Last week I hosted two incredible humans on the Adventure Creator Podcast.
Joel De Villiers (@spacemandela) joined me for episode 42 to discuss his path as an artist and how he began tapping into his true self and the limitless possibilities of the universe.
Then on episode 43, Tori Immel blew me away with her journey and personal growth transformation. I have met very few people who have found the harmony between mindfulness, passion and ambition like Tori has.
Tori’s take on how growth happens in cycles stood out to me as one of the most profound takeaways from the conversation. Leveraging this perspective and using tools like positive self-talk it becomes possible to stay strong through the lulls and persevere to better times!
If you want to catch the podcasts as they release subscribe on Google, Apple or Spotify 🙂
Victoria Tin-bor Hui received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University and her B.SSc. in Journalism from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Victoria is an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame, and her core research examines the centrality of war in the formation and transformation of “China” in the long span of history.
Hui also studies contentious politics. As a native from Hong Kong, she has written “Will China Crush the Protests in Hong Kong? Why Beijing Doesn’t Need to Send in the Troops” in Foreign Affairs and “Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement: The Protest and Beyond” in the Journal of Democracy. She also maintains a blog on Hong Kong victoriatbhui.wordpress.com. She has extensively commented on Hong Kong politics in the media including the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage, ChinaFile, ABC, the BBC, the New York Times, the Guardian, Bloomberg, Sky News, NPR, Vox, and the Christian Science Monitor.
Victoria Hui’s class on Contentious Chinese politics in the Fall of 2016 shifted my understanding of China and its place in the world. Following the end of the century of humiliation and the powerful Qing dynasty, we studied China’s political and cultural history- Mao’s cultural revolution, the invasion of Tibet and Mongolia, the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Falun Gong, the widespread jailing of human rights lawyers, and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime.
Because of China’s growing influence and worldwide power it is vital to understand its history of human rights abuses and oppression of its people. During our conversation Victoria shares a brief history of China as well as her insights into the ongoing fight for freedom in Hong Kong. After more than 10,000 arrests and the passage of China’s new extradition law (which broadly deems any form of dissent punishable with severe consequences) Victoria remains optimistic that daily, decentralized and diversified (the 3 D’s) protest tactics provide hope for the future of Hong Kong.
Photo credit:
Creator: NurPhoto | Credit: NurPhoto via Getty ImagesCopyright: Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto/Getty Images
I’m stoked to share my first short film with you! After two seasons filming on the mountain and more moments of cold hands than I can possibly count, Still Skiing is here.
Still Skiing is a story about overcoming the challenges that accompany a life revolving around skiing and being outdoors. Being true to yourself and living the life you were made for is necessary to be the best version of yourself.
Watch the film here:
My friends JP Cooke, Marita Solberg have inspired me to pursue passion and hear my intuition through all the noise.
We also recorded a podcast that goes deeper into these two and why they do what they do, check it out:
Hunter Goodrich first dipped into Lake Washington’s 40 degree water in February this year and hasn’t looked back. After years of battling severe anxiety, the cold water has become one of several tools Hunter uses to find peace and stillness.
Hunter is a testament to the truth that anyone can recover after hitting rock bottom. It may be slow, brutal, incremental change but it is possible. During our conversation we go deep into Hunter’s mind to understand how he began re-wiring his brain and what the effects of a new lease on life have been.
Also, I have to give a shout out to my buddy Lewis Radow (lew_glass on IG) for inspiring Hunter’s cold water practice and for recommending Hunter and I sit down and record this. Everywhere I look I see people striving to be their best selves and have a positive impact on those around them.
Hit up Hunter if you have any questions via his Instagram, @icegoodrich.
Dr. Tressa Pinkleton is a Naturopathic Doctor with Seattle Naturopathy and Acupuncture. She tells the story of how she imagined what her dream job would look like, only to discover that it actually existed. Dr. Pinkleton explains the distinction between a naturopathic and medical doctor, shares diet, sleep and exercise related advice, and what she’s been telling her patients during this recent pandemic.
Matt Melling is an English filmmaker passionate about characters, places, and the stories that make us who we are.
I asked Matt why he likes making films outdoors and his response was just perfect: “The outdoors looks better than the indoors.” Matt’s passion for storytelling spans from the moment he discovers an interesting story, through the relationship-building and planning of the project, to sharing his work with others.
“There are two ways to live life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein. At the time Dean heard this quote he was down to 145 pounds, the biggest things on him were his lymph nodes. He was dying. But at that moment he decided to try it out.
In 2014, against his doctors’, family and friends’ wishes he got into a public pool and started swimming. Dean became the first man to swim the entire length of the Willamette River, (187 miles) as an active cancer patient. 23 days, 40-degree water, 10-12 hours a day. His hope was to leave his daughter with a legacy of hope and courage and to let other cancer patients know that a diagnosis is not a death sentence.
As Dean said recently on The Adventure Creator Podcast episode #11, “The good thing about being broken is that you’re broken wide open.” The most difficult challenges we face make us who we are. Dean picked up the pieces and put himself back together. His story is a testament to humans’ capacity to heal.
Working with Dean and Olivia Leigh Nowak on this project has been energizing and inspiring. Stories are powerful, especially when you get to know the people behind them. Now, that hard part of actually executing our vision begins 🙂
Episode 17: Elise recently returned from a 17 month adventure in South America, trekking, climbing and living with local communities (one being an alpaca farm in Ecuador).
With a mindset that “I know nothing and I am here to learn” Elise unlocked an incredibly positive and trans-formative experience.
During episode 14 of The Adventure Creator Podcast with Cooper Johnson, we address topics from understanding emotions, finding identity, embracing discomfort and opting for change rather than accepting the status quo. Cooper’s passion for life and desire to make an impact have been the foundation for an incredible journey and I am excited to see how he tackles his next chapter.
Cooper’s openness and willingness to be vulnerable during our conversation is a reminder of the power of storytelling. One of Cooper’s favorite quotes and motivational videos:
“Don’t confuse the truth with the opinion of the majority.”
— Jean Cocteau
Kyle Huber 