The Derek Loudermilk Show

“You have to be generous to everything around you.” – Rachel Rudwall Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure is Rachel Rudwall, also known as Rachel Roams. She’s an EMMY-nominated explorer, TV host, producer, travel blogger, influencer, and all-around fun travel personality. She has done creative projects in over seventy countries and on all seven continents. In this episode, Rachel shares her memorable travel experiences and her evolution as a storyteller, from pitching projects in front of and behind the camera. She also discusses travel experiences with her supportive husband and how she realized that she is an “Instragram wife.” You’ll love this episode and adore Rachel as she generously and entertainingly shares how she captures moments on camera. As much as she loves being in front of the camera, she thinks being behind it is an essential skill. Whichever side she's on, she tries to remember that it isn't about her, it's about facilitating the interplay between an idea and an audience. What you’ll learn in this episode: * How Rachel thinks of herself as a vehicle for storytelling * Rachel’s favorite countries * How Rachel evolved as a storyteller * How Rachel pitches ideas for projects * Rachel’s advice for my future book and travel plans Quotes: “In order to be effective on either side, it is important to know what it’s like on the opposite side.” – Rachel Rudwall “Whether you are in front of or behind the camera, it is important to remember that it is not about you.” – Rachel Rudwall “You have to be generous to everything around you. You have to really listen, instead of always talking. You have to read people’s expressions, instead of assuming what they are going to say.” – Rachel Rudwall “If you have a thing you really care about, or are excited about, learning to pitch and learning to weather the process of pitching will be really important.” – Rachel Rudwall “We have expectations about everything. And my homework this year, and moving forward, is to let go of expectations because they are not serving you.” – Rachel Rudwall “I can have goals to learn more, or become better at what I am doing, to be more patient. Goals, in that sense? Great. But to expect a certain outcome isn’t serving you. And so, I am allowing things that don’t serve me, like that, to just slip away.” – Rachel Rudwall Continue the Adventure:Rachel RoamsInstagramFacebookTwitter    

This is a quick run-through of my journey to become a digital nomad - that is, a rundown of all the businesses I have had that have let me travel the world and create freedom in my lifestyle. I often talk about being a digital nomad when asked to speak publicly or when presenting workshops or keynote speeches. Afterwards, people often come up to ask how I did it - how I became a digital nomad. But really, until you do it, you can't know what it is going to be like. It's different for me than for anyone else. When I talk about being a digital nomad, you don't hear about the boring things that go on behind the scenes; the endless following-up with prospective clients, business partners, and sponsors, the ceaseless efforts to try to make something happen, the thousands of hours of work that go on at home - unobserved, the head-banging frustration to figure things out, obsessing over whether something should be done this way or that, and the painstakingly small, repetitive actions that must be performed to insure success. These behind the scenes hours don't make for compelling stories, but know that every entrepreneur has to put in this time. My journey to become a digital nomad started with the desire to be an entrepreneur. Although I was interested in full-time travelling eventually, I didn't let the daunting nature of this goal stand in my way. I just started with a coaching business. As a professional cyclist, I taught younger cyclists how to go pro. I trained them to become better athletes and to be better racers. I had clients and I was charging about $250 a month. When I decided to leave grad school and go abroad, I looked towards Asia and South America, places where you can live for about a thousand dollars a month. So, I needed four clients to equal my cost of living. When I had that, I basically knew that I could travel indefinitely. That gave me the confidence to go to Vietnam, my first country. There was a time when these coaching clients graduated and moved on. I didn't have clients or income for some time and that was when I started the Art of Adventure podcast. Just like anything where you expect to get rich quick, podcasting was not the scheme I expected it to be. Art of Adventure is largely a free show but lots of people kept asking me how to start a podcast. They asked for help, walk-throughs, and advice. So, I started hosting podcast launch groups where people would come over to my house to practice interviewing and to learn how to set up a podcast. I helped a lot of people by podcast coaching and would make about $2000 per month. At the same time, I was giving a lot of talks. I was speaking for free because I knew that I wanted to be on stage. Eventually I realized that, with everything I had learned from podcasting and all the books I had been reading, I could teach this stuff and get paid to speak. Then on Episodes 48 and 49 of the Art of Adventure podcast, I had David Wood as a guest and he talked about how easy it is to start a coaching practice. I ended up hiring him to teach me how to become a coach and how to coach more broadly about business and life. And so, that's how the coaching branch of my business was born - an idea from a guest on the podcast! With that said, I've taken so many ideas from guests on the podcast. A later guest suggested that I should write a book. Eventually I would turn content from the interviews I had done for the podcast into my book, Superconductors. I launched it as a crowdfunding campaign on Publishizer, who is now a sponsor of the Art of Adventure podcast.

“Magic is the science of applied consciousness.” – David Solomon   Today’s Art of Adventure episode is probably the longest interview I've had to date and it’s all because my guest, David Solomon, is so incredibly fascinating. In addition to being a wizard, David is a Stanford MBA, has worked at Google, and is the author of Magic is Real: How to Create Reality, Manifest Miracles and Make Spirituality Fun Again! In this episode, we learn what magic is and even how to do some! David has been studying magic and spiritual traditions around the world for decades. He is known as the "Tim Ferriss of spirituality." According to David, true magic is achieved through moments of unity consciousness, where you and that which you seek to influence are one. He teaches a path of spiritual growth, love, and ascension. David is so well-versed that he had answers to many of my interesting and unusual questions. Thanks to having read and practiced for decades, David can back up his claims with a number of different studies. Suspend any disbelief and skepticism until you've heard the amazing David Solomon. The vast, well-explained, and diverse topics he explores will definitely pique your interest.   What you’ll learn in this episode: * How mental energy impacts the material world * What are the different dimensions of reality * How bio-energy fields, chakra, and chi impact our lives * The difference between heart-field and mind-field * The organization of sacred geometry and the quantum principles   Quotes: “Magic is the science of applied consciousness.” – David Solomon “If you really believe something is possible, and you really believe it would change your life, isn’t it worth whatever resources you have to muster to experience it?” – David Solomon “Believe in yourself. If you want to experience something in this life, if you know something is real, go for it!” – David Solomon “We are mind, body, and spirit. Everything is important.” – David Solomon   Continue the Adventure:David Solomon on FacebookMagic is Real: Mystery School for Spiritual GrowthPatreonMagic is Real on YoutubeMagic is Real on FacebookInstagramLinkedinMagic is Real on Amazon

I’m back with the Five-Minute Friday episode! Today, we talk about travel, the gut microbiome and the ability to eat anything, anywhere in the world! I used to be a microbiologist, so today I'm going to nerd out a bit and uncover a little science. The world's most-traveled man, Mike Spencer Bown, told me that he believes his longevity, and the reason that he was able to travel for multiple decades, is his really good gut health. Without a strong gut microbiome, you may feel unhealthy, your digestive system may protest when you eat things outside your normal diet, and you may get sick more easily. To eat different foods comfortably, especially ones offered by the locals, I try to maintain a strong gut microbiome and eat a diet that supports that goal. For those who do not know, our guts contain a community of thousands of species of microbes, including bacteria and single-celled organisms, known as the microbiome. Come to think of it, there's way more bacteria in you than there are human cells! The community in your gut is really important for a lot of reasons. For example, it prevents disease and helps hormonal regulation in your body; it has even been called the second brain. Diversity is used to assess the strength of gut microbiomes. When I had mine sequenced a few years back, I found that I had one of the highest rates of diversity. This was a good sign because it meant that nutrients and vitamins were being produced in my body which were helping to keep me healthy. There are some key things you need to keep in mind when focusing on your microbiome health and diversity: prebiotics, probiotics, and eliminating irritants from your body. Hopefully, whether you are a traveler or not, you found this episode interesting and helpful. I love being able to share some of my microbiology background and to tie it to adventure for you! Let me know if you learned anything from this episode!

“If you don’t communicate, especially in this day and age, you ain’t gonna get nothing.” – Scott Touzinsky In this final Paternity Leave episode, we hear from American Olympic volleyball gold medalist Scott Touzinsky as interviewed by Dave Stelmacki of Touring Families. During his career, Scott played in volleyball leagues around the world and traveled extensively with his family. He shares what it was like for his son, Logan, to grow up on the road: living in different countries, learning different languages, and moving from school to school.  He also opens up about nutrition while living abroad, including navigating his son's allergies and simultaneously nurturing his passion for food. A former member of the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, Scott talks about what it takes to become an Olympic gold medalist and what he discovered about himself while enduring injury and setback. He also shares how he inspired his team to be the best in the world. Scott is now the owner and founder of Touzinsky Elite Volleyball and a men's volleyball coach at Long Beach State University. What you’ll learn in this episode: * How Scott and his family adapted to living in new locales around the world. * How Scott navigated his son's food allergies while living abroad. * Interesting insights Scott and his family garnered from living in a variety of foreign countries. * How Scott's mindset helped him to succeed as an elite volleyball player.  Quotes: “If you don’t put a hundred percent effort in everything that you do, somebody out there is going to.” – Scott Touzinsky “Not only is it a volleyball thing, it’s a life thing.” – Scott Touzinsky “If you don’t have a good attitude, why is somebody gonna hire you?” – Scott Touzinsky “If you don’t communicate, especially in this day and age, you ain’t gonna get nothing.” – Scott Touzinsky “There’s gonna be a lot of ups and downs in life.” – Scott Touzinsky “The mind is the one thing that holds them back.” – Scott Touzinsky Continue the AdventureTouzinsky Elite VolleyballFacebook  

“It really shines through that you can find people in the world who are just genuinely nice, good people. And it’s nice to be reminded of that.” – Heather Sherry In this third Paternity Leave episode, we listen to one of the top the travel podcasts in the world, Extra Pack of Peanuts. In their “The Reason We Travel” episode, Travis Sherry and his wife, Heather, share their best travel experience while touring the Republic of Georgia.  Travis and Heather travel to visit beautiful places, taste great food, and of course, meet wonderful people. Their travel to Georgia is an epitome of the reason why they travel. They share how language was never a barrier in connecting with other people and making friends out of strangers. This episode takes place over a single day in their travel to the Republic of Georgia. They share how a trip, which started in a state of uncertainty and a bit of altercation, ended up in a feast at some newfound friend’s home in a completely unfamiliar yet comfortable place.   What you’ll learn in this episode: * Travis and Heather’s travel to the Republic of Georgia * How Travis and Heather managed to get through the chaotic parts of Georgia * The interesting story behind how Travis and Heather met a new friend, Irma, and her family  Quotes: “The goodness of people is really the moral of the story.” – Travis Sherry “You’ll never know what you’re gonna get but 99% of the time, we have amazing experiences.” – Travis Sherry “It really shines through that you can find people in the world who are just genuinely nice, good people. And it’s nice to be reminded of that.” – Heather Sherry “No matter what you do, it’s probably going to work out when you’re travelling.” – Heather Sherry “When you just let it happen, and you go with it… as much as you can, take it, take it, take it.” – Travis Sherry   Continue the AdventureExtra Pack of PeanutsTwitterFacebookInstagram

 "I had to detach myself emotionally from the whole cycle.” – Michael Scott Moore" In this Paternity Leave episode, we get to listen to Jordan Harbinger’s interview with Michael Scott Moore, from his podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show. Here, Michael shares what he went through and how he survived his 32-month experience as a Somali pirate hostage. Michael is an American-German novelist and journalist who went to Somalia in 2012 to do his on-location research about pirates, among others. In this trip, he expected to learn about the way of living of the Somalis. Little did he know that this trip would lead to an unforgettable hostage ordeal. He accounts the entire experience in his bestselling memoir, The Desert and the Sea. You’ll love this episode as Michael shares the experience from captivity, to those times he tried to seek for help, how he tried to escape, and how he was finally set free. Throughout the entire experience, he learned a lot of things, like communicating with his captors, befriending the pirates and captives alike, and most remarkably, how to focus on something else when you are already living without hope. What you’ll learn in this episode: * Michael’s experience as a hostage, how he was kidnapped, and how he kept himself sane throughout the entire ordeal * How Michael communicated with his mother and how he prepared what he was going to say and how he would say it * How Michael sought for help from the navy, how he tried to jump ship and escape, and how was eventually released * How and why piracy is still existing and prevalent in other parts of the world * A little history and background about the Somali pirates Quotes: “My mind actually recoiled from what was going on; I actually saw myself in the process of denial.” – Michael Scott Moore “The first thing I thought was how horrible it was going to be for my family because I didn’t want my own adventures in difficult parts of the world have an effect on my family.” – Michael Scott Moore “I would wake up, sometimes three times a night, and go, ‘geez, I’m still in Somalia.’ And that was just miserable.” – Michael Scott Moore “As a hostage, I was sitting on a lot of anger, and it just got worse.” – Michael Scott Moore “Sometimes I felt murderous, and sometimes I felt suicidal. And so, I had to think about it very carefully.” – Michael Scott Moore “When I leapt off the boat, I was happy. I had wanted to try to escape for so long, that once I did, I was just gleeful. That was just one of the best swims of my life. And that’s because it was just the most emotionally true thing to do even though it was not the most prudent.” – Michael Scott Moore “The risk of deep and suicidal depression was very real, so I realized that to save myself from that, I had to detach myself emotionally from the whole cycle.” – Michael Scott Moore “I managed to live without hope.” – Michael Scott Moore “I learned to live just from day to day.” – Michael Scott Moore “I would rather be a hostage under a cautious president than under a reckless one.” – Michael Scott Moore “I lost a good chunk of my life in Somalia. But the effects on my mental focus were, I think, positive.” – Michael Scott Moore   Continue the AdventureMichael Scott Moore on InstagramRadio Free Mike

“As humans, we have so much capacity.” -  Colin O’Brady In this first Paternity Leave episode, we listen to the Life Athletics Podcast by Nik Wood where he talks with Colin O’Brady, a professional endurance athlete, public speaker, and a holder of world records. Colin holds the record for the fastest man to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, having finished it in just 139 days. In the process, he also became the fastest man to climb The Seven Summits, completing everything in 132 days. As if these weren’t enough, he became the first person to ever Snapchat from the summit of Everest! He once met an accident and was told that he would never be able to walk again. That, however, didn’t stop him from reaching the summit of his dreams. Listen and be inspired in this episode where Colin shares how his determination led him to not only break records but also become a bridge for other people in achieving their dreams. What you’ll learn in this episode: Colin's accident in Thailand and the support his mother gave him How Colin started his journey as an endurance athlete What Colin went through to earn his world records How Colin is now inspiring others to achieve their dreams Quotes: “As humans, we have so much capacity.” -  Colin O’Brady “‘This is not permanent’, which allows me again to not suffer as much in the moment even when it is painful.” – Colin O’Brady “The most meaningful things in life are things that require a little bit of struggle, a little of sweat, a little bit of challenge.” – Colin O’Brady “The things that you look back on your life, the things that are the most meaningful oftentimes require a little bit of challenge up on the way to really fully realize the entire experience.” – Colin O’Brady “’What are the things that apply across the board?’ And what I’ve realized is being in service to others and being around other people that are on their journeys.” – Colin O’Brady “I think there is so much to learn in these quiet moments of the in-between that really fuel the next step, not because you should set the next goal but to be intentional about the way you spend your time and with your life.” – Colin O’Brady “Look within, before you look without.” – Colin O’Brady "Look for what really lights you up... and go after that with all your heart." - Colin O'Brady Continue the AdventureColin O’Brady Colin O’Brady on InstagramBeyond 7/2            

“It’s that process in the middle that a lot of creative people can’t push through until the end to create the reality.” – Sara Callow Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure is my good friend Sara Callow, the founder/editor of Ubud Hood, a one-stop-shop for everything Ubud, Bali. An Australian with a penchant for traveling, she finally settled in Ubud when she realized she has found her home. Sara and I first met in Ubud when were were doing yoga next to each other at a Michael Franti benefit yoga concert. Sara has a background on photography and loved to travel. People often asked her for tips and ideas, especially when she went out and about Ubud. Realizing that there is a gap that needed to be filled in this area, she started posting online through her website and Instagram page in order to address the curiosity of those interested about Ubud. You’ll love this episode as Sara shares how her online presence started and grew to what it is today. At the same time, we get to love and appreciate what Ubud has to offer, through our insider guide, the Ubud Hood. What you’ll learn in this episode: * How Sara created Ubud Hood * How she creates her Instagram feed * Sara's creative strategies * What it is like being a foreigner running a business in Indonesia * Perspective on foreigners interacting in a local community Quotes: “One of my blessings and my curses is that my mind is really creative.” – Sara Callow “Through creating Ubud Hood, I actually learned a lot more about my own creative purpose and my own creative process.” – Sara Callow “It took dedication... I’ve dedicated myself into doing this, so I really learned that point between the idea and the creation, the action, and the persistence, especially.” – Sara Callow “It’s that process in the middle that a lot of creative people can’t push through until the end to create the reality.” – Sara Callow “Be more mindful in being more creative.” – Sara Callow Continue the Adventure:Ubud HoodUbud Hood on Instagram   Sponsors: This episode is brought to you by Publishizer, a crowdfunding literary agency that helps speakers, thought leaders, and authors such as myself get their book ideas discovered by traditional publishers. I uses Publishizer to successfully launch my book Superconductors. The best part? It's completely free and their team of agents help you step-by-step write a 1,000 word book proposal and match you with publisher that fit your topic. - Just go to http://get.publishizer.com/pitch/ and enter the code - ADVENTURE

“It’s more than hair; it’s an experience.” – Matt Javit Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure is the Anthony Bourdain of barber shops, Matt Javit. He is the host and creator of World Barber Shop Adventures and the podcast, which he runs with his wife, The Passport Joy. Matt grew up in a military family, doing a lot of moving around when he was young. He was a corporate salesman before he set on this multi-year travel adventures with his wife. You will definitely enjoy this episode as Matt shares how he started his interest in traveling and how he came up with the idea of visiting barber shops and getting these barbers impart wonderful stories. We find out how he builds rapport and establish connections with these people from different parts of the world. What you’ll learn in this episode: * How Matt started traveling the world * His favorite barber shop stories * Also, my favorite barbershop adventures * How his experience shaped the way he is traveling now * How Matt thinks about meeting someone new - 10 second to build rapport * How Matt prepares for his videos Quotes: “It’s more than hair; it’s an experience.” – Matt Javit "Barbers are craftsmen, and good craftsmanship is hard to replace"– Matt Javit “Your eyes definitely get opened as you travel the world.” – Matt Javit “This world is huge, but sometimes, it can be so tiny.” – Matt Javit “This {travel} is a segment of careers that is going to be around and I think it’s going to become more and more appreciated.” – Matt Javit Continue the Adventure:Passport Joy