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“I cannot stop creating, wandering, or loving the natural world.”
For over 15 years, Adele NG worked in the entertainment industry creating visual effects for projects like blockbuster Marvel films, Disney movies, and television shows. But after years of putting in long hours at the office, adventure came calling. She decided to answer the call and gave up her job to pursue her passion for photography and the outdoors. She created her business, Red Bark Photography and began capturing epic pictures of people, their pets, and nature. Now a social media sensation with her @mywhiskeygirl Instagram account, Adele invites followers to come along on her adventures as she explores mountains, lakes, and trails with her two beloved Vizslas, Whiskey and Bourbon.
In this episode, Adele talks about her journey to discovering her passion, offers advice on how you can turn your furry best friend into a rockstar adventure buddy, and gives tips on some of the best adventure dog gear out there. She also discusses how she plans for long backcountry hikes, her favorite trails, and the confidence she gains from getting outside and conquering those mountains.
“It’s about the experience of the event and exploring these amazing places that we have in our country.”
Ten years ago, Salem Stanley had the idea that he wanted to create a running event that combined a race with an amazing destination, and what better destination than a National Park! He created Vacation Races and the first event took place in Zion. Now, his company is celebrating their 10th Anniversary and has events all around the country and world. From half marathons, to ultra marathons, to trailfests and global adventures, they offer all kinds of amazing races for all types of runners and adventurers set it some of the most breathtaking places on earth. Their company slogan is, “Join us, not to achieve a personal best time, but to have the best time of your life.”
In this episode, Salem talks about his experience bringing his passion project to life, the different races and locations, what to expect when you sign up for a race (and the feeling of being a complete badass when you finish), and offers advice for those who might be a little fearful to take the plunge.
“I’ve always been so viciously, insanely passionate about it (acting). I feel like that is why I was put on this earth…no matter what role, that is where I feel home, and that is where I feel the most powerful.”
Jess Val Ortiz found her passion for acting when she was a little girl and knew that’s what she wanted to do with her life. She was a musical theater major at Penn State University and is putting her skills to the test by performing in national and regional productions of some of Broadway’s most infamous shows, with recent appearances in “Spamilton: An American Parody”, “Drowsy Chaperone”, “Kinky Boots” and “Sister Act”. When Covid hit and theatres were shut down, she took her acting to a new outlet, social media, and became a content creator with now over 8 million followers!
In this episode, Jess talks about her acting career, her journey becoming a content creator, and gives tips on what it takes to become both a successful actor and influencer. She also dishes on her love of fitness and adventure!
“When you ride it, you feel good about yourself.”
In 2005, former Marine and Ironman triathlete Bryan Pate lost his ability to run for exercise. After being disappointed by cycling and waiting in line at the gym for an elliptical trainer, he set out to create a low-impact outdoor running device that would give him the results he was getting with running. With incredible tenacity and hard work, he brought his dream to life and created the ElliptiGO bike.
Now, his bikes are used by elite athletes, over 300 university athletic programs, celebrities, and fitness enthusiasts all over the world. There is an entire ElliptiGO community that rides together, shares their adventures, and meets for various competitive ElliptiGo events, such as the 5 Burroughs Ride that takes over the streets of New York City. “Within the family of ElliptiGO, there’s people who fight cancer, people who lose 100 pounds, who get off medications, who feel like they can run again. The letters we get and the positive energy that accrues around this experience has been overwhelming, “said Bryan.
In this episode, Bryan talks about what it took to create ElliptiGO, the challenges he faced along the way, lessons he learned about starting a new business, the lives that have been impacted by his bikes, and the ElliptiGo family he loves so much.
“Do what is hard today. Do the impossible tomorrow.”
After years in the military, Mr. Noi dreamed of creating his own Krav Maga training center where he could share his love and knowledge of the self-defense system with others. So, he started Gateway Cities Krav Maga, an elite school in La Habra, California that offers classes to men, women, and children of all ages.
In this episode, we went on a field trip to Gateway Cities to visit the school in-person and talk with Mr. Noi. He discussed what inspired him to pursue Krav Maga, the basic principles and tactics, as well as the health benefits. We also took part in the Women’s Self Defense Workshop that he puts on quarterly, teaching women how to defend themselves against attacks they may be confronted with. This is an incredibly empowering workshop that all women should take!
“Life is about living. You’re not meant to be crammed into a dark office for most of your life wishing you could be out there exploring.”
Jolene Bibian is an entrepreneur and avid adventurist. When she founded her own company, Mills & Maple Insurance Solutions, she was determined to weave her love and enthusiasm for the outdoors into her business, showing that you can do both, run a successful business AND live the adventure life of your dreams.
In this episode, Jolene will discuss what she’s learned starting her own business, talk about her favorite toys like her Ducati and Can-Am UTV, her favorite trips, and tell us what it’s like at some of the greatest outdoor adventure events including the Baja 100. She is also currently training for the Rebelle Rally, the first women’s off-road navigation rally raid in the US.
“I do mantras. You care more than anyone else. You’re your best cheerleader so you might as well give yourself as much positive talk as you can.”
Kim Nedeau has been a competitive runner since the age of 14. In college, she set a school record at Brown University in the 3000 meters. She went on to win a Bronze Medal as a member of the USA Mountain Running Team and just recently was crowned the winner at the 12th Annual ElliptiGO World Championships. On top of that, she owns her own coaching and injury prevention business, is a mother of 2 plus an amazing fur baby and is a self-proclaimed beer snob. In this episode, she talks about her athletic career, gives tip on reaching your fitness goals and how to keep your body healthy, why she fell in love with the ElliptiGO community, and her favorite beers!
“At the end of the day it’s being able to challenge yourself.”
Diego Martinez is a former club promoter who used to have a lifestyle with lots of drinking and very little sleeping. But looking to transform his life, Diego made the decision to pursue a career in fitness and become a personal trainer. Now, he’s waking up at 3:30 am every day to meditate and prep for his day of training his clients in his group classes and one-on-one sessions. He puts the "personal" in personal training, truly caring about his clients and building relationships while creating an incredible fitness community based on positivity in Sherman Oaks, California.
In this episode, Diego talks with host J.J. Jurgens about pursuing his passion of fitness, gives tips on building your own personal training business and offers advice on how you can finish 2021 with a strong mindset.
“You have to be determined. You have to have tough skin. And you have to be ok with a no.”
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Loretta Abrams grew up thinking she was going to pursue a career in the fashion world. But the sports world got ahold of her and she quickly found her true passion. Loretta has worked for the Houston Rockets, Houston Comets, New York Liberty and is currently an Account Executive for the 3-Time WNBA National Champion Los Angeles Sparks. A true hustler, she’s also an entrepreneur with various side projects enhancing the lives of athletes and dreamers.
In this episode, Loretta discusses her work with the Sparks including their 7th Annual #WeAreWomen Event that recognizes women and girls who are making an impact in the community. She also offers tips and advice for landing a job in the sports world and standing out from the crowd.
““I find it funny when people say good films score is a score that you don’t hear, it’s just in the background. I actually disagree with that. I think a really good film score is just like beautiful lighting or beautiful editing. It’s not something you’re only focused on but it’s something that’s helping you experience the movie the way the creator of it is intending for you to feel.””
Bronx-born Craig DeLeon has been composing original music since he first heard Prince’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover” at age 8. Now, he just finished scoring Sia’s Golden Globe nominated feature film Music and the Showtime documentary Supervillian: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine. Craig lets us in on the creative process behind these two projects and shares insights from his professional journey. From starting his career at Propaganda films as an assistant to director Spike Jonze creating concepts for music videos, to composing music in the advertising world and winning a CLIO for his Apple TV ad campaign, to scoring numerous films and documentaries, Craig has made an incredible career out of that sweet, sweet music.
“Say yes to opportunities that maybe you don’t feel you’re ready for because other people might see something you don’t see in yourself.”
Anne O’Neil first got into sports by playing soccer on an all-boys team and proving she could compete with the best of them. Shortly after, she discovered her love of basketball and became one of the best high school athletes in the country, recruited by top coaches like the legendary Pat Summit. Anne played Division I college basketball and was an athletic and academic All-American at Iowa State. After leading the nation in 3-point shooting, she was invited to compete in the infamous ESPN 3-Point shooting contest. After college, she was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs and one of the highlights of her WNBA career was having the opportunity to run up and down the court at Madison Square Garden. Following her incredible athletic career, she took her sports knowledge to TV and became a color commentator for Fox Sports. Now, Anne is a mindset and leadership coach working with teams and executives to develop strategic game plans and goals, and has studied with some of the top mindset gurus in the country. She is also the host and producer of the "Get Busy Livin'" podcast.
In this episode, Anne talks about her athletic career and what it takes to compete at that level. She also offers tips and advice for setting goals and developing a strong mindset to get you through the ups and downs in life, pursuing a career in sports broadcasting and how to cultivate that healthy, happy life you're seeking. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious!
“Ultimately you have to trust your voice. You have to trust that person who you really are when you’re chilling by yourself with a glass of wine, that’s what people really do connect to.”
Mara Junot is a highly successful voiceover actor whose voice has been featured in numerous commercials, promos, video games, tv shows, movies and live events. You may have heard her voicing your favorite characters in Fortnite or Call of Duty, singing away as exquisite diva Laura Divine in the animated feature Fireheart, or bringing you all the action on NCAA Basketball promos for ESPN. When she began her career in voiceover, the field was dominated by men and one of her goals was to open doors and prove to producers in the industry that women can rock the mic just as hard as men. She has kicked down those doors and has since become the first woman to voice E! True Hollywood Stories and also landed a job in network news promo as the voice of The News with Shepard Smith.
In this episode, Mara talks about her journey leaving behind her day job to dive head first into voiceover and what she has learned along the way. She also opens up about her personal battle with autoimmune disorders and anxiety, and how she finds balance in life in order to take care of her mental health. For all of you out there wanting to pursue a career in voiceover, she also gives tips on getting started, breaking into the industry and sustaining a career.
“I had to redefine what I had come to think love was.”
Best-selling author, podcast host and director Gabrielle Stone is back! This time, she’s talking about her new book, “The Ridiculous Misadventures of a Single Girl,” the sequel to her ever-so-popular “Eat, Pray, #FML.” She gives the inside scoop on what fans will discover as they follow along on her latest journey and offers advice on finding your own unicorn in love. She also gives tips on solo travel and talks about her latest adventure in Thailand filled with a silent retreat, monkeys, mushrooms, and so much more!
“You have an appreciation for the things that really matter and don’t really matter.”
Jeff Hester is a hiker, backpacker, and adventurer. While preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail, he had the idea to create the SoCal Hiker blog to document his preparation. Now, it has grown into an adventurers’ community and offers detailed guides and tips for the best hiking trails throughout Southern California and the Western United States. He also started the epic Six-Pack of Peak Challenges and is a host on the Almost There Adventure Podcast.
In this episode, Jeff shares some of his favorite hiking stories, gives tips on essential gear to bring on your hikes, reveals what it means when you find “trail magic", and gives advice to others wanting to create adventure blogs.
““My biggest tool for everything is persistence. There’s nothing like persistence. “”
Since his early days in Queens, Geo Santini has always had a passion for movies and music. Once he discovered he could combine his love of both into a career, he found his true calling. Geo began producing music videos for various artists. Then, wanting the chance to pursue his filmmaking dreams, he packed his bags and headed west to Los Angeles. In 2010 his feature film “Hotel California” was released and he’s been creating more work ever since. He launched an online comedy group and platform that produced over 200 videos, the viral web series Geo’s Pizza” and the Amazon series “Borderline”. He recently released the film “After The Reign,” which he wrote, directed and played the lead outrageous character, Lil Tito. Geo is definitely a man not afraid to wear many hats in the entertainment industry with an intense drive to keep creating new content.
In this episode, Geo shares his journey, lessons he’s learned along the way, and offers advice to those looking to pursue a career in filmmaking.
“I think it’s so important to have that confidence regardless whether you have an off day, whether you have a bad day, whether a coach says you can’t. You need to know in your heart that you can.”
Tera Moody is a former pro marathon runner. As a young girl growing up just outside of Chicago, she competed in all kinds of sports. Then one day she decided she wanted to be like her older brother and be a runner. Well, she wouldn’t become just any runner. Tera would go on to be a two-time State Champ in the mile and run on a championship cross-country team in high school. In college, she competed for the Colorado Buffaloes cross country and track teams, winning the Big 12 title in the 10,000 meters and running on the NCAA champion cross-country team as a sophomore. In 2008, she finished fifth in the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials and continued to compete in many more. In 2009, she competed in the World Championships finishing 28th and was the third American. In 2011, she again represented Team USA for the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea was the top US finisher and 17th overall.
In this episode, Tera talks about her incredible running career, her personal battles with insomnia and an eating disorder, how she started her own real estate business, being a new mom at 40 and her new athletic passion, ElliptiGo!