What Really Matters Interviews

Florian Schneider - Mixed Martial Arts Expert and World-class AdventurerWelcome to the latest episode of “What Really Matters Interviews”. I have an exciting guest for you, Florian Schneider, a martial arts expert and world class adventurer. Florian spent years mastering mixed martial arts. But he also has a spirit for adventure like few other people i’ve met.In this episode, he shares moments - including some harrowing ones - from a few of his incredible journeys.  But he also discusses how his knowledge of mixed martial arts helps give him a confidence and capacity to travel to places even seasoned adventurers would likely avoid.If you’re wondering, “What would it be like to travel the world if I had great mixed martial arts skills?”, then you’re in for a treat.So sit back, relax and get ready to be inspired by the incredible story of Florian Schneider.

How can you create somatic experiences in nature to help heal deep trauma?There’s been a revolution of sorts happening in men’s work, and “men’s groups” are becoming more popular. These are groups where men can communicate more deeply – including about their feelings – with other men.One of the goals of these groups is to help men discover past wounds and heal them. And a powerful tool to help them do that is somatic work. It goes beyond “talk therapy”, and works at the sub and unconscious levels to heal trauma and other unresolved issues..Among these groups is Evryman, and Michael Lipson is one of its executive team members.I first met Michael in another men’s group called “Tribe of Men”. I found him to be an incredibly effective and creative coach. Among his many talents is the knowledge of multiple personal growth tools, and having an innate sense of which one to best use in different situations.In this interview, we explore his experience with the power of somatic healing – how it’s used, what it can do, and when to best use it. This interview even starts off with a six-minute meditation which helped me “drop in” more deeply for the interview.Here’s more info about Michael’s background from his LinkedIn profile. As you can tell, he’s a power player:“Michael is an independent coach, consultant and advisor dedicated to helping individuals, teams and organizations identify, achieve and exceed their core aspirations. His work blends business and personal optimization, and emphasizes leadership, awareness and strategy. His clients are CEO’s, founders, execs, partnerships and teams who are seeking to have more impact, achieve greater success and experience more satisfaction and flow at work and beyond.”Experience Overview:Investment banker with GE Capital for 8 years.Turned start-up and tech entrepreneur in 1990.Transitioned towards CEO and leadership coaching from the late 90’s to present.First VC funded start-up in ’94.First of 5 CEO roles in ’97.Began leading personal optimization work in ’05.Involved in 250+ start-ups, coached 100’s of execs/teams, facilitated 100’s of groups and sessions, helped raise $50 million of seed and A Round venture capital, closed over 100 key deals, and written dozens of business and strategic plans.  Trained in coaching, collaborative systems, therapeutic processes, psychometrics and more.Links:Website & Social MediaEvryman Men’s GroupMichael’s LinkedIn profile

In this episode, "Eco-Somatic Healer" Sarah Jeffreys shares her expertise in creating experiences in the natural world to help people heal deep trauma.  She also shares her writings and passion for nature photography.More info about Sarah:Her website: https://www.sarahjeffreys.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.jeffreys.395Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.jeffreys.395/

 What would it take to leave a cush tech job to embark on a crazy career path in adventure travel writing - a profession renowned for low wages?  Even more, what would it take to thrive in that new profession and become an international award-winning adventure and travel writer?  And how would you deal with the cataclysmic changes in the travel industry brought on because of Covid?In this wide-ranging interview, Jayme Moye discusses that - and a whole lot more.  She’ll also talk about her writing discipline, how she systematically approached travel writing as a business to achieve fast success, and three key tips she’d give to herself when she graduated from college.  We’ll even discuss three of her favorite stories and how they came to be - including one in which she decided to not go cycling with the Afghanistan’s women’s cycling team because the Taliban had just announced they were about to start their spring offensive.  Just for some backdrop, Jayme grew up in Ohio, moved to Colorado for college, originally started her career as a computer systems data analyst, realized it wasn’t for her, and made the shift to writing.Since then she has won:2019 Banff Centre Mountaineering Article Award for Mountain Literature2019 Keith Bellows Award for Excellence in Travel Journalism2018 North American Travel Journalists Association’s Travel Writer of the Year2017 Best Book Awards FinalistShe is also currently the Whitewater Ski Resort Writer-in-Residence in Nelson, BC.Enjoy this inspiring and revealing interview with Jayme Moye.  Links for this podcast: 

Betsy Chasse is most known as the author & producer of "What the Bleep Do We Know?!" But a better description is the way she describes herself:"What I really am is a person—a woman, a mom, a human being trying to make sense of life. Exploring all the possibilities, evolving, changing, listening and being in this amazing reality we have all created together."Here's her official info: "Award-winning Filmmaker, Best Selling Author, Change-Maker, Mom. Best known as the Co-Writer, Director and Producer of the hit film "What The Bleep Do We Know!?"  She has also produced the award-winning Song of The New Earth, Pregnant In America, Radical Dating and The Empty Womb. She has authored multiple books, including; The Documentary Masterclass, Tipping Sacred Cows and What The Bleep Do We Know?!, and Discovering The Endless Possibilities to Altering Your Everyday Reality.  She’s also a blogger, a speaker, a screenwriter, and a consultant.In this wide-ranging interview we explore everything from her experiences with filmmaking, writing, and her infamous Facebook rants. Links:BetsyChase.net- Her official website.What the Bleep - The film's official website.`Rampant Feline Media - her media company's website.Betsy Chasse on Amazon - all her books, author bio, etc. 

Ned Tibbits has a passion for the lifestyle that's lasted over a half century.  He is the founder and head of Mountain Education, an organization dedicated to helping others learn how to survive & thrive in the outdoors.But his journey began when he was a kid in scouting, and deepened in his teens.  As soon as he graduated from high school, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 1974 - one of only a dozen people to do so.That journey was more than just a really long hike. For him the months and miles enabled him to find his purpose and spiritual connection.In this interview he reflects back on that trip and other experiences that have shaped his life & career.  And he also shares hard-won knowledge and suggestions that can help you deepen your love for hiking and backpacking ... and perhaps even hike the PCT for yourself.

Imagine being a blond woman traveling through remote China in the late 90s.Where few Westerners had ever gone. On a rickety motorcycle.  Alone.That's just one of Carl King's many adventures.  She's also ridden motorcycles all over the world.  And a bicycle through West Africa.  Again ... alone.And then there's her creative and professional side - author, speaker, coach, teacher industry expert and online instructor.In this far-ranging interview, I interview Carla King about her travels, love of exploring, and the special challenges of being a female adventurer.  We also discuss her books, travel writing advice, and the steps you can take to write your own travel memoir.Links:CarlaKing.com - Carla King's personal website, with links to her books and everything else about her.Self-Publishing Boot Camp - An online course and other resources by Carla King on how to self-publish your book.Virtual Travel Writers Facebook Group - An online community where you can discuss and share your writing with other travel writers. 

In this podcast I interview Darcy Gaecther.  She is the first woman to kayak down the entier length of the Amazon River.Is she interesting?  Well, maybe the intro to her new book "Amazon Woman' will get you juiced up about it. "This 148-day journey began on Darcy Decker's 35th birthday. The emotional waters that would fester and erupt on the ensuing journey were often more challenging to navigate than the mighty river itself. With blistering lips and irradiated fingernails Darcy would tackle raging Class V whitewater for 25 days straight, barely survived a dynamite filled cannon being prepared for a new hydroelectric plant. She and her two companions would encounter illegal loggers, narco traffickers, murderous shining path rebels and ruthless poachers in the black market trade in endangered species. They would plead for mercy at the hands of the murderers Ashanikna people, who were convinced that they had come to steal their children's organsIn a desperate attempt meant to give her some pretense of control, Darcy even cut off all her hair before entering Peru's notoriously dangerous Red Zone in hopes of passing for a boy and being seen as less of a target.At once a heart-pounding adventure and a celebration of pushing personal limits, Amazon Woman speaks to all of us feeling trapped by our deskbound online society. This is a story of finding the courage and strength to challenge nature, cultures, social norms, and oneself."

Theresa Byrne was at the top of her game as the most decorated female martial arts practitioner in her style. She had a 4th-degree black belt and her own dojo teaching others the art of self-defense.  She was focused, determined and unstoppable – a force to be reckoned with.And then … the accident happened. A car hit her from the rear, forced off the road and into a wall.  In the wreck she suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a near-death experience.The life Theresa knew before vanished. In its place, a new journey started … one in which she had to learn about what she’d lost, and start the path to whomever she would become.In this wide-ranging interview she talks about the pains and frustrations of loss.She also shares the details of the near-death experience, and how it has become her North Star for moving forward.  From the top of her field, to trauma, to TEDx and beyond … it is a story of how one person has turned trauma into transformation. 

Visualize being close to 14,000 feet on a challenging peak in Colorado. You’re looking at a knife ridge on Capitol Peak that separates you from the summit. It falls off so deeply on both sides that if you fall … you die. And it’s not just you climbing it … your dog is also attempting the summit.There are 58 peaks over 14,000 feet – or “14’ers” as they’re often called – in Colorado. For the past eight years Ellie and her dog Loki picked them off one by one.The first peaks she climbed were relatively easy walk-ups. But as she progressed, the challenges in climbing them grew. Some – because of weather or other circumstances – she couldn’t climb on the first attempt. So she returned to them.And now, here she is, looking at the last peak.Welcome to Ellie’s world where focus, persistence and an amazing dog have enabled her to achieve something only two other owners and their dogs have been able to achieve.In this wide-ranging interview, Ellie shares how Loki became her dog, and how he is so different from other huskies. She talks about how – after coming out of a challenging relationship – a chance friendship at a Meetup group – led her to climb Colorado’s highest mountains almost as a form of therapy, and as a way to rebuild her confidence.And she lets us in on the unshakable bond and trust she has built with Loki.I hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as I enjoyed interviewing her.LinksEllie on InstagramOutside Magazine article about Ellie and Loki’s accomplishment

From a kid trying to escape Oklahoma to spending winters alone in Alaska to being a ranger in Idaho to cancer survivor to becoming a voice for the wilderness … Ed Cannady has led a rich and full life. In this interview he shares what he’s learned from a lifetime of interest in wild places.

In this far-ranging discussion, General Robert Hipwell shares his story as a career soldier and officer.  It starts with his years in Vietnam on covert missions behind enemy lines to his commanding the Army base where - and when - Saddam Hussein was captured.He shares his lessons about a harrowing close call with the enemy in Vietnam, the key things it takes (besides luck) to survive the missions he did in Nam, to what it was like to work his way up to being a top commander in the Iraqi war.

Barry Friedman juggles balls. Really, really well. In fact back in the 80s he was a world-champion juggler. He appeared on the Johnny Carson Show, and toured with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. He even leveraged that into doing corporate gigs. But who knew it would lead to doing multiple TED talks and a high-end coaching career? 

She grew up in Atlanta, Beijing and Hong Kong.  She's a children's book illustrator.  She's Asian-American.  She (currently) has blue hair.  And she's riding all over North America ... on a Vespa scooter.  What would that be like?!What drew me to interviewing Stephanie is her unusual background.  Because of that - and because of what she's doing - she can offer an unusual perspective on America.  She's a modern-day explorer that is both understated and ultra observant.  In this interview we explore her story - why she's doing this, what inspired her to do it in the first place, lessons learned from the road, and her top tips for others who might be interested in doing their own adventures.For more information, see her website at 250SuperHero.com. 

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed at work, wondering why you’re putting in so many hours - and for what?   Maybe you’ve reached a nice level of success, but you still feel empty.  Or you’re having a midlife crisis of sorts and thinking “there’s gotta be more to life than this.”  And then maybe you get the thought “Wouldn’t it be awesome to just chuck it all - quit the job, sell the house and all the other “stuff” - and go see the world That’s exactly what today’s guests did. In this podcast I’m interviewing Sara and Daniel Pederson from Vancouver, Canada.  They followed up on that dream and are doing it.  So far they’ve traveled 125,000 miles, visited 61 countries, and about to depart for their most challenging ride yet.In this interview I pull back the curtain and learn more about them.  Who are these people that were able to turn their dream into the adventure of a lifetime.  How did they do it?  Who did they have to become to do it?  What were the challenges? What steps did they take? What have they learned?  What are the day-to-day challenges of living on a motorcycle?  What’s it like being with your spouse 24 x 7 and dealing with situations that make a daily spat in the kitchen look like child’s play?  How have they grown - both individually and as a couple?  And - with all this hard-earned wisdom they’ve gained - what do they think matters most?Listen up if you want to learn the answers to these and other questions.  And learn how you, too, can turn your dream from wishful thinking into a life-defining event.

In this interview, Tiffany Coates talks about her life as an international motorcycle adventure rider and tour guide.  She also gives three tips for anybody considering heading off into a life of adventure. 

What Makes Them Tick: Learn Life Lessons from Extraordinary People --- i interview international adventurer, writer & photographer about a lifetime of exploring the world and sharing her creativity through writing and photography.Lone (pronounced "Loo-nuh") splits her time between San Francisco and Copenhangen. She also spent a lot of time in Nepal.  As an adventurer, she has been a mountaineer and spiritual tour guide leader in  Nepal Tibet.  Her first book is called "Seeing Red" and explores her relationship and spiritual exploration.As a visual artist and healer, she photographs women in vulnerable and unclothed states to help them drop stereotypes of how they should look and, instead, to embrace the body they have.We cover all of this in the interview, plus she gives some of her hard-earned lessons from both her inner and outer adventures.

Lori McNee is an artist, author, teacher and social media rock star.  She's also one of those rare people who seamlessly dances between creativity and business.  All these areas are explored in this interview.  She also gives her top tips on learning how to do this yourself.

I do in-depth interviews with extraordinary people who are finding and living their purpose at the highest levels.  They'll tell you in their own words how they found their calling, and then what they did to LIVE it.  They'll tell you about the challenges they faced along the way, and how they overcame them.   Aimée Christensen is founder and CEO of Christensen Global Strategies collaborating with industries, governments, organizations and individuals worldwide to develop solutions for a strong clean global economy, healthy communities and protection of our natural resources. She is known as a thought-leader who also delivers results. Trained as an environmental and energy lawyer with deep experience in energy policy in Washington, D.C., she brings two decades of experience in climate change and sustainability strategy to the corporate, investment, and philanthropic sectors.Doug:                                  00:05                    Welcome to "What Makes Them Tick?" in-depth interviews with extraordinary people. Get an inside look at what drives them to excel. And get insights on how you can apply what they've learned in your own life. In this episode I interview Amy Christiansen, a woman who's devoted her life to creating a sustainable world both globally and locally.Doug:                                  00:26                    Hi, my name is Doug Greene. I'm an author and also doing podcasts about people that I find to be extraordinary in the way that they're living their purpose. These are people that have found what they're supposed to be doing on the planet. They're "singing their note," really. If you follow the work of Michael Meade in his book "Fate and Destiny". And my friend Amy Christiansen is one of those people that's doing that.New Speaker:                    00:53                    I've known Amy I think for over 20 years, 25 years. I first met her in Sun Valley, Idaho actually through her father who was also a dear friend and was on the first river trip that I went on, which actually changed my life.Doug:                                  01:08                    But Amy is ... She's the Executive Director of the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience with the mission of protecting local quality of life and to serve as a model and resource to communities everywhere. I'm just giving you some background so you can see what she's accomplished here. She's also the CEO of Christian global strategies, which he founded in 2005 and advises corporations, investors, governments, organizations. She's .... Her clients have included the Clinton global initiative, Microsoft, Ogilvy, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, United Nations, Virgin. She has over two decades experience in policy