Podcast appearances and mentions of jared simons

Jared has been a professional chef for 20+ years and is an avid endurance athlete, having completed multiple Ironman distance triathlons. In this episode he talks about committing to something and sticking to it. If you want to accomplish something, put it on your calendar!

Pain is the ultimate motivator for change. For our guest today, Jared Simons, it came in the form of a failed business and faltering health. Waking up every day feeling horrible, working hard and partying hard were his norms of being for years. Covering up what he was not ready to face by band-aiding his pain until one day he decided that he no longer wanted to live in a health-harming manner. Exercise which turned into triathlon which turned into plant-based eating served as the ingredients for Jared's grand transformation. His now wife, Jen, provided a supportive environment during Jared's rise back to health which gave him the stability to heal and move forward to a better way of life. Jared is the well-known chef at LA's coveted No Name restaurant and he is a plant-based Ironman triathlete. From a crushed high school dream to opening his first restaurant at the age of 22, Jared has always been a go-getter. He is someone who is always moving forward even through the times of muck. At the age of 26, he opened his second restaurant which served as the guiding light (and dark) to the greatest uplevel of his life. Jared's strong will and drive to be in service of others reminds us all that living an expanded life of possibility is our choice. Just keep moving forward.

Is the humble hamburger our planet’s new hero? It is according to biochemist Pat Brown. In this episode of ‘Fixed That For You’ we visit Brown’s Impossible Foods lab where he’s broken down America’s favorite food into one delicious dataset. Join us as we figure out exactly which molecules make burgers taste the way they do, and then try to find those exact same molecules in plants. 'Fixed That For You' is an original podcast from Segment. For more on the series go to fixedthatforyou.com. In this episode, Pat Brown talks about Impossible 2.0 and the future of meat. Impossible Foods is a must try especially for those that are major carnivores — you may never want to go back to meat again. The possibilities of what you can make is endless, from pizza to meatballs, sandwiches and even chili cheese fries. Find an Impossible Burger near you. Check out other plant-based foods such as: Beyond Meat, JUST Egg, and Morning Star Farms. In Los Angeles for a weekend? Stop by Jared Simons restaurant No Name, one of LA’s new secret hot spots. Or if you’re too far from there, check out the recipe from Jared on how to make your own vegan BLT.

This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing. My guest this week on the show is Coach Wes.  Wes and I got connected because one of my followers suggested I reach out to him and get connected for a podcast and I am SO glad they did.   I started following Wes awhile back on Instagram and I knew right away that he was someone who would fit the podcast PERFECTLY and he did.  Wes started his journey in the food industry, very similar to previous podcast guest Jared Simons.  Wes learned a lot in that industry while he was helping them open restaurants.  He was in this industry for about five years and he saw A LOT in those five years.  Unfortunately, he became burned out in this industry given how fast and hard it is.   After his time in this industry, Wes decided to chase his love in art and he went to a tattoo shop to seek out an apprenticeship.  He started from the bottom here.  He walked in and asked if he could clean the shop, the bathrooms, whatever needed to be done.  He showed up day in and day out just doing anything that needed to be done.  Wes never asked when he would get a space, when he could start tattooing, he just wanted to learn everything he could.   Wes was actually helping the owner build a new space for a tattoo artist and he didn't realize it was actually for HIM! Wes began doing tattoos at this shop full time and fell in love with it, but he knew he could become better.  He went on to grow his own shop before he couldn't tattoo anymore.  While this was going on Wes brought in a partner who was interested in fitness.  He began helping with his partner's shop and found his love for bike fitting and coaching.  This also began to run its course though because they did not see eye to eye on what they wanted for their shop.  Wes and his partner ended up going their separate ways so they could pursue their own dreams.   Wes began coaching and training clients and doing bike fittings.  He was loving this but knew that he always wanted more.  He began to crunch the numbers and he just couldn't see how he could make a living owning a gym without working crazy hours.  He knew this was what he wanted to do but he also knew he had to figure some things out.  He didn't want to be one of the big box gyms, he wanted to be DIFFERENT. This is when Wes found the Self Made Training Facilities and he was skeptical for sure but he wanted to learn more.  So Wes and his partner flew out to California with the thought that this was too good to be true and they were going to listen to the pitch and then go skiing for a few days.  This is not exactly how it went down though, they fell in love with the idea and they couldn't really find a reason NOT to do it.  The decision was made and they knew when they got back to Ohio they were launching their own location.   Wes has one speed and it is GO!  All the time with anything he is doing.  He is in 110% on everything that he does and it has to be perfect.  I really enjoyed sitting down with him and I can't wait to do it again!   I hope you enjoy this interview with Wes!   Wes's Instagram Do It For Yourself Instagram Support the show here.

This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing. This week I am so excited to bring you this interview with someone who I have been waiting to get on the podcast!  My guest this week is Jared Simons.  Jared is a vegan triathlete who is also the chef and owner of the restaurant called No Name.  Jared had so much to offer and it was hard to keep it to an hour but I wanted to respect his time because I know that he is a VERY busy guy.   Jared entered into the food service industry at a young age.  When he began working his first job, he remembers being "demoted" to the kitchen because he was a punk rocker and he changed his hair color to red.  Little did Jared know how much this would play into his career choice for the rest of his life.  He quickly moved through the ranks of a dishwasher to helping prep appetizers for the guests in this restaurant.  Jared immediately fell in love with the kitchen and he knew this is what he wanted to do for his career.   Jared remembers the initial kickback from his family when he told them that he wanted to go to culinary school.  His parents both had very successful careers and he remembers his family asking why he didn't want to go to school to become a doctor or something of the likes.  Jaren knew this just wasn't for him and he wanted to go to culinary school and so he did.   After schooling Jared made his way back into the food service industry, starting at the bottom as many do.  Before long though, Jared had an opportunity to start his own restaurant with the guy from his first ever restaurant.  Although young and inexperienced in the business world, Jared took a chance and owned his first restaurant in his young twenties.   after spending many years in this industry, he began to take a toll on Jared's body thought.  He remembers waking up in the morning and just being drained.  He was tired, didn't want to get up and knew that he was in very poor health.  He knew it was time to make a change but he did not have the money to do so.  Being resourceful though, Jared struck a deal with a restaurant customer.  In exchange for some personal training, Jared promised to feed his new trainer lunch every day.  This was the jumpstart that Jared needed to get going.  Before long he fell in love with working out and began to see and FEEL the changes in his health.  Jared remembered reading about one of his punk rock heroes John Joseph and how he was fifty years old and doing Ironman Triathlons.  Jared thought, man this guy is the epitome of health and that's what I want.  So Jared decided a triathlon would be his next fitness goal and he signed up for his first Olympic distance race.   Before even completing this race, Jared signed up for two additional races that year!  He was loving the training so much that he knew before even doing his first race that he was going to love it.  Love it he did, and he has not stopped competing since then.  Joining a tri club in Los Angeles to gain as much knowledge as he possibly could.  Jared describes how important joining this club was, not for the training but because of the amount of knowledge he gained from his fellow athletes in the club.   Jared has since competed in countless triathlon races and he chronicles his training journey on Instagram.  I really enjoyed getting the chance to catch up with Jared on this weeks episode and I hope you enjoy our conversation!   Jared's Instagram Do It For Yourself Instagram Support the show here!   Notable mentions in this show: John Joseph Instagram John's New Book Rich Roll Podcast Los Angeles Triathlon Club

"Is there anything that I can do more to better myself today?" -Jared Simons This past weekend my family drove up to San Luis Obispo Cal Poly, which is where I will be attending college, and I felt a rush of emotions. At dinner I broke down and cried, not for the first time in the past few weeks either, realizing yet again that I have no idea how I am going to do this. My family makes me so happy that I could easily live with them forever. I am scared of what's to come and what I am leaving behind. However, my family helped me to understand that this is a grand new adventure where I can find my independence, grow as a person, and learn. Also they are not that far away. With that confidence and knowledge I hope to better manage the next few weeks. Speaking of managing I think this week's guest is a perfect compliment. Jared Simons is the chef at No Name, founder of Whitechapel Soap Co., is vegan, and is an Ironman athlete. My dad found Jared on Instagram and we both thought that he would be a great guest on the show. Sadly I couldn't meet Jared in person for dinner before I left, so we had to do the show on Skype so please excuse any weird sounds or glitches. Now Jared is someone who is deeply dedicated to what he does, whether that is cooking, training, or making soap. That is what so intrigues me about him. Today we discuss Ironman, training, how coaching is beneficial, balancing training and cooking, his story, how he failed at putting health as a priority when beginning his career as a chef, how he became vegan, meal recommendations, John Joseph's Positive Mental Attitude, and more. Please enjoy this episode of intrigue into the life of Jared Simons. Graciously, Jarod Contreras Jared Simons:  whitechapelsoapco.com Instagram: @jaredsimons_chef instagram.com/jaredsimons_chef Support Touching the Trail: touchingthetrail.com/donate targetreleaserecovery.com Find Jarod: touchingthetrail.com Touching the Trail Weekly: eepurl.com/bEENNP Instagram: @jarodrunsdirt instagram.com/jarodrunsdirt Twitter: @jarodrunsdirt twitter.com/jarodrunsdirt Facebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail Strava: Jarod Contreras strava.com/athletes/jarodcontreras