The What A Year Podcast

I bring on the hedonism to my empiricism, Brett Helberg, to discuss goal #49. Find my Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese term that roughly translates to "life's purpose." Brett and I spent an afternoon lounging by the pool (shoutout EQX Hudson Yards) going through a brainstorming exercise to complete this on May 19, 2021.Brett lives in New York City with his girlfriend, Ally, and golden doodle, Milo. This former wannabe gangster and frat president is fortunate enough to have found his Ikigai and has already begun pursuing it -- Brett crushes million dollar listings as a real estate agent on the Sukenik | Glazer team.Hope you enjoy!

This week we're taking a break to enjoy the holidays with family. So on today's episode I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of my listeners and guests who have made this podcasting experience so much more fulfilling and rewarding than I expected. The support and encouragement really mean everything, so seriously thank you!I also do a brief Spotify Wrapped of my own to summarize a few highlights looking back on the pod's stats, and I give a sneak-peek into one of my goals for 2022 that I'm really excited to share.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on my two wingmen (the pun will make sense in a sec), Robert Meraz and Daniel Berman, to discuss goal #52. Help someone else complete something on their list. We helped Robert cross of "skydiving" from his list by jumping out of a plane from 13,000 feet in Oceanside, CA on Aug 19, 2021.Meraz lives with his fiance, Leslie, in their brand new Woodland Hills apartment. He's a P.A. at Cedars-Sinai, a loyal LA sports fan, and the unsung most valuable player on the flag football field. His celebrity look-alike is a mix of Rob Kardashian and Adrian Gonzalez.Berman lives with his fiance, Robbi, in Downtown LA. Berm is a Sales Director at Prime Trust, also a loyal LA sports fan, and he can finally walk around without crutches again! His celebrity look-alike is a mix of Jonah Hill and Seth Rogan (when they're both in shape, of course).Hope you enjoy!

I bring us back to a recorded conversation from March 2021 with my homie, Alex Lee, to discuss goal #9. Land a 360 on a snowboard. We crossed this one off on Jan 9, 2021, at Northstar in Lake Tahoe, CA.Alex is living his best nomadic life and taking advantage of remote work. He's a Product Designer at Zanbato, a multi-talented musician, and a snowboarding enthusiast. I've met few people that share Alex's eagerness to wake up at 4 AM and drive for hours just to get that fresh pow.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on my three campmates and great friends, Megan McMahon, Jeremy Stone, and Stephen Lyon, to discuss goal #33. Hike the Lost Coast Trail. We completed this on Aug 6-10, 2021.Megan and Jeremy are engaged and living that lawyer life in Carpinteria with their dog, Scout. When they're not busy enforcing law and order, Megan is mentally preparing for her first time skydiving and Jeremy is eagerly waiting for more long walks in the rain.Stephen lives in his newly bought townhome in Del Mar where he works as a Physician's Assistant at Kaiser. When he's not busy saving limbs, Stephen is planning an adventure to snowboard, mountain bike, skateboard, and surf all in one day.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on two of my best friends and business partners, Brett Helberg and Daniel Berman, to discuss goal #35. Run a profitable side business. We completed this on Apr 1, 2021.Brett lives in NYC with his girlfriend, Ally, and golden doodle, Milo, where he crushes million dollar listings as an agent for Compass. Brett is a fitness fanatic and a closeted interior designer (pun intended). He also loves curtains. Brett manages Finances, Sales & Marketing for Flex Living.Berman lives in LA with his fiance Robbi, where he crushes million dollar deals as a Sales Director at PrimeTrust. He's a savage in the kitchen, but one bad slip and he's now recovering from his third knee surgery. Berman is the silent partner and Chief Hospitality Officer for Flex Living.Hope you enjoy!

I sit down, in person, with my two friends, Mitchell Manburg and Jules Leyhe, to discuss goal #10. Perform in front of an audience. I completed this on July 10, 2021 at Mitchell's birthday party.Mitch is an Oakland-based guitar player and recently played the National Anthem at the Oakland Roots game. He also released his first single EP, Laplace Resonance, earlier this year! Mitch is an awesome guitar teacher (check out his website here) and even better roommate.Jules is an Oakland-based guitar player and recently played the National Anthem at the Oakland A's game. He also released an album, Your First Rodeo, earlier this year! Jules' band, the Family Jules, will be playing a show at the Sound Room on Broadway (check them out here) on Nov 27.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on my man, Ox Turner, to discuss goal #8. Start a podcast. Only in hindsight can I recognize that I had NO idea what I was getting myself into, but Ox helped me get the basics down and feel confident getting this show out there.Ox lives in San Diego where he's living the luxury condo life (they have a freakin' game floor with a bowling alley) and has, in his own words, "peaked too soon." He's a Sr. Recruiter at Procore, kickball league all-star, standup comedian, and host of the Holla At Me Podcast.Hope you enjoy!

I'm joined by my biggest group so far - Andrew Clark, Daniel Berman, Kyle Cabigon, and Matt Rybak - to discuss goal #11. Bike down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to San Diego. With help from the others, Andrew and I completed this May 27 - Jun 6, 2021, starting just above the Golden Gate Bridge and ending at World Famous in Pacific Beach.Andrew joined for the entire trip! He lives in Nashville, where he just bought a house, with his dog, Bodie. Andrew is a Manager at Cloudmed and aspiring sketch comedian. Among many things, Andrew particularly enjoys his 3 B's - burritos, blunts, and bang energy drinks.Daniel joined us for the last leg from Venice to San Diego. He lives in LA with his fiance, Robbi, and just recently started as a Sales Director for PrimeTrust. He's just coming off of a third knee surgery, but promises that won't keep him off the bike for too long!Kyle joined us for the first day at GGB and again in Venice. He lives in Oakland with his wife, Kim, and their newborn, Julian, in the house they bought a few years ago. Kyle is a [insert any title] at Thumbtack, an advisor to Port53, and the best Friendsgiving host I know.Matt joined for the longest ride of the trip (a "century ride") from Oceano to Santa Barbara. He lives in Santa Barbara with his newlywed wife, Nina, in the house they bought. Matt just recently left his role at Amazon to start his own business and - he's hiring!Hope you enjoy!

I bring on a new friend, Robb Valentyn, and a previous guest, Sebastian Flores, to discuss goal #46. Meditate every day for 90 days. With help from these guys, I completed this on June 30, 2021.Robb lives in Chicago where he is a Business Development Manager at Salesforce and also very single/ready to mingle. And ladies, he's more than just tattoos, muscles, and a clean cut. Robb has a big heart and volunteers at a summer camp for kids with muscular dystrophy. You can donate here!Sebastian lives in Austin where he bought his first of two houses! He's an International Growth Consultant at Google and owns a real estate investment company, Nido Spaces. Like Robb, Sebastian is looking for love. If you hitch him, he might even set you up with a 529 retirement plan.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on two of my old college soccer teammates, Matt Spero and Stephen Lyon, to discuss goal #25. Camp on the beach. We completed this on a beach on Santa Rosa Island (one of the Catalina Islands) on Oct 16, 2021.Matt lives in Oakland with his fiancée, Mia, where he is a full-time Dentist and part-time Pizza Critic. He'll be bringing his talents down to LA to join the Prosthodontics program at USC next fall. If you try to take the ball from Matt, he's quick with his feet and with the smack talk.Stephen lives in Del Mar where he works as a Physician's Assistant at Kaiser and recently bought a new townhome! When he's not busy saving limbs, Stephen tears it up with San Diego's semi-pro soccer team or sits on his couch and stares blankly at the TV-less wall in his living room.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on two of my best friends, Daniel Berman and Ethan Kaiser-Klimist, to discuss TWO goals this week: #24 Walk through glaciers before they disappear and #44 Gaze upon the Northern Lights. We completed both items on a trip to Alaska, Feb 26 - Mar 2, 2021.Berman lives in Los Angeles with his fiance Robbi, where he just started a new job as an Enterprise AE at PrimeTrust. You may also know him as "that guy" from Dodgers games. He's got an infectious zeal for life and will say "yes" to just about any crazy idea you have.Ethan lives in San Diego where he just accepted a new job as an SDR Manager at a solar energy company. He's a calm and peaceful soul that can also probably kill you. Ethan is a former D-1 rugby player, competes in jiu-jitsu, and is often asked, "Do you even lift, bro?"Hope you enjoy!

I bring on one of my favorite old colleagues and good friend, Dan Omachonu, to discuss goal #32. Write and record a rap. Given that I was really starting from square one, Dan helped me with everything from lyrics to recording solutions, and he even made a short cameo on my song, which was published on SoundCloud on Jan 10, 2021.Dan lives in Brooklyn where he leads a multifaceted life. He's an Account Manager at Amazon Web Services, the founder of Outlet Collective, an organization that helps people showcase their creative outlets, a board member for two nonprofits, RaisedByUs and Art Start, and a rapper with an album called "Sonlight" launching next week!Hope you enjoy!

I bring on an old colleague, friend, and new neighbor, CJ Wheelock, to discuss goal #18. Take a road trip in a camper van. We rented an awesome van through Native Campervans and drove through various national parks from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas over five days and four nights, Feb 15-19, 2021.CJ lives in Piedmont/Oakland where he has his hands in a couple of different businesses and investments. When he's not staring at the cryptocurrency market or trading crypto demonz, CJ enjoys sipping coffee, playing tennis, and dancing West Coast Swing.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on two of my great friends, Alex Lee and Phi Nguyen, to discuss goal #23. Cliff jump in Hawaii. The three of us all hopped in the water at China Walls on the southeastern side of Oahu in October, 2020.Both of these guys are adventurers and outdoorsmen with a knack for bouncing around to experience life in multiple environments.Alex lived in San Jose at recording but now lives in Los Angeles. He's a Product Designer at Zanbato, a multi-talented musician, and a snowboarding enthusiast. I've met few people that share Alex's eagerness to wake up at 4 AM and drive for hours just to get that fresh pow.Phi lives in San Francisco but will be moving to Hawaii soon. He's an Enterprise Account Executive at Cloudflare and a rising real estate investor with projects underway in Philly and Hawaii. On his Tinder profile (I'm just guessing) you'll see that he likes jiu-jitsu, real estate, and Spikeball.Hope you enjoy!

I bring on two old colleagues and great friends, Sebastian Flores and Nick Levitan, to discuss goal #17. Pick a country blindfolded and go there. The three of us took a trip to Costa Rica on 1/30/21 after picking it *blindfolded out of a hat.Sebastian lives in Austin, where he bought his first of two houses! He is an International Growth Consultant at Google and recently started a real estate investment company, Nido Spaces. Among many things, Sebastian is a hopeless romantic on a perpetual quest for love.Nick lives in New York City, where he is an Enterprise Account Executive at Zendesk and an all-around mediocre soccer player. Just kidding, he's a stud. Nick is a well-traveled, multilingual global citizen and also annoyingly good at pool, kind of a nerd about it TBH.Hope you enjoy!

This podcast is part of a personal project that I started during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mission of my project was to cross off 52 items from my bucket list in 52 weeks. In this trailer, I'll share why I started the project and what you can expect to hear each week on the pod. Thanks for checking it out!For more information on my project, you can visit www.whatayearproject.com