Ep. 26 - On Finding Purpose & Living Your Best Life with Musician & Community Builder, David Owen

Finding Purpose Through Music, Friendship & Family | Ascent Life Ep. 32

Can Music Help You Live Your Best Life? Join us on this episode of the Ascent Life Podcast as we dive deep with musicians Cory Mon and bassist Clark Cannon. Discover how music, live performance, creativity, and authentic connection help us find purpose, meaning, happiness, and fulfillment—even while navigating fatherhood, sacrifices, and chasing dreams. From Arthur C. Brooks’ The Meaning of Your Life (happiness = enjoyment + satisfaction + meaning) to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s self-reliance, free hugs, Hormel Chili, and a brand-new album, this episode is packed with laughs, real talk, and actionable wisdom for living healthy, wealthy, and wise. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Living your best life through music & live performance 01:03 - Wisdom from the Pages: Arthur C. Brooks on happiness, meaning, purpose & coherence 02:12 - Emerson, self-reliance, and rebelling against modern burnout 05:29 - Meet Cory Mon & Clark Cannon (bass player) 07:17 - What is your definite major purpose in life? 07:57 - Cory on fatherhood, being a safe space & best friend to his daughter 09:18 - Clark on doing what you love with people you love 13:13 - Sacrifices for music, family & authenticity 16:36 - Missing plays vs. gigs – real dad-musician balance 21:44 - The origin of #FreeHugs & deluxe hugs on stage 25:20 - Why pursue music when it's hard to make a living? 28:00 - The magic of audience sing-alongs & live connection 34:07 - How do you define success as a musician & human? 48:44 - How do you want to be remembered? 54:30 - Biggest fears 01:01:42 - Final advice: Know your values, chase what you love, sprint & pivot 01:04:40 - Album promo, tour vibes & closing wisdom Subscribe to Ascent Life Now on YouTube for weekly episodes on living your best life. Get deeper weekly insights in the Ascent Life newsletter: ascentlifenow.com [https://ascentlifenow.com] Follow Cory Mon & Clark Cannon – stream, catch them live, and experience the free hugs energy! If this episode inspired you, share it with someone chasing their purpose. Let’s help 1 million people become the best version of themselves—healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Ep. 27 - Running Life with Mountain Runner, Mom & Race Director, Tara Warren

Ultra-running, giving, & living your best life with this episode’s guest, Tara Warren. What does it mean to live your best life? From running mountains, to race directing, to supporting her athletic kids, Tara is driven to make a difference in the world.   We talk purpose, success, legacy, Running Up For Air, UTMB, life balance, and the power of just putting something scary on your calendar to push yourself to live the Ascent Life! Welcome to the Ascent Life podcast, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves: Healthy, Wealthy & Wise—That is living an Ascent Life  * Subscribe to Ascent Life on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow [https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow] * Subscribe to my weekly Ascent Life Newsletter where I share what I learn each week on how to live your best life: https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe] * For your daily dose of visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/ [https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/]    Thank you for joining me on this journey as we all push towards self actualization through resilience, and adaptability, creating a positive impact on the world —using our “unique ability” to fulfill our purpose, and become the best version of ourselves: healthy, wealthy & wise! We’ll continue our paths together on the next Ascent Life!  Cheers, and Godspeed

Ep. 26 - On Finding Purpose & Living Your Best Life with Musician & Community Builder, David Owen

Our guest today is former rockstar, current music teacher, real estate broker, entrepreneur and avid mountain biker David Owen. We begin with Wisdom From The Pages - reading from 10x is Easier Than 2X in the Chapter “Take 150+ “Free Days” Per Year, the author Dan Sullivan suggests that as an entrepreneur, to find big ideas, you need lots of free time. But also higher quality time.  “Tightly scheduled entrepreneurs cannot transform themselves.” He says it’s counterintuitive, but in order to go 10x, you need to work less, not more. Welcome to the Ascent Life podcast, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life Subscribe to live your best life - Ascent Life Newsletter: https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow [https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t25ibFaEVPw2rui7OEbhg?si=edce41a45a0c446a [https://open.spotify.com/show/7t25ibFaEVPw2rui7OEbhg?si=edce41a45a0c446a] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ascent-life-podcast/id1800541658 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ascent-life-podcast/id1800541658] CONTENT SUGGESTION: YouTube: “6 Daily Habits to Live Your Best Life” YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow [https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow] Alysa Liu just won Olympic god: https://x.com/stevemagness/status/2024827190072803592?s=20 [https://x.com/stevemagness/status/2024827190072803592?s=20]   INTERVIEW David Owen, Welcome to Ascent Life…    Preview the Big 3 Questions: Purpose, Success, Remembered,  * Let’s begin with your love of music and playing guitar how/when that began (legendary Rock God status) * When did you open Imagine Music? * When did you move into Real Estate & become a broker? * Talk to me about the Montessori School & what inspired you to take ownership of that project * What is your Definite Major Purpose * How would you define success or living your best life? * How do you want to be remembered? * What is your biggest fear? * Fave MTB trail and if you could ride any trail in the world which trail would that be? * The goal is to help as many people as possible live their best life (a life by design), what advice would you give to yourself to help remind you to live your best life that others may also learn from? Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Ascent Life podcast If you made it this far in the program, please subscribe on YouTube @ ascentlifenow. For your daily dose of visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram.    And, please subscribe to my weekly Ascent Life Newsletter where I share what I learn each week on how to live your best life. Link to subscribe is in the Show Notes.   Thank you for joining me on this journey as we all push towards self actualization through resilience, and adaptability, creating a positive impact on the world —using our “unique ability” to fulfill our purpose, and become the best version of ourselves: healthy, wealthy & wise!

Ep. 25 - Fearless Creativity with Photographer Fernando Nevarez

Subscribe to live your best life - Ascent Life Newsletter: https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe]   Ascent Life Podcast   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow [https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t25ibFaEVPw2rui7OEbhg?si=edce41a45a0c446a [https://open.spotify.com/show/7t25ibFaEVPw2rui7OEbhg?si=edce41a45a0c446a] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ascent-life-podcast/id1800541658 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ascent-life-podcast/id1800541658]   From Flatline to Shine - The story of how a near-death experience lead to Fernando Nevarez choosing an intentional life of creativity and purpose.   Intro:  Welcome to the Ascent Life podcast, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life  Please subscribe to the show on YouTube @ascentlifenow    WISDOM FROM THE PAGES:   We begin today’s episode with Wisdom From The Pages - reading from The 50th Law, by Robert Greene & 50 Cent. The book teaches fearlessness, and leaning into your unique ability which is a theme throughout many of the recent self-improvement books I’ve read lately…   - Make Everything Your Own - Self Reliance: When you work for others, you are at their mercy. They own your work: They own you. Your creative spirit is squashed. What keeps you in such positions is a fear of having to sink or swim on your own… Your goal in every maneuver in life must be ownership… The ultimate power in life is to be completely self reliant, completely yourself. Your life must be a progression towards ownership—first mentally of your independence, and then physically of your work, owning what you produce.  CONTENT SUGGESTION:   YouTube: “It took me 50+ years to realize what I’ll tell you in 69 minutes [https://youtu.be/xz-ymFOhBAE?si=DCeMXxlv7NjSU6Jd]” -Tony Robbins (Alex Hormozi interviews Tony Robbins, but it turns into a therapy “come to Jesus” session for Hormozi)   INTERVIEW   Our guest today is automotive & action sports photographer, Fernando Nevarez   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/_fernandonevarez/ [https://www.instagram.com/_fernandonevarez/] https://www.instagram.com/nevarezstudios/ [https://www.instagram.com/nevarezstudios/] Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Ascent Life podcast   If you made it this far in the program, please subscribe on YouTube @ ascentlifenow. For your daily dose of visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram.    And, please subscribe to my weekly Ascent Life Newsletter where I share what I learn each week on how to live your best life. Link to subscribe is in the Show Notes.   Thank you for joining me on this journey as we all push towards self actualization through resilience, and adaptability, creating a positive impact on the world —using our “unique ability” to fulfill our purpose, and become the best version of ourselves: healthy, wealthy & wise!   We’ll continue our paths together on the next Ascent Life!    Cheers, and Godspeed

Ep. 24 - Life Success Ingredients with Artist, Climber, and Philosopher, Eric Zschiesche

Subscribe to live your best life - Ascent Life Newsletter: https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe [https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/subscribe]   Ascent Life Podcast   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow [https://www.youtube.com/@ascentlifenow] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t25ibFaEVPw2rui7OEbhg?si=edce41a45a0c446a [https://open.spotify.com/show/7t25ibFaEVPw2rui7OEbhg?si=edce41a45a0c446a] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ascent-life-podcast/id1800541658 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ascent-life-podcast/id1800541658]   Intro:  Welcome to the Ascent Life podcast, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life  Please subscribe to the show on YouTube @ascentlifenow    We begin today with our From The Pages segment - reading from Psycho-Cybernetics, first published in 1960 by author Maxwell Maltz - When it comes to defining SUCCESS, Maltz introduces a handy acronym for us.  Sense of direction Understanding Courage Compassion Esteem Self-Confidence Self-Acceptance   “Accept yourself as you are—and start from there. Learn to emotionally tolerate imperfection in yourself. It is necessary to intellectually recognize our shortcomings, but disastrous to hate ourselves because of them.”   Subscribe to Ascent Life: https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/ [https://ascent-life.beehiiv.com/]   Our guest today is friend, artist, rock climber, and pontificator, Eric Zschiesche   Welcome to Ascent Life,    2011 Climbing Article Bio: https://www.climbing.com/news/eric-zschiesche/ [https://www.climbing.com/news/eric-zschiesche/]   Interview:   Preview the Big 3 Questions: Purpose, Success, Remembered   * Let’s begin with your art and when you began producing art and how it helps you express who you are * Do you remember your first time rock climbing and how it felt? * How does rock climbing contribute to your life philosophy? * YouTube videos (Eric Zschiesche)  * What is your Definite Major Purpose * How would you define success or living your best life? * What is your biggest fear? * How do you want to be remembered? * Favorite places to climb? * Favorite artists? * The goal is to help as many people as possible live their best life, what advice would you give to yourself to help remind you to live your best life that others may also learn from?     Outro:   Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Ascent Life podcast   If you made it this far in the program, please subscribe on YouTube @ ascentlifenow. For your daily dose of visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram.    And, please subscribe to my weekly Ascent Life Newsletter where I share what I learn each week on how to live your best life. Link to subscribe is in the Show Notes.   Thank you for joining me on this journey as we all push towards self actualization through resilience, and adaptability, creating a positive impact on the world —using our “unique ability” to fulfill our purpose, and become the best version of ourselves.   We’ll continue our paths together on the next Ascent Life!    Cheers, and Godspeed   zmDykyue24MbaANfBOrT