MEP Podcast
By Ryan Willms
MEP PodcastFeb 06, 2020
Sean Hotchkiss: Reconnecting, Exploring the Mother-wound and Lineage of menswork
On this episode I reconnect with Sean Hotchkiss, as we started Into the Well together back in 2019. Over the years we've been on parallel journeys, finding similar wisdom and teachings along the way. We dive into these experiences, the nuances of menswork, the neglected but important Mother-wound exploration and share some laughs around our follies and growth.
Sean is a coach and you can find out more about his work here: https://www.seanhotchkiss.com/
Sam Parsons: A Mind Reset, Outrunning Fear and Olympic Goals
The first guest of season 3 is Sam Parsons. Co-founder and creative force behind Tinman Elite, professional runner and Olympic hopeful. Sam comes on and shares about some of the fears and challenges of 2023, how he's shifting his mindset and going all-in for 2024 and his dreams. We also dive into the creative process of Tinman Elite, designing product, and collaborating with Adidas.
I'm Back, MEP Programs for 2024 and Gene Keys Intro
After a few months off, I'm back to podcasting. I'm sharing some of my plans for MEP in 2024 including a Running Practice workshop and the MEP Race Team. I also share some experience with Gene Keys and some of my takeaways from working with this amazing tool. I'm excited to be back and share new episodes regularly moving fowards.
Focus: MDMA Therapy, Somatic Release and a Foundation for Medicine Work
In this FOCUS episode I share about my recent MDMA Therapy sessions and the importance for creating a foundation in your nervous system and having the necessary education to create context for the ego-mind for this kind of work. I was inspired to share this mini-episode after Huberman released a recent MDMA solo episode, which was extremely narrow in its science-based information. This type of work is so deeply complex and I felt he wasn't able to include some of the most crucial components to experiences like this, some keys to preperation, and the core of what trauma is and how we can be with it and process it through these types of intential medicine sessions.
In the Zone: Feeling good enough, Performance and The Wisdom of the Nervous System
This episode is a re-post from the In the Zone podcast hosted by Kobe Blondeel, he interviews me over two hours on a variety of topics including working with the nervous system, triathlon performance, surrendering the mind, how the Taoist philosophy applies to my work, suffering from emotional suppression and more. I really enjoy getting asked these questions and thought it would be cool to share on MEP to hear this dynamic and a fun conversation.
George MacPherson: Invitation of Sound, Beyond the Mind and Participating in Healing
George MacPherson is back on the podcast. We spoke about a year and a half ago and much has evolved since then for us both, this is one of those episodes where I wanted to catch up and ask him some questions regardless and figured we might as well record it. I'd had some personal experiences with sound lately that really sparked an increased connection to it's potential and wanted to get more of Geroge's insights and experience to see if I was on the right track. I also recently began watching 'Sound of Creation' on Gaia tv which has been really interesting. George shares of his full exit from PR and his new role at Sound + Sage in New York, as well as how his own practice and guidance with sound has developed.
Focus: Understanding Health through Mitochondria, Light and Circadian Rhythm
This is my first FOCUS episode, a short exploration on topical issues, research, health and performance that I've been learning about. This first mini-episode is a musing on my findings and inspiration after listening to Andrew Huberman and Jack Kruse on Rick Rubin's podcast. It really blew my mind and I've since dove into the importance of light, circadian rhythm, melatonin production, light production within our cells and how this all ties back and into our mitochondrial health. Essentially I really enjoy learning, and this is a web of current research and a new paradigm of health that I found really exciting to dive into.
Dr. Katelyn Lehman: Quantum Clinic, Nurturing Coherence and Being our own Medicine
On this episode I speak with Dr. Katelyn Lehman, founder of the Quantum Clinic in Los Angeles. I found her through this inspiring new space and had to reach out to find out more about her and her path to opening the "clinic." We dive into her work and exploring Coherence, something I've been familiar with through HeartMath and Joe Dispenza over the last number of years. We talk about the technologies at the clinic, the shift in mind to realize we are our own medicine and the extremely rare and interesting Rasha, a unique technology that have that helps to heal and optimize your DNA while delivering frequencies through sound and water.
Michael Washington: Usal, Inspiring an Outdoor Culture and Power of Introspection in Nature
On episode 85 I speak with Michael Washington, founder of Usal, "a Los Angeles based community providing experiences & goods for the modern nature enthusiast." It sounds simple but what Michael and his partners have created in one short year is remarkable and inspiring. Changing the way people interact, what they feel is safe and possible for them, and forming a greater connection to nature and other people is no small accomplishment. We dive into Michael's journey from a Texas high school football star to following his intuition and creativity on a unique path to Colorado to the music industry to the launch of Usal. I really loved listening to Michael speak and share his introspective process, the questions he asked himself and the organic way that it all unfolded and continues to each day.
Solo: Adrenal Burnout, Nervous System and Spiritual Bypass
On this intimate and education solo episode, I dive into my current adventures with adrenal fatigue, nervous system healing and how poly-vagal theory ties these together. I also share about my insights into spiritual bypass and how I was unable to see where my work really was, until I couldn't 'do' anything else. I share my insights from Irene Lyon's work and programs and some of my key takeaways from learning about adrenal burnout, the different phases and some of the key remedies that we can do to help our kidneys and adrenal glands (hint: vitamin C). It's been enlighting for me on a deep level and I'm happy to report I'm starting to see and more importantly, feel, some shifts. It hasn't been easy and patience is taking on a new meaning, but I do feel this work specifically on the nervous system, is absolutely essential for true healing and being at our most vital.
Matt Fox: Sweat Elite, Journey to Sub-2:20 and Lessons from Kenya
Episode 83 features running, coach, content creator, Matt Fox. Best known for his video channel Sweat Elite—I found the YouTube channel through a video documenting a training session with Kristian Blummenfelt, Gutav Iden and Aaron Royle. From there I dove in, started following Matt and his journey towards running a sub-2:20 marathon the insights from his videos. The training sessions he documents are really simple, but have a beauty to the intimacy and also I fell in love with the sound of footsteps, breathing and subleties of the documentation. On our episode we dive into Matt's recent run camp in Kenya, his new approach to running by feel, his favorite shoes, his vision for Sweat Elite and his hopes for Osaka. We recored a couple weeks before the race and he's since run that race and has his sights on London, so check out his channel for the race recap and what he's up to after the episode.
Knox Robinson: Son of Africa, The List and Creating Safety on the Track
After trying to catch up with Knox for the last year, we decided the best way to link would be to jump on Zoom and record. Episode 82 is quite casual as we dive into a variety of topics from Knox leaning into coaching, 'The List' and the experience of creating a safe space on the running track for women specifically. Knox shares about his most recent trip to Africa and how that shaped his purpose and vision moving forwards, a return to writing and all the while targeting sub-2:30 marathon this year. I always enjoy speaking with Knox, the way he thinks and articulates his experience. There is a curiosity, openness and boldness that I appreciate, find inspiring and I hope you enjoy the conversation as well.
Bec Wilcock: Coaching Self-belief, Her Sports and Pre-postnatal Training
On episode 81 I speak with Bec Wilcock, we dive into her journey into sport and triathlon as a teenager and having to take a full year off after a massive burnout. Bec shares how this inspired her to learn and study, get into training and the opportunity with Nike that brought her to LA from Australia. Bec shares her perspective on coaching, working with different types of people, developing self-belief and how this lead to the launch of Her Sports and Her Trails. Bec is also about to give birth to her second child, and we go into her journey and development of a five-phase program that starts before pregnancy and continues into the 'fifth' trimester and how important rest and recovery truly is.
Also please excuse the brief disruption mid-episode by our new robot-vacuum Ewan.
Christian Straka: Mindset Coach, Power of Attention and True Flow State
On episode 80 I dive in with Christian Straka, a mindset coach for Adidas globally, founder of MindSize and overall inspiring character. Christian shares a couple of the 'big' experiences he had that shifted his perspective and awareness, and inspired a deep curiosity into all things mind-training. Since he's continued to evolve his own coaching process, bringing together spiritual practices, physical performance in a unique way for individual clients and Adidas communities.
Solo: Not Good Enough, Putting Down the Hammer and Tri-tirement
On this long overdue solo episode I share in-depth about my process of accepting I don't believe I'm good enough and how that's manifested throughout different aspects of my life from work to triathlon to my spiritual journey. I share about retirement from triathlon, for now, and my plans for more play in 2023. I also share about MEP and our upcoming retreats schedule for 2023.
Sarah Blondin: Heart Minded, Learning to Swim and Saying Yes
I reached out to Sarah a couple months ago, soon after the birth of our child looking for some help and support. I found myself in a very closed and contracted place and after googling 'heart opening' I found her podcast on Sounds True, listened, and immediately downloaded her book, Heart Minded, How to Hold Yourself and Others in Love. I suppose it was the right time and the book was exactly what I needed. After listening through twice back to back, I emailed Sarah and was grateful to hear back. It was a couple months since that email, many lessons and the result ended up being more of a conversation about her experience and process, my own and a sharing and exploration of nurturing and keeping an open heart in the midst of both calm and turbulent waters.
Steve Rio: Healing with 5-MeO-DMT, Holding Space and Finding Safety
On episode 77 I speak with Steve Rio about psychedelic medicines and drugs, how his life journey lead him to where he is today and the work he's committed to sharing with the world and how it continues to evolve. I really enjoyed speaking with Steve about how the different parts of his life have come together for him to facilitate life-changing experiences for people using breathwork, ecstatic dance, hot and cold therapy, nature immersion and of course the "God molecule" of DMT. He clarifies for me the differences between the types of DMT and I share a recent experience that was quite challenging in my own integration, and finally we touch on one of the most Universal core wounds, safety.
This episode is supported by Open, a mindfulness app with guided meditation, breathwork and movement practices delivered in a beautiful platform. Try 30 days for free with my code: www.withopen.com/RYANWILLMS
Nick Lo and Rob Smith: Run As You Are, Path to Web3 and Creating a Run Community
On this episode I connect with Nick Lo and Rob Smith, co-owners of Vancouver Run Co and partners in a new digital-based run community inspired by Web3 and NFT's. RAYA or Run as You Are is what has brought us together, but we dive into both Nick and Rob's unlikely career paths, their running history and how they found each other with a common goal of creating something they both wanted, a run community. Nick shares how he took a deep dive into NFT and Web3 and how that sparked an idea which has evolved a few times in the last year and a half to become RAYA, which is set to launch in the coming days with some big partners such as On Running, Adidas, Ciele, Satisfy and Salomon.
Nina Sieh: Exploring Unknown Spaces, Holistic Recovery and Coaching Inclusivity
On episode 75 I caught up with Nina Sieh, triathlete, coach, R.Kinesiologist, Exercise Physiologist and Ph.D Student. Sounds like a lot? Well it is, which is why Nina has had to practice what she's learning each day, evolve and grow. Through school, falling into triathlon and injury, Nina has continues to push forward with a humble gentleness, which is inspiring a generation of new female athletes. There are very few Asian women in the sport, let alone coaching it and Nina is forging her own path into the landscape she once felt wasn't for her, and creating a space for a new crop of women and girls. Nina recently stepped up her race distance to the Ironman 70.3 after having been a part of an all women's team at The Speed Project supported by On Running. Since then she's started her Ph.D studying specifically the female body, physiology and performance sport. While Nina is naturally quiet, from my experience, her work and what she's sharing is inspiring and bold.
Solo: 4X1 Coaching, Mushrooms are for Death & Drake's Toxic Masculinity
On my latest yet overdue solo episode I round up a few topics that have been important and interesting to me over the last few months. The theme of the heart and it's opening has become absolutely crucial in my process and it finds a theme through some of these disparate topics from my new 4X1 Coaching Program to creating a new relationship with mushrooms and going through a self-death process, racing triathlon, inspiration from the birth of my first son and the rampant toxic masculinity in Drake's music, and why men's work and certain teachings are a vital remedy for this in our culture. I really enjoy these casual musings and sharing what's going on in my life and different processes, so I hope you enjoy listening.
Vinh Pham: Beyond Fear, Mindset Physiotherapy and Changing an Industry
On episode 73 I finally tracked down Vinh Pham, founder of Myodetox. His schedule has been crazy with the opening of his industry-changing physiotherapy studios across Canada and Los Angeles, his work with top athletes from around the world and fitting in some boxing. I knew of Vinh through Myodetox but I had no idea what he was actually like until we sat down and I honestly came away inspired and feeling like he's a bit of a genius. On the episode he shares a life changing experience and how it helped him shed his fear and follow his dreams to create something truly special. We touch on the physiotherapy industry and how he hopes to change it, we speak about his recently published book, Sit Up Straight: Futureproof Your Body Against Chronic Pain with 12 Simple Movements, and how he practices what he preaches in his own life.
This episode is supported by HOLOS and right now you can get $10 off your first order with code MEP10 at liveholos.com
Sarah Sturm: Willing to be Bad, I am Tough and Perspective from the Bike
On episode 72 Sarah Sturm shares her smiling energy with me as we dive into riding bikes, working a 9 to 5 mid-cycling career, getting to create product and how keeping up with her partner helped her grow. Sarah had an unusual path into the job of cycling and continues to forge her own way, inspiring women and men to ride with a smile, bring others along with her and even once in awhile accept that she might be pretty good, or at least tough. I really enjoyed speaking to Sarah and her enthusiasm and excitement are contagious, and hopefully you can feel some of that through our conversation.
Dr. Jeffrey Riepe: Integrating the Whole Athlete, Mentorship and Move Lab
On episode 71 I speak with Dr. Jeff Riepe from Move Lab in Los Angeles. He is a Doctor of Physical Therapy Board Certified Athletic Trainer who is focused on bridging the gap of rehabilitation and performance training at the highest end. Working with college and pro athletes, as well as amateurs like myself, Jeff uses a mix of the most innovative technologies along with his own experience and intuition to help support, heal and grow athletes not only in their bodies but their minds as well. I love chatting with Jeff about all things performance and after working with him at Move Lab for the last 18 months, I was looking forward to diving in on the podcast.
Lachlan Morton: Pushing Limits, Career Rehab and Finding Joy on Bikes
On this episode I was excited to speak with Lachlan Morton, profession cyclist for EF Education–EasyPost and known for going into the unknown. Lachlan shares his journey into professional cycling from a teenager and riding for hours before school to quickly burning out in his first crack at cycling as a career. We dive into how he was able to re-ignite his passion for riding bikes and create an incredibly unique mix of racing year-round that's allowed him to explore his body and mind, different places on Earth and connect with different cultures in a way that most never do. He's got a great vibe and whether you're into cycling or not, Lachlan is a great guy doing inspiring things in the world, they just happen to be with a bicycle.
Welcome to MEP, Lessons from Road to 70.3 and Wu Wei
Welcome to the new season of MEP Podcast. Carrying on from Into the Well, I take this first episode to share a little about what MEP is, where we're headed and why I have launched the new brand. I also dive into some of my big lessons from my year of training and finally racing Ironman 70.3 in April, and the parallel healing journey and series of DMT ceremonies over the final months leading up the race coincidently. I am really excited to get into this new season, share some of the upcoming guests, experiences and products coming through MEP, enjoy!
Mauricio Diaz: Adventure Running, Breaking the Bond & Creating Family
On episode 68 I speak with Maurizio Diaz, co-founder of Aire Libre, an inspiring company that explores the world through running. We dive into the beginning of Aire Libre, how it's evolved and the family that's been created around the world and some of the stories of growth that can happen on these experiences. Mau shares his journey into running, how it helped him grow personally while learning and exploring cities around the world. We also get into a powerful story from Mau's youth that proved powerful for this growth and independence as a young man.
Rio Lakeshore: Mojave Awakening, Above the 10 & Mindful Running
On the latest episode I speak with Rio Lakeshore, LA-based runner, writer, artist, father and man. It's hard to encapsulate Rio in a sentence so I suggest listening to the episode, but we dive into his growing up in Los Angeles, how moving to the Mojave Desert changed his life, perspective and began his relationship with running. We explore what mindful running really is and how it can be artful like music and dance, and what can be invited through this ancient movement practice. Rio speaks on learning from injury, transitioning from the road to the trails and his vision for running in community and helping more underprivileged youth get out of the city and into the trails.
Sanjay Rawal: Run and Become, Slow Discipline & Gather
On the latest episode of the podcast I have Sanjay Rawal back on, disciple of Sri Chinmoy, runner and film maker. We dive into Sri's concept of 'Run and Become' which coincides with my new Reigning Champ collection using the same name, and how running can be an invitation for personal growth and self-transcendence and an unlimited amount of joy and lessons to learn. Sanjay also shares a recent DNP experience at a marathon PR attempt and what he's been learning from this potent race turned lesson, and how it's tested his internal world. Finally we speak about his latest film, Gather, "intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide." It's a beautiful and inspiring film, like Sanjay's other work and it was a joy to speak to him again and feel the light and energy he brings to the world.
Joshua Rowe: Maurten Hydrogel, Gut Training & Oxidizing Carbohydrates
On the first episode of the new year, I jump back into the performance side of things with sports scientist, reacher and PhD, Joshua Rowe. I was connected with Josh through Maurten who has been supporting my triathlon journey with their gels and drink mixes and when I wanted to get some guidance on fueling plans and to learn more about their Hydrogel technology, they linked me up with Josh. We dive into his experience with running and fueling, diving into his own performance research studies on fueling, gut training and thresholds and why the hydrogel technology works so well to minimize GI distress while oxidizing really efficiently. Carbs have been the enemy for me the last few years, but as I get into proper endurance training, they're becoming my friend and I got to ask Josh a ton of questions that have bolstered this relationship with his guidance as an expert in the field.
Solo Series: How I Got Here, Curiously Being & Left vs Right (Brain)
On the final episode of my solo series and of the year, I wrap up by sharing an overview of my own inner journey over these past years since 2017 and the different people, modalities, and teachers I've worked with. Reflecting back on all of the time, energy, resources I've put into this healing, development and growth has been interesting with a big recent shift and realization that I'm only just starting to tap into my right brain and heart. So how did I get here? I speak about my latest DMT ceremony and the work of Michael Singer, IFS by Richard Schartz, inner child work and the challenges with expression and truly expressing myself. It's been a scary journey as well as rich, beautiful and fruitful and the deeper I go the more unknown and scary things can be but I feel so fortunate to have landed on this path and discovered all of these deep experiences and teachers that have helped me along the way.
Solo Series: Can We Trust Our-Self, Vaccine Choice & Navigating Overwhelm
On the second of my solo series to finish 2021, I dive into my experience navigating Covid and the vaccine choice. It's an extremely multi-layered topic, bringing a lot of shadow material to the fore and providing an opportunity for a massive wave of awareness. This can be overwhelming and challenging to navigate both internally and in the arena of public opinion, politics and culture wars. So who can we trust? Ultimately it has to be ourselves, our Self, more accurately. But how can we actually get beyond the ego and tap into our true Self for our own truth and answers. While the internal landscape is its own journey, we also must look at our complete health, the lack of "healthcare" and the inspiration to take responsibility for our own holistic health, and what can be done right now to increase our health. This can include vitamins and nutrition and exercise, but also what content we're consuming and the vibrations we want to align with in our nervous system. It's a lot to navigate and it's been one of the most challenging years of my life, and now it's time to do something about it.
Taren Gesell: Total Health, Mottiv Method & Beyond Triathlon Taren
On episode 62 I speak to Taren Gesell, known my many as ‘Triathlon Taren’. We dive into his recent transition from a triathlon coach to more of a holistic health coach, changing his platform to Mottiv and moving out to Vancouver Island. After years of building this brand, a seriously impressive YouTube channel and plenty of research, Taren has live the ups and downs and is now sharing a unique view on endurance sport with an emphasis on ‘total health’. We speak about life transitions, learning to listen and follow your heart to be in alignment with ourselves, and of course triathlon. Taren shares some insights on nutrition, training and why kettlebells are the best. I’ve learned a ton from Taren via his podcast and YouTube channel, so it was slightly surreal to actually get to speak with him, and I really enjoyed it.
This episode is support by Open — a mindfulness studio offering experiences that combine breathwork, meditation, yoga, Pilates, and more to support transformation and personal development. You can try Open for 30 days free using my promo code RYANWILLMS, go to www.open-together.com/RYANWILLMS and use code RYANWILLMS when you sign up.Solo Series: Disordered Eating, Core Values & Revolution of Responsibility
In this long overdue solo episode, I start off a series of three episodes to finish 2021 where I dive into some of the biggest issues in my life and that I’ve been working through. In the first part, I talk about my relationship with food and disordered eating and how the spiral of shame can trigger a pattern of over eating. I touch on the importance of personal values and how the lack of values as a society have led us down a misguided path, and that ultimately a revolution of personal responsibility is the way forward. In order to do this we have to stay connected to our hearts, and recently I’ve drifted away from that connection myself, which takes work and is a practice of remembering.
Saehee Cho: Meaningful Cooking, Soon Minimart & Cultural Responsibility
On episode 60 I speak to Saehee Cho, a creative writer, cook, food stylist and founder of Soon Minimart. We dive into all things food, connection to the earth and the process of growing a plant, the masculine and feminine balance in the industry of food and the lessons that plants can provide. Saehee shares her own journey from home cooking with her grandmother into the launch of Soon Minimart, a really interesting online platform that Saehee started to work with small local farms to get healthy, fresh, organic food to the homes of people in Los Angeles. She shares about her Korean culture, connection to it and the intersection of her passions; writing and food, as she heads to Mexico to explore a unique culture of food history.
This episode is support by Open — a mindfulness studio offering experiences that combine breathwork, meditation, yoga, Pilates, and more to support transformation and personal development.
You can try Open for 30 days free using my promo code RYANWILLMS, go to www.open-together.com/RYANWILLMS and use code RYANWILLMS when you sign up.
Johnny Oduya: In-Hale, Breath Performance & Diving Deep
On episode 59 I speak to Johnny Oduya, NHL Stanley Cup champion as we dive into his career as a professional hockey player, some of the elements that made his Chicago Blackhawks team successful and his more recent transition into mindfulness, breathwork and the launch of Hale. What started as a pursuit to play at his best later in his career, Johnny found certain biohacking tips helpful which then lead to experiences in improving nutrition, dabbling in meditation and finding breathwork. In recent years Johnny has gone deep into a variety of healing and growth modalities, all feeding and working together to create a beautiful journey of growth, evolution and support of others through his new endeavor. Hale is a breathwork studio based in Stockholm, with the idea to "to give all humans easy access to breathwork and the power of breath." I really enjoyed speaking with Johnny about his recent work and especially his course on Breath Performance™ as the intersection of athletic performance and specific breath practices is largely untapped and holds a lot of potential for us all. Johnny also launched a training line, ATUNYA, focused on precision-engineered training apparel powered by the best sustainable technologies.
George MacPherson: Evolution of PR, Sustainable Education & The Truth of Sound
On episode 58 I speak with George William MacPherson, a PR consultant, sound healer and overall inspiring man. We connected through the fashion and sport world and one of his clients but immediately I felt a unique connection to George. As I’ve got to know him and learn more about his journey of mental health alongside the evolution of his career, I wanted to dive in with him on the podcast. In this episode we speak about his childhood and growing up in nature, the journey from London to New York in the fashion PR world and his more recent parallel exploration of healing, the unconscious and the powerful medicine of sound and music.
Tete Bero: Remembering Who We Are, Heart Music & The Medicine Sessions
On episode 57 of Into the Well, I speak with Tete Bero who I’ve connected with in Los Angeles over the last few years. He’s a musician, healer, wise man and one of my mentors – more recently we’ve dove into the plant medicine realms together and really connected on a deep level. I’m excited to share a piece of his story here as he shares about living in New York, traveling the world and creating a unique mix of musical cultures around the world and expressing himself through drums for a long time. After doing the score for DMT: The Spirit Molecule, he coincidently was connected with ayahuasca and it sent him on a long journey ever since. Recently Tete has been sharing music inspired by his teachings and what is really true for him, entitled The Medicine Sessions, you can listen to his work on Spotify. We dive into the current culture, appropriation, real safety and remember who we truly are.
Manoj Dias: Staying Open, Still Together & The Evolution of Practice
On the latest episode of Into the Well, I reconnect with Manoj Dias after we first met in early 2020. We've been through a lot but hadn't connected over this wild year of ups and downs until now, so it was great to dive into the challenges as Manoj shares his journey of moving to Los Angeles, joining and launching OPEN, a breathwork and mindfulness app that also uses movement and music to deep and innovate practices. Manoj also released his first book, Still Together and is coming out the other end of a breakup. We speak about the journey and some of the tools that can help, about being kind to ourselves and how Manoj's own practice has evolved and become more fluid in the last year, diving more deeply into the breath.
Carly Jo Carson: Music in Ceremony, Dancing with Addiction & Finding our Voice
On episode 55 I speak to artist, musician, breathwork teacher and mother Carly Jo Carson. I connected with her at one of her holotropic breathwork workshops in Topanga and felt inspired to have her on the podcast. She’s had a powerful journey and is inspiring others to heal through her work in a deep way. She speaks about finding plant medicine through the Santo Daime, learning to find her voice and stepping into her power and strength through song, her dance with addiction in her life, learning from being a mother herself and much more. In recent years she’s been working to create a really unique a beautiful experience combining breathwork and song to facilitate a plant medicine-like experience that more people are able to dive into.
Ben Goresky: An Integrated Man, The Work & Becoming a Leader
On episode 54 I connected with Ben Goresky. I met Ben through the Samurai Brotherhood, a men's work organized launched in Vancouver by P.T. Mistlberger years ago, Ben is among the new wave of leaders that are bringing this work to a new generation of men, including myself. Ben shares his story of growing up with some serious issues in what might seem like a perfect family from the outside, and how this lead him to rehab as a teenager, and how this changed the trajectory of his path. In recent years Ben has dove deep into plant medicines, mens coaching and group work, co-created a couples course with his wife Sheleana and just recently launched one of the few online mens work programs, The Integrated Man. I really enjoyed the conversation with Ben, he has a ton of energy and is bringing an amazing light to the world with a lot of takeaways and actionable pieces from his courses, podcast and the Samurai Brotherhood.
Maria Sharapova: Life Transitions, Holistic Development & Strength Training
On this special episode I had a chance to sit down with Maria Sharapova as a part of a project with Tonal. Maria is well-known for her incredibly impressive tennis career but she's also a very dynamic human being, having overcome challenges, growing up in the eye of the global sports media since 16 years old, all while developing herself holistically. This led her to a diverse career of investment and interests which have been keeping her busy since retiring from tennis a little over a year ago. We speak about her experience over lockdown, retiring from the sport she loved, being coached by her father and the evolution of her 'game' on the mental and physical side as she began to integrate more strength training into her workouts.
Dan Plews: Coaching Patience, Heart Rate Variability & Enjoying the Process
On episode 52 I speak with Dr. Dan Plews, researcher, sports scientist, physiologist and Ironman Kona age group recorder holder with a time of 8 hours 24 minutes. Impressive. Dan was one of the first people I found as I started learning about triathlon and I love his approach to training, nutrition and learning. He not only talks the talk, but walks the walk which is surprisingly uncommon in the health and science industry. He shares his insights into low carb diets for endurance training, some basics on how to set up your training and how to maintain the enjoyment in training and triathlon. We speak about the importance of structure in your life and how Dan gets that from triathlon, how he coach’s patience in his athletes and why Atomic Habits is the best book for everyone. We also dive into one of his focuses, Heart Rate Variability, and how to use it to guide training, recovery and more.
Mark Allen: The Meaning of Racing, Fit Soul, Fit Body & Learning to Listen
In episode 51 I got the chance to speak with Mark Allen, 6x ironman Champion in Kona, one of the most accomplished triathletes ever and one of the most inspiring athletes in the world. While Mark is well-known for his accomplishments, it’s his process and commitment that is really incredible. He shares his work with Shaman, Brant Secunda and their work together with drumming, retreats, vision quests and how this exploration and development completely changed his approach to racing by tapping into a much deeper meaning. He talks about overcoming injury, the importance of surrender in life and racing and why having a coach or mentor is so important. Mark shares his current insights into surfing, the power of walking in nature and how to eat for life and endurance sport. He also shares his thoughts on strength training, as he was one of the first triathletes to utilize this in his workouts in the 1990s.
David Jou: Mindset of Physical Therapy, Learning from Athletes & MOTIVNY
On the latest episode I speak to David Jou, New York-based athlete, physical therapist and co-founder of MOTIVNY. We dive into his journey of growing up in New Jersey, what inspired him to get into PT and the early days and evolution of MOTIVNY and how he and his team traversed the last year together. We talk about the evolving mindset around being an athlete today but also how he is trying to educate people on PT and how it can be more useful as a preventative practice than purely for rehabilitation. David also shares his perspective on the recent Asian-American hate-crimes, how it's made him think about his own experience and how he and MOTIVNY can be proactive in supporting his community.
Brice Partouche & Jockum Hallin: Collaboration, Music Culture & Moving in Nature
Episode 49 is a three way conversation with Brice Partouche of Satisfy Running and Jockum Hallin from Our Legacy. Celebrating their new collaboration between Satisfy and Our Legacy's Work Shop concept, we speak on the meaning of collaboration, how culture has informed the way we navigate the world from running to brands to our creative process. Brice and Jockum share how and when they met and how the repurposed fabric and garment concept at the core of Work Shop by Our Legacy was the perfect platform for the two brands to come together for this collection. Of course, we also speak about running and the mental benefits more than anything, how it can support a health mind and body, and the natural community the sport encourages around the world, while still be a vital place for solitude and cleansing.
Tom Waller: Integrated Sustainability, Being Safe to Express & Goal Setting
On episode 48 Tom Waller shares his journey into the unknown intersection of sports, technology, innovation and human potential. Currently Tom is the SVP Advanced Innovation, Chief Science Officer at @lululemon in Vancouver and in our conversation he talks about what creating healthy corporate culture at work looks like, the power and importance of goal setting and getting comfortable with failing as a means for learning. Tom shares his perspective on purpose, how a variety of perspectives can contribute to richer problem solving for a company and approaching old issues from a new direction, finding the intersection between the human and the product experience. He shares some of his thoughts on sustainable design process, as well as what lululemon has set out to do holistically.
Jamie Miller: Biomimicry, Learning from Death & Indigenous Wisdom
On episode 47 I speak with Jamie Miller, PhD — founder of Biomimicry Frontiers. Jamie is an award-winning designer who has been studying, practicing, and applying biomimicry since 2004 - when he first learned of the concept through the Fibonacci Sequence in a math and poetry course, and since has been exploring engineering focused on urban resilience and systems-level application of biomimicry. In our conversation we speak about how biomimicry can play a roll in our individual lives and on a corporate level, how we can re-learn from Indigenous communities and the process of death. Jamie shares his interpretation of the adaptive cycle and we discuss how for our culture and planet to heal, we as human beings need to re-embrace our own nature and stop opposing ourselves and the planet.
Matt Fitzgerald: Trusting Ourselves, 80/20 and The Endurance Diet
On the latest episode in my triathlon focused series, Road to 70.3, I speak with author, nutritionist, coach and runner Matt Fitzgerald. He's been in the endurance world for decades as runner and triathlete, but more so known for his books 80/20 Triathlon, The Endurance Diet, Iron Wars, Running the Dream and his latest, The Comeback Quotient. In our discussion we dive into some of my personal questions about building an aerobic base, what he's learned and seen through research, the creative process of narrative writing, following his fathers footsteps in both running and writing and learning to ultimately trust yourself. His latest book is about mental resilience and we speak about how this is incorporated into each day, each training session and how it is going to be the key to unlocking peace, presence and performance, surprisingly the simple act of accepting the truth is at the center of this, unsurprisingly it's a lot harder for us than we think.
Road to 70.3: Becoming a Triathlete, Heart Focused Training and Conscious Identity
In the first episode of the Road to 70.3 series, I dive in solo, sharing why I'm embarking on this experience, some of the questions that inspired the drive, what I am hoping to become in the process and bringing a beginner's mind to the sport. I speak on James Clear's Atomic Habits and Steven Kotler's work about habits, goals and flow state as a way to be in the moment, learn more about ourselves, connect in a deeper way and prove to ourselves that we have self-belief, love and can achieve more than we think.
Cordell Jacks: Part 2, Ceremonial Dreaming & Beyond the Senses
On episode 44 I dive back into the dream space with our guide, Cordell Jacks. It’s part two of our discussion, following up after I took his 6-week course, Ceremonial Dreaming. In our conversation we talk about how and why its related to plant medicine work, why we need to bring a lightness to all of our inner work, why do we resist simple practices that we know will help ups and what is potential beyond the five senses in the dream realm. Cordell sheds light on how we can interpret our dreams and how these practices can help us grow in each day but maximizing the opportunity of life.