The Genuinely Interested Podcast

Martin Gregus moved from Slovakia to Canada back in 2004, little did he imagine what the future might hold for him. Martin recently won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year award from the Natural History Museum for his now-viral photo series chronicling the summer lives of polar bears on the western coast of Hudson Bay. The first time I saw those images on Instagram, I had a hard time believing they were real, I've just never seen polar bears shot in such a way or in such a setting before. His photos really show the bears in an intimate way, as if giving you a peek into their personal lives & personality. Martin has won multiple awards and has had his images published in many publications including the coveted National Geographic. In order to get these amazing photos Martin had to spend 33 days in the Canadian Arctic, getting close to the bears and making sure they are comfortable with his presence so that he can document their incredible lives. Martin and I discussed: Where his love of photography stems from How one prepares for such an adventure in the Canadian Arctic The patience needed in order to be a wildlife photographer The Canadian government’s lack of environmental accountability How he got comfortable being so close to Polar Bears Why he feels that the indigenous community has been misrepresented Learning from Wildlife His insane growth on social media The logistical undertaking of a 33-day Arctic expedition And much much more... Martin Gregus My Take: That old quote "find what you love and let it kill you" while extreme has kernels of truth in it. If you believe in what you're doing, all the sacrifices made in the name of achieving that goal are worth it, and all the hardships & hurdles are but the price you must pay before you arrive at your destination. Support The Podcast⁠

Oren Schauble is a product & brand advisor to B2C brands, but also a content-creating machine! He was the President of the public CPG company, Unrivaled Brands. Prior to that, he worked as a product development and marketing executive specializing in regulated and luxury products. In addition, he recently launched Hyper, he runs a newsletter and community for building physical products in our modern world and is part of the Builders Build Podcast. In addition to all that he regularly puts out video content breaking down trends, products, brands, and more in a fun, digestible fashion that is always entertaining to watch (and learn from). To say he is a busy guy would be an understatement! Oren and I discussed: The importance of creating a personal brand Why you don't need to reinvent the wheel in order to start a company Content creation Breaks down product development The cannabis business Lifestyle businesses Finding your niche How to find the right platform for your brand How to "beat" the algorithm And so much more... Oren Schauble My Take: If you intend to grow on the internet, regardless of whether it is your own brand or a company, it pays dividends to invest in promoting yourself in the space in which you reside. Being part of a community, regularly sharing information and insights, and helping, but also learning is a great way for you to grow and cultivate the niche that you are actively involved in. Remember, sprint, not marathon, don't be deflated if things don't "blow up" overnight, the long game is the right game to play. Support The Podcast⁠

Karoliina is a Muay Thai fighter, turned MMA fighter, originally from Estonia. She currently trains in Thailand full-time and is dedicated to becoming the best MMA fighter she can be - with her sights set on the world's most prominent MMA organization - The UFC. Although she is still young, her clear vision for her future and determination to accomplish her goals are awe-inspiring. Karoliina wants to represent Estonia on the world stage and with an impressive fight record so far, she is on her way to doing so.  Karoliina and I discussed: Her accident, which in turn led to her pursuing Muay Thai Her future ambitions in the UFC Living & training in Thailand Representing Estonia on the world stage The importance of social media as a fighter Handling the pressures of being a fighter How she grew her online presence The female fighters who inspired her The community she found in Thailand And much more... Karoliina Arm My Take: It's not easy to have a vision for yourself, especially at a young age. Most people go through life just working and trying to figure it out as they go, never really finding their 'true purpose'. If you are lucky enough to find something that you want to dedicate your life to which can not only fulfill your soul but your pockets as well, you have to go for it! Support The Podcast

Frankie is a Denver-based adventure/outdoors and travel photographer. His deep passion and love for nature clearly stand out when you look at his photos. It’s always fun for me to have a conversation with someone who shares my love for the outdoors. Frankie is the definition of someone who embodies their ethos and follows a life that is commensurate with the work that he loves. He moved to Colorado from Ohio in order to pursue his passion for not only the mountains but also photography.  Frankie and I discuss: The path forward for any beginner photographer  How to grow your brand on Instagram How he got started with photography  Working with big brands Seeing the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) Being present whilst outdoors Being safe while backpacking Encounters with wild animals And so much more... Frankie Spontelli My Take: You will never go wrong pursuing something you love doing, even if you don't succeed initially, keep at it. Its never easy but it is rewarding, especially when you finally achieve the outcome you desire.  Support The Podcast

Thibault Louis-Lucas, known as Tibo, is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Tweet Hunter and Taplio. However, Tibo's entrepreneurial journey was far from an overnight success. Prior to Tweet Hunter, he attempted to launch & scale two startups with little success.  His new approach was to launch 11 products, 1 every week or two, and see what sticks, i.e. what gets the most traction with users.  Once they figured out what worked, then the real work started. Tibo and I discussed: How he recently sold his company and for how much His 250k loan from the French government  His "failed" startups The entrepreneurial scene in France Why Twitter was crucial to their success What were some of the other products they shipped The importance of "personal branding" alongside building a company The rise of digital nomads & solopreneurs Why giving away a piece of the company was the best move they made The rise of AI And so much more... TIBO My Take: Failure isn't final, and success isn’t eternal. The key is to always progress, move forward and try new things. With the number of new tools available to entrepreneurs and online creators, it's never been easier to build. With that said, the standards by consumers for products have never been higher. The only way to ensure success is to try, try, & try again until something eventually sticks. Support The Podcast

Andrew Hamilton & Andrea Sansone are a couple who just happen to be two amazing endurance athletes with pretty incredible achievements. Andrew is not only the holder of the FKT (fastest known record) of climbing all of Colorado's 14ers in 9 hours and 21 hours but he is also the holder of the state’s 100 highest summits in one relentless push over 22 days, 16 hours, and 54 minutes. Andrea is the first person ever, man or woman, to climb 12 fourteeners in 24 hours which is only one of many records she owns.  Together they are a power endurance couple breaking records all across the country and enjoying the mountains along the way.   We Discussed:  His records on Colorado’s 14ers  Future expeditions  The logistics involved in achieving such feats  The mental challenges   The rules you need to follow in order to break these records  How Andrew & Andrea work as a team to support one another  Overcoming physical pain  Andrew Hamilton & Andrea Sansone And much more...  My Take: There's nothing better than the mountains, they are this massive playground that is there for everyone to enjoy. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where the mountains are accessible to you, take as much advantage of that privilege as you can.   Support The Podcast

Neel Parekh is the founder and CEO of MaidThis® & MaidThis® Franchise, which helps homeowners and short-term rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO, etc) with their cleaning needs. They are the first cleaning franchise that specializes in short-term rental cleaning. The exciting aspect of all of this is that Neel created and scaled this lucrative business all while being fully remote - both him, and his team. Neel has been living the "digital nomad" lifestyle for many years, meaning he travels the world, while still working on his business full-time.  Recently Neel decided he wanted to help other entrepreneurs who want freedom, so he created MaidThis® Franchise allowing other entrepreneurs to copy the blueprint in their local area.  Neel and I discussed: What it means to be a digital nomad Where he got the idea to start MaidThis® Some of his favorite countries  How many people he has on his team His advice for entrepreneurs just starting out The initial hurdles he ran into, and how he overcame them Why you don't need passion to run a business Mental health in the US vs other countries The benefits of travel And so much more... Neel Parekh My Take: Technology has changed not only the dynamics, but the whole notion of what it means to work. From the days of working out in the field to grow our food, to the mines to source our energy, and then to the office space.  The workplace has forever been an evolving 'idea' - that has changed and adapted to the tune of the times. Nowadays, and moving forward, our definition of what it means to have a full-time job and go to the "office" is forever changed - which is an exciting concept with varied potential. Support The Podcast

Dr. Dave Rabin, MD, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist, health tech entrepreneur & inventor who has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for over 15 years. He is the co-founder & chief innovation officer at Apollo Neuroscience, which has developed the first scientifically-validated wearable technology that actively improves sleep, relaxation, focus, and calm, using a novel touch therapy that signals safety to the brain.  Dr. Rabin is a staunch supporter of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Just like anything, these drugs in the right setting can be an extremely beneficial & powerful tool that can help people heal past trauma and potentially even improve our general mental health.  David and I discussed: Why Ketamine assisted therapy is the only current legal psychedelic  The wrongful stigma psychedelic drugs have  He explains what Apollo Neuro is We cover the "right to try clarification act" and its potential benefits Why mental health is in such a decline nationwide  The importance of touch The potential benefits of psychedelic drugs under the right guidelines  The illusion of uniquenesses  The mind-body connection with regard to mental health  And so much more... Dr. David Rabin  Apollo Neuro My Take: There's more we don't know than we do know. There are many plants, drugs, and natural ways that are deemed "bad" in a general sense but can heal people and have been found to be quite powerful under the right circumstances. Instead of demonizing drugs or plants (which are inherently not good or bad), we should be open to exploring and seeing if indeed there is a potential for good.  Support The Podcast

Alex Heiden is the founder and CEO of Closify His track record at such a young age only points to the fact that taking risks (calculated ones) is a worthwhile endeavor as the upside x the downsides. Alex's story should be an inspiration to any young person out there considering dabbling in entrepreneurship. Alex recently launched Trackify (a new endeavor), and in the future, he plans to launch more sister companies that will all complement and work in unison under the Closify eco-system/umbrella. Alex and I discussed:  Being a very young CEO & Founder The importance of good mentors Being a student-athlete The trajectory that led to him starting Closify and what the company does Why founders/CEOs should focus more on creating an online brand via social media Alex explains what dropshipping is  Starting multiple companies  Why they’ve been bootstrapping the business  Why colleges in their current format will become obsolete  How to grow on Twitter And much more... Alex Heiden My Take: Take risks, especially when you are young - it's the best time. Before the marriage, the kids, the mortgage. Use that cloak of invisibility that covers you when you are in your 20s. Use it to take risks and chase dreams - build and fail, or succeed. At least you dared to do it, a luxury you might not have later on in life. So ya, take risks - dare to be great! Support The Podcast

Yossi is an Israeli adventurer, author, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and motivational speaker - known for his survival story when he was stranded in an uncharted part of the Bolivian Amazon jungle for three weeks in 1981.  Inspired by the book Papillon by Henri Charriere, in 1981 Yossi decided he wanted to find his own adventure. He worked several jobs to save enough money to travel to South America in the hopes of exploring the uninhabited heart of the Amazon Jungle In Bolivia, Yossi met a mysterious Austrian who claimed to be a geologist. This man offered to take Yossi and his new friends deep into the jungle, with the promise to see the indigenous tribes who lived there undisturbed- an opportunity Yossi and his friends capitalized on.  This quest deep in the Amazon led to the eventual death of 2 out of the 4 people involved. As for Yossi, he spent 3 weeks deep in the jungle, with no food, compass, proper clothing, or really any way of defending himself against the weather, the animals, and harshest of all - the solitude.  His time in the jungle, his rescue, his life after, the book he wrote, and the subsequent movie adaption have all been part of his long journey which I was eager to talk to Yossi about. Yossi and I discussed: How he survived those weeks in the jungle, and how hallucinations saved him The hardest thing for him while in the jungle, and why he thinks that survival is peak performance A close encounter with a Jaguar, almost drowning, and eating monkeys  The incredible story of how he was eventually saved/rescued The movie adaptation of Yossi's story, "The Jungle", and seeing Daniel Radcliffe play him His admiration for Daniel Radcliffe Why he only sleeps in tents Yossi's return back to the jungle, and living there for 3 years (close to where he almost died) How he helps the local indigenous community through ecotourism  And much more... Yossi Ghinsberg My Take: When everything is stripped from you and death is staring you in the face, you quickly realize a sobering fact, which is - all you have to rely on in this world - is yourself! While at the moment that can be frightening, in the long run, I imagine that feeling to be a liberating and empowering feeling. Speaking to Yossi and having had an experience myself, I tend to believe this truth more and more.  Support The Podcast

Jacob Pechenik is the founder & CEO of Lettuce Grow, which he co-founded with his now ex-wife Zooey Deschanel. When they learned what goes into their food (additives, processed foods, toxic agricultural chemicals, and food miles), they decided to create a system that allows everyone to grow 20% of their own fresh food at home with no pesticides and 95% less water than traditional agriculture.  Jacob has had a very successful and somewhat unconventional career, as he has dabbled in a few different industries and successfully managed to build and sell companies. However, no company has given him the sense of purpose that he has as much as Lettuce Grow and the vision to change our current food system.  Jacob and I discussed:  Lettuce Grow's mission  Trading stocks at 14  Becoming a successful movie producer  How the whole process of Lettuce Grows works The future of growing food  The importance of locally sourced food What are weather derivatives? What is distributed farming? Being a CEO in his early 20's  And much more... Jacob Peckenik  My Take: I believe that as technology advances growing your own food will become easier, more affordable, and accessible. I think that over the next few decades we will see a massive change in the way our food is produced and how we choose what we consume. marrying agriculture & technology will allow us all to grow our own food at home, from salads to steaks to oat milk. Support The Podcast

Ted McDonald, or Barefoot Ted, as he is more well known as, is the founder of Luna Sandals and has for the last 20 years been an advocate for mastering simple techniques for optimal personal fitness. His philosophy is simple - self-experimentation is key. Find your own path. Share what you discover.  Many have come to know about Ted through the pages of Christopher McDougall's best-selling book "Born to Run" - which became a national bestseller! Ted has completely embodied the lifestyle he preaches and has enjoyed sharing his philosophy on life with audiences across the world. As "Barefoot Ted", he has played a major role in defining and popularizing the natural running movement, being an early adopter of the current trend. Ted and I discussed: The interesting correlation between surf culture and barefoot running The many advantages of barefoot running Western culture's growing interest in indigenous cultures Where you should run barefoot  Why so many sports emerged from California  What's Ted's secret to longevity & staying youthful? Why self-experimentation is crucial His survival experience in the Utah desert (!) And so much more... Barefoot Ted My Take: Try everything once! New ideas are abundant, some are good, some are bad, and some are world-changing. Don't be afraid to try new things that may seem out of the box. They may not work for you, but there's also a small chance they could be the best thing you've ever done. The only way to know - is if you try it.  Support The Podcast

Austin Cohen is the founder & CEO of Flexit. Flexit is an app that provides users with on-demand access to fitness brands around the country by offering both virtual personal training and entry into gyms. Before the pandemic started in 2020, FlexIt allowed users to pay by the minute to workout at gyms where they were not members, but in March 2020 they added new features and created the Virtual Personal Training platform - which has been a big hit with consumers.  Prior to launching Flexit, Austin was a founding member and partner of Wheels Up, a private aviation company. Austin and I discussed: The original idea behind Flexit and how that changed when COVID hit How they got their first customers  How they choose the best personal trainers  Future plans for Flexit His time with Wheels Up Expanding into international markets And so much more... Austin Cohen My Take: Adapt or die. If you are not implementing new technologies and innovations in your company your days of success are likely numbered. You have to keep an open mind and realize when it is time to pivot in order to keep afloat and win. Everything from the food we eat to the items we buy (and the type of workouts we are doing) is being changed by technology. You have to harness the power of change in order for you to offer the best experience or product to your end consumer.  Support The Podcast

Andrew Carter is the co-founder and CEO of Smallhold.  Andrew is a greenhouse and vertical farming specialist, he builds controlled environments and has been doing urban agriculture projects for years. Most of his background is in commercial greenhouse and vertical farm systems. together with his co-founder Adam DeMartino they built Smallhold.  Smallhold is on a mission to dramatically shorten the distance between you and fresh, gourmet mushrooms. They have a network of organic indoor farms where they ship fresh mushrooms. They also have installations in supermarkets and restaurants where you can pick fresh mushrooms on the spot. They want to shift the definition of locally grown foods to represent foods grown locally, not 500 miles away.  Andrew and I discussed:  What Smallhold means Could this model of growing food be the future of supermarkets  Health benefits of mushrooms  Their different revenue streams/verticals The recent surge in interest in mushrooms How they efficiently grow their mushrooms Why COVID was a massive spike in business for them The mechanics of indoor growing Who leads the world in mushroom growing  And So much more... Andrew Carter My Take: There is so much innovation that is occurring in the food space that it is hard to know what our food system will look like in 10 years. With so much focus on sustainability, organic products, less water usage, and reducing carbon emissions & plastic consumption, I am extremely interested and cautiously optimistic about what the future of food of our food is going to look like.  Support The Podcast

Erez Yoeli is a research scientist at MIT's Sloan School of Management where he directs the Applied Corporations Team. His research focuses on altruism: understanding how it works and how to promote it. He collaborates with governments, nonprofits, and companies to apply the lessons of this research towards addressing real-world challenges like increasing energy conservation, improving antibiotic adherence, reducing smoking in public places, and promoting philanthropy. Erez also has a popular Ted Talk about how to motivate people to do good for others. His new book Hidden Games: The Surprising Power of Game Theory to Explain Irrational Human Behavior with co-author Moshe Hoffman is a fun, powerfully insightful book, but also, an eye-opening argument for using game theory to explain all the irrational things we think, feel, and do. Erez and I discuss: A brief introduction to Game Theory His coauthor's remarkable story Why we crave "saviors" The importance of reputation in influencing good behavior How we determine what good behavior is How is game theory applicable in the political domain? His TED talk And so much more... Erez Yoeli My Take: We are not as rational as we think we are. It is important to take stock of this fact and question - why do we do certain things? Why do we act in ways that may go against our own self-interest? The path to knowledge is through questioning - and it is imperative to ask the most important question first - why? Support The Podcast

Jose Rosado is an online entrepreneur from the Dominican Republic who helps people achieve their full online potential. He teaches folks who want to learn how to make a full-time income online how to do precisely that. Jose has mastered the art of building a community and, most importantly, building trust with the people who follow him. In a few short years, he has amassed a massive following on Twitter by following a simple yet persistent pattern that has yielded incredible results. While some may think that creating online content is "easy" or "fast" the truth of the matter is - it's a process that makes time, energy, self-belief, and just a bit of luck. However, experts like Jose can speed up that process for people who are determined to succeed and are open to learning.  Jose and I discussed:  Why losing his job was a blessing in disguise  How he got over his language issue The importance of community building  Why being a lone wolf is a recipe for failure  Who were his inspirations early on How to find growth on Twitter Why "just being yourself" on social media is bad advice  Why collecting emails really matters The idea behind social proof The "overnight success" fallacy  And so much more... Jose Rosado My Take: Both from my own personal experience but also from talking to many creators and online entrepreneurs, I can say for a fact that making money online and creating a viable, lucrative business takes time and does not happen overnight. This should not deter you from starting but simply help you create a realistic framework for you to work with. This is why many people start & stop because they don't see the type of engagement they thought they would see. Creating realistic expectations allows you to treat this path the way it should be treated - as a marathon, not a sprint.  Support The Podcast Catchphrase eBook

Ron is the CEO of AllTrails, the most used and trusted outdoors platform in the world. Before becoming the CEO of AllTrails, Ron was Head of Growth at Yelp Reservations, Co-Founder of Liftopia, and Head of Business Development at Hotwire. The mission of AllTrails is to help people explore the outdoors with hand-curated trail maps along with photos, reviews, and user recordings crowdsourced from an ever-growing community of millions. Initially, Ron was hesitant to accept the role of CEO that was offered to him, but after some soul searching he decided to accept - and ever since the growth of AllTrails has been undeniable.  Ron and I discussed: The origins of AllTrails Why he was reluctant to accept the role of CEO Understanding their end-user  Why COVID was such a boom for their success Why UGC is a critical component  Potential future features The importance of the outdoors for mental health Why inclusivity in the outdoors is their top priority  Hitting the 1 million subscribers goal Why culture starts at the top  And much more... Ron Schneidermann My Take: Even though we are getting more technologically advanced by the hour, the outdoors are and always will be an integral part of us. Finding a way to marry the two is the type of innovation necessary for this day & age. As someone who uses this app regularly, I can attest to how much easier and safer it makes my hikes - while allowing me to find trails I may not know of otherwise.  Support The Podcast Catchphrase eBook

Michael is the Co-founder and CEO of Oros Apparel and has also been featured on the Forbes 30Under30. Oros is a performance outerwear company that uses the same stuff NASA uses to insulate spacecraft - and transformed it into max-warmth, zero-bulk apparel. While backpacking across Europe, Michael decided to climb one of the tallest mountains in the Swiss Alps,  but he looked like the Michelin Man (tons of bulk and layers of outerwear). He wanted to figure out a way to cut the bulk but keep the warmth, and that was the initial spark that started his quest for better insulation.  While in college, he received a scholarship created by the Mercury 7 Astronauts — The Astronaut Scholarship. Through that scholarship, he learned about aerogel — this material NASA used to insulate things in space - and the rest is history.  Michael and I discussed: What is Solarcore What is Aerogel What has been his biggest challenge as far as consumer education  The advantage of being a young entrepreneur  Who their key demographic is and why  The capability of their technology  Early-stage growth strategies Opening a physical retail location The importance of NASA The early history of the company And much more... Michael Markesbery  My Take: Taking something that has worked for many years or even decades and reimagining it, is the work of dreamers, sometimes visionaries. Without visionaries, we would not have many of the advancements we so frequently enjoy and so easily take for granted.  Support The Podcast Catchphrase eBook

Mark Achler is a Managing Director of MATH Venture Partners. Prior to MATH, Mark was the Senior Vice President of New Business, Strategy, and Innovation for Redbox. He is a serial entrepreneur who has co-founded four companies as well as being a partner in an earlier venture fund called Kettle Partners. Additionally, Mark teaches Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business and is a frequent speaker, resource, and ardent champion for the entrepreneurial community. Mark recently released the book - Exit Right: How to Sell Your Startup, Maximize Your Return and Build Your Legacy, in which he and his co-author Mert Iseri interviewed dozens of M&A leaders at the biggest  Silicon Valley acquirers—as well as attorneys, bankers, and founders who have been through the trenches. Mark and I discussed: How he met his coauthor Examples of great exits Why they decided to write the book  Is raising capital harder than exiting? How to prepare for a job interview  Why Investing in relationships is crucial Common mistakes first time entrepreneurs make And so much more... Mark Achler Exit Right: How to Sell Your Startup, Maximize Your Return and Build Your Legacy My Take: It's important to focus on long-term strategy and start learning early on what a good exit looks like - if you are interested in starting a company and raising $. It's a less-discussed aspect of startups, perhaps because many don't make it that far but it's a crucial aspect of building and selling a company.  Support The Podcast Catchphrase eBook

Duncan French is the Vice President of Performance at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute. Duncan gained his PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Connecticut and has over 20 of experience as a high-performance specialist. He has worked with many athletes who have competed in the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Commonwealth Games.  Back in England, among other things, he was the head of Strength and Conditioning at Newcastle United Football Club in the Barclays English Premier League. His role in the PI is a unique one where he gets to work with the majority of the UFC roster and help them with everything from diet, recovery, strength & conditioning, weight cuts & more.  Duncan and I discussed: Weight cuts Team sports vs individual sports Why fighters are such unique athletes Long term effects of fighting The business model of the PI What is the PI's main function And much more... Duncan French IG Duncan French Twitter My Take: Fighters are special athletes, not only physically but mentally. Knowing you are going into battle against another fine-tuned killer and that the result of the fight, win or lose is all on you, is a sobering reality. Helping fighters achieve their best performance through precise data behind the scenes deserves the recognition that perhaps is sometimes less talked about.  Support The Podcast Catchphrase eBook