Driving Force Podcast

Today’s guest is Anne Donnell. Anne is a psychic medium and reiki practitioner based out of York, Maine. Over 12 years ago, Anne suffered a life-threatening medical condition with her third child's birth, leading her to make significant shifts in her life. It was through Reiki Training that Anne discovered her intuition and psychic abilities. After a great deal of self-reflection and several years of studying under many different leading psychics worldwide, Anne began her career as a Reiki Practitioner and Psychic Medium. Today, she uses her knowingness and psychic abilities to deliver thousands of healing messages and intuitive guidance to clients across the country and worldwide. She continues to study and expand her practice around the needs of her clients and offers many diverse classes from Manifesting 101, Psychic Intuition Development and Psychic Medium Development. I’ve had a couple intuitive psychic readings with Anne and would highly recommend her if you’re interested in seeing a psychic medium. In this interview, we get into Anne’s relationship with spirit growing up, her journey to discovering her psychic abilities, Reiki healing, psychic readings, and much more. Timestamps00:02:28 Growing up in Maine00:05:41 Her interaction with spirit and spirituality growing up 00:11:49 The feeling you have when you're around a spirit/ghost 00:13:16 What she wanted to do for a career growing up 00:15:05 The life threatening medical condition that led her to make significant life changes 00:21:43 Stress cardiomyopathy 00:25:46 Overview of Reiki00:28:01 A Reiki session 00:31:18 Discovering her psychic abilities 00:36:58 Developing her psychic abilities and creating a business 00:41:56 Filtering and controlling her psychic abilities 00:43:11 Overview of Clairs 00:45:49 Preparing for a psychic reading 00:48:24 What she feels when she connects to spirit 00:52:10 Ethics when it comes to conducting readings 00:55:07 What she recommends clients do after a reading 00:56:37 What clients typically want clarity on the most during psychic readings 00:57:38 Her mission as a psychic medium 00:59:47 Teaching others to tap into their psychic abilities 01:04:41 My quick reading 01:06:08 What it's like to be a mother with psychic abilities 01:07:27 What she wants to have accomplished 5 years from now 01:08:08 Her daily routine 01:09:25 Her driving force 01:10:31 Parting words of wisdom

Today’s guest is Ric Prado. Ric is a paramilitary, counter-terrorism, and clandestine operations specialist, with a focus on international training operations and programs. He is a twenty-four year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he served as an Operations Officer in six overseas posts. He was Deputy Chief of Station and "Plank Owner" of the original Bin Ladin Task Force/Issues Station as well as Chief of Station in a hostile Muslim country. Ric also served as Chief of Operations in the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC) during the September 11th attacks, where he helped coordinate the CTC’s special operations (SPECOPS) activities with the National Security Council and FBI, as well as with elite U.S. military representatives from Delta Force and SEAL-Team Six, then detailed to CTC. He retired as Senior Intel Service-2 (SIS-2, Major General equivalent at CIA). Ric’s new book Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior hits bookstores on March 1st and details his life and career conducting some of the most important covert wars that America has fought since Vietnam. In this interview, we’ll dive deep into the contents of the book.Timestamps00:02:33 His reasons for writing the book 00:10:11 Difference between CIA officers and agents 00:11:02 The subtlety of CIA work 00:11:44 Enhanced interrogation techniques 00:15:47 Growing up in Cuba 00:20:54 The sacrifice his parents made to give him a better life 00:24:32 Getting in trouble in Miami 00:27:16 The impact that martial arts has had throughout his life 00:29:36 His time in Air Force Pararescue 00:35:16 Transition into the CIA 00:39:00 His relationship with his wife Carmen while working in the CIA 00:41:02 Helping train the Contras in Honduras 00:50:28 Lessons learned about gaining trust 00:53:38 His perspective on high performing teams 00:57:56 America's engrained sense of fair play 01:02:01 Recruiting agents in the field 01:06:39 Cooper's Colors 01:10:06 What he could share and not share with loved ones while working in the CIA 01:12:05 CIA vs. Washington DC politics 01:15:16 His perspective on the current Russia-Ukraine situation 01:19:15 What he wants to accomplish 10 years from now 01:22:06 His daily routine 01:23:40 His driving force 01:27:56 Parting words for the listeners

This year, I want to include more guests on the show who lean toward the more spiritual side of things. To kick that off, the guest on this week’s episode is Natalie Walstein. Natalie is a career astrologer at Soulshine Astrology, where she focuses on the intersection of career coaching and astrological counseling to help others find their true calling in life. Originally born in Minneapolis, MN, Natalie went on to study at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, Canada for Communication Design before running her own design studio as a graphic, web & magazine designer for creative entrepreneurs for 5 years. Then, everything in her life came to a standstill. Her relationship went south, she had an intense near-death experience in which she also got misdiagnosed with cancer, and she was falling out of love with her career. By tapping into her own astrological birth chart, she decided to pivot to working with others on a deeper spiritual level through astrology. In this interview, we get into Natalie’s background and how she got into astrology, the work that she does today as a career astrologer, the value of comparing astrological charts in relationships, and my own mini birth chart reading. Timestamps00:02:11 Definition of astrology 00:03:38 What got her into astrology and spirituality 00:06:05 Her career prior to becoming an astrologer 00:08:42 The severe illness she dealt with for 3 years 00:10:13 What her parents did for work and their reaction to her career change 00:11:40 When she decided to become a full-time astrologer 00:13:43 Overcoming her doubts and hesitations to become a full-time astrologer 00:16:20 Overview of Soulshine Astrology00:18:23 The kinds of clients that come to her for guidance 00:19:07 Increased interest in astrology during the pandemic 00:19:58 What she looks for in a person's birth chart when helping them find their true calling 00:21:16 My quick birth chart reading 00:26:09 Not being in alignment with your true calling 00:28:35 Determining when significant shifts in your life might occur using astrology 00:30:53 Interplay between free will and astrology 00:32:48 The ethics of astrology 00:34:28 The value of comparing astrological birth charts in relationships 00:40:01 What inspired her to write her new book? 00:41:00 Where is the best place for people to start when learning astrology? 00:42:07 Jupiter crossing my career line 00:44:52 What she wants to have accomplished 5 years from now 00:46:53 Her other spiritual interests 00:47:23 Her daily routine 00:48:32 Her driving force 00:49:29 Parting words of wisdom

Today’s guest is Quin Sandler. Quin is a designer, product builder, investor, entrepreneur and musician. He’s founded four start-ups in the last 12 years: Keystone Learning, a mobile tutoring company; Principle Design Group, a branding and identity company; FestThis, a media and live events production company; and is currently leading the charge at Plantiga, a human analytics company with one simple goal: to build the most comprehensive, intelligent system that monitors, analyzes and predicts human movement for recovery, health and fitness. Plantiga provides members insights on their movement health through a combination of sensor insoles – which track how you walk, run, jump, and change direction – and 1 on 1 coaching with certified movement specialists to help you better understand what to do with the data you’re getting from the insoles. In this interview, we get into Quin’s career pivot from musician to entrepreneur, the companies he founded prior to Plantiga, and all things Plantiga and movement health. Timestamps00:02:22 Growing up in Vancouver, Canada 00:04:45 Wanting to become a professional musician 00:06:31 Is he a natural/born entrepreneur? 00:07:28 Pivoting to entrepreneurship and leaving college00:10:24 The tutoring company he founded00:12:46 The other companies he founded prior to Plantiga 00:15:29 Key takeaways from his prior ventures 00:16:39 Founding Plantiga 00:18:05 The name Plantiga 00:19:05 Plantiga overview00:20:04 Plantiga use cases00:22:05 The Plantiga insoles 00:24:06 The movement health crisis 00:27:13 The Plantiga user experience 00:30:53 Target markets and customer base00:32:48 The sedentary lifestyle 00:35:23 Why movement is the best lens into human health 00:38:37 Plantiga business model 00:39:59 How the pandemic affected the business 00:42:50 Raising money for the company 00:44:55 Ultimate vision for Plantiga 00:48:30 Other niches within human performance he finds really interesting 00:51:13 Being a space enthusiast 00:54:00 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:55:25 His daily routine 00:56:38 His driving force 00:58:32 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today’s guests are brothers Shane and Josh Rogers, co-founders of RPM Training. Founded in 2012, RPM was born out of the idea that legit, purposeful functional training is the foundation for a truly full and adventurous life. It all started with jump ropes. Shane and Josh began noticing the frustration their fellow gym members were having over completing the dreaded double-under jump rope workout. They scoured the market for the best jump ropes out there only to find critical flaws in every one they tried. So, they took it upon themselves to build a jump rope unlike any other. In addition to jump ropes, the company also recently announced the launch of Atom, a first of its kind virtual functional training program. Atom members get an unparalleled at-home workout experience through a combination of the best coaching, the right gear, and the power of community. Personally, it’s something I’m super excited about and I can’t wait to hop on the platform! In this interview, we delve into their backgrounds and relationship as brothers, the genesis of RPM, the reinvention of the jump rope, the Atom platform, and their annual 10k Challenge.Timestamps00:02:27 Growing up in Northern California00:07:15 What they thought they wanted to do for careers growing up 00:09:47 Their backgrounds prior to RPM 00:12:37 Biggest takeaways from their prior jobs00:16:11 The genesis of RPM 00:22:14 Nailing the foundation of their jump ropes00:25:03 Doing everything in-house 00:28:02 The RPM brand and its evolution 00:33:07 Marketing RPM 00:37:41 Defining functional training and the creation of Atom 00:42:13 Overview of Atom 00:43:50 How do people come into Atom? 00:54:41 The Atom gear kits 01:01:04 The Atom leaderboard 01:08:55 The 10K Challenge01:13:22 Ultimate vision for RPM 01:15:24 Working together as co-founders 01:17:00 What they want to have accomplished 5 years from now 01:17:46 Their daily routines 01:23:11 Their driving forces 01:25:16 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today’s guest is Tony Blauer. In his return to the podcast, we dive deeper into the self-defense system and fear management program he’s created. We discuss the scenario-based approach to his self-defense system and why it’s called the Spear System. He emphasizes the importance of what it means to know fear, discusses the fear loop and how to get out of it, and provides tools people can use to better manage their fear. If you’re new to the show, I would encourage you to listen to part 1 of my conversation with Tony prior to this one. Part 1 goes over Tony’s background and upbringing and will provide you with the context to understand why he does the work that he does today. Timestamps00:03:05 How he went about creating his self-defense system00:19:23 2 biggest things out of the 80s that drove the development of the Spear System and Know Fear00:21:15 Simple rule on applying force in a fight00:24:54 Why is it called the Spear System? 00:40:25 Idea for the Know Fear program00:44:50 Change your relationship with fear, change your life00:48:15 Fear management needs new management 00:54:50 Why a lot of people don't fight back01:02:03 How people can get out of the fear loop01:12:36 How business leaders can apply Know Fear principles 01:19:33 Why a lot of people just call him "Coach" 01:23:42 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:26:29 His daily routine 01:30:16 Parting words for the audience

Today’s guest is Tony Blauer. Tony has been in the martial art, self-defense, defensive tactics, and combatives industry for over four decades. He founded Blauer Tactical Systems (BTS) in 1985 and it has grown into one of the world's leading consulting companies specializing in the research and development of performance psychology, personal safety, and close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military, and professional self-defense instructors. His research on the neuroscience of fear and the startle-flinch led to the development of the SPEAR System®, a modern personal defense system based on physiology, physics, and psychology. It has been used by defensive tactics and combative trainers all over the world for over 30 years. After decades of interviewing victims of violent encounters and studying violence, he created the KNOW FEAR® program which focuses on managing fear through self-awareness, resiliency, and a 'movement' mindset. This program has also been integrated by psychologists helping Vets to deal with PTSD. In part one of my interview with Tony, we define fear and Tony’s personal journey in dealing with fear over the years. We unravel his origin story, get into scenario based self-defense training a bit, and set the stage for part II where we’ll dive deeper into the fear management and self-defense systems he’s created.Timestamps00:03:58 How he defines fear 00:07:27 Reframing fear in the moment 00:10:38 Where he grew up and his parents00:12:19 Dealing with a lot of fear growing up00:25:51 Self-awareness in fear management 00:32:51 Discovering and studying martial arts00:41:44 How often he would train martial arts00:43:25 Martial arts progression00:46:50 Why does he have so many haters? 00:55:50 Opening his first self-defense school01:08:31 His driving force01:11:01 Advice on managing fear in our day-to-day lives

Today’s guest is Nikola Mrvaljevic. Nikola is the co-founder and CEO of Strive, a human performance company. Strive enables clothing with technology to capture performance insights to empower real-time decision-making. By outfitting an athlete’s clothing with their technology, it allows coaches & trainers to compare body input to body output, and provides insights on muscle activity including load, symmetry, and fatigue. So, as an example, as athletes near the end of a hard practice, coaches will be able to see through Strive if certain individuals are beginning to favor one side of the body vs another or if certain muscles are exerting excessive amounts of load. The inspiration to start Strive started many years before Nikola officially founded the company. As a pro basketball player in Montenegro, he often asked himself why his coaches were having the team do these workouts that would leave them overly fatigued. If only there could be a way to help coaches understand how their players are feeling – hence the beginning of the idea for Strive. In this interview, we get into Nikola’s time growing up in Montenegro, his pro basketball career, and all things Strive. Timestamps 00:02:27 Growing up in Montenegro and culture 00:07:56 Playing pro basketball in Montenegro 00:13:53 Biggest takeaways from playing pro basketball 00:16:40 Questioning his coach's training methods 00:19:53 Moving to the US and adjusting to the culture 00:25:18 Going to University of Rhode Island (URI) and doing research for Strive 00:28:04 Time between URI and starting Strive 00:34:35 Strive overview 00:38:07 Strive's technology 00:41:02 Example use case of Strive 00:45:06 Thoughts on partnering with other human performance companies 00:46:07 Strive business model 00:47:42 Target markets 00:52:52 Product roadmap 00:56:41 Fundraising for Strive 01:00:15 Impact of the pandemic on the business 01:02:21 Ultimate vision for Strive 01:06:33 Pivotal moments that changed his perspective on human performance 01:08:45 Being a Thalassophile 01:10:34 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:13:40 His daily routine 01:15:25 His driving force 01:17:58 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today’s guest is Ricky Williams. Ricky is the co-founder and CEO of LILA, an Astrology powered dating and relationship app, and the co-founder of RW Real Wellness, a unique line of herbal-based wellness products that can be incorporated into daily routines. Upon the completion of a successful football career (which saw him win the Heisman trophy in college and lead the NFL in rushing in 2002), Ricky turned his attention to spiritual exploration and development. A Gemini fueled by a passion for learning, he studies and practices yoga, meditation, astrology, craniosacral therapy, pranic healing and Ayurvedic medicine. It’s been through his journey of spiritual exploration and development and exploring these passions that ultimately led him to co-founding LILA and RW Real Wellness. Ricky also hosts a popular podcast called Curious Questions with Ricky Williams, where he discusses astrology, sports, and the benefits of medical marijuana with a special guest every week. In this interview, we dive deep into LILA and Ricky’s exploration of astrology, his passion for plant medicine and spiritual development, RW Real Wellness, and much more. Timestamps 00:02:31 Ebbs and flows of building LILA 00:04:49 Inspiration to start LILA and overview 00:10:53 Showing people that astrology can be utterly useful 00:12:10 Describing astrology 00:15:53 Making sure LILA is approachable and understandable 00:17:28 Sagittarius and compatibility 00:22:01 Launching LILA publicly 00:23:01 Ultimate vision for LILA 00:26:08 Biggest rewards for him in practicing astrology 00:27:36 Gemini season 00:29:41 Has he always been a spiritual person? 00:31:13 Passion for plant medicine 00:37:48 What it was like to wrestle his two passions of plant medicine and football while in the NFL 00:39:57 His retirement from the NFL 00:41:43 Co-founding Real Wellness 00:43:28 Real Wellness products and his favorite product 00:47:10 How he sees his focus shifting with LILA and Real Wellness 00:49:29 His podcast 00:51:44 Perspectives on the psychology of high performers 00:53:18 Is he a really competitive person? 00:53:56 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:55:41 His daily routine 00:56:30 His driving force 00:57:07 Parting words for Gemini season

Today’s guest is Jon Dengler. Jon is the Executive Director of The Well, a Tampa, Florida based non-profit comprised of a community of people committed to living in direct relationship with the materially poor. They work to help people meet material needs such as food and clothing and do it in a way that provides opportunities to meet each other’s spiritual needs as well. The Well builds real, strong relationships with the people it serves and in that way they engage needs holistically. One of the key ways that The Well does this is through the WellBuilt Bikes initiative, a bike shop that provides access to affordable bikes and workshops, ranging from repairs to safety. By accessing bikes that would have been considered garbage, as well as donations from supportive neighbors, WellBuilt Bikes ensures that all people who need a bike are able to own one. Jon’s story of how he ultimately got to where he is today is also incredible – surviving a near fatal car accident and having a life changing, mind-altering experience through LSD. In this interview, we get into the important distinction between being kind and being nice, his near-fatal car accident and life-changing experience taking LSD, the relationship between the rich and the poor, and his WellBuilt Bikes non-profit. Timestamps 00:02:26 Growing up and his love of Tampa, Florida 00:06:36 Compassionate work and actions 00:11:53 The distinction between being kind and being nice 00:20:56 What he wanted to do for a career growing up 00:25:34 His near fatal car accident and the life-changing LSD experience 00:34:40 Leaving the partying lifestyle 00:39:32 Renting a house to welcome in impoverished people 00:51:10 The Well and WellBuilt Bikes overview 00:57:59 The weekly group rides 01:00:10 Biggest challenges in running The Well 01:05:54 Thoughts on expanding WellBuilt Bikes and the idea behind it 01:10:14 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:17:51 His driving force

Today’s guest is Doug Lewis. Doug is the founder and CEO of ELITEAM, a company that provides sports and fitness camps and programs focusing on building complete athletes. They do this by teaching the concepts of sports physiology, sports psychology and sports nutrition all while ensuring the programs are fun and challenging for the participants. Doug created ELITEAM in 1991 with a desire to pass on his winning knowledge of world class sports to future generations. Prior to creating ELITEAM, Doug was a 2x Olympian and World Championship medalist in alpine skiing. After retiring from competitive ski racing, Doug found a new passion in endurance sport that provided a new avenue for him to push the limits of his mind and body. His accomplishments so far in this arena include completing multiple 100 mile ultramarathons and winning the first ever Spartan Death Race in 2007. In this interview, we discuss Doug’s time growing up in Vermont, his journey to becoming an Olympian, his ski racing career, ELITEAM, and his passion for endurance sport. Timestamps 00:02:41 Growing up on the slopes of Vermont 00:05:14 Starting to compete in ski racing and why he focused on downhill 00:08:52 Overview of a downhill ski race 00:11:55 Were family and friends supportive of his Olympic dream? 00:14:00 How does someone train to become an Olympic downhill skier? 00:16:22 Breakthrough event in his ski racing career 00:17:43 His mindset on his journey to becoming an Olympian 00:20:21 His race routine 00:24:36 What it was like to compete in his first Olympics 00:26:28 Biggest takeaways from his first Olympics 00:27:48 His greatest accomplishment in ski racing 00:30:19 Low points in his ski racing career and how he overcame them 00:33:23 Biggest takeaways from his ski racing career 00:35:04 Retiring from ski racing 00:39:07 Why he started ELITEAM 00:41:12 Overview of ELITEAM 00:43:49 Example of an in-person camp 00:46:08 How he weaves the sports psychology aspect into his camps 00:48:30 What he enjoys most about running ELITEAM 00:50:13 What sparked his passion for endurance sport? 00:52:37 The first Spartan Death Race 00:59:13 His next big endurance challenge 01:00:36 Pivotal moments throughout his life that changed his perspective on human performance 01:03:15 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:04:19 His daily routine 01:05:32 His driving force 01:07:35 Parting words of wisdom for the athlete looking to get to the next level

Today’s guest is Isaiah Kacyvenski. Isaiah’s diverse background includes earning two degrees from Harvard, playing in the National Football League for 8 years in between, and achieving success as an experienced entrepreneur and investor. Perhaps what’s most impressive about Isaiah’s background though has to do with where he started from. Isaiah grew up in Endicott, NY where at times he grew up homeless and without food with his parents. His rise from poverty led him to becoming a subject of an NFL Films profile that received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Long Feature, and was also featured on an Oprah Winfrey show titled "Why They Beat the Odds". Following his NFL Career, Isaiah acted as Global Head of Business Development at MC10 and co-founded the premier sports tech research and advisory firm, Sports Innovation Lab. Immediately prior to founding Will Ventures, Isaiah was the Managing Partner at Blue Star Innovation Partners, where he led the firm’s sports technology investment practice. Today, Isaiah serves as Managing Partner of Will Ventures, a venture capital investment fund focused on sports technology and the massive, adjacent market opportunities that it opens up (human performance, health and wellness, media and entertainment, eSports, and more). In this interview, we dive deep into Isaiah’s time growing up in poverty, his journey to Harvard and playing in the NFL, perspectives on drive and managing setbacks, and all things Will Ventures. We could have talked for 3 hours, and due to time constraints we couldn’t touch on everything, but I promise part 2 is in the works. Timestamps 00:03:06 Growing up in poverty in Endicott, NY 00:07:33 Both his parents grew up in orphanages 00:11:49 What homelessness looked like for him and his family 00:15:02 The impact of his mother's death on him 00:23:42 Why he feels there's always something big to accomplish 00:26:02 The impact his father has had on his life 00:30:29 When and why he started playing football 00:35:19 When he realized he could make a career out of football 00:41:08 How not making his high school varsity football team changed the course of his life 00:42:44 Journey to Harvard and playing in the NFL 00:52:53 Overview of Will Ventures 00:55:36 The democratization of sports tech and the importance of strong founding teams 00:58:24 A few of their portfolio companies 01:02:48 His driving force 01:04:12 Parting words of wisdom around getting through tough times

Today’s guest is Sebastien Sasseville. Sebastien was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2002, the most severe form of diabetes. Sebastien vowed that the obstacle would never keep him from living life to the fullest, and today his story is a testament to how challenges can be turned into opportunities. In 2008, Sebastien reached the summit of Mount Everest. He then completed six Ironmans and the mythical Sahara race, a 250 kilometer, self-supported ultra-marathon over five days through the Sahara Desert. In 2014, he faced the biggest challenge of his life: run across Canada from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Vancouver: 7,200 km, or 170 marathons in nine months. His next big adventure is coming up very soon, (hint: it involves lots of cycling), but you’ll have to listen to the interview to get the details. Sebastien also spent 10 years in the corporate world and blends that experience with his unique athletic achievements to deliver inspirational and motivational keynotes to large organizations. Per his LinkedIn profile, he works with performing organizations that have reached base camp, but are looking to transform, so as to dictate rhythm, stay at the forefront and get to the top. Some of his clients include Cisco, SAP, and Johnson & Johnson. In this interview, we get into what it’s like for Sebastien to live with Type 1 diabetes, his corporate career and transition to keynote speaking, what it means for him to make a real impact, and his many feats of endurance. Timestamps 00:02:48 Growing up in Canada 00:05:05 What he wanted to do for a career 00:07:28 Is he an extrovert or an introvert? 00:09:59 When he got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 00:12:10 Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes 00:15:17 Did his diagnosis change the trajectory of his life? 00:18:46 When he started to get into endurance sport 00:21:58 A "bad resiliency day" and how overcomes them 00:23:46 Corporate career and working in sales 00:27:20 Biggest takeaways from his corporate career 00:28:27 Why he left the corporate world 00:30:46 His role as a keynote speaker 00:34:23 Fear around raising his fees and how he overcame that fear 00:37:59 Types of companies he speaks to and why his keynotes resonate 00:43:04 How companies can overcome unintentional complacency 00:45:21 What he enjoys most about being a keynote speaker 00:50:11 Why endurance sport was appealing to him 00:52:40 What it's like to be an endurance athlete with Type 1 diabetes 00:56:38 His Run Across Canada in 2014 01:02:01 His next big endurance quest 01:04:47 How long it took him to run across Canada and the importance of pacing 01:08:46 Out of his 3 epic endurance quests, which was the hardest in terms of managing his diabetes? 01:10:51 How he's adjusted to the pandemic 01:16:29 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:18:34 His daily routine 01:20:02 His driving force 01:21:06 Parting words of wisdom around motivation

Today’s guest is Mark Ormrod. Mark is a former Royal Marines Commando, an Invictus Games Medalist, author, and motivational speaker. After triggering an IED on a routine foot patrol in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve, Mark suffered serious injuries resulting in a triple amputation: both legs above the knee and his right arm above the elbow. He was the UK’s first triple amputee to survive the Afghanistan conflict. Not one to resign himself to live life on the sidelines, Mark, with the help of an amazing team and mentors around him, used his setback as a springboard for growth and reinvention. He’s since gone on to be an 11x medalist at the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women, an author of an award-winning autobiography, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, and a husband and father. And he’s got far more that he wants to do and accomplish in this life. In this interview, we get into Mark’s road to joining to the Royal Marines, the day he stepped on the IED, his recovery and mindset during that process, how to handle setbacks, and his work with the charity REORG. Timestamps 00:02:43 Growing up in England and childhood passions 00:06:55 Interest in joining the Royal Marines 00:10:19 Road to joining the Royal Marines 00:12:12 His role in the Royal Marines 00:18:34 The day he stepped on the IED 00:30:41 His reaction to the triple amputation and being told he'd never be able to walk again 00:36:44 How he was able to use this setback as a springboard for growth 00:43:40 Key lessons he learned during his rehab process 00:45:28 How others can accelerate out of traumas 00:49:10 His transition to civilian life 00:51:17 Writing the book Man Down 00:54:13 REORG Charity 00:58:04 Training jiu-jitsu as a triple amputee 00:59:33 Meaning behind "give yourself permission to perform" 01:00:26 What he enjoys most about jiu-jitsu 01:01:40 Ultimate goal in jiu-jitsu 01:02:24 How he maintains a positive mindset day in, day out 01:03:31 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:04:57 His daily routine 01:06:47 His driving force 01:07:43 Parting words of wisdom around staying driven

Today’s guest is Nic McKinley. Nic fuses counterintelligence methods with technology to solve big problems. One of those problems is human trafficking. By starting DeliverFund in 2014, Nic started the first nonprofit organization to apply counterterrorism methodologies to fight human trafficking. They disrupt the human trafficking market by providing intelligence and specialized analytics about human trafficking activities to law enforcement authorities. Nic is also the CEO of Verafi, a private intelligence and due diligence firm specializing in collecting, analyzing, and presenting intelligence so organizations can make confident decisions about key hires and investments. So, what makes Nic uniquely qualified to start and run these two organizations? Well, as an experienced Special Agent at the CIA and an Air Force Pararescueman, Nic understands the ramifications of bad intelligence and the disastrous consequences of poorly researched decisions. In this interview, we get into Nic’s time in the Air Force and the CIA, fighting human trafficking with DeliverFund, Verafi, and much more. Timestamps 00:02:31 Growing up in Billings, Montana and sense of service 00:04:41 Interest in becoming an Air Force Pararescueman (PJ) 00:06:26 His time as a PJ 00:10:08 Initial interest in intelligence 00:14:29 Spending a couple years rescuing investment bankers 00:17:31 Joining the CIA 00:19:01 Differences between the CIA and the FBI 00:21:06 His role in the CIA and covert action 00:25:53 Is he the real Jack Ryan? 00:28:53 Why he hasn't owned a TV in 20 years 00:30:07 Handling personal relationships while in the CIA 00:34:30 Optimizing performance as a CIA Agent 00:36:35 Biggest takeaways from working in the CIA 00:39:28 Why he started DeliverFund 00:43:05 State of the human trafficking industry 00:47:43 Identifying a human trafficking victim 00:49:21 The problem with only focusing on rescuing victims 00:50:39 How people can support DeliverFund 00:51:56 Ultimate vision for DeliverFund 00:53:08 Why he started Verafi 00:56:37 Hypothetical use case for Verafi and why companies should use it 01:04:49 Biggest challenges facing Verafi as they look to grow over the coming years 01:06:52 Ultimate vision for Verafi 01:07:20 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:08:04 His daily routine 01:08:51 His driving force 01:12:36 Parting words of wisdom around decision making  

Today’s guest is Tony van Marken. Tony has had a successful career as an award winning high-tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, management consultant and independent investor having worked in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and France. Currently, he is Managing Partner and co-founder of First Ascent Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Toronto, Canada focused on investing in emerging technology companies. Tony is also an accomplished endurance athlete (including marathons, ultra marathons and mountain bike stage races) and a veteran of over 35 high-altitude mountaineering expeditions with over 65 summits. He summitted Everest in 2005 to complete his quest to climb the world’s original seven summits (the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents), becoming the first South African to do so. Blending his success as a businessman, endurance athlete, and mountaineer, Tony has acted as a motivational speaker for corporations and international conferences around the world. In this interview, we get into how Tony has had to adjust First Ascent Ventures and his mountaineering passion due to the pandemic, what it was like living in South Africa during Apartheid, his entrepreneurial journey, climbing the seven summits, and much more. Timestamps 00:02:43 Adjusting to the pandemic 00:06:58 Managing First Ascent Ventures during the pandemic 00:10:02 First Ascent Ventures investment criteria 00:11:27 Portfolio Company Dialogue 00:13:00 Next big adventure he has planned 00:15:43 Where he grew up 00:18:23 Was he a natural/born entrepreneur? 00:20:31 What traveling a lot growing up taught him 00:22:00 Living in South Africa during Apartheid 00:26:05 Studying computer science and what he wanted to do for a career 00:29:52 How foundational that job as a software engineer was for him 00:31:46 Pivoting to entrepreneurship and going to Architel 00:40:35 How the dot-com bubble affected his career path 00:42:17 Lessons learned on building a company from his time at Architel 00:45:03 His decision making philosophy 00:47:16 Why he decided to tackle the Seven Summits 00:52:09 Weekly training schedule for the Seven Summits 00:53:59 Which of the Seven Summits was the toughest? 00:57:58 His favorite mountain to climb 01:00:53 How mountaineering has prepared him for the ups and downs of life 01:06:57 Taking Vox Telecom employees on expeditions 01:08:27 How he's managed to balance everything over the years 01:11:14 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:12:58 His daily routine 01:14:45 Books that have made a significant impact on him 01:18:27 His driving force

Today’s guest is Ari Tulla. Ari is the co-founder and CEO of Elo. Ari and his team created Elo to turn food into medicine so you can live life to the fullest. To accomplish this, they’ve built cutting-edge AI (from a proprietary analysis of 3,000 peer-reviewed studies) to apply to your personal health biomarkers and deliver precision to nutrition. Then, they relentlessly optimize and improve your nutrition over time. They’re starting with supplement packets, but their ambitions extend far beyond that. They won’t stop until they’ve succeeded at transforming food from the cause of disease to medicine. Ari’s passion for helping others optimize and understand their own health started long before Elo. After months of him and his wife combing through specialist after specialist trying find the right doctor to address a specific issue, Ari, in 2011 co-founded BetterDoctor, a comprehensive doctor data engine that powers the healthcare market with accurate doctor data. Today, BetterDoctor is part of Quest Analytics, a company that builds networks of doctors and is accessed by 200 million Americans each year. When not working Ari spends his time on the steep cliffs, powdery slopes, and big cold waves that only Northern California can offer. And, depending on the month, you may find him on some epic endurance adventure living off of the bare bone necessities, and we’ll get into that. In this interview, we get into Ari’s time growing up in Finland and Finnish culture, what it was like working on the cutting edge of mobile gaming at Nokia, BetterDoctor, and all things Elo and health optimization. Timestamps 00:03:11 Growing up in Finland and traveling a lot 00:07:45 Finnish culture and happiness 00:11:47 Economy of Finland 00:16:22 What he was interested in doing for a career growing up 00:19:49 Working at VisualWeb and entrepreneurial spark 00:22:17 Working at British American Tobacco and key takeaways 00:27:48 Moving to the US to work at Nokia 00:31:23 Working on the cutting edge of mobile gaming 00:34:45 His perspective on smartphone addiction 00:39:06 Why he left Nokia 00:40:23 Inspiration to start BetterDoctor 00:43:40 What is was like to start a new company 00:46:22 Selling BetterDoctor 00:50:38 Biggest leadership lessons he learned at BetterDoctor & Quest Analytics 00:52:47 Did he accomplish what he wanted to at BetterDoctor? 00:54:06 When he started working on Elo 00:55:54 His world view that he's bringing to Elo 00:59:43 Elo today 01:04:05 The biomarkers they test 01:06:50 What's powering the recommendations behind Elo? 01:09:03 Elo's integration with wearables 01:10:01 Core customers and target market 01:12:22 Cost to use Elo 01:14:33 Ari's spartan month/week 01:17:13 Must-dos when visiting Finland 01:18:40 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:19:34 His daily routine 01:23:08 His driving force 01:24:47 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today’s guest is Ali Schultz. Ali is a co-founder, coach, and facilitator at Reboot, a coaching company that provides comprehensive offerings to serve leadership development for individuals, teams, and entire organizations. If you’re a tech entrepreneur or venture capitalist, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Reboot. They’ve worked with companies like Etsy, Lyft, and Twilio and venture capitalists from firms such as Union Square Ventures, Accel, and the Foundry Group. Ali and her three co-founders started Reboot in 2014 to foster a revolution around work – that work doesn’t have to destroy us. Work can be the way that we achieve our fullest self. Prior to co-founding Reboot, Ali worked for more than a dozen years in business as an operator managing projects, teams, and human resources, and developing brands. With a Masters degree in religious studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Ali has studied Transformational NLP at NLP Marin, completed the facilitator program at the Center for Collaborative Awareness, and is a certified EQUUS Experience Facilitator in Equine Facilitated Coaching. Ali seamlessly and deftly weaves together her business acumen with the innate wisdom of the body, the philosophies of the world’s wisdom traditions, and the way of the horse to help clients find their voice so that they can find themselves. In this interview, we discuss her early exploration into wisdom and spirituality, her corporate world experience, what it means to be a coach, equine-facilitated coaching, and all things Reboot. Timestamps 00:03:11 Growing up and upbringing in Wisconsin 00:06:36 What sparked her interest in horses 00:09:16 When did her exploration into wisdom, spirituality, soul etc. begin? 00:17:57 How was she able to pursue wisdom and spirituality in her formal education? 00:25:10 First couple of jobs after college in tech startups 00:29:19 Meeting her Reboot co-founder Jerry Colonna 00:32:16 What sparked her interest in coaching? 00:38:28 What is the role of a coach? 00:42:28 Reboot overview and her role 00:43:40 Different services that Reboot provides 00:46:26 Most common challenges leaders come to Reboot with 00:50:56 Work can be the way that we achieve our fullest self 00:55:11 The "hamster wheel" 00:56:36 Success stories through Reboot coaching 01:03:07 Equine facilitated coaching 01:07:24 What would an equine facilitated coaching session look like? 01:11:53 Adjusting to the pandemic 01:13:56 How the pandemic has amplified some of the challenges that companies face 01:17:03 Strategies that are effective in preventing burnout 01:22:03 What she wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:22:55 Her daily routine 01:24:49 Her driving force 01:26:24 Parting words of wisdom around maintaining well-being as a working professional

Today’s guest is Jason Hardrath. Jason is an adventure athlete, speaker, and physical education specialist who’s made a lifestyle out of pursuing his passion for human performance. After running track & field in college, Jason eventually found himself competing in longer distance events like marathons and Ironmans. His work ethic soon paid off and he qualified for the Ironman 70.3 world championships in 2015. Training was going amazing for Jason leading up to the world championships until a car accident changed everything. He was ejected from his car which left him with, among other injuries, a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs, a broken shoulder, and a torn ACL. Not allowing this set back to remove his passion for endurance and mountaineering, Jason (after recovering enough so that he regained an ability to run) ended up discovering FKTs, or Fastest Known Times. FKTs are essentially a speed record on any given route (Jason will go over them in more detail during the interview). There’s no formal race or event for these routes, which include everything from long-distance hiking trails to circumnavigations of lakes or mountains, or completing a linkup of multiple peaks. Jason’s currently on a quest to become the first athlete to 100 FKTs, and as of this episode’s release he’s at 97. We cover a lot in this interview. We discuss how he got into endurance sport, his 2015 car accident, perspectives on moving forward from traumatic experiences, his journey to 100 FKTs, minimalism, and much more. Timestamps 00:04:32 Growing up in Northeastern Oregon 00:06:01 Discovering running in middle school 00:10:07 Constantly looking for the next goal 00:13:42 Why he decided to bike across America and do triathlons 00:18:11 What's driving his athletic pursuits? 00:23:56 The 2015 car accident that changed everything 00:30:05 Recovering from the accident 00:33:57 How the accident reinforced living his life to the fullest 00:38:57 Making sure to not wrap his identity up in his athletic endeavors 00:41:57 How others can accelerate out of traumatic experiences 00:47:35 Road to somewhat normal fitness after the car accident 00:53:30 What are FKTs and how do they work? 00:55:50 What inspired him to want to do FKTs? 01:03:50 The route he's saving for the 100th FKT 01:06:55 The logistics vs. the fitness on FKTs 01:08:44 How he would typically prepare for a long FKT 01:10:36 The hardest FKT he's done so far 01:14:22 What will he do after 100 FKTs? 01:15:52 Covid's impact on his FKT quest 01:17:05 His weekly training schedule during 2020 01:19:24 Being a PE teacher and his teaching philosophy 01:27:23 Living the van lifestyle 01:30:59 Experiment of minimalism 01:32:12 How he approaches sleep, nutrition, and recovery 01:35:50 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 01:37:27 His daily routine 01:39:52 His driving force 01:41:52 Parting words of wisdom around staying driven

Today’s guest is Jeff Harry. My conversation with Jeff will feel a bit different than most of the podcasts I’ve done. Instead of my traditional focus of unraveling the stories, takeaways, and lessons from my guest’s life (which we do get into a little), most of my discussion with Jeff centers around one topic – incorporating more play into one’s life and workplace. I know what you might be thinking, who has time for play? I’ve got this business, this job, relationship, kids, etc. Well, what if engaging in more play could help you tap into your truest self and feel happier and perform better every day? That’s what Jeff shows to companies and individuals. He’s worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day. He’s also presented at conferences such as INBOUND and SXSW, and was recently selected by BambooHR and Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 for his organizational development work around dealing with toxic people in the workplace. Jeff might be the highest energy person I’ve had on the podcast, and I think you’ll find my conversation with him to be an interesting change of pace. Timestamps 00:02:38 Rise of Superman book passage reaction 00:04:52 When did we decide that play was a waste of time for adults? 00:07:03 When did Jeff's exploration into play begin? 00:09:55 Did his parents encourage him to play? 00:13:30 Affluent deadness 00:15:37 Reconnecting with your childhood 00:19:34 Incorporating play into mechanical engineering 00:20:58 Overview of Rediscover Your Play 00:23:15 Addressing the toxic person at work 00:27:04 Navigating uncertainty through play 00:28:55 Problem with fixating on the result 00:30:55 Will play ever become mainstream? 00:33:05 Why make time for play? 00:34:57 How his work impacts company recruiters 00:37:31 How receptive are companies to Jeff's workshops? 00:40:26 The 8-hour workday 00:42:25 How he's adjusted to the pandemic 00:44:13 Why "play" plays an even more important role during the pandemic 00:48:51 What it means to actually play 00:51:43 Ultimate vision for Rediscover Your Play 00:53:30 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now 00:54:45 His daily routine 00:56:50 His driving force