Obstacle Course (John Close and Andrew Langford)

Here's Rosemarie's website!

You should creep Rosemarie's Linkedin page.

Ok fine, the Euphonium is a real thing. As is this??

Bullying is full blown trauma and in some cases, a criminal offence. Here's a great resource if you or someone you know is being bullied.

Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade is a profound exploration of the modern teenage experience.

"Confidence is knowing you can get yourself out of a tough situation."

Do undercover Police Officer's have to fill out expense reports for the drugs they purchase? Anyone? :)

It's never too late... to start Breaking Bad.

The dog that introduced Mike to his wife.

Here's the Cowichan Citizen article.

Intro:

Mirror Mirror on the wall, John's obviously the fairest of them all.

We're considering taking Obstacle Course to YouTube. Thoughts?

Would you say the same things to others that you say to yourself?

Do you have the mind flu? Take action!

In his Episode, Andrew opened up about his struggle with self worth. If you haven't listened to it yet, do it!!

When the adventure stops, the number goes down!!

Justin Noa!! Love ya buddy :)

Andrew owes John at least $20. As of press time, the Edmonton Oilers are Top 5 in the League and well over .500. Eat shit Andrew. Sucka.

Episode Notes:

A huge thanks to Trevor Botkin for connecting us with today's guest, Terry Edison Brown. Trevor's remarkable episode should be required listening for all human beings. We tackle addiction head on. Give it a listen!

Anawim House Victoria is a house for the homeless. Going beyond shelter, it helps people learn to live again. It's doing remarkable life changing work and they are always looking for volunteers!

Trauma is the #1 reason why someone becomes homeless. Addiction often keeps them there. The revolutionary work of Gabor Mate is essential for anyone wanting to know more about the link between homelessness, trauma, mental illness and addiction.

Eye contact with another human being communicates this: You Matter. Once the contact is made, you're engaged, connected and invested.

A safe place to belong and be loved is our most basic human need.

Terry's phrase, "unfucking what I fucked," is the inspiration for our forth coming T-Shirt idea, UnFuck Zone. Hey, we're entrepreneurs. Why the hell not. :)

Stuart Smiley! "I'm good enough,, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me."

Come Home. The two words every human being needs to hear.

If you are moved by Terry's story and the work of Anawim House, please consider giving of your time or your money! If those are unavailable to you, please share this episode on your social media and leave a 5 star review on iTunes so others can benefit.

For this episode, we brought back three elite athletes to discuss the state of athletics, exercise and competition in 2020. 

In this episode we have a Gold Medalist, Ironman Triathlete and a beastly Business Owner.  Episodes, 4, 27, 36. :)  Welcome back to the podcast, Adam Kreek, Sara Gross and Simon Young!

This episode has a lot of buzz! Sorry by the way, also, you're welcome. It's 

Simon's 3 Keys to success in training and life

1. Show Up
2. Do the work
3. Ask questions

Citizen athletes. Nice. Accurate yet not offensive :) 

Adam's muscle garden sounds amazing!!

Ready for a new challenge? Try the Murph!

A great cure for depression is to get out of the way of yourself.

"As a pro athlete, being self absorbed was a strategic advantage. Post sports, it's less of a strategic advantage." Adam Kreek 

Missing Pro Sports? The Last Dance documentary on Netflix is INCREDIBLE. 

Check out Sara's latest podcast - Unfazed!

Adam's accents are the best. haha.

Rocky Rocky Rocky Rocky!!!! #4

For our final Obstacle Course interview, we're excited/sad to share the second part of our conversation with Josh Dueck. In this episode, Josh shares his current obstacles and dreams for the future. 

For our final guest episode we let the music play us off… 

There is a Part One  to this conversation which you should listen before this. Because it's Part One. And that's what you do. 

Everything comes to an end. Like this Podcast. And Andrew and I. What can never end is our shared journey on the Obstacle Course as every day brings new challenges and opportunities for growth. 

Our final episode will air February 24, 3 years after we began. 

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The death of our identity can often feel fatal. What we learn is this rock bottom can be a solid place to rise up and begin again.

Discipline creates freedom!

A space to just be. Meditation in Motion. 

Josh's family motto: Listen, Be kind and Have fun! (Feel free to steal this)

Terry Fox, the greatest Canadian! This is a great book as is the series (little John grew up on this series as a kid). 

Grief, like exercise, is something we do every day. We never finish or arrive. We begin anew every day. It's a process.

New T-shirt Idea? “I'm 40 and I can feel. And that's fucking awesome.”

"Retiring from sport was harder than breaking my back."

“It's not going to be easy. But! It'll be ok.”

To connect with and keep track of what Josh is doing, follow him on social media. 

Discipline is Freedom. 

“One of our favourite expressions is the obstacle course never ends - because we don't get through all our obstacles until it's all over and then maybe by then we're the better for all the obstacles that we did end up participating in. It's what brought meaning to our lives.” Andrew

“The challenges and traumas in our life remove the grit so we can see life more clearly.” Josh

“Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” Nelson Mandela

For more information on mental health or to connect with Tonya Kilmer, please visit her website. 

Introduction Notes

Nearly 25 years ago, Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people including 19 children, when he parked a rental van full of explosives in front of the Oklahoma Building, exited the vehicle then triggered the bomb as he walked away. At the time, it was the worst act of homegrown terroism in U.S. history. This was the same building where John had received his dual citizenship years earlier.

Chesapeake Shores is Vancouver Island's Hallmark Darling.

The Death Race!

Doing Death Better! Our excellent episode with Shauna Janz and Linda Hunter

We got into Shame today people! Guess who we brought up?

If you would like to throw your lot in with Lorelai and Rory. check out Gilmore Girls on Netflix.

Episode Notes

An active volcano, climbing Mount Baker is no small thing. Also, it's over 10,000 feet tall. It's Indigeous name is Kulshan (Nooksack).

Wade described himself as an "empath." This was the same term that was used in Blair's excellent episode.

When Wade first looked in the mirror as a 12 year old boy, he gave himself what he thought he needed. He shut off his empathy. This decision took him on a 30 year journey away from his true self.

If somoene tells you, "men don't cry," they are mistaken. The fact is, a "real man" knows who he is and certainly doesn't hide from his emotions or his true self. This is true for any human being.

If you would like more information on Wade's involvement in Crotia, here are some great articles and videos! The Battle at Medack Pocket (Medack is a town in Croatia)

NATO Article.

Military History Library!

National Post!

Here is the History Channel Documentary on the Battle.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) affects countless Veterans and many people who have endured trauma.

Being positive is only one part of the journey. Learning to Be With all of our emotions is the only way to be fully human and discover our true selves.

Corinna Stevenson facilitates Vision Quests, a transformational multi day experience that helps with connecting with your true self. This was a game changer for Wade.

Wade has done the hard work of learning to embrace his true self. He can help you do the same!

Andrew mentioned we've been on, "a bit of a death kick." That was his way of saying we've had 3 death focused episodes. The other two are Episode 9 and Episode 16!

Linda and Shauna created the Deathly Matters Conference which was the focus of Episode 16!

Who here wants to see Andrew re-enact that weird yet tragic puppet show? GoFundMe?

"Grief is a learned skill." If you would like help with your grief and/or end of life conversations, you should connect with Shauna Janz here!

Linda Hunter has been talking about death since she was a little girl. If you are looking for a non anxious, wise, and kind person to help you or your family navigate your end of life journey, reach out to her!

Death smiles at us all. All we can do is smile back/re-watch Gladiator.

The 3 Best Questions you'll ever hear:

1. What are we afraid of?
2. What would love do here?
3. What is the best possible thing that could happen?

This is the final part of our three part conversation on what happened to Ben Kilmer. In this final episode, we discuss how Tonya was able to endure  this traumatic time and we also discuss prevention. 

You can and should listen to Heather McLeod's excellent episode here. She shares openly her process of grief after losing her 38 yr old husband, Brock, to cancer. It's one of our top downloaded episodes of all time for a reason.

We all have a fail safe to get through life's traumas.  Kelly McGonical writes and speaks extensively on stress, how to manage it and how it can be a good thing. 

Spirituality tends to come up in most of our episodes. Although, Andrew and John are not religious (John was a Christian Pastor for decades and discusses his loss of faith in his episode) they are both very spiritual and find their connection through time spent in nature.  Spirituality can be transformative in times of trauma and stress but can also be a crutch if leaned on permanently. 

"I had to find against depression every single day." TK

"I never knew what it could feel like to suffer an emotional death. Nothing compared to the pain of this loss." TK

Exercise can be more effective than any anti-depressant. Movement is key. 

The Obstacle Course never ends, we begin again every day. 

"We just gotta keep pushing play."

For more information on or to experience Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, reach out to Dr. Bill Code. 

Self awareness (knowing yourself) is essential in learning how to come back from trauma. Give yourself what you need and be gentle in how you speak to yourself. 

The most courageous thing you can ever do is call 911 or ask for help. It takes strength to fight for your or a loved one's life. Do not hesitate to do what you need to do to save a life. 

"I am certain calling 911 would have saved Ben's life."

Isolation is deadly and we must be militant in maintaining strong connections in our families and our communities. 

If you wish to continue the conversation and stay connected, please join our growing community on Facebook - Obstacle Course Community. You can connect with hundreds of other listeners, past guests and John and Andrew! It's a great place to find the support and resources you need to continue to push through life's obstacles. 

We'd like to thank Tonya and The Kilmers for trusting us to host these crucial conversations. 

Wanna join our Skywatch party? December baby.

Here's a great resource to help with your breast self examination.

Here's another great resource about the importance of Prostate exams.

Andrew's right. Death is super inconvenient. Do the exams people.

Alyne is our first Brazilian guest! John trying to learn to speak Portuguese on command was adorably awkward.

It was refreshing to hear Alyne talk about her love for Canada and it reminded us of how lucky we are to be Canadian and live on Vancouver Island!

Interested in immigrating to Canada? Here's a great place to start.

Canada is a country of immigrants which is likely why it's such a friendly country to immigrate to. Shared empathy is a powerful thing!

Once again, we're thankful to Trevor Botkin for connecting us with Alyne. Trevor's incredible episode should be required listening for everyone. Check it out! Thanks again Trevor :)

Here is Alyne's CTV story

Jason learned how to "force hope" when he was stuck in the Cave back in episode 3.

Learning to live and love in the moment was one of Alyne's most powerful realizations. She credits her wise daughter, Anafleur, for helping her do this.

Be grateful and present. This is Alyne's mantra. Alyne was even grateful for her fears as they helped her understand gratefulness.

The life and death conversation we had with Linda and Shauna is a must listen!

Scheduling time to fear can be a valuable exercise. Here's how to do it.

Want to continue the conversation? You should follow Alyne on Instagram!

Here is Alyne's CTV story again :)

Inspire Health is a fantastic organization and support network/community for people who have been touched by cancer. An essential resource that comes highly recommended by Alyne.

That glorious running scene in Last of the Mohicans.

Born to Run book. So good.

Strava! The number one app for runners/cyclists/podcasters.

I stand corrected. Wet rocks is a thing.

Here is Jason's episode if you haven't listened to it yet.

THE RACE!! Robyn's incredble second place finish at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria. Fast forward to 13min to see the final lap! :)

See, she's smiling!!!

Robyn is an Openist. Resistance brings suffering so its best to embrace what is and then from there, work to change those things in your power to change.

If you or someone you know are currently struggling to find your safe place, Robyn can help! She runs her own private practice offering life saving therapy for all of us!

If you're looking for an inspiring coach or presenter for your next event, Robyn and her partner Jason Dorland, are fantastic!

Intro:

If you think John's voice sounds..fuller.. it only took 40 episodes for him to learn how to speak directly into the microphone. #fastlearner

Poor Andrew. He coughed and hacked like a 70 year old chain smoker. He survived though and we sure didn't let that stop us from recording.

We obviously loved saying the phrase, "knows her shit."

3 cheers to Andrew's vulnerability in this episode. It's not easy for a grown man to talk about his tummy ache. #ohburn.

Too much salt and sugar can be breeding grounds for anxiety. Be mindful. Start a food bullet journal.

Just because you've eaten something every day for the past 20 years doesn't mean you should.

Episode Notes

Giddyup!

Good question: Why did I stop doing that?

When are you at your best? Know your circadian rhythm and plan accordingly.

Sacrificing sleep is not brave, bad ass or a sign of a good entrepreneur. It makes you less effective.

Next Roundtable Discussion Topic: The Science of Sleep. Look for it this spring.

What's your night-time habit? Stay away from blue lights (phone, computer, iPad before bed)

Comfort foods might be the most uncomfortable thing you could eat. Be mindful and aware.

A HUGE thanks to Yvonne for her willingness to be so open in discussing her specific health challenges surrounding gut health and bowels. Yet another master class in vulnerability!

The irony of John saying, "serious violent attack" while Andrew is coughing his lungs out, wasn't lost on us.

Studies have shown 65% of people who suffer from IBS experience depression.

"Suck it up Princess" isn't a great phrase... unless you work for Disney.

For Yvonne, her IBS was directly related to an undiagnosed gluten allergy. If you frequently suffer bouts of irritable gut and bowel health, don't just mask the symptoms with meds. Look within, listen to your instincts and consult a professional. Life's too short to suffer needlessly.

Mindful eating and drinking is essential folks. Coffee makes John anxious so he limits himself to 1 coffee a day.

Health is SO MUCH MORE than just a number. Your weight is one indicator.

Know the difference between science and clever advertising. Consider the source. If you're getting your health tips off social media, be skeptical.

Depression is not only a chemical balance. There's so much more to the story. Check out the award winning book Lost Connections for a brilliant and holistic approach for both the diagnosis and treatment of depression.

Our infatuation with Anti Bacterial everything is making us sicker. Bacteria is about balance. We need bacteria to remain healthy. The key is balance.

Twinkies and fast food aside, health is not about eating good food and avoiding bad food. It's about discovering which foods are good and bad for you! This takes self reflection, mindfulness and the help of an engaged and informed professional, like Yvonne! :)

Hypothetically, let's say Andrew has a gut challenge. What would you suggest Yvonne? :)

Drinking lots of water is your free daily miracle! Get a convenient bottle and carry it with you. You'll notice a huge difference in your energy, mindset, skin and colour of your pee pee.

Tip: Don't drink a lot of water at mealtime. It'll dilute your stomach acid and make the digestion process more challenging.

Stay away from disposable bottled water. It's not better than tap water and terrible for our planet.

"Stop drinking out of your pool folks." :)

"It's not about how many changes you make but how many you keep." YK

Tip: Bone Broth is amazing for your gut! And super soothing too.

Alcohol drastically affects our microbiome. That said, enjoy responsibly.

Selfawareness is critical to health.

Here's the great website on the clean 15 and dirty dozen veggies that Yvonne mentioned.

If you want to learn more or connect with Yvonne, join her growing Facebook Page! 

Hot Tip: A food elimination diet can be super helpful in identifying those things are making you sick. 

Ms. Ditson's website! Go here to order her book, read her blog, check out her live events and read her life saving self care tips.

Sorry for the rather jarring f-bombs in the intro but they weren't our words. Road rage is a real thing, unfortunately. Respect is the key moving forward. Also, don't be late like Sarah. Hi Sarah.

John's Streak App. He is currently at 0 streaks not because he doesn't have any good habits OK but because he has yet to begin the habit of tracking his good habits. The irony is thick.

The collapse of honest conversation in our culture is tragic for many reasons, forcing those who have been victimized to keep secrets and live in shame. We need to provide safe spaces for people to share. We are grateful for Ms. Ditson's willingness to share so openly.

Here’s more information on the annual Goldstream Salmon Run. There’s so much beauty and wonder in nature. Get outside people! There’s beauty around every corner.

Nature is a great charging station! Leave your phone in the car and experience it distraction-free. Even if you don’t Insta your experience, it still counts!

We are thrilled to have physiotherapist, author and speaker Wendy Bowen as our guest today.

If you’ve been looking for a way to launch your business or product, consider joining BNI. There are local chapters in cities all over the world.

There is no competition on Obstacle Course. We are all connected and united by our shared obstacles both big and small.

“You can’t separate the body from the mind, spirit or soul.” -WB

Do we repeat or do we evolve? – Robert Ohotto.

Caroline Myss – She’s Wendy’s No BS Spiritual Director. She wrote the book on Why People Don’t Heal.

We often learn through pain. It’s often our higher self trying to get our attention.

“The body talks to us all the time.” – WB

It’s possible injury and pain is our body’s way of trying to communicate.

For more information on our archetypes and their connection to our self-esteem, go here!

What keeps us safe as kids, doesn’t often serve us well in adulthood. WB

How to dance with our shadow archetypes.

Is your ego aligned with your soul purpose? WB

Lush Holiday Lighting

When we evolve, we go through pain. When we repeat, we suffer. Robert Ohotto

“Am I doing it from not enough? Or am I doing it because I am enough, I like myself, I love myself and I want to serve.” WB

Beware of the destination addiction and the success paradox.

Feel first, process later. WB

Joe Sakic hockey cards. Nice one Andrew

Wendy’s book, ‘Happily Ever Now’ explores her journey to her true self. Highly recommended.

If we don’t use it, we’ll lose it.

Are you a DIP? Dysfunctionally Independent Person.

Wendy has remained single as a way to avoid possible future rejection. We need to get curious and honest about our reasons for things – like Wendy was in this episode.

Are you comfortably miserable? That’s not a good thing.

Here’s a couple of shitty country songs. Porter Brothers and Bo Burnham.

If you have to choose between eating something healthy, sleep and exercise, follow this order.

We need to get back to play – if anything, as a way to stop taking ourselves so damn seriously.

Playing outside until your Mom scolds you for missing supper is a lost art in our culture. As are grass stains.

Here’s the main reason there are fewer kids playing outside.

Although Wendy is no longer taking on new patients, you can book treatments through Genoa Laser Therapy and Startline Physio.

To connect with Wendy, visit her website.

Intro

Well I'll be. It IS possible to melt concrete.

Della Falls! Tallest Waterfall in Canada baby.

Fighting to be positive! This phrase reminded us of Jason's phrase from episode 3, "forcing hope."

In the end, Andrew and Sarah paddled 25Km and hiked 17Km in torrential rains. Hardest outdoor day of their lives but looking back, they're grateful for the experience. This! Is Obstacle Course.

Episode Notes

Emily was a referral from one of our past guests, Linda Hunter! You can hear Linda's INCREDIBLE episode here.

Scaredy Squirrel.

Anyone remember The Littlest Hobo? Beachcombers? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? I remember binging all of those in the day.

Alcohol and drug use provided Emily with temporary disconnection and relief. It gave her a false sense of healing but only increased the dis ease it promised to heal.

Paxil promises healing from panic, anxiety and mood dis-orders but carries many notable negative side-affects. As with all prescritpions, do your research and consult multiple specialists before proceeding and if you do go on a medication, practice vulnerability if it isn't working.

Conversations around the nature of sexual assault are needed now more than ever. If you or someone you know have been the victim of sexual assault, you need to reach out to your local professional and begin the process of healing.

If you are looking for a strong and nuturing community, look no further than The Connection Project. You can connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.

The Connection Project hosts a life changing event every fall! In 6-8, ten minute presentations (think TED talks), courageous people bare their soul by courageously sharing their darkness. This act of sharing creates deep connection by shedding a light on our shared human experience! This event sells out quickly so get your tickets now!
John is honoured to be one of the presenters this year! He will be sharing his story of loss of faith and identity. Also, the podcast WILL be recording LIVE at this amazing event. :)

We LOVE Lord of the Rings. Next time you are struggling with a negative thought, don't resist it or run away from it. Stand face to face and say, You Shall Not Pass. Then get on with your day.

This is the Victoria Therapist who provided Emily with her healing through Eye Movement Desensitization Reprosessing (EMDR)

The Haven on Gabriola works miracles. Their classic Come Alive programs have been transforming people for decades. Emily credits this amazing place as key in her own transformation.

Here's Sara's much anticipated Wikipedia page! This is her blog, which makes for better reading and although it may be a little dated in Sara's eyes, it shines light into what it takes to be a champion in Ironman, and you can learn a lot more about her #50womentokona pursuit.

Sara's awesome media company, Live Fiesty can be found here! There are two fantastic, maybe even award winning podcasts (fact checking required), Ironwomen and If We Were Riding. If you want to get more Sara, check out the latter podcast as that's the one she hosts. Here's an excerpt from a recent article from Sara's blog, wonderfully titled Tales From My Box:

"I’m pretty sure that most triathletes and goal-oriented people in general, have trouble letting go and resting from time to time. But without it, you won’t be able to go all in when the time comes. Recovering doesn’t mean you stop moving, it just means you move more slowly, more mindfully."

Here's more information on the great work Blair is involved in.

Us and Them Documentary This powerful documentary follows 4 local homeless people over an astonishing 10 year journey. Highly recommended!!

Dr.Gabor Mate is the world's leading expert on trauma and its connection to homelessness and addiction.

We always fear what we don't understand. John was right, it is Batman.

Duncan United Church practices empathy on a daily basis. If you are looking for a positive community that practices loving kindness to all, reach out to the fine folks at Duncan United!

If you enjoy taboo subjects and/or have an interest in religion and politics, you'll love Blair's Podcast!

"You can't think your way out of a negative mindset. Take action." - Andrew Langford

At 96, George is our oldest guest. At 11, Roman is our youngest. Maeve is younger than George and older than Roman. Hi Maeve. :)

Enjoy the chiming of George's clock in this episode.

"We need to sacrifice ourselves. Not just in big things but in little things every day." - George Brewster

"I'm continually trying to become a better person and I intend to do so until the end of my days." - George Brewster

George was honoured along with his fellow Veterans at the BC Lions last home game. Here's some footage from that great day!

"I'm just an ordinary man trying to do some things which are sometimes more than I'm capable of." - George Brewster

George made friends with some of the German pilots after the war. (Luftwaffe).

"The ordinary people did extraordinary things. The heroism I saw all around me astonished me. It has lasted me a life time." - George Brewster

Here's the book George referred to, A Higher Call.

George's dramatic story of taking out a moving train loaded with troops while under fire and losing his Wingman is yet another reminder of the reality of War and one of the more memorable events for George.

What motivated George to continue to get back in the plane day after day is focusing on each moment as it came up. "That was my job. I had no other job but keep myself in readiness to do what I was trained to do and do it. That was my whole purpose in life at the time. You just had to do what you had to do."

George mentioned Johnnie Johnson as one of his finest leaders. Johnnie made a great name for himself in the War.

Charles Hoey was born in Duncan, BC and died bravely in combat. He is memoralized in Duncan.

George loves his Yorkton oatmeal. He eats it multiple times a day and credits it to his longevity.

George keys to longevity: Oatmeal, Drinking Water, Relaxation, Creative Pursuits and Gratitude.

You learn more by serving others than serving yourself. You enjoy good gifts more with others than just yourself.

George's spontaneous recitation of 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 in Gaelic was amazing! As is his memory.

A Ceilidh is a Scottish party or celebration.

George credits his joy and love for life with his ability to forgive. Forgiveness allows us to move on and move towards something better.

George's recitation of the epic poems In Flanders Fields and High Flight from memory is something we'll never forget.

George ended our conversation with a hope that it would touch perhaps even one person. Let's make sure it does folks! Lest we forget.

It's true. John was a man of the cloth. He talked about his career as a minister and subsequent break from faith in an earlier episode. He also spoke about the toll this took on his mental health. 

I swear Andrew was going to say, "numb your nuts." In fact, I stand by my claim.

John shared the charming story of when he tried Cannabis for the first time at the Empress - in the introduction of Jana's amazing episode. Spoiler Alert: John lost all motor functions and ended up naked and afraid. :) 

Escape can be an excellent form of self care. Just don't let escape become a lifestyle.

Adam's excellent episode/ doughnut metaphor can be found here. 

Zoom's audio is still not that great. That said, the sound did have to travel clear across Canada so it's possible I still don't understand how sound works...

GAFF is Fabian and Juliane's Charity and it stands for Global Alliance Foundation Fund / Give a Fuck Factor

GAFF's 4 Pillars of Healing

1. Treat the Symptom with the proper band-aid
2. Treat the injury/trauma with a medical professional eg. Psychologist
3. Holistic healing eg. Yoga
4. Rediscovering a sense of purpose

Gabor Mate is an expert on the link between trauma and addiction.

"A lot to unpack there." Andrew's favourite phrase :) 

The silencing of woman's voices throughout history is a stain on our humanity.

IED (Improvised Explosive Device)

The real tragedy of Fabian's post military career is he did everything he was asked to do and took everything he was asked to take... and that was precisely what led to his illness and addiction. 

The Secret is a best selling self help book that promotes the law of attraction and the power of manifesting our dreams.

"You can't dream and shit happens. You have to dream and take action." Fabian Henry

"Spirituality is learning to trust yourself." Juliane Nowe

Manifesting is about taking action on things you deeply value and then giving the gifts you receive back to the world. 

Magic is something we create. 

Cannabis still doesn't have a DIN # (Drug Identification Number) making it very difficult to become accepted and prescribed for its medicinal properties.

Cannabis 2.0 = Pure extracts in pen form.

"Grandma loves her CBD." 

For more information on Cannabis check out Fabian's Canada House Clinics.

For more information on Juliane's work, check out her website. 

"Know that you know!" 

 Josh Dueck is the quintessential obstacle course guest including a stunning story, professionally told and is now changing the world through his work. This is Part One of our conversation. 

Here's the word John nearly hurt himself trying to pronounce. 

Despite John's weird analogy, this episode really does have everything and is the essence of Obstacle Course. 

Andrew practiced for weeks to say  Chef De Mission.

For the record, Josh is a 3 time paralympic medalist, including gold! He's also won an X games gold medal and the world championships.

John's finger has healed nicely. His ego continues to be a work in process.

--------------------

Josh is the first person in history to perform a backflip on a sit ski!!!  Here's the iconic jump!

"We're going to go make an effort today." It turns out that's all any of us can ever do. Wake up. Do the work. Rinse and Repeat. 

When we're in the middle of doing our best work and aren't distracted by ego or fear, serenity will guide the way. 

The Freedom Chair is a beautifully filmed award winning documentary about Josh's iconic jump. It can be watched on Apple TV for the low low price of $3. 

Josh's TED talk is raw, honest and incredibly inspiring. A must watch! 

Josh was only 23 at the time of his accident. In the moment before the jump, he remembers disregarding the warnings to impress a bunch of young kids.

"What is my why in this moment?" Fear may sometimes be a red flag from the body. It's important to use wisdom and meditation to decipher normal fear from a legitimate warning from our higher self. 

We love you Ellen!! Just keep filming. Just keep filming. 

Here's Josh's excellent appearance on Ellen.

Josh's Three Life Mantras

1. Everything happens for a reason

2. Nothing happens we're not strong enough to deal with

3. Everything in my life has prepared me for this moment

The ambulance ride/rock bottom can feel like an eternity. But like every moment, this too shall pass.

"Things don't happen to us, they happen for us." Tony Robbins

The life affirming words from the Josh's Doctor, "Gab," were transformative and they are still close friends and neighbours to this day. At rock bottom, hope remains and becomes the light that sees us through.

Join us for Part Two of this epic conversation.

Here's the Rumble website! Rumble Drinks can be found just about everywhere - John first tasted them on the ferry. Be sure to watch Paul's inspiring video.

April is organ donation awareness month. It takes 2 minutes to sign up to be an organ donor. This decision costs you nothing yet it could give someone else everything. Sign up to be an organ donor today!

Here's Paul's pitch on Dragons Den, a fascinating show which Andrew never watches.

Looking for more information on Cystic Fibrosis? Want to donate to help more people like Paul? Here's a great place to start.

Here is Sam's meditation app we referred to. It's a great way to start your day.

Toastmasters is s fantastic organization that can help eliminate your anxiety around public speaking as well as teach you how to speak more clearly in every day conversation. Search the site for a Chapter near you.

Tough Mudder is the perfect team chalenge. John has completed it with his employees 3x. John is a beast. John is the man. John wrote this.

Search and Rescue is a volunteer organization where courageous people put their life on the line to rescue people in peril.

Kin Canada!

Want to rapel down an office building? Who doesn't. Now you can while raising money for a great charity.

Skydiving is not nearly as dangerous as it sounds so stop being a wimp and just go do it.

Cheerleader by Omi. We didn't put a few bars in. Andrew dropped the ball.

This is the website for the Deathly Matters Conference. We're already excited for Deathly Matters 2020! This Conference is HIGHLY recommended and among the best we've attended!

Here are our wise and gracious guests in the order that they appear in the episode. You can read more about them here!

If you wish to connect with our guests for help on your own end of life journey, click on their name and you'll be directed to their website!

Ashley Mollison

Sachi Tamura

Chelsea Peddle

• Lawn Mower Parenting. The next level of Helicopter Parenting. Psst. It's a step down. If kids don't learn how to navigate their own obstacle course, they won't become functioning adults.

Chris Benesch

Dr. Rosanne Beuthin

Glenn Patterson

How do we talk about stuff we don't talk about? We talk about it. Just don't avoid it.

Want to feel emboldened like John. Get over yourself and connect with someone else.

"It's always been in my nature to care for people so once I found out what a funeral director does, I dove in." Toni

Six Feet Under is an excellent/ spectacularly depressing HBO TV show that follows a family of funeral directors.

Toni started Trans Death Care after his first week of school for funeral directing. He saw a need and filled it. 

Funeral Boss Inc!

You can connect and follow Toni on his very active Instagram Page.

"It's not a box, it's more of a spectrum." Toni.

Toni's family minimized his transition saying things like.."you'll always be our little girl." They also insinuated that he was doing it for attention. 

Toni's courage is connected to his values. The key is caring more about the needs of others then our own fear.

We don't like to experience the nerves but we need the nerves!

That thing WILL kick in.

The only difference between the feelings of fear and excitement is how we label it.

People hate plastic flowers but real flowers are a lot more work!!

"I fell in love with the soul, the outside wrapper was just a bi-product." - Margarita

MARGARITA'S BOOK
Amazon #1 Bestselling book: Sitting On The Fence is a 10-part journey into love - Ten life-changing chapters revealing soulful realizations, learnings, and ideas about the power of love. Love comes from within and it is all-seeing. It is not "just an emotion" or something to rely on others to fulfill for us - it is a state of being. This book will help you examine your perception of love, expand your awareness of how you show up in your life and explore your connection to love and deepen your fulfillment in your relationships    

Book Page: https://leapzone.lpages.co/book/

Dare To Brand Documentary

https://leapzonestrategies.com/portfolio/dare-to-brand-documentary/  
 

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Trailblazers Retreats
 

Main Retreat Page: www.LeapZoneStrategies.com/retreats

Unbridle Your Inner Rockstar 1-Day Retreat: https://leapzone.lpages.co/unbridle-your-inner-rockstar-1-day-retreat/  

 

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TEDx Talks

THE POWER OF ZERO TOLERANCE 

95% of North Americans either go to bed or wake up worrying about something. Yet, worrying is the #1 killer of creativity, performance and dreams. When revolutionary brand strategist Isabelle Mercier-Turcotte discovered “What we tolerate we worry about,” she realized a little structure brings a lot of inner flexibility and freedom. The result is her simple yet powerful model to help you instantly decrease worry and increase peace of mind.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR UNITS OF HAPPINESS

Unlike business, there are no schools for creating successful personal relationships. After almost 30 years of living/working together, and working with couplepreneurs, Business Growth Catalyst Isabelle Mercier and Equine-Guided Strategist Margarita Romano have uncovered that there is great relationship wisdom in learning from what makes a business thrive. In this engagingly entertaining talk, learn how three simple yet pivotal business performance strategies can create happier lives when applied to relationships.

Isabelle Mercier and Margarita Romano focus on fulfilling, successful relationships and empower heart-centred entrepreneurs and couplepreneurs to build inspiring brands, businesses and lives. 

LINK: https://www.LeapZoneStrategies.com/tedx-talks

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LeapTV

Canada's #1 branding, positioning, and all things business growth online TV Show for heart-centred business Owners. https://www.LeapTV.com

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Build To Rock 

Build To Rock is a step-by-step online business and brand positioning program designed to help heart-centred entrepreneurs and solopreneurs charge more for their genius by activating + owning their money-making edge. Build To Rock is designed to help you turn your business & brand into a well-oiled machine AND create a waiting list of clients and prospects that enthusiastically say: “I choose to work with you; regardless of price!”

Info Page: www.BuildToRock.com

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Our Websites
 

Main Website: www.LeapZoneStrategies.com

LeapTools: Smart Tools & Tutorials for Business Owners: www.LeapZoneStrategies.com/leaptools

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Free Masterclass

GET PAID WELL FOR YOUR GENIUS -3 Major Warning Signs Your Business is Setup to Fail in Today's Economy!: https://leapzone.lpages.co/get-paid-well-for-your-genius-eg/

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Social Media
 

Twitter: @LeapZone, #BuildToRock

Facebook: LeapZone Strategies

Facebook Group: Cache's Corner

LinkedIn: Isabelle Mercier-Turcotte

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Joint Bio:

Isabelle Mercier Turcotte is a 'no-nonsense' dynamo, born to catapult passionate entrepreneurs to build impactful brands, businesses and lives. As one of North America’s Top Business Influencers; best-selling author, two times TEDx speaker with more than 2.5 Million views, and TV show host, Isabelle’s sole purpose is to empower change and growth. 

Margarita Romano is a certified equine-facilitated coach helping heart-centred entrepreneurs and couple-preneurs connect the dots to lead spectacular lives driven by heart and soul. She is the best-selling author of Sitting on the Fence – How to Love Without Limits and is determined to help people increase their units of happiness.

Together, Isabelle and Margarita co-founded their first business venture a few years out of their teens, which quickly escalated to become one of Canada's most awarded branding and creative firms; from prestigious international design awards to national entrepreneurs of the year. They are true pioneers in branding, and to this day still continuously re-establish the way people do business. Throughout their careers, they’ve had the opportunity to work with more than 500 companies, including some influential and iconic brands like A&W, Robeez Footwear, Earls Restaurants, IMAX Corporation, and HSBC Investments just to name a few. 

With over two decades of hands-on experience in branding, marketing and business growth, as well as extensive learnings from traveling the globe, Isabelle and Margarita are determined more than ever to help entrepreneurs and thought leaders all over the world, catapult their way to massive success.

Connect with Simon and others at Monkey Bar! and reclaim your life.

Jim is our first, third time guest!! Actually we were his guests. But still, 3x with Jim! Boom! Here's Jim' fantastic episode if you missed it. 

Jim's Facebook page is a wealth of wit, wisdom and yes, professional lip syncing. 

Jim is a fantastic business coach with Leapzone Strategies and all around great guy. 

The video of this conversation can be found on our brand new Obstacle Course Community. Not a member? It's as easy as clicking on the big blue visit Visit Group button on our Facebook page. 

John's rap skills are on point. 

There's no place for the twin extremes of panic or denial anywhere, but especially in leadership. JC

If we hope to be effective leaders, we must start with leading ourselves. AL

If you're feeling the panic, cold water is a very effective and instant treatment!! :) 

A mind that is consumed by crisis will undoubtedly be in crisis. AL

Suzanne Venuta is a incredible example of courage in action. Her episode is a must listen! 

Netflix might get you through evening but it can't get you through the night. JC

I'm part of the high vibe tribe!! It's a trip!! :) 

Everyone needs an Andrew who can offer perspective when we lose our mind. 

Resilience isn't about avoiding the dark moments but knowing you have the ability to bounce back. 

COVID-19 has been a resilience reality check for many. How's your resilience training going?

Tragedy reveals character. If you don't like what you're seeing, you have work to do. We all do. JC

"That someday is now!" - JG

If you missed Adam Kreek's excellent episode, give it a listen! We have the ability to respond.

Leaders, if you the ability to do something well, you better be doing it. When we don't do what we do well, our world suffers. JC

Lush Eco Lawns and Gardens - Total Property Maintenance and Care! 

Hot Business Tip: If you can't build financial capital, focus on building relationship capital! 

Courage isn't optional. It's necessary. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

It's crucial to practice resilience in everyday life so we're strong enough to handle the next pandemic or trauma.

Don't let your brain take over!

Stillness is the Key is fantastic! 

"Win the morning, win the day!" Jim Rohn

John's Go-To Morning Reading is Pema Chodron. THAT book is called Taking the Leap. 

If you're looking for permanence, you're on the wrong planet! JC

"You're an angel with balls, Jim!" 

There is a Courage Spectrum. It's not just the big epic act. Courage is a daily drip by drip habit that ultimately results in a life of courage! 

Here's Jason's website. Jason offers high performance coaching and would be a great keynote speaker for your next event.

Here's Jason's next event. We'll be recording at this event and interviewing entrepreneurs so get your tickets, invest in yourself and experience a day of transformation - this Friday at Bear Mountain Resort. Also, you can drop by the podcast and chat with us!!

Jason's great question.. "How can this be the best thing that ever happened to us?"

David Meggyesy, the NFL linebacker who later became a good friend of Jason's, wrote the tell-all book Out of Their League. An excellent article which compares his stand to today's anthem protests can be found here.

Robyn Meagher was a whole person before the gun went off. She now helps others become whole too. We hope Robyn will come on the podcast one day. Robyn! Robyn! Robyn!

Robyn's transformative quote.

"Our being is the currency of our doing."

If you haven't listened to Part 1 of our conversation with Tonya, we highly recommend you push stop and listen to it first. 

We realize we left you on a 2 week cliff hanger. Sorry? :) 

Calling 911 is the best option if you become emotionally compromised and you can't reach a loved one or mental health professional. Do not hesitate to call.  Tonya is still convinced this could have saved Ben. 

The Find Ben Kilmer Facebook page was extremely helpful in supporting Tonya and the family in the search for Ben. 

Anxiety is not a sign of weakness. It means you have a pulse. It takes real strength to face how you're feeling and ask for help. The days of the Cowboy are over. 

Keep Sexy Alive. :) 

If you're looking for additional resources on mental health or to continue the conversation, go here.

Part 3 of our conversation will be released on August 12. 

If you have enjoyed these conversations, please share this episode or leave us a a kind review on iTunes!

For accurate information on the Coronavirus, check out the very informative WHO website. 

Here's where Andrew and Sarah went on vacation. 

Here's more info on John Gardener Pass where Andrew/Sarah almost died on the mountain.

Actual footage of Sarah and Andrew on the mountain - the moment the snow storm hit. 

"You get the journey you're ready for." Joseph Campbell

Like Jason Storie who continued to go caving after being trapped underground for the night, Andrew and Sarah plan to head back to the mountain.

Life Truth: You have to leave the tent!!

Memory Marker: A memorable experience that helps time fly by.

"We'd choose being on the top of a mountain in a snow storm over sitting down and watching TV and letting our lives escape us." Andrew

Speaking of adventure, The Endurance is likely the greatest adventure story of all time. Shackleton is a legend for a reason. 

If you can't relax here, you'll struggle to relax there. 

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." 

"Concern happens in my head and anxiety happens in my chest." Sarah 

"Suffering is resisting what is. Mindset controls experience."

Don't travel to try and run away from your bad life. It will follow you. 

Please watch this Video before listening to this episode! Trust us, this episode will make little sense until you do :)

Somehow, we forgot to welcome you to the podcast! Sorry about that :) Enjoy the music I guess?

Here's the website for the event!

While we weren't able to sit down with all of the speakers and organizers, we're extremely grateful for those who we were able to speak with. Thank you everyone! :)

Jessica Williamson - MC, Promotional Team Lead Organizer, and Youth Representative.

Although Jessica wasn't ready to share her story she still wished to be a champion for other people's stories of mental health. This is a great reminder that we can all give something even if we aren't ready to give everything . Focus on what you can give.

Stuck in yourself? Get into someone else.

JEN VERSCHEURE - Jen was the first speaker of the night and we spoke with her about the honour and responsibility she felt to start the night off right and about her struggles with depression and the shame surrounding it.

JOSEPH EDWARD BRIANTE - Joseph was the final speaker before the intermission and this was well timed as his story is incredibly powerful and absolutely needs time for pause and reflection. We spoke with him about getting out of your head and into your heart and the importance of dropping the Schtick. We also talked about the difference between Big Joseph and Little Joseph.

LISA BOSMAN–Performance Coach, Musician - Lisa coached all of the speakers on how to get out of their head and communicate from their heart/soul (no notes allowed). The Connection Project is all about courageous people sharing their authentic stories through love. Lisa is also a talented musician and we spoke with her about her process for writing the moving song that concludes The Connection Project and her process for making her art.

What a gold minion? The child of gold bouillon. Obviously.

EMILY OLSEN–Founder, Director, Host, Speaker - Emily is the heart, mind and soul behind The Connection Project. Without her courageous leadership, none of this would have been possible. If you want to know Emily's full story, you have to listen to her episode! Click here. We spoke with Emily about how she felt about this year's Connection Project, how to use fear as fuel and making the Leap!

Yet another episode that begins with Andrew dropping an F-bomb. Explicit Content it is.

"Squirrels shouldn't be that large." AL

Jana was initially invited to appear on our Spirituality Roundtable but we quickly realized her experiences warranted a full episode.

Psychedelics are growing in popularity for their notable benefits with mental health. Check out Michael Pollan's fascinating new book on his experiences with psychedelics and what they taught him about life and death.

For a great night of memories, check out Victoria's Empress hotel.

While Hugh Grant was great in Notting Hill, Sense and Sensibility and Bridget Jones, About a Boy is probably his best work. Music and Lyrics was tone deaf.

Best to not offer John any stimulants, chemicals, candy, anything really. Herbal tea only please.

"I did want a memorable night and I had envisioned that I might end up naked in bed with my wife. But not quite like this." - JC

Look for more Roundtable conversations this Spring. Next up... Why Is Sleep so Challenging?

Conversations within a vacuum suck.

Jana lives in sunny LA but spends as much time in Brazil as she can.

"Spirituality is the beautiful mystery of who we are." - Jana

Stations of the Cross...Fit?.....It's a real thing folks. My brother combined his 2 passions. Exercise and Jesus.

"Spirituality gives us tools to discover the truth of who we really are. We need to get curious" - Jana

Dealing with our Shadow (ego and attachment) is our most important life's work.

"Source loves us so unconditionally that we are allowed the freedom to believe that we are not loved. That is WILD!!!" - Jana

Here's more information on the healer John of God including his arrest.

"Spirit doesn't have shame, worry or doubt. The soul doesn't judge, it just wants to create." Jana

Ayahuasca is a drink derived from an Amazonian plant/vine. When taken, DMT is released and the work begins. It is meant to be taken as part of a Shamanic lead sacred ceremony (not on a weekend back packing trip) and has traditionally been used as a "purging" ceremony. Difficult to describe, it is best experienced. Like the Matrix. :)

"Can I say fucker?" It turns out you can. :) Triangular Headed Fucker to be precise.

Andrew: "So.. a couple things... as you might imagine..."

"Context matters when you're dealing with plant medicine. The setting is everything." Jana

"Intention is everything and the best work you can do." Andrew

On Protecting Yourself: "When red flags came up in the past, I'd want to paint them white. Now I listen to my gut." Jana

"Freedom brings a power of creation." Jana

If you want to connect with Jana, she leads spiritual retreats in Brazil! Take the Road to Jana! :)

A special thanks to Alexa Close for not being too mad at her Dad. 

More like under 8 hrs Andrew! Bam. #committed

If you want to cringe, check out our Corona comments in the intro of this episode.

Andrew's fantastic mobile bartending business is Twist of Fate Craft Cocktails.

You can find John's writings here!

Nick's fantastic episode about getting past worry, anxiety and negative self talk can be found here.

Worry feels better than helplessness but both are poor habits.

Brene Brown is a powerful voice in these times. Highly recommended.

Middle of the night anxiety? Find an anchor! Just don't wake the anchor up... :P

Here's a great new book on Winston Churchill! Highly recommended by John.

George Brewster was a WWII pilot and has the gift of gab. His excellent Remembrance Day episode can be found here. 

Hi Mom!!

Use this time in isolation to be creative and make the world a better place. 

Educate yourself. edX

What will we do with the time that we've been given?

Here's Heather's excellent episode on grief. 

If we can come together, this could be an unprecedented time for beautiful things to happen. 

Fighting to be positive and forcing hope are two decisions we can make right now! 

We are in complete control of our reactions. This is great news for control freaks!

We can't control the storm but we can always control the light!

Being a lighthouse keeper!

P.S. Lex found out I recorded in her bedroom and was mad for like 5 seconds and then she helped me name this episode. :) 

Welcome to the Podcast! Today we speak with the remarkable Kara Robinson Chamberlain. When Kara was only 15 years old, she was kidnapped in broad daylight by a serial killer who stuffed her into a rubber maid container and took her back to his apartment where she was sexually assaulted over an 18 hour period. We talk to Kara about where she found the courage and resourcefulness to not only escape her restraints but help the police track down her captor. We also talk about the importance of sharing your story and how social media platforms like Tik Tok can actually make you happy. This! Is Obstacle Course.

Choose Your Reaction Wisely

Tik Tok Can Make You Happy

How Strong We Truly Are.

Have we mentioned that Andrew is an English major? 

Kara's Tik Tok. She can make you happy!

Here's the excellent episode from the wildly popular My Favourite Murder Podcast. It starts at the 32 min mark. 

For more information on Kara's story and to connect with Kara, definitely go to her website.

Check out The Social Dilemma on Netflix. Incredible documentary about the power and toxicity of social media.

We also spoke about disassociation as a form of protection in our fantastic episode 42 with Suzanne Venuta.

The Body Keeps The Score is THE landmark mark on how the body reacts to traumatic stress. It's a must read.

How did Kara escape?

1. Strong Will to Survive. "I will escape."
2. Plan of Action
3. Projected Positivty 
4. Looked for her opportunity - Resourefulness
5. Stubbornness. "I refuse to be a victim."

"When suffering post traumatic stress and anxiety, remember, you've already done the hard part. You've survived. So you can do this because it's not as hard. You get to choose your reaction." 

Kara relies on her daily gratitude journal.

You can't outthink trauma response. 

The Headspace App is a fantastic and convenient way to practice daily meditation. It also has dozens of helpful one minute videos that bring calm and perspective. John is on Day 85! And if he can do it, anybody can. :)  

For more information on repressed trauma, check out the landmark and mind blowing book, "It Didn't Start With You."

"It's always been cathartic for me to just talk about what happened." 

Kara's media appearances including her excellent interview with Elizabeth Smart.

Kara points to exercise as key in her healing and recovery. Disassociation is NOT being in your body and exercise brings you back. 

You are literally stronger than you think. You already have the ability to get through whatever is coming.

Andrew has been a beast the past few months and is in the final days of the incredible online challenge 75 Hard. 

"Your body is listening and is already preparing for whatever your mindset is. Both positive and negative."

"I'm very mindful of treating my kids like the adults I want them to be."

If your kids never see you struggle they might wonder, what's wrong with me?? Why do I struggle??

Extra Extra Read All About it! Here's the Brandon Sun article on Stacy's amazing race!

I thought even while posting this that the app Stacy mentioned was called TrailForce. Nope.

Here's the website of the race! Scout Moutain Ultramarathon.

For more information and pictures of Stacy's past races and current challenges, Like and Follow her on Facebook! and Instagram!

Stacy Dittmer Fitness!

Stacy's mid race inspiration.

Peanut Butter and Banana is delicious so just try it already.

Speaking of delicious, Rumble Super Shakes are WAY better than Boost! Rumble and it's founder Paul Underhill were the subjects of our excellent tenth episode!

If you are struggling to find positivity in your life, get off Facebook and get into Nature. The cure for emptiness is living a full life.

We are looking for Sponsors folks! If you are interested in discussing a mutually beneficial arrangement, hit us up!

For the record, here's what the A&W and Darth Vader (The Imperial March) theme songs actually sound like.

Here's the incredible Dateline Documentary about Adam and his crew's attempt to row across the Ocean from Africa to Florida. They capsized in the Bermuda Triangle.

"You have to pay the tax if you want to have these divine experiences." -Adam

Adam's Stats: 2.5% (sublime) 2.5% (terror) 95% (Monotony/ Boredom)

Adam's friend Markus Pukonen is currently circumnavigating the Globe without a motor... in a row boat! Follow him here! Routes for Change.

Our discussion on poop was on point. And here's the point.

Adam's excellent book, 'The Responsibility Ethic,' means we have the ability to choose our response.

If you don't like the idea of stumbling down a mountain while chasing green ferries and waking up in a cardboard box, perhaps Absinthe isn't the drink for you.

Adam's British accent was a surprising addition to this episode. "Do you want to win a gold medal Adam?"

Team Canada's crushing loss in Athens was nearly the end of Adam's rowing career. He managed to rise up and win Gold 4 years later in Beijing.

Check out Adam's excellent YouTube Channel where you can see videos of his amazing career as an Olympic Athlete, Open Ocean Explorer, TED talk and his current career as a World Class Coach, Speaker and Author.

The great Ron MacLean talking about the importance of Adam's spontaneous singing of Oh Canada and what it meant to the nation.

Cocaine is more dangerous (and more expensive) than prayer. -Adam

Andrew's wholesome sense of humour is adorable. That said, I think I speak for everyone when I say, Dough Not make those jokes anymore.

Unfortunately, incest porn is a real thing. Be warned. Shame traps people in unhealthy addictions. Fundamentalist religion often creates these unhealthy states.

The difference between guilt and shame is this: Shame means I am bad, Guilt means my behaviour is bad. Both are unhelpful and should be avoided. Like doughnuts.

Adam's use of the word, "doughnut," broke all previous uses of the word on our podcast. If there was a gold medal for this... well.. he deserves it.

The Power of Habit is a fantastic book that can transform your relationship with your life.

Tim Bits of Wholeness. Coming soon to a better you.

Did we mention Adam has an incredible book called The Responsibility Ethic? Get your copy today!

Adam's website is the resource you need to get to the next level.

If you're looking for more details on Adam's ocean adventure, check out the Dateline Documentary or pick up his book and read his account.

Adam gifted us with signed copies of his book. "To the Obstacles... may they always be there." Amen.

You have 2 choices. Sit and eat doughnuts or set sail. Let's set sail!

We are joined today by Jeff Sorensen, founder of the Breath Army.

We changed the intro. Deal with it. Also, Happy 2021!! :) 

If you are interested in learning more about The 75HARD Challenge, listen to this informative and inspirational episode by the creator.

Andrew and Sarah's Hard mantra: 

 "We can do hard things. We choose to do hard things. We become better by doing hard things. We see out hard things to do."

Everybody breathes. Not everybody connects with their breath. Breathwork 

Breathing is a behaviour. 

We need to up our breath game. 

As humans, we have a tendency to seek out what we know. This can get us into trouble. 

At rock bottom, Jeff choice life over death. He mentioned a "sense of something that was left undone." 

Yes, you heard correctly. Jeff worked for the Sinaloa Mexican Cartel!

From the Cartel, Jeff went to Wim Hof. Here's Tim's great conversation with The Iceman!

Go here to join Jeff's Breath Army or be notified when his book is released.

Leave your cell phones alone, folks. 

4 Pillars focuses exclusively on helping people get out of debt fast. They do this by helping people put together a plan to reduce their debt, reduce their payments, and help them to rebuild their credit and their financial life. They represent the person in debt only. Not the bank. 

A Creditor is someone you owe money to.

An Entrepreneur can't NOT do what they're doing. It's an itch they have to scratch. 

You know you're on your own path when you're bushwhacking. 

Resilience training helps build our courage muscle so we can take larger risks or leaps.

Benjy's passion for surfing and snow boarding has familiarized him with pain and risk. 

Fail Forward Fast!

The NINJA Loan. Arrested Development is probably the greatest comedy of all time. :) 

Benjy's financial reversal was a horrible slow bleed. Like a tooth extraction without an anesthetic. 

Robbing/Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and they both go broke. 

The most painful part is the stress of going backwards and giving up your standard of living. 

When you have a major failure, think of it as a two sided coin. There's the failure and there's the other side.

Celebrate your small wins as you start turn things around.

When you hit the rock bottom you have to find something, anything to continue to hope for.

If you can handle the stress of failure, it is often your next great opportunity. 

There are many great debt solutions before bankruptcy. A Consumer Proposal is one of those solutions. 

No matter what the current state of your finances is, you can make adjustments. Cut the non essentials instantly. 

Our attachments to our stuff is what causes all our pain.

If we can get over ourselves, we can save ALOT of money. 

"When the tide goes out, you find out who has been swimming naked." Warren Buffet

Debt does not equate with intelligence. 

NOBODY IS ABOVE A FINANCIAL REVERSAL.

"If you plan for Murphy, Murphy doesn't seem to come along."

If you find yourself in a financial reversal, step one is assess needs and wants and STOP LOSING MONEY. Step 2 is track where every dollar is going. Take out a piece of paper and write it down.

There are many helpful budgeting apps like Mint  although Benjy advocates even stronger for pen and paper and simply writing out your expenses.  

The sooner you take action, the better! Do it today!!

Our conversation with Riot Brewing is an EXCELLENT cautionary tale. If you haven't listened to the episode, do it NOW! They waited too long to get help and missed out on better options for their future. 

If you are currently feeling hopeless or you can't seem to get a handle on your debt , reach out to Benjy and his team, here! 

Relief is available folks. There is a way out. 

Here's the video of Joseph and John's powerful speeches from The Connection Project.

Here's the episode we recorded LIVE at The Connection Project.

Curious about the history behind the Connection Project? Check out our amazing interview with Emily Olson, the creator and heart behind it. 

Vulnerability is essential to making long lasting connections. 

Podcasters don't fly first class. Except for maybe Joe Rogan.

"I'm fucking fucked." But he wasn't. 

We all need a break from our false self. 

Creativity and Curiosity saved Joseph's life. They are an antidote to hopelessness. 

Stagnancy and remaining static could be the beginning of the end. We must avoid both like the plague. 

Stay with it. Change is coming. Our perception is severely limited. 

"Curiosity is my guiding principle." Joseph

In this episode we speak with Jon Williams, former host of The Zone 91-3 and present host of Victoria's newest internet radio station, What Was That! 

Welcome Williams of Jon/Jon Williams.

Britain's next great Comedian! 

What makes a great interview? Authenticity, openness and vulnerability. 

You must be vulnerable in order to create trust, not the other way around. 

Autopilot: Where interviews go to die. 

The recovered interview with George Brewster, the WWII veteran!

The identity of Jon's abusers remains unknown.

If you have experienced sexual abuse of any kind, it is important that you seek out a professional therapist whom you can trust and can help you process what happened. 

Foundry offers young people ages 12-24 health and wellness resources, services and supports – online and through integrated service centres in communities across BC. Check it out!! 

Not using your voice is a form of lying - to yourself and others. 

If you'd like to subscribe to What Was That, Jon's online radio station, go here  and here and here! :)  What Was That debuts September 1. 

Intro:

Amen is a common way to end a Christian prayer. John figured he’d change thousands of years of history just.. because.

We do love you listeners! Thank you for everything.

Episode:

HUGE SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD: That part of the Podcast where John and Andrew spoil 3 perfectly good movies for no reason.

• Ghost is a real movie with a REALLY cheesy sex scene. Patrick is very much alive and Whoopi is not the Ghost but a Pychic who later channels Patrick’s Ghost after he tragically dies. For the record, Andrew and John did NOT recreate this scene although would consider it if a potential sponsorship was in play.
• Bruce Willis was dead, he just didn’t know it. Turns out, neither did anyone else.
• The Usual Suspects has one of the best endings in Cinema history

“Dashing and often meandering.” 2 words that best describe John Close. Monopolize and Dominate may be close seconds.

John’s blog can be found here.

Sara Gross’s excellent episode can be found here.

The Oxygen advantage is an excellent book that can increase your health and decrease your breathing issues.

If you also haven’t thought deeply about the insult, “mouthbreather” here’s some more info.

Slow, deep, deliberate breaths are essential for handling difficult emotions. Try 4 seconds in, hold for 4 seconds, release for 4 seconds. Do this 3x. Repeat if needed.

Chris’s episode can be found here, Simon’s here.

We spoke about ancestral trauma in Episode 19.

We spoke about bullying and how it is, “full blown trauma,” in Episode 13.

Communion is a long standing weekly tradition in most Christian Churches. As a baptized believer, John took it every Sunday morning for 20 years.

The term, “dark night of the soul,” may have begun as a religious term but it has found its way into modern culture. The idea is a spiritual crisis or a crisis of self.

Honouring our truth or connecting with our true self is written about in the game changing book by Parker Palmer, “Let Your Life Speak.” This book was instrumental in John’s journey.

A large reason for the trauma John experienced in that first 2am session was a result of him not recognizing what was happening. Churches notoriously don’t talk about mental health but traditionally point people towards prayer and the reading of scripture. Anxiety and Panic feast off of one thought: I am not in control and I don’t know why. Once John came to know why, it was much easier to manage.

John has written on his dark nights, learning to be with his stressful thoughts and letting them in.

Thoughts might feel dangerous but they’re not dangerous. Listen to what they’re saying.

You don’t have to believe everything you think. - Thich Nhat Hahn

“Be alone with your thoughts, listen to what they’re saying and then have the courage to follow them. Despite what happens. It might mean a big life change but you’re already committed to change. Commit to better change. - John Close

Exposure therapy can be very effective in treating people with anxiety disorders.

We didn’t really follow the weed analogy but here’s what Andrew was referring to.

Here’s a great article and TED talk on the nature of Belief.

Sapiens is one of the best books to understand our humanity.

God of the Gaps is a theological perspective in which gaps in scientific knowledge are taken to be evidence or proof of God's existence.

Andrew’s statement, “I’m pretty sure love always trumps disappointment,” was a beautiful moment and I’m grateful we experienced it.

"We are Post-Church but we can never be Post-Community." - John Close

Vulnerability: "Being ok with your authentic self, the good, the bad and the ugly and being ok with sharing that with others." - John Close

We started this Podcast for 2 reasons. #1. Host inspiring conversations with courageous people. #2. Create a strong community of like minded people. Thank you for being vulnerable and please continue to share your life with us!

If you are a Trump Supporter, we still love you haha :) Thank you for listening. 

Are our beliefs true? The onus is on us to do the work. 

"The investment in deep careful thought is never a bad choice. It always pays dividends." - Andrew Langford

John dislocated his shoulder last month at the top of Mount Prevost. He told the story in Chris's episode - Episode 33.

Navigating aging is an obstacle course we all must experience. Are you ready?

If you are currently suffering from mental health challenges, it's possible it is a result of not living according to your values. Do the work and look within. It'll be the most important work you ever do.

John remains thankful for his mental health challenges as they have always been a barometer/compass to his true self. Get curious about your thoughts and emotions. Therein may lie your truth. 

If you want more John (and who doesn't) you can connect with him on Social Media and follow his blog at The Leaping Connection. John is also available for speaking engagements at your school, business, organization or next Event. 

We're thrilled to welcome Sonia Furstenau back to the Podcast. If you missed Part 1 of our conversation, we have remastered it and you can listen to it here! 

Let's vote! 

Maeve's not a day over.... for......t...something... You can catch our amazing episode with Maeve here! It's our first ever Obstacle Course interview! 

We were FIRST!!! Suck it CNN. 

When in doubt, blame Maeve. #liferules

"I'm so inspired by the platform that we have. I look at it and I feel hopeful about the future. It's platform of solutions oriented on what matters most -taking care of people."

"It goes to something that is very core and has always been part of me, which is this idea that we can be better, we can do better, we can treat each other better and we can be kinder, more compassionate and empathetic."

"I really do think we need to do politics differently. We don't have to be terrible to the people we are debating with."

You can catch our conversation with Olympian, Jason Dorland, right here! 

The root of the word competition means, "to strive together."

"It's so much better when we're actually listening to each other. We should be striving together."

"Things don't happen to us. They happen for us." Tony Robbins

We aren't able to be fearful and empathetic at the same time. In fact, we aren't able to be fearful and anything at the same time. 

Fear is the mind killer! 

Collaboration starts in your neighbourhood. 

I make the choice. Every day. Every moment. 

Chocolate Pearl sells premium, delicious, hand-made  chocolates in Downtown Duncan! 

It's all about the downloads baby!!

It's worth sticking around to the end folks.  

"Dainty but sharp." The worst kind of sharp. 

John has a scissor fetish. Deal with it. Also, you should buy one of Angie's scarfs. 

John also has a Jalapeño Havariti cheese fetish. 

"Fool me once. Strike one. Fool me twice. Strike 3." - Michael Scott

Daniel Erichsen - Insomnia Insight

It's CBT not CBD folks. One letter. Big difference. 

Not everyone needs 8 hrs of sleep. Listen to your body.

The only way to get past insomnia is to stop fighting it. Embrace it. Be ok with it. Anxiety works the same way.

"You have to be willing to have insomnia to get past it." Nick Wignall.

Train your brain to not see sleeplessness as the enemy.

Sometimes sleep aides backfire as they convince our brain that sleeplessness is an adversary to be conquered which then puts us in a fight mode. Anxiety is not far away.

Let it be! Let it go! You may need a professional to help guide you through.

Be gentle with yourself. It's completely normal to lose sleep over COVID, job loss, financial struggles. Fighting this feeling only makes it worse. Be ok with the restlessness and you'll find rest. 

It's so true and so difficult. We must learn to make peace with the difficulty.

Here is Daniel's excellent YouTube channel - Insomnia Insight. 

Chris Manley - Resthouse Sleep Solutions

An expert helps make you aware of needs you didn't know you had. 

One thing will not fix your problem. A mattress is a start but there's much more to consider. Body pillows. Mattress toppers. Temperature regulation. 

Sleep is the ultimate healer. 

"If you toss and turn a lot, that's because you're uncomfortable in you body and mind."

If you're ok with a bad sleep experience, you're ok with a bad 30 years of your life. It's NOT the norm.

Watch this harrowing video before listening to the episode.

Jason's Cave Rescue

30 years ago, Bobby McFerrin won a Grammy award for his extremely catchy song Don't Worry Be Happy. As of today, over 162 million people have watched his video on YouTube.

What John lacks in musical ability he makes up for in a nice full beard.

This episode was recorded LIVE at the Ramada Inn in Duncan, BC. We were capturing the event chatter as well as interviewing some local business owners and presenters. A big thanks to the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce and Alec Wheeler for including us in their event plans!

The big 5 letter word that can ruin us all is....worry!

Thanks to Rick's James St Cafe for the tasty sandwiches. His grilled chicken bacon mozza melt is to die for! John likes the classic egg salad on white.

Andrew and John are both successful entrepreneurs which has allowed them to pour a few days a week in this podcast. That said, they wouldn't say no to a potential sponsorship opportunity. :)

We LOVE doing events!! If you're looking for an X Factor, we'd like to be it. We can capture the chatter and go deeper with your presenters.

-------------------------------

We had the pleasure of interviewing 6 people. Sadly, the audio from one of our interviews was garbled so we'll look forward to re-recording with Chris from Resthouse Sleep Solutions. Sorry Chris!!

Riot Brewing - Ralf and Ally are such a riot. Learn how they didn't give up on their dream and worked tirelessly for 7 years to make Riot a reality. Their greatest success is building business that reflects who they really are. Plus, their beer is delicious. We look forward to recording a full episode with them soon!

Isabelle-Mercier-Turcotte - Creator of the successful coaching enterprise, LeapZone Strategies, Isabelle talked to us about knowing your secret sauce, being authentic, how to truly connect with people, realizing what you're tolerating and most of all, how to worry less. Isabelle was also the Key-note Presenter of this great event! We look forward to recording a full episode with Isabelle and her partner Margarita, at their beautiful Ranch in Nanoose Bay!

Jim Gardiner - Jim is a powerhouse coach with Leapzone Strategies. As we came to discover, Jim has one helluva story. Jim shared how he had it all but was miserable. Since this recording, we have sat down with Jim and recorded a full episode which will come out in the New Year. His life story will blow you away! One of the most interesting and dynamic people we've met.

Jean Cardino - Jean is the owner of the successful high end, uber comfortable Cardino's Shoes, in Duncan, BC. Cardino's has been selling quality made West Coast shoes like Blundstone's for over 20 years competing directly with Wal-Mart and other "cheaper" options. Cardino's is a great example of a small business who knows who they are and doesn't apologize for it. We also spoke about the value of luxury brands and why it's worth spending more money on high quality goods.

Adera Angelucci - Adera has spent decades both in front of and behind the camera and is a dynamic powerhouse motivator and presenter. Her real passion is breathing life into your story and she's told over 2000 stories worldwide. Ultimately, consumers will be inspired to interact with you and your business once they know your real story. Adera and Spiro can make it happen! They are currently working on an upcoming documentary-series for Netflix!

The meditation apps mentioned in this episode are Headspace and Waking Up with Sam Harris. Daily sessions for each run about 10 min. We would recommend Headspace for beginners and Waking Up for those that wish to go deeper. Sam is a neuro-scientist and also provides compelling companion lessons.

Seth's Podcast Fellowship!

The books mentioned in this episode have inspired Andrew and John in countless ways and lie at the heart of this podcast.

The War of Art!

The Obstacle is the Way!

Far Out Podcast

Hope Initiative Podcast

Here is John's blog.

Heather's blog is essential reading. Beautifully raw, honest and true. May it be a lifeline for you when you find yourself in the ocean of grief.

Final Journeys. This book was a lifeline for Brock and Heather.

VIU published one of Brock's many essays. Here's one of his best. "On Liberal Education."

The local paper published an article the month after Brock's death.

Brock's website.

Here are practical ways to keep Brock's memory alive and donate to his scholarship funds.

Brock's Facebook page in his memory.

Makaria farm.

Without life and disability insurance, Heather's current situation would be much different. We all know someone who sells insurance. Talk to them today.

Episode 66 is another transformative conversation as we sat down with the amazing Lindsay Knazan. A student of Eastern Philosophy and teacher of every day buddhism and yoga practices, Lindsay is a wealth of wisdom! Like all gurus, her training has come via her own pain and suffering. If we can learn to embrace these difficult emotions, we discover a freedom and strength we never knew we had.  We also discuss shame, anxiety, learning to love ourselves and the importance of PLAY.  

Andrew at 24... hmm... I can only imagine.

The Obstacle Course NEVER stops. 

John used to hoop it up. Rumour is he could even dunk. The older he gets, the better he was. Find your PLAY and get back into it! If hoops is your thing (Maeve) then message John, he'll probably say yes! 

If you want to continue the conversation, connect with our guests and other listeners, join our Obstacle Course Community private group on Facebook.

Nice to meet you John. "I'm sure it is, I'm a great guy." - John Close. Humble man. 

Beginning an episode with a guided meditation and some square breathing was amazing. We could get used to this. 

Anxiety doesn't mean something is wrong with you.  

Fighting or fleeing from Anxiety will only guarantee more anxiety. Get curious about it, embrace it and it'll flee from you.

Tough Mudder is the most fun you'll ever have being in pain. 

John thinks in Clunky Analogies. 

"If we don't listen to our body's whispers, we'll have to listen to its screams." Lindsay

We can't hide from our true selves. John spoke openly about this in his episode. 

We shouldn't suppress that which needs to come out. 

Grief waits for a crack and then it comes through. 

Hanging out in joy can be harder than hanging out in pain. It takes even more vulnerability.

If we don't learn to become more resilient in loss, we'll become more brittle and ultimately end up as the crotchety old person.

Lean into the loss!

Andrew is a Blossomed version of Andy. 

Your life depends on you processing your grief and trauma. It'll plague you until it wrecks you. 

Gabor Mate is a world renown author and lecturer on the link between trauma and addiction. The book Lindsay referenced was When The Body Says No.

Strong Ass and Will. New Yoga Program?

Give some space to that voice within. Listen to it's message voluntarily or you'll be forced to.

Getting Curious instead of angry or anxious or following your usual over reactions, will really start to open things up for you.

Here's the official quote from Nietzche:  “Be careful, lest in casting out your demon, you exorcise the best thing in you.”

"I've come to test the timber of my heart." Lindsay's Mantra.

Resources:

Here's a must read book if you're interested in everyday Buddhism/ yoga practices.

Here's a free Yoga Expansion Session with Lindsay!
https://lindsayknazansoulfreedom.as.me/

Lindsay's yoga biz website:
Here are a few free videos if you wish to explore yoga therapy, meditation and tai chi

Lindsay's martial arts biz website:
Here's Lindsay's private Facebook group where you can join for deeper conversations and community around Embodied Freedom, connecting to our truth, purpose and soul aligned life:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2384736361825216/?ref=share Let Linsday know if you have any questions. 
 

If you plan to refer to someone as, "an enigma," maybe don't. Also, here's what it means.

If you'd like more information on Cum Town, here it is!

Lush Holiday Lighting!

Here's Suzanne's website where you can read her wisdom and follow her adventures.

Watch this incredible video from The Courage to Comeback Awards!

Here's the Women's group, Women Welcome Women, that Suzanne mentioned and connected with on her travels.

Inishmore Island folks! Go to there!

"You cannot escape your past, it catches up to you." SV

For more information on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), here's a good place to start.

Suzanne's moving story of a teacher placing a loving hand on her shoulder is yet another reminder of the power of small acts of kindness.

"I've been to Hell so many times I should get Airmiles." SV

"Whatever you are going through and whatever you may go through, you are not the only one!" SV

Terminal Uniqueness is the mistaken belief that the situation the individual is facing is unlike anything faced by other people. This is not true. You are not the only one! Look past your shame and you'll see others looking too.

In looking for a therapist, look for someone who truly listens and is humble.

5-6 deep (belly) breaths covers a multitude of anxious thoughts. One minute can change your life. Truly.

Journaling was a way for Suzanne to let her thoughts go. And she would sleep better.

Spirituality for Suzanne is about awe and wonder not about God and religion.

Outward Bound is a incredible organization that promotes healing and courage through adventure. Suzanne was chosen for their Woman Of Courage program. She also participated in their incredible Reach Beyond Expeditions program. Every Outward Bound journey is an Inward Bound journey. This could be the program you need!

If you can't get out of it, you gotta get into it!

Here's the video from Suzanne's speech at the Courage to Comeback Awards ceremony.

Here's the Global News story.

Here's another great article on Suzanne!

Courage is not about one big act but a habit we cultivate every day. One step at a time.

"Courage is getting up in the morning." SV

"We fear the dark places in our life but they hold the treasures." SV

If John always gets lost, does that make him a loser?

John's anxiety flows from a hyper brain. Rock Climbing and Mountain Runs make all the difference.

John is a late bloomer. Turns out, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Dee thinks we seem Legit. If you agree, please share your positive reviews with iTunes.

Dee gave dozens of interviews, at times all in one day.

James Hetfield not only called Dee but texted her a selfie shortly after.

"There's lots of Cougars at Metallica concerts." - Denise Gallant

Andrews Cougar Research:

• Cougars can leap 30ft
• They can take down animals 4x their size e.g. Moose
• They are dangerous beasts
• Dee would have lost to the cougar in a fight

Panic can set in quickly but will prevent us from having a clear presence of mind and we will make mistakes. Feel the panic, embrace the panic but don't give in to it. Resistance is futile.

The fact that Dee has made a habit out of talking shit to dangerous animals who are stalking her still boggles our mind. That said, increasing our knowledge of animals and their habitat would go a long way in decreasing our anxiety.

"You can't avoid fear but you can learn to control your reaction to it." Denise Gallant

"It's not about being fearless. It's about fearing less." -Andrew Langford/Someone Smarter

The Far Side is the greatest and may be making a comeback.

Dee's Prescription for Society: "Take a 5K. Call me in the morning. The difference between a good dog/John and a bad dog/John is usually 5K.

Dee's Harley gives her 1300 CC's of therapy. What is your therapy?

If you currently feel trapped in yourself, take charge, stop blaming and change what you need to change.

.

Our incredible original introduction has now been lost to the world. 

John hasn't taken a drink since December. Had he know that a pandemic was coming, he may have chosen something...like... no vegetables?

If John wants to give birth, why stand in his way?

If you missed our first conversation with Ralf and Aly, you check it out here. 

Ralf and Aly's Golden/Shit Ideas of Finding Investors

1. Know the laws before asking people for money
2. Seek a relationship first and make strong connections.
3. Know your industry well

Ralf and Aly spent seven years building relationships and raising enough capital. Tenacity in action.

Initially, Ralf and Aly were fuelled by spite to prove their detractors wrong. Over time, the love for their community took over. 

It's human nature to see the underdog becomes victorious. 

If Ralf and Aly hadn't asked for help and shared their business failures, they would have never had the ability to come back. 

Remaining true to self and sticking to their values is the secret to Riot's and every business success.

Riot Brewing won the Black Tie Award for Business of the Year in 2018.

Riot's first investor was a community member who "walked by," and was interested in supporting a local community business. 

We've actually had a podcast on work/life balance. You can check it out here. 

Riot's problem was one of scale. They grew too quickly- selling before they had the structure to support the sales,. Just because, "everybody wants your beer," doesn't mean you should be selling it to everybody. Going from 5 employees to 17 in such a short time, didn't help either.

Ralf and Aly, "just wanted to make good beer." They needed someone to make a good business. 

Here's the Wallstreet Journal Article.

Learning how to say no is more important then saying yes.

Asking for help is extremely difficult for entrepreneurs but essential if you want to scale your business properly. 

Ultimately, Riot Brewing went Insolvent after another winter weather closure in 2019. CRA seized all their accounts and business was frozen. 

Increased sales is NOT a solution to a lack of cash flow. Turning the tap on more will only speed up your demise if the problem is lack of water. 

Fear and Panic kicked in quickly after they went insolvent. Many people tried to take advantage of Riot's vulnerable state by offering them pennies on the dollar for their business.

Here's the difference between Insolvency and Bankruptcy. Essentially, Bankruptcy can be a viable solution to Insolvency. 

The irony of Riot's business struggles was too much success. A text book example of, "too much of a good thing."

The metaphor of the community filling Riot's empty planters is stunning. They truly loved Riot back into existence. 

Here's the CTV story.  

Ralf and Aly finally had the courage to share their Insolvency and that allowed them to find a way through. 

Ralf and Ally, like anyone who has gone through severe financial or emotional distress, could greatly benefit from therapy. Therapy is a sign of strength. 

Positive affirmations and personal mantras helped them move forward. 

Witch path are you on? 

This is what most of us think of when we hear the word witch. 

Man Up: Stifling emotions since the beginning of time.

Let's ditch the man up and inspire to the divine union! - Andrew

Dance helps me unwind knots in my psyche and digest life. -Christy

Who could forget mixed tapes? 

Don't listen to this song by Peter Cetera or Richard Marx

I love yoga but I wanted to break from the structure. So I found Kundalini Dance. - Christy

Heyyyyyy Macarena. 

How does the body want to move vs. How does the mind want to move the body. 

When we are rigid, we struggle to dance. 

When Zoom lags a bit it's easy to interrupt. Sorry Christy!!!

Dance with whatever is real without putting on masks. 

Andrew lies. I can't dance.

How does our body want to move in response to how we feel? We need to let our bodies dance with whatever is. 

Shake Phrase: Brwarwaraaraw

The rose teaches us how to have a sharp pointy no so we can blossom into our yes.

There's no natural remedy for Andrew's aphid joke.

Christy's kickass Quantum Physics Definition: It's the proof that magic is real. 

The more fully we can open into our grief, the less we will have to carry later.

"To sit with pain takes real courage." - John

Don't shoot the messenger. 

www.lushecolawns.com 

We need to get to soul level. 

Trust and courage dance together to alchemize fear - Christy

Can we hear more about the witch path? - Andrew 

The witch path is all about well being and betterment for the world. 

Magic is about connecting to the reality beyond logic and words. 

Soul Soil!! :) 

To connect with Christy and find out more about who she is and what she does - as well as read her gifted writing.. Go here!

Andrew and John. Because I like to put Andrew first... sometimes.....

Scott's newest book The Wedge is incredible. Give it a read. As is his book about Wim Hof, What Doesn't Kill Us.

Besides being a best selling author, Scott is an investigative journalist, TED speaker and anthropologist. 

If life is a song and it ends in a minor key, why not take risks!! SC

We've lost, we're gonna die. So why not live an amazing life!!

As human beings, we're not really using all of the tools we've been given. 

The Wedge is about learning how to separate the stimulus (stressor) from our response (stress). 

You have choice in every situation.

Scott's early book The Enlightenment Trap explores the dangers of meditation. 

Anxiety is your sympathetic nervous system getting you ready to act! Fight or Flight!

Our Limbic Librarian has an incredible memory but sucks at context. Our brain simply pulls up past reactions and then inserts it into our present experience. If we're not careful, we'll be repeating past reactions and fears and never living in the present.

The brain is both lazy and dynamic. We can decide to change our experience and that's the beauty of people alive. Habits are powerful and form our lives. This is the best book on it. 

Forget the Placebo Effect. Get to know the Nocebo Effect. The place where our beliefs create our reality.  Our mind is powerful. While we can't "think away a bacterial infection," we can fix chronic problems (like anxiety) in great and profound ways. 

"We are the way out of our problems." Andrew Langford

There's a boogyman for every symptom. If we fill our world with boogymen and see threats around every corner, we will be creating the reality in which we suffer needlessly.

To connect with Scott and read his earlier books, go here!

John is both shit at being gentle and positive self talk.

Many of John's morning writings can be found here.

Beach Body On Demand folks! Exercise made easy. Well, not really. Also, there's actually over 1300 workouts. Something for everyone.

Shaun T made me want to exercise again.

"That is a Beach Body that is NOT on demand." - Andrew Langford. Line of the year? Probably.

Do you over-rate and under-rate your meditation? You're in good company. So does Andrew.

Check out Nick's incredible writing on Medium or his very informative website.

Writing is a fantastic way to confront how murky your thoughts are and thus make sense of what you believe.

Nick was drawn to clinical psychology because of his fascination with deep conversation and problem solving. 

Great Parenting Book! The Gardener and the Carpenter. 

Great Mentors plant seeds. 

Why Worrying is Like Eating Junkfood.

Worrying is not something that just happens to us. It's a choice we make and a habit we cultivate. NW

We worry because it gives us something to do and it makes us feel like we're in control. - NW.

Worrying makes us feel in control of a situation that is often totally outside of our control. NW.

Virtually all people hate the feeling of helplessness. So they worry instead. They'd rather feel anxious then helpless. NW.

We worry because, like eating junk food, it tastes good. But ultimately it makes us feel worse.

Negative self talk is a plague and one of the few common denominators of people who end up in Nick's office for therapy. Think of the angry leprechaun. 

Jackass!! Happy Gilmore. 

A Van Down By The River. Chris Farley is the best. 

We succeed in spite of our negative self talk. 

Gentleness Challenge: Start today!

Negative self talk is often a bad habit that never got updated. It was valid and served us well at some point but it no longer serves us well. The solution is to build new habits.

A common trait of people who struggle to be resilient is rigidity. The key is flexibility. NW

Just because a thought was the first one to show up in your consciousness doesn't mean it is special or has any authority to it or means anything at all! NW

How to Fact Check A Thought: Hit the Pause Button. Get curious. Don't fight them.

Bullet Time in the Matrix!

We need to slow down our thoughts and think about our thinking. Practice in low stakes situation at first. Then build up to high stakes situations.

Thought Record/Thought Diary. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Write it out!! Gotta show your work. 

What happened. How was I feeling. What was the thought that predicted the feeling. Re-interpret what happened. Provide an alternative explanation. This will give you mental flexibility.

Cultivating a healthy scepticism of our thoughts is crucial. Don't just take orders! 

Meta Cognition - Thinking about our thinking. 

My mental health is all about me being a good steward of my attention. NW.

Fundamental life (exercise, healthy eating, positive relationships) have to be in balance for us to be able to tackle mindfulness and hitting the pause button with our thoughts. 

Best book on Stress: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers.

We are designed to handle intense bouts of great stress. We are not designed to handle low to moderate chronic stress.

Willpower is a great emergency brake but a poor driver. We need to design our life so we don't need will power in the first place.

Nick's Billboard: Be Gentle With Yourself

It's hard to be gentle with others if you're a tyrant to yourself. Start by being gentle to yourself. Yes John, even if you're shit at it. 

Connect with Nick on his website and subscribe to his great newsletter like Andrew and John! Also, take his incredible course! 

For episode 80, we're excited to welcome Chris Wilkinson into the studio. 

Chris Wilkinson is the owner/GM for Nurse Next Door Home Care Services for Cowichan and central Vancouver Island. For more info visit www.NurseNextDoor.com or for questions or a free in-home Caring Consult call 250-748-4357, or email Chris.Wilkinson@NurseNextDoor.com

Chris is also a columnist for the Cowichan Citizen and the article he wrote about the death of his father, inspired this episode. 

On Today's episode...

- Fathers and Sons

- Stiff Upper Lips 

- Know Better, Do Better

We talked about our death denying culture way back in episode 19!

If you can't sleep, listen to our fantastic episode on it.

Heather's episode is a master class in vulnerability and one of the best conversations we've ever had. It's a must listen for anyone who has loved and lost.

The Pixar movie Coco explores the connection between loss, grief and death.

"I got this," may be a signal that you are repressing your thoughts and feelings.

Repression is at the heart of toxic masculinity.

Anger is almost an emotion that boys are encouraged to have.

Emotional diversity: It’s important to experience a range of emotions, not just pure happiness but pride, excitement, calm and negative ones as well.

Boys grow up in a world inhabited by a narrower range of emotions, one in which their experiences of anger are noticed, inferred, and potentially even cultivated. This leaves other emotions—particularly the more vulnerable emotions—sorely ignored or missing in their growing minds.

Harvard Medical School shows that boys are in fact more emotionally expressive than girls, but our culture actively negates the expression, or focuses on emotions like anger and aggression

The byproduct of this repression: Psychologists have found that children who deny emotional vulnerability are also more likely to become adolescents who engage in health-risk behaviors, such as substance use. Later in development, men suppress (i.e., do not openly express) their emotions more than women; and men in turn experience greater depressive symptoms and resort more often to physical violence.

Men may be at greater risk for stress-related cardiovascular problems in the long run.

5 Common Ways to regulate emotions

1. Avoid situations that may trigger certain emotions

2. Modify situation to enhance your chance of experiencing positive emotions

3. Focus attention elsewhere, rather than letting emotions control

4. Try to see situation from different perspectives

5. Suppress emotion (this is generally the worst option)

From NY Times Article “Teaching Men to be Emotionally Honest”:

“Last semester, a student in the masculinity course I teach showed a video clip she had found online of a toddler getting what appeared to be his first vaccinations. Off camera, we hear his father’s voice. “I’ll hold your hand, O.K.?” Then, as his son becomes increasingly agitated: “Don’t cry!... Aw, big boy! High five, high five! Say you’re a man: ‘I’m a man!’” The video ends with the whimpering toddler screwing up his face in anger and pounding his chest. “I’m a man!” he barks through tears and gritted teeth. rather than negative

● Studies have shown that suppressing emotions increases blood pressure and impairs memory

● Study showed that 25% of Brits believe that expressing emotion is a sign of weakness

Male to female suicide rate: 3 x 1 in Canada, 4 x1 in US, 5 x 1 in Russia, Mexico and Brazil

Is our toxic masculinity the path of least resistance? Bad habits?

The phrase, "don't be a pussy," is deeply offensive to all people. It means, "don't show emotion," - which is a sign of weakness, not strength. 

Ice Guardians!

Vulnerability is not about blunt and random honesty but rather sharing our true emotions.

Don't use Facebook as therapy. 

Our sons watch us more than they listen. May they see something worth imitating. 

We're super excited to welcome local rock star, Jesse Roper, to the podcast. What a great guy. And super talented! You can check out everything Jesse, here! Jesse's also very active on Instagram and Facebook!

23 years baby! Love you Ang. 

I feel like my and Andrew's live music stories could have been reversed. No wonder we get along. :) 

The Golden Hinde is the tallest mountain on Vancouver Island. Jesse's a beast. If you're not ready for this 3-5 day hike, start with Mount Benson or Mount Arrowsmith.

To our Saskatchewan listeners.... we feel for you... kisses.

Resilience is often an artist's most important tool.

The notion of an artist being in the "transportation," business, is a topic we also discussed in our fantastic conversation with Coco Jones.

Here's the American Idol story!!

Jesse's song, "Anytime of Night is his most personal. Here's his hair (and mind) blowing video.

"People will love you more for hanging it all out there than trying to be something you're not." Jesse 

"If you can capture the best parts of yourself and give them to people over and over again, you're probably a pretty good musician." 

Here's the music video for Jesse's latest song, Right Now.

The 27 Club. 

Living a comfortably miserable life is all too common. We all have the ability to live better. 

Here's the music video for Jesse's song, Cherry.

Anton Wilson is an up and comer in Victoria's music scene (and more importantly, he treats my daughter great!!) You can connect with him here. Anton is currently working on a new project to be release 2021. 

This is Part Two of our conversation with Jon Williams. If you haven't listened to Part One, we highly recommend it. 

"Look after yourself, have fun and for goodness sake smile." Want a t-shirt?

Anyone else relate to Jon's library trolley brain analogy? #onpoint

What Was That Radio is now LIVE!  Check it out!!!

$7/month or $55 per year will help Jon bring you the music and artists you want!

Jon really loves his M&M's. 

This podcast finds its origin and identity in Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. 

"You have to ask yourself what you've been through and you have to face that."

"You have to push yourself as an individual to eventually be one with the darkest part of your being."

"You've got to tell them who you are. You have to be yourself and you must vocalize your truth!"

"Look after yourself. Have fun. And I love you." Jon Williams

Mike Miler is the CEO and Founder of Abstract Developments

Mike bought his first house as a 19 year old at 10.5% interest. 

"If you're getting into business to make money, you're going about it the wrong way. If you're getting into business because you're passionate about something, you want to help shape your future and you want to be part of something bigger than yourself and make your mark in the world, that will fuel you." Mike Miller

"Fake it until you make it. I had a napkin." Mike Miller.

"I loved what I was doing and it wasn't about the money." Mike Miller"

"When you're knee deep in shit, know that you're in shit and breathe through it because this too shall pass." Mike Miller

Here's another great interview Mike gave with CBRE. 

Prioritizing is crucial when going through tough times. 

Mike and Shellie Gudgeon

Mike and Shellie Gudgeon are the proud owner's of one of Victoria's best restaurants - Il Terrazzo.

In the beginning, Mike and Shellie opened 5 restaurants in 5 years. Mike's strength was fiscal responsibility. 

"The keys to our success is fiscal responsibility, designing our restaurants around the chef and keeping long term employees. We don't micro-manage. We empower them." Shellie Gudgeon

"Most people think restaurants are about cooking and recipes when in actual fact restaurants are about systems and it's the duplications of those systems over and over again that allows you to do the volume and allows you to make money. Most people open a restaurant because they've been told they are a good cook. Anyone can look up recipes." Mike Gudgeon.

This is not the end of restaurants. People need to connect. We as a species needs to connect." Shellie Gudgeon.

If you don't know who Harry and Meghan are... just google. 

Here's more information on childhood alopecia.

Besides being a fantastic mother, Jill runs a rock star marketing business.

We're not linking WebMD. Know your limits. Play within it.

Welcome...... to the Podcast! :) And happy 2020!

We're thankful to Jim for meeting both of our needs in this episode! :)

Jim first appeared on episode 40- Small Business Big Day!

Andrew's right, Rusell did throw a phone! The hotel employee was not entertained.

"We got our bibs on.?!!?!" Nice one Andrew.

Ryan Holiday's newest book is incredible. John has managed to "listen" to half of it..on audio...while doing something else.. He also bought it for Andrew as a Christmas present.

Oxford Blues folks. Check it out.

"I never do well when people say I can't do anything." JG

Jim was a "weak asthmatic kid" who shouldn't have been able to run 3 miles and take up rowing. We are stronger than we think. And we can change our identity.

Do you have a safety net? It's a sign of strength because it allows us to soar even higher knowing the fall won't be fatal.

Rudy!! Incredibly inspiring and the #1 movie that men cry in.

"I'm not going to let Asthma control my life anymore." JG

What is currently controlling your life that you need to let go?

Rob Lowe. Are you listening? Loved you in Parks and Rec.

We have so much to learn about our humanity from monkeys.

Jim's off Broadway production was called Schools of Fish. Well done Jim!

Is your life a performance for others? Learn to play to the audience of one. Your true self.

"Instead of wanting to be recognized, be comfortable being you." JG.

Our identity must be connected to our values.

Jim's remembering of 911 is haunting. We're thankful for his vulnerability in sharing his memories.

When we don't like who we are, we look for an escape.

"I wanted that notoriety. I wanted that attention. It was my drug." JG

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the real deal folks. Super nice onscreen and in real life. He asked "Jimmy" to spot him many times while working out.

Terrence Malick is a legendary film director known for his visual masterpieces and gripping story telling. It's definitely not traditional cinema folks so bring your open minded glasses. The New World and The Tree of Life are just two examples. The latter being one of his very best and a favourite of both John and Jim.

"It is poetic." Colin Farrell sounds likes a solid dude. Decent tipper too.

"At the end of the day, I struggled with trying to be somebody as opposed to being content with who I am." JG

"Everybody gave me attention but I wasn't happy and I fed it. But it was all bullshit. I made choices that were not in alignment with who the true Jim is." JG

Why weren't all the accolades and attention enough for Jim? Because there was no contribution there.

"The first step to changing anything in your life is awareness." JG

"Service to others. That's what lights my fire." JG

Jim created the Inspirational 30. An interviewed based television program on Shaw TV.

"I had those stereotypical moments where I was on the floor.... sobbing, broken, humiliated. In pain. Guilt. Losing my kids in a sense for that time. Losing myself. Turning to alcohol to help numb that. My rock bottom was my rock bottom. And the climb out has been amazing. Tough but amazing." JG

"Everyone's got micro stories that handcuff them. And no one should be handcuffed." JG

Jim Gardiner's 4 C's that have helped him crawl out of his rock bottom.

1. Courage
2. Confidence
3. Consistency
4. Contribution

It's not about happiness. It's about joy. Joy is so much more of an intricate, powerful essence then just being happy. JG.

If you've made it this far, Jim and Leapzone Strategies are pleased to offer you a free Master Class for your continued development! Click here for more information.

Introduction

Mount Prevost has a fantastic walking/running trail that starts across the entrance from Bings Creek on Drinkwater Rd. Just follow the ribbons all the way to the top! Give yourself a solid 4 hrs round trip or less if you run it. Since the injury 2 weeks ago, John's been back up several times although he claims he's more cautious. Do we believe him?

For the record, John was given Propofol in the ER NOT Propanol. Turns out, there's a huge difference. 

This experience helped John discover a strength he never knew he had. Pain and trauma can be great teachers if we have the strength to listen.

Episode Notes

Note: The sounds of nature in this episode are incredible.

Andrew mentioned this episode is about a giant Leap Chris took. Shoutout to John's website.

Mindfulness is a lifestyle and a code of conduct. It's the way we think, act, breathe and believe. It helps us not react but experience.

Sam Harris has written a great book and has a fantastic meditation app called Waking Up.

Strathcona is an incredible park brimming with mountains and adventure. Andrew recalled his own rainy adventures in Strathcona in a previous episode. The fact that John has still never been is a crime.

Solitude is a forgotten art. Like exercise, it's important we make time for this each day. Put away the phone, find a local trail and experience the wonder of our world.

CalTopo is a fantastic backcountry trip planning tool that includes high quality maps and trails.

Here's a great article Chris wrote on the Squamish base jumper that died and how risk and adventure both play a role in our outdoor pursuits.

People would rather receive electric shocks then be alone with their thoughts for 15 min. The onus is on us to learn to be ok with our thoughts. Meditation is essential as is learning to shut of your phone. Practicing solitude might just be the next great human discipline.

It's easy to get on a Hedonic Treadmill believing more is better. It seldom is.

Here's the 2 books Chris mentioned..

Your Money or Your Life. -

The Way to a Meaningful Life.

Mr Money Mustache is a great website/blog for transforming your relationship with money!

Chris and his family sold everything they had and left Alberta for the Island! When we continued to push Chris asking him how he was able to make this huge leap he pointed to the Matrix moment. Chris and his family had two choices and he likened the choice to a life and death choice. Chris saw a new vision for his life and had the courage to go after it.

Spend your money on things that align with your values.

Want a tiny home? Check out Rewild Homes!

Greta Thunberg is leading up! Go Greta!

Keep on Recycling. But take a step back and look at how you can reduce and reuse what you already have.

"Debt. Treat it like your hair's on fire. It crushes people." Chris Istace

Don't think about the price. Think about the cost of ownership.

"We can't be too mindful, that's one thing that doesn't have limits." -Andrew Langford

If you liked what you heard and want more Mindful Explorer, please connect with Chris here!

Our guest today is local artist Coco Jones. 

While they appreciate great art, Andrew and John have no painting or drawing talent whatsoever. 

Coco Jones... coolest name in history. 

John seems to debut a new laugh in this episode. Similar to Cookie Monster. It's lovely?

We're everywhere folks. Even on Spotify. 

Coco's daughter, Enya, was in studio for this one! Hiiiiiii Enya!!

"Art is a mad search for individualism." Gauguin

"Art is anything you can get away with." Andy Warhol

All artists long to be original in some way. 

Art is a compulsion. Something you can't NOT do.

"The feeling I got from doing art was a conduit to the Divine. It took away my pain and suffering." Coco.

Perfection is often the great escape from ourself." We talked about this in our fantastic conversation with Lindsay in episode 66.

Coco's Dad wanted her to be a lawyer and not a starving artist. Her compulsion won out.

"Fulfillment comes from doing what you want rather than what's expected."

Born to Run - Storytelling at its best.

A steamy affair with a military man brought Coco to the West Coast. "I kissed him and that was it."

Parent's don't always know what's best. "If you can allow your kids to be who they are, they will always come back to you."

"I am one of those people whose inner child gets to run rampant through their existence." Coco.

Why does it take more vulnerability to hang out in joy than sorrow or pain? Life is waiting for no-one. Joy is your job.

Does art create healing or does pain create art? Both. Your pain becomes the way and in the way.

Painting is never finished. You just learn when to stop. 

Nothing owes you anything. You have to show up. 

If Psychedelic medicine doesn't call to you, stay away. You'll know when it's time. Plant medicine won't give you anything you don't need. The loss of control and purging aspects of Ayahuasca are difficult but the result is transformative.  It helps you own and face the sickness within.

"I was shown I was still holding onto the things I had long forgiven." 

Parenting Moment: Never say to kids, "it's just your imagination." 

The job of plant medicine is not to remove or takeaway but help you embrace and take in.

"Our souls are so magnificent, we have NOTHING to be afraid of." 

While drugs have often been used to numb or help the user escape. The purpose of plant medicine is to help you face and experience. Set and Setting is everything. 

"Plant medicine has helped me see where my art comes from." Coco

To be clear, John said, "you look at an amazing pianist and they just play." 

One key to a healthy relationship is a strong balance between dependance and independence. Each partner needs their space to create! 

"It's difficult to be creative without a musical influence."

"The only difference between people is tints, tones and shades."

Black people don't need your guilt. And it doesn't inspire action.

"The War of Art." Fantastic book. 

"The Muse isn't going to wake you up. You still have to do the work." 

We still have to prime the canvas. 

"I hope when people look at my art, they experience healing."

John #almost made it through an Introduction without being.. John...

No, we're not including Peter's home address in the show notes. Nice try listeners. :)

Yo-Yo Ma is not slang for something. He is a world class Cellist.

We talk a lot about flow on the podcast. We loved Peter's description: "Flow is breathless, meditative, effortless, everything is bathed in light and connects everyone in an experience of community that is wondrous." - Peter McCoppin

"When you're in your head, you're dead." - Tony Robbins

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit."

"When we're doing something well, we become invisible."

"Why are people afraid? Because they think they may not be good enough and maybe they won't be loved."

"Everything you need to know about leadership is already within you. You can't teach anyone anything they didn't already know for that would be as to give sight to blind eyes." - Plato

"The image is already in the stone, I just take away the excess." Michaelangelo

"Leadership is not position, it's behaviour."

"Our work is to discover our work." Anonymous

Our work is an agency not an entity.

Every successful person has endured obstacles and experienced failures along the way. Many credit those same obstacles/failures as CRUCIAL to their eventual success.

"Emotion is the most powerful anchor for memory."

Peter was mentored by the great Erich Leinsdorf.

We love these gems by Helen Keller.

"Life is either an amazing adventure or nothing at all."

"What could be worse than blindness? Sight without vision."

"The only things we get to keep are that which we've given away."

Here's the list of Peter's Phenomenal Coaching Questions:

1. When am I at my best?
2. What will I never do?
3. What one word best defines me?

Who am I? What do I want? Why do I want it?

"To be a leader; do what you love in the service of people who love what you do." Steven Farber

Before responding, STOP - Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed.

If you've never experienced Victoria's annual Symphony Splash, it needs to be your next thing! For the past 30 years, it's been delighting hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. Peter made it happen!

Peter ends this remarkable episode by echoing the great Joseph Campbell's words of advice: Follow your Bliss.

If you want more Peter, check out his website! 

So apparently coding and app development is something kids do..

Sadly, Grandma Lees no longer exists in Weyburn.

Apparently, John is the only person who calls Andy, Andrew. That said, he's sticking with Andrew.

Immediately following the milk incident, Andrew's popularity plummeted to 2%. #nailedit

Autism is NOT a disease JOHN.

John and Andrew pretending like they understood Roman's coding talk remains some of the best acting of 2019.

Duck Hunt!

By "some people think it's a disability.".. Roman means John. haha.

"If you've met one person with Autism, you've met one person with Autism."

HURT people HURT people. This goes back to the classic advice we were raised with. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Here's Jill's excellent episode on how to follow your intutition and the
importance of fighting to have your voice heard!

To learn more about Autism, here are some fantastic resources handpicked by Shay and Roman.

https://www.actcommunity.ca/

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/healthy-women-children/child-behaviour-development/special-needs/autism-spectrum-disorder/autism-funding

https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

https://autismcanada.org/

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd/support-autism-spectrum-disorder-asd.html

https://www.autismbc.ca/

Intro Notes

We flipped the mic around today and the result was a challenge for both of us - yet - well worth the journey.

Fact Check: We've done 29 episodes. not 30. We have no idea why we lied.

Roman's episode came out last week! You can give this remarkable episode a listen here.

You can listen to Blair's excellent episode right here! It was episode #12. John will be an upcoming guest on Blair's popular podcast Shipwreck over Safety, a podcast that discusses matters of faith, doubt and living according to your truth self. John's episode comes out September 25th.

Here's the Cruise Ship John took with his family. Alaska was unforgettable.

Hiking the Chilkoot Trail is on both of Andrew and John's bucket lists!

We finally have a really fancy website! A HUGE shoutout to Jesse and his team at Stikky Media. If you're looking for a professional company to improve your look and help you get found on line, look no further then Stikky. They continue to take great care of us and we are extremely grateful!

The purpose of our website is to continue the conversation and dig deeper. We'll be writing blog entries, expanding our show notes and you can even see our mini bios. Please engage and let's grow together!

Episode Notes

Yes, Andrew edited his own episode. If you want to hear the rest of the story, we're looking for sponsors so... ;)

Similar to the night we met, Andrew and I jumped into the deep end right away in this episode.

In our excellent episode at the Deathly Matters Conference, Andrew discussed his experience as a child losing several family members.

When our values are connected with our purpose, we can experience joy and a deep sense of personal fulfillment.

When we don't have a strong sense of intrinsic motivation we tend to look for validation from an outside source like social media.

Historically, Andrew has struggled to be vulnerable because he wants people to hold him in high regard. The secret to his success (and ours) has been learning to hold himself in high regard.

The Human Element was transformative in Andrew's life. It is a program of personal growth that Andrew later became a practitioner in.

Andrew loves the Irish. It's probably why we've had 2 Irish guests on the podcast. Maeve and Christine!

"Sometimes we don't know we're on the wrong path until we fall off of it." -Andrew Langford.

Andrew joins a long list of previous guests who have learned how to become grateful for their rock bottom and embrace it as a solid place in which to begin again. In Andrew's case, it was losing his job at the Resort but by embracing the event and pushing through he is now the owner of the spectacularly successful Twist of Fate Craft Cocktails.

"You can't think yourself out of a bad mindset. Take action." - Andrew Langford.

If you're looking for a wise coach to help you define your own leadership, Andrew would be a great asset for you!

This has been... Obstacle Course! Thank you for listening, friends.

Andrew's song lyrics: "Every new beginning is some other new beginning's, end."

This final episode isn't a memorial, it's a celebration. 

If you've listened to every episode, you've spent over 7500 hrs with us. 

Check ya later folks.

Union Pacific Coffee Shop has great atmosphere and delicious coffee/home-made food.

"Ironically Wim doesn't respond well to cold calls." Gold. 

"This podcast has never been one to make us money but we don't want it to cost us a lot either." haha. 

The episode where John learned to be present.

Hosting Stories of Resilience.

Jesse Roper's incredible episode.

"Screw it up, just go for it, hang it out there. People will love you more for hanging it out there then trying to be something you're not." - Jesse Roper

When you're ok with who you are, you'll stop making everything about you.

Our guests were people willing to take action!!

It's not about being fearless but fearing less.

Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

The power of vulnerability is it draws people near.

Shoutout to our Decaf Bengal Spice tea that prevented our mouths from drying up while recording.

"We know this has been a success if it inspires people to make a small act of courage."

Numbers are only one story of the experience.

John learned to how to make space for other people.

Andrew learned he is best when he asks the questions. 

"Never let our ambitions confuse us from who we really are." Jim Collins.

"Why not just be yourself?"

"You will never say something worth remembering if you can't say it from the depths of who you truly are." 

The three principles that guided all of our guest choices and conversations.

1. Authenticity
2. Vulnerability
3. Good Story Telling Ability

Brene Browne! 

It's impossible to tell a great story story without being authentic and vulnerable.

"So clearly, this is well rehearsed." It always was...n't .... 

Obstacles are opportunities we can learn and grow from.

Obstacle Course is a mindset, a decision and a life long habit. That's why it never ends.

Often, obstacles start as a feeling. 

"I will always look back and remember that we hosted a show that encouraged people to not be overtaken by the tough things in life but to allow the tough things to toughen them up so they could move forward and do what's truly meaningful and great in the world." 

Thank you Judy!!! Your peanut butter cookies will never be be bested.

Thank you Andy Robertson for getting us going. 

Thank you Angie and Sarah for your unending support, belief and for speaking truth.

Thank you guests for sharing your souls. You will forever be in our hearts.

Last but not least, thank you for listening. We love you. Check ya later :) 

You are not alone! 

We love you and keep pushing through those obstacles. Thanks folks.

Welcome to our first annual Christmas Episode! John LOVES Christmas, Andrew has some bitterness about it. This should be fun.

Festivus! Celebrated on December 23, it's an alternative to the commercialization of Christmas, as only the cast of Seinfeld could pull off.

Black Friday has led to the Dark side of Christmas.

Christmas is both light and dark. Sad and Happy. Family and Loneliness. It's important we are sensitive to this.

Here's the latest Hallmark controversy.

Here's the Top Christmas movies we mentioned:

1. Home Alone

• Here's the Netflix Documentary about Home Alone and other classic movies. Highly recommended and super interesting!
• Yes, Macaulay Culkin did have a drug problem which he discusses along with many other things in his excellent appearance on The Joe Rogan Podcast.
• Bunnyears.com. Macaulay's lifestyle website. Very funny and informative.
• John cried in this. Somehow. The ending is very touching if you don't have a heart of stone like Andrew.

2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

• Chevy Chase, while fantastic in this classic movie which we highly recommend, is an unfortunate asshole offscreen.

3. Scrooged

• Billy Murray is an incredible, classic comedic actor who has managed not to be an asshole.
• This movie, like many Christmas movies, takes its inspiration from Charles Dicken's classic A Christmas Carol.

4. Love Actually

• An annual favourite of Johns! Even Andrew's partner, Sarah, loves this one.

5. It's A Wonderful Life

• This 1946 Black and White Christmas classic is John's favourite movie of all time.

6. The Christmas Story

7. Die Hard

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's the food Andrew and John enjoy this time of year:

Cheese Ball: Judy's home-made creation is incredible.

Cheese Shortbread: Again, Judy's. SO damn good.

Note: Butter is better for you than hydrogenated margarine

Turkey: (and Ham).

Stuffing:

Gravy:

Yorkshire Pudding:

Mashed Potatoes: Angie's crowning achievement. Garlic, cream cheese, butter. Non Lumpy.

Heres's some books we like:

Polar Express

Twas the Night Before Christmas

As far as evening wear goes, we're not big pyjama guys, we like the classic Gitch/Gotch. Apparently, we were both right on the name, it varies from Province to Province.

History of Christmas

The Knickerbockers

Don't throw mindset aside this holiday season! Be intentional about the feeling and memory you are trying to create.

Remember Cabbage Patch Kids and Beanie Babies? These weird/ugly toys took the world by storm.

Century of the Self Documentary

Choose to be kind and generous this holiday season (and all seasons). It's the only thing that matters and is always well received.

See you in 2020 everyone!! Thank you for listening. :) 

Hero work is a volunteer organization that engages in radical renovations for those who need it most.

Bullying is full blown trauma and can affect people for a lifetime. If you or someone you know is being bullied or is engaged in bullying, you need to act immediately!!

We've all benefited hugely from the work of Brene Browne!

Busyness is an addiction. Make no mistake about it.

Trevor says, "there's something in me that's really awesome, I just haven't been able to harness it my whole life or connect with it." This incredible moment of honesty and self reflection lies at the heart of our humanity.

The first mistake every addict makes: "I can do it on my own."

Trevor says, "he was burning his life down yet was super proud to be holding matches." He goes onto say, "the reality of my life for the last year and a half was doing drugs in my Mom's basement, while spending my pay cheques from Hero work on drugs and expecting my Mom to contribute to my credit cards that were behind..."

Most addicts don't want their addiction but they don't know how to stop.

Drugs numb out the good stuff along with the bad.

If you or someone you know are currently struggling with addiction, Trevor's message is simple. Tell someone! Get help! You CAN'T do it on your own. Reach out to your local drug treatment facility today! Here is the facility that transformed Trevor.

Don't "go off" on yourself. The words you say to yourself are powerful so keep it classy and positive. Ask yourself, "would I say this to someone else?"

Don't build your self-esteem based on the feedback you get from other peopole.

The episode concludes with Trevor saying, "this story is going to have a happy ending." :)

Just in case you struggle with this word too, Dictionary.Com is your friend.

Bonjour French listeners! Sonia says hello..

Speaking of saying hello, Maeve Maguire, our very first guest interview way back in Episode 2, is in the studio today. Enjoy her frequent laughs and muffled words of wisdom.

Sonia learned at a young age the importance of active citizenship and protecting democracy. Decades later when she would enter the political arena, these formative experiences would serve as guides.

Andrew's Mark Twain quote, "history doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes," likely wasn't Mark Twain -yet, it remains a great quote and we laud Andrew's courage in trying to sound smart. He redeemed himself with the next "light" question.

Anyone can tear down. It takes a gifted leader to rebuild.

John's Einstein quote was actually Einstein but John butchered the quote. The quote is actually, "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious."

For more information on the Overton Window, here's a great article written by the Failing New York Times. Just kidding, we love the NYT.

Popcorn Thinking: Kernels of Truth. A forthcoming title by John Close.

Sonia's angry voice is terrifying. We felt unsafe.

Here is more information on Sonia's leadership and role in Shawnigan's contaminated soil dump.

Here is more information on Sonia's historic election win!

The system that has provided the Earth with a stable climate is being disrupted at a rate faster than ever in recorded history. If you trust the Science, this is not up for debate.

For more information on Charles Eisenstein, go here!

Perhaps if we spent more in nature, we would be more inspired to protect it?

Looking for ego free lawn care?

Sonia is on social Media. You can like and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

For more information on Sonia, her politics and her current work, go here and here.

The Sleep Test: When Sonia is sleeping well, she knows she is existing in a place of integrity.

This is your future! As always, get out and vote!

Before voting, take the time to review the party's platform. Do the work then vote based on your values. 

Bob's Website!

Bob's TED Talk.

**Intro: **

Maeve! Our first interview! Episode 2. I just re-listened to it expecting to cringe. It holds up quite well. :)

Bo is super famous and we love him. Hopefully he listens to this episode and contacts us. We expect he will.

Andrew’s Company is THE Company around town.

The Royal family is in England. For the record.

Who are the Kardashians?

We are a pretty good time for lunch and we’re not famous so… buy us a burrito and maybe you can come on our show.

Let’s keep this brief. Brevity does not mean courage. That said, John’s braveness in attempting to use the word was adorable.

Episode Notes

“We objectify people by seeing them as a vehicle, obstacle or simply of no relevance.” Bob saw us as none of these things which is why he was willing to grab lunch with us.

Bob thought it was the end of the world… and it wasn’t. “Resilience is getting back up after you get knocked down and realizing everybody gets knocked down and sometimes we need to take turns helping each other back up!”

Book Alert! Loving What Is!

Article Alert! How to get rid of your repressed anger!

Adorable Alert! John had a little yellow blanket and carried it around until all that was left was a frayed tiny corner. What magical blanket or teddy bear are you carrying or chasing that you think will make you happy/secure?

Bob’s addiction was busyness! John relates to Bob. Andrew probably relates to John and Bob too but isn’t doing these shownotes.

Depression is hell. Be kind to yourself and others who are in the midst of it.

Yes, that was a phone ringing. John forgot he was recording a podcast.

The Path of No Resistance! “What do you do to get the kicker ready to kick the winning field goal in the Super Bowl? I don’t get him ready to kick the winning field goal, I get him ready to be ok either way.”

Confirmation Bias prevents honest dialogue and our own personal growth. We can do better!

Bob thought if he experienced enough external success he would be healed. This goes back to the Teddy Bear/ Blanket. What Blanket are you carrying around in hopes of gaining success?

We have no idea which politician Bob was referring to. Anyone?

Mosquitos on Cocaine. They fly high. #nailedit

Andrew forgot that Bob hasn’t stepped away from his Memory Stuff. The irony is delicious.

Panic attacks can be very frightening to experience. You may even feel like death is imminent. Instead of resisting the feeling or worse, trying to control it, you must learn to be ok with it and ultimately embrace it. Put your arm around it, like it’s a struggling friend. It’s counter-intuitive but it works. And it will go away. Cold Showers can also provide an instant mental reset.

The blue light from your computer and phone will NOT lull you to sleep. Quite the opposite. Best to avoid before bed-time.

We have 15th century brains with 21st century technology.

The greatest addictive behaviour they have created for social media is the scroll down feature. It’s like an emotional slot machine!! Nothing Nothing..I won, I won! There is a strong link between depression, anxiety and time spent on Social Media.

The most important person on the planet is the one right in front of you!

Lost Connections! This well reviewed boook looks at why you’re depressed and how to find hope!

Irrational thoughts aren’t real yet we believe them. We don’t have to believe everything we think!

Struggle is arguing with what is.

What’s the negative thought that is kicking you out of heaven?

Besides cancelling your dentist appointment, what would you do if you found out you had a year to live? Why aren’t you doing that now?

A belief is simply an opinion you refuse to reconsider.

The Unthered Soul!

That voice in your head. Unless it's paying rent, you need to evict it. Note: Voices can't pay rent, evict it.

You are not your thoughts. You are simply the observer. If this sounds like wooo wooo, look into mindfulness and meditation.

Quieting your mind is the key to peace and joy. Find your way or reach out to a trained professional for help.

The movies in your mind ARE. NOT .REAL.

Curious where Andrew and John go for lunch every week? The Fig!

Three cheers for Ian "Chiz" Chisolm for showing boldness by asking to come on the Podcast again. If you missed his first appearance, your can check it out here. 

Pixar rules. Inside Out 

At press time, it looks like the NHL will award a Stanley Cup in 2020! Go Oilers! 

Here's Ian's excellent interview with Chek News.

"Emotions are like kids in the car. Don't let them drive but also don't lock them in the trunk." 

We can react (emotions are in charge) or respond (we are in charge of our emotions). 

Dr Bonnie Henry is steady without being emotionless. People trust leaders who can show appropriate emotion. She had led British Columbia through the worst crisis in decades.

COVID has been a massive resilience test for this current generation. 

We are built for challenge. Resilience is our birthright!

We need to have a appetite for adversity. 

Leadership is example. 

What does our fear tell us about who we are?

Hope and positivity can be unhelpful if we use them as a way to run away from our present pain and suffering. We must embrace what is even if what is hurts. We're big enough for both positive and negative experiences.

"I was literally in the business of social proximity." Ian reflecting on the impact Covid has had on his business.

If it's not broke don't fix it. But sometimes we should break stuff to practice building it back up.

Robert Henderson's 4 Disciplines of Leadership: Reflection Inquiry Pause Action. Treat each discipline as different gears. Don't get caught in between gears!! 

Anxiety often manifests itself as either underperforming or over performing. Best to avoid the extremes and find the helpful middles. 

Master of Metaphors. John Close. 

I repeat. We are NOT approaching the End Times.

It's time for smart people to question everything and extract as much significant change from COVID as possible.

How might this be the best thing to ever happen to us? 

Today, we continue our trend of discussing politics! We'd like to officially welcome Dr. Valerie D'Erman,  Instructor of Political Science at the University of Victoria, on the Podcast. 

Mcgill University!

Why do we do the thing we say we'll never do? Pattern recognition? Habits?

Introverts rejoice! You don't have to call restaurants anymore. :)

Speaking of introverts, this important book is currently helping John understand everyone around him :) 

Not to disagree with Valerie, but I assure you, she meant to say, Britain is officially and legally out of the EU! :) 

Thanks for listening Giuseppe! :) 

For more information on Brexit and all things news, BBC is generally a great source of reliable information!

"Obstinate Euro Scepticism." This doesn't sound good...

Populism is a common and potentially dangerous reality that pervades all sides of modern politics. 

Has Trump thought it through?

Neutral Analytics is a practice we all need to learn. What a less angry and better connected world we could be. Well done Valerie!

GWYNNE DYER has worked as a freelance journalist, columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs for more than 20 years, but he was originally trained as an historian.

Trump is not the cause but the result of a deep seeded problem that already existed and exists in modern politics. 

Freud: “Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.”

Fact Check: The United States is NOT the worst country for income disparity. But, it's still not great.

For the record, we hope Alberta doesn't separate from Canada. Besides their important industries and great people, who would Andrew and I cheer for? 

UBI (Universal Basic Income) might sound like a disease but it has its proponents and it's definitely not a black or white issue. Here's some articles for further reading. 

CERB has been a life saver and business saver for many but people are people and there are those who have taken advantage of the benefit. 

Mandatory Public Service (Conscription) is a controversial approach but could be helpful for engaging and equipping people for life skills. 

"Democracy is not a birthright. It's fragile." 

We all need to learn how to discuss controversial topics with kindness, humility and grace. We need to acknowledge our ignorance with a sense of humor and listen to other people's points of view. We're thankful to Valerie for showing us how.

Note: Spirituality is a topic of great interest for many people, including John and Andrew. This episode is merely the perspective of 3 people. It is not meant to be the final word on this topic by any means and in fact we'll likely have more roundtable conversations on this topic and other topics in the future. Hope you enjoy it!

Stillness provides room for Spirit. Seek it out. Also, read Ryan Holiday's great new book!

We were honoured to interview 3 fantastic people.

Jill Lawrence

- Welcome back Jill! Jill shared her story of the power of intuition way back in episode 7!

- Jill values synchronicity as a way to understand life's experiences and believes that our thoughts and perspectives influence our experience.

- Jill doesn't believe, "everything happens for a reason." She prefers to believe, "everything is happening exactly as it was meant to happen."

-Having a positive mindset is a spiritual choice!

Allen Close

-Allen is John's MUCH older brother. God, he's old. So old. His American accent is spot on though. Well done Allen.

-Yall means, "you all." :)

-God is so much bigger than Allen once thought. This is a positive indicator that someone's faith is growing.

-Prayer is not a list. It's a conversation.

-Prayer grows from Praying At God to Talking with God to Listening to God to Being with God.

-You can't legislate kindness and morality. We can't elect someone to fix this.

-Religion without spirituality often becomes corrupt.

-God is not contained to a book or building.

-The story of the Woman caught in Adultery.

-Spirituality is not contained in our categories. It is in us and through us.

-This is the scripture that talked about, "God wiping every tear from our eyes."

-Spirituality and Religion can operate mutually exclusively of each other although if you claim to be religious but you are not spiritual, you are missing the point of your religion.

Shauna Janz

-Welcome back Shauna! Shauna shared her perspective on death back in episode 19.

-For Shauna, spirituality is Life-force. Truth niggles with her and doesn't quite land because of all of its historical baggage.

-Spirituality is relationship based with all living beings compassion.

-What are underlining values that our spirituality grounds us to?

-Religion often implies, "power over." Spirituality empowers.

-Joseph Campbell famously said, 'Follow your Bliss.' This is a great starting point for any spiritual journey. Joseph Campbell and his Hero's Journey was and continues to be the inspiration for this podcast.

A healthy Spirituality is more concerned about life than death. 

Sharp, frank, and fearless, that’s Buddhist sex therapist, psychologist, author, and speaker Dr. Cheryl Fraser. With a rare combination of academic credibility, humor, straight-talk, and life-changing advice, she has helped thousands of couples jumpstart their love life and create passion that lasts a lifetime. She has taught for Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield, appears on countless podcasts, and writes about love and sex for magazines. 

And chocolate nipples! 

John's at 45 days in a row now on  Headspace.

Great sex begins in your head!

Buddha in the Bedroom is a fantastic book! The link between mindfulness and being a good lover is real. 

You. Are. Normal. 

Long term couples include anyone in a relationship for 12-18 months or longer. 

The bio-chemistry of falling in love is the same as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Come As You Are. Another excellent book to check out.

You are not broken. You are in process. 

"Reaearch indicates the greatest predictor of mental well being, longevity and life satisfaction is having a quality romantic relationship." Dr Fraser.

Marriage Inc. Are you comfortably miserable?

Libido means life force.

The average male orgasm lasts 7 seconds and the average female orgasm lasts 21 seconds. Get out the stopwatches people. Actually don't. 

"Siri, please give me the route to her orgasm." haha. 

Shame is a massive obstacle to healthy sexuality. 

"Nipple Nipple Crotch Goodnight," can be indicative of a sexual slump or being a lazy lover.

When's the last time you licked the back of your partner's knees?

Sex isn't necessarily the place where you should be efficient. 

It's time we ACTUALLY got naked. 

No wet exits. Nice one Andrew. 

Maybe don't eat fish chilli.

The Passion Triangle. Take the quiz here!

LOVE SKILL: Rate Your Passion Triangle: The 3 Keys to Passion.

Do you want to know where your relationship is currently strong, and where is it weak?

Rate yourself on Thrill, Intimacy, and Sensuality by taking the free Passion Quiz. You will receive scores and feedback to help you re-ignite great love, romance, and passion.

Click here to take the quiz

Andrew prefers nipples to chocolate. You heard it here first. 

The brain assumes the chocolate is already in your mouth.

Chocolate Covered Nipples. Who doesn't like the sound of this??

Don't wait for a wakeup call to decide to make thrill a priority again. 

Sign up for Dr. Cheryl's Masterclass right here!

Sign up for Dr. Cheryl's Passion program here! 

Our fact check has revealed the "hustle for worthiness" quote was Brene Brown.
That said, John is sure Pema Chodron said it as well.

Stormin Norm Jackson is the general manager and “head pro” at the Cowichan Golf and Country Club, Norm has also earned multiple industry awards with his team at the club’s Golf Shop, and has twice been honoured as the BC PGA Pro of the Year. He has also been an important mentor in Sara's Life.

The Inner Game of Golf.

Here are the 3 meditation apps we discussed and highly recommend Calm Headspace and Waking Up.

Andrew is not Trump's biggest fan.

Miss Universe Canada is Saturday, August 17th. Let's all tune in and cheer Sara on!!

To learn more about Sara, here's her Miss Universe Canada page.

If you'd like to connect with Sara, you can follow her on Instagram.

Meet the brave guests who spontaneously sat down with us!

Tony Drolet Elite Promotional Marketing
Mike Reilly Freedom 55 Financial
Sarah Gross Live Feisty Media
Mia Golden Pacific Center Family Services Association
Janelle Anderson Combined Insurance
Clay Rach Poise Painting

The annual Entrepreneur Summit is put on by Your Entrepreneur Society (YES). YES is responsible for John and Andrew meeting and many of the best people in their lives! If you're looking for an engaging community to help you stay passionate and challenged, you need to join this transformative community!!

This is one of the books that saved John when he was burning out and stuck in a career he no longer believed in.

This is the book Andrew mentioned - Essentialism!

Canada's Greatest Hockey Team.

Introduction Notes

The Boom's back baby!

For the record, Andrew has ONLY dealt in the legal intoxicants.

John's a story machine.

Andrew was right. It's Ukraine NOT The Ukraine.

Schwans was literally just bought out by another Company. Perhaps they didn't want their profits to melt away.

The fact is Andrew was never dead and he resents the accusation.

John said honk 21 times. We didn't feel the need to edit...apparently.

Would you like to know more about Hermits?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode Notes:

Mike Reilly does play in the CFL just not THIS Mike Reilly.

Mike made an appearance on the podcast in the spring when we recorded Live at the Your Entrepreneur Summit. We're happy to have him back!

Here are all the places Mike Reilly volunteers his time at:

• President of Westshore Chamber of Commerce
• Rotary Club of Westshore
• Junior Achievement
• Board of Advocis
• Board of 100 Men Who Care Victoria

Here's Karina's excellent episode where she shared how volunteerism helped her in the midst of her depression and how she was able to leave her stagnant life (career, relationship) and start fresh. Mike had a similar realization in this episode.

"You can want a person to make better decisions for themselves but until they want to, there's nothing you can do. It's not your job to make somebody else happy." - Mike Reilly

"Money is neither good nor bad, it's just a tool like anything else." - M.R.

Make sure your financial goal has meaning and emotion attached to it.

Apparently Mike watches Bachelor in Paradise. What's your guilty pleasure?

Positive visualization of a future financial goal (e.g. vacation) is more effective than resenting having to put money away for an undefined goal.

"Savings never has buyers remorse." - M.R.

What if your financial struggles have more to do with a poor mindset or a bad habit rather than how much money you are not making?

People often feel like it's pointless to put away a small amount of money. Or pay off a small bill. In reality, this small act can begin a new habit that can snowball into something huge!

Automating your saving is probably the smartest and most rewarding decision you can make.

If you, like half of Canada, are struggling with your finances. Seek Mike out! He really is a wealth of information. You can connect with him here. 

Well done Sarah! We're loving the Roundtables. If you missed the first one, check it out here! 

For this conversation, we brought back three great guests! Wade Smith, Maeve Maguire and Mike Reilly! 

Wade Smith

Suffering comes from trying to control an uncontrollable world and being attached to an outcome.

Don't ask, "What's the worst that can happen?" Ask.. "What's the best possible thing that can happen?" 

If you're unclear about the big picture, it's easy to get distracted and lose your attention.

"When I compromise my values, I'm out of integrity." WS

Your values are a light that you can follow. Look out for the equal and opposite darkness.

Maeve Maguire

Maeve likes comedians. I guess that's why she likes us.

Our kids are watching what we do more than they are listening to what we say.

Are cell phones the new smoking?

We're not even interested in the distractions.

Maeve's favourite time of the day is when the phones are put away and she can just be with her partner and kids.

For the record, Maeve has 4 working limbs but 3 arms.. hmmm.

Maeve was addicted to the flip phone. It doesn't take much...

"That's my bird clock in the background..." :) Maeve Maguire

Here's how to use the Do Not Disturb 

Practice mindfulness with your phone. Get curious about your habits. 

John struggled to say, "that's hugely valuable.." But it is. :) 

Mike Reilly

First 3 time guest... Mr. Mike Reilly!!

Ask yourself, what's the one thing I NEED to get done today. Then Prioritize. And accept those things that won't get done. In order to do this, we need to learn to say no.

Benjamin Franklin's legendary questions to bookend the day...

"What good shall I do today?" "What good did I do today?"

Peter McCoppin's great questions! What went well today? What was challenging today? What are my opportunities for tomorrow?  Peter appeared on episode 34. Check it out! 

Mike's mind warfare is so perfectly human. It's important to discern the ego's voice. We don't have to do what we've always done especially if it's not serving us well.

The Ego is crafty. It can sound wise but it may be selfish or irresponsible. It's important to be mindful with our thoughts and actions. 

Mindfulness meditation is key to identifying thoughts. Rather then resisting them we simply see them, name them and move on.

e.g.

"That's a plan. That's a hope. That's a wish. That's a memory. That's a fear."

If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always had.

"You have the best questions in the business." Mike Reilly :) Thanks Mike!!

Notes from Introduction

Fiona led John astray. Apparently there is a Seaside Cottage right beside the Pub. The Pub owner could have at least told me, "ohh you might be thinking of the Seaside Cottage which are right there." Which we weren't. Regardless... he makes a mean local pint.

The Sound of Confidence was a shoutout to the excellent Episode 13 with Rosemarie.

Andrew runs Twist of Fate Craft Cocktails with his lovely partner Sarah. Incredible local business serving up local pints and recipes for your next event.

Andrew is a trained, certified and excellent coach. Whether you need wisdom for your next business move or how to be a better driver, Andrew can show you the way!

Jason's excellent episode was episode 8 not 10. Jason also referred to learning not to chase success but accept yourself for who you are.

Christine Ryan is an excellent Realtor with Sotheby's International Realty Canada. You can connect with her here!

Steve Collins grew up on the same street as Christine and later became a world champion boxer! The Celtic Warrior!

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a short-term therapy technique that can help people find new ways to behave by changing their thought patterns. Without a doubt, it changed Christine's life.

"One cannot be fulfilled by externalities." - Christine Ryan

Rhematoid Arthritus occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues. There are varying degrees of the disease.

Hamsters in the bath tub. Think about it folks. :)

A huge thanks to Club Kwench for hosting us! 

If you missed the Victoria BLM Rally, it was an incredible event. 

Our guests today are none other than the great Pamphinette Buisa, Vanessa Simon and Asiyah Robinson. We stand with them. 

"We will never understand but we will stand with you."

Isolation is at the heart of racism. Until we are equal, we will be separated. 

We all need and deserve a place to belong.

Confidence comes from a place of belief and truth deep within.

Vulnerability is crucial in being able to share your voice.

Dave Chappelle's post George Floyd tribute is powerful. "I didn't have to speak up because the streets were crying out."

Not racist is not a thing. You're either racist or anti-racist. Part of the problem or part of the solution. Check out Ibram Kendi's amazing book on "How To Be An Anti Racist."

Being not racist is NOT enough. Be Anti-Racist.

Canada is just like everywhere else. Racism is alive and not well.

For more information on micro-aggressions

Apologizing and being polite can be an obstacle to real dialogue. 

"Silence is Violence." 

"Hurt People hurt people."

Deflection of Responsibility - don't wait for someone else to step up and do what is right! 

We are individuals in a collective society so we must look out for others and stand up for each other. 

You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable if you hope to move forward and make a difference.

Vic Sees. Vic Hears. Fists Up. 

Equality means its OURS. 

If you're concerned about the COVID-19 threat at the BLM Rallies, consider this: Our Black brothers and sisters have lived with a far more deadly pandemic for centuries. 

If you're curious about the origin of Black Lives Matter. 

BLM exists in the hearts and minds of everyone. It can never be closed or destroyed. That is why it ultimately is a movement of Hope.

"All Lives can't matter until Black Lives Matter. We're asking for human rights. We're asking for the right to live." 

"When we're divided, it's easy to conquer. When we're unified, movements can happen. We're calling you to action, to step up and stand up for someone else. We're calling you to action to invest in this community."

"We're not doing all the work for you. We're letting you know what you need to do and you need to decided how far you can take it. We're looking for educated allies."

"What can you do? Start with your skill and expertise and use your current position to make change."

Resources for Change: Once we know better, we can do better.

"We're so rain soaked in racism, we don't even know it until someone hands us an umbrella." Ibram Kendi. 

Here's your Umbrella. Start Here. 

Documentary: Netflix's 13th Documentary

Books: How to be An Anti Racist,  White Fragility.

Why do we think the things we think and where is it coming from?

Success is the process and journey we take to achieve the outcome we desire.

Success won't happen unless the next generation continues the work and builds off us.

Progress is impossible without conversation.  

Don't play it safe. Nobody got to the end of their life and said, "oh, I'm so glad I played it safe."

This is the beginning. What happens next is up to us. 

A HUGE thank you to Coco Jones for donating her original painting of Nipsey Hussle who was tragically murdured in 2019. Please bid on this work of art HERE and all monies will go to the Black In BC Community Support Fund for COVID-19. 

While detail-oriented, Judy is not sentimental. Phew.

Fuckups happen folks. Embrace them.

Andrew and Ian own Star Wars costumes. #sexappeal

John's Mentor Test: Look in the mirror.

A great mentor doesn't help you become more like them, they help you become more like yourself.

Our gear reminded Ian of Mash. Boom.

Yet another thanks to Jason Dorland for connecting us with another fantastic guest.

Ian / Chiz, is a founding Partner of Roy Group which was named after his Grandfather. A fantastic mentor and leader.

Mastery is the conservation of effort. IC

Robert Henderson's 4 discipline's of leadership: Reflection, Inquiry, Pausing, Action. Action is the final thing.

Great leadership: Nothing more and nothing less than what's required.

The Obstacle Course and the Hero's journey never ends. We don't arrive. It becomes our life's work.

John's golden-bubbling metaphor was adorable and preceded his bubbling stomach - equally adorable.

We all need to be more self centred - centred in our true self.

The myth of the lone ranger, sleep deprived, bullet proof- rock star entrepreneur is a lie. Any successful entrepreneur must learn to live in balance and focus on contribution.

Fuck up Nights is an international night of truth speaking where successful people stand up and share their most colossal Fuck Up. This is a very courageous and therapeutic act for the speakers and inspiring for the audience. Ian is the founder of the Victoria chapter.

Vulnerability both precedes and creates the trust.

Failure is chalk full of great information. IC

We all have our go to favourite failures that we need to learn from and work on eliminating.

All mentors are leaders. Not all leaders are mentors. The difference is intent. IC

The Potential Equation: Tim Gallwey. p=P-I. performance=Potential-Interference. The potential is there and is dying to come out it wants to connect with other people and be out of it's own way. What's in the way? It might be external or internal. Limiting believes? Self doubt? Fear? Insecurity? External Conditions?

As a leader, our job is not to activate potential in other people but remove the interference or block that's getting in the way of their potential.

Before Luke Skywalker became a Jedi he was that annoying cousin we all like to avoid. The mentorship of Yoda and Obi-Wan was transformative.

The Inner Game of Tennis goes way beyond tennis.

We all need to take the time to distill down our own unique abilities so we know where are limitations are and most importantly, where we need help.

Ian's distilled personal statement: Stir courage in honourable people.

What is your distilled personal statement?

Learning to let go is a doozy. But essential. Remember, Mastery is the conservation of effort.

Simon Sinek's The Power of Why is a GREAT resource to help activate your life's purpose. The truth is in your stories.

Indistractable is a GREAT resource to help you learn to focus.

Every business owner, employer and entrepreneur needs to avoid the temptation of hiring people who are just like them. Or because they like them.

Work smarter not harder!

If you're looking for personal or organizational transformation, reach out to Ian and the good folks at Roy Group.

If you would like to find or participate in your local quarterly Fuck Up Nights, connect here.

Great bakers make great bread!

You are the work!

Please leave your kind reviews for us on iTunes