Balanced Pursuits

Episode 33: Charles Post - Changing Minds

Hi friends and welcome back to the Balanced Pursuits Podcast. This week’s episode is with Charles Post & it’s one of our favorite episodes to date! Charles is an Ecologist. He spent nearly a decade earning his master’s degree from UC Berkeley. Charles cares a great deal about the environment, animals, food webs, and the conservation & balance of all of these. Early in his career, he realized that one of the biggest challenges he’d face was not the science itself, but finding a way to use the science to make a difference. With that in mind, Charles set upon writing stories for publications like national geographic, producing films, and building a social media presence that both educates and invites interaction. Charles believes in being consistent, admitting when you don’t know everything, and offering transparency in the sharing process. More than anything, he understands that it takes a combination of all of these to cultivate trust. Charles explains that “so often today, people want simplified stories, but science operates in context, complexity, and nuance… If we want more people to advocate for the causes we believe in, we’re going to need more people to understand them.” Wise well beyond his years. Today Charles is going to tell us all about the moments that he believes punctuate life and what he’s learned about humanity by studying animals. We’re going to ask him about his studies, his passions, and the causes he believes in. And he’ll share what he’s doing to make a difference in the world and what we can do as well. In This Episode We Discuss: Why we want to believe simplified narratives when it comes to complicated issues. The importance of understanding different perspectives and preconceived notions. How customizing stories can help change minds. Why we care more about charismatic species and the importance of those we often overlook. The daily anxieties of environmental education. Google scholar and the importance of sourcing highly cited information. How thinking of each of your purchases as a vote can help make the world a better place. How to cultivate trust. What it takes to become an authority in your field. Why people are so much more complicated than animals. Resources: Follow Charles on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/charles_post/] Check out Charles’ work with youth through The Nature Project on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_natureproject/] or the web [https://www.thenatureproject.org/] Research something you’re curious about with Google Scholar [https://scholar.google.com/]

Episode 32: Rob Lea - Something to Look forward to

Today we are talking to Rob Lea and we think you’ll find this one pretty inspirational. In 2019, Rob completed what he has dubbed the Ultimate World Triathlon. In the span of 6 months, he summited Mount Everest, swam the English Channel, and rode his bike across America. This is a man that isn’t afraid to take on hard challenges, in fact, he thrives on them. Rob also had his eyes on the greater good as he summited Mount Everest with his now wife, Caroline Gleich (did I fail to mention he married his dream girl in the midst of all this?). Rob & Caroline used their climb as an opportunity to raise awareness for women’s equality, drawing attention to the implicit biases that exist toward women. We explore all of this and more on today’s episode with Rob. So settle in to whatever it is you’re doing and enjoy. In This Episode We Discuss: What inspired the Ultimate World Triathlon The difference between suffering while climbing Everest, swimming the English Channel and biking across America How Rob prepared his body for each leg of the journey (like gaining 30 pounds in 30 days before the swim) How to develop coping mechanisms to get through hard moments What motivated the “tri for equality” aspect Challenges for female athletes he’s witnessed first-hand as the partner of a pro athlete What someone can do to understand their implicit bias What he misses when he doesn’t have a “next” adventure planned. Thought Experiment: Rob’s motivation to take on these monumental challenges is simple, but so inspiring. To paraphrase, it gives him something to look forward to. Finding a reason to want to better yourself everyday is not easy. But if you can find a challenge you look forward to (one that causes you to train, study or prepare incessantly) you’ll be forced to become an improved version of yourself. We live for the feeling that comes along when you finally put all your training and preparation to the test - there’s nothing better. Today’s thought experiment may sound simple but might be challenging to answer. What are you looking forward to? It’s perfectly fine to look forward to your beach vacation - we work hard to save the money to afford to do such things - but, beyond that, I’m asking about something you can achieve. Something that is simultaneously a challenge but also seems achievable with application. It can be as simple as making time to read a book or as daunting as climbing Mount Everest. What are you looking forward to and what will it take to make it reality? Until next time. Resources: Follow Rob’s adventures on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/Rob.Lea]! Interrupt your implicit bias with this worksheet! Learn about the Big Mountain Dreams Foundation [https://www.bigmountaindreamsfoundation.com/]! Get yourself some real estate in Park City from Rob [http://leateamrealestate.com/]!

Episode 31: Christie Woods - Turning Wounds Into Wisdom

This week’s guest is none other than Christie Woods - the second half of the winning team from Amazing Race Season 31, which is how we first came to know her name. Christie’s partner, Colin Guinn, was our guest on episode 26. Christie has lived seemingly numerous lives: from her time as an actress on the 1997 tv show The New Adventures of Robin Hood, to her work in sports marketing with the NFL, to the Director of Operations for DJI North America. Ultimately, Christie found her calling as an Integrated Sex, Love & Relationship Coach. Christie uses her intuitive abilities to help her clients process past trauma to transcend mediocre (or worse, toxic) relationships. She encourages her clients to go deep within to uncover & release belief systems & thought patterns that no longer serve their highest good. We explore all things sex, love & relationship on this episode and discuss how Christie & Colin managed to turn their collapsing relationship into a thriving one. If you’re struggling in your relationship, you don’t want to miss this episode! In This Episode We Discuss: Turning relationship wounds into wisdom Importance of really seeing your “role in the play” The freedom that comes from imaging the worst-case scenario Relationships as a spiritual practice Cultivating deeper love by seeing yourself in a clearer way Finding & healing triggers in your relationship Showing up intentionally through self discipline & meditation What it means to have multiple marriages with one person Thought Experiment: One of Christie’s main messages is learning how to identify our triggers - situations that tend to push our buttons and aggravate our wounds. Most of us move through our lives and relationships so automatically that we don’t realize there are wounds being triggered. We believe the people triggering us should change, which gives all our power away. What we don’t realize is that we have power in that moment to perceive things differently and not be triggered at all. Our thought experiment this week is to identify ONE trigger in your relationship (romantic or otherwise). What is it that consistently sends you off the rails? Then ask yourself why. What do you make it mean about YOU when someone behaves in this way? Why? Recognize that you have a choice here. You don’t have to make it mean anything about you. By simply bringing awareness to these situations they’ll begin to loosen. You don’t have to work to let go of the thought or belief. Overtime, these beliefs will let go of their grasp on you. Resources: Dr. Imoto’s The Hidden Messages in Water [https://amzn.to/2WtkOD9] David Hawkins Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior [https://amzn.to/2W3FOkU] (introduces the idea of the Scale of Consciousness & The Emotional Code) Learn more about individual coaching with Christie [https://www.christiewoods.com/] Take Christie & Colin’s FREE relationship course [https://www.colinandchristie.com]! Follow Christie on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/christiewoods1/]

Episode 30: Conor Daly - Anything, Anytime, Anywhere

Today, we’re chatting with Conor Daly, an American professional race car driver. We first met Conor on the set of the Amazing Race when we competed back in October 2017 and quickly became friends. It’s hard not to be drawn to Conor’s honesty or his penchant for comedic relief. He’s also never afraid to make fun of himself or be the subject of his own jokes. Conor was constantly our reprieve during long travel days on the Race! These qualities aren’t what you’d expect out of a highly skilled race car driver, one who often drives upwards of 200 miles per hour. Conor is approachable and relatable, so it’s no wonder he’s a fan favorite. In This Episode We Discuss: Why Conor thinks Amazing Race is more fun looking back How he worked his way back to doing 13 races next season after losing his ride in 2017 How he stayed ready to race in his time off How to deal with the ups and downs of being a professional athlete How Conor learned to just always be himself How his performance at the Indy 500 helped him get his confidence back Best and worst things about the amazing race Scariest part about being a race car driver Thought Experiment: “Anything, anytime, anywhere. I’ll drive it.” - Conor Daly That was the attitude that helped Conor get through some of the lows in his career. Being ready to show up and fight for his dream no matter what. It also left him open to other paths. For today’s thought experiment, think about a time when the chips didn’t fall in your favor. How did you react to that? Was it fuel to your fire? Did you reevaluate and open yourself up to change? Or did you let that setback extinguish the flame all together? What can you learn about yourself through that experience that can help you deal with things better in the future? Let us know down below! Resources: Give Conor a follow on IG [https://www.instagram.com/conordaly22/] & Twitter [https://twitter.com/ConorDaly22]!

Episode 29: Susi Mai - Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Balanced Pursuits podcast with professional kite surfer and pioneer of the sport, Susi Mai! Susi is an entrepreneur, event organizer and an ocean conservation activist. Through her Mai Tai events, Susi has been a connecting force that’s helped launched companies whose products are probably in your home today. She’s met with many of the world’s most successful people and she’s touched the lives of tribes with little contact to the outside world. Susi is a force and it’s no wonder when you hear how she got her start. In This Episode We Discuss: Susi’s early years kiting & how Playstation got her into the sport How a wildcard entry to her first event forever changed her life Susi’s ever-shifting perspective on the world What you can be excited about regarding ocean conservation Why kite-boarding can be a great indicator of your success in business Thought Experiment: It doesn’t happen often, but at some point, it happens to all of us. A small moment or chance encounter that dramatically changes your life forever. This happened to Susi when her dad convinced her to enter that local contest. It launched her career and completely changed the trajectory of her life. It happened to Kristi when, as one of the only female freeskiers, she met one of her heroes and was encouraged to chase her dreams. It happened to Jen when she met her now husband on a solo mountain bike ride in the middle of nowhere. These moments changed our paths forever, but we had to say YES to something to get there. We had to enter that contest, do the things that scared us, take the dive, and step into action. We had to get up, get going and chase our dreams. So we’d like to end with a little encouragement to never let yourself stop exploring, because we truly believe that this world has endless possibilities for all of us. Resources: Visit Susi on the web at SusiMai.com! Follow Susi on Instagram [https://instagram.com/SusiKite] & Facebook [https://facebook.com/susimai]! Learn more about Susi’s ocean conservation efforts through Ultra Marine here [https://ultramarineocean.com]!