Podcasts about Mongol Rally

What happens when curiosity, resilience, and storytelling collide over a lifetime of building something meaningful? In this episode, I welcome Nick Francis, founder and CEO of Casual Films, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, presence, and what it takes to keep going when the work gets heavy. Nick's journey began with a stint at BBC News and a bold 9,000-mile rally from London to Mongolia in a Mini Cooper, a spirit of adventure that still fuels how he approaches business and life today. We talk about how that early experience shaped Casual into a global branded storytelling company with studios across five continents, and what it really means to lead a creative organization at scale. Nick shares insights from growing the company internationally, expanding into Southeast Asia, and staying grounded while producing hundreds of projects each year. Along the way, we explore why emotionally resonant storytelling matters, how trust and preparation beat panic, and why presence with family, health, and purpose keeps leaders steady in uncertain times. This conversation is about building an Unstoppable life by focusing on what matters most, using creativity to connect people, and choosing clarity and resilience in a world full of noise. Highlights: 00:01:30 – Learn how early challenges shape resilience and long-term drive. 00:06:20 – Discover why focusing on your role creates calm under pressure. 00:10:50 – Learn how to protect attention in a nonstop world. 00:18:25 – Understand what global growth teaches about leadership. 00:26:00 – Learn why leading with trust changes relationships. 00:45:55 – Discover how movement and presence restore clarity. About the Guest: Nick Francis is the founder and CEO of Casual, a global production group that blends human storytelling, business know-how, and creativity turbo-charged by AI. Named the UK's number one brand video production company for five years, Casual delivers nearly 1,000 projects annually for world-class brands like Adobe, Amazon, BMW, Hilton, HSBC, and P&G. The adventurous spirit behind its first production – a 9,000-mile journey from London to Mongolia in an old Mini – continues to drive Casual's growth across offices in London, New York, LA, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong and Greater China. Nick previously worked for BBC News and is widely recognised for his expertise in video storytelling, brand building, and corporate communications. He is the founding director of the Casual Films Academy, a charity helping young filmmakers develop skills by producing films for charitable organisations. He is also the author of ‘The New Fire: Harness the Power of Video for Your Business' and a passionate advocate for emotionally resonant, behaviorally grounded storytelling. Nick lives in San Francisco, California, with his family. Ways to connect with Nick**:** Website: https://www.casualfilms.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@casual_global  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casualglobal/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasualFilms/  Nick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickfrancisfilm/  Casual's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/casual-films-international/  Beyond Casual - LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6924458968031395840 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:21 Well, hello everyone. I am your host, Mike hingson, that's kind of funny. We'll talk about that in a second, but this is unstoppable mindset. And our guest today is Nick Francis, and what we're going to talk about is the fact that people used to always ask me, well, they would call me Mr. Kingston, and it took me, as I just told Nick a master's degree in physics in 10 years to realize that if I said Mike hingson, that's why they said Mr. Kingston. So was either say Mike hingson or Michael hingson. Well, Michael hingson is a lot easier to say than Mike hingson, but I don't really care Mike or Michael, as long as it's not late for dinner. Whatever works. Yeah. Well, Nick, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're Nick Francis  02:04 here. Thanks, Mike. It's great to be here. Michael Hingson  02:08 So Nick is a marketing kind of guy. He's got a company called casual that we'll hear about. Originally from England, I believe, and now lives in San Francisco. We were talking about the weather in San Francisco, as opposed to down here in Victorville. A little bit earlier. We're going to have a heat wave today and and he doesn't have that up there, but you know, well, things, things change over time. But anyway, we're glad you're here. And thanks, Mike. Really looking forward to it. Tell us about the early Nick growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to get us started. Nick Francis  02:43 That's a good question. I grew up in London, in in Richmond, which is southwest London. It's a at the time, it wasn't anything like as kind of, it's become quite kind of shishi, I think back in the day, because it's on the west of London. The pollution from the city used to flow east and so, like all the kind of well to do people, in fact, there used to be a, there used to be a palace in Richmond. It's where Queen Elizabeth died, the first Queen Elizabeth, that is. And, yeah, you know, I grew up it was, you know, there's a lot of rugby played around there. I played rugby for my local rugby club from a very young age, and we went sailing on the south coast. It was, it was great, really. And then, you know, unfortunately, when I was 10 years old, my my dad died. He had had a very powerful job at the BBC, and then he ran the British Council, which is the overseas wing of the Arts Council, so promoting, I guess, British soft power around the world, going and opening art galleries and going to ballet in Moscow and all sorts. So he had an incredible life and worked incredibly hard. And you know, that has brought me all sorts of privileges, I think, when I was a kid. But, you know, unfortunately, age 10 that all ended. And you know, losing a parent at that age is such a sort of fundamental, kind of shaking of your foundations. You know, you when you're a kid, you feel like a, you're going to live forever, and B, the things that are happening around you are going to last forever. And so, you know, you know, my mom was amazing, of course, and, you know, and in time, I got a new stepdad, and all the rest of it. But you know, that kind of shaped a lot of my a lot of my youth, really. And, yeah, I mean, Grief is a funny thing, and it's funny the way it manifests itself as you grow. But yeah. So I grew up there. I went to school in the Midlands, near where my stepdad lived, and then University of Newcastle, which is up in the north of England, where it rains a lot. It's where it's where Newcastle Football Club is based. And you know is that is absolutely at the center of the city. So. So the city really comes alive there. And it was during that time that I discovered photography, and I wanted to be a war photographer, because I believe that was where life was lived at the kind of the real cutting edge. You know, you see the you see humanity in its in its most visceral and vivid color in terrible situations. And I kind of that seemed like an interesting thing to go to go and do. Michael Hingson  05:27 Well, what? So what did you major in in college in Newcastle? So I did Nick Francis  05:31 history and politics, and then I went did a course in television journalism, and ended up working at BBC News as a initially running on the floor. So I used to deliver the papers that you know, when you see people shuffling or not, they do it anymore, actually, because everything, everything's digital now digital, yeah, but when they were worried about the the auto cues going down, they we always had to make sure that they had the up to date script. And so I would be printing in, obviously, the, you know, because it's a three hour news show, the scripts constantly evolving, and so, you know, I was making sure they had the most up to date version in their hands. And it's, I don't know if you have spent any time around live TV Mike, but it's an incredibly humbling experience, like the power of it. You know, there's sort of two or 3 million people watching these two people who are sitting five feet in front of me, and the, you know, the sort of slightly kind of, there was an element of me that just wanted to jump in front of them and kind of go, ah. And, you know, never, ever work in live TV, ever again. But you know, anyway, I did that and ended up working as a producer, writing and developing, developing packets that would go out on the show, producing interviews and things. And, you know, I absolutely loved it. It was, it was a great time. But then I left to go and set up my company. Michael Hingson  06:56 I am amazed, even today, with with watching people on the news, and I've and I've been in a number of studios during live broadcasts and so on. But I'm amazed at how well, mostly, at least, I've been fortunate. Mostly, the people are able to read because they do have to read everything. It isn't like you're doing a lot of bad living in a studio. Obviously, if you are out with a story, out in the field, if you will, there, there may be more where you don't have a printed script to go by, but I'm amazed at the people in the studio, how much they are able to do by by reading it all completely. Nick Francis  07:37 It's, I mean, the whole experience is kind of, it's awe inspiring, really. And you know, when you first go into a Live, a live broadcast studio, and you see the complexity, and you know, they've got feeds coming in from all over the world, and you know, there's upwards of 100 people all working together to make it happen. And I remember talking to one of the directors at the time, and I was like, How on earth does this work? And he said, You know, it's simple. You everyone has a very specific job, and you know that as long as you do your bit of the job when it comes in front of you, then the show will go out. He said, where it falls over is when people start worrying about whether other people are going to are going to deliver on time or, you know, and so if you start worrying about what other people are doing, rather than just focusing on the thing you have to do, that's where it potentially falls over, Michael Hingson  08:29 which is a great object lesson anyway, to worry about and control and don't worry about the rest Nick Francis  08:36 for sure. Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, it's almost a lesson for life. I mean, sorry, it is a lesson for life, and Michael Hingson  08:43 it's something that I talk a lot about in dealing with the World Trade Center and so on, and because it was a message I received, but I've been really preaching that for a long time. Don't worry about what you can't control, because all you're going to do is create fear and drive yourself Nick Francis  08:58 crazy, completely, completely. You know. You know what is it? Give me the, give me this. Give me the strength to change the things I can. Give me the give me the ability to let the things that I can't change slide but and the wisdom to know the difference. I'm absolutely mangling that, that saying, but, yeah, it's, it's true, you know. And I think, you know, it's so easy for us to in this kind of modern world where everything's so media, and we're constantly served up things that, you know, shock us, sadness, enrage us, you know, just to be able to step back and say, actually, you know what? These are things I can't really change. I'd have to just let them wash over me. Yeah, and just focus on the things that you really can change. Michael Hingson  09:46 It's okay to be aware of things, but you've got to separate the things you can control from the things that you can and we, unfortunately aren't taught that. Our parents don't teach us that because they were never taught it, and it's something. That, just as you say, slides by, and it's so unfortunate, because it helps to create such a level of fear about so many things in our in our psyche and in our world that we really shouldn't have to do Nick Francis  10:13 completely well. I think, you know, obviously, but you know, we've, we've spent hundreds, if not millions of years evolving to become humans, and then, you know, actually being aware of things beyond our own village has only been an evolution of the last, you know what, five, 600 years, yeah. And so we are just absolutely, fundamentally not able to cope with a world of such incredible stimulus that we live in now. Michael Hingson  10:43 Yeah, and it's only getting worse with all the social media, with all the different things that are happening and of course, and we're only working to develop more and more things to inundate us with more and more kinds of inputs. It's really unfortunate we just don't learn to separate ourselves very easily from all of that. Nick Francis  11:04 Yeah, well, you know, it's so interesting when you look at the development of VR headsets, and, you know, are we going to have, like, lenses in our eyes that kind of enable us to see computer screens while we're just walking down the road, you know? And you look at that and you think, well, actually, just a cell phone. I mean, cell phones are going to be gone fairly soon. I would imagine, you know, as a format, it's not something that's going to abide but the idea that we're going to create technology that's going to be more, that's going to take us away from being in the moment more rather than less, is kind of terrifying. Because, I would say already, even with, you know, the most basic technology that we have now, which is, you know, mind bending, compared to where we were even 20 years ago, you know, to think that we're only going to become more immersive is, you know, we really, really as a species, have to work out how we are going to be far better at stepping away from this stuff. And I, you know, I do, I wonder, with AI and technology whether there is, you know, there's a real backlash coming of people who do want to just unplug, yeah, Michael Hingson  12:13 well, it'll be interesting to see, and I hope that people will learn to do it. I know when I started hearing about AI, and one of the first things I heard was how kids would use it to write their papers, and it was a horrible thing, and they were trying to figure out ways so that teachers could tell us something was written by AI, as opposed to a student. And I almost immediately developed this opinion, no, let AI write the papers for students, but when the students turn in their paper, then take a day to in your class where you have every student come up and defend their paper, see who really knows it, you know. And what a great teaching opportunity and teaching moment to to get students also to learn to do public speaking and other things a little bit more than they do, but we haven't. That hasn't caught on, but I continue to preach it. Nick Francis  13:08 I think that's really smart, you know, as like aI exists, and I think to to pretend somehow that, you know, we can work without it is, you know, it's, it's, it's, yeah, I mean, it's like, well, saying, you know, we're just going to go back to Word processors or typewriters, which, you know, in which it weirdly, in their own time, people looked at and said, this is, you know, these, these are going to completely rot our minds. In fact, yeah, I think Plato said that was very against writing, because he believed it would mean no one could remember anything after that, you know. So it's, you know, it's just, it's an endless, endless evolution. But I think, you know, we have to work out how we incorporate into it, into our education system, for sure. Michael Hingson  13:57 Well, I remember being in in college and studying physics and so on. And one of the things that we were constantly told is, on tests, you can't bring calculators in, can't use calculators in class. Well, why not? Well, because you could cheat with that. Well, the reality is that the smart physicists realized that it's all about really learning the concepts more than the numbers. And yeah, that's great to to know how to do the math. But the the real issue is, do you know the physics, not just the math completely? Nick Francis  14:34 Yeah. And then how you know? How are the challenges that are being set such that you know, they really test your ability to use the calculator effectively, right? So how you know? How are you lifting the bar? And in a way, I think that's kind of what we have to do, what we have to do now, Michael Hingson  14:50 agreed, agreed. So you were in the news business and so on, and then, as you said, you left to start your own company. Why did you decide to do that? Nick Francis  14:59 Well, a friend of. Ryan and I from University had always talked about doing this rally from London to Mongolia. So, and you do it in an old car that you sort of look at, and you go, well, that's a bit rubbish. It has to have under a one liter engine. So it's tiny, it's cheap. The idea is it breaks down you have an adventure. And it was something we kind of talked about in passing and decided that would be a good thing to do. And then over time, you know, we started sending off. We you know, we applied, and then we started sending off for visas and things. And then before we knew it, we were like, gosh, so it looks like we're actually going to do this thing. But by then, you know, my job at the BBC was really taking off. And so I said, you know, let's do this, but let's make a documentary of it. So long story short, we ended up making a series of diary films for Expedia, which we uploaded onto their website. It was, you know, we were kind of pitching this around about 2005 we kind of did it in 2006 so it was kind of, you know, nobody had really heard of YouTube. The idea of making videos to go online was kind of unheard of because, you know, broadband was just kind of getting sorry. It wasn't unheard of, but it was, it was very, it was a very nascent industry. And so, yeah, we went and drove 9000 miles over five weeks. We spent a week sitting in various different repair yards and kind of break his yards in everywhere from Turkey to Siberia. And when we came back, it became clear that the internet was opening up as this incredible medium for video, and video is such a powerful way to share emotion with a dispersed audience. You know, not that I would have necessarily talked about it in that in those terms back then, but it really seemed like, you know, every every web page, every piece of corporate content, could have a video aspect to it. And so we came back and had a few fits and starts and did some, I mean, we, you know, we made a series of hotel videos where we were paid 50 quid a day to go and film hotels. And it was hot and it was hard work. And anyway, it was rough. But over time, you know, we started to win some more lucrative work. And, you know, really, the company grew from there. We won some awards, which helped us to kind of make a bit of a name for ourselves. And this was, there's been a real explosion in technology, kind of shortly after when we did this. So digital SLRs, so, you know, old kind of SLR cameras, you know, turned into digital cameras, which could then start to shoot video. And so it, there was a real explosion in high quality video produced by very small teams of people using the latest technology creatively. And that just felt like a good kind of kick off point for our business. But we just kind of because we got in in kind of 2006 we just sort of beat a wave that kind of started with digital SLRs, and then was kind of absolutely exploded when video cell phones came on the market, video smartphones. And yeah, you know, because we had these awards and we had some kind of fairly blue chip clients from a relatively early, early stage, we were able to grow the company. We then expanded to the US in kind of 2011 20 between 2011 2014 and then we were working with a lot of the big tech companies in California, so it felt like we should maybe kind of really invest in that. And so I moved out here with some of our team in 2018 at the beginning of 2018 and I've been here ever since, wow. Michael Hingson  18:44 So what is it? What was it like starting a business here, or bringing the business here, as opposed to what it was in England? Nick Francis  18:53 It's really interesting, because the creatively the UK is so strong, you know, like so many, you know, from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones to, you know, and then on through, like all the kind of, you know, film and TV, you know, Brits are very good at kind of Creating, like, high level creative, but not necessarily always the best at kind of monetizing it, you know. I mean, some of those obviously have been fantastic successes, right? And so I think in the UK, we we take a lot longer over getting, getting to, like, the perfect creative output, whereas the US is far more focused on, you know, okay, we need this to to perform a task, and frankly, if we get it 80% done, then we're good, right? And so I think a lot of creative businesses in the UK look at the US and they go, gosh. Firstly, the streets are paved with gold. Like the commercial opportunity seems incredible, but actually creating. Tracking it is incredibly difficult, and I think it's because we sort of see the outputs in the wrong way. I think they're just the energy and the dynamism of the US economy is just, it's kind of awe inspiring. But you know, so many businesses try to expand here and kind of fall over themselves. And I think the number one thing is just, you have to have a founder who's willing to move to the US. Because I think Churchill said that we're two two countries divided by the same language. And I never fully understood what that meant until I moved here. I think what it what he really means by that is that we're so culturally different in the US versus the UK. And I think lots of Brits look at America and think, Well, you know, it's just the same. It's just a bit kind of bigger and a bit Brasher, you know, and it and actually, I think if people in the US spoke a completely different language, we would approach it as a different culture, which would then help us to understand it better. Yeah. So, yeah. I mean, it's been, it's been the most fabulous adventure to move here and to, you know, it's, it's hard sometimes, and California is a long way from home, but the energy and the optimism and the entrepreneurialism of it, coupled with just the natural beauty is just staggering. So we've made some of our closest friends in California, it's been absolutely fantastic. And across the US, it's been a fantastic adventure for us and our family. Michael Hingson  21:30 Yeah, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the US, and I hear negative comments about one place or another, like West Virginia, people eat nothing but fried food and all that. But the reality is, if you really take an overall look at it, the country has so much to offer, and I have yet to find a place that I didn't enjoy going to, and people I never enjoyed meeting, I really enjoy all of that, and it's great to meet people, and it's great to experience so much of this country. And I've taken that same posture to other places. I finally got to visit England last October, for the first time. You mentioned rugby earlier, the first time I was exposed to rugby was when I traveled to New Zealand in 2003 and found it pretty fascinating. And then also, I was listening to some rugby, rugby, rugby broadcast, and I tuned across the radio and suddenly found a cricket game that was a little bit slow for me. Yeah, cricket to be it's slow. Nick Francis  22:41 Yeah, fair enough. It's funny. Actually, we know what you're saying about travel. Like one of the amazing things about our Well, I kind of learned two sort of quite fundamentally philosophical things, I think, you know, or things about the about humans and the human condition. Firstly, like, you know, traveling across, you know, we left from London. We, like, drove down. We went through Belgium and France and Poland and Slovenia, Slovakia, Slovenia, like, all the way down Bulgaria, across Turkey into Georgia and Azerbaijan and across the Caspian Sea, and through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, into Russia, and then down into Mongolia. When we finished, we were due north of Jakarta, right? So we drove, we drove a third of the way around the world. And the two things that taught me were, firstly that human people are good. You know, everywhere we went, people would invite us in to have meals, or they'd like fix our car for not unit for free. I mean, people were so kind everywhere we went. Yeah. And the other thing was, just, when we get on a plane and you fly from here to or you fly from London, say to we, frankly, you fly from London to Turkey, it feels unbelievably different. You know, you fly from London to China, and it's, you know, complete different culture. But what our journey towards us, because we drove, was that, you know, while we might not like to admit it, we're actually quite, you know, Brits are quite similar to the French, and the French actually are quite similar to the Belgians, and Belgians quite similar to the Germans. And, you know, and all the way through, actually, like we just saw a sort of slowly changing gradient of all the different cultures. And it really, you know, we are just one people, you know. So as much as we might feel that, you know, we're all we're all different, actually, when you see it, when you when you do a drive like that, you really, you really get to see how slowly the cultures shift and change. Another thing that's quite funny, actually, was just like, everywhere we went, we would be like, you know, we're driving to Turkey. They'd be like, Oh, God, you just drove through Bulgaria, you know, how is like, everything on your car not been stolen, you know, they're so dodgy that you Bulgarians are so dodgy. And then, you know, we'd get drive through the country, and they'd be like, you know, oh, you're going into Georgia, you know, gosh, what you go. Make, make sure everything's tied down on your car. They're so dodgy. And then you get into Georgia, and they're like, Oh my God, you've just very driven through Turkey this, like, everyone sort of had these, like, weird, yeah, kind of perceptions of their neighbors. And it was all nonsense, yeah, you know. Michael Hingson  25:15 And the reality is that, as you pointed out, people are good, you know, I think, I think politicians are the ones who so often mess it up for everyone, just because they've got agendas. And unfortunately, they teach everyone else to be suspicious of of each other, because, oh, this person clearly has a hidden agenda when it normally isn't necessarily true at all. Nick Francis  25:42 No, no, no, certainly not in my experience, anyway, not in my experience. But, you know, well, oh, go ahead. No, no. It's just, you know, it's, it is. It's, it is weird the way that happens, you know, well, they say, you know, if, if politicians fought wars rather than, rather than our young men and women, then there'd be a lot less of them. Yeah, so Well, Michael Hingson  26:06 there would be, well as I tell people, you know, I I've learned a lot from working with eight guy dogs and my wife's service dog, who we had for, oh, gosh, 14 years almost, and one of the things that I tell people is I absolutely do believe what people say, that dogs love unconditionally, unless they're just totally traumatized by something, but they don't trust unconditionally. The difference between dogs and people is that dogs are more open to trust because we've taught ourselves and have been taught by others, that everyone has their own hidden agenda. So we don't trust. We're not open to trust, which is so unfortunate because it affects the psyche of so many people in such a negative way. We get too suspicious of people, so it's a lot harder to earn trust. Nick Francis  27:02 Yeah, I mean, I've, I don't know, you know, like I've been, I've been very fortunate in my life, and I kind of always try to be, you know, open and trusting. And frankly, you know, I think if you're open and trusting with people, in my experience, you kind of, it comes back to you, you know, and maybe kind of looking for the best in everyone. You know, there are times where that's not ideal, but you know, I think you know, in the overwhelming majority of cases, you know, actually, you know, you treat people right? And you know what goes what goes around, comes around, absolutely. Michael Hingson  27:35 And I think that's so very true. There are some people who just are going to be different than that, but I think for the most part, if you show that you're open to trust people will want to trust you, as long as you're also willing to trust Nick Francis  27:51 them completely. Yeah, completely. Michael Hingson  27:54 So I think that that's the big thing we have to deal with. And I don't know, I hope that we, we will learn it. But I think that politicians are really the most guilty about teaching us. Why not to trust but that too, hopefully, will be something we deal with. Nick Francis  28:12 I think, you know, I think we have to, you know, it's, it's one of the tragedies of our age, I think, is that the, you know, we spent the 20th century, thinking that sex was the kind of ultimate sales tool. And then it took algorithms to for us to realize that actually anger and resentment are the most powerful sales tools, which is, you know, it's a it's something which, in time, we will work out, right? And I think the problem is that, at the minute, these tech businesses are in such insane ascendancy, and they're so wealthy that it's very hard to regulate them. And I think in time, what will happen is, you know, they'll start to lose some of that luster and some of that insane scale and that power, and then, you know, then regulation will come in. But you know whether or not, we'll see maybe, hopefully our civilization will still be around to see that. Michael Hingson  29:04 No, there is that, or maybe the Vulcans will show up and show us a better way. But you know, Nick Francis  29:11 oh, you know, I'm, I'm kind of endlessly optimistic. I think, you know, we are. We're building towards a very positive future. I think so. Yeah, it's just, you know, get always bumps along the way, yeah. Michael Hingson  29:24 So you named your company casual. Why did you do that? Or how did that come about? Nick Francis  29:30 It's a slightly weird name for something, you know, we work with, kind of, you know, global blue chip businesses. And, you know, casual is kind of the last thing that you would want to associate with, a, with a, with any kind of services business that works in that sphere. I think, you know, we, the completely honest answer is that the journalism course I did was television, current affairs journalism, so it's called TV cadge, and so we, when we made a film for a local charity as part of that course. Course, we were asked to name our company, and we just said, well, cash, cash casual, casual films. So we called it casual films. And then when my friend and I set the company up, kind of formally, to do the Mongol Rally, we, you know, we had this name, you know, the company, the film that we'd made for the charity, had gone down really well. It had been played at BAFTA in London. And so we thought, well, you know, we should just, you know, hang on to that name. And it didn't, you know, at the time, it didn't really seem too much of an issue. It was only funny. It was coming to the US, where I think people are a bit more literal, and they were a bit like, well, casual. Like, why casual, you know. And I remember being on a shoot once. And, you know, obviously, kind of some filmmakers can be a little casual themselves, not necessarily in the work, but in the way they present themselves, right? And I remember sitting down, we were interviewing this CEO, and he said, who, you know, who are you? Oh, we're casual films. He's like, Oh, is that why that guy's got ripped jeans? Is it? And I just thought, Damn, you know, we really left ourselves open to that. There was also, there was a time one of our early competitors was called Agile films. And so, you know, I remember talking to one of our clients who said, you know, it's casual, you know, when I have to put together a little document to say, you know, which, which supplier we should choose, and when I lay it on my boss's desk, and one says casual films, and one says agile films, it's like those guys are landing the first punch. But anyway, we, you know, we, what we say now is like, you know, we take a complex process and make it casual. You know, filmmaking, particularly for like, large, complex organizations where you've got lots of different stakeholders, can be very complicated. And so, yeah, we sort of say, you know, we'll take a lot of that stress off, off our clients. So that's kind of the rationale, you know, that we've arrived with, arrived at having spoken to lots of our clients about the role that we play for them. So, you know, there's a kind of positive spin on it, I guess, but I don't know. I don't know whether I'd necessarily call it casual again. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that or not, but, oh, Michael Hingson  32:00 it's unique, you know? So, yeah, I think there's a lot of merit to it. It's a unique name, and it interests people. I know, for me, one of the things that I do is I have a way of doing this. I put all of my business cards in Braille, so the printed business cards have Braille on them, right? Same thing. It's unique completely. Nick Francis  32:22 And you listen, you know what look your name is an empty box that you fill with your identity. They say, right? And casual is actually, it's something we've grown into. And you know it's we've been going for nearly 20 years. In fact, funny enough for the end of this year is the 20th anniversary of that first film we made for the for the charity. And then next summer will be our 20th anniversary, which is, you know, it's, it's both been incredibly short and incredibly long, you know, I think, like any kind of experience in life, and it's been some of the hardest kind of times of my entire life, and some of the best as well. So, you know, it's, it is what it is, but you know, casual is who we are, right? I would never check, you know? I'd never change it. Michael Hingson  33:09 Now, no, of course not, yeah. So is the actual name casual films, or just casual? Nick Francis  33:13 So it was casual films, but then everyone calls us casual anyway, and I think, like as an organization, we probably need to be a bit more agnostic about the outcome. Michael Hingson  33:22 Well, the reason I asked, in part was, is there really any filming going on anymore? Nick Francis  33:28 Well, that's a very that's a very good question. But have we actually ever made a celluloid film? And I think the answer is probably no. We used to, back in the day, we used to make, like, super eight films, which were films, I think, you know, video, you know, ultimately, if you're going to be really pedantic about it, it's like, well, video is a digital, digital delivery. And so basically, every film we make is, is a video. But there is a certain cachet to the you know, because our films are loved and crafted, you know, for good or ill, you know, I think to call them, you know, they are films because, because of the, you know, the care that's put into them. But it's not, it's, it's not celluloid. No, that's okay, yeah, well, Michael Hingson  34:16 and I know that, like with vinyl records, there is a lot of work being done to preserve and capture what's on cellular film. And so there's a lot of work that I'm sure that's being done to digitize a lot of the old films. And when you do that, then you can also go back and remaster and hopefully in a positive way, and I'm not sure if that always happens, but in a positive way, enhance them Nick Francis  34:44 completely, completely and, you know, it's, you know, it's interesting talking about, like, you know, people wanting to step back. You know, obviously vinyl is having an absolute as having a moment right now. In fact, I just, I just bought a new stylist for my for my record. Play yesterday. It sounded incredible as a joy. This gave me the sound quality of this new style. It's fantastic. You know, beyond that, you know, running a company, you know, we're in nine offices all over the world. We produce nearly 1000 projects a year. So, you know, it's a company. It's an incredibly complicated company. It's a very fun and exciting company. I love the fact that we make these beautifully creative films. But, you know, it's a bit, I wouldn't say it's like, I don't know, you don't get many MBAs coming out of business school saying, hey, I want to set up a video production company. But, you know, it's been, it's been wonderful, but it's also been stressful. And so, you know, I've, I've always been interested in pottery and ceramics and making stuff with my hands. When I was a kid, I used to make jewelry, and I used to go and sell it in nightclubs, which is kind of weird, but, you know, it paid for my beers. And then whatever works, I say kid. I was 18. I was, I was of age, but of age in the UK anyway. But now, you know, over the last few 18 months or so, I've started make, doing my own ceramics. So, you know, I make vases and and pictures and kind of all sorts of stuff out of clay. And it's just, it's just to be to unplug and just to go and, you know, make things with mud with your hands. It's just the most unbelievably kind of grounding experience. Michael Hingson  36:26 Yeah, I hear you, yeah. One of the things that I like to do is, and I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I am involved with organizations like the radio enthusiasts of Puget Sound, which, every year, does recreations of old radio shows. And so we get the scripts we we we have several blind people who are involved in we actually go off and recreate some of the old shows, which is really a lot of fun, Nick Francis  36:54 I bet, yeah, yeah, sort of you know that connection to the past is, is, yeah, it's great radio. Radio is amazing. Michael Hingson  37:03 Anyway, what we have to do is to train some of the people who have not had exposure to old radio. We need to train them as to how to really use their voices to convey like the people who performed in radio, whatever they're doing, because too many people don't really necessarily know how to do that well. And it is, it is something that we're going to work on trying to find ways to get people really trained. And one of the ways, of course, is you got to listen to the old show. So one of the things we're getting more and more people to do when we do recreations is to go back and listen to the original show. Well, they say, Well, but, but that's just the way they did it. That's not necessarily the way it should be done. And the response is, no, that's not really true. The way they did it sounded natural, and the way you are doing it doesn't and there's reality that you need to really learn how to to use your voice to convey well, and the only way to do it is to listen to the experts who did it. Nick Francis  38:06 Yeah, well, it's, you know, it's amazing. The, you know, when the BBC was founded, all the news readers and anyone who appeared on on the radio to to present or perform, had to wear like black tie, like a tuxedo, because it was, you know, they're broadcasting to the nation, so they had to, you know, they had to be dressed appropriately, right, which is kind of amazing. And, you know, it's interesting how you know, when you, when you change your dress, when you change the way you're sitting, it does completely change the way that you project yourself, yeah, Michael Hingson  38:43 it makes sense, yeah, well, and I always enjoyed some of the old BBC radio shows, like the Goon Show, and completely some of those are so much fun. Nick Francis  38:54 Oh, great, yeah, I don't think they were wearing tuxedo. It's tuxedos. They would Michael Hingson  38:59 have been embarrassed. Yeah, right, right. Can you imagine Peter Sellers in a in a tux? It just isn't going to happen. Nick Francis  39:06 No, right, right. But yeah, no, it's so powerful. You know, they say radio is better than TV because the pictures are better. Michael Hingson  39:15 I agree. Yeah, sure, yeah. Well, you know, I I don't think this is quite the way he said it, but Fred Allen, the old radio comedian, once said they call television the new medium, because that's as good as it's ever going Nick Francis  39:28 to get. Yeah, right, right, yeah. Michael Hingson  39:32 I think there's truth to it. Whether that's exactly the way he said it or not, there's truth to that, yeah, but there's also a lot of good stuff on TV, so it's okay. Nick Francis  39:41 Well, it's so interesting. Because, you know, when you look at the it's never been more easy to create your own content, yeah, and so, you know, and like, in a way, TV, you know, he's not wrong in that, because it suddenly opened up this, this huge medium for people just to just create. Right? And, you know, and I think, like so many people, create without thinking, and, you know, and certainly in our kind of, in the in the world that we're living in now with AI production, making production so much more accessible, actually taking the time as a human being just to really think about, you know, who are the audience, what are the things that are going to what are going to kind of resonate with them? You know? Actually, I think one of the risks with AI, and not just AI, but just like production being so accessible, is that you can kind of shoot first and kind of think about it afterwards, and, you know, and that's never good. That's always going to be medium. It's medium at best, frankly. Yeah, so yeah, to create really great stuff takes time, you know, yeah, to think about it. Yeah, for sure, yeah. Michael Hingson  40:50 Well, you know, our podcast is called unstoppable mindset. What do you think that unstoppable mindset really means to you as a practical thing and not just a buzzword. Because so many people talk about the kinds of buzzwords I hear all the time are amazing. That's unstoppable, but it's really a lot more than a buzzword. It goes back to what you think, I think. But what do you think? Nick Francis  41:15 I think it's something that is is buried deep inside you. You know, I'd say the simple answer is, is just resilience. You know, it's, it's been rough. I write anyone running a small business or a medium sized business at the minute, you know, there's been some tough times over the last, kind of 1824, months or so. And, you know, I was talking to a friend of mine who she sold out of her business. And she's like, you know, how are things? I was like, you know, it's, it's, it's tough, you know, we're getting through it, you know, we're changing a lot of things, you know, we're like, we're definitely making the business better, but it's hard. And she's like, Listen, you know, when three years before I sold my company, I was at rock bottom. It was, I genuinely thought it was so stressful. I was crushed by it, but I just kept going. And she's just like, just keep going. And the only difference between success and failure is that resilience and just getting up every day and you just keep, keep throwing stuff at the wall, keep trying new things, keep working and trying to be better. I think, you know, it's funny when you look at entrepreneurs, I'm a member of a mentoring group, and I hope I'm not talking out of school here, but you know, there's 15 entrepreneurs, you know, varying sizes of business, doing all sorts, you know, across all sorts of different industries. And if you sat on the wall, if you were fly on the wall, and you sit and look at these people on a kind of week, month to month basis, and they all present on how their businesses are going. You go, this is this being an entrepreneur does not look like a uniformly fun thing, you know, the sort of the stress and just, you know, people crying and stuff, and you're like, gosh, you know, it's so it's, it's, it's hard, and yet, you know, it's people just keep coming back to it. And yet, I think it's because of that struggle that you have to kind of have something in built in you, that you're sort of, you're there to prove something. And I, you know, I've thought a lot about this, and I wonder whether, kind of, the death of my father at such a young age kind of gave me this incredible fire to seek His affirmation, you know. And unfortunately, obviously, the tragedy of that is like, you know, the one person who would never give me affirmation is my dad. And yet, you know, I get up every day, you know, to have early morning calls with the UK or with Singapore or wherever. And you know, you just just keep on, keeping on. And I think that's probably what and knowing I will never quit, you know, like, even from the earliest days of casual, when we were just, like a couple of people, and we were just, you know, kids doing our very best, I always knew the company was going to be a success act. Like, just a core belief that I was like, this is going to work. This is going to be a success. I didn't necessarily know what that success would look like. I just but I did know that, like, whatever it took, we would map, we'd map our way towards that figure it out. We'd figure it out. And I think, you know, there's probably something unstoppable. I don't know, I don't want to sound immodest, but I think there's probably something in that that you're just like, I am just gonna keep keep on, keeping on. Michael Hingson  44:22 Do you think that resilience and unstoppability are things that can be taught, or is it just something that's built into you, and either you have it or you don't? Nick Francis  44:31 I think it's something that probably, it's definitely something that can be learned, for sure, you know. And there are obviously ways that it can there's obviously ways it can be taught. You know, I was, I spent some time in the reserve, like the Army Reserve in the UK, and I just, you know, a lot of that is about teaching you just how much further you can go. I think what it taught me was it was so. So hard. I mean, honestly, some of the stuff we did in our training was, like, you know, it's just raining and raining and raining and, like, because all your kits soaking wet is weighs twice what it did before, and you just, you know, sleeping maybe, you know, an hour or two a night, and, you know, and there wasn't even anyone shooting at us, right? So, you know, like the worst bit wasn't even happening. But like, and like, in a sense, I think, you know, that's what they're trying to do, that, you know, they say, you know, train hard and fight easy. But I remember sort of sitting there, and I was just exhausted, and I just genuinely, I was just thought, you know, what if they tell me to go now, I just, I can't. I literally, I can't, I can't do it. Can't do it. And then they're like, right, lads, put your packs on. Let's go and just put your pack on. Off you go, you know, like, this sort of, the idea of not, like, I was never going to quit, just never, never, ever, you know, and like I'd physically, if I physically, like, literally, my physical being couldn't stand up, you know, I then that was be, that would be, you know, if I was kind of, like literally incapacitated. And I think what that taught me actually, was that, you know, you have what you believe you can do, like you have your sort of, you have your sort of physical envelope, but like that is only a third or a quarter of what you can actually achieve, right, you know. And I think what that, what the that kind of training is about, and you know, you can do it in marathon training. You can do it in all sorts of different, you know, even, frankly, meditate. You know, you train your mind to meditate for, you know, an hour, 90 minutes plus. You know, you're still doing the same. You know, there's a, there's an elasticity within your brain where you can teach yourself that your envelope is so much larger. Yeah. So, yeah, you know, like, is casual going to be a success? Like, I'm good, you know, I'm literally, I won't I won't stop until it is Michael Hingson  46:52 right, and then why stop? Exactly, exactly you continue to progress and move forward. Well, you know, when everything feels uncertain, whether it's the markets or whatever, what do you do or what's your process for finding clarity? Nick Francis  47:10 I think a lot of it is in having structured time away. I say structured. You build it into your calendar, but like, but it's unstructured. So, you know, I take a lot of solace in being physically fit. You know, I think if you're, if you feel physically fit, then you feel mentally far more able to deal with things. I certainly when I'm if I'm unfit and if I've been working too much and I haven't been finding the time to exercise. You know, I feel like the problems we have to face just loom so much larger. So, you know, I, I'll book out. I, you know, I work with a fan. I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic assistant who, you know, we book in my my exercise for each week, and it's almost the first thing that goes in the calendar. I do that because I can't be the business my my I can't be the leader my business requires. And it finally happened. It was a few years ago I kind of, like, the whole thing just got really big on me, and it just, you know, and I'm kind of, like, being crushed by it. And I just thought, you know what? Like, I can't, I can't fit other people's face mask, without my face mask being fit, fitted first. Like, in order to be the business my business, I keep saying that to be the lead in my business requires I have to be physically fit. So I have to look after myself first. And so consequently, like, you know, your exercise shouldn't be something just get squeezed in when you find when you have time, because, you know, if you've got family and you know, other things happening, like, you know, just will be squeezed out. So anyway, that goes in. First, I'll go for a bike ride on a Friday afternoon, you know, I'll often listen to a business book and just kind of process things. And it's amazing how often, you know, I'll just go for a run and, like, these things that have been kind of nagging away in the back of my mind, just suddenly I find clarity in them. So I try to exercise, like, five times a week. I mean, that's obviously more than most people can can manage, but you know that that really helps. And then kind of things, like the ceramics is very useful. And then, you know, I'm lucky. I think it's also just so important just to appreciate the things that you already have. You know, I think one of the most important lessons I learned last year was this idea that, you know, here is the only there. You know, everyone's working towards this kind of, like, big, you know, it's like, oh, you know, when I get to there, then everything's going to be okay, you know. And actually, you know, if you think about like, you know, and what did you want to achieve when you left college? Like, what was the salary band that you want? That you wanted to achieve? Right? A lot of people, you know, by the time you hit 4050, you've blown way through that, right? And yet you're still chasing the receding Summit, yeah, you know. And so actually, like, wherever we're trying to head to, we're already there, because once you get there, there's going to be another there that you're trying to. Head to right? So, so, you know, it's just taking a moment to be like, you know, God, I'm so lucky to have what I have. And, you know, I'm living in, we're living in the good old days, like right now, right? Michael Hingson  50:11 And the reality is that we're doing the same things and having the same discussions, to a large degree, that people did 50, 100 200 years ago. As you pointed out earlier, the fact is that we're, we're just having the same discussions about whether this works, or whether that works, or anything else. But it's all the same, Nick Francis  50:33 right, you know. And you kind of think, oh, you know, if I just, just, like, you know, if we just open up these new offices, or if we can just, you know, I think, like, look, if I, if I'd looked at casual when we started it as it is now, I would have just been like, absolute. My mind would have exploded, right? You know, if you look at what we've achieved, and yet, I kind of, you know, it's quite hard sometimes to look at it and just be like, Oh yeah, but we're only just starting. Like, there's so much more to go. I can see so much further work, that we need so many more things, that we need to do, so many more things that we could do. And actually, you know, they say, you know, I'm lucky enough to have two healthy, wonderful little girls. And you know, I think a lot of bread winners Look at, look at love being provision, and the idea that, you know, you have to be there to provide for them. And actually, the the truest form of love is presence, right? And just being there for them, and like, you know, not being distracted and kind of putting putting things aside, you know, not jumping on your emails or your Slack messages or whatever first thing in the morning, you know. And I, you know, I'm not. I'm guilty, like, I'm not, you know, I'm not one of these people who have this kind of crazy kind of morning routine where, like, you know, I'm incredibly disciplined about that because, you know, and I should be more. But like, you know, this stuff, one of the, one of the things about having a 24 hour business with people working all over the world is there's always things that I need to respond to. There's always kind of interesting things happening. And so just like making sure that I catch myself every so often to be like, I'm just going to be here now and I'm going to be with them, and I'm going to listen to what they're saying, and I'm going to respond appropriately, and, you know, I'm going to play a game with them, or whatever. That's true love. You know? Michael Hingson  52:14 Well, there's a lot of merit to the whole concept of unplugging and taking time and living in the moment. One of the things that we talked about in my book live like a guide dog, that we published last year, and it's all about lessons I've learned about leadership and teamwork and preparedness from eight guide dogs and my wife's service dog. One of the things that I learned along the way is the whole concept of living in the moment when I was in the World Trade Center with my fifth guide dog, Roselle. We got home, and I was going to take her outside to go visit the bathroom, but as soon as I took the harness off, she shot off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog. Asked the veterinarians about him the next day, the people at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and they said, Well, did anything threaten her? And I said, No. And they said, there's your answer. The reality is, dogs live in the moment when it was over. It was over. And yeah, right lesson to learn. Nick Francis  53:15 I mean, amazing, absolutely amazing. You must have taken a lot of strength from that. Michael Hingson  53:20 Oh, I think it was, it was great. It, you know, I can look back at my life and look at so many things that have happened, things that I did. I never thought that I would become a public speaker, but I learned in so many ways the art of speaking and being relaxed at speaking in a in a public setting, that when suddenly I was confronted with the opportunity to do it, it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Nick Francis  53:46 Yeah, it's funny, because I think isn't public speaking the number one fear. It is. It's the most fit. It's the most feared thing for the most people. Michael Hingson  53:57 And the reality is going back to something that we talked about before. The reality is, audiences want you to succeed, unless you're a jerk and you project that, audiences want to hear what you have to say. They want you to be successful. There's really nothing to be afraid of but, but you're right. It is the number one fear, and I've never understood that. I mean, I guess I can intellectually understand it, but internally, I don't. The first time I was asked to speak after the World Trade Center attacks, a pastor called me up and he said, we're going to we're going to have a service outside for all the people who we lost in New Jersey and and that we would like you to come and speak. Take a few minutes. And I said, Sure. And then I asked him, How many people many people were going to be at the service? He said, 6000 that was, that was my first speech. Nick Francis  54:49 Yeah, wow. But it didn't bother me, you know, no, I bet Michael Hingson  54:54 you do the best you can, and you try to improve, and so on. But, but it is true that so many people. Are public speaking, and there's no reason to what Nick Francis  55:03 did that whole experience teach you? Michael Hingson  55:06 Well, one of the things that taught me was, don't worry about the things that you can't control. It also taught me that, in reality, any of us can be confronted with unexpected things at any time, and the question is, how well do we prepare to deal with it? So for me, for example, and it took me years after September 11 to recognize this, but one of the things that that happened when the building was hit, and Neither I, nor anyone on my side of the building really knew what happened. People say all the time, well, you didn't know because you couldn't see it. Well, excuse me, it hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. And the last time I checked X ray vision was fictitious, so nobody knew. But did the building shake? Oh, it tipped. Because tall buildings like that are flexible. And if you go to any tall building, in reality, they're made to buffet in wind storms and so on, and in fact, they're made to possibly be struck by an airplane, although no one ever expected that somebody would deliberately take a fully loaded jet aircraft and crash it into a tower, because it wasn't the plane hitting the tower as such that destroyed both of them. It was the exploding jet fuel that destroyed so much more infrastructure caused the buildings to collapse. But in reality, for me, I had done a lot of preparation ahead of time, not even thinking that there would be an emergency, but thinking about I need to really know all I can about the building, because I've got to be the leader of my office, and I should know all of that. I should know what to do in an emergency. I should know how to take people to lunch and where to go and all that. And by learning all of that, as I learned many and discovered many years later, it created a mindset that kicked in when the World Trade Center was struck, and in fact, we didn't know until after both towers had collapsed, and I called my wife. We I talked with her just before we evacuated, and the media hadn't even gotten the story yet, but I never got a chance to talk with her until after both buildings had collapsed, and then I was able to get through and she's the first one that told us how the two buildings had been hit by hijacked aircraft. But the mindset had kicked in that said, You know what to do, do it and that. And again, I didn't really think about that until much later, but that's something that is a lesson we all could learn. We shouldn't rely on just watching signs to know what to do, no to go in an emergency. We should really know it, because the knowledge, rather than just having information, the true intellectual knowledge that we internalize, makes such a big difference. Nick Francis  57:46 Do you think it was the fact that you were blind that made you so much more keen to know the way out that kind of that really helped you to understand that at the time? Michael Hingson  57:56 Well, what I think is being blind and growing up in an environment where so many things could be unexpected, for me, it was important to know so, for example, when I would go somewhere to meet a customer, I would spend time, ahead of time, learning how to get around, learning how to get to where they were and and learning what what the process was, because we didn't have Google Maps and we didn't have all the intellectual and and technological things that we have today. Well intellectual we did with the technology we didn't have. So today it's easier, but still, I want to know what to do. I want to really have the answers, and then I can can more easily and more effectively deal with what I need to deal with and react. So I'm sure that blindness played a part in all of that, because if I hadn't learned how to do the things that I did and know the things that I knew, then it would have been a totally different ball game, and so sure, I'm sure, I'm certain that blindness had something to do with it, but I also know that, that the fact is, what I learned is the same kinds of things that everyone should learn, and we shouldn't rely on just the signs, because what if the building were full of smoke, then what would you do? Right? And I've had examples of that since I was at a safety council meeting once where there was somebody from an electric company in Missouri who said, you know, we've wondered for years, what do we do if there's a fire in the generator room, in the basement, In the generator room, how do people get out? And he and I actually worked on it, and they developed a way where people could have a path that they could follow with their feet to get them out. But the but the reality is that what people first need to learn is eyesight is not the only game in town. Yeah, right. Mean, it's so important to really learn that, but people, people don't, and we take too many things for granted, which is, which is really so unfortunate, because we really should do a li

BrownCarGuy Therapy: Fiona Easterby & Syeed Ali of Drivers Union!In this wild and heartfelt episode of BrownCarGuy Therapy Session, we welcome adventurer and TV camera operator Fiona Easterby, alongside our regular guest Sy.Fiona shares her incredible stories of overlanding across continents — from buying a £99 Beetle and driving it across the Sahara Desert to Gambia, to an epic journey from the UK to Singapore, passing through Iran and Pakistan in her beloved Baja Bug, Pedro.You'll hear about:

Da confini sbarrati a cene improvvisate con sconosciuti: il racconto di una corsa solidale e culturale che attraversa l'Eurasia. L'auto? Non convenzionale. Lo spirito? Inarrestabile. Nel cuore del deserto turkmeno, in un bar con Wi-Fi clandestino, Luca Frongia racconta in diretta a Unica Radio il suo incredibile viaggio attraverso il Mongol Rally. Partito dall'Europa, insieme a un team italo-norvegese-australiano, sta attraversando oltre venti paesi su un'auto non convenzionale. La corsa, infatti, impone regole precise: veicoli piccoli, percorsi imprevedibili e uno spirito solidale che sostituisce ogni forma di assistenza ufficiale. «Siamo nel nostro quindicesimo paese, il Turkmenistan», racconta Luca, «un luogo affascinante, raro da visitare, dove ogni città ha regole incredibili come quella di Ashgabat, in cui tutto dev'essere bianco, dalle auto agli edifici». Il viaggio finora ha mostrato l'ospitalità dei popoli, la curiosità di chi non conosce il Rally ma si ferma a offrire aiuto, indicazioni, o semplicemente a firmare il cofano della macchina, ormai coperto di nomi e messaggi da ogni angolo del mondo. Imprevedibilità, cultura e problemi da risolvere ogni giorno Tra i momenti più complessi c'è stato il passaggio dal confine russo-kazako: problemi con i visti hanno costretto Luca e il suo equipaggio a vendere temporaneamente l'auto e attraversare a piedi, prima di riprenderla più avanti. Ma è proprio in queste difficoltà che si fa spazio l'anima del Rally: «Abbiamo visto la solidarietà vera», dice, «persone che ci prestavano contanti per poter fare benzina, quando le carte non funzionavano e cambiare denaro era quasi impossibile». Ogni deviazione si trasforma in scoperta. L'Iran è saltato per motivi burocratici, ma ciò ha portato il gruppo a esplorare il nord della Russia. «In un villaggio una signora ci ha venduto la benzina e ci ha poi invitati a cena. Abbiamo capito forse l'un per cento delle sue parole, ma il senso era chiaro: accoglienza e umanità superano qualsiasi barriera linguistica o politica». La macchina resiste, la musica accompagna, lo spirito cresce L'auto, una vecchia utilitaria, ha affrontato strade sterrate, deserti sabbiosi e guasti tecnici, come un tubo della benzina rotto. Riparata in trenta minuti da un meccanico georgiano, è tornata in pista, pronta per affrontare anche i 50 km di off-road tra Kazakistan e Turkmenistan. La musica non manca: dal rock italiano agli animati, ogni canzone alimenta l'entusiasmo e la determinazione. «Il Mongol Rally non è solo un viaggio su ruote», conclude Luca, «è un modo per imparare a vivere la complessità del mondo con leggerezza e curiosità. Dove non arriva il GPS, arriva la relazione umana». Prossime tappe? Il cratere del fuoco di Darvaza, poi Buchara, in Uzbekistan. Il viaggio continua, tra cultura, sorpresa e la certezza che, anche quando manca internet, c'è sempre un modo per comunicare. E forse è proprio lì, tra un pasto condiviso e un prestito improvvisato, che nasce l'Europa più vera.

Dalla Sardegna all'Asia Centrale, passando per Praga, in un rally che racconta il mondo che cambia con l'ironia di una Fiat Uno. Un viaggio che è anche un progetto sociale e culturale. Un'associazione sarda con una visione globale, un'auto leggendaria e la voglia di attraversare mezzo mondo. È così che Federico Gaviano e Luca Frongia, insieme a Gianghi e Duncan, hanno deciso di festeggiare i 25 anni di TDM, realtà attiva tra mobilità internazionale, educazione interculturale e progetti sociali. La loro avventura prende il nome di Mongol Rally, una folle corsa non competitiva che unisce equipaggi da tutto il mondo in un viaggio epico: dalla Sardegna fino al Kazakistan, passando per Praga e l'Asia centrale, a bordo di un'auto simbolo del passato italiano, la mitica Fiat Uno, ribattezzata “Fiamma”. Segui il progetto https://linktr.ee/tdmislanders La Mongol Rally 2025 è un rally non competitivo, senza premi, regole fisse o supporto tecnico. Ogni equipaggio viaggia con veicoli economicamente e meccanicamente inadatti, attraversando frontiere, deserti, catene montuose e città dimenticate. Lo scopo è umanitario e ambientale: raccogliere fondi per l'organizzazione benefica Cool Earth, che protegge le foreste tropicali e le comunità che le abitano. Il progetto TDM 25 Islanders è anche un omaggio ai 25 anni dell'associazione TDM 2000, con un team composto da giovani provenienti dalla Sardegna e da Malta. viaggio sostenibile, comunicazione dal vivo e spirito comunitario: il rally è anche un progetto sociale L'idea nasce per gioco, ma si trasforma presto in una sfida logistica, culturale e organizzativa. Dalla preparazione meccanica, curata da Gianghi, all'organizzazione dei documenti e dei visti per affrontare territori complessi come l'Iran, il Turkmenistan o la Russia. Duncan, architetto e presidente di TDM Malta, completa l'equipaggio con competenze tecniche e uno spirito profondamente legato alla Sardegna. L'auto, soprannominata Fiamma, incarna l'ironia del progetto: un veicolo "nuovo e perfetto"… solo nello slang di Cagliari. Ogni suo cigolio è una promessa di guasti e aneddoti da raccontare. Visualizza questo post su Instagram Un post condiviso da TDM 2000 Mongol Rally 2025 Team (@mongolrallytdm25) L'equipaggio del TDM 25 Islanders Mongol Rally riunisce quattro personalità complementari, unite dalla voglia di esplorare, raccontare e affrontare l'imprevisto con ingegno e spirito solidale. A guidare la spedizione c'è Luca Frongia, presidente di TDM2000, promotore dell'impresa e principale pilota del team, con il compito di tracciare la rotta dall'Europa al cuore dell'Asia centrale. Al suo fianco Federico, giornalista e comunicatore, è il cronista ufficiale della spedizione: documenterà l'intera avventura, trasformando strade, soste e incontri in un racconto collettivo. Parte fondamentale della squadra è Giangi, esperto in tecnologie, riparazioni e soluzioni ingegnose, pronto a intervenire in ogni situazione tecnica con creatività e prontezza. Infine Duncan, architetto e ingegnere maltese, co-pilota e logista, con una lunga esperienza internazionale e un ruolo chiave nell'organizzazione e nella tenuta dell'equipaggio. Quattro ruoli diversi, una sola missione: portare la loro mitica Fiat Uno “Fiamma” fino in Kazakistan, sostenendo nel frattempo il progetto ambientale Cool Earth. Mongol Rally non è solo un viaggio su quattro ruote: è un gesto simbolico e concreto per promuovere cause sociali e ambientali. Ogni squadra, infatti, si impegna a raccogliere fondi per sostenere progetti di responsabilità sociale, e TDM ha scelto di supportare Cool Art, iniziativa che fonde arte, sostenibilità e inclusione. Federico, giornalista e voce dell'avventura, cura la comunicazione social, condividendo ogni tappa via Instagram (@mongolrally_tdm_25), blog e GPS tracker, dove chiunque può seguire l'equipaggio in tempo reale.

The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that traverses Europe and Russia.

Learn how to plan your Tanzanian Safari, hire an ethical company, tip correctly, and have an amazing experience. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Scott Brills starts off talking about the wine sommelier training he is currently doing and how he often structures his travel experiences around wine and other beverages. He then talks about growing up in Michigan, traveling to China at age 13, and then living abroad in Japan and Turkey. Next, Scott shares his experience doing the “Mongol Rally” and driving from the UK to Mongolia in a beater car, hitchhiking in Central Asia with a gangster, and running a marathon in the Gobi Desert with no preparation. He then talks about co-founding his company “Pamoja Safaris” in Tanzania with a local Maasai business partner. Scott then shares tips on navigating the ethical dynamics of the tourism industry in Tanzania—what you need to know about local compensation, tipping, and the neo-colonial context of safaris in Africa—so you can make responsible decisions as a customer.   ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Welcome to the Halloween episode! In this episode, we discuss the recent movement of stocks in the psychedelic space (and where it goes from here), why smart investors are betting millions on surf parks, and the future of business and travel in Mongolia. Chapters:  00:00 - Intro 00:46 - Happy Halloween 02:43 - Welcome new viewers! 04:48 - Bright Minds stock 09:36 - AbbVie Collab 21:14 - Surf Parks 31:27 - Mongolia 40:36 - The Mongol Rally 41:44 - United New Flights 47:41 - Outro Watch this episode on Youtube:  https://youtu.be/NBJiONX7Uc8 Follow Austin and Cody on X: https://x.com/a_brawn https://x.com/CodyShirk

“We're fighting to make the world less boring. Our planet used to slap us about the face-cheeks with iron fists of adventure every day.  Maps had edges to walk off. Whole continents lay undiscovered. But now, the entire surface of the Earth has been scanned by satellites and shoveled into your mobile phone, tagged with twattery about which restaurant serves the best mocha-latte-frappeshite.  We live to find ways to make the world a bit more difficult. To bring chaos into our over-sanitized lives.  To create adventures where you don't know what will happen tomorrow or if you'll even make it. Because we think there's no greater moment than those seconds as you leap into an abyss of uncertainty and disaster.” Tom Morgan, The Adventurists  This is how a group called The Adventurists describe themselves, and today we're speaking with one of their founders about the trip that inspired it all. It's called the Mongol Rally, and the premise is to drive from London to Mongolia, in a car that costs not much more than a cup of tea, with no plan and no back up.  In this day and age, with the technology we have in our pocket, there's a tendency to plan things out to the nth degree. The Adventurists offer an important counterpoint to that. Maybe adventure should have an element of risk?  Maybe embracing the unknown is an essential part of exploration? What if we're denying ourselves something important in our over-sanitized lives?  Today's guests Jenny Hunter talks about this and lots more, as she takes us 10,000 miles from a bar in Shoreditch to Ulaanbaatar.  SIGN UP FOR CHAOS Believe it or not, you can actually do the Mongol Rally yourself, as well as a bunch of other mad cap adventures. Check out theadventurists.com to find out more. CONNECT WITH US If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on whatever podcast player you're reading this on right now. Go on, do it. It means you get to choose what episodes you listen to, rather than the algorithm guess (wrongly) and kick us off your feed.  Following the show on socials will definitely maybe bring you good travel karma! Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast  Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar writes and presents the show, Charles Tyrie does the audio editing and sound design, and Jason Paton is lead producer. Our theme music is by the artist Sweet Chap. Episode cover photo by Tom Archer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiago Garrido é dentista e participou no Mongol Rally. Foi até à capital da Mongólia num veículo que custou 150 euros. A viagem durou cerca de um mês e foi pontuada de peripécias.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, and welcome to number 145. This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Gurian, a journalist, adventure traveller, podcaster, and reporter. Scott joined me to discuss his adventures on the Mongol Rally, visiting Chornobyl, witnessing an Ayahuasca Retreat in Peru, and more. I begin the episode by asking how Scott got interested in travel and where his early journey took him. One of the stories was about Mexico but not Cancun for Spring Break. We also talk about Scott's podcast, Far From Home, which is a travel podcast that immerses the listener in the travel experience. I have a clip from Scott's Ayahuasca Retreat embedded in the episode.Scott is a fantastic storyteller, podcaster, and journalist, and his stories are captivating. I absolutely love his podcast work, as you really feel part of the journey. Below are some of the links to get acquainted with Scott's work. This is a fantastic episode to get those travel juices flowing! Enjoy. Be inspired!Scott GurianWebsite - https://scottgurian.comFar From Home Podcast - https://farfromhomepodcast.orgSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6WalvlyPNBaqhm8geyEGRf?si=a0e95f04082e4340Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/far-from-home/id1091969414Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/farfromhomepodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/farfromhomepodcastPatreon Shout-OutThanks to Laura Hammond for supporting this podcast. She does so by purchasing a monthly membership on my Patreon. You can support me, too, by checking out the details below!Winging It Travel PodcastWebsite - https://www.wingingittravelpodcast.comWinging It Travel Podcast YouTube ChannelWeekly travel episodes, interviews and Vancouver.YouTube - HereWinging It Travel Podcast CreditsHost/Creator/Writer/Composer/Editor - James HammondProducer - James HammondPodcast Art Design - Swamp Soup Company - Harry UttonContact me - jameshammondtravel@gmail.com Social Media - follow me on:Instagram - wingingittravelpodcast - https://www.instagram.com/wingingittravelpodcast/TikTok - wingingittravelpodcast - https://www.tiktok.com/@wingingittravelpodcastFacebook - Winging It Travel Podcast - https://www.facebook.com/jameshammondtravelReview - Please leave a review and rating wherever you get your podcasts!Support My Podcast - MembershipsPatreon - HereBuy Me A Coffee - HereSupport My Podcast - Affiliate Links If you click one of the below to book something, I get a tiny commission, which helps the podcast.Use Revolut - HereBook Your E-Sim With Airalo - HereBook Hostels With Hostelworld - HereBooking.com - Here Book Experiences With Viator - HereDiscovery Car Hire - HereBook Buses With Busbud - HereBook Trains With Trainline - Here Travel Insurance with SafetyWing - HereBook Flights With Expedia Canada - HereBook Hotels with Hotel.com - HereBook Hotels With Agoda - HereBook Hotels With Trivago - HereBook Accommodation With Vrbo - HereBooking Events With Ticketmaster - HereMerch Store - Here Buy my Digital Travel Planner - HereThanks for supporting me and the podcast! Happy travels and listening!Cheers, James.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/winging-it-travel-podcast--4777249/support.

#103 - When Scott Gurian, a journalist with a knack for embedding himself in the marrow of the world's less-trod paths, tells the story of the Mongol Rally, you can't help but lean in closer. I had the pleasure of peeling back the layers of Scott's 11,000-mile trek in a vehicle that's barely more at home on the vast steppes than a fish on a bicycle. His voice brings the landscapes alive, from the UK to the heart of Mongolia, regaling us with the kind of cultural exchanges that turn travelers into storytellers and storytellers into the sort of friends who make the global seem local.As Scott and I chatted he found himself reflecting on his own transformation from an adventure-averse high schooler to a globe-trotting journalist. The discussion meandered through the backstories that shape a journey, like reporting on Mexico's Zapatista movement and the brotherly bond forged over 18,000 miles of open road. Scott's stories aren't just pins on a map; they're reminders that the world is wide, and the roads we choose can change us, challenge us, and charge us with tales worth telling.Our conversation took unexpected turns, as all great journeys do, touching on Scott's personal quests—from seeking a healing stone in Peru to the introspective throes of an ayahuasca ceremony. He shares his ongoing aspirations and the cultural connections that continue to beckon him across continents. And for those of you with itching feet, Scott's insights are a siren call to embrace the spontaneous, the serendipitous, and the frankly astonishing warmth and hospitality that can be found in the unlikeliest of places. So, wherever you are, buckle up and let's hit the road with a true maestro of the map, Scott Gurian.You can find more about Scott and his podcast Far From Home by visiting www.farfromhomepodcast.org or checking out his Instagram @farfromhomepodcast.Please give me a follow on Instagram @journeywithjakepodcast.  I would love to connect with you.Visit LandPirate.com to get your gear that has you, the adventurer, in mind. Use the code "Journey with Jake" to get an additional 15% off at check out.

Sponsored by www.betterhelp.com/TheBarn, Reynolds Landscaping & Lawncare, Everest Counseling (Farmington, Mo)When Nathan Mongol Wells, the frontman and creative force behind Ottoman Turks, steps away from the band's energetic persona for his solo debut album, "From A Dark Corner," it becomes evident that he's exploring a different facet of his artistic identity. Set to release on State Fair Records this year, Wells' solo venture delves into introspective territories, distinct from the lively characters that populate Ottoman Turks' vibrant songs.Unlike the conspiracy-obsessed uncle, the self-conscious southern bro, the perpetually partying rocker, or even the vengeful spirit of JFK that inhabit Ottoman Turks' tunes, Wells' solo work emanates a sense of having spent a night locked in heated debates at a dimly lit Dallas dive bar. It's as if he has finally found solace, retreating to a quiet corner of his home, a glass of well-aged tequila in hand, to silence the cacophony of voices echoing in his mind.Ottoman Turks, renowned through accolades from Rolling Stone and the Dallas Morning News, boasts an impressive catalog of two distinct studio albums and over a decade's worth of performances that have numbered in the thousands. Among its members, guitarist Joshua Ray Walker and bassist Billy Law have each embarked on successful solo careers, but at its core, Ottoman Turks is Wells' brainchild. While Walker delved deeper into his country influences and Law produced poignant, literal ballads, "From A Dark Corner" presents a deeper exploration into the man responsible for the Turks' cinematic universe.This debut album, produced in collaboration with John Pedigo and described by Walker as "fervorous," retains the chaotic essence of Wells' previously crafted characters, albeit in a less raucous manner. "From A Dark Corner" stands as a testament to Wells' evolution, embracing an autobiographical approach that lends a more traditional and honest perspective to his music.Wells, who adopted the moniker "Mongol" from his high school fascination with the intercontinental Mongol Rally, considers this project a direct expression of himself when he's in the act of singing. The result is a unique blend of whimsy and darkness, a style reminiscent of Roger Miller, where Wells skillfully intertwines lighter tones with the weightier themes he addresses.This distinctive musical fusion may be attributed to Wells' formative years, spent on the fringes of Dallas' eclectic musical haven, Deep Ellum. His influences, spanning from The Strokes to Tom Waits and Hayes Carll, have left an indelible mark on his artistic sensibilities. Wells, however, acknowledges that his inherent restlessness might prevent him from crafting songs intended for quiet, introspective moments."From A Dark Corner" retains the essence of the Americana genre, yet it is characterized by a deliberate avoidance of the mundane, much like Wells' entire body of work. His voice, devoid of menace, possesses the uncanny ability to infuse whimsicality into his darker themes, an alchemy that can be likened to the charm of Roger Miller.In essence, Nathan Mongol Wells' solo debut, "From A Dark Corner," captures an artist navigating the labyrinthine corridors of his own psyche. It reflects a departure from the animated characters that populate Ottoman Turks' energetic anthems, a journey into the introspective recesses of a musician's mind, poised to unravel deeper layers of emotion and experience. As his artistry continues to evolve, Wells' ability to craft music that resonates at the crossroadThis episode is sponsored by www.betterhelp.com/TheBarn and presented to you by The Barn Media Group.

“Me acuesto y me despierto todos los días pensando en lo mismo, ¿cómo podemos hacer que Crypto sea útil para más personas?”- Daniel Vogel ( 

Borders, oceans, and lesser-known cities — these are some of the places in-between point A and point B, places which aren't often thought of as the highlights of a journey, yet can so easily define it. Join host Saskia as she reflects back on the last 35 episodes of the Globetrotters podcast, and the lessons learned from various guests and their adventures chronicled on the show.

In 2004 the Mongol Rally was created; a global road trip where drivers race over 16,000 km from England to Mongolia. There's no set route and you have to use a car with a tiny engine. A year later it was introduced to the wider world for the first time and Richard Birch from England took on the challenge with his friends, all in an old Fiat Panda. Richard tells Vicky Carter about his memories of the journey across Europe, Russia and Asia. (Photo: Two cars competing in the Mongol Rally in 2004 in Mongolia. Credit: The Adventurists)

In this episode, Kaitlyn tells Mo about a book that Mo had actually recommended (lol). The book is called Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson. Though not strictly a feminist book, Kaitlyn highlights its feminist theme via excerpts which Mo provides comments and feedback for. If you were curious about the book, this is the podcast episode for you. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Kaitlyn and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

In this episode, Kaitlyn is coming down with laryngitis, so please be understanding. The Get Ovary It girls discuss Carbon Offsets. Could they be the environmental answer we are looking for? Or are they actually doing more harm than good? If you want to find out, have a listen. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Kaitlyn and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

WARNING: This episode contains strong language of explicit and sexual nature. In this episode, Mo is busy, so Kaitlyn takes the wheel and sits down with independent writer, editor, and artist Shannon Cain, who is on the quest to find the perfect man; a feminist man. In response to the striking down of Roe v Wade, Shannon radically changed her tinder bio and then asked her matches the important, but very simple question: "Are you a feminist?" What were her matches' reactions? Did she find love in the end? Listen to the episode to find out. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Kaitlyn and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Shannon Cain: https://www.shannonesque.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

TRIGGER WARNING: ABORTION AND SEXUAL ASSAULT In this episode, Kaitlyn and Mo discuss the history of abortion rights in America to try to understand just what the flip happened last month?!?! If you're curious about how a ban on a life-saving medical procedure could go from being unconstitutional to constitutional in a mere 50 years, then this is the episode for you. Tell your friends. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Kaitlyn and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

After being crushed by a tree Ryan tells PJ his brother was airlifted by Irish Community Air Ambulance saving his life. Also joining the chat is Eoghan Carrol a friend who's raising money for the Air Ambulance by entering the Mongol rally See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Kaitlyn finally figures out how her mic works, so the sound quality is suddenly nice. The Get Ovary It girls talk about Ada Blackjack, a reluctant explorer who overcame the odds and became a total badass. Following the story, Kaitlyn and Mo give some important updates about their lives and the Mongol Rally. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

World traveler, tour coordinator, and language learner, Scott Brills, joins Benny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy to chat about “faking” comprehension, deep-diving into cultural experiences, and cross-country adventures around the world.Scott has an impressive travel résumé having taken part in the Mongol Rally, traversing India in a rickshaw, and building a business that provides travelers with rich cultural immersion experiences. If you're interested in travel, living abroad, or multicultural entrepreneurship, this is the episode for you.Mentioned in this Episode Scott's Website Scott's Facebook Scott's Twitter Scott's Instagram Mongol Rally Rickshaw Run Pamoja Safaris Benny's Mt. Kilimanjaro Story Patreon Extended EpisodeEnjoy the podcast? Subscribe to our Patreon to get access to extended episodes and loads more content. Here's what you'll hear in the long-form episode: Dealing with the logistics of building work and making a living in other countries Scott's ideal language learning routine Scott's 3 Language Survival Resources How to fit in language learning as a busy entrepreneur What the hosts' favorite languages are What languages the hosts struggled with most Memorable gaffs the hosts made in their languages Learn more and access this bonus content on Patreon.Episode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are: Living abroad at a young age in Japan Combatting loneliness and fear of living alone in another country How to get through the roadblocks along the path to fluency Why you sometimes just need to be thrown into the deep end Running culinary tours in Japan and safaris in Tanzania Taking part in the Mongol Rally, driving through 16 countries for charity and learning to rely on the support of strangers Traveling across India in a rickshaw on three different occasions Learning a language by “faking” comprehension Gaining the confidence to approach complete strangers in another language Podcast theme: “A New Beginning” by Shannon Kennedy

Scottish adventurer Chris Ramsey is set to become the first person to drive from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole and will be undertaking the journey in an all-electric vehicle. Departing in March 2023, Ramsey will travel over 17,000 miles spanning 14 countries from the Arctic through to North, Central and South America, before finally crossing to Antarctica. The expedition will raise awareness of the climate crisis and the critical role electric vehicles can play in reducing our carbon footprint. Chris Ramsey Team Ramsey and his team have been preparing for the expedition for over four years, and it marks a significant moment as they welcome Nissan as the official vehicle partner of the unprecedented Pole to Pole expedition. The exciting new partnership with the Japanese automaker will see the team explore the world's most extreme yet beautiful terrains in the all-new Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE. With predicted temperatures ranging from -30? C to 30? C, the daring venture will demonstrate just how powerful, fun and thrilling electric vehicles can be. In preparation for the brutal Arctic and Antarctic conditions, Ramsey's expedition Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE will be modified and equipped by Arctic Trucks, a renowned specialist in polar vehicles. They will also provide logistical support and expertise to help plan a safe and accessible route through the most remote and hostile environments on Earth. While much of the attention will rightly be on the polar regions, the team will face numerous challenges crossing Arctic sea ice and traversing the Americas. The myriad of harsh environments is sure to prove tough, from torrential rain, mud and soaring temperatures at the equator to the windswept altitude of the Andes. New adventures in unfamiliar lands will become the team's daily reality. Ramsey and his expedition crew will encounter many cultures and communities along the globe-spanning drive, investigating solutions for sustainability issues, from polar melting to habitat loss and the environmental threats posed by the climate crisis. The focus of the expedition is to raise international awareness of the climate crisis and electric vehicle capability, but Ramsey and the team will also get involved with local projects along the way, including visiting a school that teaches children about renewable energy, and venturing into the Ecuadorian Amazon to meet a local tribe who protected their ancestral home. This isn't the first electric expedition for Ramsey, who has been adventuring in electric vehicles for over a decade. In 2017 he, and wife Julie, became the first team to complete the Mongol Rally in an all-electric vehicle. The pair travelled over 10,000 miles through 20 countries in 56 days, driving from the UK to Siberia behind the wheel of his Nissan LEAF. Chris Ramsey, Founder of Pole to Pole Expedition, said: “Our mission is to show that electric vehicles can tackle the harshest of environments – from the bitter cold of the poles to the hot and humid jungles of South America, and illustrate that they can meet the demands of drivers around the world, and encourage the switch to zero-emissions transport. To that end, we are thrilled that Nissan has joined the expedition. As a long-term Nissan LEAF owner and driver, I'm eager to get behind the wheel of my Ariya and put it to the ultimate test on this incredible 17,000-mile journey. It is fantastic to see such an important global brand get behind Pole to Pole and its fundamental purpose – a better world for us all through smarter, more sustainable mobility. We will also raise awareness of sustainable lifestyles, conservation projects and renewable energy innovation along our route.” Asako Hoshino, Nissan Executive Vice President, global head of marketing and sales, said: “We're proud to announce our partnership with Chris Ramsey and the Pole to Pole expedition team. The all-new, all-electric Ariya crossover SUV enables you to go further, easier and in comfort. With e-4ORCE contro...

It's not surprising that no one yet has driven an electric vehicle from the North Pole to the South Pole. It's a difficult journey and there's likely long stretches without convenient charging stations. And, given the abundance of oceans, it's probably a lot simpler to just take a boat.But next year, British adventurer Chris Ramsey is going for it. He and his team will set out from the magnetic North Pole in a tricked out, all-electric Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE and cross 14 countries over about 17,000 miles. The team plans to travel through North America and South America before crossing over to Antarctica.Given the variety of terrain and temperatures, ranging from -20 to nearly 90 degrees fahrenheit, Ramsey's Nissan will be modified with a custom rugged exterior with upgraded wheels, tires and suspension. A second, unmodified Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE will act as a support vehicle throughout the Americas.This isn't Ramsey's first time covering a lot of ground in an electric vehicle. In 2017, he and his wife, Julie, finished the Mongol Rally, a roughly 10,500-mile intercontinental race that starts in London and ends in Russia, in a Nissan Leaf. That took 56 days so it's reasonable to believe that the Pole-to-Pole expedition could last at least three months.Ramsey said that his mission with this upcoming adventure is to show that “electric vehicles can tackle the harshest of environments – from the bitter cold of the poles to the hot and humid jungles of South America, and illustrate that they are exhilarating to drive whilst meeting the daily demands of drivers around the world.”

In this episode, I speak with Sherry who is a long-term traveler, blogger, and photographer with one goal in mind - to make you wish you were somewhere else.  She writes about her travel lifestyle and around the world adventures on Ottsworld.com and her social media channels.  She has lived in Vietnam, hiked the Annapurna Circuit with her father, drove 10,000 miles from London to Mongolia in the Mongol Rally, walked across Spain on the Camino de Santiago, kayaked in Antarctica, and drove an auto-rickshaw across India for charity.  She continues to seek out epic adventures to intriguing places in order to challenge herself and inspire people to overcome their fears and reap the benefits of travel. Listen on to find out how this long-term traveler seeks out epic adventures. --------- Hey Offbeat Family, I really appreciate you listening to this episode. I would love to hear more from you and what you think of the podcast. Remote work resources: https://www.theoffbeatlife.com/ Contact me: hello@theoffbeatlife.com Show credits: Audio Engineer: Ben Smith - Ben@howtocreateapodcast.com

In this episode, the Get Ovary It girls continue on from the last episode, and Mo tells Kaitlyn about three more adventurous women from history! This episode's adventurers (in order) are Hannelore Schmatz, Bessie Coleman, and Fanny Bullock! If you're interested in history and travel, this is the episode for you! Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

In this episode, Kaitlyn tells Mo about three amazing female explorers from history! Our three heroines are (in order) Jeanne Baret, Mary Seacole, and Nellie Bly. Tune in to hear a little about these women's lives and the incredible adventures they went on. But this is just the beginning! Come back next month to hear part 2! Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

In this episode, a very special friend returns to regale us with her knowledge of Bill Gates' book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions we Have. And specifically, we talk about Gates' five questions to ask about any so-called climate solution. If you've wondered about this book, or how we can think more critically about climate solutions, this is the episode for you! Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit This episode's links: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/02/23/2390273/0/en/Global-Ocean-Energy-Tidal-Stream-and-Wave-Market-to-Reach-348-1-Thousand-Kilowatts-by-2026.html#:~:text=SIGN%20IN-,Global%20Ocean%20Energy%20 https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/climate-crisis-new-tech-1144643/green-cement-1144684

In this episode, Kaitlyn and Mo talk about the greatest threats to our world's coral reefs. Due to climate change, toxic fishing practices, and pollution in general, corals are currently struggling to survive. But there's hope! Scientists are hard at work trying to rehabilitate coral reefs, but the best solution in the end is to simply reduce our emissions. If your interest is piqued and you want to learn more, give this episode a listen! Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

In this episode, Mo got stuck at work, so Kaitlyn interviews the Get Ovary It girls' friend, Devon! Devon recently did a big move and took the plunge into van life. If you've ever wondered what it's like to build, and then do a road trip in a van, look no further! Listen until the end for some inspiring nuggets of wisdom from Devon about travel. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

In this special episode, two special girls talk about a very special race: The New York to Paris race of 1908. Back when cars were fresh, roads hadn't been built, and people barely knew how to drive, 17 brave souls embarked on an epic journey across the United States, Over the Pacific Ocean, through Siberia, and finally, to Paris. Tune in to hear about the ups and downs of this incredible adventure. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit Check out the accompanying blog post on our website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/blog-1

In this very special episode Mo and Kaitlyn interview an esteemed guest, Aisha Praught-Leer! Aisha is an Olympian and professional runner who specializes in the 1500m and formerly steeplechase. She proudly represents Jamaica, and in this episode she talks about her career, recent injury, and the difficulties that many face in the world of professional sports. Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ You can follow Aisha on: Instagram: @aishapraughtleer

Scott Gurian competed in an event that many of us can't even imagine...the Mongol Rally took him from the UK to Mongolia...and then he decided to drive back! During the 18,000 kilometer journey in a small car, even with the best of planning, the unexpected was bound to happen. The flexibility and resiliency Scott learned on his journey are applicable to all areas of life.   Listen to more of Scott's story: https://farfromhomepodcast.org/season-one   Connect with Scott on FB: https://www.facebook.com/farfromhomepodcast Listen to more podcasts like this one: https://www.adventurouslife.net/podcast Want to gain more traction in your life? Book an exploration session with an Adventurous Life Coach to help you clarify your vision and begin accomplishing your goals: https://www.adventurouslife.net/calendar-for-booking

Did you know that getting your hands dirty can actually reduce anxiety? Who knew! First In this episode Kaitlyn and Mo talk about gardens and their innumerable benefits. Then Mo, Get Ovary It's gardening queen, talks about her garden and offers advice to first-time gardeners. Check out Mo's blog post to learn more about gardening! Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit Read more about Mo's garden here: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/blog-1 Sources for today's episode: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618#deficiency https://www.colorado.edu/today/2017/01/05/study-linking-beneficial-bacteria-mental-health-makes-top-10-list-brain-research https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/mycobacterium-vaccae

Episode 25 Show Notes: With the Paralympics all wrapped up, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the outstanding individuals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics… that happened in 2021. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they talk about some of the incredible feats of the athletes who competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. This Episode was sponsored by the Glow Collection by Jacquie Ooh. Every product is made with love, natural ingredients, and environmentally-friendly materials. Use the discount code OVARYIT to get 25% off and complimentary shipping. https://www.jacquieooh.com/ Jacquie Ooh Facebook Jacquie Ooh Instagram Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, t-shirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

In 2017 artist Hannah Scott got on her bicycle and went off to cycle the world.  She discusses life on the road, the challenges she's faced, meeting her fiancé, escaping Nepal as the Covid19 pandemic hit, and the family ties behind her famous surname. This week I'm thrilled to be joined by Hannah for the second episode of my Extreme Holidays Podcast.Hannah is an award-winning interdisciplinary British artist.  Her work reflects on humanity's relationship with the natural world and endeavours to raise awareness of ecological issues. She's also undertaken some of the world's most inspiring journeys including the Trans Mongolian Express through Russia and China, trekked extensively in the Himalaya, and over 3 months completed the Mongol Rally from London to Mongolia in a second hand ambulance. www.hannahscott.com You can follow her artist exploits and travel journeys on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahscott_art/Find out more at www.ruthmillingtonauthor.comDon't forget to RATE, REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE on your podcast app. It means you will be the first to hear when new episodes come out and it will help others to find this podcast!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthmillingtonauthor/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuthMillington1Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruth.millington.52/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-millington-54915b24/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSShare Your Story  Have an extreme travel story to tell? Contact me at: https://ruthmillingtonauthor.com/contact/Support the ShowSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ruthmillington)SponsorA huge thanks to today's sponsor HelpYouFind.Me a secure - yet simple - way to share private data for use in emergency situations that is end-to-end encrypted and accessible only by you and the people you choose to share it with. Perfect for the extreme traveller! Find out more at https://helpyoufind.me/Extreme10 and get a 10% discount when you sign up! Production (for this episode) Creator, co-producer, writer and host: Ruth MillingtonMusic credit: Epic Orchestra - Blockbuster Adventure Music by JuliusH

She's back! In this episode, we welcome back Sam, who has been on a two-month hiatus. Mo has also just returned from an epic road trip, so the team members take turns updating each other and listeners about what they've been up to lately. If you're curious about the team members, are looking for some road-tripping tips for yourself, or want to unravel the mysteries of Las Vegas, New Mexico, then look no further! Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

Our guest is Scott Gurian. He is an award-winning reporter who's worked for many years in radio and online journalism. Currently he's the host of Far From Home, a podcast where he reports fascinating stories from far-flung places around the world like Iran, Turkmenistan, and Chernobyl. For more info on his background or to listen to some of his past work, visit his website.  The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan Ude, Russia. The rally originally ended in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. This is 10,000 miles of chaos across mountain, deserts and steppe on roads.Connect with Scott: Website - https://farfromhomepodcast.org  Twitter - @scottgurian INSTAGRAM - @farfromhomepodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/farfromhomepodcastChapters:00:00 Opening02:06 Tell us about yourself03:19 What is the Mongol Rally?11:03 Why did you decide to join?14:41 What was your family and friends' reaction?26:56 The finish line29:15 What happened to your beloved car?32:44 What's your biggest takeaway?35:07 Advice for those who'd like to try the Mongol Rally 

Will Lavergne was in college when his drunk friend had the crazy idea of participating in the Mongol Rally, a “choose your own adventure” journey with only one rule — anything goes. Through deserts, mountains and “the city of gold”, Will describes his epic journey across the Middle East.

In this episode, Kaitlyn and Mo talk about how oil is extracted and generally how terrible it is. Did you know that the ocean has been on fire no less than three times this year? If you didn't, and If you want to learn more about drilling, fracking, seismic reflection, and pipelines: This is the episode for you! Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ To read about these women, visit our blog!: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/blog-1

In this episode, Kaitlyn and Mo sit down with friends Milena and Megan from the podcast, My Favorite Feminists. They laugh, they cry, and talk about feminism and a few feminist figures from history. My Favorite Feminists is a bi-weekly podcast were the hosts talk about historical feminist figures from art and the sciences. Please check them out, they're show is seriously fabulous! Get Ovary It is a bi-weekly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam and Kaitlyn as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ Check out My Favorite Feminists Instagram: @myfavoritefeminists Facebook: @myfavoritefeministspodcast Twitter: @MilenaMegan Website: http://myfavoritefeminists.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/teamgetovaryit

Get Ovary It is a monthly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam, Kaitlyn, and Mo as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ To read about these women, visit our blog!: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/blog-1

In this episode, Kaitlyn, Mo and Sam each researched an inspirational woman from history to present to each other, and also to you, the listener. We didn't know anything about the women the others chose, so all of the reactions you hear in the episode are genuine and off-the-cuff. By chance, we each wrote about a woman related to different themes: Social justice, reproductive justice, and adventuring. Hopefully you'll be as awed and inspired by these women as we were. Get Ovary It is a bi-weekly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam and Kaitlyn as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ To read about these women, visit our blog!: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/blog-1

In this episode, Kaitlyn and Sam put Mo through the wringer. Get a box of tissues ready because it gets VERY emotional at some points. But it's not all sad! There are also a lot of light-hearted moments and laughs, especially when Mo turns the interrogating upon the interrogators… Tune in to find out more about the Get Ovary It team! Get Ovary It is a bi-weekly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam and Kaitlyn as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/

There's a lot to unload in this action-packed episode. We make some pretty shocking, exciting, heart-wrenching, and otherwise dumbfounding announcements, all while cracking a few jokes. We talk about the future while reminiscing about the past with an old friend as we lay some speculative plans for 2022… Get Ovary It is a bi-weekly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam and Kaitlyn as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/

In this episode we interview a fellow hiking enthusiast and good friend, John. John regales us with stories of his thru-hikes in the United States, while we listen in awe and envy. If you've ever wondered what it was like to live in the woods for months on end while eating, breathing, and living hiking, or, you miss travel and the outdoors as much as we do, this is the episode for you. Get Ovary It is a bi-weekly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam and Kaitlyn as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/ To learn more about John: Instagram: @johnnyponcho Blog: https://ponchowalks.wordpress.com/

In this episode we yammer on about our greatest love: hiking! We talk about the origins of our passion and the different hiking adventures we've been on over the years (though mostly in Korea). We got so excited while recording this episode that it totally slipped our minds that most of our listeners probably have no idea about the places we are talking about! Sorry if what we're saying makes no sense, but hopefully you can appreciate (and empathize with) our love for mountains! For photos of the Four Peak Challenge: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/post/the-4-peak-challenge Get Ovary It is a bi-weekly podcast that explores feminist, environmental, and travel topics. Join Sam and Kaitlyn as they document and share their journey to learn more about issues that are important to them and the process of preparing for the Mongol Rally. Support this work to help us raise money for the Cool Earth and Center for Reproductive Rights non-profit organisations by donating at https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate. Donors get access to specific content like stickers, tshirts, and postcards from our journey. Check us out on social: Instagram: @get_ovary_it Facebook: @getovaryit Twitter: @GetOvaryIt Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/

ComebaCK sits down with Ted Todd, a British man, who in 2019, after 13 great years teaching abroad in the Caman Islands, gave up his job to complete a bucket list project - The Mongol Rally. The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan Ude, Russia, going over 8,000 miles and being completely unsupported. We chat about the logistical, physical and mental challenges of completing such a race, the thrill of driving through a multitude of countries, the people Ted met along the way, the kindness and hospitality of those with less than ourselves, and why you should just live your life. Really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too. You can find out more about Ted and his documented journey at Youtube “Travelling Ted”, (make sure you include the speech marks) and more about ComebaCK at @thecomebackwithck on Instagram and www.thecomebackwithck.Wordpress.com.

I sit down with Sam and Kaitlyn from Team Get Ovary It who are taking on an almighty challenge next year, driving 10,000 miles unsupported across Europe and Asia on the Mongol Rally.  Follow Get Ovary It in the links below... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/get_ovary_it/ Website: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com Donate: https://www.teamgetovaryit.com/donate This is my first interview on the podcast and definitely not the last, please SUBSCRIBE for more exciting guests coming very soon on The Worst Traveller... The equipment I use:  Microphone: https://amzn.to/2CUzOV9 On-The-Go Mic: https://amzn.to/3aPsUwK

The Mongol Rally has been described as “the craziest motoring adventure on the planet”, and for good reason. This 10,000-mile journey spans from London, England to Ulan Ude, Russia and passes through twenty countries on the way. Ralliers team up, buy a tiny, crappy car sight-unseen with a smaller-than-one-liter engine, and send it. So, what kind of lunatics would set out on such a journey? Milwaukeeans looking for a hell of an adventure. Charlie Hawks, Henry Sanders, and Ben Selig teamed up to conquer this seemingly-infinite route through Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It was a tough venture, but when it was all said and done, they'd learned quite a bit about the world and themselves, and they were happy they did it.To hear the whole story right from the horses' mouths, tune into this episode of The GoGedders Podcast. Host Richie Burke sat down and recorded live at Milwaukee's Rotary Club with our three adventurers, Charlie, Henry, and Ben, to talk about their journey and what they learned along the way. You'll hear on-the-fly fixes, playing chess on a Turkmenistani ferry with foreign truckers, and learn a few interesting facts about countries you didn't even know existed.