Growth Guide

On this episode, I return with Bradley Olson, a Depth Psychologist with a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Jungian Analytical Psychology. Bradley is the host of the Joseph Campbell foundation's flagship podcast, Pathways With Joseph Campbell. Bradley is also the editor of the MythBlast Series and a leading expert on Joseph Campbell's work. Our conversation covers so many rich topics that I've split it up into two episodes. For those who don't know Joseph Campbell's work, he was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. Campbell's best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth. Since the publication of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell's theories have been applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists. His philosophy has been summarized by his own often repeated phrase: "Follow your bliss." He gained recognition in Hollywood when George Lucas credited Campbell's work as influencing his Star Wars saga. Bradley is an incredible gatekeeper of this wisdom which applies today as much as ever. We cover topics like the hero's journey, power struggles, the currency of fear, and the art of tenderness and kindness. Let's get to it. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love Bradley Olson, Ph.D. • @josephcampbellfoundation • sked.link/josephcampbellfoundation • Pathways With Joseph Campbell (https://pathways-with-joseph-campbell.simplecast.com/)"

On this episode, I speak with Bradley Olson, a Depth Psychologist with a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Jungian Analytical Psychology. Bradley is the host of the Joseph Campbell foundation's flagship podcast, Pathways With Joseph Campbell. Bradley is also the editor of the MythBlast Series and a leading expert on Joseph Campbell's work. Our conversation covers so many rich topics that I've split it up into two episodes. For those who don't know Joseph Campbell's work, he was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. Campbell's best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth. Since the publication of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell's theories have been applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists. His philosophy has been summarized by his own often repeated phrase: "Follow your bliss." He gained recognition in Hollywood when George Lucas credited Campbell's work as influencing his Star Wars saga. Bradley is an incredible gatekeeper of this wisdom which applies today as much as ever. We cover topics like the hero's journey, power struggles, the currency of fear, and the art of tenderness and kindness. Let's get to it. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love Bradley Olson, Ph.D. • @josephcampbellfoundation • sked.link/josephcampbellfoundation • Pathways With Joseph Campbell (https://pathways-with-joseph-campbell.simplecast.com/)"

Monte Farber is a one-of-a-kind character. He's an acclaimed astrologer, psychic and author of over 40 books published around the world in fourteen languages. Monte was the resident psychic for Jim Cramer's popular financial website TheStreet.com, where he made bi-monthly economic and stock predictions with uncanny accuracy. It's fitting that I met Monte serendipitously when some years ago I walked into his and his wife, Amy Zerner's East Hampton shop, The Enchanted World Emporium. My wife Navah and I were studying astrology at the time so it was a fortunate encounter where we ended up having our charts read by Monty for the rest of the day. An essential characteristic of Monte's creative approach to living is his childlike sense of wonder, playful fun, and adventure. He is uniquely qualified to teach the creative approach not only to those interested in the creative arts, but to all who want to access and use their innate creativity and intuition to enjoy their life more and do their job better. To Monte, spirituality and creativity are, essentially the same thing. Understanding either of them requires the knowledge that unseen forces and ideas both within us and without us create, to a large extent, our experience of reality. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love Monte Farber • @montefarber • Monte Farber & Amy Zerner Websites: TheEnchantedWorld.com MonteFarber.com

Chef Laura Mcintosh is the host of PBS's Bringing It Home, a cooking show that combines recipes from innovative chefs with farm-fresh food. McIntosh travels the country, bringing viewers to the farms that produce the most-abundant crops and then brings them together with culinary wizards who turn their bounty into fresh and healthy gourmet meals for the whole family. McIntosh refers to the show as "Behind the Food," showing viewers what goes on "behind the scenes" to make fresh ingredients available to be used by home cooks as well as professional chefs. Laura comes from a generational family of farming and restaurateurs. We discuss the lost art of farming and the intersection of technology and intuition. This episode is for anyone looking to grow a deeper connection to their food, the growers, and the planet. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love Laura McIntosh • @bringingithome_

I have a deep love for nature and systems thinking, that is why I resonate so deeply with the permaculture approach to farming and gardening. Morag Gamble, is an incredible permaculture ecologist, and educator out of Australia. If we go by the metric of goosebumps per episode, this one is leading the pack. Hearing Morag discuss the principles of nature, relationships, and our greater global systemic disharmony has left me with some great practical tips and applications. I'm pretty confident it will do the same for you. Morag is the founder of the Permaculture Education Institute and the Executive Director of the Ethos Foundation, a permaculture charity dedicated to supporting women and youth in gaining access to permaculture education and becoming leaders and teachers in their own communities. The Ethos Foundation supports refugees, indigenous youth and people in the global south. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love Morag Gamble • Follow on Instagram @moraggamble --- Sponsors: • Morning Greens w/ Caffeine:   https://Morningman.org - Use code GROWTH for 15% off • Atmananda Yoga Alignment Mat  https://www.growthguide.love/alignment - Use code GROWTH for 15% off"

Keith Garde is a successful entrepreneur, artist advocate, author, and a total mensch. His story is one of love, drugs, and rock n roll, though not necessarily in that order. Trauma and addiction have been half nemesis and half teacher throughout. Keith has won his battle with trauma and addiction every day for over 30yrs and now channels it all into coaching and advising leadership at it's highest levels. His career in artist management led him to working with bands like Aerosmith. Sure, his time with Aerosmith included all of the antics you can imagine, along with the band's recognition like 10 MTV Moonmen, multiple Grammy's, American Music Awards, but you'd never get that from speaking with Keith. Keith also created, produced, and directed the seminal Aerosmith Rockumentary, "The Making of Pump". What his experience really left him with was a realization that the relationships between the people involved, is the magic that underpins creative success, as well as fulfillment. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love

Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love • Oika: https://youtu.be/lHt5ndzNOsU

John Richards (he/him) is the Director of Programming, On Air | Host of the Morning Show. KEXP is an independent radio station that bucks the entire system. No DJ is ever asked or forced to play any song at all. They play what they love, they have direct lines of communication with the listeners and the artists. For most of his adult life John's been starting the day for thousands of "morning faithful", all who got turned onto the show and made it a staple in their lives. John's Morning Show is known for its fantastic themes, intimate live performances, and has been responsible for breaking acts like The Lumineers, The National, M83, and many others. What makes John so special is his belief that music heals and his commitment to using his platform to work with listeners through our toughest issues- grief, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. It's oxymoronic how intimate he has made the medium of radio, but that's what he does, with the constant reminder that “you are not alone. music heals.” Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love JOHN RICHARDS & KEXP • https://kexp.org/ • The Dr and the DJ Podcast - https://thedrandthedj.com/ • Life on Mars - https://lifeonmarsseattle.com/ Social: • Instagram @djjohnrichards • Twitter @djjohnrichards

My guest this week is Amy Richards, a tour de force and a longtime pillar in the feminism community. Amy is an author, producer and organizer, most recently authoring We Are MAKERS, a book based on the PBS documentary series MAKERS. She produced the Emmy nominated series WOMAN for Viceland and executive produced The Glorias, among other stage and video projects. Amy is the president of Soapbox, Inc., the foremost feminist lecture agency, and the affiliated Soapbox Foundation, creators of Feminist Camp. Amy is active on the lecture circuit and contributes her writings and media appearances, to the current public conversations on feminism. Amy embodies the sacred feminine, leading with a sense of grace, strength, and empathy. Please learn more and get involved by visiting growthguide.love Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love • https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-richards-806b0446/ • @feministcamp • @soapbox_inc • @heymsamelia

Chief Jackie (Black Bear) Singer has devoted his life to one of service, as a Navajo Sundance Chief (Brave Eagle) and traditional healer, and as a US Veteran and commander of Walk With The Warriors. Jake offers us an opportunity to learn from the traditions and wisdom of the Navajo people. Despite a long history of being wronged by the US government Jake transcends this paradigm and is tirelessly devoted to driving change from a place of love. One of his initiatives is Walk With Warriors where he seeks recognition and support for indigenous veterans. Since early 2000 he has been campaigning to make November 7th National Native American Veterans Day. Back in 2002 he and 5 fellow Native American veterans walked 2,800 miles across America, ending their journey in Washington DC where thier request was ignored. Even though the US government withdrew some of their agreements made in the treaty of 1868 (which they celebrate like their July 4th) to have native americans fight for them, the government consistently fails to recognize them for their contributions of service. And now, they are fighting for their rights once again to maintain their sovereignty. This is a cause they continue to fight for so please check out the links to see how you can get involved. I've been blessed to have sat with Jake in sweat lodge ceremonies and teepee ceremonies and am humbled by his openness, his commitment to his path and his power as a leader. Please learn more and get involved below. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time! --- And be sure to visit growthguide.love • Join the Growth Guide Mailing List: https://www.growthguide.love/sign-up • Follow on Instagram @growthguide.love Chief Jake (Black Bear) Singer • https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-singer-0714a471/ • https://www.facebook.com/WalkingWithWarriors/ • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Dance • Treaty of 1868 - http://www.courts.navajo-nsn.gov/Treaty1868.htm

Christopher Lindstrom's long passion for alternative monetary systems and local currencies led to his work at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics, where he organized a major international conference, called “Local Currencies in the 21st Century,” in '06 he co-founded BerkShares, a local currency for use in the southern Berkshires of western Massachusetts, which continues to receive international media attention and has served as a model for other communities interested in creating their own locally circulating currency. Lindstrom has been active in the bioenergy sector as an investor and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Catalyst Bioenergy Group, has served on the Board of Directors of the Slow Money Institute, and currently serves as a director of the David Rockefeller Fund. He is also the co-founder of CyclEffect, a new model of cooperative investing and business incubation that enables companies in their early stages to own a stake in a growing ecosystem of mission-aligned businesses. Learn More: growthguide.love

Today we speak with the acclaimed jeweler Pitango Trotoush. To label Pitango a jeweler is like calling the grand canyon a big hole. He's an enigma, an artist, a mystic, and in many ways a guru. Acquiring a Pitango ring is typically accompanied by a tea ceremony, a reading where he seemingly looks into your soul while he describes the powers of the ring you selected. Or did it select you? His story reminds us to embody our truth and follow our purpose which is exactly what he did. Some 30yrs ago Pitango came out of the Israeli army a hardened man who had lost his smile. One day while backpacking through India he begrudgingly followed a fellow backpacker to a cave where hundreds lined up. As he neared he felt something strange, the heaviness he carried became lighter. Each step closer brought him greater salvation and closer to his purpose. The monk he waited for changed the course of his life, while he never heard of this man, it was the Dali Lama. This experience clarified his purpose and he began making exquisite jewelry to empower people to be their greatest selves. Learn more about this incredible story. Pitango Maybe sees his rings and jewelry as tools of healing, steeped in the study of the special alchemic connection between stones, metals, and antique symbols he intentionally selects precious and semi-precious stones from locations around the world. He combines them with antique medals, talismans, and coins. These words fail to express the power in his rings. I was drawn to his work over 15yrs ago and it's rare that a week goes by without someone fixated on a ring that I'm wearing. First, it's because they are gorgeous but more deeply because they are true talismans that carry an immense material power. Learn more at growthguide.love

Astrology is a subject that was held in the highest regard at least as far as 3-4 thousand yrs. It's a subject that was studied by the Babylonians, ancient Egyptians, Arabs, Greeks, Europeans, and on and on. Until the 17th century, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition, and it helped drive the development of astronomy. It was commonly accepted in political and cultural circles, and some of its concepts were used in other traditional studies, such as alchemy, meteorology, and medicine. My next guest shifted how I relate to my life experience and made me feel intensely more connected to my place in the Universe. Rebecca Gordon is a renowned New York City astrologer, founder of 17-year running School My Path Astrology, and author of 'Your Body and the Stars' from Simon & Schuster. She is the resident astrologer for Harper's Bazaar and has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Financial Times, Forbes, The Oprah Magazine, Vogue, and television shows like Dr. Oz and CNN among others. Over the last decade, Rebecca has also been collaborating with top luxury companies such as Chanel, Christian Louboutin, and Agent Provocateur curating astrological experiences, and most recently launched a wellness partnership with the Four Seasons. In Rebecca's client work, It's her mission to align people with their own unique brand of stardust so they can step into their highest potential. My wife and I studied Astrology with Rebecca for two years and it has had a profound impact on how we set our schedules, approach business, relationships and so much more. Learn more at growthguide.love

Muys Snijders is a powerhouse in the art world, but what makes her even more special is her deep intentions for honoring the artists and making art so accessible to everyone. In our discussion, we pull back the curtain on the art world's past, present and future. I am incredibly passionate about this topic. I've always been an artist at heart and struggled with many of the artist's current dilemmas. I graduated from the College of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University yet despite coming out of one of the top art schools I found it terribly challenging to enter into and make a living in the art world. I was encouraged to be pragmatic and look into commercial areas which ultimately landed me in the advertising industry. I've thought a lot about what the underlying reasons are for receiving advice that moved me away from my passion. I recognize how much we undervalue the arts in our current times and believe that connecting to the arts offers an opportunity to connect with much deeper parts of ourselves and our society. We'll get into this and much more shortly covering innovation, diversity, patronage as well as emerging technology in the arts. Muys is a seasoned executive and visionary leader with over 25 years of international experience working in the art world. She launched her own art consultancy firm and served as the Managing Director of Christie's Americas. Muys has a deep knowledge of the market for Post War & Contemporary Art having led the division for Bonhams in New York and prior to that, she was the Global Director of Client Strategy and Private Sales for this department at Christie's. Muys holds an MA in Art History and Classical Archaeology from Leiden University in the Netherlands, as well as an MA in Arts Management from Greenwich University and an MA in Art Market Appraisal from Kingston University in the UK. Muys is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Leadership Program for China from Harvard Business School, Tsinghua University in Beijing, and CEIBS in Shanghai and most recently obtained a Certificate in Alternative Investments from Harvard Business School. She is multilingual and has worked in London, Amsterdam as well as New York. But don't be intimidated as we know how the art space can often feel. Muys is as approachable and inspiring as she is experienced.

Kathleen Nagy is an orchestral musician, Bio Acoustic specialist, and author. Sound healing has no doubt hit the mainstream in recent years yet it's for from new. Music and sound has as long a history as we do. All cultures have their own versions of sounds, music, and instruments as well as sound healing modalities. Whether it be Kototama from Japan, the sound chambers of ancient Egypt, or Tibetan singing bowls and gong baths. What they all have in common is that they use the vibrational frequency of sound to target areas of the body to move energy and restore health. Different frequencies have the ability to penetrate different densities- blood, muscle tissue, organs, bone and so one. 25yrs ago while making a living as a classical concert musician, Kathleen noticed the benefit she seemed to get from certain sounds she played on the horn. She explored ways to optimize this and used her practice to heal herself from chronic asthma. With this undeniable experience she transitioned from a career of music for entertainment to one for sound and healing. Kathleen believes that our state of health can be found in the sound mapping of our voice. She says that it not only identifies root causes but also that our unique vocal range can be used to target and healing numerous issues. Kathleen focuses on a form of humming- yes humming that targets specific areas of the body. Her book Humming for Health explains how it all works in great detail. But for now let's hear it straight from her.

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My guest this week is Frank "The Legend" Shamrock, retired 4x undefeated UFC Middleweight Champion. Frank pioneered the sport as one of the first to successfully mix various disciplines. During his reign he was the No. 1 ranked pound for pound UFC fighter in the world. But all of that is a tiny part of his story. Frank's journey is nothing short of unbelievable. After leaving an abusive home at the age of 15, he lived on the streets, repeatedly landing himself in prison. One day he had the epiphany that he was on a losing path and decided to turn his life around. In prison, he committed himself to develop his mind, body, and spirit. He put himself through college, organized a weight training program, and when he got out channeled all of his energy into becoming the UFC champion. Never stopping on the path of growth, Frank lives by the Warriors code. Since retiring, Frank thrives as an entrepreneur, mentoring the youth, and motivating Fortune 500 companies as a public speaker. Frank has also journeyed deep down the road of reflection and healing bringing peace to himself and his family. A devout single father that I've seen in action, Frank works around the clock to consciously give his daughter the best life he can.

Jhon T is the founder of the Atmananda Yoga Sequence and inventor of the Atmananda alignment mat. His yoga system combines 71 poses rooted in Hatha and Ashtanga. I studied with Jhon T for my teacher training after ten years of practicing with him. I'll say first hand that no other yoga teacher I've experienced gets more directly to the underlying issues. Living in NYC I had the choice between a lot of incredible teachers, but it was a no brainer. Breath is the backbone of his approach and Jhon's style and isms demand that we take responsibility for how we show up on and off the mat. His teachings consistently push growth towards living a more consciously aligned lifestyle. Back in '94 after he saw many yoga students in NYC injuring themselves, he realized that this was a result of various yoga styles that were paying little attention to alignment in their teachings. He created the sequence and later his patented mat to equip yoga practitioners with the tools they need to become more conscious about cultivating a healthy practice.

Jude Boudreaux is a financial planner that helps others live their lives on purpose. His approach uniquely pairs living in the present with planning for the future. Weaving together finance, personal growth, psychology, and positive thinking, Jude breathes new life into a topic that typically makes my eyes glaze over. You may have heard Jude quoted in publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Journal of Financial Planning, Money Magazine, and The Times-Picayune, to name a few. As an avid traveler and family man, his oldest daughter visited 45 states by 4yrs old, never missing an opportunity to live life to the fullest. We cover off on: relationships to money, how to create a plan (regardless of age) that allows you to enjoy the moment, and how to introduce finances to kids as a learning opportunity.

Hari Kaur Khalsa is a Master Kundalini and Meditation Instructor. The thing about Hari's power is that I've never witnessed one so great yet without having any airs about her. She has been practicing for over 40yrs and running NY's beloved studio Hari NYC The Treehouse.    For those of you who are unfamiliar with Kundalini yoga, you are in for a real treat. I remember when I first discovered it and for me it shifts mood, mindset, and energy faster and better than anything (non-psychotropic) that I've found. Kundalini is so powerful that it was a technology kept secret for centuries. Hari was a key part of the team that brought and spread Kundalini yogi through the eastern US. Along with training countless teachers in her program, she has taught in hospitals and high schools to great effect. Hari also founded the Illumined Woman courses to empower women of all ages. She expertly curates wisdom that brings women healing, comfort, and transformation. She is the author of two books: “A Woman's Book of Meditation” and “A Woman's Book of Yoga: Embracing Our Natural Life Cycles”.

Today's guest is Mary Esther Malloy joined by my lovely wife, Navah D'Alessandro. Birth stories are a right of passage that every person on this planet experiences yet no two are the same. You think you know how babies are made? You are in for a big surprise. Mary Esther is the owner of Mindful Birth in New York City. It's no secret that our current systems have a gross misalignment with their business objectives and the sacred act of our fierce women bringing life into this world. Hearing Mary's insights and experiences in dealing with the system is eye-opening. Her childbirth preparation course hands down changed our experience by giving us the knowledge and tools to navigate the hospital system and make empowered decisions every step of the way. Navah and I had a pretty extreme birth experience with Navah birthing our son vaginally breech without meds- like a boss! Without the guidance of our core team of Mary Esther, our Midwife Marcy Tardio, and our Doula Maggie Torrance I don't know what the experience would have looked like so I want to honor the sacred feminine in them and the divine work they do. I'd also like to honor the incredible Dr that birthed our son for he is a rare breed of breech experienced, caring, and willing to take the risk in a time when hospitals and insurance companies strongly push against vaginal breech births, despite their comparable risks to cesarian. I sadly won't name him out of concern for backlash. Mary Esther Malloy offers families an expansive, holistic approach to childbirth preparation, labor support, and parenting. In addition to teaching childbirth classes, running parenting groups, attending births, and raising her three children, Mary Esther publishes regularly about birth and parenting.

Today we discuss the ancient field of Ayurveda and how to heal your own imbalances using it with a gifted practitioner Damin Hagglund. I've experienced Damian's work first hand and it's been a key asset for maintaining my health. We'll cover gut wellness, mind-body connection, martial sciences and his incredible journey. Damian's story begins like an epic Martial Arts saga. At the age of 5 Damian began training by entering boarding school studying under monks and masters. He lived in India for 18 years and trained with many great masters, covering ancient Vedic texts, Wing Chun, Taekwondo, and Aikido. In 1995, Damian met Dr. Madusudan Ray, while on a search for relief from sciatica. After implementing the warrior system of Ayurveda, Damian was able to heal himself and after much dedication and persistence became Dr. Madhusudan Ray's first western disciple. Damian practices a form of martial arts massage called Marma where he uses specific points on the body to resolve any disharmonies. With a no-nonsense attitude and approach, he has dedicated his life to serving others by sharing his experience and knowledge of Ayurveda around the world.

Whether or not you have heard of the Vagus Nerve prior, prepare to have your mind blown. For such a big and important topic, I've brought in the powerhouse, Dr. Eva Detko. Dr Detko is a natural healthcare practitioner, author and speaker who has studied natural medicine and the human mind for over 20 years. She has extensive knowledge and experience in the field of human physiology, biochemistry, nutritional sciences and bioenergetics. Having successfully recovered from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and reversed Hashimoto's thyroiditis, she's well equipped. I was drawn to her no nonsense approach to healing and her strong focus on the Vagus Nerve as a pathway. The Vagus Nerve and the Polyvagul Theory codifies the inner workings of body's stress response systems. The vagus nerve is involved in anxiety and fear responses, ties right into the nervous system, prevents inflammation, aids breathing, but wait- there's more- it also controls your heart rate, and connects the gut brain and the brain brain. There's even a pretty new treatment of Vagus nerve stimulation which uses bioelectronics to treat a variety of conditions such as severe depression, and epileptic seizures. Through understanding this we are able to identify imbalances before they progress into disease, and if we are experiencing disease we are given ways to treat at the root cause.

When it comes to the design world, the name Stefan Sagmeister billows across the land. You've seen his work with a diverse body spanning the Rolling Stones, HBO, the Guggenheim Museum and Time Warner. Along with winning almost every prestigious design award out there, Stefan has a Grammy award, for the limited edition set he designed for The Talking Heads. This episode is not just for designers, we talk in depth about happiness, meditation, talk therapy, exercise, and working for his hero Tibor Kalman. What took my love of Stefan to the next level is the work he has done to be a better human being and living a more fulfilling life. As you'll see, he is a total sweetheart of a person. Instead of the force-fed concept of retirement, Stefan decided he didn't want to ever retire and instead decided to just take a one year sabbatical every 7 yrs. During his second sabbatical he undertook a project to explore happiness. Well he opened up pandora's box and eight years later, the result was a beautiful documentary called, The Happy Film. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time!

Sharon has found herself training under some remarkable masters throughout her life. From direct students of Ōsensei: Nakazono Sensei, Sugano Sensei, and Yamata Sensei to name a few. Sharon teaches Aikido at NY Aikikai under Yamata Sensei. Yamata Sensei studied as a live in student directly under the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba - Ōsensei. It doens't get richer than that. Aikido is a defensive martial art that teaches us how to diffuse a situation with minimal harm caused. Ōsensei is quoted saying, To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace. This sentiment accurately sums up how Aikido is a meditation or even therapy for all areas of life. I've had the privilege of practicing with Sharon and can only say that she is fierce, deeply connected to greater spirit, and an absolute blast to be around. Sharon is the US Rep for the International Aikido Federation's Working Group on Gender. Sharon is also a healer practicing many modalities including Kototama. Don't worry if you haven't heard of it, I hadn't either but have fallen in love with the practice. Kototama uses ancient sacred sounds to affect dis-ease in the body, mind, and spirit. This Japanese practice believes that mystical powers dwell in words and names.

What's your earliest memory of music? For certain, the first thing we all heard was our Mom's heartbeat while nestled in the womb. That's rhythm and that symbolizes love, as Keith explains, rhythm at its core IS Love. Native New Yorker Keith “WildChild” Middleton is a 20yr veteran of the global hit show Stomp. After a tragic car accident that almost took his life, he dropped everything to pursue his dreams of producing music. He currently tours with his band Levels while living in Milan, Italy. Keith is a larger-than-life personality who embodies musicality and rhythm is all he does. On this episode we talk about: all things rhythm, his 20yrs performing around the world with Stomp, his near-death experience, his Uncle Pepe landing his cousin Prince his first deal w/ Warner Bros, and his son's experience as a finalist on American Idol. Growth Guide explores the depths of curiosity finding growth in all areas of life from all walks of life. We'll get into deep conversations with some incredible humans sitting around the modern-day campfire. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time!

Outer space is something that has fascinated us since our earliest ancestors walked this planet. The awe of looking up into the sky and seeing our sun, moon, stars, and planets. The wonder and awe this provokes to this day. Today we are blessed with speaking with one of the few people that have visited the international space station logging 178 days in space. Ron Garan, veteran Air Force fighter pilot, retired NASA astronaut, and social entrepreneur embodies the “orbital perspective” back here on Earth and today he teaches us all how to do the same without having to travel to space. We will cover his journey into space, the profound effect it has had on him and how we can apply those lessons to solve some of humanity's greatest challenges. Growth Guide explores the depths of curiosity finding growth in all areas of life from all walks of life. We'll get into deep conversations with some incredible humans sitting around the modern-day campfire. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time!

The first episode is unlike the rest. It's me, your host, Bryan D'Alessandro (sans guest) giving context to how Growth Guide came to be and why you should care. Growth Guide explores the depths of curiosity finding growth in all areas of life from all walks of life. We'll get into deep conversations with some incredible humans sitting around the modern-day campfire. Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time!