Wild Ideas Worth Living | Interviews On Adventure, Outdoors, Travel, Health, Fitness, Running, Business, Surfing, Exploring

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

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

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

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,

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, i

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:  Y

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 aware

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 move

Kimi’s Wild Idea: To practice sustainable hunting, spread the message about the importance of the ocean and make a living doing what she loves. If you’ve heard of Kimi Werner, you’ve probably seen the picture or video of her gracefully swimming along, holding onto the dorsal fin of a great white shark. Kimi is fearless, and she’s a force of nature. Growing up off grid in Hawaii, Kimi’s father taught her to free dive. She gave it up for years, then rediscovered it later in life and went on to become the national spearfishing champion, a chef, an award-winning artist, and sought-after speaker. Her work as an environmental advocate wasn’t always her goal, and her path has taken unexpected turns as she has built a career that combines many of her passions. Kimi is a great storyteller, and she has some amazing stories to share with us, like her famous encounter with one of the biggest predators of the ocean, the magic that took her on a trip to the Azores, and the fearlessness of standing up for herself in asking

JP’s Wild Idea: To use humor to empower people to be the best versions of themselves. JP Sears is a spiritual comedian, author, emotional healing coach, and a curious student of life. You may know him from his hilarious YouTube videos that feature great underlying messages about relationships, spirituality and how self-righteous we can be as groups -- whether we are yogis, vegans, raw foodies, or even ultra-spiritual people.  It took JP a while to find a way to use his humor for good, and he’s not afraid to make fun of his own lifestyle. His work is intended to empower people to be their best selves, and to live more meaningful lives. On this episode, JP shares how he uses humor to talk about serious issues, his advice for living wildly, how to make a living using your passions, and the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. Listen to this episode if:  You love to laugh. You are in touch with your spiritual side (or want to be). You like watching hilarious YouTube videos and comedians. You’re a vega

Karen’s Wild Idea: To share bold, brave, wild stories, both her own and by others through books and essays with the world. Also, to embrace surfing at an older age, a sport that’s taught her why it’s so great to suck at something. Karen Rinaldi is a writer, publisher, and the creator of Harper Wave, an imprint of Harper Collins that has published the work of three past guests: Jaimal Yogis, Mark Lukach and Steph Jagger. Karen has also published books by authors like Dave Asprey of the Bulletproof Coffee movement, Dr. Gundry of The Plant Paradox, and Tony Horton of P90X, to name a few. In addition to her literary life, Karen is also a surfer. She started at age 40, and recently wrote an essay in the New York Times that every surf writer’s mom sent them (including my own) titled, “It’s Great to Suck at Something.” I loved her story, and all of her essays I’ve read. I also don’t have a lot of mentors that are females, writers, publishers, and surfers, so when I find someone like Karen, I have to share her knowle

Ari’s Wild Idea: To cross canyons and mountains hundreds of feet in the air. To highline at challenging locations, and to apply lessons of life learned in the air to life on the ground. Ari (pronounced Air-ee) DeLashmutt is a professional highliner, skier, paraglider and an enthusiastic adventurer, who also hosts the How To Adventure Podcast. He lives a dream life, eager to spend most of his time in the air or on the mountains. I met Ari at the OutFound Festival in Oregon, and I love that he thinks outside of the box.  Ari has some incredible perspectives on life, fear, confidence, and failure. These are lessons he’s learned from spending so much time pushing the envelope, doing what he loves, and confronting fear in the face. He shares some of his best lessons learned from highlining, rigging ropes tethered to rocks in precarious locations, why play is so important, and so much more. Listen to this episode if:  You want to challenge your notion of fear. You’ve tried slacklining.  You love going on adventure

Courtney’s Wild Idea: To become a professional surfer, and to achieve tough goals in and out of the water. Courtney Conlogue is a professional surfer on the World Surf League, currently ranked towards the top three on the women’s tour. Known for her powerful turns, positive attitude, work ethic, and incredible fitness capacity, she has an amazing ability to set goals and achieve them. Last year, she modeled naked for the Body issue in ESPN Magazine. She also missed a world title by one spot. On this episode, we talk about what you can learn from losing, how Courtney trains and sets goals, what she does when she achieves her goals, and her loves outside of the water. Listen to this episode if:  You surf. You want to achieve your goals. You are interested in training, nutrition and fitness. You love drinking coffee.  You’re an artist. Your family is important to you. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: http://wildideasworthliving.com/41 Hosted by Simplecas

Chris’s Wild Idea: To interview people who have had successful side hustles, and to publish a book and podcast about it.  Chris Guillebeau is the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup, The Art of Non-Conformity, Born For This, and The Happiness of Pursuit. His latest book, Side Hustle, which debuts September 19th, shows how to take your side hustle from an idea to a profitable business.  In addition to being an incredible writer, Chris visited all 193 countries by age 35. He is all about living the life you want, and not the life others expect you to have. He shares why he doesn’t believe you have to quit your job unless you want to, plus his favorite productivity tools. Listen to this episode if:  You want to quit your job. You have or have thought about starting a side hustle. You want to travel the world. You’ve read The $100 Startup or any of Chris’s other books. You want to monetize your hobby. For full show notes, including guest links and books mentioned during the episode, visit: htt

Caroline’s Wild Idea: To climb up huge mountains, ski down them, go on amazing adventures, and become an advocate for the environment and more. Caroline Gleich is a professional ski mountaineer, adventurer, trail runner and activist. Based in Salt Lake City, Caroline recently became the first woman and fourth person to ski all 90 lines featured in “The Chuting Gallery,” a steep skiing guidebook to the Wasatch Range. A nature lover since birth, Caroline has used her voice as an athlete and an ambassador for brands like KEEN, Clif Bar and Patagonia to speak up about social and environmental issues like climate change, clean air, and cyber harassment. She’s graced the covers of magazines like Powder and Backcountry, appeared in multiple Warren Miller Films, and I even recently wrote about her in Outside Magazine. On this episode, Caroline shares challenges and advice on being a woman in a burly man’s sport, training tips to climbing mountains and getting ready for an ultramarathon, how she handles fear and how s

Todd’s Wild Idea: To take amazing pictures of waves and the athletes who ride them. Todd Glaser is one of the most sought-after surf photographers in the world. As a staff photographer for Surfer Magazine since 2008, he’s earned more than a dozen covers. Today he takes photos on land and in the water with surfs stars like Kelly Slater, Jack Johnson, Rob Machado, and more. Todd grew up in Solana Beach, California, competed as a body boarder, went to school for photography, and then immediately took his love of shooting his friends in the water, and turned it into a thriving career. His work has appeared not only in sports publications like Surfer and Outside Magazine, but also in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Most recently, Todd took photos for the latest Taylor Steele Movie, Proximity, and just came out with a photography book around it that he self-published, and is currently shipping from his mom’s garage. Listen to this episode if:  You love surfing. Y

Zeppelin’s Wild Idea: To share different perspectives of the public land debate through his latest documentary film, and inspire others to get outside. Aside from having one of the most badass names ever, Zeppelin Zeerip is a pro snowboarder and activist, the author of Don’t Call Me a Gypsy, a producer and partner of WZRD Media, and co-founder of a grassroots snowboard competition called Occupy Pando.  For his latest project, Zeppelin is traveling around the U.S. to film for his upcoming documentary about the public land debate. He is passionate about preserving this land that everyone has access to, but he also knows the importance of hearing perspectives from all sides. We also go deep and talk about some of the loss he endured in his youth, and how that has affected his drive and motivation today. Listen to this episode if:  You want to be a pro snowboarder. You are passionate about the public land debate. You’ve ever suffered loss. You try to get outside every day. You want to surround yourself with insp

Gale’s Wild Idea: To share stories of women from all walks of life who are passionate about the outdoors, and encourage them to explore. Gale Straub is the voice and creator of the popular podcast and community, She-Explores. The podcast focuses on women in the great outdoors, and tells the stories of entrepreneurs, athletes, and “ordinary” women who are “curious, inquisitive and beyond.” It’s well-edited and inspires people to spend more time outside, which I am a huge advocate of. Gale left behind the life of a CPA for a long stint on the road in the van with the boyfriend before starting the show. It was a big risk, she talks about, as well as sharing about living with your significant other in a confined space, and why she loves connecting with women in the outdoors. Listen to this episode if:  You love the outdoors, or are feeling the call to adventure. You are a She-Explores listener and want to get to know the voice behind the podcast. You’ve thought about quitting your job to pursue your passion and

Chris’s Wild Idea: To make a living by writing and talking about surfing and skateboarding. To use humor and positivity to land his dream job, and remain relevant though the ages. Chris Cote is a professional action sports personality. He got his start as a competitive surfer and skateboarder, became editor of Transworld Surf Magazine, and is now a commentator on the World Surf League, the commentator and host of the Vans Park Series, the editor Encinitas Magazine and the host of his own podcast, the Monday M.A.S.S. He’s also a hilarious and positive guy who can still skateboard and surf with some of the best pros in the business. He not only shares great stories including getting branded by Blink182 and Green Day, hanging out with Andy Irons, his encounter with a sea anenome and the crazy stuff he’s seen at surf and skate competitions; but he also shares about failure, getting sober, how to stay relevant no matter how old you are, and what it really takes to create your own dream job, and how you can do that

Steve’s Wild Idea: To share deeper stories about travel and adventure by creating an online and print media company, Adventure Journal. Steve Casimiro is the founder of Adventure Journal, an online magazine with a beautiful quarterly book that covers the deeper side of adventure. Steve has worked in journalism for years. He got his start in newspapers, then worked at Powder Magazine, helped start Snowboarder Magazine, was the founding editor of Bike Magazine, and then the west coast editor of National Geographic, before he jumped into the world as a media entrepreneur.  Becoming an entrepreneur, and starting a media company, especially at the height of the recession wasn’t easy, but Steve had the experience and the willingness to do every single job necessary, even packing and delivering magazines, to make it happen. He shares tips about starting your own business, why failure is important, and how art and adventure go hand in hand.  Listen to this episode if:  You love adventure. You love old school journal