Driving Force Podcast

Today's guest is Anne Donnell. Anne is a psychic medium and reiki practitioner based out of York, Maine. Over 12 years ago, Anne suffered a life-threatening medical condition with her third child's birth, leading her to make significant shifts in her life. It was through Reiki Training that Anne discovered her intuition and psychic abilities. After a great deal of self-reflection and several years of studying under many different leading psychics worldwide, Anne began her career as a Reiki Practitioner and Psychic Medium. Today, she uses her knowingness and psychic abilities to deliver thousands of healing messages and intuitive guidance to clients across the country and worldwide. She continues to study and expand her practice around the needs of her clients and offers many diverse classes from Manifesting 101, Psychic Intuition Development and Psychic Medium Development. I've had a couple intuitive psychic readings with Anne and would highly recommend her if you're interested in seeing a psychic medium. In this interview, we get into Anne's relationship with spirit growing up, her journey to discovering her psychic abilities, Reiki healing, psychic readings, and much more. Timestamps00:02:28 Growing up in Maine00:05:41 Her interaction with spirit and spirituality growing up 00:11:49 The feeling you have when you're around a spirit/ghost 00:13:16 What she wanted to do for a career growing up 00:15:05 The life threatening medical condition that led her to make significant life changes 00:21:43 Stress cardiomyopathy 00:25:46 Overview of Reiki00:28:01 A Reiki session 00:31:18 Discovering her psychic abilities 00:36:58 Developing her psychic abilities and creating a business 00:41:56 Filtering and controlling her psychic abilities 00:43:11 Overview of Clairs 00:45:49 Preparing for a psychic reading 00:48:24 What she feels when she connects to spirit 00:52:10 Ethics when it comes to conducting readings 00:55:07 What she recommends clients do after a reading 00:56:37 What clients typically want clarity on the most during psychic readings 00:57:38 Her mission as a psychic medium 00:59:47 Teaching others to tap into their psychic abilities 01:04:41 My quick reading 01:06:08 What it's like to be a mother with psychic abilities 01:07:27 What she wants to have accomplished 5 years from now 01:08:08 Her daily routine 01:09:25 Her driving force 01:10:31 Parting words of wisdom

Today's guest is Ric Prado. Ric is a paramilitary, counter-terrorism, and clandestine operations specialist, with a focus on international training operations and programs. He is a twenty-four year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he served as an Operations Officer in six overseas posts. He was Deputy Chief of Station and "Plank Owner" of the original Bin Ladin Task Force/Issues Station as well as Chief of Station in a hostile Muslim country. Ric also served as Chief of Operations in the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC) during the September 11th attacks, where he helped coordinate the CTC's special operations (SPECOPS) activities with the National Security Council and FBI, as well as with elite U.S. military representatives from Delta Force and SEAL-Team Six, then detailed to CTC. He retired as Senior Intel Service-2 (SIS-2, Major General equivalent at CIA). Ric's new book Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior hits bookstores on March 1st and details his life and career conducting some of the most important covert wars that America has fought since Vietnam. In this interview, we'll dive deep into the contents of the book.Timestamps00:02:33 His reasons for writing the book 00:10:11 Difference between CIA officers and agents 00:11:02 The subtlety of CIA work 00:11:44 Enhanced interrogation techniques 00:15:47 Growing up in Cuba 00:20:54 The sacrifice his parents made to give him a better life 00:24:32 Getting in trouble in Miami 00:27:16 The impact that martial arts has had throughout his life 00:29:36 His time in Air Force Pararescue 00:35:16 Transition into the CIA 00:39:00 His relationship with his wife Carmen while working in the CIA 00:41:02 Helping train the Contras in Honduras 00:50:28 Lessons learned about gaining trust 00:53:38 His perspective on high performing teams 00:57:56 America's engrained sense of fair play 01:02:01 Recruiting agents in the field 01:06:39 Cooper's Colors 01:10:06 What he could share and not share with loved ones while working in the CIA 01:12:05 CIA vs. Washington DC politics 01:15:16 His perspective on the current Russia-Ukraine situation 01:19:15 What he wants to accomplish 10 years from now 01:22:06 His daily routine 01:23:40 His driving force 01:27:56 Parting words for the listeners

This year, I want to include more guests on the show who lean toward the more spiritual side of things. To kick that off, the guest on this week's episode is Natalie Walstein. Natalie is a career astrologer at Soulshine Astrology, where she focuses on the intersection of career coaching and astrological counseling to help others find their true calling in life. Originally born in Minneapolis, MN, Natalie went on to study at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, Canada for Communication Design before running her own design studio as a graphic, web & magazine designer for creative entrepreneurs for 5 years. Then, everything in her life came to a standstill. Her relationship went south, she had an intense near-death experience in which she also got misdiagnosed with cancer, and she was falling out of love with her career. By tapping into her own astrological birth chart, she decided to pivot to working with others on a deeper spiritual level through astrology. In this interview, we get into Natalie's background and how she got into astrology, the work that she does today as a career astrologer, the value of comparing astrological charts in relationships, and my own mini birth chart reading. Timestamps00:02:11 Definition of astrology 00:03:38 What got her into astrology and spirituality 00:06:05 Her career prior to becoming an astrologer 00:08:42 The severe illness she dealt with for 3 years 00:10:13 What her parents did for work and their reaction to her career change 00:11:40 When she decided to become a full-time astrologer 00:13:43 Overcoming her doubts and hesitations to become a full-time astrologer 00:16:20 Overview of Soulshine Astrology00:18:23 The kinds of clients that come to her for guidance 00:19:07 Increased interest in astrology during the pandemic 00:19:58 What she looks for in a person's birth chart when helping them find their true calling 00:21:16 My quick birth chart reading 00:26:09 Not being in alignment with your true calling 00:28:35 Determining when significant shifts in your life might occur using astrology 00:30:53 Interplay between free will and astrology 00:32:48 The ethics of astrology 00:34:28 The value of comparing astrological birth charts in relationships 00:40:01 What inspired her to write her new book? 00:41:00 Where is the best place for people to start when learning astrology? 00:42:07 Jupiter crossing my career line 00:44:52 What she wants to have accomplished 5 years from now 00:46:53 Her other spiritual interests 00:47:23 Her daily routine 00:48:32 Her driving force 00:49:29 Parting words of wisdom

Today's guest is Quin Sandler. Quin is a designer, product builder, investor, entrepreneur and musician. He's founded four start-ups in the last 12 years: Keystone Learning, a mobile tutoring company; Principle Design Group, a branding and identity company; FestThis, a media and live events production company; and is currently leading the charge at Plantiga, a human analytics company with one simple goal: to build the most comprehensive, intelligent system that monitors, analyzes and predicts human movement for recovery, health and fitness. Plantiga provides members insights on their movement health through a combination of sensor insoles – which track how you walk, run, jump, and change direction – and 1 on 1 coaching with certified movement specialists to help you better understand what to do with the data you're getting from the insoles. In this interview, we get into Quin's career pivot from musician to entrepreneur, the companies he founded prior to Plantiga, and all things Plantiga and movement health. Timestamps00:02:22 Growing up in Vancouver, Canada 00:04:45 Wanting to become a professional musician 00:06:31 Is he a natural/born entrepreneur? 00:07:28 Pivoting to entrepreneurship and leaving college00:10:24 The tutoring company he founded00:12:46 The other companies he founded prior to Plantiga 00:15:29 Key takeaways from his prior ventures 00:16:39 Founding Plantiga 00:18:05 The name Plantiga 00:19:05 Plantiga overview00:20:04 Plantiga use cases00:22:05 The Plantiga insoles 00:24:06 The movement health crisis 00:27:13 The Plantiga user experience 00:30:53 Target markets and customer base00:32:48 The sedentary lifestyle 00:35:23 Why movement is the best lens into human health 00:38:37 Plantiga business model 00:39:59 How the pandemic affected the business 00:42:50 Raising money for the company 00:44:55 Ultimate vision for Plantiga 00:48:30 Other niches within human performance he finds really interesting 00:51:13 Being a space enthusiast 00:54:00 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:55:25 His daily routine 00:56:38 His driving force 00:58:32 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today's guests are brothers Shane and Josh Rogers, co-founders of RPM Training. Founded in 2012, RPM was born out of the idea that legit, purposeful functional training is the foundation for a truly full and adventurous life. It all started with jump ropes. Shane and Josh began noticing the frustration their fellow gym members were having over completing the dreaded double-under jump rope workout. They scoured the market for the best jump ropes out there only to find critical flaws in every one they tried. So, they took it upon themselves to build a jump rope unlike any other. In addition to jump ropes, the company also recently announced the launch of Atom, a first of its kind virtual functional training program. Atom members get an unparalleled at-home workout experience through a combination of the best coaching, the right gear, and the power of community. Personally, it's something I'm super excited about and I can't wait to hop on the platform! In this interview, we delve into their backgrounds and relationship as brothers, the genesis of RPM, the reinvention of the jump rope, the Atom platform, and their annual 10k Challenge.Timestamps00:02:27 Growing up in Northern California00:07:15 What they thought they wanted to do for careers growing up 00:09:47 Their backgrounds prior to RPM 00:12:37 Biggest takeaways from their prior jobs00:16:11 The genesis of RPM 00:22:14 Nailing the foundation of their jump ropes00:25:03 Doing everything in-house 00:28:02 The RPM brand and its evolution 00:33:07 Marketing RPM 00:37:41 Defining functional training and the creation of Atom 00:42:13 Overview of Atom 00:43:50 How do people come into Atom? 00:54:41 The Atom gear kits 01:01:04 The Atom leaderboard 01:08:55 The 10K Challenge01:13:22 Ultimate vision for RPM 01:15:24 Working together as co-founders 01:17:00 What they want to have accomplished 5 years from now 01:17:46 Their daily routines 01:23:11 Their driving forces 01:25:16 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today's guest is Tony Blauer. In his return to the podcast, we dive deeper into the self-defense system and fear management program he's created. We discuss the scenario-based approach to his self-defense system and why it's called the Spear System. He emphasizes the importance of what it means to know fear, discusses the fear loop and how to get out of it, and provides tools people can use to better manage their fear. If you're new to the show, I would encourage you to listen to part 1 of my conversation with Tony prior to this one. Part 1 goes over Tony's background and upbringing and will provide you with the context to understand why he does the work that he does today. Timestamps00:03:05 How he went about creating his self-defense system00:19:23 2 biggest things out of the 80s that drove the development of the Spear System and Know Fear00:21:15 Simple rule on applying force in a fight00:24:54 Why is it called the Spear System? 00:40:25 Idea for the Know Fear program00:44:50 Change your relationship with fear, change your life00:48:15 Fear management needs new management 00:54:50 Why a lot of people don't fight back01:02:03 How people can get out of the fear loop01:12:36 How business leaders can apply Know Fear principles 01:19:33 Why a lot of people just call him "Coach" 01:23:42 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:26:29 His daily routine 01:30:16 Parting words for the audience

Today's guest is Tony Blauer. Tony has been in the martial art, self-defense, defensive tactics, and combatives industry for over four decades. He founded Blauer Tactical Systems (BTS) in 1985 and it has grown into one of the world's leading consulting companies specializing in the research and development of performance psychology, personal safety, and close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military, and professional self-defense instructors. His research on the neuroscience of fear and the startle-flinch led to the development of the SPEAR System®, a modern personal defense system based on physiology, physics, and psychology. It has been used by defensive tactics and combative trainers all over the world for over 30 years. After decades of interviewing victims of violent encounters and studying violence, he created the KNOW FEAR® program which focuses on managing fear through self-awareness, resiliency, and a 'movement' mindset. This program has also been integrated by psychologists helping Vets to deal with PTSD. In part one of my interview with Tony, we define fear and Tony's personal journey in dealing with fear over the years. We unravel his origin story, get into scenario based self-defense training a bit, and set the stage for part II where we'll dive deeper into the fear management and self-defense systems he's created.Timestamps00:03:58 How he defines fear 00:07:27 Reframing fear in the moment 00:10:38 Where he grew up and his parents00:12:19 Dealing with a lot of fear growing up00:25:51 Self-awareness in fear management 00:32:51 Discovering and studying martial arts00:41:44 How often he would train martial arts00:43:25 Martial arts progression00:46:50 Why does he have so many haters? 00:55:50 Opening his first self-defense school01:08:31 His driving force01:11:01 Advice on managing fear in our day-to-day lives

Today's guest is Nikola Mrvaljevic. Nikola is the co-founder and CEO of Strive, a human performance company. Strive enables clothing with technology to capture performance insights to empower real-time decision-making. By outfitting an athlete's clothing with their technology, it allows coaches & trainers to compare body input to body output, and provides insights on muscle activity including load, symmetry, and fatigue. So, as an example, as athletes near the end of a hard practice, coaches will be able to see through Strive if certain individuals are beginning to favor one side of the body vs another or if certain muscles are exerting excessive amounts of load. The inspiration to start Strive started many years before Nikola officially founded the company. As a pro basketball player in Montenegro, he often asked himself why his coaches were having the team do these workouts that would leave them overly fatigued. If only there could be a way to help coaches understand how their players are feeling – hence the beginning of the idea for Strive. In this interview, we get into Nikola's time growing up in Montenegro, his pro basketball career, and all things Strive. Timestamps 00:02:27 Growing up in Montenegro and culture 00:07:56 Playing pro basketball in Montenegro 00:13:53 Biggest takeaways from playing pro basketball 00:16:40 Questioning his coach's training methods 00:19:53 Moving to the US and adjusting to the culture 00:25:18 Going to University of Rhode Island (URI) and doing research for Strive 00:28:04 Time between URI and starting Strive 00:34:35 Strive overview 00:38:07 Strive's technology 00:41:02 Example use case of Strive 00:45:06 Thoughts on partnering with other human performance companies 00:46:07 Strive business model 00:47:42 Target markets 00:52:52 Product roadmap 00:56:41 Fundraising for Strive 01:00:15 Impact of the pandemic on the business 01:02:21 Ultimate vision for Strive 01:06:33 Pivotal moments that changed his perspective on human performance 01:08:45 Being a Thalassophile 01:10:34 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:13:40 His daily routine 01:15:25 His driving force 01:17:58 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today's guest is Ricky Williams. Ricky is the co-founder and CEO of LILA, an Astrology powered dating and relationship app, and the co-founder of RW Real Wellness, a unique line of herbal-based wellness products that can be incorporated into daily routines. Upon the completion of a successful football career (which saw him win the Heisman trophy in college and lead the NFL in rushing in 2002), Ricky turned his attention to spiritual exploration and development. A Gemini fueled by a passion for learning, he studies and practices yoga, meditation, astrology, craniosacral therapy, pranic healing and Ayurvedic medicine. It's been through his journey of spiritual exploration and development and exploring these passions that ultimately led him to co-founding LILA and RW Real Wellness. Ricky also hosts a popular podcast called Curious Questions with Ricky Williams, where he discusses astrology, sports, and the benefits of medical marijuana with a special guest every week. In this interview, we dive deep into LILA and Ricky's exploration of astrology, his passion for plant medicine and spiritual development, RW Real Wellness, and much more. Timestamps 00:02:31 Ebbs and flows of building LILA 00:04:49 Inspiration to start LILA and overview 00:10:53 Showing people that astrology can be utterly useful 00:12:10 Describing astrology 00:15:53 Making sure LILA is approachable and understandable 00:17:28 Sagittarius and compatibility 00:22:01 Launching LILA publicly 00:23:01 Ultimate vision for LILA 00:26:08 Biggest rewards for him in practicing astrology 00:27:36 Gemini season 00:29:41 Has he always been a spiritual person? 00:31:13 Passion for plant medicine 00:37:48 What it was like to wrestle his two passions of plant medicine and football while in the NFL 00:39:57 His retirement from the NFL 00:41:43 Co-founding Real Wellness 00:43:28 Real Wellness products and his favorite product 00:47:10 How he sees his focus shifting with LILA and Real Wellness 00:49:29 His podcast 00:51:44 Perspectives on the psychology of high performers 00:53:18 Is he a really competitive person? 00:53:56 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:55:41 His daily routine 00:56:30 His driving force 00:57:07 Parting words for Gemini season

Today's guest is Jon Dengler. Jon is the Executive Director of The Well, a Tampa, Florida based non-profit comprised of a community of people committed to living in direct relationship with the materially poor. They work to help people meet material needs such as food and clothing and do it in a way that provides opportunities to meet each other's spiritual needs as well. The Well builds real, strong relationships with the people it serves and in that way they engage needs holistically. One of the key ways that The Well does this is through the WellBuilt Bikes initiative, a bike shop that provides access to affordable bikes and workshops, ranging from repairs to safety. By accessing bikes that would have been considered garbage, as well as donations from supportive neighbors, WellBuilt Bikes ensures that all people who need a bike are able to own one. Jon's story of how he ultimately got to where he is today is also incredible – surviving a near fatal car accident and having a life changing, mind-altering experience through LSD. In this interview, we get into the important distinction between being kind and being nice, his near-fatal car accident and life-changing experience taking LSD, the relationship between the rich and the poor, and his WellBuilt Bikes non-profit. Timestamps 00:02:26 Growing up and his love of Tampa, Florida 00:06:36 Compassionate work and actions 00:11:53 The distinction between being kind and being nice 00:20:56 What he wanted to do for a career growing up 00:25:34 His near fatal car accident and the life-changing LSD experience 00:34:40 Leaving the partying lifestyle 00:39:32 Renting a house to welcome in impoverished people 00:51:10 The Well and WellBuilt Bikes overview 00:57:59 The weekly group rides 01:00:10 Biggest challenges in running The Well 01:05:54 Thoughts on expanding WellBuilt Bikes and the idea behind it 01:10:14 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:17:51 His driving force

Today's guest is Doug Lewis. Doug is the founder and CEO of ELITEAM, a company that provides sports and fitness camps and programs focusing on building complete athletes. They do this by teaching the concepts of sports physiology, sports psychology and sports nutrition all while ensuring the programs are fun and challenging for the participants. Doug created ELITEAM in 1991 with a desire to pass on his winning knowledge of world class sports to future generations. Prior to creating ELITEAM, Doug was a 2x Olympian and World Championship medalist in alpine skiing. After retiring from competitive ski racing, Doug found a new passion in endurance sport that provided a new avenue for him to push the limits of his mind and body. His accomplishments so far in this arena include completing multiple 100 mile ultramarathons and winning the first ever Spartan Death Race in 2007. In this interview, we discuss Doug's time growing up in Vermont, his journey to becoming an Olympian, his ski racing career, ELITEAM, and his passion for endurance sport. Timestamps 00:02:41 Growing up on the slopes of Vermont 00:05:14 Starting to compete in ski racing and why he focused on downhill 00:08:52 Overview of a downhill ski race 00:11:55 Were family and friends supportive of his Olympic dream? 00:14:00 How does someone train to become an Olympic downhill skier? 00:16:22 Breakthrough event in his ski racing career 00:17:43 His mindset on his journey to becoming an Olympian 00:20:21 His race routine 00:24:36 What it was like to compete in his first Olympics 00:26:28 Biggest takeaways from his first Olympics 00:27:48 His greatest accomplishment in ski racing 00:30:19 Low points in his ski racing career and how he overcame them 00:33:23 Biggest takeaways from his ski racing career 00:35:04 Retiring from ski racing 00:39:07 Why he started ELITEAM 00:41:12 Overview of ELITEAM 00:43:49 Example of an in-person camp 00:46:08 How he weaves the sports psychology aspect into his camps 00:48:30 What he enjoys most about running ELITEAM 00:50:13 What sparked his passion for endurance sport? 00:52:37 The first Spartan Death Race 00:59:13 His next big endurance challenge 01:00:36 Pivotal moments throughout his life that changed his perspective on human performance 01:03:15 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:04:19 His daily routine 01:05:32 His driving force 01:07:35 Parting words of wisdom for the athlete looking to get to the next level

Today's guest is Isaiah Kacyvenski. Isaiah's diverse background includes earning two degrees from Harvard, playing in the National Football League for 8 years in between, and achieving success as an experienced entrepreneur and investor. Perhaps what's most impressive about Isaiah's background though has to do with where he started from. Isaiah grew up in Endicott, NY where at times he grew up homeless and without food with his parents. His rise from poverty led him to becoming a subject of an NFL Films profile that received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Long Feature, and was also featured on an Oprah Winfrey show titled "Why They Beat the Odds". Following his NFL Career, Isaiah acted as Global Head of Business Development at MC10 and co-founded the premier sports tech research and advisory firm, Sports Innovation Lab. Immediately prior to founding Will Ventures, Isaiah was the Managing Partner at Blue Star Innovation Partners, where he led the firm's sports technology investment practice. Today, Isaiah serves as Managing Partner of Will Ventures, a venture capital investment fund focused on sports technology and the massive, adjacent market opportunities that it opens up (human performance, health and wellness, media and entertainment, eSports, and more). In this interview, we dive deep into Isaiah's time growing up in poverty, his journey to Harvard and playing in the NFL, perspectives on drive and managing setbacks, and all things Will Ventures. We could have talked for 3 hours, and due to time constraints we couldn't touch on everything, but I promise part 2 is in the works. Timestamps 00:03:06 Growing up in poverty in Endicott, NY 00:07:33 Both his parents grew up in orphanages 00:11:49 What homelessness looked like for him and his family 00:15:02 The impact of his mother's death on him 00:23:42 Why he feels there's always something big to accomplish 00:26:02 The impact his father has had on his life 00:30:29 When and why he started playing football 00:35:19 When he realized he could make a career out of football 00:41:08 How not making his high school varsity football team changed the course of his life 00:42:44 Journey to Harvard and playing in the NFL 00:52:53 Overview of Will Ventures 00:55:36 The democratization of sports tech and the importance of strong founding teams 00:58:24 A few of their portfolio companies 01:02:48 His driving force 01:04:12 Parting words of wisdom around getting through tough times

Today's guest is Sebastien Sasseville. Sebastien was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2002, the most severe form of diabetes. Sebastien vowed that the obstacle would never keep him from living life to the fullest, and today his story is a testament to how challenges can be turned into opportunities. In 2008, Sebastien reached the summit of Mount Everest. He then completed six Ironmans and the mythical Sahara race, a 250 kilometer, self-supported ultra-marathon over five days through the Sahara Desert. In 2014, he faced the biggest challenge of his life: run across Canada from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Vancouver: 7,200 km, or 170 marathons in nine months. His next big adventure is coming up very soon, (hint: it involves lots of cycling), but you'll have to listen to the interview to get the details. Sebastien also spent 10 years in the corporate world and blends that experience with his unique athletic achievements to deliver inspirational and motivational keynotes to large organizations. Per his LinkedIn profile, he works with performing organizations that have reached base camp, but are looking to transform, so as to dictate rhythm, stay at the forefront and get to the top. Some of his clients include Cisco, SAP, and Johnson & Johnson. In this interview, we get into what it's like for Sebastien to live with Type 1 diabetes, his corporate career and transition to keynote speaking, what it means for him to make a real impact, and his many feats of endurance. Timestamps 00:02:48 Growing up in Canada 00:05:05 What he wanted to do for a career 00:07:28 Is he an extrovert or an introvert? 00:09:59 When he got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 00:12:10 Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes 00:15:17 Did his diagnosis change the trajectory of his life? 00:18:46 When he started to get into endurance sport 00:21:58 A "bad resiliency day" and how overcomes them 00:23:46 Corporate career and working in sales 00:27:20 Biggest takeaways from his corporate career 00:28:27 Why he left the corporate world 00:30:46 His role as a keynote speaker 00:34:23 Fear around raising his fees and how he overcame that fear 00:37:59 Types of companies he speaks to and why his keynotes resonate 00:43:04 How companies can overcome unintentional complacency 00:45:21 What he enjoys most about being a keynote speaker 00:50:11 Why endurance sport was appealing to him 00:52:40 What it's like to be an endurance athlete with Type 1 diabetes 00:56:38 His Run Across Canada in 2014 01:02:01 His next big endurance quest 01:04:47 How long it took him to run across Canada and the importance of pacing 01:08:46 Out of his 3 epic endurance quests, which was the hardest in terms of managing his diabetes? 01:10:51 How he's adjusted to the pandemic 01:16:29 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:18:34 His daily routine 01:20:02 His driving force 01:21:06 Parting words of wisdom around motivation

Today's guest is Mark Ormrod. Mark is a former Royal Marines Commando, an Invictus Games Medalist, author, and motivational speaker. After triggering an IED on a routine foot patrol in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, Mark suffered serious injuries resulting in a triple amputation: both legs above the knee and his right arm above the elbow. He was the UK's first triple amputee to survive the Afghanistan conflict. Not one to resign himself to live life on the sidelines, Mark, with the help of an amazing team and mentors around him, used his setback as a springboard for growth and reinvention. He's since gone on to be an 11x medalist at the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women, an author of an award-winning autobiography, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, and a husband and father. And he's got far more that he wants to do and accomplish in this life. In this interview, we get into Mark's road to joining to the Royal Marines, the day he stepped on the IED, his recovery and mindset during that process, how to handle setbacks, and his work with the charity REORG. Timestamps 00:02:43 Growing up in England and childhood passions 00:06:55 Interest in joining the Royal Marines 00:10:19 Road to joining the Royal Marines 00:12:12 His role in the Royal Marines 00:18:34 The day he stepped on the IED 00:30:41 His reaction to the triple amputation and being told he'd never be able to walk again 00:36:44 How he was able to use this setback as a springboard for growth 00:43:40 Key lessons he learned during his rehab process 00:45:28 How others can accelerate out of traumas 00:49:10 His transition to civilian life 00:51:17 Writing the book Man Down 00:54:13 REORG Charity 00:58:04 Training jiu-jitsu as a triple amputee 00:59:33 Meaning behind "give yourself permission to perform" 01:00:26 What he enjoys most about jiu-jitsu 01:01:40 Ultimate goal in jiu-jitsu 01:02:24 How he maintains a positive mindset day in, day out 01:03:31 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:04:57 His daily routine 01:06:47 His driving force 01:07:43 Parting words of wisdom around staying driven

Today's guest is Nic McKinley. Nic fuses counterintelligence methods with technology to solve big problems. One of those problems is human trafficking. By starting DeliverFund in 2014, Nic started the first nonprofit organization to apply counterterrorism methodologies to fight human trafficking. They disrupt the human trafficking market by providing intelligence and specialized analytics about human trafficking activities to law enforcement authorities. Nic is also the CEO of Verafi, a private intelligence and due diligence firm specializing in collecting, analyzing, and presenting intelligence so organizations can make confident decisions about key hires and investments. So, what makes Nic uniquely qualified to start and run these two organizations? Well, as an experienced Special Agent at the CIA and an Air Force Pararescueman, Nic understands the ramifications of bad intelligence and the disastrous consequences of poorly researched decisions. In this interview, we get into Nic's time in the Air Force and the CIA, fighting human trafficking with DeliverFund, Verafi, and much more. Timestamps 00:02:31 Growing up in Billings, Montana and sense of service 00:04:41 Interest in becoming an Air Force Pararescueman (PJ) 00:06:26 His time as a PJ 00:10:08 Initial interest in intelligence 00:14:29 Spending a couple years rescuing investment bankers 00:17:31 Joining the CIA 00:19:01 Differences between the CIA and the FBI 00:21:06 His role in the CIA and covert action 00:25:53 Is he the real Jack Ryan? 00:28:53 Why he hasn't owned a TV in 20 years 00:30:07 Handling personal relationships while in the CIA 00:34:30 Optimizing performance as a CIA Agent 00:36:35 Biggest takeaways from working in the CIA 00:39:28 Why he started DeliverFund 00:43:05 State of the human trafficking industry 00:47:43 Identifying a human trafficking victim 00:49:21 The problem with only focusing on rescuing victims 00:50:39 How people can support DeliverFund 00:51:56 Ultimate vision for DeliverFund 00:53:08 Why he started Verafi 00:56:37 Hypothetical use case for Verafi and why companies should use it 01:04:49 Biggest challenges facing Verafi as they look to grow over the coming years 01:06:52 Ultimate vision for Verafi 01:07:20 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:08:04 His daily routine 01:08:51 His driving force 01:12:36 Parting words of wisdom around decision making  

Today's guest is Tony van Marken. Tony has had a successful career as an award winning high-tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, management consultant and independent investor having worked in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and France. Currently, he is Managing Partner and co-founder of First Ascent Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Toronto, Canada focused on investing in emerging technology companies. Tony is also an accomplished endurance athlete (including marathons, ultra marathons and mountain bike stage races) and a veteran of over 35 high-altitude mountaineering expeditions with over 65 summits. He summitted Everest in 2005 to complete his quest to climb the world's original seven summits (the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents), becoming the first South African to do so. Blending his success as a businessman, endurance athlete, and mountaineer, Tony has acted as a motivational speaker for corporations and international conferences around the world. In this interview, we get into how Tony has had to adjust First Ascent Ventures and his mountaineering passion due to the pandemic, what it was like living in South Africa during Apartheid, his entrepreneurial journey, climbing the seven summits, and much more. Timestamps 00:02:43 Adjusting to the pandemic 00:06:58 Managing First Ascent Ventures during the pandemic 00:10:02 First Ascent Ventures investment criteria 00:11:27 Portfolio Company Dialogue 00:13:00 Next big adventure he has planned 00:15:43 Where he grew up 00:18:23 Was he a natural/born entrepreneur? 00:20:31 What traveling a lot growing up taught him 00:22:00 Living in South Africa during Apartheid 00:26:05 Studying computer science and what he wanted to do for a career 00:29:52 How foundational that job as a software engineer was for him 00:31:46 Pivoting to entrepreneurship and going to Architel 00:40:35 How the dot-com bubble affected his career path 00:42:17 Lessons learned on building a company from his time at Architel 00:45:03 His decision making philosophy 00:47:16 Why he decided to tackle the Seven Summits 00:52:09 Weekly training schedule for the Seven Summits 00:53:59 Which of the Seven Summits was the toughest? 00:57:58 His favorite mountain to climb 01:00:53 How mountaineering has prepared him for the ups and downs of life 01:06:57 Taking Vox Telecom employees on expeditions 01:08:27 How he's managed to balance everything over the years 01:11:14 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:12:58 His daily routine 01:14:45 Books that have made a significant impact on him 01:18:27 His driving force

Today's guest is Ari Tulla. Ari is the co-founder and CEO of Elo. Ari and his team created Elo to turn food into medicine so you can live life to the fullest. To accomplish this, they've built cutting-edge AI (from a proprietary analysis of 3,000 peer-reviewed studies) to apply to your personal health biomarkers and deliver precision to nutrition. Then, they relentlessly optimize and improve your nutrition over time. They're starting with supplement packets, but their ambitions extend far beyond that. They won't stop until they've succeeded at transforming food from the cause of disease to medicine. Ari's passion for helping others optimize and understand their own health started long before Elo. After months of him and his wife combing through specialist after specialist trying find the right doctor to address a specific issue, Ari, in 2011 co-founded BetterDoctor, a comprehensive doctor data engine that powers the healthcare market with accurate doctor data. Today, BetterDoctor is part of Quest Analytics, a company that builds networks of doctors and is accessed by 200 million Americans each year. When not working Ari spends his time on the steep cliffs, powdery slopes, and big cold waves that only Northern California can offer. And, depending on the month, you may find him on some epic endurance adventure living off of the bare bone necessities, and we'll get into that. In this interview, we get into Ari's time growing up in Finland and Finnish culture, what it was like working on the cutting edge of mobile gaming at Nokia, BetterDoctor, and all things Elo and health optimization. Timestamps 00:03:11 Growing up in Finland and traveling a lot 00:07:45 Finnish culture and happiness 00:11:47 Economy of Finland 00:16:22 What he was interested in doing for a career growing up 00:19:49 Working at VisualWeb and entrepreneurial spark 00:22:17 Working at British American Tobacco and key takeaways 00:27:48 Moving to the US to work at Nokia 00:31:23 Working on the cutting edge of mobile gaming 00:34:45 His perspective on smartphone addiction 00:39:06 Why he left Nokia 00:40:23 Inspiration to start BetterDoctor 00:43:40 What is was like to start a new company 00:46:22 Selling BetterDoctor 00:50:38 Biggest leadership lessons he learned at BetterDoctor & Quest Analytics 00:52:47 Did he accomplish what he wanted to at BetterDoctor? 00:54:06 When he started working on Elo 00:55:54 His world view that he's bringing to Elo 00:59:43 Elo today 01:04:05 The biomarkers they test 01:06:50 What's powering the recommendations behind Elo? 01:09:03 Elo's integration with wearables 01:10:01 Core customers and target market 01:12:22 Cost to use Elo 01:14:33 Ari's spartan month/week 01:17:13 Must-dos when visiting Finland 01:18:40 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:19:34 His daily routine 01:23:08 His driving force 01:24:47 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today's guest is Ali Schultz. Ali is a co-founder, coach, and facilitator at Reboot, a coaching company that provides comprehensive offerings to serve leadership development for individuals, teams, and entire organizations. If you're a tech entrepreneur or venture capitalist, there's a good chance you've heard of Reboot. They've worked with companies like Etsy, Lyft, and Twilio and venture capitalists from firms such as Union Square Ventures, Accel, and the Foundry Group. Ali and her three co-founders started Reboot in 2014 to foster a revolution around work – that work doesn't have to destroy us. Work can be the way that we achieve our fullest self. Prior to co-founding Reboot, Ali worked for more than a dozen years in business as an operator managing projects, teams, and human resources, and developing brands. With a Masters degree in religious studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Ali has studied Transformational NLP at NLP Marin, completed the facilitator program at the Center for Collaborative Awareness, and is a certified EQUUS Experience Facilitator in Equine Facilitated Coaching. Ali seamlessly and deftly weaves together her business acumen with the innate wisdom of the body, the philosophies of the world's wisdom traditions, and the way of the horse to help clients find their voice so that they can find themselves. In this interview, we discuss her early exploration into wisdom and spirituality, her corporate world experience, what it means to be a coach, equine-facilitated coaching, and all things Reboot. Timestamps 00:03:11 Growing up and upbringing in Wisconsin 00:06:36 What sparked her interest in horses 00:09:16 When did her exploration into wisdom, spirituality, soul etc. begin? 00:17:57 How was she able to pursue wisdom and spirituality in her formal education? 00:25:10 First couple of jobs after college in tech startups 00:29:19 Meeting her Reboot co-founder Jerry Colonna 00:32:16 What sparked her interest in coaching? 00:38:28 What is the role of a coach? 00:42:28 Reboot overview and her role 00:43:40 Different services that Reboot provides 00:46:26 Most common challenges leaders come to Reboot with 00:50:56 Work can be the way that we achieve our fullest self 00:55:11 The "hamster wheel" 00:56:36 Success stories through Reboot coaching 01:03:07 Equine facilitated coaching 01:07:24 What would an equine facilitated coaching session look like? 01:11:53 Adjusting to the pandemic 01:13:56 How the pandemic has amplified some of the challenges that companies face 01:17:03 Strategies that are effective in preventing burnout 01:22:03 What she wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:22:55 Her daily routine 01:24:49 Her driving force 01:26:24 Parting words of wisdom around maintaining well-being as a working professional

Today's guest is Jason Hardrath. Jason is an adventure athlete, speaker, and physical education specialist who's made a lifestyle out of pursuing his passion for human performance. After running track & field in college, Jason eventually found himself competing in longer distance events like marathons and Ironmans. His work ethic soon paid off and he qualified for the Ironman 70.3 world championships in 2015. Training was going amazing for Jason leading up to the world championships until a car accident changed everything. He was ejected from his car which left him with, among other injuries, a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs, a broken shoulder, and a torn ACL. Not allowing this set back to remove his passion for endurance and mountaineering, Jason (after recovering enough so that he regained an ability to run) ended up discovering FKTs, or Fastest Known Times. FKTs are essentially a speed record on any given route (Jason will go over them in more detail during the interview). There's no formal race or event for these routes, which include everything from long-distance hiking trails to circumnavigations of lakes or mountains, or completing a linkup of multiple peaks. Jason's currently on a quest to become the first athlete to 100 FKTs, and as of this episode's release he's at 97. We cover a lot in this interview. We discuss how he got into endurance sport, his 2015 car accident, perspectives on moving forward from traumatic experiences, his journey to 100 FKTs, minimalism, and much more. Timestamps 00:04:32 Growing up in Northeastern Oregon 00:06:01 Discovering running in middle school 00:10:07 Constantly looking for the next goal 00:13:42 Why he decided to bike across America and do triathlons 00:18:11 What's driving his athletic pursuits? 00:23:56 The 2015 car accident that changed everything 00:30:05 Recovering from the accident 00:33:57 How the accident reinforced living his life to the fullest 00:38:57 Making sure to not wrap his identity up in his athletic endeavors 00:41:57 How others can accelerate out of traumatic experiences 00:47:35 Road to somewhat normal fitness after the car accident 00:53:30 What are FKTs and how do they work? 00:55:50 What inspired him to want to do FKTs? 01:03:50 The route he's saving for the 100th FKT 01:06:55 The logistics vs. the fitness on FKTs 01:08:44 How he would typically prepare for a long FKT 01:10:36 The hardest FKT he's done so far 01:14:22 What will he do after 100 FKTs? 01:15:52 Covid's impact on his FKT quest 01:17:05 His weekly training schedule during 2020 01:19:24 Being a PE teacher and his teaching philosophy 01:27:23 Living the van lifestyle 01:30:59 Experiment of minimalism 01:32:12 How he approaches sleep, nutrition, and recovery 01:35:50 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:37:27 His daily routine 01:39:52 His driving force 01:41:52 Parting words of wisdom around staying driven

Today's guest is Jeff Harry. My conversation with Jeff will feel a bit different than most of the podcasts I've done. Instead of my traditional focus of unraveling the stories, takeaways, and lessons from my guest's life (which we do get into a little), most of my discussion with Jeff centers around one topic – incorporating more play into one's life and workplace. I know what you might be thinking, who has time for play? I've got this business, this job, relationship, kids, etc. Well, what if engaging in more play could help you tap into your truest self and feel happier and perform better every day? That's what Jeff shows to companies and individuals. He's worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day. He's also presented at conferences such as INBOUND and SXSW, and was recently selected by BambooHR and Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 for his organizational development work around dealing with toxic people in the workplace. Jeff might be the highest energy person I've had on the podcast, and I think you'll find my conversation with him to be an interesting change of pace. Timestamps 00:02:38 Rise of Superman book passage reaction 00:04:52 When did we decide that play was a waste of time for adults? 00:07:03 When did Jeff's exploration into play begin? 00:09:55 Did his parents encourage him to play? 00:13:30 Affluent deadness 00:15:37 Reconnecting with your childhood 00:19:34 Incorporating play into mechanical engineering 00:20:58 Overview of Rediscover Your Play 00:23:15 Addressing the toxic person at work 00:27:04 Navigating uncertainty through play 00:28:55 Problem with fixating on the result 00:30:55 Will play ever become mainstream? 00:33:05 Why make time for play? 00:34:57 How his work impacts company recruiters 00:37:31 How receptive are companies to Jeff's workshops? 00:40:26 The 8-hour workday 00:42:25 How he's adjusted to the pandemic 00:44:13 Why "play" plays an even more important role during the pandemic 00:48:51 What it means to actually play 00:51:43 Ultimate vision for Rediscover Your Play 00:53:30 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:54:45 His daily routine 00:56:50 His driving force

Today's guest is Jake Bullock. Jake is the founder and CEO of Ravn, a defense technology company building next generation technology for military personnel. Their platform, built from the ground up for use on the front lines, delivers mission-critical intelligence to service members when they need it most. The inspiration for Jake to start Ravn came from his experience as a Navy SEAL. On his first deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan, Jake made a mistake on the battlefield as a result of poor information. That mistake weighed pretty heavily on Jake, and after several more deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan he knew that he had to solve this problem of poor information and communication on the battlefield. In this interview, we get into why Jake wanted to become a Navy SEAL, his time in the SEAL Teams, human performance as an operator vs an entrepreneur, and all things Ravn. Timestamps 00:02:11 Interest in joining the military 00:04:36 How he prepared for BUD/S 00:07:35 His mindset going into and at BUD/S 00:09:52 Biggest takeaways from going through BUD/S 00:13:20 How many years he was in the Navy and where he was deployed 00:16:08 Optimizing his performance as a SEAL 00:19:10 What surprised him the most when he was in the SEAL Teams 00:20:07 How serving as a SEAL changed his perspective on life 00:21:43 What the transition into civilian life was like for him 00:25:23 Inspiration to start Ravn 00:27:13 Ravn overview 00:29:45 The problem with introducing disruptive technologies to military personnel 00:33:36 Augmented reality and how it applies to Ravn 00:38:37 Theoretical use case of Ravn 00:43:26 Applications of their technology outside of the military 00:44:18 Ultimate vision for Ravn 00:46:46 Biggest lessons he's learned so far about entrepreneurship 00:49:03 Why he's pissed at where history has gotten us 00:50:10 His daily routine 00:51:16 His driving force 00:53:07 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur  

Today's guest is Andy Ramage. Andy is a former professional soccer player, who following an injury which cut short his career, went on to co-create two multimillion-dollar city brokerages. But after achieving traditional “success” Andy was left feeling broken. He was unfit, unhealthy, overweight, stressed and unhappy. Andy believed there had to be another way to be successful while staying super fit, healthy, maintaining a happy home life and doing it with a smile on his face. So, 10 years ago Andy went on an adventure to study the art of behavioral change and elite performance. The techniques Andy uncovered transformed his mind, body, business and most importantly his relationships. Perhaps the key to it all for Andy though was when he decided to stop drinking alcohol. By quitting alcohol, he found it easier to eat healthy, exercise more, have better relationships and found more time in the day, every day. Inspired, Andy firstly co-founded a world-leading behavioral change platform (OYNB) OneYearNoBeer.com which is a 28,90 or 365-day alcohol-free challenge, inspiring over 100,000 people to transform their relationship with alcohol. And his latest venture, Seneca Performance is revolutionizing corporate wellness through its unique mind, body and lifestyle management program for elite business professionals. In this interview, we get into Andy's time as a professional soccer player, his career as an oil broker, his journey of studying behavioral change and elite performance, and One Year No Beer. Timestamps 00:03:07 Growing up in East London 00:04:55 Aspirations to become a pro soccer player 00:10:05 Talent vs. mental toughness 00:12:11 Position he played in soccer 00:12:27 Biggest takeaways from playing pro soccer 00:14:00 His career ending injury 00:17:20 Transitioning out of pro soccer and ending up in banking 00:21:26 Role of an oil broker 00:23:41 Drinking as part of his banking career 00:28:50 Did he ever talk to anyone about what he was going through during banking? 00:30:24 What he focused on initially to transform his health & wellbeing 00:33:06 How he entertained banking clients without drinking 00:37:02 The genesis of OneYearNoBeer (OYNB) 00:42:24 OYNB overview 00:44:01 Who is OYNB for? 00:44:57 Effective strategies for people to maintain strong social lives without drinking 00:47:32 Why describe OYNB as a behavioral change platform? 00:49:06 The compound interest of drinking 00:51:17 Quitting alcohol gives you time back 00:53:23 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:55:47 Books that have made a significant impact on his life 00:56:52 His daily routine 00:58:12 His driving force 00:59:08 Parting words of wisdom around evaluating your relationship with alcohol  

Today's guest is Peter Chee. Peter loves tackling what he likes to call “peak experiences” and has often found these experiences through entrepreneurship and endurance sport. Currently, Peter is the founder and CEO of Thinkspace. Based in the Seattle area, Thinkspace provides workspace for a community of entrepreneurs, tech startups, non-profits, and small businesses with a common affinity for passion and inspiration. Prior to Thinkspace, he launched the Entrepreneur Organization's Accelerator Program which focuses on helping startups go from $250K to reach $1M in revenue. He also had almost a 10 year stint in the tech industry in which he worked in software and database development for companies like Disney and Paul Allen's Starwave Corporation. On the endurance side of things, Peter runs just about every day as he prepares for his next marathon (of which he's done 13). He finds time to both run Thinkspace and prepare for marathons while raising three kids. In this interview, we get into Peter's time growing up in Seattle, his stint in the tech industry during the dot-com bubble and lessons learned, Thinkspace, and his endurance athletics career. Timestamps 00:02:46 Entrepreneurship as part of the family growing up 00:07:08 What he was passionate about as a kid 00:09:01 His desire to seek out peak experiences 00:10:31 Why he went into data analysis as a career path after college 00:13:23 Starwave Corporation 00:15:46 Onecast Media and lessons learned from a failed startup 00:20:28 Disney and lessons learned from working there 00:24:12 Pivot to real estate and working with his dad 00:28:40 Genesis of Thinkspace 00:30:14 Thinkspace overview 00:36:05 Covid-19's impact on Thinkspace 00:41:38 Ultimate vision for Thinkspace 00:43:21 Beginning of his endurance athletics career 00:46:09 His marathoning journey 00:52:01 His weekly training schedule 00:56:11 How he's balanced business, endurance athletics, and being a father 00:58:15 Similarities between entrepreneurship and endurance athletics 01:00:51 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:02:10 His daily routine 01:04:37 His driving force 01:06:05 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur/athlete

Today's guest is Chris Thomson. Chris is the Co-owner and Head Coach of The Student Works Management Program; an entrepreneur training program for university students across Eastern Canada that helps them develop the necessary skills to become the leaders of tomorrow. The program allows these students the ability to start and run their own business for the summer, with some making over $100k of revenue their first year of business. Chris has been running this program for the past 30+ years which has helped grow over 160 millionaires and counting. Chris is also the Host of the Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast, a podcast that captures hundreds of their alumni's stories and how they have been able to build upon the skills and values they discovered during their time in the program. In this interview, we get into Chris's time growing up in Canada, the lessons he learned as a competitive swimmer, the evolution of the Student Works business, and all of the different ways the program grows the leaders of tomorrow. Timestamps 00:03:07 Growing up in Toronto, Canada 00:06:43 Being a competitive swimmer 00:10:02 Time in college 00:14:15 First few roles after college 00:15:06 Why he joined Student Works 00:16:38 Evolution of the company over the years 00:23:34 Overview of Student Works today 00:30:10 How do they screen program applicants? 00:35:22 How students' grades are impacted by the program 00:37:53 Key skills students are learning in the program 00:41:06 Why his program is considered a "business school of the 21st century" 00:43:45 Ultimate vision for Student Works 00:45:14 How he's had to adjust the business due to Covid-19 00:52:54 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:54:01 His daily routine 00:57:55 His driving force 00:59:56 Parting words of career advice for the young professional listening

Today's guest is Dr. Gil Blander. Gil is internationally recognized for his research in the basic biology of aging and translating research discoveries into new ways of detecting and preventing age-related conditions. He leads a team of biology, nutrition & exercise physiology experts, and computer scientists at InsideTracker, and has been featured in CNN Money, The New York Times, Forbes, Financial times, and The Boston Globe to name a few. Gil received a Ph.D. in biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science and completed his Post-Doctoral fellowship at MIT. In 2009, Gil founded InsideTracker alongside leading scientists in aging, genetics and biometric data from MIT, Tufts, and Harvard to realize his mission to transform the way every human being eats, sleeps, and moves to live a longer, better life. InsideTracker is the leading personalized nutrition platform which generates ultra-customized recommendations to optimize an individual's health by tracking and analyzing blood and genetic biomarkers using a patent-pending algorithm. The expert system matches the most relevant, science-based recommendations to each individual based on blood data, DNA data and demographics, as well as self-reported preferences and goals. I recently received my bloodwork results back from InsideTracker and was very impressed by the platform's specificity of recommendations and more importantly, why it's recommending a certain food, form of exercise, or supplement. If you'd like to try it out too, go to InsideTracker.com, choose a plan, and use the code DRIVINGFORCE (all one word) at checkout for 25% off anything sitewide. That's DRIVINGFORCE at checkout for 25% off your plan. I've also included a link in the show notes to bring you directly to the InsideTracker plans page. In my interview with Gil, we discuss the origins of his interest in longevity, the inspiration to start InsideTracker, how the InsideTracker platform works, blood biomarkers vs. physiological markers, and much more! Link to InsideTracker plans: https://hubs.ly/H0Fdd7h0 Timestamps 00:03:49 Growing up in Israel and interest in longevity 00:07:02 What his parents did for work 00:07:48 Inspiration to start InsideTracker 00:10:31 Story around starting InsideTracker 00:15:43 InsideTracker overview 00:20:00 Biomarkers vs. physiomarkers 00:23:56 How he determined which blood biomarkers they would test 00:28:27 Really important blood biomarkers 00:32:19 How someone can get tested using InsideTracker 00:34:48 How do the InsideTracker recommendations work? 00:40:48 The InsideTracker mobile app 00:43:15 Biological vs. chronological age 00:48:56 Challenges consumers face in adopting a personalized approach to nutrition 00:54:18 Biomarkers significant to fighting Covid-19 00:56:42 Key learnings from starting InsideTracker 00:59:27 Biggest challenges facing InsideTracker as they look to grow 01:00:53 Ultimate vision for InsideTracker 01:01:50 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:02:21 His daily routine 01:03:25 His driving force 01:03:54 Parting words of wisdom around optimizing our health

Today's guest is Roger Woodall. Roger is one of the leaders when it comes to events in the UK. Over the past 20+ years, he's created and owned 1,500 Live Events, 12 Bournemouth 7s Festivals, sold over 1 Million tickets and built/sold an International sportswear brand. Entrepreneurship and bringing people together have always been a part of Roger's life. He grew up in his parents' busy pub on the River Thames, which also happened to be next door to a nightclub. Even at the age of 10, he saw opportunities to make money and did everything from dumpster diving for toys to sell on a stand to selling Saturday night VIP Line Jump Tickets to the nightclub next door. He was earning £600 a weekend, at 10 years old! This success only scaled up from there for Roger. While in college, he started a student nightclub brands company and in total hosted over 1500 parties in major cities across the UK for over 9 years. Then, in 2007, while sitting on Bournemouth Beach, he came up with the idea for Bournemouth 7s which is now the world's largest sport & music festival with about 30,000 people showing up every year for the 3 day event. Obviously, the pandemic didn't allow for the festival to go on in 2020, and so Roger pivoted to create some new ventures. The first, creating a podcast called the Eventful Entrepreneur, and the second, building an online course dedicated to helping people put on successful events. In this interview, we get into Roger's time growing up in the pubs, his love of sport and rugby, his student nightclub business, Bournemouth 7s, and how he's adjusted to the pandemic. Timestamps 00:02:49 Being called "Dodge" 00:03:31 Growing in pubs in London 00:07:36 Cutting deals at the age of 10 00:11:43 Becoming street smart at an early age 00:16:10 Growing up with a pet monkey 00:18:25 Going to school while living in pubs 00:22:37 Why school isn't built for entrepreneurs 00:24:11 Playing rugby and love for sport 00:29:00 The student nightclub business 00:36:55 The idea for Bournemouth 7s festival 00:40:25 The impact the Great Recession had on the festival's launch 00:46:49 Ultimate vision for Bournemouth 7s 00:48:09 His pandemic pivot 00:54:04 His driving force

Today's guest is Sara Gross. Sara is the Founder and CEO of Live Feisty Media, a progressive media outlet aimed at empowering new perspectives in triathlon & beyond. The company empowers these new perspectives through the production of podcasts, written content, and videos. Prior to founding Live Feisty, Sara was a professional triathlete for 13 years, mainly focusing on long course triathlon and Ironman events. Her triathlon career accolades include: winning the 2014 Ironman Brazil and the 2014 Ironman North American Championships; being named the Canadian Long Course athlete of the year in 2008; and compiling 20 top 5 Ironman finishes around the world. Sara also holds a PhD in Ancient History and Religion with her dissertation in the field of women's history. She continues to remain passionate about women's history today and in addition to the work she does with Live Feisty, Sara is also the co-founder of the Outspoken: Women in Triathlon Summit. In this interview, we get into Sara's experience growing up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), her passion and studies in women's history, her pro triathlon career, and of course, Live Feisty Media. Timestamps 00:02:48 Moving to the UAE from Canada 00:06:37 What the Dubai area was like when she was growing up there 00:07:55 Sports she played growing up 00:09:49 Biggest shock for her when she moved to the UAE 00:11:46 When her passion for women's history started 00:14:17 Studying world religions in college 00:16:07 Career ambitions while in college 00:16:40 College swim team 00:18:55 Continuing graduate studies in women's history 00:24:38 Her start in triathlon 00:29:13 What changed in 2014 to get her over the hump in winning her first Ironman races 00:32:06 Her favorite Ironman races 00:33:50 Biggest takeaways from competing as a pro triathlete 00:35:27 Why she stopped competing professionally 00:36:20 2015 Kona qualification changes 00:39:17 Live Feisty Media 00:43:49 Ultimate vision for Live Feisty Media 00:45:22 What would she want to have accomplished 5 years from now 00:47:04 Her daily routine 00:47:53 Her driving force 00:48:31 Advice around staying committed to your passions

Today's guest is Markeith Price. Markeith is a visually impaired track & field athlete from Baltimore, MD who competes in track & field, specializing in the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints and long jump events. At the Rio 2016 Games, he achieved his best Paralympic result, a 5th place finish in the 400m. Markeith's dream is to reach the medals podium at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics and of course, strive for the gold medal. At age 3, Markeith was diagnosed with optic atrophy, a rare and permanent visual impairment caused by damage to the optic nerve. In Markeith's case, his optic nerves were not fully developed at birth. Never allowing his loss of vision to slow down his body or his mind, Markeith embraced sport and fell in love with running. Markeith is a college graduate and is passionate about promoting the value of education. In 2013, Markeith founded the I C You Foundation, which serves the Baltimore community by providing scholarships and resources to visually impaired students and funding to various schools of the blind. He's also working on getting his Master's in Information Systems to support his entrepreneurial ventures and post-pro running career. In this interview, we discuss how Markeith has had to adjust his training due to the pandemic, what it's been like for him to live with optic atrophy, his love of running and fashion, and his quest to medal at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. Timestamps 00:03:08 Adjusting due to the pandemic 00:06:22 Dealing with the news that the Paralympics were canceled 00:07:48 Specific training adjustments during the pandemic 00:11:42 Growing up in Baltimore, MD 00:14:44 Where his self-motivation comes from 00:16:00 Optic Atrophy and how it affects his vision 00:24:03 When he found his love for running 00:26:55 Running track at Division I Tennessee State University 00:30:20 Getting disqualified in track 00:33:23 His interest in fashion and starting a new business 00:40:45 Career ambitions post Paralympic career 00:44:18 When he set his sights on becoming a Paralympian 00:46:53 Road to becoming a Paralympian 00:48:40 Process of accepting his disability 00:51:05 The events that he competes in 00:53:00 Missing out on the Beijing Paralympics 00:57:14 Experience at his first Paralympic Games 01:01:52 Goal for Tokyo Paralympics 01:02:55 His weekly training schedule 01:12:40 How he trains his mind 01:19:46 Biggest athlete influences for him 01:23:55 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:26:17 His daily routine 01:29:00 His driving force 01:29:49 Parting words of wisdom around staying driven  

Today's guest is Chase Damiano. Chase helps get entrepreneurs out of the weeds. He works as a business advisor, consultant, and coach to founders and CEOs and more specifically, helps them clarify their vision, building scalable operational strategies, and executing alongside their team. Few people truly understand the entrepreneurial mindset and journey, but Chase certainly does. Prior to his current consulting and coaching work, Chase served as the Chief Operating Officer for 5 years at Commonwealth Joe, a venture-backed beverage technology start-up in Arlington, VA. He partnered with the founder to accelerate annual revenue from $60,000 to a 7-figure ARR, grow from 1 to over 500 regional customers, and scaled the team from 2 to 70 employees. It was through all of the highs and lows of this experience that inspired him to help entrepreneurs in their journeys. In this interview, we get into Chase's original path to become a chemical engineer, the shift to business and working in management consulting, his time at Commonwealth Joe and lessons learned, and his current work helping entrepreneurs get out of the weeds. Timestamps 00:02:28 Growing up in Mechanicsville, VA and early career ambitions 00:08:07 Is entrepreneurship something you're born with? 00:09:42 Majoring in chemical engineering and economics in college 00:13:10 Career ambitions in college and the birth of his son 00:16:13 Path to working at Accenture 00:19:10 His role at Accenture 00:21:25 When he caught the entrepreneurial bug 00:23:26 Biggest takeaways from working at Accenture 00:26:08 Opportunity to join Commonwealth Joe 00:28:42 Overview of Commonwealth Joe 00:30:21 Transitioning from a global consulting firm to a startup 00:33:04 Mindset shifts in order to thrive in a startup environment 00:37:02 Biggest takeaways from working at Commonwealth Joe 00:38:59 How he built himself out of Commonwealth Joe 00:43:16 The spark to start his own venture and taking a sabbatical 00:52:50 His current venture and how he helps founders 00:57:38 His ultimate vision for his business 00:58:51 How he lives a principled life 01:00:53 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:01:52 His daily routine 01:05:13 His driving force 01:06:56 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today's guest is fellow Bentley University alum, Mel Latham. Mel is an international poet, voice, creator and author of 'Brown Butter.' Born in Boston but now living in Brooklyn, Mel has been sharing spoken word poetry on stages across the U.S. and Europe, in major cities like Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, London, Berlin and more. In 2019, Mel released her debut book of poetry, Brown Butter, a collection of affirming words and poems for self love, worth, expression and healing. She then booked her own European book tour, with shows in Copenhagen, Berlin and London, selling out of her books at her first stop. As a firm believer in the healing power of words, Mel founded a collective space for positive self-talk and views for self, called Vow to Self. She's the host of the Vow to Self podcast and The Daily Shine, a meditation podcast by The Shine App, voted one of Apple's best self-care apps of 2020. In addition to all of this work, Mel is also the Director of Marketing and Communications at Riverview Capital, a Boston based investment and wealth management firm. In this interview, we get into Mel's passion for poetry and storytelling, what led her to studying marketing at Bentley, the healing power of words, her book Brown Butter, and the Vow to Self platform. Timestamps 00:03:03 Growing up in Boston and values 00:06:16 Passion for poetry and storytelling 00:08:52 What led her to Bentley University 00:11:20 Racism in institutions 00:13:36 Marketing and career aspirations at Bentley 00:17:11 Working at Riverview Capital 00:18:20 Shift to pursuing poetry and moving to New York City 00:20:27 What she's working on today 00:21:32 What inspired her to perform poetry 00:23:02 Spoken poetry and the healing power of words 00:25:37 The Shine App 00:27:10 Power of affirmations and journaling 00:29:05 Her book Brown Butter 00:32:40 Book tour experience 00:36:11 Biggest takeaways from writing her book 00:37:02 What her writing process looks like 00:38:52 Vow to Self 00:40:05 Adjusting to the pandemic 00:43:25 What she wants to have accomplished 10 years from now 00:44:56 Her daily routine 00:46:52 Her driving force 00:48:38 Parting words of wisdom around compassion

Today's guest is Rich Keller. Rich is a CATALYST. That's his “one word” personal brand and he's on a mission to transform one million lives, “one word” at a time. With over 20 years of experience as a brand marketing executive for some of the world's most iconic consumer brands like Godiva Chocolate, Chips Ahoy! Cookies, and Planters Peanuts, Rich travels the country as a motivational speaker showing young entrepreneurs how crafting their personal brands and their business ventures around their ‘One Word' core value is the pathway to achieving excellence. Rich and his wife are also cancer survivors, with Rich having beaten testicular cancer and his wife beating breast cancer. There's much more to his story, and Rich does fantastic job of illustrating it and bringing out the lessons learned. In this interview, we get into how and why Rich felt invisible growing up, his time as an accountant, the shift to working in marketing for consumer brands, battling cancer, and the current work he does in helping people find their “One Word”. Timestamps 00:02:37 The story behind his bandana 00:05:19 Growing up in Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY 00:07:22 Growing up in a disconnected home 00:11:55 Success is the best revenge mentality 00:17:35 College days and majoring in accounting 00:23:06 Working in accounting 00:26:34 The moment he knew he wanted to work in consumer 00:29:07 Biggest takeaways from working in accounting 00:31:05 Going to business school at Wharton 00:37:45 Is he extroverted or introverted? 00:39:30 Challenge of finding a marketing job in business school 00:42:53 Moment he knew marketing was for him 00:44:45 Rundown of his marketing career 00:51:15 Importance of having a support system as you progress in your career 00:53:18 Working at the lingerie company and why he left the corporate world 01:00:14 Getting diagnosed with testicular cancer 01:03:26 Battling the cancer 01:05:43 How cancer changed his perspective on life 01:08:11 His wife's cancer diagnosis and how he dealt with it 01:14:50 How him and his wife's cancers have influenced them as parents 01:19:13 The shift to his current venture 01:20:53 The "One Word" idea 01:37:52 What he wants to accomplish over the next few years 01:39:13 His daily routine 01:44:28 His driving force 01:47:52 Parting words of wisdom around personal branding & development  

Today's guest is Mark Gainey. Mark is the co-founder and Chairman of Strava, the leading social platform for athletes. Mark grew up in Reno, Nevada and was slated to run cross country for Harvard. However, after being sidelined by an injury, he then got recruited to join the crew team where he would meet his Strava co-founder, Michael Horvath. It would be many years before they would start Strava, and Mark's first job after graduating college was at the growth equity firm TA Associates. While at TA, Mark spent nearly 5 years talking with entrepreneurs and learning about their businesses. He wanted to be on the other side of the table. And so, Mark and Michael reconvened in the mid-90's and began brainstorming a business that would eventually become Kana Communications, an email management software company. Kana became wildly successful and Mark left the company after four years. After several years of advisory type work, Mark was itching to start something again and thought back to the idea he had of somehow re-creating the team-like atmosphere he experienced while on the Harvard Crew team. He then reached back out to Michael Horvath and they began creating what would become Strava. In this interview, we discuss Mark's time growing up in Reno, Nevada, his experience on the Harvard Crew team, his time talking with entrepreneurs at TA, Kana Communications, and of course, Strava. Timestamps 00:02:53 Growing up in Reno, Nevada 00:07:00 Path to Harvard 00:09:50 Harvard Crew Team experience 00:16:01 Career ambitions while at Harvard 00:17:35 Time at TA Associates 00:20:57 Launching Kana Communications 00:23:14 Kana overview 00:28:51 Unfinished business with Kana 00:33:40 Strava overview 00:35:33 Genesis of Strava 00:38:26 Go an inch wide and a mile deep 00:42:12 How the Strava user base has grown 00:44:46 Strava's business model 00:47:31 Building community at Strava 00:50:12 Ultimate vision for Strava 00:54:07 What he wants to create 5 years from now 00:55:40 Time in Strava app vs. time spent being active 00:59:23 His daily routine 01:00:50 His driving force 01:02:24 Advice for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today's guest is Brandon Green. Brandon is an award-winning entrepreneur with several businesses and is a nationally recognized speaker and expert on balancing success and purpose and leading with passion and practicality. Brandon grew up in Wyoming and Iowa as the eldest child in a Mormon household. A defining moment in his life came in his adolescence when, instead of going on a Mormon mission, he chose to join the global youth educational organization Up With People. After a two-year international tour with Up With People, Brandon then moved the Washington DC area and landed a job in sales and shortly thereafter transitioned to real estate in 2001. By 2006 Brandon co-founded the Keller Williams Capital Properties real estate organization and together with his partners built it into a regional network of 8 offices and $2 billion in annual sales in a little more than a decade. He's accomplished all of this without a college degree. In this interview, we get into Brandon's time growing up in Wyoming and Iowa, his tour with Up with People, his experience coming out as gay, his real estate career, and the many different ventures he has going on today. Timestamps 00:02:33 Growing up in Wyoming and Iowa 00:08:23 Deciding to join Up With People 00:10:08 Fundraising to join Up With People 00:13:31 Up With People overview 00:15:16 Biggest takeaways from Up With People experience 00:19:10 Experience coming out as gay 00:25:11 Balancing love and ambition over the years 00:27:26 Moving to Baltimore without a job or apartment 00:31:50 Transition to real estate 00:33:53 Experience as a real estate agent 00:36:33 Starting his own real estate company 00:38:11 Distinctions between sales success and business success 00:39:13 Overview of his real estate company and his role 00:42:51 Impact of Great Recession on his company 00:44:45 Lessons learned about entrepreneurship 00:48:03 How he recruited employees during the Great Recession 00:49:38 Adjusting to the pandemic 00:52:27 His daily routine 00:56:12 Why he's focusing more on his personal brand 00:57:45 His driving force 00:59:40 Advice around achieving great business success

Today's guest is Jeff Gothelf. Jeff works as a coach, speaker, author & consultant to help organizations build better products and executives build the cultures that build better products. After his rock band prospects and ambitions faded away, Jeff's first job out of college was in the circus. That's right, clowns, the human cannonball, trapeze artists, the whole bit. Jeff worked as an audio engineer for the circus but soon realized a life in the circus wasn't the life for him. After leaving the circus, he transitioned to working as a designer for some of the first companies to use the internet as a new communication, sales and service channel. Having worked at early internet firms like America Online (AOL) and iXL he saw first-hand the potential this new way of communicating had to transform how we lived, worked and transacted. However, much of the work he was doing was focused on getting software shipped to market with little concern for how well these products and services met the needs of our customers and users. He knew there had to be a better way. So, Jeff decided to go out on his own and become an independent consultant to large organizations struggling with their digital transformation, increasing their agility and integrating good product management and User Experience practices into their ways of working. In this interview, he get into how Jeff has adjusted to the pandemic living in Barcelona, his time in the circus, the importance of quality product development and user experience in today's digital age, and his new book Forever Employable. Timestamps 00:03:05 Adjusting to the pandemic living in Barcelona 00:11:50 Growing up in Israel 00:18:15 College days & Mass Communication 00:24:55 Working in the circus 00:31:31 Biggest takeaways from working in the circus 00:33:09 Transitioning to the corporate world during the dot com bubble 00:37:36 Passion for product development and user experience 00:43:07 Starting his own venture 00:44:18 His book "Forever Employable" 00:48:08 Why learning and humility are in short supply 00:52:20 His driving force 00:53:12 Parting advice on career development

Today's guest is Jeff Byers. Jeff is the co-founder and CEO of Amp Human, a Park City, Utah based company dedicated to creating a new and trusted category of products to help humans push their limits. Their flagship product PR Lotion gives the body more bicarbonate (a natural electrolyte) to neutralize acid in muscles which allows athletes to push harder, feel better, and go longer. And let me tell you, the stuff works. I put it on before my hard training days and every time during the workout I'm stunned by how less tired my muscles feel towards the end. PR Lotion is relied on daily by the world's best athletes including Superbowl teams, Stanley Cup Finals teams, Tour de France winners, and a broad base of athletes and adventurers. Prior to his business career, Jeff spent the majority of the first half of his life as an offensive lineman at the highest collegiate and professional levels. After being selected as the top high school football recruit in the country, Jeff went on to play at USC under coach Pete Carroll. After getting his MBA at USC, he then went on to play in the NFL for about 4 seasons spending most of his time with the Carolina Panthers. In this interview, we get into Jeff's penchant for grit and suffering, his up and down football career, Amp Human, and thoughts on the human performance space. Timestamps 00:02:46 Growing up playing sports in the Midwest 00:05:44 Penchant for challenge and suffering 00:08:40 Commitment to football 00:12:25 Offensive lineman position 00:16:11 Playing football and studying at USC 00:19:27 Realization of life after football 00:26:18 NFL career 00:27:58 Biggest takeaways from playing in the NFL 00:33:14 Transitioning out of the NFL 00:36:18 Working in finance and why he left finance 00:38:10 Genesis of Amp Human 00:42:00 How the opportunity came about to join the biotech company 00:44:12 The name "Amp Human" 00:45:56 Core customers and target audience 00:47:37 PR Lotion 00:54:10 Innovation at Amp Human 01:00:28 Adjusting to the pandemic 01:02:50 What excites him the most about the human performance space 01:04:54 What he wants to create/accomplish 5 years from now 01:06:12 His daily routine 01:07:44 His driving force 01:08:57 Advice around embracing adversity and challenge

Today's guest is Christine McHugh. Christine first started working for Starbucks as a barista at 19 years old. Little did she know at that time that it would mark the beginning of her 27-year career at the company. Her first job for Starbucks as a barista was when the company had 37 stores. 25 years later, and she's leading some of the most important strategic initiatives for Starbucks across over 13,000 stores in the US and Canada. So, it's fitting that her up and coming book is titled “From Barista to the Boardroom”, which is expected to be published next year. Christine left Starbucks in 2017 but certainly did not rest on her laurels. Looking for a completely new challenge, she took on the role of Chief Strategy Officer at Tangelo Health, a startup sports chiropractic and rehabilitation company. After successfully expanding their market presence and driving unprecedented revenue growth in her two years there, she left to focus full time on her own consulting firm. Her professional focus today is her consulting firm where she specializes in working with small to medium sized growing businesses in the services industry. Outside of work, Christine is an avid distance runner and is planning to race her fifth marathon next year in Chicago. I should also mention that she serves on the advisory board for Gritlink (which, if you remember, is the company founded by another one of podcast guests, Cortney Jacobsen). In this interview, we get into Christine's time growing up in Alaska, her long career at Starbucks and stint at Tangelo Health, her current work as a consultant, and her passion for distance running. Timestamps 00:02:51 Growing up in Alaska with a family of politicians 00:09:58 Moving to Seattle 00:14:20 Interest in working for Starbucks 00:18:58 Caught up in the growth of Starbucks 00:21:33 Times she thought about leaving Starbucks 00:23:33 Her progression at Starbucks 00:27:12 Standout projects at Starbucks 00:31:40 Why she stayed at Starbucks for all those years 00:33:50 Leaving Starbucks 00:37:43 Importance of having a support system as you grow professionally 00:40:20 Attaching her identity to Starbucks 00:42:05 Biggest takeaways from working at Starbucks 00:43:12 Tangelo Health overview 00:47:25 What she enjoyed most about working at Tangelo 00:50:03 Small company vs large enterprise 00:53:37 Starting her consulting firm 00:58:35 How she helps her clients 01:03:46 Ultimate vision for her firm 01:04:57 Starting her distance running career 01:07:05 Why does she run? 01:09:39 Parallels between marathon training and business 01:12:55 One big goal she'd love to accomplish over the next few years 01:14:34 Her daily routine 01:15:55 Her driving force 01:18:23 Parting career development advice

Today's guest is one of my jiu-jitsu teammates, Tony Negron. After a highly decorated 26-year career in the Air Force, Tony has dedicated his post-military career to aiding both active duty veterans as well as those who have separated from the military through business ventures and charitable organizations. While on active duty, Tony served as a Pararescueman and rose to the level of Pararescue Functional Manager of Air Combat Command, overseeing policy, manpower, and readiness. His work as an operator with Joint Special Operations Command saw him overseeing some of the most critical and strategic missions in our War on Terror from 2000 to 2006. After leaving the military in 2015, Tony took over the SEI business. In leading SEI, Tony works directly with the Department of Defense in providing training to active duty special operations personnel through customized Leadership, Medical, Tactical, and Mountaineering courses. Tony is also a Principal at Fusion Cell, a Windham, NH based company whose mission is to assist transitioning veterans with job placement by matching their unique skill set and talents to the civilian workforce. Lastly, Tony serves on the Board of Directors of the Pararescue Foundation and helps lead their mission in preserving and supporting the Pararescue community. In this interview, we get into Tony's decision to join the Air Force and become a Pararescueman, his career in the Air Force, his current work in aiding both active duty veterans and those who have transitioned out, and his thoughts on leadership and managing high performance teams. Timestamps 00:03:20 Growing up in Indiana and interest in the military 00:09:50 Road to becoming a Pararescueman 00:12:25 What is a Pararescueman? 00:15:25 Pararescue training 00:20:40 Moving up the ranks in the Air Force 00:22:48 His journey in the Air Force 00:25:46 Lessons learned about leading teams from his time in the Air Force 00:29:35 Applying those lessons to business 00:33:50 His experience transitioning out 00:38:06 Opportunity to own SEI 00:41:11 SEI overview 00:44:18 What makes SEI trainings unique? 00:45:51 Professor Kevin Landry's role in SEI 00:48:03 Growing SEI over the coming years 00:50:25 Inspiration to start Fusion Cell 00:56:38 The name "Fusion Cell" 00:59:53 How they help veterans more easily find jobs 01:05:18 Ultimate vision for Fusion Cell 01:07:43 Formalizing the relationship between the military and companies 01:17:06 Some of the keys to becoming a high performer 01:20:59 His daily routine 01:23:41 His driving force 01:27:45 Parting words of wisdom around leading teams

Today's guest is Christian Graugart. Christian is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, author, and founder of BJJ Globetrotters. BJJ Globetrotters is the world's largest BJJ affiliation (of which I'm a member) with over 750 academies and over 21,000 members on the community's Facebook page. The BJJ Globetrotters 5-7 day long training camps have become some of the most sought after fixtures on the jiu-jitsu calendar – they're hosted everywhere from the Austrian Alps to the Arizona desert and the tropical island of Saint Barts. The mission of the community is simple: To continue spreading the message of a non-political, open minded and positive approach to training and life. Christian is originally from Denmark but currently lives in Saint Barts in the Caribbean. He started grappling in 1999, and in 2010 took an around the world trip to train Brazilian jiu-jitsu in as many places as possible. It took him to 56 academies around the globe in 140 days. It was this life-changing experience that led him to writing a book about the trip and eventually starting BJJ Globetrotters. In this interview, we get into Christian's martial arts background, the early days of jiu-jitsu in Europe, his around the world trip, and all things BJJ Globetrotters. Timestamps 00:02:55 Growing up in Denmark 00:04:30 Martial arts journey before jiu-jitsu 00:07:43 Discovering and starting jiu-jitsu 00:09:55 Training and competing in jiu-jitsu before his trip 00:13:51 Inspiration for his around the world jiu-jitsu trip 00:18:38 The around the world trip 00:24:37 Biggest takeaways from the trip 00:27:20 Returning from the trip 00:30:13 Inspiration for BJJ Globetrotters 00:33:55 BJJ Globetrotters community and camps 00:44:37 Moving to Saint Barts 00:47:00 Living in Saint Barts 00:49:00 Fascination with natural disasters 00:50:22 His contribution to jiu-jitsu 00:54:40 The day he got his black belt 00:55:55 His favorite submission 00:57:55 His daily routine 01:02:33 His driving force 01:03:39 He doesn't want to be anyone's life coach

Today's guest is Kevin Marasco. Kevin is a full-stack marketing leader, board advisor, startup investor, and ultra-runner. His current gig is as Chief Marketing Officer at Zenefits, an HR, payroll, and employee benefits software company purpose-built for small and mid-size businesses. Prior to Zenefits, Kevin was Chief Marketing Officer at Hirevue, where they grew 4,000%, went from 10% to 60%+ market share, and rated a Forbes top 10 Most Promising Company in America. As Kevin would put it, he's actually an “accidental” marketer. He started his career as a software engineer and aspiring rock star (his band got a record deal with a major label and opened for folks like Blink 182 and Sublime). When he's not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, running ultramarathons, Ironmans, surfing (he used to be a competitive surfer), and snowboarding. In this interview, we get into his days as a competitive surfer, his winding road from software engineer to marketing executive, his ultra-running career and training, and the stealth sports tech startup he's working on. Timestamps 00:02:38 Growing up surfing in Florida 00:12:38 College days and playing in bands 00:17:24 The many jobs he held during college 00:20:53 Working as a software engineer 00:26:50 How his experience as a software engineer benefits him as a tech executive 00:30:47 Pivoting to marketing 00:33:28 His road to Zenefits 00:36:25 Zenefits and his role there 00:47:12 Stealth sports tech startup 00:51:20 His ultrarunning career and training 00:59:25 How he's avoided burnout over the years 01:03:24 His daily routine 01:04:18 His driving force 01:06:11 Advice around living life to the fullest

Today's guest is Bruckner Chase. Bruckner is an internationally recognized ocean advocate and professional waterman. He's also an accomplished ultra-endurance athlete whose athletic career spans the most challenging events in water and on land. His 25-mile swim across Monterey Bay in 2010 launched both the BLUE Ocean Film Festival and his own career committed to moving others to sustainable action that benefits our oceans. Prior to this commitment to bettering our oceans, Bruckner was a corporate executive who worked in international project and brand development for companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch and West Marine. Today, as founder and President of the Bruckner Chase Ocean Positive non-profit, him and his team designs, develops and implements innovative and inspiring ocean adventures and programs that connect individuals and communities around the world to our oceans. His work has taken him all over the world from the Jersey Shore to Poland and the American Samoa. In this interview, we get into how he's adjusted to the pandemic, how he went from almost drowning twice as a kid to becoming a passionate ocean advocate, his 25-mile Monterey Bay swim, and the awesome work he does with his non-profit. Timestamps 00:02:32 How he's been adjusting to the pandemic 00:11:11 Relooking at the "why" behind your training 00:12:40 Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee 00:17:30 Finding his passion for the ocean 00:20:50 His corporate career 00:24:41 Deciding to leave the corporate world 00:25:26 His 25-mile Monterey Bay swim 00:35:03 His meditation practice 00:39:05 Biggest takeaways from his 25-mile swim 00:41:06 Surf lifesaving sports 00:47:58 His work with his foundation 00:52:55 NOAA Agency 00:57:31 His work in the American Samoa 01:02:18 Biggest misconceptions around ocean safety 01:07:38 What does it mean to be a waterman? 01:08:45 Ultimate vision for his non-profit 01:10:37 His daily routine 01:12:42 His driving force 01:14:33 Words of wisdom around taking care of our oceans

Today's guest is Elizabeth Carey. Elizabeth is a writer, editor, author, and running coach based in Seattle, Washington. She ran Division I cross country and track at Columbia University and it was her experiences as an elite-level collegiate athlete that inspired her to become a leading voice in the world of girls in sport. Burnout culture, work till you drop, unhealthy and unrealistic body expectations and so on were all things she experienced while at Columbia. Since leaving college, she's made it a point as both a coach and a writer to spread the word on how to best coach female athletes to help them perform and feel at their best. Most recently, this came into the form of a book titled Girls Running which she co-authored with former high school running phenom Melody Fairchild. In this interview, we get into how she stumbled upon her love of running, her experiences (both positive and negative) as a student-athlete at Columbia, her philosophy as a running coach, and her new book Girls Running. Timestamps 00:02:33 Growing up in Portland, Oregon 00:04:33 Getting into running 00:08:18 Passions outside of running growing up 00:09:07 Her time at Columbia University 00:12:54 Experiences as a runner at Columbia 00:21:50 Career ambitions in college 00:25:30 First job out of college 00:27:07 Journalism 00:29:52 Coaching runners 00:34:58 Post-college running career 00:37:50 Becoming a large voice in the world of girls sport 00:39:43 Girls Running book 00:49:50 What does she want to have accomplished 10 years from now? 00:50:32 Her daily routine 00:51:36 Her driving force 00:52:20 Parting words of wisdom/advice for the person training for their first distance race

We're switching things up for today's episode in that I'll be the one being interviewed. My background certainly isn't yet as impressive as any of my guests. However, I thought it might be good to give my listeners a window into the host's background and also share some of the insights I've gained from doing the podcast so far. One of my best friends Alberto Riveroll Usabiaga will be hosting today's episode and it will flow similarly to other episodes. We'll get into my upbringing on the seacoast of New Hampshire, the impact that tennis and martial arts has had on my life, my experience in private equity, and my takeaways so far from the podcast. Timestamps 00:02:23 Why did I want to get interviewed? 00:04:25 Growing up in New Hampshire 00:06:03 Living with my dad 00:08:08 Influence of other family members 00:11:53 Playing sports and getting into tennis 00:16:17 How tennis has influenced who I am today 00:17:30 Martial arts and jiu-jitsu 00:22:37 Decision to go to Bentley University 00:25:55 How Bentley changed my mindset around business 00:27:10 Quick thoughts about going to college 00:28:50 Initial interest in private equity 00:34:43 Getting the job at Equality Asset Management (Equality) 00:38:20 Role at Equality 00:45:42 Should high stress work environments be tolerated? 00:47:43 When did I realize that lifestyle wasn't sustainable for me? 00:53:10 Advice for people thinking about going into private equity 00:55:20 Leaving Equality 01:01:18 Why did I start the podcast 01:05:05 Similarities amongst the people that I've interviewed 01:07:55 Habits that I've picked up from my podcast guests 01:10:46 Sense of privacy with the podcast 01:13:57 Sense of responsibility to my listeners 01:15:00 My daily routine 01:16:30 What does my near future look like? 01:17:45 My interest in human performance 01:20:00 Some driving forces that stand out to me 01:21:45 My driving force  

Today's guest is Hoby Darling. Hoby is an accomplished C-suite executive and passionate athlete and adventurer. On the business side, he has been a senior leader for brands such as Nike, Converse, Skullcandy, Astro Gaming and Volcom, as well as being a board director or advisor for organizations in endurance sports, physical regeneration and recovery, and human performance private equity. On the athletic side, Hoby is a certified Crossfit coach, former personal trainer, and multiple time Ironman finisher. Today, his focus is on helping unlock human potential and extending human capabilities as a Senior Executive at Logitech, a global consumer electronics company, and as a Founding Partner at The Liminal Collective, a broader Collective of world-class human performance experts on a mission to push forward the limitless potential of humans. In this interview, we get into Hoby's small town upbringing, his winding journey from lawyer to CEO of Skullcandy, human performance and well-being, and his current roles at Logitech and Liminal Collective. Timestamps 00:02:48 How did he get the nickname "Hoby"? 00:04:25 Growing up in a small town 00:13:18 Park City, Utah 00:15:31 Being a product of your environment 00:17:28 College 00:19:31 Dropping out of college and moving to Mexico 00:22:02 The injury that changed his life 00:22:50 Identity changes 00:27:39 Days as a personal trainer 00:30:56 Career aspirations in college 00:32:46 Transition into law 00:41:50 Days as a corporate lawyer 00:49:15 Leaving law to go to Volcom 00:53:15 Learning everything, and outworking everyone 00:55:42 Contrast between Latham and Volcom 00:58:40 Moving to Nike 01:03:38 Role at Nike and working with the best athletes 01:06:21 Demystifying human performance 01:10:34 Becoming the CEO of Skullcandy 01:12:55 Skullcandy turnaround 01:19:02 Leaving Skullcandy 01:22:30 Genesis of Liminal Collective 01:28:08 His driving force 01:29:10 Advice for the busy professional around maintaining an active lifestyle

Today's guest is Cortney Jacobsen. Cortney is a passionate endurance athlete, product management veteran of the tech industry, and entrepreneur. Currently, she is the Senior Director of Product Management at Aduro, a human performance company that utilizes a combination of 1 on 1 coaching and technology to improve the lives of their corporate clients. She is also the co-founder of Gritlink, a platform that connects endurance and adventure enthusiasts with healthcare providers who are experts in working with athletes. Prior to Aduro and Gritlink, Cortney spent many years working as a product manager at companies like Amazon and Disney. As her passion as an endurance athlete grew during these years, so did her mission to help people live happier and healthier lives. As a result, while at Amazon, she launched a coaching business which she ran for about 6 years focused on helping senior-level business executives prepare for endurance events. In this interview, we get into her initial background as classical pianist, her career in product management, her passion for endurance athletics, and her current roles at Aduro and Gritlink. Timestamps 00:02:40 Growing up as a classical pianist 00:10:18 Focus shifting to math & science 00:12:14 Biggest takeaways as a classical pianist 00:15:06 What sparked her interest in endurance athletics 00:21:22 Her hardest races 00:25:36 Career ambitions while in college 00:27:15 First job out of college 00:30:50 Passion for product management 00:34:11 Getting into coaching 00:38:59 Her focus as a coach 00:44:03 Gritlink 00:54:29 Biggest lessons about entrepreneurship that she's learned so far 00:57:43 Ultimate vision for Gritlink 00:58:53 Her role at Aduro 01:02:45 What her days look like now 01:05:34 Next big athletic goal 01:06:35 Ideal day in the life 01:07:31 Has she ever burnt out? 01:08:05 Her driving force 01:08:50 Advice around maintaining an active lifestyle for the busy professional

Today's guest is Dave Kartagener. Having grown up in the industry, Dave has always had a passion for travel. He went on his first safari at the age of seven and has been exploring the world ever since, having now visited more than 50 countries. Today, Dave is President of Kartagener Associates (or “KAI”), a leader in marketing and sales representation for the travel industry. The KAI portfolio includes exclusive safari lodges in Africa, award winning Palaces in India, luxury cruise ships and Destination Management Companies around the globe. Dave hasn't always worked in travel and was reluctant after graduating college to join the company his dad started. So, prior to KAI, he spent several years quickly rising through the sales ranks at Madison Square Garden before eventually joining the family business in 2010. In this interview, we get into the impact that travel has had on his life, the benefits of travel, his years grinding it out selling tickets at MSG, and his company KAI and how Covid has changed everything in the industry. Timestamps 00:02:20 Growing up and traveling 00:09:46 Traveling for self-discovery 00:10:40 Early career ambitions 00:13:07 College days at Tulane 00:17:05 Getting the job at Madison Square Garden (MSG) 00:21:22 First role at MSG 00:27:22 Moving up the ranks at MSG 00:31:04 Leaving MSG and joining KAI 00:37:52 Overview of KAI 00:42:20 Inception of the business 00:46:05 Focus on long-haul destinations 00:48:35 His role at KAI 00:52:04 The KAI Foundation 00:56:43 Covid's impact on the business 01:04:33 How he's coping and moving forward in the Covid world 01:09:05 Ultimate vision for KAI 01:10:22 Young Travel Professionals organization 01:17:30 His daily routine 01:20:55 His driving force 01:23:10 Parting career advice for the young professional listening

Today's guest is Alli Schaper. Alli is an entrepreneur, community builder, and enthusiast for all things in the mushroom and wellness space. She started her career in corporate innovation and healthcare consulting and in 2019 launched a company called Zigii. Since then, she has partnered with 100+ wellness brands and industry leading clients in hospitality, corporate, and retail. Today, her professional focus is split across 3 ventures: The Multiverse – a functional mushroom marketplace, Zigii – her wellness gifting company, and lastly working as a brand strategy consultant in the health & wellness space. She's also done some modeling work and is the co-founder of MESH - a community-building initiative focused on intentional connections and curated dinner experiences in New York and LA. In this interview, we get into the genesis of her love of people, the shift from consulting to entrepreneurship, and all of her entrepreneurial ventures including Zigii, MESH, and the Multiverse. Timestamps 00:02:27 Growing up and early health issues 00:10:44 Early career ambitions 00:17:00 Consulting days 00:21:35 Starting Zigii 00:25:05 Overview of Zigii 00:30:26 Ultimate vision for Zigii 00:31:45 MESH 00:36:56 Passion for mushrooms 00:44:15 Her daily routine 00:47:00 Her driving force 00:48:28 Her holy grail of advice

Today's guest is Kristen Holmes. Kristen has spent her entire career and much of her life in high performance environments. In college, she was a 3x All American and 2x Big 10 Conference Athlete of the year at the University of Iowa competing in both Field Hockey and Basketball. She was a 7 year member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team and one of the most successful coaches in Ivy League history, having won 12 league titles in 13 seasons and a National Championship at Princeton University. She also founded a successful, nationwide field hockey camp and clinics business and ran it for 16 years. Today, Kristen is the Vice President of Performance Science at WHOOP, a consumer technology company that empowers its users to perform at a higher level through a deeper understanding of their bodies and daily lives. Her role is to drive thought leadership at WHOOP by using a meta approach to better understand individual and team performance across military, sports, and medicine. In this interview, we get into Kristen's sports background, her coaching philosophy and career, WHOOP, and all things performance optimization. Timestamps 00:02:41 Moving a lot growing up and sports background 00:09:45 College sports days 00:17:42 Outcome dissociation 00:19:53 Happiness is internal 00:21:20 Habits will accumulate 00:23:30 Extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation 00:26:16 Coaching and performance work after college 00:38:27 How Princeton Field Hockey became so successful 00:44:05 Opportunity to join Whoop 00:47:30 Heart Rate Variability 00:49:45 Whoop 00:54:51 Her role at Whoop 00:59:37 How she optimizes her performance 01:03:00 Her driving force 01:03:57 Importance of sleep

Today's guest is Nicole Ver Kuilen. At age 10, Nicole made the difficult decision to amputate her left leg to save her life from bone cancer. She would then spend the next 16 years fighting an outdated healthcare system to get access to the prosthetic technology she needed to be physically active. Finally, in 2017, Nicole had said enough is enough and decided to quit her job to engage full time in political activism and advocacy. What transpired next is nothing short of inspirational. She took on a 1500-mile triathlon - swimming, biking, and running down the Pacific Coast – to advocate and educate others on the barriers individuals like her face to living full, healthy lives. She called her journey Forrest Stump. Today, Forrest Stump is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to raising the standard of care for all amputees. Its focus is to raise awareness on the barriers amputees face in being physically active and advocate for expanded access to the appropriate prosthetic technology and care. In this interview, we discuss how Nicole dealt with cancer growing up, what it's like living with a prosthetic, her epic Forrest Stump triathlon, and goals and aspirations for the Forrest Stump nonprofit. Timestamps 00:02:22 Growing up 00:07:37 Cancer diagnosis & treatment 00:15:50 Decision to amputate her leg 00:18:35 Transition from treatment & amputation 00:25:28 Maintenance and upkeep of a prosthetic 00:36:48 First running races 00:41:56 Jobs before Forrest Stump 00:46:00 Quitting her job to embark on Forrest Stump 00:51:00 Forrest Stump triathlon 01:07:33 Creation of the nonprofit 01:11:04 Insurance policies around prosthetics 01:25:45 #wejustfeltlikerunning campaign 01:31:51 Big goal over the next 10 years 01:34:09 Her daily routine 01:35:50 Her driving force 01:36:36 Advice for the person listening who wants to run their first distance race  

Today's guest is Alex Harstrick. Alex is a Principal at Shields Capital where he leads investments in ambitious entrepreneurs looking to make positive disruption in the future of healthcare. Alex is very passionate about innovation and investment in healthcare and defense, two industries he has personal experience in. Prior to Shields Capital, he worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield where he helped manage their multi-stage venture portfolio and develop their internal strategy function. During this time he also received a commission as a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, leading Soldiers trained in counterintelligence and human intelligence operations. Upon his return from deployment on a special ops mission in the Middle East, Alex was then recruited to work at the Defense Innovation Unit. There, he worked on the Human Systems portfolio where he focused on human performance and what was going on to the actual bodies of military personnel. I should also mention that, in the weeks following our conversation, Alex secured a partnership with the CEO of Oura Ring to advise the company's expansion into the healthcare and defense markets. In this interview, we get into Alex's karate background, how the death of his mother shifted his reality and mindset, his college years, and the various jobs he's had over his career so far. Timestamps 00:02:32 Growing up and death of his mother 00:10:47 Karate background 00:18:20 College years 00:24:43 Days as a consultant 00:27:02 Blue Cross Blue Shield + US Army Reserve 00:38:05 Defense Innovation Unit 00:41:20 Shields Capital 00:47:00 His daily routine 00:49:18 His driving force 00:50:25 Career advice for the 20-something year old listening

Today's guest is Matt Mullenax. Matt is the founder and CEO of Huron, a company that makes premium men's personal care products without the premium price. Growing up, Matt was the kid with bad skin. He tried everything in order to clear up his skin and eventually found that the more premium products worked best. However, he couldn't justify spending that kind of money on personal care products. That's when the spark hit - to create a brand that offered products that would work just as well as super-premium brands but offered at approachable price points. Today, Huron's products include a body wash, face wash, eye stick, and face lotion. Prior to founding Huron, Matt got his MBA at Stanford and spent several years grinding it out in the finance world in investment banking and private equity. He also spent time at Bonobos in the early days where he got to witness first-hand what it meant to build a brand around a customer. In this interview, we get into Matt's football background, how he dealt with his skin growing up, his time in the finance world, and all things Huron and skin care. Timestamps 00:02:13 Football background 00:07:36 Dealing with his skin growing up 00:14:30 Investment banking days 00:19:56 Time at Bonobos 00:28:18 Private equity experience 00:34:05 Spark to start Huron 00:36:42 Huron 00:48:46 The evolving men's skin care market 00:51:36 Ultimate vision for Huron 00:53:53 His daily routine 00:54:37 His number one skin care tip 00:55:27 His driving force

Today's guest is Manny Lubin. Manny is the co-founder of Slate Milk, a lower sugar, higher protein, lactose free chocolate milk company. After years of waiting for a healthier, but still great tasting chocolate milk to hit the market, Slate founders Manny Lubin and Josh Belinsky decided to take action on the idea to revolutionize chocolate milk. Since launching the Kickstarter campaign for the company last year (in which they more than 5x'd their goal and raised over $50k), Slate Milk is now sold in over 400 locations with 3 flavors to choose from: dark chocolate, classic, and espresso. What's also cool is that there is no refrigeration required for their products. And, if you're a fan of the show Shark Tank, you may have seen them on the show earlier this year. Slate isn't Manny's first entrepreneurial venture, however. In 2016, he co-founded Reppr, a technology platform that connects brands with college student ambassadors throughout the country. In this interview, we discuss the Shark Tank experience, challenges facing the company during the covid-19 environment, Manny's background pre-Slate, and all things Slate and chocolate milk. Timestamps 00:03:35 Challenges running the business during the covid-19 pandemic 00:07:12 Shark Tank experience 00:16:20 His background 00:24:15 Slate inspiration and overview 00:27:25 Kickstarter campaign 00:30:38 What's wrong with traditional chocolate milk? 00:34:57 Who are they targeting the brand for? 00:36:06 Biggest challenges facing the company 00:41:53 Ultimate vision for Slate 00:44:21 His daily routine 00:45:57 His driving force 00:47:50 Advice for the budding entrepreneur listening