Rolling Forward

My guest today is Linda Dumpe. Linda is the founder of a hotel digital marketing agency geared towards presenting boutique hotels as a luxury experience and not just a hotel room. Drawing on her experiences as an Instagram influencer with over 50k followers, and as an active blogger, Linda has intimate knowledge of the digital marketing landscape and furnishes her clients with tactics that work for luxury boutique hotels. In this conversation we explore the mental health impact that living life through social media can have, and how the need to keep up with everyone and present an outward image of the perfect life can really take a toll on one’s wellbeing. We also explore the stresses associated with trying to launch a hotel marketing agency in the midst of a global pandemic, and some of Linda’s strategies for managing such a massive amount of uncertainty. This conversation approached mental health from a slightly different angle to the usual, but it was fascinating to explore the impacts of social media with someone who has been able to leverage the platforms in such a powerful way. Social media is ubiquitous, so it’s important to have a healthy relationship with it. Many thanks to Linda for sharing her story, so go ahead, and enjoy this conversation with Linda Dumpe.

My guest today is Joshua Shea, and the subject of our conversation today is the addiction that no-one is talking about: porn-addiction. In 2010, Joshua seemingly had it all. A loving wife, two children, and a supportive extended family. After nearly fifteen years of working his way up the journalism ladder, he launched a lifestyle magazine in his hometown. Within a year, he was one of the founders of Central Maine's largest film festival and had won a seat on the City Council in Auburn, Maine.  While the public got one picture of Shea, behind closed doors, his longtime mental health and addiction issues were festering. A workaholic by nature, he actively ignored the red flags surrounding his long-existing pornography and alcohol problems. Finding it easier to lose himself in a bottle of tequila and adult websites, Shea's relationships with his family, colleagues, and friends grew distant. His business ventures began to collapse. Life as he knew it came to a screeching halt when he was arrested on a charge of underage pornography possession in 2014. Shea was convicted and served six months in jail in early 2016. Following his arrest, he sought help and treatment through intense one-on-one therapy, group therapy, and inpatient rehab facilities. In this conversation, we explore the profound impact both pornography and alcoholism had on Joshua’s life, and how something which is viewed as relatively commonplace nowadays has the potential to turn into something incredibly damaging if left unchecked. This is by far the most candid conversation I’ve had about a subject that can be a little sensitive, and the perspectives and insights that are shared in it will surprise you.

My guest today is Sarah Ratekin. Sarah is the Chief Happiness Officer at a global corporation, utilizing novel methods to tackle organizational inflammation. A radical positivity activity, she’s also the owner of Happiness Is Courage Inc., sharing her message of hope, happiness, and gratitude as avenues to greater personal and professional resilience and well-being. She has spoken at conferences across North America, facilitated numerous workshops on workplace excellence, and worked with groups from 1 to 200+ to discover and embrace their personal strengths, ambitions, and relationship goals. Employee satisfaction and wellbeing have a real business impact, and Sarah’s work focuses on increasing those metrics leading simultaneously to greater profitability and happiness in the workplace. In this conversation, we explore the idea of organizational inflammation further, and how exactly it can have an impact on a business. We also dig into why the idea of work-life balance is a myth and strategies for fostering greater happiness in the workplace. Sarah’s diverse experiences in various fields give her a unique insight into the field of positive psychology, an area of expertise that is more important now than ever. There are some practical tips in this conversation that you can easily apply to your life, so grab a pen and paper and enjoy it!

My guest today is Dr. Robb Kelly PhD. Robb Kelly, Ph.D. is a world-renowned addiction expert who believes in treating the problem, not the symptoms. He has worked for many years helping addicts and alcoholics to RECOVER their lives from the disease of addiction. Based on his own experiences working with addicts and alcoholics over the last 20 years, combined with a Ph.D. in psychology, and as a recovered alcoholic himself – he is a triple threat against the disease of addiction. Dr. Kelly’s philosophy may seem unconventional and unorthodox. But, they are based on extensive research and behavior studies that he conducted over the last 20 years. He pulls the disease out of his clients and empowers them to fight their disease head-on. In this conversation, we dig into Robb’s own experience with alcoholism, and the profound impact it had on his life, leading from Oxford university to a park bench in Manchester, England, shivering in the cold in a near-death experience. We explore the habits and routines that Robb has built into his own life to ensure that he stays on the road to recovery, and his ideas around how the stories we tell ourselves, and how much we buy into those stories, will ultimately decide the direction of our life. This conversation was so much fun, covering topics as diverse as freemasonry, recording with Elton John at abbey road studios, and struggling with imposter syndrome. It was an absolute pleasure to have Dr. Kelly on, and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!

My guest today is Derek Bylsma. Derek is Executive Director, Partner, and Senior Counsellor at the nationally renowned Millennium Counselling Centre. He oversees their innovative Intensive Treatment Program as well as handling an individual caseload, specializing in addiction and treatment of co-occurring disorders within the Clinical Mental Health field. Prior to his work in the mental health space, Derek was a D1 college soccer player, going on to play professionally for a number of years after graduation. Derek then took that competitive spirit, and applied it to business, building and owning multiple successful recruiting (staffing) firms. When the time was right, Derek then returned to education in his mid-30s to gain his Masters in Mental Health Counselling, before starting as an intern at the group practice he now owns and runs. In this conversation, we explore Derek’s career journey from professional sport and into the mental health space, how to take an athlete's mindset and apply it to the business world, and how the lessons learned in sport can be applied to a successful sales career. We also dig into some of the common mental health struggles that athletes commonly experience, and what it’s like to feel as though you have no-one that you can talk to when you are performing at the highest level. Derek is an incredibly passionate and knowledgeable guy with a wealth of experience in incredibly diverse areas, and this conversation really showed that depth of understanding. This conversation is full of transferrable information, and I was fascinated by the parallels that could be drawn between the world of professional sport and the “real world”, so grab a pen and paper as ever, and enjoy!

My guest today is Byron Morrison. Byron is an executive coach who helps CEOs handle the shadow side of success, and stop operating from a state of mental emergency, so they can make better decisions, execute without overthinking, and handle new levels of pressure. He does this with his EVOLVED CEO program, which draws upon his diverse experiences in the business world, health, nutrition, and psychology, and helps his clients to quite literally up-level their brainpower. In this conversation, we explore the creation of the EVOLVED CEO program, and how the diagnosis of his father with cancer provided the impetus he needed to take control of a professional life that was leaving him unfulfilled, and transform his life in the service of others. We also dig into how right now, with everything that is going on with COVID-19, provides a massive opportunity for businesses that are able to make the most of challenging circumstances, and how individuals can do the same. Byron is an incredibly knowledgeable guy who’s broad experience gives him a unique perspective on how to optimize your mindset. This conversation is packed with easily actionable points, so grab a pen and paper, and enjoy it! https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorbyronmorrison/

My guest today is Armando Cruz. Armando is a coach, business owner, and his mission is, to quote: "to help you eliminate pain and optimize your 7 Healths so you can show up powerfully in your relationships, and live a more vibrant, service filled life." Armando’s business focuses on achieving this, whilst his best selling both “The legacy code”, helps men everywhere to access and live out their full potential and create a legacy that inspires them and those around them. In this conversation, we explore the 7 healths that Armando helps his clients to optimize, how he does it, how you can do it, and what impact this process can have. We also dig into his business journey, and the relationship struggles that formed an integral part of that journey, as well as his passion for ultra-marathon running, and how controlled suffering can be incredibly transformative. I loved this conversation and had a great time exploring some areas of shared interest. It’s packed full of useful information that you can easily apply to your own life, so please enjoy it!

My guest today is Billy Garton. Billy is a 21-year-old professional athlete and entrepreneur. He owns a social media marketing agency set to do 6+ figures in its first year, whilst simultaneously playing professional soccer in San Diego. Billy has successfully combined his passions for football and business, fighting through a lot of adversity to reach his current position. He is showing no signs of stopping. In this conversation, we explore the setbacks, hundreds of no’s, and moves across the world Billy has experienced. We also explore the impact of him leaving his family at a young age to pursue his football dreams, the stresses of growing a business, all at the same time as dealing with anxiety. Billy’s candor and openness about his experiences were incredible to see, and I hope you take some value from this fantastic conversation. Enjoy.

My guest today is Ryan Miller. Ryan is a coach and a consultant who is relentless in the pursuit of other people’s success. Ryan’s niche is focussed upon exploring the mindset of success, and he helps people to develop the skills they need to perform at the highest level. Ryan believes that self-awareness and confidence are the keys, but not in the way you might think. Ryan has been running his coaching business since 2011, and in this conversation, we explore some of his journey in business and the struggles associated with building an enterprise. We also touch on some of the more important things that he learned on this journey, such as the importance of asking for help, and how the hints that you might need help can pile up, how important managing the ego is and developing confidence in the process. We then dive into what it means to live a good life, and how the stoic ideal of “virtue” is complementary to the Christian ideas of what a good life entails. Ryan is also a survivor of the 2017 route 91 mass shooting. We explore the experience of being involved in a mass shooting, and the longer-term impact that the trauma of the event had on his health and wellbeing, and some of his other personal experiences with mental health and how he manages it in himself and in others. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and the willingness Ryan had to explore some of the more sensitive areas of conversation, so please enjoy it! https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjmsalespro/

My guest today is Dennis O’Connor. Dennis is a medical professional who is on a mission to eliminate the confusion and mystery that surround the science of health & happiness. After 10 years of experience in intensive care, Dennis embarked on a journey which took through sales, and scuba diving, and onto the treatment of addiction. Upon returning to the field of medicine, Dennis was struck by the ongoing confusion surrounding our perceptions of happiness and mental health. Drawing on his experiences outside of medicine, Dennis was able to successfully implement methodologies that created massive value for his clients and helped them move forward through their struggles. Dennis believes that knowledge is power and it is his wish is to empower people to take full control of their wellbeing and happiness. There’s a huge amount of information out there, the problem is making sense of it all, and Dennis aims to help people do that. In this conversation, we explore Dennis’s experiences in intensive care, the impact that using motivational sales techniques can have on those with addiction problems, and how to effectively manage mental health issues without the use of pharmaceuticals and SSRIs. This conversation is packed with actionable information, so grab a notepad and enjoy it! For more information, and to get in contact with Dennis, please visit: https://anxietydepressionfix.com Or https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmmhappiness/

My guest today is Michelle Pein. Michelle is an international Holistic Life Coach, who helps clients all over the world who are feeling lost & stuck in their current career and life. She helps them to find their purpose, & create a life they love. Having worked in the corporate & consulting world before, she has learned from her own experience in breaking out of a successful, but unhappy career, to follow her purpose path. This experience combined with the knowledge she gathered in over 4 years of self-discovery led her to create the Your Purpose Path™ Coaching Model.  Using her hands-on coaching model, she leverages her own diverse experiences and helps her clients to find their true selves, their purpose and create a life they love in a fun & intuitive way. In this conversation, we dive into Michelle's experience in the corporate world and her background in high-stress environments. We also explore her experiences with acute paralysis, and how she took these multiple episodes as a time to reflect on where her life was going. This conversation touches on a lot of issues that many people will resonate with, so please enjoy it. If you like what you hear, and are looking to get in touch with Michelle, her contact details are: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michellepein IG: @michellepein

My guest today is Cory Arth. Cory serves as the general physical therapy counsel at UP Clinic in Shanghai. UP clinic is the first physical therapy clinic of it’s kind in Mainland China, seeking to transform the healthcare industry and facilitate the transition away from leading with the surgical option to a more conservative approach through the correction of soft tissue problems and issues. Outside of his professional life, Cory is a director of FitFam, a community that was started in Shanghai with the aim of making fitness accessible to everyone. He is also an amateur endurance athlete and recently completed an IronMan in Langkawi, Malaysia. In this conversation, we dig into Cory’s educational background, his work with elite NFL players and other athletes, and his journey to China and business efforts. Please excuse the background noise, as things got a little loud. This episode will also be the last episode of season 1 of Rolling Forward. I am going to be taking the next few weeks over Chinese New Year to reassess and refocus the direction I wish to take the podcast. Don’t worry, it will be back soon. For now though, please enjoy this conversation with Cory Arth.

My guest today is Thames Wangpatravanich. Thames is the founder of gre3n, a lifestyle company founded on the principle that the first order of business is to give back. The 3 in gre3n represents the 3 B’s that form the core of the company philosophy: ‘Believe’, ‘Balance’ and ‘Be Different’. Gre3n facilitates the busy lifestyles we live today through the provision of high quality nutritional products centred around organic coconuts, farmed in such a way that it’s not only your life that is transformed through their use, the farmers lives are transformed too. In this conversation we explore Thames’ entrepreneurial journey, and the trials and tribulations of starting and running a business. We explore his spiritual journey, and how the darker times in his life, including overdose, served as the spring board for lasting transformation. Enjoy!    http://gogre3n.com

My guest today is Dr Kimberley Carder. Dr Carder is a clinical psychologist who is developing her career around the education and treatment of mental health disorders. She is a BJJ purple belt, and has fought professionally in MMA, taking the win as the underdog in the first professional women's MMA bout in Hong Kong. In this conversation, we explore Dr Carders experiences competing as a woman in the combat sports arena, her PsyD thesis which looked into the subjective experiences reported by users of sensory deprivation tanks, her time as a special needs teacher, and her research into other alternative therapies for mental illness. Enjoy! https://drkimberleycarder.com/

My guest today is Dorothy Dao. Dorothy is a BJJ brown belt under Ralph Gracie, and though her home gym is Berkeley, California, she is far more likely to be found travelling the world. Dorothy is an active BJJ competitor, an avid foodie, and a digital nomad, living by the maxim of “be your own sugar daddy”. In this conversation, we explore Dorothy’s experiences competing all over the world, and her experiences travelling as a solo-female, and competing in a typically male-dominated sport. We also delve into her personal experiences with anxiety, and what it’s like tell your Asian parents you won’t in fact be going to law-school, you’ll be choking people worldwide instead. Enjoy!   http://bjjasia.com

My guest today is Richardson Menzol. Richardson is an elite level spartan race competitor who recently represented his country of Venezuela at the Spartan world championships in Lake Tahoe. As a Spartan Race ambassador, Richardson has been a part of the burgeoning obstacle course racing scene here in China since the very beginning back in 2016, and he continues to be a lynchpin in the development of the sport of obstacle course racing here in Asia. In this conversation we dive into Richardson's experiences on the course, and explore his thoughts on the transformative power of obstacle course racing, and how anyone can use the Spartan Race as a platform to become the best possible version of themselves. Enjoy! https://www.spartan.com/en

My guest today is Adrian Cahill. Adrian is an executive coach, investor, and business mentor to some of the most successful young entrepreneurs the world over. Adrian’s unique background and experiences as a member of the Australian armed forces, and transition from soldier to investor to coach give him a unique perspective on the struggles commonly faced in the modern world. Adrian is the founder of MOTIVATE Shanghai, and Bali NLP, and is passionate about helping people develop the skillset they need to succeed at whatever they do. In this conversation we take a deep dive into Adrian’s personal experiences with mental health, his time in an asylum, and how he coped with the suicide of his best friend when he was deployed in Afghanistan. We explore his views on the current state of how mental health disorders are treated. Please be aware that this conversation gets quite intense, so apologies if you are either triggered or offended by the content. Please enjoy this episode! See below for links to Adrian's website, and the website for the upcoming Bali NLP coaching bootcamp! https://adriancahill.com/ http://balinlp.com/

My guest today is Greg Nance. Greg is the CEO of dyad.com, an educational access platform providing mentorship for the motivated, and a brooks running sponsored ultra marathon runner. He’s a graduate of the Cambridge University Judge school of business, a serial entrepreneur, and a recipient of the White House Champion of change award from Barrack Obama for his work with his first startup, providing financial mentorship to under privileged students across America. Greg recently completed the world marathon challenge, running 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, and has since switched his attention to setting fastest known times all over the world. The FKT project involves picking 2 points on a map, and running between them. Greg recently set the FKT for running between Pudong Airport and Hongqiao Aiport in Shanghai. In this episode we explore exactly what it’s like to run 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days, to receive a call from Barrack Obama to say you’ve been recognised for an award, and the power of mentorship. Mentorship has been, and continues to be, a hugely positive influence on Greg’s life. We touch on the influence some of those mentors had in Greg's journey, and the impact of the loss of those mentors. I hope you enjoy this episode! Please find the links below to Greg's business, and his running philosophy! http://www.dyad.com/en https://insight.jbs.cam.ac.uk/2019/run-the-mile-youre-on-greg-nance/

My guest today, is Albin Warin. Albin is a serial entrepreneur from France, and has been involved in startups in social media, fashion, and more recently professional training solutions in the domain of positive psychology - The Happiness Architect. His background is in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. The China Happiness project, a side project of The Happiness Architect, seeks to explore Western notions of happiness, and their perceptions with 100 Chinese people. China is a collectivist society, in which the needs of the individual are subservient to the needs of the group, and the China happiness project seeks to explore whether that is the case. In this episode we explore Albin's entrepreneurial journey, dig into "The 2 R's", and dive into the experiences that lead him to founding his current project: The Happiness Architect. I hope you enjoy this episode! https://www.happiness-architect.com

My guest today, in keeping with the jiu jitsu theme, is Matt Huttner. Matt is a first degree black belt under professor Chet quint. He’s the president of the Vitaco health group, and was the first undergraduate to Yale University to write their thesis in Chinese. In this conversation we explore some of Matts professional journey, his experiences with mental health struggles, and how jiu jitsu has bled into other areas of his life. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it. Feedback is welcomed! Here's the link to the blog post Matt wrote for the Young Presidents Organization: https://www.ypo.org/2017/04/gentle-art-business-drawing-inspiration-brazilian-jiu-jitsu/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on iTunes, and don't hesitate to get in touch!  

My guest today is Kemal Akagunduz, head BJJ coach at Absolute MMA Shanghai. Kemal is a black belt under Lachlan Giles, as well as being Muay Thai coach, a linguist who speaks 4 languages, a philosopher and a closeted world of Warcraft nerd. In this conversation we touched on stoicism, managing stress, and how to continually make meaningful progress in whatever you turn your attention to. I hope you enjoy this wide ranging conversation, feedback is welcomed as ever!   If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on iTunes, and don't hesitate to get in touch!

My guest today is Oki Alexander. As the founder of MovOr Oki specializes in only one thing: being Simply Human. And it turns out to be damn hard! He came to China as an architect and martial artist in 2004, but over time transitioned to be one of the leading thinkers and practitioners of natural human movement in China, connecting mind, body and environment. Oki is one of the first 18 people in the world to become MovNat Level 3 certified and has been a strong advocate of movement-with-purpose all his life. After specializing for over 30 years in martial arts including Judo, Fencing, Baimei Quan, Wingchun, Sanda, Kendo and Capoeira, Oki realized all specialization leads to injuries and has since been studying with people like Erwan LeCorre, Ido Portal, and Thomas Myers and connecting holistic training to prehab-rehab, forming his own philosophy called MovOr. With the profound understanding that we need to be human first, a mover second and as specialist last, MovOr is a movement practice that promotes injury resistance, forms a strong base for specialized sports and is an excellent way to recuperate from the tolls that repetition puts on our body. MovOrs strive not to be neither sub-human or super-human. Rather they try to be Simply Human: move in ways that are practical, expressive and playful without the need to be, or look like, Superman. Oki believes that when given the right space, movement development in children can help them be more balanced human beings, physically as well as mentally. As such, he is dedicated to creating an environment for kids to develop and grow as the Chief Learning Officer at Yinglets.