The Kyle Thiermann Show

Chris Burkard, an acclaimed photographer known for his breathtaking landscapes, discusses the intersection of creativity and personal growth. He shares insights about the evolution of surf photography and the importance of authentic connections. Diving into the impact of psychedelics, Burkard reveals how they’ve informed his journey through parenthood and his artistic identity. He also reflects on a transformative darkness retreat that emphasized self-discovery and vulnerability. His passionate advocacy for nature underscores the need for deeper connections with the world.

When I started this podcast more than 7 years ago, I listed Derek Sivers as my dream guest (sorry Kelly Slater). Sivers’ gift, I believe, is the willingness to question the premise of all things, delightfully, humorously, and give anyone in his orbit the choice to follow a more original path. An author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, he’s known for his surprising quotable insights, pithy succinct writing style, and commitment to minimalism. (He currently lives in a 4x8 meter house in New Zealand and is building it out slowly, room by room, just to see what he needs.) Formerly a musician, programmer, TED speaker, and circus clown, he sold his first company for $22 million and gave all the money to charity. Sivers' books (Useful, Not True, How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, Anything You Want) and newest projects are at his website: sive.rs. He loves hearing from strangers and will reply to every email, so if you enjoyed this podcast, shoot him an email and let him know. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Hailing from Half Moon Bay, California, August Howell grew up surfing up and down the state’s northern coast. He studied journalism at the University of Oregon and was a reporter for his hometown newspaper, the Half Moon Bay Review, for nearly five years. But he was raised on a diet of surf magazines, and surfing (and writing about it) remains his passion. He has written about teenagers at Maverick’s, shark researchers in the Farallon Islands, the nuances of big-wave guns, and is a staff writer for SURFER Magazine. In this podcast, we talk about the importance of physical magazines to consume information and preserve surf culture. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Chas Smith (@BeachGrit) is a luminous figure in surfing, an adept journalist, and author. Born in San Jose, California in 1976, Smith’s family uprooted and landed in Coos Bay, Oregon where he learned to surf. After studying intercultural studies in undergrad, Smith graduated with a master’s in linguistics, going on to study in Egypt and at Oxford. Following a story he published in Australia Surfing Life about surfing in Yemen in the wake of 9/11, Smith went on to report in Lebanon, Somalia, Israel-Palestine, and wound up a captive of Hezbollah reporting for Current TV. In the early-aughts, Smith worked for Vice. Soon, he joined Stab magazine at the behest of Derek Rielly, then editor-in-chief, and they set in on an unparalleled era in surf journalism. Some of Stab’s more controversial content garnered unsavory public spats that earned Smith some anti-Semitic epithets, and then in 2014, Smith and Reilly began Beach Grit—a deep well of incendiary, tongue-in-cheek honesty drenched in satire, sans filter. He’s now a regular contributor to The Surfer’s Journal, with bylines at Esquire and Playboy, and the author of Paradise, Now Go to Hell, a cultural vignette of Oahu’s North Shore, which was a finalist for the PEN Center USA Award for Nonfiction.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Robin Greenfield (@RobinGreenfield) is an American environmental activist, adventurer, and humanitarian known for his bold, experiential campaigns that challenge consumerism and promote sustainable living. He has become widely recognized for living in radical simplicity to inspire others toward sustainability, self-sufficiency, and ecological awareness. Greenfield’s work has included biking across the United States on a bamboo bicycle while living off the grid, creating public displays from edible food found in dumpsters to expose food waste, and famously wearing every piece of trash he generated for 30 days to visually demonstrate consumer impact. In 2018, he undertook a yearlong project in Florida, during which he ate only what he grew or foraged himself—an effort to show what's possible outside industrial food systems. Rejecting modern excess, Greenfield has lived without a personal car, phone, or permanent home. He owns fewer than 50 possessions and donates 100% of his media income to grassroots causes. His campaigns have been featured by National Geographic, The Guardian, and TEDx, where he has shared his vision of a world rooted in harmony with nature. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Captain Liz Clark (@CaptainLizClark) spent her youth dreaming of traveling the world by sailboat and surfing remote waves. At the age of 22, she met a mentor who helped turn her desire into reality. Embarking on an adventure that most only fantasize about, she set sail from Santa Barbara, California, as captain of her 40-foot sailboat, Swell, headed south in search of surf and self. Liz captured her voyage in her memoir, Swell, sharing tales of sailing in high seas, of solitude and surprises. During this podcast, we explored Liz’s relationship to God, her experience setting down roots in Tahiti, and her daily habits that led to her completed memoir. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious.This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global organization that holds businesses accountable to donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental causes. In 2002, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, created 1% for the Planet and started a global movement. Today, the network of 4,800+ business members have given more than $700 million in certified donations to vetted environmental organizations. Simply put, businesses commit, give and get certified. It’s low lift for them and high impact for the environmental partners. In this conversation, Kate and I explored the psychology of giving, egregious examples of greenwashing, and how we can change philanthropy norms among the super-rich in the years ahead. If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Every plastic bag has a silver lining, and Ethan Estees has made a career out of finding it. The marine biologist and artist specializes in turning ocean trash—from plastic bottles to discarded fishing rope—into spectacular art pieces. His seascapes give a second life to the otherwise mundane material, offering an attractive introduction to the often depressing topic of ocean pollution. In this conversation, Ethan and I explored his process as an artist and spent a good chunk of time talking about the state of MPAs in California. Despite dedicating his career to environmental protection, Ethan has stuck his neck out for fishing communities over the past two years, calling out the misbegotten proposals by some environmental groups to close large swaths of California’s fisheries. It takes courage not to blindly join a tribe in 2025, but some could argue this quality is requisite to make great art.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Devin O'Dea, the Western Policy & Conservation Manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, shares insights from his journey into conservation. He dives into thrilling personal stories from spearfishing adventures and highlights the journey of balancing preservation with marine management. O'Dea discusses the importance of grassroots activism, public land access rights, and the role of hunters in conservation. He emphasizes the need for community involvement and data-driven strategies to protect our oceans and wild spaces for future generations.

Foster Huntington is a photographer and filmmaker from Skamania, Washington. In 2011, he left his fashion job in New York City and moved into a camper van. For the next three years, he traveled around North America, driving some 120,000 miles, surfing and camping. He began the popular Tumblr account and hashtag, #Vanlife and self-published a book, “Home Is Where You Park It,” with photos from his time on the road. He now lives in a treehouse in the Columbia River Gorge and works on short films and photo projects in his studio. Follow Foster on his Substack.If you dig this podcast, will you please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests on the show. I read them all. You can watch this podcast on my YouTube channel and join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious.Kyle Thiermann is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe