The Kyle Thiermann Show

At eight, Coco Nogales sold gum on the street in Mexico City. He was a runaway, sleeping in bushes and bus stops, and if the police caught him, they would throw him in a juvenile detention center, so he hid at night and worked on the streets to survive. Eventually, he had enough money to buy a bus ticket to Puerto Escondido, a small town with one of the most dangerous big waves on the planet.The watershed moment of his career came when he was 17, photographed surfing a gigantic wave at Puerto Escondido. He says it changed his life forever. Determination and following every opportunity led him to where he is today. Now recognized as one of the top big wave surfers in Mexico, he has traveled the world from Hawaii and South Africa and many places in between.During this podcast, Nogales tells the story of nearly drowning at Todos Santos, a big wave in northern Baja, and the lessons he learned through his recovery.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. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by 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

I met Ben Moon years back at Burning Man. He was carrying a five-gallon bottle of urine, and I was not entirely sober. Since then, I’ve admired his work from respectful a distance, (his IG is worth a stalk). I was very grateful to cross paths with him again for this podcast. This time, he held a kombucha and I was reasonably sober.Ben is an adventure, lifestyle, and portrait photographer whose vibrant images have graced the pages of Patagonia catalogues for the past 18 years.  In recent years, he has shifted his focus to filmmaking. In 2015, he founded his production company, Moonhouse as a platform for collaboration with friends and creatives to bring a wide range of thought-provoking, impactful and cinematically beautiful stories to life on-screen. As a director, Ben’s unique ability to connect with his subjects paired with the talent and experience for visual storytelling allow him to bring a high level of emotional and visual depth to his films. Surviving colorectal cancer in his 20s inspired Ben to develop a deeper connection to others and the natural world and gradually shifted his artistic focus from capturing the pursuit of adventure to telling nuanced human stories that have inspired and impacted millions worldwide.  Most notably, he told his own story about his journey with colorectal cancer and his special relationship with his dog, Denali in the viral short film, Denali. Ben currently resides on the Oregon coast where, in addition to his film and photo work, he is building a house and just published a personal memoir called "Denali: A Man, a Dog, and the Friendship of a Lifetime" on Penguin Books about his journey with cancer and his life with Denali.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. This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency. An out of the box way to inbox. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by 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

As one of the leading players in the revival of paddle-in surfing in giant conditions, Kohl Christensen spends much of his time tracking swells and testing new board designs at some of the most dangerous waves on the planet. An erudite and well-read man with a keenly unique perspective, he explores the world as Hunter Thompson may have, had he surfed. Kohl has lived all over the world, including a year in Easter Island, the remote island off the coast of Chile. When it’s flat, he installs solar energy systems and tends his off-the-grid farm on the North Shore of O’ahu.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. This episode is brought to you by Claude Copywriting Agency. An out of the box way to inbox.You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by 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

Lee Povey is the Founder of Maximize Your Potential Coaching. As an executive coach, he works with ambitious brands to help them upgrade their emotional software. To see problems differently. Because in business, growing pains are not limited to financial or structural. They are also emotional and spiritual. That’s where Lee comes in. Back when I worked as Senior Copywriter at MUD\WTR, Lee worked with our employees every week, and the results were remarkable. As a previous elite cycling athlete and Olympic Development Program Coach for USA Cycling, and from coaching hundreds of World, National, and Olympic champions, Lee understands the importance of World-Class leadership. In this wide-ranging podcast, we talked about how to give feedback, common problems for fast-growing startups, and tyrannical Einsteins. Reach out to Lee.This episode is brought to you by Claude Agency, an out of the box way to inbox.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. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

You know him. As a professional big-wave surfer, spearfisherman, bow hunter, filmmaker, and part-time Hollywood stuntman, Mark Healey (@healeywaterops) is the last true action hero of surfing. Healey has been on the mic before (Ep. 28, Ep. 152, Ep 158), and this one was my favorite to date. He recounted stories of 100ft waves in Morocco, bull riding in a Mexican rodeo, breathing techniques while bow hunting, the birth of his first child, and the last time he felt true fear in the ocean. 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. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by 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

Dane Anderson is a professional surfer from Carmel, CA. A few weeks ago, Dane texted me and said he’d like to come on the podcast. He told me that when he was 17 years old he was involved in a traumatic car accident in Big Sur. The car flipped, and two close friends died. Ever since this tragedy, Dane has struggled with substance abuse issues as a way to cope with the pain. This is a very raw and vulnerable episode. It’s told by someone who has days—not years of sobriety under their belt. Big ups to Dane for telling his story so honestly. It’s a reminder for us all that it’s okay to not be okay. Reach out to Dane on InstagramIf 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. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Kevin Grunewald is a Montana-based conservationist, hunter, and angler. His winding career path in conservation biology has seen him teaching students how to trap bats in the outback of Australia, guiding clients to experience bear country in Alaska, dissecting Zebrafish embryos in a university laboratory in Wisconsin, and, most recently, conducting and sharing the benefits of sound, ecological land stewardship practices on nature preserves in California and Colorado. In his former role as a land steward with The Nature Conservancy, Kevin worked and lived at a remote field station and nature preserve called Phantom Canyon. Now, he's based in Bozeman and spends his days working in, exploring, and sharing the wonder of the natural landscapes that he aspires to conserve. You can get in touch with Kevin here. 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. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Nick Hutchison is the founder of BookThinkers, a marketing agency bridging authors and readers. Nick's platform and services have helped authors reach millions of readers. Nick recently authored "Rise of the Reader," delving into mastering reading habits and applying newfound knowledge. Nick reached out to be on my podcast, and it was one of the most seamless pitches I had ever received. In this conversation, we talk about how to cold email someone, build a digital following (fuck if I know) and get your book shared (damn, I’m doing his bidding now.)Follow Book ThinkersIf 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. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Keiko Kurita (FNP-BC) is a board-certified family nurse practitioner working in Maine as a Primary Care Provider. She received a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern Maine. Previously, she taught yoga and claims to be inspired by rainbows. I have known Keiko since high school. She has always been one of the most original thinkers I know, with a deep appreciation for science-based tools to better understand health. In this podcast, we explore topics such as the dangers of PFAS and the new lawsuit headed up by Erin Brockovich, basic lab tests and who may want to get them, anemia in girls due to heavy bleeding, B12 vitamins, alcohol, sleep, and how to rethink comfort. Follow KeikoIf 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. You can join my newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Send voice memos and hate mail to thiermann@substack.com Writing by 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

By popular demand, this is the second podcast I’ve recorded with Mr Hart. At age 24, Charlie Hart (@callingmrhart) became the 10th employee at RXBAR, the protein bar company known for its clean branding and "No BS" campaigns. A natural marketer, Hart quickly rose to lead the brand’s marketing and growth, helping guide the company to a $600m exit before his 30th birthday.Shortly after, Hart has a crisis of sorts, suffering a panic attack at a business meeting in a luxurious restaurant, a story he recounts in this episode.After traveling the world, Hart Founded Sign and Sapien - an agency specializing in advising and investing for early and mid-stage companies and joined Factor75 as Chief Marketing Officer, where he steered the company towards a ~$300m exit.Today, he works as the Chef Marketing Officer for entertainer and entrepreneur Rob Dyrdek, managing and growing his media verticals and portfolio companies. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe