Wild Ideas Worth Living

Jaimal Yogis’ Wild Idea: To run away from home as a teen and learn to surf in Hawaii. Then, join a Buddhist Monastery. Next, head to head to Columbia Journalism School and become an award-winning journalist, and then the award-winning author of Saltwater Buddah, the best seller The Fear Project (where Jaimal surfed Maverick’s), Turtles Don’t Surf (an illustrated kids books), and soon to be released book, All Waves Are Water, due out by Harper Wave this July of 2017. As a teen, Jaimal ran away from home to Hawaii where he found surfing. He also learned to meditate. This path lead him to life as a journalist and writer. The author of the science-based book, The Fear Project and memoir Saltwater Buddah, Jaimal has a brand new book, All Waves are Water that talks about surfing, God, mindfulness and love. It’s an important read for the era and Jaimal gives us a sneak peek into the story. Listen To This Episode If: - You need a dose of mindfulness, or are curious about the practice. - Love the ocean and/or surfing. - Are curious about being a writer. - Want to know how to scientifically conquer fear to do things like surf giant waves or commit to something big. - Have ever read one of Jaimal’s books. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/10

Bethany Hamilton’s Wild Idea: Surfing giant waves, having a family, giving back to others, and living life to the fullest no matter what. Bethany Hamilton is one of the most empowering surfers of all time. She's had many wild ideas, from continuing to surf despite losing her left arm, to surfing giant waves at Jaws in Maui last year, starting a non-profit to help others, having a baby, speaking in front of crowds of 20k plus, and now making a movie, Unstoppable. Because wild ideas require wild living, this interview was done from a cell phone on an island, so the sound is not perfect, but the message is still clear. Nothing gets in the away for Bethany in achieving her dreams. Listen to this episode if you: - Are a Bethany Hamilton fan. - Are curious how long she can hold her breath. - Want to know how Bethany juggles her schedule. - Want to hear some of Bethany's tricks and tips to life and surfing. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/9

Dean’s Wild Idea: To quit his corporate job and become the UltraMarathon Man. Time Magazine called Dean Karnazes one of the most interesting men. He's also one of the fittest men on the planet. On his 30th birthday (after tequila), Dean ran 30 miles non-stop for the first time. Shortly after that big run, he quit a lucrative, cushy job to become a long-distance, as in ULTRA-distance, runner. Since then, he’s run a marathon in every state, and he plans to run a marathon every country in the WORLD next year. WHO. DOES.THAT? Listen in for more. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/8

James Nestor’s Wild Idea: To leave the corporate life for a job as a freelance writer, then learn to freedive and uncover an entire world of science beneath the surface of the ocean that lead to an award-winning book, Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves About a decade ago, James Nestor knew he wanted to quit his job, but he had no idea he’d become a freediver and develop such strong connection with the ocean. A surfer at heart, James always loved playing at the surface of the ocean, but when doing a story about freedivers, he learned so much more, including about what the ocean can tell us about ourselves. If you love the ocean, have ever wanted to freedive, or want to be a writer, listen to this episode. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/7

Alison Teal’s Wild Idea: To Travel the World, Thrive and Get The Highest PSI (Primaries Survival Rating) of Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid Season 1, and Make Movies That Get People to Pay Attention to Plastic Pollution and Protecting Our Environment. There’s a reason Oprah Magazine calls Alison Teal the “Oprah of Adventures” and Time calls her the “Female Indiana Jones.” While you and I were going to regular school, she was riding camels and climbing in Nepal with her adventurous parents. After studying film at USC, she was invited to participate on the Discovery Channel show, Naked and Afraid. She not only survived 21 days with a guy in the wilderness naked, but she used her fame from winning the show to promote an important cause, protecting our planet. Alison does it all with a ton of passion, a bikini and a pink surfboard. This episodes tells her story, to the tune of tropical birds signing behind her computer at her adventure house on the Big Island of Hawaii. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/6

Ryan and Nicole’s Wild Idea: To leave San Diego, their jobs and house to sail to French Polynesia. Now they are sharing their awesome story and you can find out how. Ryan and Nicole Levinson of Two Afloat set sail for French Polynesia two years ago to pursue a dream. Taking on such a feat requires tons of preparation, but there’s only so much you can do on land to prepare for the unknown sea. Eventually, you just have to untie the dock lines and go, as they say. This episode explores how they untied the dock lines and set sail across the Pacific, with challenges and great feats they faced along the way. We also talk about Ryan’s own physical limits. Despite having FSHMD, a disease that literally eats away his muscles, he’s managed to defy doctors initial thoughts about his body and pursue the sports and activities, including sailing, that bring him joy. This is a story for anyone who has a dream, but has self-doubt and fear. It’s also a great episode for anyone wanting to set sail across the Pacific or even across their local bay. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/5

As a young boy, Joel Van der Loon grew up in South Africa and Tanzania, and has always been somewhat of a “wild child.” He and his dad grew up in a remote area of Africa, where he learned from the Massai, then sailed around the world, and lived a life very connected to animals and the untrammeled outdoors. Find out about the lessons Joel’s learned from the Massai tribe, his cultural shock in moving to the United States, what survival skills you need NOW, and why major TV networks want Joel to show the world his survival skills. Also, hear about his terrifying encounter with a very wild animal and why understanding animals is so rewarding. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/4

Have you ever wanted to skateboard down the freeway?! Me too, except please don’t try that at home because you will most likely die! Cindy Whitehead managed to sneak in a session on the L.A.’s busiest freeway one day and also did some other wild things. She was one of the first females to get a centerfold plus two-page article in a men’s skateboard magazine, and she’s become a renowned sports stylist for everyone from Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, and Drew Brees to Mia Hamm and Peyton Manning. Cindy shares about: Breaking barriers, rules of the road and literally avoiding road rash. How to get a hold of people like Joan Jett when you need them. What to do if you are a little girl or adult (man or woman) with a dream. How to listen to your gut and down what you want regardless of what others think. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/3

Running across the entire United States of America is no easy feat. How about doing and training while working a full-time job?! Pete Kostelnick recently finished doing just that. Starting in San Francisco and finishing in New York, Pete logged about 72 miles a day on his feet running, with only one day off. It took him 42 days, six hours and 30 minutes for a total of 3,067 miles. They have been calling him the real Forrest Gump, and he’s just a financial analyst from Iowa who SHATTERED a GUINNESS RECORD. I love Pete’s story because this running adventure, which he broke a record doing, wasn’t his full-time job. He isn’t a pro athlete making heaps of money off of running. He’s a full-time financial analyst who had a dream to do something wild and made it happen by getting up two hours earlier to run, and then running after work while watching TV (which he says he would have just done sitting otherwise) after work to train. When he finished his run that he did take a few weeks off work to do (he has a very nice boss), he went back to work. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/2

Have you ever want to quit your job, uproot your life and do something crazy like SHATTER a record, ski at your favorite resorts around the globe, fall in love and get a HUGE book deal. Meet Steph Jagger. Steph grew up with a good family, and had a great job in good old Canada, eh’!? She was working in public relations for major companies, made enough money to buy a new house and go skiing on weekends, but she wanted more from life. One day, while skiing in Whistler with some friends, she literally saw a sign. It read… LIFT YOUR RESTRAINING DEVICE The sign referred to that little metal bar you are required to lift before exiting a chairlift so you can ski down the mountain. Otherwise, you would be trapped in your chair circling the mountain all day long. Anyway, Steph is one of those people who believes in the power of a whisper that can turn into a ROAR. She took it literally. SHE QUIT HER JOB. SHE MORTGAGED HER HOUSE. She completely reconstructed her life as she knew it and decided, hey, I am going to go ski around the world, and why not break a record on the way!? She also once told me she was like a “Mullet,” business in the front, party in the rear. I didn’t ask her too much after this. Back to uprooting her life. This was not an easy decision. People said she was crazy, including her own family. But she did it anyway. Along the way she skied gorgeous mountains, met fantastic and handsome men, including her husband (which I will let you read the book to get the gushy details full of humor and awesome sexy talk) and she SMASHED a record. The journey wasn’t all peaches and ice cream, but it revealed powerful realities about herself. She shares with us about her journey, about why STARTING LINES are more important than FINISH LINES, and also why waiting never gets you to the end. For full show notes visit, including links mentioned visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/cindy-whitehead-stories-from-a-female-skateboarding-pioneer/