cherry tomatoes at dawn one morning elicited a deep yearning to create a "soft landing" on Edisto Island.

A fun conversation with one of our favorite people in the world - Kevin Harrison - part Forest Gump, part wise happy Buddha, a creative force working in painting, photography, design, and filmmaking... and most importantly, creating his life as he goes.

Fascinating conversation with Stan Gray, the founder of DIG SOUTH - a yearly interactive business festival in Charleston SC. Stan says "DIG SOUTH is the story of a tumor, two tots and the desire for a new adventure truer to myself. Oh, and I love smart stuff and cool inventions. It's also about helping entrepreneurs and startups succeed in the South by connecting them to the contacts, content and capital they need to launch, scale and thrive."

A wonderful conversation with Reverend Jeremy Rutledge about bearing witness, racial equality, grieving via creative process, and keeping the joy in the weighty world of activism.

Kate Nevin brings her contagious enthusiasm to the Ohm Radio studio to discuss how her creative journey is a thread in Charleston's unique community that is shaping new paths for inspiration. We discuss her love of Sally Mann, growing up wild and free in Tennessee, leaving Manhattan after 9/11 to follow love to Charleston, and starting Enough Pie - a non-profit devoted to engaging the Upper Peninsula region of Charleston via small business and creative placemaking.

Fascinating conversation with Jennet Robinson-Alterman about a lifelong interest in and pursuit of women's rights. A cause she seemed destined to pursue from a very young age - taking a quarter from her mom to ride the bus to Hampton Park at age 6, running away from sleepover camp at 11, was one of the first women at Davidson College, then on to Afghanistan with the Peace Corps, and then at the helm of the Center for Women in Charleston for 12 years.

A conversation with Hamilton Davis, the Energy and Climate Director for the Coastal Conservation League in Charleston SC. We discuss his adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail, his ongoing work for the Coastal Conservation League, his interest in Stoicism and love of the water...

John & Alex sit down with Marcus Amaker for an inspiring conversation about music, poetry, the creative spark, Charleston post Emanuel 9 shooting, and letting your weird out for a walk in the woods... www.marcusamaker.com

A great conversation with the one and only Buff Ross - wizard of www.alloneworddesign.com - jack of many trades and master of curiosity. A wide-ranging conversation with one of our close personal friends covering archeology digs cut short, a gay & lesbian museum show in San Francisco, John Calhoun giving Charleston the finger, social media grieving post AME shooting, to cleaning with Rod Stewart...