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This is a podcast about people. A collection of stories from across the globe. Let's face it, we are all pretty dang busy these days. With a limited budget, and even more scarce vacation days, it can be hard to look beyond your day to day life. We keep hearing the benefits of travel such as the sparks of creativity, the understanding of people and cultures, and the digging into yourself to see whats inside. Although I can't provide everything travel has to offer through the convenience of yo ...
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A daily show focused on motivation, productivity, leadership, technology, communication, entrepreneurship and work/life balance. This show aired 2016-2017.
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(Episode 70) Columbus, Ohio. The trip has come to an end. As the dust settles on a long, tough, amazing, exhausting, and unbelievable two years, Jackie and I reminisce about the trip and ask each other some burning questions about our favorite moments and struggles coming home. It has been a wild ride and I want to thank every one of you for tuning…
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(Episode 69) Budapest, Hungary. Everyone has ebbs and flows throughout their life, but how we respond to each twist and turn can greatly impact the trajectory of the next phase. Our guest, Balu Szilvássy, has made a career, relationship, and life by taking on hard challenges and persevering. From Muay Thai, to coding, to attending a high school tha…
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(Episode 68) Gaborone, Botswana. Life can be complicated, but identifying your mother is usually an item on the short list of things that are easy to do. I say usually because today's guest, Stanley Nchena Kaseke, did not have this luxury. Stanley's family life was anything but straightforward, but the gift from this situation was the love and supp…
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(Episode 67) Bratislava, Slovakia. Growing up, Kris and Mike Cebecauer fought constantly. That's what brothers are supposed to do. The little sibling always plots the demise of the older as the older attempts to maintain control. It's funny how time works though because now the two brothers have teamed up as they try to find their place in the worl…
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(Episode 66) Nicosia, Cyprus. Christiana Polyviou grew up a good girl. She lived on her little island of Cyprus and did everything that was asked of her. That all changed when life suddenly took her to the metropolis of Athens. Christiana thrived in the city. She quickly made friends, got a degree, and was out in the world seeing and exploring ever…
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(Episode 65) Paris, France. What happens when you have to suppress who you are? It's not as if Mounir wanted to live a double life, but when he could be jailed for his sexual preferences he didn't have much of a choice. Now that Mounir has taken control of his life, he faces the question of continuing to live the double life he's lived so long. Tun…
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(Episode 64) Jerusalem, Israel. Yael and Jake Kaufman are from New York, but their real home is in Jerusalem. It is a strange phenomenon when you find a place that syncs with the rhythm of your soul more than your home town, but that connection is what called this young couple to the holy city. Unfortunately, the land of milk and honey has its own …
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(Episode 63) Zagreb, Croatia. Propaganda is a powerful thing. It can lead a movement for human rights, or make neighbors turn on each other. Ante Živkovič, today's guest, saw the power of propaganda first hand as it fueled the situation in former Yugoslavia to boil into violence. Propaganda is as old as human society, but as the world and informati…
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(Episode 62) Rome, Italy. Omar is a long way from home but that doesn't bother him. Well, maybe a little bit. It's in the Filipino culture to be resilient, but being over 6,500 miles from home isn't exactly easy. It is normal to have ups and downs especially when laying roots in a different part of the world. Those downs are important, though, whic…
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(Episode 61) Marseille, France. Jean Alain, today's guest, lives in a beautiful coastal town of southern France, but that might be a step back from the Caribbean island he called home. Jean likes a good challenge, though, and there was no way his little, island home could contain his ambition. His transition was smooth for the most part until he hi…
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(Episode 60) Bordeaux, France. Don't you hate it when everything piles on you at once? It happens, and the year of 2015 was Bertrand's, today's guest, time to be life's punching bag. Tragedy and strife can come in a blink of an eye but take years to recover. That is just the way life is, but Bertrand's method to combat the blues is described in a w…
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(Episode 59) Madrid, Spain. Giseth Ramos, today's guest, could of had three kids, a nice wife, a lovely home, and a Mercedes. That was the direction his family was pushing him anyway, but that lifestyle never suited Giseth. He wanted to live every second of his life without regret. So the kids and the family life are going to have to wait, because …
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(Episode 58) Francistown, Botswana. This is a crash course on happiness. Veronique Mamashela was being shaped into something that she wasn't. Pressure from her former husband was taking off the edges and curves that made her who she was until she fit within the picture that he had for her. The problem with being shaped is that you no longer fit int…
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(Episode 57) Johannesburg, South Africa. The last episode of the the four-part, Apartheid mini series brings on Anesu Dahwa. Anesu embodies the first generation that lives in a post Apartheid world. Anesu is a deep thinker, luckily, because it takes a strong mind to decipher not only the consequences of Apartheid but the everyday malfunctions (and …
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(Episode 56) Johannesburg, South Africa. In episode three of four of the Apartheid series, Koketso Mushe joins us for a bit of a different episode. Today we just talk. We talk about Apartheid, and race relations, and humanity, and try to make sense of it all. It was a conversation that I've wanted to have for a long time, but even more than that, i…
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(Episode 55) Johannesburg, South Africa. In the second episode of this short Apartheid series, Richard Meletse shares his perspective from the black side of the razor wire. This episode is a glimpse into what life was like in Soweto, the most famous Johannesburg township, and what happened, on the ground, during the 1976 uprising. It is an action p…
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(Episode 54) Johannesburg, South Africa. It was finally time to cash in on our one way ticket to the southern hemisphere and our Africa chapter started out with a bang. The next four episodes are coming to you from the complex city of Johannesburg where the the ruins of the Apartheid government still lay a heavy burden on the city. There are so man…
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(Episode 53) Paros, Greece. Sauglou Michalis had a habit of jumping into things head first. Not knowing how to ride didn't stop him from buying a motorcycle and being an engineer didn't stop him from becoming a teacher. He made a habit of being adjustable and learning on the fly. Of course, life has a funny way of testing whatever you think your st…
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(Episode 52) Crete, Greece. Ah, the island life. Everything moves a bit slower on the islands of Greece but not in a bad way. It is peaceful here, and everywhere you look olives grow merrily on their trees. Anything can get dull if you live your entire life in one place though. That is why Stelios Pipparakis spent some time away from his little par…
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(Episode 51) Edinburgh, Scotland. A common theme throughout these episodes is the struggle with the age old question of what to do with the rest of your life. It is a question that seems to loom over us but is the heaviest at the crossroads between school and the real world. Most of us continue our schooling, but few people choose a road less trave…
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(Episode 50) Batumi, Georgia. Creating something new is hard. It takes patience and discipline to bring something to life. Most do not take up the challenge. Unfortunately for Imeda Iakovenka, he had no choice. After his family was evicted from a socially funded home, it was up to him to create for himself. Luckily for Imeda he had been creating mu…
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(Episode 49) Tbilisi, Georgia. To say the country of Georgia has been through a lot is an understatement. Sandwhiched between Asia and Europe, and all of their historic empires, Georgia has been a centerpiece for invasions since it began making wines 8,000 years ago. Despite the constant conflict, George Gaxaladze loves his country. In fact, all Ge…
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(Episode 48) Dublin, Ireland. Aiden Daly grew up just like I did. There wasn't much to do next to the busy road where he lived especially with its lack of kids his age. But things could always be worse when you compare it to others. In fact, Aiden has a deep sense of gratitude for everything he has in his life and the path that he was able to follo…
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(Episode 47) Edinburgh, Scotland. Sarah Schelles is literally on the other side of the globe. Pretty unbelievable especially for a young girl that was raised in a conservative community. Facing rumors of not being "normal," or being a bad egg, or of being impure from family and friends, Sarah had to mentally fight for every inch of her freedom. She…
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(Episode 46) Bangalore, India. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of this gigantic city you can not only find the freshest dosa on the planet but this badass psychologist. Aarti knew that she didn't want to take the typical lawyer or engineering route but her choice of a career in a softer science didn't go unquestioned. Not to worry though beca…
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(Episode 45) Kalutara, Sri Lanka. Life wasn't easy, but Ranjith Kaunamuni built himself a life. Ranjith finally settled into his Batik and woodcarving trade and worked in his small workshop/home on the beach. Life was starting to pick up since his art was becoming more popular. Everything changed on December 26th, 2004. No one knew what a tsunami w…
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(Episode 44) Dresden, Germany. What would happen if your entire life flipped upside down? That's exactly what happened to Heiner Ziems. Heiner grew up on the east side of Germany after WWII while it was under Soviet control, but everything changed when the wall fell in 1989. As you can imagine the aftermath was a bit chaotic as an entire society ch…
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(Episode 43) Kraków, Poland. Jan-Jakub Bąk lived in a tough environment. With an abusive father, he battled through childhood as he tried to find himself outside his father's expectations. Now removed from the situation, Jan-Jakub focuses on reuniting with his sister and mother in an attempt to keep the core of his family together. SUPPORT THE SHOW…
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(Episode 42) Prague, Czech Republic. It is always nice to meet a fellow North American and Francisco Rubio is no different. Francisco has one hell of a story from surviving a massive earthquake in Mexico City, to unknowingly working for a ponzi scheme, and eventually moving to Europe. His logical based approach to change has gotten him through many…
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(Episode 41) Pilsen, Czech Republic. Matěj Boháč has gone through many phases in his life. From the party filled band life playing Czech grunge, to adopting a religion, and working on a degree in Archaeology, Matěj was always finding and exploring new avenues in his life. This life of exploring and transitioning between phases of interest wasn't al…
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(Episode 40) Pilsen, Czech Republic. Anna Štětková now faces one of the hardest questions to answer. What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Sixteen to eighteen year olds around the world face this exact question and the answer is almost never clear. Choose wrong and you could be trapped in a profession you hate or be left without the means …
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(Episode 39) Sydney, Australia. Kendarnath had a good job and a stable life. He studied hard and got his mechanical engineering degree, worked hard to climb quickly in a rising steel company, and had a lot of meaning and freedom in his work. It wasn't his though. Coming to the realization that he has been trained to fulfill the dreams of others Ken…
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(Episode 38) Yamba, Australia. Alex Touze never stops smiling. Born in Paris to Hatian parents, Alex immediately took to the city. The early independence of city life, family heritage, plus friends from all over the world instilled a deep wanderlust in Alex. Life had other plans though. As it steered her farther and farther away from her travel dre…
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(Episode 37) Hokitika, New Zealand. Steve Gwaliasi is a master jade carver that has seen many students come through his shop. Owner of the local jade carver shop in town, Steve has the ability to help complete novices made beautiful jade jewelry in a single day! How does he do it? Steve has created the perfect learning environment that draws on his…
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(Episode 36) Christchurch, New Zealand. A true kiwi through and through, Rebekah Tregurtha grew up in the outdoors of the beautiful south island. Life was good, until her parents decided to change course. Their family had gotten involved in a religious community and things had gone south. It was time to go. After leaving everything she knew behind,…
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(Episode 35) Bali, Indonesia. Heru Mubarak wasn't a rebel until he moved out of his parents house without telling them. With job prospects few and far between, Heru made the jump to Jakarta in search of work and a new life. What he found was the logistical nightmare that was Jakarta. Stalling out in the rat race of the mega city, Heru decided to di…
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(Episode 34) Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Thai was born ten years after the war, but Vietnam was still feeling it's effects. When Thai wasn't helping his family search for food, he and his friends would find old bullets from the war and make little rockets from their gun powder. The country was recovering and poor. Over Thai's lifetime, Vietnam made its …
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(Episode 33) Saigon, Vietnam. Thinh Dinh is training to be a bike tour guide in the bustling city of Ho Chi Minh, aka Saigon. Born in central Vietnam, Thinh took a chance leaving his small home town to pursue his dream of being a tour guide. Being the country kid in a small city is no easy task, but after a relative scammed his parents out of their…
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(Episode 32) Chiang Mai, Thailand. เลิกเสี่ยง. เค็ง น่ะะ, aka Keng, was born in Chiang Mai, Thailand where she spent her entire childhood. Like many people in their 20's, Keng is struggling to figure out what she wants to do next. The first job out of school is always a confusing time. It's what we all want out of school, but usually doesn't reach …
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(Episode 31) Bangkok, Thailand. Christopher Ryan was a project manager making loads of money. Born in Mobile, Alabama and spending most of his childhood working for the family snake show, Chris never had this kind of money. The only problem was that the more he moved up in the company, the more it became a nightmare. Craving freedom, Chris began dr…
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(Episode 30) Phuket, Thailand. Chaliao Srisut, aka Sek, never had it easy. Learning how to fish at three, paying for his own school at eleven, and venturing out into the world at fourteen, Chaliao grew up working and helping support his family. What that gave him though, was an unbreakable will. Building up to his current restaurant was not easy. W…
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(Episode 29) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Kelly Kamaruzaman always wanted to be a doctor, but after witnessing a severe accident Kelly realized it wasn't for him. Blood was not his thing. Now an architect, Kelly's path has twisted and turned in unexpected ways. Sure, he never reached his childhood dream of being a doctor, but Kelly found something even …
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(Episode 28) Singapore. People judged Myles every time he switched schools, but it wasn't because he couldn't do the work. He just didn't believe in the system. Many of us struggle with the systems we find ourselves in, but that didn't stop our guest Myles Ziebrat. Using his label as a broken cog to drive him, Myles reinvented himself multiple time…
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(Episode 27) Edinburgh, Scotland. Rob Salkaed and Josh Reid work in the Thistle Stop Cafe off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. It's easy to focus on the haggis, castles, and scotch, but even those can't mask Scotland's dark past. Rob grew up in the slums on Edinburgh. Even though he had holes in his pants and shoes, Rob cultivated a mindset in the slum…
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(Episode 26) Augsburg, Germany. Tony is a self made man. The only person that can go from screwing up instant noodles to a professional chef without formal training. Winning the popular vote for the unofficial mayor of Augsburg, Tony knows how to use his connections and capitalize on opportunities. Life wasn't always schnitzel with a cold beer, but…
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(Episode 25) Seattle, Washington. Thad Kreisher is a paranormal guide in Seattle, Washington. There are few things that make you question everything. That question our core beliefs. Thad has faced questions about reality. From the punk rock life to the depths of the Seattle Underground, Thad had to answer one simple question: is this reality, or am…
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(Episode 24) Ah a brand new year, let's start 2018 on the right foot shall we? As I reflect on my travels up to this point, I can't help but notice the benefits in many facets of my life. I'm finally getting to answer the most asked questions, "What is the point of long term travel?" To help me chunk through my thoughts, I brought on travel guru Sc…
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(Episode 23) Augsburg, Germany. Sebastian has lived in Augsburg, aka Townsville, for most of his life. Fueled by his young love for cooking, he is now one of the head chefs at a local restaurant called Aposto. Sebastian thrives under pressure, a constant occurrence for a chef, and credits his ability to stay present for coping with the rigors of th…
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(Episode 22) Zürich, Switzerland. Benjamin Reusser grew up in a sleepy town in the highlands of Switzerland. Where the mountains are your neighbors and the lakes are swimming pools. Sounds like paradise, and it was for Ben as he grew up skiing, swimming and being a kid in a nature wonderland. How could you ever leave? Well, that's where it gets int…
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(Episode 21) London, England. The world today is dominated by politics, but Mohamed Hussein shares a different story. Mohamed was born a refugee. The beginning of his life was chaos, but also instilled a beautiful perspective. After spending most of his life in Norway, Mohamed decided he needed to see more. Hilariously, he embarked on a journey tha…
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