Wild Ideas Worth Living

Shelby’s Wild Idea: To make a podcast that inspires others to live more wildly, and share stories and advice from the top adventurers, athletes, health experts, and more. It has been a wild year, that’s for sure. When I started this podcast, my goal was to record seven episodes and keep going. I knew the beginning would be hard, but one year and 55 episodes later, I am so thankful I stuck with it. I’ve met amazing people along the way, including some of you.  On this show, I am sharing a few things I’ve learned after 54 episodes. From making commitments to adjusting your expectations to paving your own path, my guests have shared some amazing nuggets of wisdom. Thank you to everyone who has listened to the show, to the amazing guests who have shared their stories, the brands who have sponsored the show, and everyone who has written a story about us, included us on a list of awesome podcasts, and shared the show with their community. Listen to this episode if:  You love adventure. You have listened to Wild Ideas Worth Living. You’re ready to make your own wild idea a reality. You want to start a podcast. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/55 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kelly’s Wild Idea: To be the top half-pipe snowboarder, and inspire others to achieve their highest potential. Kelly Clark is an Olympic snowboarder and author. She has over seventy wins under her belt, including 10 X-Games medals (nine of them gold), and four trips to the Olympics (with a gold in Salt Lake City). She is also one of my favorite snowboarders of all time, with an incredible sense of style and a ton of wisdom she’s learned over her storied career. We talked about recovering from hip surgery just last year, what it takes to be an Olympic athlete, her faith, success, and more. Listen to this episode if:  You snowboard. You’ve recovered from a surgery or injury. You love the Olympics. You’re a spiritual person. You believe in teaching others and supporting youth. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/54 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Goldhamer’s Wild Idea: To teach people to lead healthy lives unharmed by unhealthy foods that many put into their bodies. To also share the benefits of water-only fasting. With the new year coming up and the tendency for lots of people to make resolutions, many of which are health oriented, I wanted to do a show focused on health. One of the most popular shows I’ve done was with David Goldman, a proponent of intermittent fasting, who worked at a place called TrueNorth Health. Fasting may seem like a wild idea, but the practice has actually been around for thousands of years and is still used in many cultures and religions. This episode is specifically about water-only fasting, and eating a plant-based, sugar-free, oil-free, and salt-free diet. Dr. Alan Goldhamer, who founded TrueNorth Health, is a huge supporter of these practices. Since 1984, he’s helped thousands of people take back control of their health with these techniques. He’s also a licensed osteopathic physician, author of The Health Promoting Cookbook, and the co-author of The Pleasure Trap. To dig into this topic and to do this podcast, I went to TrueNorth Health in Santa Rosa, California, and did a five-day water-only fast, where I was supervised the whole time by an MD. I had some interesting results, which I share about at the end of the show. After I started eating again, I sat down to talk to Dr. Goldhamer about the results he’s seen from fasting, who can or should do a fast, how to maintain a plant-based diet, and what being featured in the film, What The Health, was like. He is super knowledgeable, and he doesn’t shy away from a spirited debate, which I appreciated. Disclaimer time: I am not a doctor and this podcast is solely for informational purposes! Please consult your doctor and do your own research before trying a fast or any other unusual health practices.  Listen to this episode if:  You’re ready to get healthy. You’re not afraid to try something unconventional. You want to try a water-fast or are interested in fasting. You’re thinking about moving to a plant-based diet. You think Western medicine is too focused on medication. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/053 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Diana’s Wild Idea: To swim around islands and across oceans. To chase after any goal with no regard for what others say someone her age or ability can or cannot do. In 2013 at the age of 64, Diana Nyad became the first person to swim 110 miles from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage. It took her about 53 hours. After years of training, four failed attempts, being stung by multiple box jellyfish, dealing with dehydration, hypothermia, naysayers and more, she did it. A long-distance swimmer since she was a kid, she’d made other huge swims, including one around the island of Manhattan in 1975. But she took a break from swimming for years working as a commentator, writer, and journalist at the top level, and when she returned she set a huge goal. There’s nothing Diana sets her mind to that she can’t do and she’s not only a hoot, but she’s incredibly inspiring to be around. She’s also whip smart, an amazing storyteller, and she does an amount of burpees every week that will blow your mind (you’ll hear exactly how many in the interview). Diana and I talked about what it feels like to get stung by box jellyfish, her elixir for injury prevention, how she dealt with adversity as a child, what she sings while swimming for hours on end, and how you can go after your dreams and live more wildly no matter what. Listen to this episode if:  You have a wild idea and goal and want inspiration to pursue it. You are a swimmer or love the ocean. You want advice on confronting failure. You’ve had to deal with moments of adversity. You love extreme endurance athletes and activities. You want to hear what it feels like to be stung by a box jellyfish. You want to hear how many burpees this badass does a week. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/52 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sal’s Wild Idea: To tell the stories of life through athletes, sports, and music, and share them with the world. If you have ever watched action sports on TV, there’s a good chance you’ve heard or seen Sal Masekela. With a rich, deep voice and a gift for gab, Sal’s been a beloved commentator, journalist, musician, producer, and philanthropist for over a decade. He hosted the X Games for thirteen years, VICE’s World of Sports, E!’s Daily 10, the FIFA World Cup when it was in South Africa, and he currently hosts NBC’s Red Bull Signature Series, has his own production company, and is working with National Geographic. Sal is an amazing storyteller, which you’ll get a taste of in this episode. From moving to San Diego from New York and discovering the world of surfing, paving a path for himself as a commentator in the world of action sports, and deciding to make his own music, Sal’s stories draw you in. We talk about being an outsider, his relationship with his dad (South African jazz icon, Hugh Masekela), why he decided to make his own music, and how you can pursue your passions. I have always admired Sal’s career and looked up to him since I was a kid, so I hope you enjoy this show as much as I did. Listen to this episode if:  You’ve heard Sal’s voice before (or even if you haven’t) You love action or adventure sports. You love music. You enjoy good stories. You want to have an epic career. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/51 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cliff’s Wild Idea: To discover what is happening biologically when we are out in nature. And how outdoor enthusiasts are connected to their environment scientifically. Cliff Kapono is a surfer and scientist from Hawaii. After discovering his love of the ocean at a young age, he later connected it to biology and chemistry, earning a graduate degree in biotechnology from University of Hawaii and working toward a PhD in chemistry from UCSD that he will finish next year. Cliff’s work is all about using science to relate to nature: what happens in our bodies when we spend time outside, and what is biologically happening when we get that feeling of being connected to nature. His current project, The Surfer Biome Project, looks at how surfers relate to each other and to the ocean.  Hearing Cliff talk about his work, his love of science, and his passion for his native Hawaiian culture is inspiring. We talk about his recent work connecting with and swabbing surfers, his favorite boards, how to be a citizen scientist, and why being an academic can in fact lead to an awesome lifestyle. Listen to this episode if:  You want to save the ocean. You’re interested in science. You’re a surfer. You love Hawaii. You feel connected to the environment. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/50 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Willow’s Wild Idea: To quit her job and go on a five-hundred-mile hike in Colorado. Then, to start a podcast that shares unique stories of people in the outdoors. Willow Belden is the host of Out There, a podcast that discusses big life questions in an outdoor setting. Willow talks to ultra-marathoners, Everest climbers, hikers, cyclist, skiers, and all kinds of adventurers about their journeys, giving listeners a chance to hear about the transformative powers of nature. Before she started her podcast, Willow worked at Wyoming Public Radio. You can tell by the way she edits her show and her soothing radio voice. It was a great job, but she decided to quit to hike the Colorado Trail, a thru-hike of about 500 miles.  Willow and I talked about why she quit her job to go on a thru-hike, what she learned along the way, and why chocolate was so important on the trail. We also talk about the challenges of starting a podcast, what she’s learned from losing a parent, and what she has learned from her diverse guests, including great lessons about failure. Listen to this episode if:  You love hiking and the outdoors. You listen to public radio or want to start a podcast. You’ve lost a parent. You want to try thru-hiking. You have ever been afraid to fail. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/49 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Liz’s Wild Idea: To pursue a dream of sailing to remote places, and living life aboard her sailboat, Swell. To encourage people to be brave, search inside themselves, and to help protect the environment and places we play. Liz Clark is an adventurer, surfer, sailboat captain, and now an author, with her first book coming out next year with Patagonia Books.  In 2005, Liz pursued her lifelong dream to live on her sailboat, and set sail from Santa Barbara to French Polynesia. She’s sailed over 20,000 miles since, and along her journey, has learned a lot about herself, life, and the world. She discovered that exploration doesn’t just happen when you travel around the world - it happens within as you challenge and push yourself.  Liz is a good friend, and we had a great time talking. She is so genuine and thoughtful, and I love how open she is in talking about her voyage, her boat, the process of writing a book, and some of the challenges she’s overcome and changes she’s experienced. Listen to this episode if:  You sail, surf or want to learn how. You love books or want to write one. You love traveling. You love adventure. You are curious about going deeper inside yourself. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/48 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rob’s Wild Idea: To live a sustainable, minimalist lifestyle and inspire others to do the same. To do awesome adventures and spread the message of good in the world. Rob Greenfield is an adventurer and environmental activist who is making a difference for our planet. An Eagle Scout who grew up in a small town of Wisconsin, Rob’s had and executed a ton of wild ideas. He cycled across the U.S.A. three times on a bamboo bike (without a ton of cycling experience and only drinking from natural sources while creating zero waste) to raise awareness about sustainability. He dove into more than 2,000 dumpsters across the country to raise awareness about food waste (and to show we throw away perfect food). He travelled to different countries with just the clothes on his back and zero money just to show that people are inherently good. He lived in a tiny house. And, for one of my personal favorite projects, Rob lived like the average American and wore all the trash he created for a month in New York City, to raise awareness about food waste.  Rob’s written a book (and it’s endorsed by Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream), given multiple TED Talks, and is a fascinating guy who wants to make a positive impact on our planet and the lives we lead.  Listen to this episode if:  You are interested in living with less stuff and needing less money to be happy. You want to hear how someone lives on only $5,000 a year.  You want to live a low impact life or are interested in minimalism. You want to know what he finds in dumpsters. You think people are inherently good.  You love to travel. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/47 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chris’s Wild Idea: To explore the limits of human potential, and to write amazing stories about it. Chris McDougall is the author of the bestselling books, Born to Run and Natural Born Heroes. His first book spawned the barefoot running movement and altered the running shoe industry forever. It’s also being made into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey. Natural Born Heroes dives into the history of how every-day citizens and amazing athletes on the island of Crete withstood the German forces during World War II. This is the kind of thing he loves: finding amazing stories about less-known athletes achieving amazing feats, and digging in to learn about their strategies, training, diets, and more, then sharing them with readers. In 2011, I traded Chris surf lessons for barefoot running lessons. Since then, Chris has become not only a great writing mentor, but also a friend. On this episode, we talked about his life since the success of his books, what techniques he learned while researching them (including movement based exercises used by the Cretans), why he may discourage you from becoming a writer, and why donkeys (yes donkeys) make great running partners. Chris is an amazing storyteller and I think that really comes through in this podcast. Listen to this episode if:  You’ve read Born to Run or Natural Born Heroes. You’re interested in the minimal running footwear revolution. You want to shift your diet and improve your performance. You’ve thought about moving to the country. You’re a runner of any distance. You want to be a writer. You want to know how the heck he trains with donkeys. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/46 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.