The Kyle Thiermann Show

Chris Douglas is a California-based endurance coach, elite triathlete, and prominent figure in the swimrun community. A former NCAA Division I cross-country and track runner at Bradley University, he transitioned to triathlon in 2013 amid injury setbacks and later began a PhD at Georgia Tech while capturing national titles in sprint and 70.3 distances—earning USA Triathlon's Male Age‑Group Athlete of the Year in 2016. Passionate about swimrun, he co-hosts the popular Löw Tide Böyz podcast with Chipper Nicodemus, competes in iconic events like ÖTILLÖ and Orcas Island (where he and his partner placed 4th in the men's division, 7th overall), and pens columns for Triathlete Magazine. As a coach at Endurance Concepts, Chris employs a science-backed, holistic approach to guide athletes toward sustainable growth. (P.S. If you listen to this intro, you'll notice that we're promoting our friend Soraya Simi's new film, Row of Life, happening at 5 pm on Friday, June 27 in LA. Click this link to learn more.)If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Chris Burkard (@ChrisBurkard) is an acclaimed American photographer, filmmaker, and storyteller known for his breathtaking landscape photography. Born in San Luis Obispo, California, Burkard rose to prominence through his striking surf photography in remote and often icy locations like Iceland, Norway, and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. His work captures the raw beauty of nature, often blending elements of human exploration and environmental grandeur. Burkard's style is marked by expansive compositions, ethereal light, and a reverence for the wild. Beyond photography, he is also a sought-after speaker, author of several books, and director of award-winning documentaries, including Under an Arctic Sky. A passionate advocate for environmental preservation and outdoor adventure, Burkard uses his platform to inspire others to seek meaningful connections with the natural world. His work has been featured by National Geographic, The New Yorker, Apple, and Patagonia, among others. Whether hanging from a cliff face or paddling through freezing surf, Burkard's lens invites viewers to embrace discomfort, awe, and the power of the untamed.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

When I started this podcast more than 7 years ago, I listed Derek Sivers as my dream guest (sorry Kelly Slater). Sivers' gift, I believe, is the willingness to question the premise of all things, delightfully, humorously, and give anyone in his orbit the choice to follow a more original path. An author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, he's known for his surprising quotable insights, pithy succinct writing style, and commitment to minimalism. (He currently lives in a 4x8 meter house in New Zealand and is building it out slowly, room by room, just to see what he needs.) Formerly a musician, programmer, TED speaker, and circus clown, he sold his first company for $22 million and gave all the money to charity. Sivers' books (Useful, Not True, How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, Anything You Want) and newest projects are at his website: sive.rs. He loves hearing from strangers and will reply to every email, so if you enjoyed this podcast, shoot him an email and let him know. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Hailing from Half Moon Bay, California, August Howell grew up surfing up and down the state's northern coast. He studied journalism at the University of Oregon and was a reporter for his hometown newspaper, the Half Moon Bay Review, for nearly five years. But he was raised on a diet of surf magazines, and surfing (and writing about it) remains his passion. He has written about teenagers at Maverick's, shark researchers in the Farallon Islands, the nuances of big-wave guns, and is a staff writer for SURFER Magazine. In this podcast, we talk about the importance of physical magazines to consume information and preserve surf culture. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Chas Smith (@BeachGrit) is a luminous figure in surfing, an adept journalist, and author. Born in San Jose, California in 1976, Smith's family uprooted and landed in Coos Bay, Oregon where he learned to surf. After studying intercultural studies in undergrad, Smith graduated with a master's in linguistics, going on to study in Egypt and at Oxford. Following a story he published in Australia Surfing Life about surfing in Yemen in the wake of 9/11, Smith went on to report in Lebanon, Somalia, Israel-Palestine, and wound up a captive of Hezbollah reporting for Current TV. In the early-aughts, Smith worked for Vice. Soon, he joined Stab magazine at the behest of Derek Rielly, then editor-in-chief, and they set in on an unparalleled era in surf journalism. Some of Stab's more controversial content garnered unsavory public spats that earned Smith some anti-Semitic epithets, and then in 2014, Smith and Reilly began Beach Grit—a deep well of incendiary, tongue-in-cheek honesty drenched in satire, sans filter. He's now a regular contributor to The Surfer's Journal, with bylines at Esquire and Playboy, and the author of Paradise, Now Go to Hell, a cultural vignette of Oahu's North Shore, which was a finalist for the PEN Center USA Award for Nonfiction.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Robin Greenfield (@RobinGreenfield) is an American environmental activist, adventurer, and humanitarian known for his bold, experiential campaigns that challenge consumerism and promote sustainable living. He has become widely recognized for living in radical simplicity to inspire others toward sustainability, self-sufficiency, and ecological awareness. Greenfield's work has included biking across the United States on a bamboo bicycle while living off the grid, creating public displays from edible food found in dumpsters to expose food waste, and famously wearing every piece of trash he generated for 30 days to visually demonstrate consumer impact. In 2018, he undertook a yearlong project in Florida, during which he ate only what he grew or foraged himself—an effort to show what's possible outside industrial food systems. Rejecting modern excess, Greenfield has lived without a personal car, phone, or permanent home. He owns fewer than 50 possessions and donates 100% of his media income to grassroots causes. His campaigns have been featured by National Geographic, The Guardian, and TEDx, where he has shared his vision of a world rooted in harmony with nature. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Captain Liz Clark (@CaptainLizClark) spent her youth dreaming of traveling the world by sailboat and surfing remote waves. At the age of 22, she met a mentor who helped turn her desire into reality. Embarking on an adventure that most only fantasize about, she set sail from Santa Barbara, California, as captain of her 40-foot sailboat, Swell, headed south in search of surf and self. Liz captured her voyage in her memoir, Swell, sharing tales of sailing in high seas, of solitude and surprises. During this podcast, we explored Liz's relationship to God, her experience setting down roots in Tahiti, and her daily habits that led to her completed memoir. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global organization that holds businesses accountable to donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental causes. In 2002, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, created 1% for the Planet and started a global movement. Today, the network of 4,800+ business members have given more than $700 million in certified donations to vetted environmental organizations. Simply put, businesses commit, give and get certified. It's low lift for them and high impact for the environmental partners. In this conversation, Kate and I explored the psychology of giving, egregious examples of greenwashing, and how we can change philanthropy norms among the super-rich in the years ahead. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Every plastic bag has a silver lining, and Ethan Estees has made a career out of finding it. The marine biologist and artist specializes in turning ocean trash—from plastic bottles to discarded fishing rope—into spectacular art pieces. His seascapes give a second life to the otherwise mundane material, offering an attractive introduction to the often depressing topic of ocean pollution. In this conversation, Ethan and I explored his process as an artist and spent a good chunk of time talking about the state of MPAs in California. Despite dedicating his career to environmental protection, Ethan has stuck his neck out for fishing communities over the past two years, calling out the misbegotten proposals by some environmental groups to close large swaths of California's fisheries. It takes courage not to blindly join a tribe in 2025, but some could argue this quality is requisite to make great art.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Devin O'Dea grew up backpacking and fishing the Trinity Alps and Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges of Northern California and has been abalone diving, spearfishing and foraging in the Pacific Ocean for several decades. After getting a degree in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara, he worked in the environmental consulting industry and as a marketing manager for a carbon fiber division of Mitsubishi, but the allure of the backcountry, bowhunting, and a love for wild places and wild food brought him to his current role as the Western Policy & Conservation Manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), a non-profit dedicated to wild public lands, waters and wildlife. Follow Devin on The Gram, he's got some great adventure posts. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Foster Huntington is a photographer and filmmaker from Skamania, Washington. In 2011, he left his fashion job in New York City and moved into a camper van. For the next three years, he traveled around North America, driving some 120,000 miles, surfing and camping. He began the popular Tumblr account and hashtag, #Vanlife and self-published a book, “Home Is Where You Park It,” with photos from his time on the road. He now lives in a treehouse in the Columbia River Gorge and works on short films and photo projects in his studio. Follow Foster on his Substack.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

I first saw Brent Pella perform standup at MUDWTR: Gather for an LA fires benefit show. The dude set the place on fi—. Though his comedic talents span the range of current events across the political spectrum—from Rogan impersonations to Kamala's impressive assortment of accents (depending on where she was campaigning)—he hit the cultural version of a nuclear reactor when he started writing jokes about new age spirituality, conspiracy theories, and human optimization. His videos have gained 500M+ views online and he was recently named a "Creator to Watch" by the New York Comedy Festival. His debut comedy special, “Conscious Bro” is live on YouTube now. In this conversation we dove into Brent's past. He told the story of his first open mic, rapping at UC Santa Barbara, and why, despite the devil on his shoulder, he feels politically homeless. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Amy Baldwin (@amyshamelesssex) is a Somatic Sex and Relationship Coach (trained in the Somatica® Method), Certified Sex Educator, and host of the Shameless Sex podcast. Amy has a passion for promoting shame-free, pleasure-focused sexuality education while emphasizing the deep emotional and energetic forces behind great sex and intimate connection, offering everything from how-to workshops to erotic empowerment retreats. This was Amy's fifth or sixth time on the show, so if you're not sick of us yammering, feel free to scroll through the archives to keep the party going.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Adam Skolnick (@adamskolnick) is an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, travel and human rights for The New York Times, Outside, Playboy and Lonely Planet. He is the author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits, the ghost writer and narrator of David Goggins' smash hit memoir and audiobook Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds, and he is a co-host on the Rich Roll Podcast. Adam and I do ocean swims together. Sometimes I let him win.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Nina Simon has worn many hats in her career: slam poet, NASA engineer, game designer, and museum director at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. If that didn't make her busy enough, she went ahead and wrote two nonfiction books: The Participatory Museum and The Art of Relevance. In 2020, Nina's mom was diagnosed with advanced cancer, so Nina quit her job to help care for her. The two had always enjoyed reading mysteries, so they started imagining one that featured characters a bit like them—hardworking California women trying to balance professional ambition and motherhood. She wrote, her mom read, and the creative process helped them heal and grow closer. Today, Nina's mom is doing well, and Mother-Daughter Murder Night is a New York Times Bestseller. (Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.) If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Soraya Simi is the director of the new documentary, ROW OF LIFE, which follows renowned Paralympian and Marine Veteran Angela Madsen on her solo row across the Pacific Ocean. The film quite simply rocks, if I do say so myself. It's on a nationwide tour now; see dates here. In this podcast, I grilled Soraya about the art and craft of documentary filmmaking. How to get funding with a sizzle, A plot and B plot, truth as subtraction, and much more. Soraya is a damn good filmmaker. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

In 2017, Wilem Banks (@Wilembanks) made headlines when he suffered a horrific fall at Mavericks and won WSL's Wipeout of the Year (the most embarrassing award in surfing). The award seemed to put a chip on Wilem's shoulder, and since then, he's set out to prove that he can do more than paddle into gigantic waves—he can make them, too! This year, the humble warrior took his first trip to Jaws on Maui and bagged what some say was the biggest wave ever completed at the spot. In this episode, Wilem recounts the story in detail. Beyond the ocean, he is a hunter, carpenter, and co-owner of Banks&Banks Saunas, a custom-built sauna service he runs with his brother.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my Youtube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Arthur (@arthurbourbon) was born and raised on a small French Caribbean island called Guadeloupe. He started surfing at a very young age with his parents, and competitions led him to move to France as a teenager. After graduating from high school, Arthur began a professional surfing career, competing on the European Pro Junior and QS circuits for a few years before switching to a free surf career. While traveling to the world's most beautiful surf spots, he discovered a new passion that would also become a profession: filmmaking. Since then, Arthur has divided his time between surfing and filmmaking. Primarily focused on documentary films, he seeks to tell surf-related stories that go beyond the sport itself, often addressing broader themes like environmental or social impact. In 2020, he released the critically acclaimed documentary “Water Get No Enemy” about the Liberian surfing community. Last year, Arthur had the chance to return to Liberia to continue documenting their story. A new film titled “We The Surfers” will be released soon.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Jarrett Rose, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Community & Behavioral Health and Sociology at the State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute. His research focuses on psychedelics, mental health, and surf culture (Spoiler: they're all connected). Dr. Rose's interest in mental health research began during his time as a teacher in a "trauma reduction unit" at a juvenile detention facility in San Diego. This experience inspired him to pursue graduate studies in Toronto, Canada, where he participated in a weeklong group-based psychedelic-assisted therapy retreat in Jamaica. There, he explored the combined effects of psychedelics and group dynamics on healing and self-transformation. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Dersu Rhodes is the former Creative Director at Vice and MUDWTR. He helped launch Vice TV, worked on VICE on HBO, and has led creative teams to launch literally hundreds of brands. Raised by hippie parents in Montana, he didn't have a television until he was nine. And from a quiet yearning to fit in as a child a necessity for storytelling emerged. Dersu lives in Ojai and possesses an above-average style on mid-length Bonzers. Stalk Dersu on Instagram. His reel is also impressive. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Born and raised near Toronto, RJ had a thirst for adventure from a young age and moved to the coast to work at a remote salmon fishing lodge in Haida Gwaii. Now 34, he's the co-owner of the Nootka Wilderness Lodge, a floating fishing and surfing resort off the remote west coast of Vancouver Island. In the winter, he manages ops at a new heli ski operation in Bute Inlet, home of the tallest coastal mountain in BC. Most importantly, though, when I asked RJ to send me his bio, he made sure to include the fact that he has an above-average beard and is below average in height (unless wearing my cowboy boots). Follow RJ on Instagram; he's a true salt-of-the-earth badass. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Thomas Kemeny is a Creative Director/Copywriter and author of the advertising book Junior. I own the book, recommend the book, and when I'm feeling completely lost on a copywriting job, occasionally smear goat blood on the book and pray to it. An idea always arrives. Thomas has worked at top creative agencies all over the country and has won The One Show, Cannes Lions, and ANDY Awards. His work has been discussed in the New York Times, NPR, and Vanity Fair. He has an equally impressive list of failures (his words, not mine). Follow the man on LinkedIn. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Paige Alms (@Paigealms) is 2x Big Wave Surfing World Champion and a fellow Patagonia Surf Ambassador. Recently, we spent a week on a ship together, huffing diesel fumes and salt water through unruly seas on an adventure to British Columbia. Paige is widely considered to be the best female big-wave surfer in the world and the only woman to ever get barreled at Jaws. She was instrumental in fighting for equal pay in women's competitions and was a subject in a Page 1 New York Times piece titled, The Fight for Gender Equality in One of the Most Dangerous Sports on Earth. This podcast was recorded on a beach at the base of a shallow, gurgly, righthand slab and was by far the most splendid location I have ever done a show.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Photo: Christa FunkKyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Sean Jansen is a freelance writer and seasonal wilderness guide in Yellowstone National Park. He's intense, slightly awkward, and deeply committed to dancing with the more raw frequencies of human experience. I love this guy. During his off-season from guiding, he partakes in a litany of expeditions from thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to his recent trip, standup paddling more than 1,000 miles down the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. Through recovery from alcoholism, he has moved into a van and spends his time flying fishing trout streams, training for ultra-marathons, and searching the coast for unsurfed waves. With a passion for wilderness and wild places, he often takes his pen and paper on trips and finds ways that the outdoor recreation activities he loves can give back to conservation and environmental areas in need. Follow him on Instagram and read his new book, Paddling with Porpoise.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Ah, the joys of a post-hunt podcast. The feet were sore, and the schnoz was rosey after spending a few days tromping around in the Montana woods. Much knowledge was dropped in this episode by Dr. Kelsey Martin, who grew up on a nature preserve and cattle ranch that her family manages along the windswept plains of Eastern Colorado. She spent her youth working as a ranch hand and reveling in life on the prairie, a lifestyle that eventually led to her career as a large animal veterinarian. She applies the conservation values that were inspired in her at an early age by her father's work to her professional life in medicine and wildlife conservation. Her work has taken her to many places, including Peru, Australia, the Caribbean, and now Montana. She is currently working as a wildlife disease researcher and bison veterinarian. In her off-hours, she can be found enjoying the mountains around her home with her partner Kevin and their two dogs or working in her “studio” (aka garage) as a stained glass artist (@sagehornglass).Kevin Grunewald (you know the guy; he's a fan favorite) is a Montana-based conservationist, hunter, and angler. His winding career path in conservation biology has seen him teaching students how to trap bats in the outback of Australia, guiding clients to experience bear country in Alaska, dissecting Zebrafish embryos in a university laboratory in Wisconsin, and, most recently, conducting and sharing the benefits of sound, ecological land stewardship practices on nature preserves in California and Colorado. In his current role as a Land Steward with The Nature Conservancy, Kevin works and lives at a remote field station and nature preserve called Phantom Canyon. He spends his days working in, exploring, and sharing the wonder of the natural landscapes that he aspires to conserve. Kevin is too cool for Instagram, so email him with your love (kjgrunewald@gmail.com)If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Evan Quarnstrom is a freelance writer specializing in surf, the outdoors, travel, and the NBA. He recently released his first book, “The Substitute Asshole: How a rogue suburban kid's escape from conformity collided with a cultural revolution, drug smuggling, psychedelics, and federal prison.” He grew up in the quiet surf town of Santa Cruz, California, where he developed a connection to the ocean and nature. That's where he picked up his love for surfing, skimboarding, snowboarding, volleyball, hiking, and playing guitar. He has been to 36 countries and counting and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and French.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Tim Cahill is one of the founders of Outside, author of its long-running "Out There" column, and an editor-at-large. He's the author of nine books, one of which (Jaguars Ripped My Flesh) National Geographic named as one of the 100 best adventure/travel books ever written. He is the co-author of four IMAX documentary screenplays, two of which were nominated for Academy Awards. He lives in Montana, in the shadow of the Crazy Mountains. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Frank Solomon (@franksolomon) is one of the most well-liked people I've ever met. Every country has a couch for him to crash on, random encounters turn into lifelong friendships, and for some reason that science still can't explain, meals are always “compliments of the chef.” He's just one of those guys. Frank is a talented big wave charger, Patagonia Surf Ambassador, and now founder of Sentinel Ocean Alliance, a Cape Town-based non-profit that teaches lifesaving skills and ocean education to underprivileged kids. In this episode, we chatted about early big wave sessions at his home break, Dungeons, traveling to Mavericks and getting stuck in a youth hostel in the Tenderloin, and why growing up in South Africa offers a more honest perspective on life. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Rob loves the people-side of storytelling — and not just the folks in front of the camera, but those behind the lens, behind the scenes, and in front of the screens. He has produced stories across many genres on every platform winning Webbys and Emmys along the way. Pre-PTP, he was the Creative Director of the MacArthur Award-winning think tank, FrameWorks Institute. Today, Rob runs Picture This Productions, a film studio borne of a belief that what is smart and sophisticated can and should also be beautiful, compelling, and entertaining. I met Rob a few months back and immediately liked the guy. He thinks deeply about the world without losing levity. So, a few weeks after the dancing was done, Rob Shore jumped on the pod and had a little chat. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

When I was a teenager, I remember opening an issue of SURFER magazine and reading an article about a Mexican pro surfer who, at the peak of his career, walked away from it all and moved to Finland. Finland! I didn't know Kalle Carranza then, but the rarity of his story was memorable. Once the ocean grabs us, it rarely lets go. So why oh why, I wondered for years, did Carranza trade boardshorts for beanies and start from scratch? If you listen to this podcast often, you've probably heard me rail on about the problems with social media. I view it as a kind of psychological cement, hardening our identities and slowly turning us into one-dimensional versions of ourselves. (The result is a lot of 44-year-olds who still act like they're 24.) The more we are willing to try new things and look like fools, the more interesting life becomes. And Carranza is one interesting dude. So, when I was in Costa Rica this past month and finally met Kalle Carranza, I sat down with him to hear his story in its entirety: First Mexican to be on the cover of SURFER magazine, sober, and now, after a life of travel, is back in his hometown of Sayulita, Mexico with a wife and kids. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Let's play a word association game. Ready? Okay… EXPAT. For most of my life, I would have smashed that red gameshow button and shouted, “Pirate with a surfboard!” A lawless scallywag set adrift by society, living off coconut meat and massive quantities of Vitamin D. But as America gears up for another cortisol-inducing election, the prospect of moving to another country is becoming more attractive to non-pirates, too. And the next time you play this word association game, answers may range from a douchy tech founder with Starlink to the wayward son staring back at you in the mirror. I spent the past few weeks in Costa Rica and sat down with a fascinating expat who relocated to Santa Teresa out of high school and never looked back. Eric Smiley is a talented tattoo artist, surfer, and uniquely curious cat. In this episode, we talked about the history of tattoos, banana plantations, Howler monkeys, and buying a one-way ticket out of Old Glory. If you're in Santa Teresa, check out Good Life Tattoo. Tell ‘em Kyle sent ya. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Wallace J. Nichols was a friend, ocean advocate, and often requested guest on the podcast. I first met J when I was twenty. I was a young activist, a little too eager, convinced that the world needed saving, and I would be the one to save it. After giving him my little spiel, he took a long breath through his nose, smiled slightly, and said, “You're very earnest, Kyle. Don't lose that.” Over the next decade, we became buds. He gave me public speaking lessons, opened countless doors, and sat down for recorded chats. Even when months passed, each time we reconnected, the depth was immediate. The way he spoke, listened, and showed up caused anyone in his energy field to drop their shoulders and breathe a little deeper. In that way, J was like the ocean. Blue Mind is a book about water, but its core message is mental health. J knew that the mind is a muscle capable of moving the world, and his simple message of jumping in the water brilliantly flipped the doom and gloom narrative into a story that was personal:We won't save nature. Nature will save us. It's easy to try and numb pain with distraction. J felt life deeply, he was one of the most earnest people I know. And I think when he told me not to lose my own earnestness all those years ago, he was telling me not to lose my capacity to feel. Because life can hurt, so let it hurt. I end each podcast the same way: Get in the water, whichever body of water is closest to you. The next time we plunge into our “blue marble,” let's feel the sensation fully and thank our friend Wallace J. Nichols for all he gave us. Earnestly. Please donate to his family and continued mission here. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

If you're a man and you work, technically, you do “men's work.” There's also that band “Men At Work” that sang that one about that thing and got us all to drink Foster's beer for two whole months. Dark times. And then there's Eli Buren, who has been on a dedicated path of facilitating men's work since 1998. He leads in-depth retreats with training in embodied presence, depth meditation, yoga of awareness, martial arts, breath journeys, outdoor leadership, and how these disciplines may be lived back in the real world. I went out to Zion with podcast alumni Chris Keener to experience Eli's work firsthand and was very impressed. Zion is pretty sweet too. Check out Eli's work here.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

The name's Othman… or as fellow big wave surfers call him, Hot Man. The eccentric Moroccan can often be found in small airports or humungous barrels worldwide, dancing, high-fiving, and tracking swells to his next destination like a comet, forlorn damsels trailing close behind. Hot Man had a two-day layover in LA before he flew to Teahupoo, Tahiti, to place himself inside the throat of some scary oceanic cylinders. So, he crashed on my couch and we talked story. Follow him on the gram. Just don't fall in love… like I did. (Sigh.)If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Shawn Lopez is a Maui-based big wave surfer, hunter, solar energy enthusiast and host of the Buoy Report podcast. In this podcast, Shawn interviews me about my thoughts on creativity, advertising, external rewards, my journal process, respect, faith, embarrassment, and, of course, surfing. Check out Shawn getting ridiculously barreled here. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Orion Levine is a weapon. The kind of terse comedy writer who will likely read through this bio line by line and remove all of the unnecessary, bloated, run-on blather with a red marker. I first saw Orion perform a few years back and was amazed by the exactness of his craft. So few words. Such big laughs. In this podcast, we talk about his comedy writing process, habits, routines, and the parallels between open mics and surfing. Orion has appeared on the Late Late Show with James Corden, Comedy Central, was named a New Face at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in 2022, appeared at New York Comedy Festival, and on Netflix Radio. Now he performs all over the Country. Follow him on Instagram and find his upcoming shows here. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can join my newsletter on Substack.  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Steven Preisman is a Creative Director at Humanaut Brand Invention Agency, and this episode is about how to come up with a shit load of ideas fast. Steven is known in the ad world for delivering the Liquid Death Tony Hawk blood board stunt, where the pro skater dripped his blood onto a deck and sold it at auction. We also talked about Steven's criteria for what makes ideas spread, word association games, and why he rarely looks to advertising for inspiration. If you dig this episode and want more like it, check out these gems: #327  Charlie Hart, #317 - Scott Norton, #299 - Dersu Rhodes. And scope Steven's work here. He's very impressive… for a Canadian. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency---An out of the box way to inbox. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Charles Duhigg. The man. The myth. The big idea guy. The dude writes books, maybe you've read them. The Power of Habit spent over three years on New York Times bestseller lists. His second book, Smarter Faster Better, was also a New York Times bestseller. And his latest, which just hit the shelves, is titled Supercommunicators. Turns out ol' Charles also lives in my hometown of Santa Cruz, California, and the dude surfs! Who would've thunk? This pod was under an hour, and we covered a lot: the writing process, breakthrough communication skills, and, of course, surfing. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency---An out of the box way to inbox.This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Rick Hanson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, New York Times best-selling author, and buddy of mine. He's a wonderful and (sane) blend of science and spirituality and often writes writes about the intersection between the two. His books include Making Great Relationships, Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha's Brain, and Mother Nurture—with over a million copies in English alone. This podcast was first released over Covid—whew, remember those dark days—and it's still one of my favorites, so I figured I'd bump it back to the top of your feed so your ears can luxuriate in all of the wisdom that is Rick Hanson, Ph.D. one more time. Get Rick's newsletter. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency—an out of the box way to inbox. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

I've known Shems Hartwell for a while now. A relationship coach, foil surfer, and long hugger, he's a guy I could easily see myself rolling my eyes at if it were not for his authenticity. Even the word “authenticity” feels like it's circling the drain of descriptors these days. It's always the carefully curated posers who love to share their “authentic” selves with the world. And in this podcast, we get into it. The phenomenon of men who commodify their vulnerability to achieve status, sharing just enough to be cheered on for their bravery while never letting the truly risky parts of themselves show. Real authenticity means a willingness to fail. And Shems is willing to fail. He creates a safe container for other men to fail too. For lots of dudes, the pressures of careers and mortgages and relationships are enough to snap the spine, and this is where true terror lies. Women say they want a vulnerable man, but they also don't want a loser. This tightrope walk leaves men shakily standing on a high wire, looking thousands of feet below—Jocko Willink to one side, liberal cucks to the other. Shems is the net. (Did that metaphor make sense? Meh, I'm keeping it.) He's is leading a men's retreat in Nicaragua in a couple of months. There will be surfing. If this seems like your jam, check it out and more of his work here. If you like this episode and want more, check out Episode #121 or Episode #148.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. Get my newsletter at Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Marine Protected Areas. No take zones. Areas of the ocean where fishermen cannot recreate. Do they work? Or are they sledgehammers where scalpels would be better used? In this episode, I speak with environmentalist Randy Garrett about the proposed MPA in the Pleasure Point area in Santa Cruz, California. He details his concerns about MPAs as potentially ineffective and even destructive mechanisms to protect ocean resources. Randy is one of the most science-based thinkers I know, so when he asked to have this conversation I was all ears. Learn more at: Allwaters.orgIf you dig this podcast, will you be please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. Get my Friday newsletter at Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

You know the guy. He's been coming on this podcast so often these days I should probably call it The Charlie Hart show. He's a brilliant marketing mind who also happens to be my housemate. (Rent's coming soon Charlie, I swear.) This episode was a little different. T'was a book review. We each read Ogilvy On Advertising and discussed it over this podcast. Maybe you don't fancy yourself a "marketer." Maybe that word grosses you out. But this book is really about psychology. It's about how to deliver ideas that change behavior. And whether you're selling a product, a movement, or yourself, these are damn valuable skills. Back to Charlie, (ahem). At age 24, he became the 10th employee at RXBAR, the protein bar company known for its clean branding and "No BS" campaigns. Hart quickly rose to lead the brand's marketing and growth, helping guide the company to a $600m exit before his 30th birthday. After traveling the world, Hart founded Sign and Sapien - an agency specializing in advising and investing for early and mid-stage companies and joined Factor75 as Chief Marketing Officer, where he steered the company towards a ~$300m exit. Today, he works as the Chef Marketing Officer for entertainer and entrepreneur Rob Dyrdek, managing and growing his media verticals and portfolio companies. Charlie doesn't have Instagram, but you can reach him at his email: charlie@signandsapien.com or follow him on LinkedIn.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious.This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency. An out of the box way to inbox. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Manu Koenig serves as First District Supervisor for Santa Cruz County. Prior to his election to the Board, Manu worked for several technology startups including Paystand in Scotts Valley and Civinomics, where he was co-founder and CEO. The local startup created an app for citizens to propose and vote on new policy online. It also conducted polling and survey research for local governments throughout the Monterey and San Francisco Bay Area. Manu was born and raised in Santa Cruz County. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Stanford University and is an avid surfer, cyclist and climber. Manu lives in Live Oak with his wife Leah, daughter Charlotte and blue heeler Benjie.As our Country gets enamored with the Trump vs Biden election cycle, it's easy to forget about local politics. This is the place we can often have the greatest impact, and this podcast is about the levers we can pull to make change happen.Read my story for Patagonia: The Wave Below the Sleeping RabbitIf you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

James Arthur (@JamesArthurFoto) began his journey with regenerative aquaculture as a teenager volunteering at the Nature Interpretive Center in Southern California where he got first hand experience with a steelhead trout breeding and hatchery program.  For the past ten years he lived aboard and sailed around the Pacific from San Francisco to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Throughout that time he's been on a mission visiting ocean aquaculture farms, vetting claims, lab testing seafood and connecting the best-in-class aquaculture projects with farm-to-table restaurants in California.  In 2020 he founded SEATOPIA, a gourmet seafood subscription box now delivering certified mercury-safe seafood, carbon-neutral, direct to homes nationwide. Through SEATOPIA, he is endeavoring to scale a truly regenerative seafood supply chain and empower health-conscious consumers to directly support innovative aquaculture projects producing some of the healthiest protein on the planet.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

At eight, Coco Nogales sold gum on the street in Mexico City. He was a runaway, sleeping in bushes and bus stops, and if the police caught him, they would throw him in a juvenile detention center, so he hid at night and worked on the streets to survive. Eventually, he had enough money to buy a bus ticket to Puerto Escondido, a small town with one of the most dangerous big waves on the planet.The watershed moment of his career came when he was 17, photographed surfing a gigantic wave at Puerto Escondido. He says it changed his life forever. Determination and following every opportunity led him to where he is today. Now recognized as one of the top big wave surfers in Mexico, he has traveled the world from Hawaii and South Africa and many places in between.During this podcast, Nogales tells the story of nearly drowning at Todos Santos, a big wave in northern Baja, and the lessons he learned through his recovery.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

I met Ben Moon years back at Burning Man. He was carrying a five-gallon bottle of urine, and I was not entirely sober. Since then, I've admired his work from respectful a distance, (his IG is worth a stalk). I was very grateful to cross paths with him again for this podcast. This time, he held a kombucha and I was reasonably sober.Ben is an adventure, lifestyle, and portrait photographer whose vibrant images have graced the pages of Patagonia catalogues for the past 18 years.  In recent years, he has shifted his focus to filmmaking. In 2015, he founded his production company, Moonhouse as a platform for collaboration with friends and creatives to bring a wide range of thought-provoking, impactful and cinematically beautiful stories to life on-screen. As a director, Ben's unique ability to connect with his subjects paired with the talent and experience for visual storytelling allow him to bring a high level of emotional and visual depth to his films. Surviving colorectal cancer in his 20s inspired Ben to develop a deeper connection to others and the natural world and gradually shifted his artistic focus from capturing the pursuit of adventure to telling nuanced human stories that have inspired and impacted millions worldwide.  Most notably, he told his own story about his journey with colorectal cancer and his special relationship with his dog, Denali in the viral short film, Denali. Ben currently resides on the Oregon coast where, in addition to his film and photo work, he is building a house and just published a personal memoir called "Denali: A Man, a Dog, and the Friendship of a Lifetime" on Penguin Books about his journey with cancer and his life with Denali.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency. An out of the box way to inbox. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

As one of the leading players in the revival of paddle-in surfing in giant conditions, Kohl Christensen spends much of his time tracking swells and testing new board designs at some of the most dangerous waves on the planet. An erudite and well-read man with a keenly unique perspective, he explores the world as Hunter Thompson may have, had he surfed. Kohl has lived all over the world, including a year in Easter Island, the remote island off the coast of Chile. When it's flat, he installs solar energy systems and tends his off-the-grid farm on the North Shore of O'ahu.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency. An out of the box way to inbox.You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Lee Povey is the Founder of Maximize Your Potential Coaching. As an executive coach, he works with ambitious brands to help them upgrade their emotional software. To see problems differently. Because in business, growing pains are not limited to financial or structural. They are also emotional and spiritual. That's where Lee comes in. Back when I worked as Senior Copywriter at MUDWTR, Lee worked with our employees every week, and the results were remarkable. As a previous elite cycling athlete and Olympic Development Program Coach for USA Cycling, and from coaching hundreds of World, National, and Olympic champions, Lee understands the importance of World-Class leadership. In this wide-ranging podcast, we talked about how to give feedback, common problems for fast-growing startups, and tyrannical Einsteins. Reach out to Lee.This episode is brought to you by Claude Agency, an out of the box way to inbox.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com  Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

You know him. As a professional big-wave surfer, spearfisherman, bow hunter, filmmaker, and part-time Hollywood stuntman, Mark Healey (@healeywaterops) is the last true action hero of surfing. Healey has been on the mic before (Ep. 28, Ep. 152, Ep 158), and this one was my favorite to date. He recounted stories of 100ft waves in Morocco, bull riding in a Mexican rodeo, breathing techniques while bow hunting, the birth of his first child, and the last time he felt true fear in the ocean. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Dane Anderson is a professional surfer from Carmel, CA. A few weeks ago, Dane texted me and said he'd like to come on the podcast. He told me that when he was 17 years old he was involved in a traumatic car accident in Big Sur. The car flipped, and his best friend died. Ever since this tragedy Dane has struggled with substance abuse issues as a way to cope with the pain. This is a very raw and vulnerable episode. It's told by someone who has days—not years of sobriety under their belt. Big ups to Dane for telling his story so honestly. It's a reminder for us all that it's okay to not be okay. Reach out to Dane on InstagramIf you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com  Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Kevin Grunewald is a Montana-based conservationist, hunter, and angler. His winding career path in conservation biology has seen him teaching students how to trap bats in the outback of Australia, guiding clients to experience bear country in Alaska, dissecting Zebrafish embryos in a university laboratory in Wisconsin, and, most recently, conducting and sharing the benefits of sound, ecological land stewardship practices on nature preserves in California and Colorado. In his former role as a land steward with The Nature Conservancy, Kevin worked and lived at a remote field station and nature preserve called Phantom Canyon. Now, he's based in Bozeman and spends his days working in, exploring, and sharing the wonder of the natural landscapes that he aspires to conserve. You can get in touch with Kevin here. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It's glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com  Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe