It Matters To Me

Founded in Aspen, Colorado in January 2013, Huts For Vets provides at no cost to participants, wilderness and communal experiences as therapeutic healing for U.S. veterans and active-duty service members.

Erik Villasenor is their Executive Director and being an Army veteran himself with combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, he was once a participant at a retreat before stepping into the leadership role he has now.

Additional Links

Huts For Vets (Website): https://hutsforvets.org/

Huts For Vets (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/hutsforvets/

Huts For Vets (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBnZp3n-6whnzJ6A34UaJNg

Back on My Feet bridges the gap between emergency resources and self-sufficiency to truly help someone recover from homelessness, addiction, and often both.

They empower members to break free from those cycles through the unrelenting power of fitness, community support, and employment resources.

Additional Links

Back on My Feet (Website): https://backonmyfeet.org/

Climate change... a topic we're all too familiar with but still have so much to learn about. Aspire Adventure Running organizes single and multi-day running adventures across Cascadia and Northern California. This year, they hosted their first Climate Summit to bring together professionals from all walks of life to discuss current research, technologies, and trends in this ongoing debate.

Additional Links

Aspire Adventure Running (Website): https://www.aspireadventurerunning.com/

She has a runner’s body. It is also a body that lost 200lbs and has run 100-mile ultras and climbed mountains. All after enduring years of mistreatment from overeating, undereating, binge eating and no eating.

Callie Vinson is an ultra-runner and advocate for body diversity and inclusivity within outdoor sports. She shares her deeply personal story in hopes it’ll inspire you to think twice about what’s holding you back.

Additional Links

Callie Vinson (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/callievinsonn/

Callie Vinson (Outside Magazine): https://www.outsideonline.com/health/running/culture-running/people/callie-vinson-believes-in-herself/

It Matters To Me (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/adamcasey/

Born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Claire took her passion for skiing to the next level when she co-founded SheJumps alongside the professional freeskier, Lynsey Dyer and journalist, Vanessa Pierce in 2007.

Since then, SheJumps has created over 46,000 opportunities for women and girls to get outside by offering a variety of outdoor activities ranging from wilderness survival and mountaineering to technical maintenance and skill-building clinics.

We talk about what is was like to start SheJumps at the age of 22 and how its mission has grown over the last 16 years to include people who may not have the easiest access to wild landscapes.

We also talk about the challenges young women and girls face in participating in the outdoors compared to men and the small but meaningful changes that need to happen to address that.

Additional Links

SheJumps (Website): https://www.shejumps.org/

Sexual assault and Type 2 Diabetes are hard enough to process on their own but combined, they can be almost insurmountable.

Sydney Williams navigated her way through those experiences on a hike across the Trans-Catalina Trail and is now helping others do the same through her 501c3, Hiking My Feelings.

Additional Links

Hiking My Feelings (Website): https://hikingmyfeelings.org/

They might be younger, faster, or have a bigger engine.... but you can Suffer Better.

Peter Downing and Bob Africa are using Suffer Better to tap the inexhaustible commitment of the endurance athlete community to preserve and protect our natural environment while improving local communities.

Additional Links

“I think anyone will have their own definition of what that means to them and I think for me and for Rising Hearts it really embodies, you know, the passion and the commitment to what you love and care about the most that truly makes it the work that’s coming from the heart.” 

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show where we highlight people working alongside nonprofits that intersect with the outdoors. 

Jordan Marie Whetstone, professional athlete, advocate, and founder of Rising Hearts, an Indigenous-led grassroots group devoted to elevating Indigenous voices and promoting intersectional collaborative efforts across all movements with the goals of racial, social, climate, and economic justice. 

As a 4th generation runner, Jordan garnered national headlines during her 2019 Boston Marathon race where she ran on behalf of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) with a red hand painted across her face to symbolize the silent voices taken. Through her advocacy work, Jordan's primary focuses are to inform, elevate, mobilize, and organize through strategic and targeted advocacy, establishing collaborative partnerships to help create a better and safer future and environment for all of our relatives who inhabit this planet, past, present and future.

Additional Links  

“Basically what we’re doing is trying to bridge this gap. We know the problems of climate change, we know the solutions, and what’s going to connect those two is community. It’s people."

Welcome everyone to another episode of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that seeks out individuals dedicating their time and energy to non-profit causes that are bigger than themselves and the motivations behind that choice.

Today I have on the show, Dakota Jones, professional ultra-runner and Executive Director of Footprints, a 501-c-3 non-profit in the U.S. that exists as an incubator for climate action.

If you’re a particularly dedicated fan to the sport of trail-running, you might already know Dakota for some of his crazy fast times on courses like Hardrock or Transvulcania but what you might now know about him is his passion for addressing climate change.

Originally from Colorado, Dakota, took the ultra-running scene by storm starting in 2011 and has used that notoriety to become a vocal advocate for environmental justice.

The camps that Footprints put on are more than just a group of people getting together to run trails and simply talk about how they’d address climate change but instead is a chance for people who apply and are accepted into the program to put those words into action in their own communities.

Offering the benefit of mentors who know simply how to get things done, Footprints gives runners the chance to turn their ideas and passions into something tangible that will hopefully go on to protect the outdoor places they love.

Before we get started, I recently had the privilege of testing out some new running gear courtesy of Naked Sports Innovations and let me tell you, I can’t sing their praises enough.

The waistband and hydration vest they sent is some of the most comfortable pieces of running gear I’ve used in years. I’ve actually just been leaving the waistband on all day because it’s so comfortable and useful.

Made with an ultra-breathable mesh material, it fits snug around your waist and can carry poles, phone, water bottles, really whatever you feel like you’re going to need on your run.

I’ll include a link in the show notes to their website for you to get your hands on some yourself and to check out some of their other products.

Additional Links

“That’s really become my focus, that’s what I like to think of my niche, my differentiator on Youtube is I’m taking viewers to places they maybe forget having been but maybe never would’ve thought of going to.”

Welcome everyone to another episode of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that seeks out the passions in all of our lives and the motivations behind why we pursue them.

Today I have the one and only, Jeff Pelletier, professional ultra-runner and filmmaker.

You might know Jeff from some of his wildly popular and simply beautiful documentary films about trail-running all over YouTube these days.

Hailing from Vancouver, Jeff has traveled the world and filmed his adventures in places like Namibia, France, Patagonia, Georgia, really the list just goes on and on.

Finding running, specifically trail-running at a later age in his late twenties and early thirties, Jeff has made quite a name for himself in the endurance community.

And while he maybe isn’t setting course records at races like Western States, he’s encouraging more and more people to get outdoors through his films and work.

Knowing this was going to be my 50th episode, I really wanted to have someone on that I think embodies the narrative of this show, of finding that one thing in our life that gives us pure joy, and Jeff is just the perfect person to do that.

Before we get started, I recently had the privilege of testing out some new running gear courtesy of Naked Sports Innovations and let me tell you, I can’t sing their praises enough.

The waist band and hydration vest they sent are some of the most comfortable pieces of running gear I’ve used in years. I’ve actually just been leaving the waist band on all day because it’s so comfortable and useful.

Made with an ultra-breathable mesh material, it fits snugly around your waist and can carry poles, phone, water bottles, really whatever you feel like you’re going to need on your run.

I’ll include a link in the show notes to their website for you to get your hands on some yourself and to check out some of their other products.

Additional Links

“My promise to my readers is I’m going to be honest and I’m going to be fair and when we’re explaining the issue at the top, like I will be as neutral and balanced in that section as I can.”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that seeks out the passions in all of our lives and the motivations behind why we pursue them.

Joining me on this episode is Isaac Saul, the voice and curator of Tangle News.

Isaac is a politics reporter who grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, one of the most politically divided places in the United States.

In 2020, he created Tangle in an attempt to get people out of their information bubbles and only hearing stories that reaffirmed their existing beliefs.

His dream has been to create the most trusted brand in political news — all inside a newsletter you can read in just 10 minutes a day and a daily podcast that synthesizes major news events into a format free from political punditry.

What really drew me to interviewing him though was recognizing how much work Isaac has put into making Tangle what it is today.

And even though I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a news junkie, I do like to have at least a high-level understanding of what’s happening around the world and I’ve really enjoyed listening to Tangle every day to get that information.

From how he takes a single story and turns it into a newsletter and podcast to how he manages the stress of being on a daily deadline, our conversation is a peak behind the curtain into how Tangle is fast becoming people’s go-to news source.

Additional Links

“Some of the most meaningful… some of the most emotional things I’ve experienced as an RD [Hardrock Run Director] has been standing at the finish line and what kissing that rock means to people.”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that seeks out the passions in all of our lives and the motivations behind why we pursue them.

With me on this episode is Dale Garland, Race Director for the one and only Hardrock Endurance Run.

First held in 1992, this 100-mile race icon of the ultra-running community celebrates the legacies of the Hardrock miners that used to live in and around the town of Silverton, Colorado.

After serving in the Army just after high school, Dale became the race director and makes it a priority to maintain its goal of celebrating every single person who participates, whether they come in first place or dead last.

One thing I kept harping on in our talk was just the shared sense of community you feel even if you’re only at Hardrock to watch other people run.

And it’s absolutely true because, for me, I’ll always remember my first Hardrock experience back in 2021 and how everyone was treated with a genuine welcoming attitude.

Like every episode that features running in some way, I try to steer away from the usual talking points of training plans, nutrition, and god forbid I use the word “bonk”.

Thankfully that’s still true for this one and I hope makes it something any non-runner can listen to and enjoy.

Alright, let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Dale Garland

Additional Links

Hardrock Endurance Run (Website):

“When we’re able to step into the shoes of that person who’s struggling, people start to open their minds about what their willing to allow to be an ok answer to helping those people and I think psychedelic healing is really starting to jump into that lane and into the driver seat.”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show seeks out the passions in all of our lives and the motivations behind why we pursue them.

With me on this episode is Sam Chapman, Executive Director for the nonprofit organization, Healing Advocacy Fund.

With over a decade of experience in advocating for progressive drug policy reforms at the local, state, and national level, Sam co-authored House Bill 3460 in 2013 that legalized medical marijuana dispensaries.

More recently, he’s served as the Campaign Manager for Measure 109 in Oregon, the law that legalized the first ever psilocybin therapy program in the United States.

We talk about how his upbringing in Oregon helped pave the way in his fight for psychedelic therapies to become publicly available and how Oregon is setting the standard for other states to follow in their legislative footsteps.

We also get into where the future of legal psychedelic therapies can go and why it’s important to learn from the mistakes over the past decade in legalizing cannabis sales.

Full of great insights into how the tools we use to support mental health are starting to evolve, our conversation really hits home and is one I hope you’ll enjoy.

Additional Links:

Healing Advocacy Fund (Website):

 https://healingadvocacyfund.org/

Healing Advocacy Fund (Instagram):

“The people that you share the experience with and the land that you are traversing are really the two most important things and how they make you feel.”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that seeks out the passions in all of our lives and the motivations behind why we pursue them.

Today, my guest is Rickey Gates, professional runner and writer whose most recent book, Cross Country, is a first-hand account of his 2017 journey across the United States on foot.

Rickey’s career has always stood out to me not just because of his physical accomplishments but more due to his ability to bring a different, experiential side to running.

His relationship with the sport has evolved over the years and with that has come a sincere wish to help others experience running that doesn’t involve setting course records or finish line medals.

For years now, Rickey has put together guided running trips that include, Hut-Run-Hut, which is a six-day, one-hundred-mile, Aspen-to-Vail mountain running adventure with a priority of fun over fast.

If you’ve heard any of the other episodes with professional runners, you know I try to stay away from any sort of dialogue around training regiments or race-day nutrition because I believe that running can be so much more than a competition against a clock.

And true to form, this was a conversation focused more on the personal growth a runner goes through over their career and less about the stats behind their name.

Additional Links:

Rickey Gates (Website):

“Mental health is not a destination, it’s a journey. You know, it’s continuous work.”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show seeks out the passions in all of our lives and the motivations behind why we pursue them.

Today, my guest is Jennings Hester, founder of Fishing The Good Fight, a non-profit that helps Colorado men overcome depression, anxiety, and substance abuse through the simple act of fly-fishing.

After a promising athletic career on the University of Alabama’s football team was cut short, Jennings went through an all too familiar period of his life where he suddenly was forced to question who he was, or at least, who he thought he was.

And like most men his age, he thought he needed to keep that uncertainty and struggle to himself because of the stigmas around masculinity and mental health.

But after realizing just how damaging the effects were having on himself and those around him, he decided to seek help and part of that came after realizing just how positive of an impact being outdoors could have on him.

Out of that realization and coupled with a serendipitous birthday gift, Fishing The Good Fight was born.

When I met Jennings just a week or so ago, I could tell from the outset just how authentic he is and how sincerely personal the mission of Fishing The Good Fight is to him.

And as I become more and more comfortable talking about my own struggles with depression and loneliness, this conversation couldn’t have meant more to me personally.

What he and the rest of his board are doing is simply astounding and I can’t encourage you enough to check out their cause and help support their work.

Additional Links

Fishing The Good Fight (website):

“We’re going to pay for you to go to mortuary school so you can be a licensed funeral director in the state of Oklahoma”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

Today, my guest is Rick Farbro, founder of Green Country Arbor Services in Tulsa Oklahoma, and just an authentic and hilarious human being.

Now a little bit of background before you listen is that Rick and I had the most stereotypical of meetings between two men in their thirties when we struck up a conversation at a locally owned gym in Colorado.

Rick is so personable and socially magnetic that even though we just met less than a month ago, I’ve already spent the night at Rick’s house in Tulsa when I was recently driving through.

Even further proof of just how genuine Rick is is that he’s able to run his tree services business without any digital footprint whatsoever and instead operates by simple word of mouth.

You’ll soon find out that Rick can spin quite the storytelling yarn and I just loved every second of it.

This conversation is pretty raw in that I am publishing it without much editing because I think it is a beautiful example of how it’s possible to still in fact make new friends as you get older.

I know I’m not alone in admitting that I very much feel more isolated and alone these days so meeting Rick couldn’t have come at a better time in my life.

So next time you’re out and around strangers, go ahead and spark up a conversation and hopefully you’ll make a new friend out of it too.

Alright, here’s my talk with Farbro.

Additional Links

It Matters To Me (Instagram):

“I told him, like, when I saw Everest, I said ‘Oh it doesn’t look so high!’”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

Chances are you’ve probably heard of Mt. Everest and know that summiting it can be the pinnacle of any climber’s career. But did you know that Everest is just one of 14 peaks overall that can boast a staggering height of over 8,000m?

To date, only 44 people can claim to have stood atop all 14 of those peaks and the current record for doing so lies with a Nepali climber who did it in 6 months and 6 days back in 2019.

Enter today’s guest, Kristin Harila, a 36-year-old professional athlete from Norway. A former cross-country skier, Kristin currently runs her own guiding company and leads ski expeditions in the arctic.

In May 2021, she set a world record becoming the fastest woman to climb Everest and Lhotse in less than twelve hours and used that to springboard into trying to claim the 14 peaks title for herself and become the first person from a Scandinavian country to do so.

Unfortunately, that goal was derailed through no fault of her own when her team was unable to secure the necessary permits from the Chinese government but that doesn’t mean she’s given up trying.

From the outset, even though we've never met before, my conversation with Kristin felt like I was catching up with an old friend and I hope you get that same feeling too. She's not just a tremendous athlete but also someone who radiates positivity and kindness. It was an absolute highlight to be able to do this interview and I can't wait to follow her career as it no doubt continues to break records.

So let’s dive right in, here’s my talk with Kristin Harila.

Additional Links

Kristin Harila (Instagram):

“As a columnist, there aren’t a lot of people telling me what to do.”

Welcome everyone to the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

My guest today is Steve Lopez, columnist for the LA times where he’s won dozens of national journalism awards and author of three novels but is here to talk about his newest addition to that list titled, Independence Day.

Steve loves his job and the jolt of energy he gets from writing a column that serves as a catalyst for conversation. But in Independence Day he wonders what it might be like to live without ever-present deadlines hanging over his head.

He takes a very introspective approach to the idea of retirement and what it means to his identity by talking to others who have successfully left the demands of full-time work and others who’ve stumbled in reaching that goal.

In his book, Steve examines questions of identity, financial limitations, and what to do with your wild and precious life when the obituary pages are no longer filled with strangers.

It was a great read, even for someone like me in his mid-thirties because it’s not a “how-to” or step-by-step guide but a personal and emotional story towards something so pivotal in his and many others’ lives.

Along with Steve’s all too natural way of holding a conversation, this one couldn’t have been more meaningful and been more enjoyable for me.

Alright then, let’s not waste any more time. Here’s my talk with Steve Lopez.

Additional Links

Independence Day (Harper Collins):

“Guardian Grange is my vision to reintegrate and reinspire veterans with the purpose of healing through doing work in nature and building communities.”

Welcome everyone and thanks for tuning in to episode 39 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

21 years ago today, most of us witnessed live the horrors of 2 Boeing 767 airplanes crash into the Twin Towers in New York City and then moments later, we watched those same structures collapse into the street below.

That day, that turning point in our country’s history, eventually led to 2 overseas wars lasting years longer than we ever imagined and laid witness to a generation of young Americans fighting in those wars.

With me today is one such individual, Mark Matzeldelaflor, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of the organization helping veterans reintegrate while also protecting natural resources and strengthening communities.

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Mark joined the military just out of high school. And after making it through BUD/S, one of the many, many steps to becoming a Navy SEAL, joined the SEAL teams as America was still absorbing the shock of those terrorist attacks and going on the offensive to hold those responsible accountable.

We start things out by talking about his experiences in training and the subsequent combat deployments he went on afterwards.

After that, we get into his own reintegration process once he left the military and the SEAL teams and how he benefited from plant-based medicines, or as he refers to them, earth-based sacraments, during that transition.

We then round things out by talking the work Guardian Grange is currently doing and the importance it has in helping Veterans journey into the next phase of their lives, whatever that may be.

Not a conversation for the faint of heart but one that I was truly honored to have.

So let’s dive right in, here’s my talk with Mark Matzeldelaflor

Additional Links

Guarding Grange Website:

“Often exhaustion and burnout is not our fault, often it really is our working environments that are making us ill.”

Welcome everyone and thanks for tuning in to episode 38 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

With me today is Dr. Anna Schaffner, writer, coach, and professor of cultural history at the University of Kent.

Born in Germany, Anna evolved from a fun, energetic child who wasn’t shy about finding trouble into someone who is passionate about helping people transition from a state of exhaustion to a state of vitality in which they can direct their energy to what really matters in their life.

Synonymous with burnout, we talk about the history of exhaustion and how it was understood centuries ago as well as the evolution treating it has undergone throughout the ages.

We also spend some time discussing how Stoic philosophy has helped her clients reshape the concept of self and its inspiration in writing her latest book, The Art of Self-Improvement: Ten Timeless Truths.

Anna’s writings and research have appeared in some pretty notable places to include, BBC Radio 4, The Guardian, and Psychology today so I was extremely honored to talk with her.

Our conversation really lifted my spirits and I hope it can do the same for you so, let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Dr. Anna Schaffner

Additional Links

Anna’s Personal Website:

“People respond to being listened to and being perceived that you’ve treated them fairly”

Welcome everyone and thanks for tuning in to episode 37 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue. 

With me today is the Mayor of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Bud Starker. 

Born in Houston, Texas into an Air Force officer’s family, his childhood was spent all around the world and is as diverse as they come. 

From the Deep South here in the U.S. all the way to Tehran, Iran, Mayor Starker was exposed to life and cultures abroad some of us can only dream about. 

We kick things off by talking about that childhood and the ensuing years that saw him open his own construction business and eventually owning his own restaurant, West 29th Restaurant and Bar, here in Wheat Ridge. 

We then get to the heart of the show and discover why he decided to make the leap into politics and the role he’s played since being elected in 2017. 

With 2022 already shaping up to be a pretty divisive election year across the country, I wanted to have Bud on because he represents what I think we all want in our politicians: compassion and civility. 

Don’t worry, this isn’t an episode about which side of the political aisle he’s on or any of the policies he supports. It’s a personal conversation about giving back to the community you’re in and recognizing the virtues of the Golden Rule, even in something as polarizing as local government. 

Additional Links 

Mayor Starker, City of Wheat Ridge: 

“I remember the first time I got electrocuted”

Welcome everyone and thanks for tuning in to episode 36 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

With me today is Heimir Thor Sverrisson, yes you heard me correctly, his middle name is in fact Thor.

Born in Iceland, Heimir grew up as a self-described nerd and tinkerer who was fascinated with what made the everyday objects around him work.

That curiosity led him to study electrical engineering at the University of Denmark which helped pave the way to long and successful career in technology.

Today, Heimir lives up in Boulder, Colorado and keeps that spark of wonderment alive as a licensed amateur radio operator or as some of you might know it as, HAM radio.

Dating back over 100-years, HAM radio is one of the most basic ways we humans started communicating around the globe with incredible speeds.

Using high-frequency radio waves to bounce signals between the ionosphere, the upper part of our atmosphere, and the earth itself, these broadcasting systems completely revolutionized societies when they first came out.

Even in today’s world of Elon Musk seemingly sending a rocket into outer space every week, HAM radio operators can provide a vital resource in emergency situations after a natural disaster has struck.

As of today, there are just under 800,000 HAM radio operators in the U.S. and while that number may seem pretty large, that’s just 0.2% of the country’s population.

I really appreciate Heimir’s genuine enthusiasm for the topic and am so glad to share this conversation with you so let’s kick this off, here’s my talk with Heimir Sverisson.

Additional Links

Heimir’s LinkedIn (website):

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hsverrisson/

It Matters To Me (Instagram):

“I let the ants do my dishes the last two years of my bike trip”

Welcome everyone and thanks for tuning in to episode 34 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

Today we are truly honoring that tagline with my guest, Jacob Lemanski.

After quitting his job and selling all his belongings, Jacob hopped on his bicycle in Boulder, Colorado, and didn’t stop pedaling until he’d circled the globe twice! That journey took him 999 days and led him to some of the most remote parts of the globe.

Returning home, Jacob felt inspired and had a strong desire to create something, but he didn’t know what.

Before he’d left on this odyssey, one of the few things he’d kept was the ant farm he’d built out of scrap sheets of plastic and some lights that would shine through the ant’s tunnels.

And thus, Ant Space was born.

We first start out by talking about that epic bike journey and how it helped him see the world through a totally different lens.

Then we get into his return home and how hard of an adjustment that was after spending so much time away in so many different places.

After that, we dive headfirst into his artwork with the ants to include an upcoming book and even an Ant Space lounge that is opening here in Denver, on June 10, 2022.

Trust me on this, visit Jacob’s website, antlife.space, and take a peek at some of the artwork that he’s created. It’ll truly inspire you to come check out the lounge he’s opening if you’re anywhere near Denver.

It’s unequivocally going to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Ok enough from me, let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Jacob Lemanski.

Additional Links

Ant Space (website):

“It was just unthinkable to me that kids were passing their lives this way and that it was ok and accepted”

Welcome everyone and thanks for tuning in to episode 33 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

Today my guest is Maggie Doyne, founder of Blink Now, a non-profit dedicated to helping Nepali children by providing a safe environment and quality education, as well as CNN’s 2015 Hero of the Year.

At 18 years old, after Maggie’s senior year of high school, she boarded a plane in New Jersey and set off to see the world with just her backpack.

Four countries and 20,000 miles later, she found herself trekking through the Himalayas and walking along the dirt roads of Nepal’s most poverty-stricken villages.

It was there that she met a six-year-old girl breaking rocks to earn a few dollars to feed her family and who would go on to change Maggie’s life forever.

Maggie’s recently written a book about that journey titled, Between The Mountain And The Sky and that’s kind of where we start the conversation.

From there we get into all the growing pains she had to go through to get BlinkNow to the internationally recognized non-profit it is today and all the lessons she had to learn as she went.

Then we also talk about some of the more personal challenges someone in Maggie’s shoes faces when you’re an outsider to the people you’re trying to help.

There’s a lot of great, candid conversation in this one and I instantly felt like I connected with Maggie as soon as we started talking. She’s a truly inspiring person with immense humility and I couldn’t be more thrilled to champion her story for her.

Ok enough from me, let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Maggie Doyne.

Additional Links

Blink Now:

It’s about how you tell a story and I became deeply interested in that.”

Welcome everyone to episode 32 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

Today my guest is Amity Shlaes, best-selling author, columnist, president of the Coolidge Foundation and just so much more.

Some of her books include Coolidge, The Forgotten Man, The Great Societyand many others that have made her an expert in early 20th century American economics and politics.

We spend a majority of the conversation talking about Coolidge’s presidency and just how underrated ole Silent Cal has come to be.

Then we get into her other works and the impact those policies are having decades later.

After reading the Forgotten Man myself, I wanted to know what would motivate someone to dedicate their time and energy to a period that most of us never lived through and only know about from our high-school history class.

Amity’s intellect is unmistakable so I made sure to be as prepared as possible for this interview and I genuinely enjoyed that process. On top of that, her sincere warmth really shines through and makes for a truly great talk.

If you have any interest in the period of the Great Depression or the era of the 1960s, I really encourage you to go out and get some of Amity’s books on those topics.

Ok enough from me, let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Amity Shlaes.

Additional Links

Amity Shlaes (Coolidge Foundation Bio):

“It’s kind of ridiculous from a business perspective the things comedians will do.”

Welcome everyone to episode 31 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

Today my guest is Mark Masters, author, comedian, and organizer of all things Vail Comedy.

Mark is actually the first guest to come back on the show and I couldn’t have been excited to get this one set up.

It’s been nearly a full-year since he was first on the show so there was plenty to catch up on.

We get into how he craft’s his routine and the often-underappreciated work ethic most standup comedians necessarily have.

We also spend some time talking about this year’s Vail Comedy Festival that he is organizing and why he takes so much pride in putting it on.

He’s not only a genuinely funny person but his diligence to being a better comedian and positive attitude is simply inspiring.

If you’re in Colorado, I can’t encourage you enough to check out this year’s Vail Comedy Festival, going on from May 27 – 29.

The passion that Mark puts into his art and work is unmistakable and I can almost guarantee you that it’ll be a great time.

Additional Links

Vail Comedy Festival:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vail-comedy-festival-tickets-259971962137?aff=matterstome

Vail Comedy Show:

“I’m going to set a 10-year goal … to go from 70-years old to 80-years young.”

Welcome everyone to episode 30 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the random through 1-on-1 conversations with people and the passions they pursue.

Today my guest is Jim Owen, best-selling author, documentary filmmaker, and global speaker.

Determined to get fit in his 70s, this 80-year-old former Wall Street executive wrote a book titled, Just Move! that focuses on the foundations of fitness and health beyond athletic performance or pure vanity.

In hopes of inspiring others to realize the benefits of exercise, he began recording this journey through a recent documentary film, The Art of Aging Well.

Before all this, however, Jim burst onto the national literary scene with the best-selling books, Cowboy Ethics, Cowboy Values, and The Try.

That collection of truly must-reads highlights the character qualities that enable ordinary people to do extraordinary things and has unsurprisingly remained quite relevant in today’s world of social discord, corporate scandals, and downright political jackassery.

Talking with Jim couldn’t have been more nourishing and substantial on a personal level because it really just felt like I was getting life advice from a seasoned expert.

If you’re a sucker for a southern drawl like I am, you’re really going to enjoy this episode and I hope it’s enough to get you to check out some of his books and the documentary.

Ok that’s enough from me, let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Jim Owen

Additional Links

The Art of Aging Well:

https://theartofagingwell.com/

Just Move!:

http://www.justmoveforlife.com/

Center For Cowboy Ethics and Leadership:

“It’s really universal where people can come sit down, watch a film, whether it has subtitles or not, and really just have an emotional response to that film.”

Welcome everyone to episode 29 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the everyday passions that drive us whether they are just hobbies or our life’s work.

Today my guest is Sara Moore, Executive Director for Colorado Dragon Boat, the umbrella organization that encompasses the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival, and the Emerging Leaders Program.

Born and raised in Michigan, this self-described tomboy heard the mountains calling and moved to Colorado where she’s now a leading figure in the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

As Executive Director of Colorado Dragon Boat, she promotes its mission by building awareness, knowledge, and understanding between the diverse AAPI cultures and the general public through cultural education, leadership development, and athletic competition.

With the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival just a few months away, we get into its fascinating history and rich traditions that date back centuries.

We also spend some time talking about its impact on the local community and just how positive of an event it can be for anyone who attends.

This was a great, fun and informative talk that definitely has me excited to attend this year’s festival. And if you’re in the Denver area July 23rd and 24th, I highly encourage you come check it out yourself!

Now let’s dive in, here’s my talk with Sara Moore

Additional Links

Colorado Dragon Boat (Website):

“The beautiful moment happens when you parse the person from the company that they represent on the other side of the call.”

Welcome everyone to episode 28 of the It Matters To Me Podcast, a show that celebrates the everyday passions that drive us whether they are just hobbies or our life’s work. Today my guest is Brian Geddes, Vice President of Sales for Jane Technologies.

Born and raised in California, Brian studied Psychology at UCLA as an undergrad and eventually went on to earn an MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Currently, as the VP of Sales for Jane Technologies, Brian promotes and facilitates safe, regulated access to cannabis - because that's how it should be.

He builds relationships with retailers and brands to power digital commerce, so patients and customers can shop for cannabis like they shop for everything else.

Brian’s also the host of his own podcast called, Canndid, which amplifies the voices of cannabis entrepreneurs and where guests dig into their childhood stories, their first experiences with the plant, their entry into the industry, their take on social equity, their product preferences, and more.

Now, I too work at Jane and have been in my role for over 7 months now. But because I live in Denver mainly, I haven’t had the chance to actually meet Brian in person and I figured what better way to get to know someone than having them come onto the show!

So sit down and settle in for a transparently fun conversation between friends and coworkers.

Now let’s kick things off, here’s my talk with Brian Geddes

Additional Links

Canndid Podcast (Website):

"I think the dogs can feel when you're happy, a lot, and what energy you give them back."

Welcome to episode Twenty-Seven of the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and my guest today is Ronny Ullrich, President of the Colorado Mountain Mushers.

This German-American learned to appreciate the outdoors while growing up in Germany from his grandparents, who, at a young age, helped nurture a love for all things wild.

Emigrating to the U.S. in 2002, he hoped to continue his active lifestyle and settled on moving to Colorado where he found the sport of mushing.

Once that took hold of him, he eventually became the president of the Colorado Mountain Musher, based in Western Colorado.

The Goals of the club are to foster novice and family racing along with other working dog associated winter sports by organizing a fun racing circuit of professional quality, encouragement of new mushers, and to promote and foster the well-being of sled dogs

Talking with Ronny reminded me of how amazing simply being outdoors can be and the beautiful power that can come from spending hours and hours by yourself in nature.

This is a great intro into the sport of mushing and has a lot of how-to knowledge for anyone out there who’s interested. And hopefully, our talk encourages you to check out an event if you find yourself in Colorado sometime.

So let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Ronny Ullrich

Additional Links

Colorado Mountain Mushers (Website):

https://www.colomtnmushers.org/

Colorado Mountain Mushers (Instagram):

"Through a lot of my life, I've always gone against the grain. Whether that's through skydiving or ultra-running or ditching a very comfortable federal career."

Welcome to episode Twenty-Six of the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and my guest today is Bobby Gill, Director of Development and Communications for the Savory Institute.

But before he assumed that role, this expertly trained Biological Resources Engineer was a lead scientific reviewer at the FDA close to where he grew up in Beltsville, Maryland.

That is until he and a couple of friends ran through the streets of D.C. pantless and helped found Cupid’s Undie Run, a national non-profit that has raised millions of dollars for neurofibromatosis research since its inception in 2010.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that he also was at one point a fairly prolific ultra-running resume and even had his skydiving license with over 800 jumps logged?

Since making the leap into the regenerative space at the Savory Institute, he now explores the intersectionality of personal and planetary health, and how to distill the complexity of these issues to new audiences.

During our conversation, you’ll hear us reference a recent TEDx talk that Bobby gave about his work at the Savory Institute back in 2020 and I really encourage you to give that a listen because the message about holistic land management and its positive environmental impact is a storyline that doesn’t get enough attention.

Bobby’s clearly got a diverse background and his ability to wear so many hats is something I genuinely admire.

This was such an authentically fun interview and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Additional Links

Bobby Gill (Savory Institute Website):

Welcome to episode Twenty-Five of the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and joining me for this one is Jeff Garmire, record-holding thru-hiker, backcountry enthusiast, and newly-minted trail-runner.

Jeff’s introduction to thru-hiking came during his college years when he up and decided to traverse the Pacific Crest Trail and soon after fell in love with everything the experience offered.

Since that inaugural hike, Jeff’s gone on to complete an astounding list of dream adventures that are too lengthy to list here but some of the highlights include the Calendar Year Triple Crown, which is hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail all in one year, climb all the 14ers in Colorado, and very recently finishing the Cocodona 250 in 95 hours and 28 minutes.

That last part is how I first heard about Jeff after watching Dylan Harris’ amazing documentary about Cocodona’s inauguration that I’ll link to in the show notes and can’t recommend enough.

Once I started to go on a bit of a deep-dive into Jeff’s background, I knew I had to have him on the show. And I’m so glad it worked out because Jeff was such a fun and inspiring guest who you can tell has a litany of stories from all the stuff he’s done that would take two lifetimes to tell.

There are so many personal topics we could’ve spent the whole episode talking about but one of the biggest takeaways I got was the unmistakable power in embracing the moment you’re in, both the good and bad. And how as cliché as we all know it is, the hardest part of almost any endurance challenge is the mental preparation you put into it.

Additional Links

Jeff Garmire (Website):

http://freeoutside.com/jeff-garmire/

Jeff Garmire (Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/thefreeoutside/

“Free Outside” Book”

It Matters To Me (Instagram):

“Some of these experiences, when you’re in them, it’s not all like happy, right? And so, you have to have courage to face down those things within you.”

Welcome everyone to episode Twenty-Four of the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and today my guest is a sincerely extraordinary person and friend, Tylor Belshe.

Fellow Marine Veteran and all-around tremendous human being, Tylor is without a doubt one of the most interesting people I’ve met in recent memory.

We start things off by talking about Tylor’s adventurous spirit growing up in a Mormon household and how the mission he went on as part of that faith ignited a sense of service towards others.

Then we get into his time serving in the Marine Corps as a reservist at the outset of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early 2000s and the introspection he went through during his deployments overseas.

After his time in uniform, Tylor like so many other vets who have experienced combat and trauma benefited from the truly remarkable effects of plant-based medicines to help process those events. He describes how it impacted him in a profound way and why he eventually helped lead the campaign here in Denver to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms.

Tylor then rounds out our talk detailing his next adventure: moving to Hawaii with his fiancé and close family members to begin homesteading on 20+ acres of lush jungle property and create a space for them to truly call their own.

This episode is coming out a few days after Veteran’s Day and I don’t think any other guest would have been as captivating and humbling as Tylor. He’s someone I’ve felt like I’ve clicked with since the moment I met him and I couldn’t be happier to be his friend.

Do me a favor, make sure to follow his Instagram that’s documenting his move to Hawaii. I’ve already had the chance to see what the property looks like and I am just in awe of what he and his family are doing.

Additional Links

Tylor’s Hawaii Homesteading Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wildpineapplefarmstead/

It Matters To Me (Instagram):

“That is the crux of being a human being, that we see each other in a way that we recognize were some folks have and some folks have not and how can I get the things they don’t have to them to give them an opportunity.”

Welcome everyone to episode Twenty-Three of the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and today my guest is Dr. Keith Cradle, Director of Youth/Juvenile Programs for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and founder of the non-profit “Camping With Cradle” among many other titles.

Dr. Cradle grew up in White Plains, NY, and kicks things off by talking about his childhood and how the environment he grew up in helped shape him into the highly motivated person he is today.

A major part of that evolution involved him moving to North Carolina where he studied at Johnson C. Smith University and eventually earned both his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. After that, he decided to stay in the Tar Heel state where he got involved with the public sector and became a prominent voice in the community.

From that professional point in his career and based on his own exploration of the natural beauty in the state he now calls home, he started the non-profit, “Camping With Cradle”.

As an outdoor mentoring program, Camping With Cradle is a means for young adults to become more familiar with the outdoors, the program is designed as a group mentoring model with each outing allowing a group of approximately 6-8 youth to experience an outdoor trip they otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to be a part of.

Their dedication to helping underserved youth discover the great outdoors and develop life skills that attach themselves to social mobility is originally why I wanted to have Dr. Cradle on the show and is just a really great organization that I hope you’ll check out.

Warning, this one had some technical glitches that we had to work through so the audio is a little rough at times, but Dr. Cradle made for an absolutely amazing and fiery guest. His energy is almost palpable and trust me, it’s going to get you pumped.

Additional Links

Keith Cradle (Website):

“I started to like running more than I liked being at the bar, and it’s really one or the other with that.”

Welcome everyone to episode Twenty-Two of the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and today my guest is Robbie Balenger, a professional ultra-runner whose accomplishments such as a run across America and breaking the world record for running the most number of loops around Central Park in New York City are almost too impressive to list.

Robbie explains how he evolved into the phenomenal runner he is today from an unlikely childhood where he was often a mischievous kid who played football and counter to his current athletic demands, was an offensive lineman.

He also talks about how the first real intro to running came later in life when he was living in Austin, TX, and his girlfriend invited him on a run. That moment became a catalyst for him to leave behind his hard-partying lifestyle and take his health and fitness much more seriously. Most notably was transitioning to a plant-based diet over the years out of personal and environmental concerns.

We then get into his most recent feat, something called the ‘Colorado Crush’, an adventure that included the Leadville Trail Marathon, traversing The Colorado Trail (485 miles in 11.5 days), the Leadville Silver Rush 50-miler, summiting all 58 peaks over 14K feet in Colorado, and The Leadville Trail 100-miler in just a measly 63 days.

Robbie details how the motivation to do the Colorado Crush was born out of a necessity to reconnect with his active personality during a time when the COVID pandemic was forcing him and his job to become more sedentary.

This one’s filled with some great advice about how to handle a race or big physical event once it's over and the importance of finding a way to always be active.

Our conversation does get into the mental health side of ultra-running a little bit more than some other episodes, but I didn’t want to shy away from that topic because I sincerely think it’s important those discussions are out in the public view.

Robbie was someone I’ve been hoping to have on the show for a while and am so thankful he was able to open up the way he did. Yet another irrevocably ‘good dude’ who couldn’t have been more gracious and friendly.

Additional Links

Robbie Balenger (Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/robbiebalenger/

Robbie Balenger (Website):

https://www.robbiebalenger.com/

It Matters To Me (Instagram):

“Libraries are all about sharing … well that’s our DNA. That’s what we do is share so we’re going to share with you too.”

Welcome everyone to the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and my guest today is Michelle Jeske, City Librarian for the Denver Public Library systems.

If you thought libraries are just places for introverts and bookish people, you couldn’t be more wrong. Did you know that some libraries offer small business mentorship or connecting people to their family’s history through genealogical records?

In our talk, we get into how Michelle evolved from a young book-worm into someone who is at the head of all 26 library locations here in Denver that see more than 4.4 million annual visitors.

We also discuss some of the ways libraries in Denver are pivoting with an ever-increasing digital age. From offering programs that teach people how to write computer code to hosting maker spaces with digital recording studios that people can use to start their own podcast!

Like everything else in life, some of the challenges public libraries face today is funding. Michelle explains all the ways you can help out your public library and take advantage of some of the many, many benefits your local library probably offers.

At the end of the day, this is just a great conversation with someone who couldn’t have been more fun to have on the show. And if there’s anything you take away from this, it’s how important your support is for your local library, so do me a favor and go check out a few books from you local library wherever you are.

Alright then, let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Michelle Jeske

Additional Links

Denver Public Library Website:

“I just love the beauty and diversity of our group because we’ve attracted people from all walks of life and different political spectrums”

Welcome everyone to the “It Matters To Me Podcast”! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and my guests on today’s special episode are Anthony and Tara Clary, founders of the #WEOFFTHECOUCH run group.

Growing up in Virginia, the couple originally met through a local church after the tragic murder of Anthony’s brother. But from that tragedy came a beautiful and loving relationship that persists today.

Now although the duo has become quite the popular run couple, their origins in the sport are uniquely separate.

Tara was a high-school track-and-field athlete that used running as an outlet to have something positive in her life. Anthony, a former college football player, found his way into running after a startling doctor’s visit revealed he was prediabetic.

And that scare is what propelled them to start a community-focused run group whose mantra is simply, #WEOFFTHECOUCH.

At times, running can be a very isolated sport but what’s so beautiful about the group they’ve started is the message that all are welcome.

With over 80 people sometimes coming to a single meeting, WEOFFTHECOUCH has become very well known for being a place where people from all different backgrounds and different levels of fitness can meet.

During our talk, we get into the positive impact the run group has had in their community and how it's changing the stereotypes some people have about race and running.

I mean this from the bottom of my heart, Anthony and Tara are some of the best people and the energy they brought to our conversation was simply amazing.

I can’t thank them enough for coming on the show to share their story and for talking about some difficult topics.

This one is full of laughs though and something I genuinely think you'll enjoy!

Additional Links

#WEOFFTHECOUCH (Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/weoffthecouch/

#WEOFFTHECOUCH (Facebook):

https://www.facebook.com/weoffthecouch/

#WEOFFTHECOUCH (Strava):

https://www.strava.com/clubs/running-with-rock-tara-751285

#WEOFFTHECOUCH featured in RunnersWorld Magazine:

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a36828477/we-off-the-couch-run-group-anthony-tara-clary/

It Matters To Me Instagram:

“There’s always something you can do and there’s always a way to a part of the solution. And all we can do is make the changes ourselves and keep moving forward step by step.”

Mehgan Heaney-Grier is a marine educator, ocean explorer, former world champion free-diver, co-host of the deeper blue podcast, and founder of the imperfect conservationist web series.

Growing up in Duluth, Minnesota and eventually moving down the Florida Keys, Mehgan took the ocean at a very young age where she grew to become a self-acclaimed “biology nerd”.

That passion for the outdoors led her into the sport of free-diving where she established the first U.S. free dive record for men and women in the constant weight category to a depth of 155ft at just 19 years old.

Throughout her eclectic water-based career, Mehgan has performed underwater stunts for Hollywood films such as: Pirates of the Caribbean and Into the Blue; and has been featured in numerous television shows and publications worldwide such as: Life, People, and Outside Magazine. Recruited by Discovery Channel, Mehgan was part of an elite team of explorers and starred in their original series, Treasure Quest: Snake Island.

From those substantial milestones, Mehgan started the YouTube channel for The Imperfect Conservationist as a resource-packed tool bringing the viewer a dose of what she likes to call “conservation empowerment.”

Mehgan builds her messaging surrounding that trademark concept and describes it as “an understanding of how and what you can do to make a positive impact on the world around you, right now!”

Far from being a voice that just points out all the things we’re doing wrong when it comes to conservation, Mehgan offers up actionable advice, like turning your car off instead of letting it idle, that couldn’t be easier to incorporate into our everyday lives.

This was such a fun and genuinely proactive conversation with Mehgan and I can’t thank her enough for coming on the show.

So let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Mehgan Heaney-Grier.

Additional Links

Mehgan Heaney-Grier (Website):

https://www.mehganheaneygrier.com/about/

Mehgan Heaney-Grier (Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/mehganheaneygrier/

The Imperfect Conservationist (YouTube):

“For those of us that are sincere about bringing about diversity and inclusion, we have to show something different.”

Welcome to episode 18 of the It Matters To Me Podcast! I’m your host, Adam Casey, and today we’re going all-in with a conversation about race and minority participation in hunting with my guest, Eric Morris.

Raised in Talladega, Alabama, Eric was steeped in the outdoors and hunting from an early age.

Teaching himself to hunt through word of mouth and even magazine articles, his introduction to the sport didn’t follow the typical path of generational knowledge being passed down between father and son.

As he got older and gained more experience, he turned that expertise into the N.onT.ypical Outdoorsman TV show to help recruit others, especially minorities, into the sport. Now about to enter its third season, Eric and I talk about what it was like to get that program off the ground and why it is so important to show that not every hunter is going to fit the cliché description most of us usually think of when we hear the term “hunter” or “outdoorsman”.

Eric is also a 3-time combat veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and we talk a little bit about how he uses the lessons he learned from that part of his life both on a hunt and growing his brand.

Eric’s dedication to increasing racial diversity in hunting is something I really admire, and I very much identify with his approach to directly addressing the issue.

Now, this podcast is by no means my excuse for not doing more on topics like racial equity but it is something I can control and I’m so thankful Eric was able to come on the show. He’s yet another great dude with an inspiring mission that is absolutely worth sharing.

Additional Links

N.onT.ypical Outdoorsman Website:

https://nontypicaloutdoorsman.com/

It Matters To Me Instagram:

“It was surprising to finally… fit”

Welcome everyone to episode 17 of the It Matters To Me Podcast!

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation, and wildlife management. The agency manages 41​ state parks, more than 350 state wildlife areas, and a host of recreational programs. Reaping the benefits of their work as much as I do, I thought it’d make for a great episode to talk to someone from CPW and I was absolutely right!

My guest today is Carlee Koutnik, Deputy Director at CPW and to call her an outdoors enthusiast would be a vast understatement.

Growing up in La Veta Colorado where she was exposed to hunting and finishing since her early childhood and instilled with a deep sense of respect for the natural world just outside her front door.

She turned that personal admiration into something more tangible by earning her Bachelor’s degree from the United States Air Force Academy and becoming a Bio-Environmental Engineer. While in uniform, she was stationed across the U.S. from the panhandle of Florida all the way up to North Pole, Alaska where she specialized in occupational and environmental health management, sexual assault victim advocacy.

During our talk, we get into all topics related to the outdoors, from hunting and fishing to how CPW is looking to increase local engagement with the outdoors among people who live in those areas.

It was a huge honor to have Carlee on the show and I can’t thank her enough for the truly great conversation we had.

Additional Links

CPW Website:

Welcome everyone to a very special episode of the It Matters To Me Podcast!

My guest today is the one and only Matthew Norman. Author of “Domestic Violets”, “We’re All Damaged”, “Last Couple Standing”, and his newest release “All Together Now”.

You know what’s really hard, trying to sound articulate and poignant to someone who makes their living crafting concise but impactful stories, but Matthew couldn’t have been more fun to talk to.

We hit all sorts of topics that cover his progression as an author over the years and what it’s been like to learn how to write through lived experiences.

Often compared to other great authors like Jonathan Tropper or Richard Russo, Matthew has made a name for himself in the literary world that has stood the test of time.

In fact, my introduction to him came years ago when he signed a copy of one of his books as a gift after I just cold emailed him out of the blue.

Matthew couldn’t be a more likeable person and I was so truly honored to have him on the show. I highly highly highly recommend you pick up all of his books because they’re just so comedic and meaningful.

Additional Links

The Norman Nation (Main Website):

“I’ve been like frozen at Barkley’s Marathon in a space blanket, wrapped in a coat, in a cave and still like hypothermic” - Mike Wardian

Impressive doesn’t even begin to define my guest today, the man, the myth, the absolute legend, Mike Wardian.

A professional runner who not only won the infamous 2020 Quarantine Backyard Ultra but who also has the world record for running a marathon in both a Spiderman costume and dressed as Elvis. All while being a husband and father, owning his own ship brokering business, and being a bee-keeper because why the hell not, right!?

Mike and I recently met on a little adventure in and around Zion National Park when I spontaneously became a rolling aid station as he ran the Zion Traverse along with his brother, sister, and my just as equally impressive girlfriend.

We talk about how he got his start in athletics through Lacrosse, Mike went on to play at Michigan State before taking a break his senior year and discovering the world of competitive running.

Then we dive into some of the other incredible adventures he’s had as a runner, like running across Israel or doing 7 marathons, on 7 continents, in 7 days, and setting yet another Guinness world record for running a marathon in a Scottish kilt.

Mike’s well known for his “relentless” mentality and pursuit of whatever it is he has his sights set on and I think that’s a well deserved reputation. You don’t meet many people like him who have such a laser focus on a goal but who also don’t let the results be the definition of success in pursuing it.

This is one of the conversations that I’m absolutely thrilled to put out and can’t wait to have him back on the show, hopefully after his upcoming race here in Colorado at the Hardrock 100.

But for now, here’s my talk with Mike Wardian

Additional Links

Mike Wardian (Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/mikewardian/

Mike Wardian (Twitter):

https://twitter.com/mikewardian?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Outside Magazine Feature Quarantine Backyard Ultra:

https://www.outsideonline.com/2411447/quarantine-backyard-ultra-mike-wardian

Inside Tracker Coaching:

https://info.insidetracker.com/mikewardian

It Matters To Me Instagram:

Welcome everyone to another episode of the It Matters To Me Podcast!

When I say “conservative”, what comes to mind? How about “feminism”?

How about when I combine the two to describe someone?

If you thought that’d be impossible then you haven’t heard of my guest today, Sarah Quinlan.

As a writer and someone who is outspoken about her conservative beliefs, Sarah has caught national attention for some of her work that’s been published at National Review, the Bulwark, and even USA TODAY.

In our talk, Sarah passionately articulates how she’s come to hold the beliefs she has today as well as offering a new twist on some age-old debates that very honestly have given me some new perspective.

This is the second half of my 2-part political mini-series that I wanted to use to combat the “otherism” playing out in our national and local politics.

Sarah does an absolutely amazing job bringing a very personable voice to the conservative side of this and I can’t thank her enough for coming on the show.

Whether you’re left-leaning, staunchly right, or a libertarian like me, I really think you’ll walk away from this one with a deeper appreciation for some of the arguments she makes and hopefully realize that not every person fits neatly into some arbitrary political category we’ve somehow allowed to define us.

So let’s get to it, here’s my talk with Sarah Quinlan

Additional Links

Sarah Quinlan “About Me”:

Definition of apocryphal: of doubtful authorship or authenticity.

Quick, when’s the last time you had to give a public speech. Better yet, when was the last time you told a joke that lit up a room with laughter and applause?

Most of us dream of having the wit and personality that captivates a room but rarely do we ever put that to the test.

My guest today isn’t one of those people and has made it his personal mission to chase down a dream that I’d bet most people vastly underestimate the level of commitment needed to be successful.

Mark Masters has been performing standup comedy since 2018 and has been rising through the comedic ranks ever since.

We talk about what first motivated him to take up comedy and how after almost countless nights on stage in dark bars with sometimes unforgiving crowds, he’s fallen in love with the craft.

While I’m not a comedian myself, I’ve been a fan of comedians and their process for a long time, and I think there are some great crossovers between being a good standup comic and our everyday lives.

This is another great conversation with a seriously funny guest that I was super excited to have on the show.

Alright, let’s get to my talk with Mark Masters

Additional Links

Mark Masters Website:

Welcome to another episode of the It Matters To Me Podcast. My name’s Adam Casey and have you ever wondered what it would take to summit Mt. Everest without oxygen or row across the Atlantic ocean or even ski down an Iraqi mountainside while not letting a global war on terror stop you?

Well, my guest today has done those things, among so much more, and his name’s Laval St. Germain.

Growing up in Canada, Laval talks about how the books he read as a child instilled in him this deep longing to go out and see the world for himself. And how that insatiable appetite for adventure initially pushed him to get into the cockpit as a Canadian bush pilot as a teenager that eventually evolved into his current job today as a 737 commercial airline pilot.

From his first adventure scuba diving in some self-described “sketchy” towns to summiting the highest peak on all 7 of the earth's 7 continents as well as the highest peaks of more than 18 nations, Laval and I talk about the importance of continually being outside our comfort zones in a technology-driven modern world determined to make our lives as easy as possible.

Laval also opens up about the tragic loss of his son, Richard, in a canoeing accident 7 years ago, and how that event still affects him and his family to this day but how he’s turned those emotions into a catalyst for action.

I could easily sit here and just continue to name a seemingly never-ending list of all the things Laval has done that have rightfully earned him an international reputation as the unequivocal modern-day explorer. And one of the many things I enjoyed about talking with Laval is his sincere humility and belief that we all have it in ourselves to create our own life-changing adventures.

And while Laval has found success as a motivational speaker, this isn’t a conversation about all you need to do is “believe in yourself” or “just say yes” or anything like that. It’s a heartfelt acknowledgment that these things are in fact tough but because of it, they are all that more memorable.

I can’t thank him enough for coming on the show and being such an amazing guest so please enjoy my interview with Laval St. Germain

Additional Links

Laval St. Germain Website:

My guest in this episode is the iconic Justin Nozuka; professional musician, songwriter, and come to find out, runner at heart.

Born in New York but based out of Toronto, Canada these days, Justin got an early start to his music career in his pre-teen years and has had unmistakable successes ever since.

From his first album titled, Holly, to his latest release “then, now, & again”, Justin has made some of the most passionate and heartfelt music that’s rightfully earned him spots on David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel as well as multiple awards.

We talk about the emotions that go into his work and the trajectory his career has taken until now and I think his authenticity really shines through in this.

I’ve been a genuine fan of Justin’s ever since I first heard “After tonight” and being able to talk with him for this episode was nothing short of a dream come true. The guy couldn’t be humbler and more personable, and I know I say this in almost every episode but the conversation just flew by.

You definitely need to check out his work and get a sense of how timeless and beautiful his music is for yourself.

But for now, enjoy my interview with Justin Nozuka

Additional Links

Justin Nozuka Website:

https://www.justinnozuka.com/

Justin Nozuka on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1uquUYtkdKei0zuhBY9P0t

Justin Nozuka’s After Tonight Live Session:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlFGgQjiGaY

Justin Nozuka on David Letterman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGlmJrzjoQ8

Justin Nozuka Instagram: