The Kyle Thiermann Show

Anupa Asokan [uh-new-puh uh-soak-in] is an avid waterwoman and ocean advocate dedicated to protecting our marine environment. She previously worked for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the World Surf League, and led the Ocean Initiative and Government Affairs at XPRIZE Foundation. She currently works at the Natural Resources Defense Council advocating for meaningful ocean protection and equitable coastal access through the "30 by 30" initiative. Anupa also serves on the national Board of Directors for Surfrider Foundation, is a graduate of UCLA, and holds dual masters degrees from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography and College of Business. Beyond her advocacy work, Anupa spends her free time surfing, fishing, diving and standup-paddling along the Southern California coast. In this episode we talked hunting, fishing, conservation, downwind paddling and much more. T’was a fun one.Anupa On InstagramLink To Support MPA ExpansionP.S. 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 to come on the show. Also, you can get my Friday newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Mark Divine (@realmarkdivine) is a tough one to pin down. And I like that. As a Navy SEAL Commander and Zen meditation practitioner, Divine weaves between worlds of Eastern spirituality and Western militance. This was the second time I had Divine on the show, the first was in Ep. #271, and I find the guy endlessly fascinating. A little background: After a successful 20-year career as a Navy SEAL, Mark was hired to create a nationwide coaching and leadership program for the U.S. Navy’s primary operations force. The program aims to give the SEALs the best leadership and mental management tools in the world and to help them forge unbeatable teams that achieve mission success in the most stressful, challenging environments on earth. He has written numerous books, including Unbeatable Mind and The Way of The SEAL.Enjoy,KyleP.S. 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 to come on the show. Also, you can get my Friday newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

The first thing that struck me about William Padilla-Brown was the power and velocity of his speech. It was as if he had more ideas inside him than his vocal cords could handle, like trying to power a city with a single extension cord. A citizen-mycologist and founder of MycoSymbiotics, his perspective on mycology is both captivating and approachable. In this podcast, we got into everything from the alien species of Cordyceps to his early psychedelic experiences that redirected his life into mycology. Enjoy,KyleP.S. 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 to come on the show. Oh, and you can get my Friday newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

My buddy Dylan Sohngen is one of the coolest guys I know. Cool… What exactly do I mean by that? It’s usually synonymous with vague detachment. A kind of flick-your-cigarrette-on-the-ground-don’t-give-fuck-about-anything sort of vibe. But Dylan gives many fucks. He’s engaged. In his community, ocean, and the natural world. As a citizen-entomologist, he take frequent pilgrimages to Indo-Borneo in search of exotic bugs. He’s a surfer, diver, and mentor to LA youth. When he’s not looking under rocks in search of scorpions, or chasing swells south of the border, he runs Aqua Surf Surf School on Santa Monica beach, getting kids and adults alike into that big blue healer we all call the ocean.Enjoy,KyleP.S. 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 to come on the show. Oh, and you can get my Friday newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

We are in the midst of a psychedelic revolution. It’s here. Now the question is whether or not we can approach the conversation with nuance—not something we Americans are not generally celebrated for. Psychedelics force another uncomfortable conversation for many: The power of thought. The suggestibility of your brain while under the influence of psychedelics turns mindfulness into a high-stakes game. We are still in the liminal stages of talking about the mind and mental states with anything like fluency. But our ability to explore this conversation, and put words to feelings, is one of the most freeing forms of language we can practice. For us dudes, this can be especially tough—which is why I’m so glad that a guy like Jesse Gould exists.Gould is founder and president of the Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit pioneering psychedelic therapies for military veterans. After being deployed as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan three times, he founded the Heroic Hearts Project in 2017 to spearhead the acceptance and use of ayahuasca therapy as a means of addressing the current mental health crisis among veterans. The Heroic Hearts Project has raised over $350,000 in scholarships from donors, including Dr. Bronner’s, and partnered with the world’s leading ayahuasca treatment centers. Jesse has spoken globally about psychedelics and mental health—something that’s also personal for him, having battled with PTSD and found relief through ayahuasca therapy. During our conversation, we covered marathons, breathwork, and psychedelic therapy for veterans.Enjoy,KyleP.S. 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 to come on the show. Oh, and you can get my Friday newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Madame Gandhi is an award-winning artist and activist known for her uplifting, percussive electronic music and positive message about gender liberation and personal power. She began producing music in 2015, after her story running the London Marathon free-bleeding to combat menstrual stigma went viral around the world. She has been listed as Forbes 30 Under 30 in Music, and her 2020 TED Talk about conscious music consumption has been viewed over a million times. “Waiting For Me,” shot in Mumbai, India, won the Music Video Jury Award at SXSW Film Festival in 2021 and her 100% Organically Sourced x Sound MANA nature sound pack won the New Wav award at the 2021 Splice Awards. Her third studio album, Vibrations, was released in 2022, following the release of her previous albums Voices (2016) and Visions (2019). In June of 2022, Gandhi completed a Masters in Music Science & Technology at Stanford University's CCRMA where she spent time in Antarctica sampling the sounds of glaciers melting to create empathy and awareness around climate change. 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 to come on the show. Oh, and get my Friday newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious.—Kyle Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Zac Cirivello is the Operations Manager of Fly Ranch, a 3,800-acre ranch 12 miles north of Burning Man’s Black Rock City home base in Northern Nevada. Abiding by Burning Man's 10 core principles, Fly Ranch is an alternative community which hosts campouts, work days and more than 700 public nature walks. Projects are organized by hundreds of volunteers and tend to focus on reconnection, healing, human creativity and the land. 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 to come on the show. Oh, and get my Friday newsletter on Substack. It’s glorious.—Kyle Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Kolohe Andino (@koloheandino22) is a top five world tour surfer from San Clemente, CA. Also a very thoughtful dude. This episode was recorded back in 2020, and I’m reposting it today for your auditory pleasure. If you dig this podcast, will you be please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It’s takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. Get my Friday newsletter at Substack. It’s glorious. Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Scott Norton (@swhnorton) is a venture capitalist and MUD\WTR board member. He previously co-founded Sir Kensington's—the brand that’s best known for making condiments with character. At Sir Kensington’s, he raised over $20 million from investors, guiding the company to a successful acquisition by Unilever in 2017.Scott has been named one of Fast Company's “Most Creative People in Business” and listed on Forbes' “30 Under 30.” About a year ago, I gave Scott one of his first surfing lessons at Venice Beach. While on the wave he maintained a low, crouched position and kept his eyes straight ahead … just like I told him. Nice job, Scott. If you dig this podcast, will you be please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It’s takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. Get my Friday newsletter at Substack. It’s glorious.Send voice memos to: info@kyle.surf  Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

Nik Strong-Cvetich is the Director of Save The Waves, global nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting coastal resources through a unique combination of protected areas, economics and direct action. He’s also I shredding skateboarder, but don’t tell him I said so.Get my Friday newsletter at Substack. It’s glorious. If you dig this podcast, will you be please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts? It’s takes less than 60 seconds and makes a difference when I drop to my knees and beg hard-to-get guests to come on the show. Send voice memos to: info@kyle.surf Get off social media with the dudes who sent the voice memo. Here’s their email: johnoneal17@gmail.com Get full access to Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe