The Derek Loudermilk Show

“Ayahuasca really helped me see that we can grow and change; not in order to love ourselves, but because we already do” – Melissa Stangl   Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure podcast is a lady who walks the spiritual path. She left the city life to stay in the jungle and help heal the people through Ayahuasca and plant medicines. Melissa Sangl is a fellow author that I met through the Publishizer, a platform that connects authors to publishers (see my interview with founder Guy Vincent). She is publishing a book, “The Roots of Consciousness”, which will be out early next year. This book is a product of her journey in plant medicine and psychedelics. Her goal in this book is to help ensure a safe and sustainable use of these substances and plant medicines and helping people get the most out of their healing capabilities. She works with Pulse tours Ayahuasca retreat center in the Peruvian jungle. Coming from a background of science and engineering, she has trouble these physical manifestations of healing at first but after witnessing numerous people being healed, she finally gave in and immersed herself into the spiritual world. What you will learn on this episode: * What is consciousness? * How does consciousness work? * Healing capabilities of the plant medicines * What are the scientific potential of these plant medicines * The history of the medicines * What are Ayahuasca and Psychedelics? * Health benefits of Ayahuasca * Risks in Ayahuasca * Physical manifestations of Ayahuasca * Testimonies of people who got healed through these plant medicines * Importance of culture medicines Quotes: "Consciousness seems to be more than the sum of our parts"- Melissa Stangl ""It's important to understand the cultural aspect of plant medicines" Melissa Stangl "Our issues live in our tissues" Melissa Stangl "The millennial's problem is our search for meaning" Melissa Stangl "Stay curious and grateful about synchronicities" Melissa Stangl You might also like these episodes:AOA 108 | Robin Farmanfarmaian | How Health Care Technology Empowers ConsumersAOA 091 | Jiro Taylor | Flow State CollectiveAOA 088 | Derek Sivers | Turning Observations Into ActionAOA 016 | Fostering Grit And Joyful Learning With Tom Hoerr, Ph.D.AOA 077 | Mario "The Magician" Marchese | How To Make Your Own MagicAOA 040 | Erica Dhawan | Get Big Things Done With Connectional Intelligence

  “When you ask for something, it tells the universe that you’re ready to have it.” How comfortable are you with asking for what you want? How comfortable are you getting a no when you ask for something? This is a 5-minute Friday episode about the Art of Asking. One of the most important skills for success as an entrepreneur and adventure traveler. Learning to ask more and getting comfortable with rejection has helped me build my confidence and led to so many more opportunities.   On this episode, you will learn about what asking could give you. I will share some amazing experiences that happened only by taking a risk and asking. We even got to stay in a 5-star hotel in a castle, for free, just by asking. How cool is that? Never be afraid to ask. If you’re afraid to ask because of the fear of getting a NO, then you’ll never know if you’re going to get a YES. I also highly recommend the book, The Art of Asking, by Amanda Palmer, which helped me as I started asking people to support my crowdfunding platform. You might also like these episodes:AOA 087 | Stephanie Burns | Unreasonable RequestsAOA 064 | Erin Blaskie | Behind The Scenes Of Brand StorytellingAOA 079 | Samuel Hatton | From Courage To Confidence AOA 031 | Shane Snow | Smartcuts and Storytelling

Hey Adventurers, let’s twist it up a bit! Today’s episode on the Art of Adventure is a new type of episode which features our week trip in Slovenia. Moving forward, we will be featuring places/countries that we have visited for the first time so you too could discover amazing countries for your next big adventure. Slovenia is a country in Central Europe known for its unique terrain, ski resorts, and magnificent lakes. Since we are currently living in Croatia, my wife and I decided to take a week off to travel and relax. We were presented with several options of places to visit but we decided to go for Slovenia – and we make an excellent choice! On this episode, I will share our exciting trip in Slovenia: * The road trip to Slovenia * Our stay in Ljubljana * Places we visited in Slovenia * Activities, cafes, hotels to experience * The castle of Otočec * Slovenian culture * Must-visit tourist attractions * Breathtaking views Bled, we went for a walk around the village we stayed (Bohinjska Beka) in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. Many of the houses are built right into the rock (including our @airbnb - the shower was in a cave!) There is an area for rock climbing, a waterfall, and a series of ladders up a slot canyon to get to this viewpoint on a 200 ft tall pillar of rock. There were helicopters flying everywhere because apparently there is a military training grounds up the valley. Castle Grad OtočecCastle Grad Otočec Eleonora greeted us as we arrived at @castleotocec... We fell under her spell - she is a beautiful singer and lute player. She told us that she lives in a different castle 1 kilometer away and invited us there for a visit. It's really cool to see castles still in use. When I was 8 or 9 my family went to England and I remember playing in all the ruins. But castles don't become have to turn into ruins. Otočec Castle is a Slovenian treasure and by operating it as a hotel and event space, they effectively preserve their heritage. I recently read about Italy doing something similar - they are giving away castles and chateaus for free if you turn it into a business like a restaurant or hotel. Would you rather live in a castle or a modern home? It really blows my mind to think just how much prosperity we have. You have access to more than emperors and kings from days gone by: you can get your meals cooked for you at a restaurant - no need for a staff of 400 chefs, you can read all night if you want- no need to spend a fortune on candles, you can learn anything you want - no need to buy a library of books, you can text someone at anytime-no need to write a letter and wait weeks for a reply. No matter how you look at it, you are one of the richest people in history! The food here at castleotocec has been amazing! The manager of the hotel was telling me that everyone here has a vineyard no matter what their occupation. Yes, he has one too! I saw some gypsies catching fish and cooking them right on the side of the river - the river is so clean you could just walk out your door catch a fish and cook it up! One thing we have noticed here in Slovenia is the amazing quality of ingredients. With fresh ingredients- good Veggies, meats, and herbs, you are well on your way to an incredible meal. Our room at Otocec - they even put a crib in there for Axel! Otocec is the only water castle ( on an island) i...

“My best investment of effort is in understanding how to invest into more people” – Jon Levy Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure podcast has been on the show before and he joins us once more to share his success in hosting over a thousand of highly influential people over dinner. Jon Levy is the author of the book, The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure, a combination of people’s stories, research, and the EPIC (Establish, Push Boundaries, Increase, Continue) model of adventure. He talked about this book on a previous episode and now, we get to hear about how the book was received by the people. Being a behavioral scientist, Jon shows great interest in people. He hosts the Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for the most influential people in the society. He gathers high-profile individuals to share a meal while connecting with each other. And on this episode, he talks about the success of these dinners and what it takes to become a super connector. What you will learn on this episode: * How the book, The 2AM Principle, was received by the people * How to communicate with highly influential people * The idea behind the Influencers Dinner * What made these dinners successful * How to get the most influential people to say yes to these dinners * Tips in becoming a super connector * How he got the media to talk about the dinners * The perks in hosting these dinners Quotes: "Your success is created a decade before" - Jon Levy "I needed to create something that really stands out"- Jon Levy "I'm fundamentally driven by living an interesting and remarkable life"- Jon Levy "The size of our lives is proportional to how uncomfortable we are willing to be"- Jon Levy Continue the Adventure (Resources from this episode):JonLevytlb.comInstagramFacebookTwitter You might also like these episodes:AOA 148 | Travis Sheridan | Create an Environment for SuccessAOA 083 | John Corcoran | Turn Your Relationships Into RevenueAOA 034 | Jordan Harbinger | The Art of the Interview and Networking Like a ProAOA 036| Judy Robinett | How To Be A Power ConnectorAOA 072 | Jason Treu | How To Build Extraordinary RelationshipsAOA 134 | Garrison Cohen | Creative EventsAOA 076 | Tyler Wagner | Conference Crushing And Publishing Bestsellers

“Just write your book, put it out there, and let nature take its course.” – Guy Vincent Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure podcast is someone who left everything at home - his job, his friends and his girlfriend to embark on a quest to find what makes his life more meaningful and complete. Luckily, he was able to find everything he was looking for. Guy Vincent is the founder and CEO of Publishizer, a crowd-publishing platform that connects authors with publishers. It allows authors to write proposals and launch pre-order campaigns to be discovered by potential readers and publishers. Publishizer helps authors bring their books out into the world while also assisting publishers who are hunting for new talents. They are the first company to do this. Before staring out the company, Guy also was an author. He himself learned how difficult it is to write a book and have it published. With this in mind, he figured that this crowd-funding platform is the solution to provide an avenue for writers and publishers to connect. I used Publishizer for my own book Superconductors, and it was picked up for traditional publishing by Kogan Page. You will hear us reference this book as part of the process and evolution of Publishizer. What you will learn on this episode: * Publishizer: Mission and Composition * How the Publishizer team moved around to different continents * Tips for starting authors * Crowd-publishing versus self-publishing * The business model of Publishizer * How to get your book published * What are the publishers looking for * How Publishizer wis disrupting the industry * How to roast your own coffee * How Publishizer uses incentives and gamification Quotes: "Everybody has a book inside them" - Guy Vincent "In Silicon Valley they are measuring everything" - Guy Vincent "This is lean startup for books" - Guy Vincent "We came to NYC because publishing is centered in Manhattan" - Guy Vincent Continue the Adventure (Resources from this episode):Publishizer on Facebook on Twitter on Instagram on Pinterest You might also like these episodes:AOA 074 | Colin Wright | The Future Of PublishingAOA 143 | JG Francouer | Publish Your Book And Catapult Your CareerAOA 069 | Kimanzi Constable | How To Sell 100,000 Books And Move To Hawaii

“We want to actually connect the people in a different way than usual.” – Iva Bencun “We strongly believe that we can do this festival and that we must do it in order to expand that kind of love that we feel for Zadar.” – Martina Ljustina Today’s guests on the Art of Adventure podcast are two adventure savvy entrepreneurs who has devoted their time and effort in order to provide fun and thrill for other people. Iva Bencun and Martina Ljustina are two of the co-founders of the Zadar Outdoor Festival. This festival showcases the extraordinary geographic diversity of the Zadar region which is perfect for outdoor activities. It also allows the participants to enjoy various sports while challenging their own limits. The first person I met when I moved to Zadar was Martina, and she has been a great friend, helping me with many connections and ideas while I've been here. Martina introduced me to Iva, who has also been a great friend and help during our stay in Croatia. I got to participate in many of the events of the 2017 Zadar Outdoor festival - caving, mountain bike racing, yoga, dancing, whitewater rafting, watching the air show, the highline slackline, and kayak race. There was one peak moment that blew me away -when the bike race finished and the kayak race was starting and the planes were flying overhead while the slackliners were high in the air above the forum- it seemed like everything was happening all at once and it felt like the center of the universe. Successfully organizing the festival in April 2017, the team invites more participants to join on the next Zadar Outdoor Festival. The land and the waters of Zadar region will be the space for people who wish to have the ultimate adventure. What you will learn on this episode: * What are the activities in the Zadar Outdoor Festival * Making this festival happen * Where the idea of the festival came from * Building the team * What is their promotion strategy * Tips in organizing a festival * How much does this festival cost * Inspiration behind the festival Continue the Adventure (Resources from this episode):Zadar Outdoor Festival on Instagram on Facebook on Twitter Iva Bencun: on Instagram on Facebook on Twitter   Martina Ljustina: on Instagram on Facebook on Twitter You might also like these episodes:Caroline Weiler | The Power Of StorytellingAOA 134 | Garrison Cohen | Creative Events (AKA the Art of Eventure)AOA 148 | Travis Sheridan | Create an Environment for Success

“Storytelling is important to me because it’s stories that are touching the hearts of people.” – Caroline Weiler Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure podcast is a travel entrepreneur, a storyteller, a writer and a visual story mapper who believes that every person has a story to tell and that every story has the power to inspire other people. Caroline Weiler is the co-founder of Travel Storytelling Festival – a platform for people to share their travel stories and experiences. Being a storyteller herself, she inspires people to get out of their comfort zone and live a creative life. I first met Caroline in Bali. When she told me she was putting together a travel and storytelling festival I told her it needed to happen and I would be her first speaker. just a few short months later in Brussels, I was blown away by what she created. She is also the founder of Visual Story Mapping which shapes people’s thoughts and emotions based on their experiences. This helps people visualize their lives and discover their amazing stories. I got to be one of her early test subjects for this venture as well.  We sat for a couple hours in the shade of palm trees in Bali and I told her my life story. What you will learn on this episode: * Why is storytelling important * The idea behind Travel Storytelling Festival * The purpose of Travel Storytelling Festival * What to consider in organizing events * How Visual Story Mapping works * Basics in mind mapping * Benefits of mind mapping Continue the Adventure (Resources from this episode):Travel Storytelling Festival on Instagram on Facebook  Visual Story Mapping on Instagram on Facebook   You might also like these episodes:AOA 062 | Jason Zook | Exercise Your Creative Muscle To Make MillionsAOA 109 | Mark Levy | Generating Your Best IdeasAOA 148 | Travis Sheridan | Create an Environment for SuccessAOA 093 | Michael Port | Steal The ShowAOA 056 | Michael Margolis | Storytelling For Business

“I think being in an environment that pushes you outside of your comfort zone and forces you to face or do something that scares you is integral to personal growth and expanding your horizon. And with that, you gain a new perspective of the world.” – Elise Darma Today's guest on the Art of Adventure podcast is a hotshot Instagrammer.  She has grown her Instagram account vastly within the past year, and on this episode, she will tell us how Instagram is more than just a photo-sharing social platform. Elise Darma is the founder of Canupy Content, an agency that helps businesses in their social media marketing and storytelling. She started out her career in digital media and entrepreneurship while working as a social media marketer for a business incubator in Toronto. She has promoted her personal brand on Instagram and has gained over 50,000 followers in the last year. Elise also hosts the Facebook group called The Travelpreneur Lounge where they share tactics in growing your Instagram account, your business, and your blog - and she welcomes everyone to join. What you will learn on this episode: * The benefits of working remotely * How to use Instagram to drive business * How to grow your following on Instagram * The hashtag strategy on Instagram * Instagram versus other social media platforms * The Instagram algorithm and the importance of engagement Quotes: "The motivation for growing my own Instagram was to use as a case study" - Elise Darma "Working remotely satisfies my urge to have adventure and explore"- Elise Darma "I travel about one third of the time"- Elise Darma "Instagram keeps me really mentally engaged"- Elise Darma Continue the Adventure (Resources from this episode):Canupy Contentelisedarma.comInstagramFacebook You might also like these episodes:AOA 122 | Yann Ilunga | Podcasting SuccessAOA 082 | Jeff Brown | Read To LeadAOA 062 | Jason Zook | Exercise Your Creative Muscle To Make MillionsAOA 020 | Scott Morrison | The World Of SponsorshipAOA004: How To Commit To Creative Authenticity with Zio Ziegler

“I would love for people to do what they want to do rather than doing what they have to do.” – Travis Sherry Our guest for today’s episode on the Art of Adventure podcast is a certified storyteller. You will definitely be astounded by his journey in reaching his dream career and his determination to share this dream with other people. I mean, who wouldn’t want a job that gives freedom to travel in all parts of the world? Travis Sherry is the man behind the No. 1 travel podcast on iTunes, Extra Pack of Peanuts, which teaches people how to travel more by spending less. He started Extra Pack of Peanuts in January 2012 while in Japan as he struggled to find himself. Being a teacher by profession, Travis found out that teaching Social Studies and History is not what he was destined for. By starting his business online, he discovers that teaching people how to travel cheap and giving them the freedom is his mission. Travis also runs the Location Indie community where they gather up people who wants to have a job or a business that can be run from anywhere in the world. He wants to give people the chance to experience the life of freedom they’ve been searching for. What you will learn on this episode: * What are the travel trends seen in this year * What are the location independent businesses that are people taking advantage of * The seven dollar business class upgrade travel hack * The worst places to stay * How Travis runs his business * The best travel blazer Quotes: "Digital nomads are going mainstream" - Travis Sherry "I didn't know teaching about frequent flyer miles would open so many doors"- Travis Sherry "My real skill is the ability to teach"- Travis Sherry "Adventure is figuring out a way to push yourself"- Travis Sherry Continue the Adventure (Resources from this episode):Extra Pack of PeanutsLocation IndieParadise PackTwitterInstagram You might also like these episodes:AOA 153 | Matt Bailey | Travel Hacking and the Limitless LifestyleAOA 055 | Ladan Jiracek | Travel Wisdom From 80 CountriesAOA 128 | Gunnar Garfors | A Story From Every CountryAOA 118 | Chris Guillebeau | Born For This: Find the Work You Were Meant to DoAOA 052 | Ben Keene | Creating Tribes Around The World

“I’m somebody who wants to make a difference and the way I have chosen to make that difference is through finding ways to empower human beings to live their best lives” – Ron Malhotra Today’s guest on the Art of Adventure podcast is someone who knows a lot about human psychology by just doing research and observing people. He believes that knowing who we really are is the most important thing to learn. Ron Malhotra is the founder of Successful Male Movement where they make a comprehensive success blueprint that guides people to transform. He is an Entrepreneur, an Award-Winning Wealth Planner, a Success Coach, a Leadership Trainer, an International Speaker and an Author. But Ron refers to himself as a Teacher. For Ron, anyone can be successful but it has to start with self-discovery, self-education and self-improvement. What you will learn on this episode: * How we should think about money * How to become successful * The difference between success and wealth * What is the science of manifestation and its role in success * The different types of intelligences and when to use them * The secret to effective public speaking Quotes: "The number one predictor of wealth is your own behavior" - Ron Malhotra "The best indicator of values is where you spend your time and money"- Ron Malhotra "Everybody can be highly successful, but most people won't be"- Ron Malhotra "A lot of times we dilute our energy because we on some level doubt ourselves"- Ron Malhotra "Some of the best decision makers rely on intuition and gut feel"- Ron Malhotra Continue the Adventure (Resources from this episode):The Successful Male You might also like these episodes:AOA 126 | Rock Thomas | Abundance and AdventureAOA 066 | Dale Thomas Vaughn | Purposeful MasculinityAOA 091 | Jiro Taylor | Flow State CollectiveAOA 059 | Millionaire Mindset: Habits For A Rich Life You will also like:The Best Art Of Adventure Podcast EpisodesAOA 050 | 50 Shades Of Adventure: The Best Ideas From The First 50 Episodes