Claim OwnershipThe Salted Spirit Podcast
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© Stacie Vanags 2019
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The Salted Spirit Podcast is a conversation runway for adventurous waterwomen crushing the female status quo, and living life on their own terms. These international women range from Surfers, Free Divers, Stunt Doubles, Sailors, Adventure Travel Hosts, Ocean Expeditionists, and so much more.
Learn how to dive deep into your cultural roots, to create your most meaningful future, refine your purpose, all while connecting with an international community of waterwomen who are dedicated to ocean preservation.
Learn how to dive deep into your cultural roots, to create your most meaningful future, refine your purpose, all while connecting with an international community of waterwomen who are dedicated to ocean preservation.
80 Episodes
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This conversation with Rhonda Harper and Dr. Cassie Comley is by far the most critical conversation I've had to date on the Salted Spirit Podcast. Rhonda and Cassie share firsthand stories of racism, threats of violence and even threats of death solely based on the way they look. They call out examples of microagression and their experiences with white supremacy, and also shine a critical spotlight on the sport of surfing and the racism and injustices that exists in a sport so many of us love and mindlessly enjoy without conflict every day. Rhonda is the founder of Black Girls Surf and is currently in Africa pouring her heart and energy into a team of girls learning to surf, attend school for the first time, and so much more. Cassie works with incarcerated youth, is a published author, academic and active with non-profits like LatinX and Courage Camps. Their day to day work is very different, yet they are fighting for the same issues and their lives and stories have so many beautiful parallels.
“You never really arrive...” was one of the most impactful statements from my podcast interview with Em & Olly, the co-founders of swimwear brand Raw x Salt. They join me from Coffs Harbour, Australia to talk about sustainability, motherhood and their definition of a beautiful mess. We dig into the complexities and joys of female partnerships, how they finally made the leap to entrepreneurship and their inspiration to do better for the ocean through their slow fashion philosophy. Olly is originally from Russia but saw the devastating effects of waste while working in the airline industry, while Em worked directly in fashion and physically had allergic reactions to chemicals while unpacking boxes of merchandise. As a result of their experiences they are collectively taking a stand for the environment and going against the grain of what we’re accustomed to with throwaway swimwear and fast fashion.
Nix Joubert invites us onto her boathouse in Cornwall, UK. It’s high tide there, the hammock is swinging and Nix is surrounded by watery goodness in her meditation studio. She’s about to take us through her exquisite metamorphosis. It all started with a calling to the Nicaraguan jungle for meditation training, followed by a cancer diagnosis, stories of motherhood, a broken marriage and through it all, leading with smiles, light & grit. If you’ve attended one of my Wellness for Waterwomen events, Nix is the mastermind behind the besoke meditations I close with at the end of each workshop, and she’ll have your whole body purring. Her meditations include a treasure chest of secrets; sunshine, breathing, feeling and moving with joy, water, smiling and more. If you’re a beginner or you’ve fallen off the meditation wagon, Nix walks us through a place to start today. After all, you can’t stay clean from yesterday’s shower, and you can’t stay clean from yesterday’s meditation.
The topic of water wars and climate change is heavy, but somehow Trace Lane has a very tactful way of discussing the issues and navigating this complex topic. From her research on the Bagua Massacre in Peru to restricted water resources in India, she’s seen a little bit of everything from traveling to some of the most remote jungles around the world. Her observation? It seems most water wars are actually about oil, and how oil contaminates cherished water resources. Trace is the founder of Surf Sisters for Science, a sisterhood of surfers, scientists and adventurers who seek to defend water, waves and the communities that are defined by them against contamination and erasure. “We will resist the erasure of the human experience of climate change by reporting stories of climate impact that would otherwise be unheard, and by increasing open access climate data.”
Get comfy and settle in with your favorite cup of tea, because Jessie Kendall-Bar is about to take you on a magical tour of the sea. If you’ve never been scuba diving or seen an enchanted kelp forest, allow Jessie to enlighten your senses with her storytelling, and teach you about some of the most fascinating species on this earth. One of the most multi-faceted young women I know, Jessie is a PhD student at UC Santa Cruz in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology department studying marine mammals. She’s also an underwater photographer, illustrator and overall passionate waterwoman, to name a few. She leverages her creativity and art to communicate scientific results, a refreshing way to learn an often complex topic. I hope you enjoy geeking out on marine mammals, biology and art as much as I did in this episode with Jessie!
Jordyn Romero and I enjoy a salty surf in Venice before recording her episode, hence the ponchos and salty dog look. Jordyn is one of the most inspiring 22 year old women I’ve met. She recently finished her first documentary, Of The Sea, a female-driven surf film that follows a mother and her entrepreneurial efforts to raise awareness of the world’s plastic consumption. Jordyn is already onto her next film adventure in Sri Lanka with the organization Sea Sisters. Jordyn bravely opens up regarding the tragic death of her father a year ago, and how she has pushed through her grief with daily ocean therapy. She’s a brave and radiant light for anyone who has lost someone so dear to them, and also shares how international travel shaped her at a young age.
Carla Zamora and I have a candid chat near the iconic Malibu wall, a place where the emotional ties run deep. While the rest of us around the world grew up seeing the iconic surf photos of nose-riding in Malibu, Carla shares the reality of what it was really like to grow up in this intimate and competitive community. Carla is a teacher at heart, and discovered she has more joy teaching others to catch their first wave than winning trophies or competitions. We dive deep into personal women’s topics like miscarriage, the stressors of social media as adults, coming to terms with forgiveness, and more. You can meet Carla in living color for her upcoming longboarding workshop at Traveler Surf Club throughout the month of February!
Kat Benzova is the lead tour photographer for Guns N’ Roses, and has also captured rare moments with iconic bands like Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Kiss, Skid Row, ZZ Top, to name a few. While her career certainly appears sexy, there is no shortage of demanding hours, including world travel and losing sight of time zones across continents. She talks about the challenges of working in a male dominated industry, and her strategies to achieve balance while she’s away weeks or months at a time. Kat was born near healing mountain streams in Slovakia and has vivid memories foraging herbs and mushrooms with her grandmother. She left home at 14 to pursue a modeling career, a path that exposed her to world travel and independence at a young age. She fell in love with scuba diving in Bali, and is a waterwoman on a mission to save animals and use her photography and platform for good.
Bianca Mitchell from Ocean Goddess Surf joins me in the mobile van studio to let me in on her childhood influences, from all things art to ocean between South Carolina and Kentucky. She admits in hindsight she had a charmed life, and is grateful for the tough experiences that encouraged her to become financially and emotionally independent. In between hosting community surf events, private clinics and introducing women to the ocean, she and her husband also run a successful AirbnB in Big Bear as a result of her years hustling real estate. Like many women on the podcast, Bianca is brave enough to divulge her relationship with therapy, how she’s used it as a proactive tool over the years, and how creating a life plan can be the guiding light in a sometimes very dark place.
Laura Rubin joins me in the Salted Carmela mobile studio during one of the few rains in LA to talk about the birth of AllSwell. A beautiful example of brand evolution, Laura’s business started with a simple notebook and quickly evolved into her leading successful journaling workshops for individuals and companies around the country. Laura rounds out her brand with her most recent addition, the AllSwell deck which allows you to draw a card and write/draw at your leisure to get inspired. Write and rip, write and burn, journaling is a form of therapy and has physical and emotional benefits backed by research. Guys - this includes you too! If you’ve never bro-journaled but are intrigued or think it's just for women or teenagers, tune into this episode as Laura shares a great place to start with the 4x4x4 exercise. We also draw a card from her new AllSwell deck so we can do our first journaling exercise of 2020 together!
Giselle Carrillo greets me with a big beautiful smile as she skateboards over to Salted Carmela, my mobile studio in Venice. Before she divulges the details behind her personal transformation and the significance of surfing and Jiu Jitsu, she digs deep into her Mexican roots and the expectations set for women. Diabetes, obesity and other silent killers are common in her family, and at 25 Giselle said it became apparent she was heading in that direction. She appropriately quotes Benjamin Franklin, “Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” From here she talks about her quarter life crisis, or more like her saving grace, and how she decided to take a stand for her health and her life. She moves into her 4:30am morning routine which consists of a quiver of books like “Start with Why,” then onto Jiu Jitsu practice by 6am before heading into the office at 9am, where she has secured her dream job working as a Lead Educator for Quest Nutrition. Giselle is the co-founder of Courage Camps, a trio of three friends who volunteer their time to underserved communities and introduce kids to the ocean and the idea of leading with courage.
As I was traveling through Sri Lanka and flipping through a local surf publication, I stumbled across a graceful photo of waterwoman Jessica Fernando. My most exotic and spontaneous episode yet, Jessica graciously hosted me in her home and we had an intimate chat in the Sri Lankan jungle over chamomile tea. Co-owner of Mond, a contemporary cafe, hotel and artist residency, Mond is the German word for Moon, and the essence of Jessica and her husband Renato combined. Jessica’s dad is Sri Lankan, mom is Austrian and she grew up in Switzerland with a diverse story that eventually brought her back to Sri Lanka. She lives and surfs full time on the southern coast in Hiriketiya, is extremely passionate about women’s health, and has determination and vision running through her blood that keep her inspired and executing new creative ideas each day.
Rising up together: Recap of #formation, hosted by Redbull Turning pro at 14, and what it really takes to master everything along the way Tools for coping when you’re feeling antisocial Jill’s earthy rituals before big competitions Why you should never skimp on your goals; The secret to winning 22 National Championships, a bronze Olympic medal and so much more The power of a sports psychologist for athletes, release your mind Identifying the ugly facets of your personality, giving them a name and then wrapping your arms around them How to practice being scared Pivoting to diversify your passions beyond your sport Links: Jill's Website: Link Jill's Instagram: Link Jill's Art: Link
Meg Haywood Sullivan, a photographer and environmental storyteller cozies up next to me in Salted Carmela for a sunrise interview in Venice Beach. She sets the stage by gifting me Copal incense from South America; legend has it Copal was offered to the Gods in the Aztec and Mayan Pyramids, and I’m giddy as I know an interview full of imaginative stories and inspiration is ahead. With mom as an artist and dad a photographer, she carries the torch forward by using photography as a lens to inspire others to care about the planet. As a Surfrider Ambassador she’s always using her voice and platform for good, and has done countless creative projects for companies like KEEN, Patagonia, prAna, and Clif Bar. Meg talks about letting go of the idea of perfection, tools for combating climate change and her personal strategy for eating meat, and the secret behind the 37 minute nap.
Amanda Prifti joins us from Boston as she’s preparing for her next season with Sea Sisters in Weligama, Sri Lanka. She and her co-pilot Martina founded this non-profit to provide swim and surf programs for Sri Lankan girls as a tool to shift the collective mindset around gender roles in this country, and press for equal opportunities. In a country where women traditionally stay home to raise children, cook and clean, the tide is slowly changing for the women of Sri Lanka, and the look on their faces say they’re stoked!
Tara joins me in the Salted Carmela studio as she’s passing through LA to Costa Rica. I met Tara a year ago bobbing on her board in the middle of the Indian Ocean; she was beautiful and more importantly I saw she had guts as she charged overhead waves. Tara describes herself as an activist, writer, surfergirl, yogini, PhD student, and an unapologetic feminist with a habit for self-expression. She shares her daily self-help rituals and go-to herb to combat stress and anxiety, and talks about her personal financial strategy that allows for her long term residence in Costa Rica.
Julie Cox brings humble and relaxed vibes as she joins me in my 1985 mobile recording studio across from the iconic Malibu Pier. She and her wife Rel recently opened their second brick and mortar called Traveler Surf Club and Coastal Outpost, and she has cleverly infused a historical surf perspective with a very modern and cool community shared space. Julie competed as a professional longboarder and surfed on the Roxy team for eight years, was the Director at the California Surf Museum and sure knows how to execute a creative vision. She looks at each day as a new opportunity, has a gratitude attitude and her warmth simply radiates. Links / Resources Traveler Surf Club Website: Link Traveler Surf Club Instagram: Link Jule Collection Surfboard Collection: Link Rel’s Fashion Label Silver Lining: Link California Surf Museum: Link
Courtney Condy is the quintessential young, vibrant 20-something embracing adventure around the world. On any given day you can find her surfing, hiking a 14er, or shooting exotic photography around the world. She started her own adventure travel brand called Occupation Wild in 2018, and is a successful podcast host. The idea for this episode started with a simple Instagram DM where I asked for mocktail recipes, and Courtney energetically responded. She shared she has been “sober-curious” for a year, and this sparked a few key questions. “What’s it like to be sober at 29? How do your friendships and pastimes change? What can we learn about alcohol earlier in life? Should I be sober?” So Courtney and I recorded a podcast and had a very intimate chat about something that touches all of our lives in some way, shape or form. Courtney shares her very personal mental health journey with anxiety and PTSD, the benefits of being sober, establishing boundaries with alcohol and a place to start today. We talk about sober dating and no longer leaning into liquid courage, how friendships change and how overall health and vitality improves.
Jordan is what I would describe as an "introverted extrovert." She's a citizen of the Kul Wicasa Oyate (Lower Brule Sioux Tribe), and a passionate advocate for Indian Country and all people. You may recognize her for the red handprint on her face, a symbol that she's running and speaking up for MMIW, an epidemic being ignored involving missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). She leverages her running platform to help raise awareness and bring justice to MMIW and their families. The result of this courageous act comes with consequences; unexpected grief and anxiety. Imagine learning violent stories of hundreds of your relatives, and carrying that burden on you mentally and physically. We go deep into how Jordan has worked through this mentally, and how she's had to refine her strategy to keep going. Jordan says the natural element she connects with most is mní, water. "It’s our first medicine. It’s powerful. It’s healing. It’s rejuvenating and nourishing.”
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