EP: 293 Tom French. The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiiing and the way back

EP 295: Ted Nugent - From Motor City Mayhem to Clean & Sober Rock Legend

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Ted Nugent, the legendary rock guitarist, multi-platinum recording artist who has sold over 40 million albums, and an uncompromising force of nature who has spent seven decades creating some of rock and roll's most iconic anthems while remaining completely clean and sober in an industry notorious for excess. In this electrifying conversation, Ted shares his extraordinary journey from an 11-year-old guitar prodigy playing Detroit fraternity parties surrounded by beatniks to becoming one of the most recognizable names in rock history, revealing why staying clean and sober wasn't just a personal choice but the secret weapon that made his music tighter, more powerful, and more memorable than his stone and drunk contemporaries. This episode offers a masterclass in discipline, authenticity, and primal creativity, demonstrating why the greatest art comes from connecting with nature's healing powers rather than chemical substances, how the work ethic of James Brown and Chuck Berry created the foundation for all great rock and roll, and why remaining grounded in earthly activities like bow hunting, dog training, and killing your own dinner unlocks musical genius that cannot be taught or manufactured. Ted opens up about growing up in the arsenal of democracy where his father followed legendary bow hunter Fred Bear, learning to climb from Willi Unsoeld himself, the devastating divorce that left him crying tears of blood, and why his new album Detroit Muscle represents the last of a dying breed of fire breathing musical warriors who grabbed the baton directly from Chuck Berry's hand. Key Topics Discussed: The Clean and Sober Warrior: 73 Years Without Drugs or Alcohol in Rock and Roll Ted reveals the remarkable reality that has defined his entire career and separated him from virtually every other rock star of his generation. From age 11 playing University of Detroit parties surrounded by beatniks smoking marijuana, he watched gifted virtuoso musicians get looser and sloppier the more drunk and stoned they became, compromising all the rehearsal work they had put into making their musical maneuvers tight and cohesive. Discover why Ted realized early that if his band was going to be the tightest and most energized, everyone had to be clean and sober, and how this created a Mount Everest challenge when he was surrounded by an entire industry that believed outside substances were necessary to loosen up and be adventurous. Learn about spending a weekend with Keith Richards at Studio 54 in 1979 and desperately wanting to discuss Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters but finding the Rolling Stones guitarist unable to carry a conversation, and why Ted remembers every gig, every stage, every audience, every song while his contemporaries don't remember the greatest moments when God gave them the gift of playing for 100,000 people. The Detroit Crucible: Born in the Arsenal of Democracy with Fred Bear and Willi Unsoeld Discover Ted's extraordinary origin story that shaped everything about his approach to music and life. Born in Detroit in 1948 just years after American warriors crushed the pure evil of the Japanese Empire and the Nazis, he grew up in the arsenal of democracy where his father already followed legendary bow hunter Fred Bear, discovering the mystical flight of the arrow and the origins of Zen. Learn how Ted's father owned a camping and outdoor equipment shop in Andover, Massachusetts, where the family's version of babysitting was throwing kids on the floor to crawl around climbing gear, and how the legendary Willi Unsoeld, first American to climb Everest's West Ridge, became friends with his father and taught Ted to climb. Hear about the discipline of learning that a conscientious step in the woods rewarded you while a stumbling step brought no reward because the animals would see you coming, and why this early connection to nature's healing powers created the foundation for a lifetime of musical genius. The Motown Influence: Grabbing the Baton from Chuck Berry's Hand Ted unveils the secret behind why his generation of rock warriors created music with such undeniable power and authority. Growing up surrounded by the soulful electricity of Motown, he was mesmerized by the inescapable grind and groove of black founding fathers who increased the thunder and dynamic of gospel music, expressing the emotional heartbreak of people who knew slavery was wrong and had to break the shackles. Discover how Ted opened for Billy Lee and the Rivieras in 1960 alongside a brand new band called Martha and the Vandellas, and how he struggled relentlessly to learn Chuck Berry guitar licks, Duane Eddy, Lonnie Mack, and the Motown grind. Learn why

EP 294: Alan Arnette - What's Really Happening on the MT EVEREST

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Alan Arnette, one of the world's foremost Everest experts, mountaineering coach, and Alzheimer's advocate who has completed 38 major expeditions including four attempts on Everest before finally summiting in 2011, plus a successful K2 ascent. In this timely and urgent conversation recorded on May 20th, 2026, Alan provides a real-time analysis of what may become one of the most dangerous Everest seasons in recent history, revealing why 270 climbers summiting in a single day creates life-threatening bottlenecks, how summit fever and social media pressure are driving dangerous decisions, and why the mountain continues to humble even the most experienced climbers. This episode offers a masterclass in mountain wisdom and risk assessment, demonstrating why arrogance is the deadliest sin a climber can commit, how finding your why transforms impossible challenges into achievable goals, and why proper preparation through experienced coaching can mean the difference between life and death at 29,000 feet. Alan opens up about his journey from three failed Everest attempts driven by ego to finally summiting while honoring his mother's battle with Alzheimer's, the stark differences between Everest and the more technical K2, and why he's deeply concerned about the frostbite, injuries, and potential fatalities that will emerge from today's massive summit push. Key Topics Discussed: The 2026 Crisis Unfolding: 270 Summits in One Day and What It Means Alan reveals the shocking reality happening in real time on Everest as they record this conversation. After delays caused by a massive 200-foot-high, 100-foot-wide serac teetering in the Khumbu Icefall and persistent jet stream winds of 150 to 200 miles per hour sitting directly on the summit, the weather window finally opened and 270 people summited on May 20th alone. Discover why this single-day number equals what used to be an entire season's worth of summits when Alan reached the top in 2011, and why the bottlenecks created by this traffic jam are causing climbers to stand in line for hours at 27,500 feet in minus 50 degree windchill. Learn about the dirty secret that guide companies won't talk about the frostbite, injuries, and near-misses because it's bad publicity, and why Alan predicts massive unreported casualties from this summit push. With 500 permits issued plus 1.5 Sherpas per climber for support, roughly 1,250 people started the season, and with only 400 having summited so far, another 400 climbers are still attempting to reach the top over the next four to five days. The Serac That Nearly Shut Down the Season: Ice Fall Doctors' Dilemma Discover the unprecedented challenge that delayed the entire 2026 season and created the dangerous compression of summit attempts. Unlike the typical hanging seracs on the west shoulder that constantly calve off and kill climbers, this year featured a giant serac sitting in the middle of the Khumbu Icefall near the top, teetering like a massive refrigerator. Learn why the ice fall doctors, the Sherpa team responsible for establishing the route through the constantly shifting maze of ice blocks, were terrified to work underneath this 200-foot-high structure that was slowly moving and threatening to collapse on them. Alan explains how the serac finally did collapse, leaving a huge debris field, and how a team from a matching Nepal finally got the ice fall doctors through to establish the route to Camp One. Hear about the remarkable effort to get fixed ropes all the way to the summit by May 13th, only to have the jet stream park directly on top of the mountain for another week, creating the perfect storm for today's dangerous overcrowding. The Summit Ridge Reality: Two Feet Wide with 8,000-Foot Drops on Both Sides Mark and Alan paint a vivid picture for listeners of what the final approach to the Everest summit actually looks like, and why the massive traffic jam is so deadly. After cresting over the top of the South Summit and seeing the final pyramid, climbers face a ridge that's only about two feet wide with 8,000 feet straight down to Tibet on the left and 8,000 feet down to Nepal on the right. Discover why this is essentially a one-way road where nobody can pass, and when 270 people want to take summit photos, hug, and celebrate at the top, the line backs up for hours. Learn about the critical danger of standing still at this altitude while using supplemental oxygen, how climbers must turn their flow down to half a liter per minute to conserve their supply, and why running out of oxygen in the death zone is a death sentence. Alan explains that supplemental oxygen doesn't make you feel like you're at sea level but only reduces the effective altitude by about 3,000 feet, and its primary benefit is keeping your body and extremities warm.

EP: 293 Tom French. The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiiing and the way back

["Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Tom French, an accomplished mountaineer, adventure athlete, and author whose extraordinary journey from McKinsey senior partner to full-time adventurer embodies the power of reconnecting with your deepest passions at any age. In this inspiring conversation, Tom shares his remarkable story of leaving a 33-year consulting career at age 60 to pursue what he calls "gap years"—extended periods stepping out of the mainstream to rediscover the climbing, skiing, and exploration that made his soul sing in his youth. This episode offers a masterclass in life transitions and authentic living, demonstrating why the most meaningful career move might be stepping away from lucrative opportunities, how childhood influences can shape a lifetime of passion, and why taking time to think and reflect in natural environments unlocks creativity and clarity that no boardroom ever could. Tom opens up about growing up literally crawling around his father's climbing equipment shop where legendary mountaineer Willi Unsoeld taught him to climb, the transformative three-week solo approach to Everest through the remote Makalu Barun region that almost nobody attempts, and the moonlit summit night with just his Sherpa where they had the world's highest peak entirely to themselves.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nGrowing Up in a Climbing Shop: When Willi Unsoeld Is Your Babysitter\nTom reveals the extraordinary circumstances that shaped his life trajectory from the very beginning. His father owned a camping, climbing, and outdoor equipment shop in Andover, Massachusetts, and the family's version of babysitting was throwing the kids on the floor of the shop to crawl around. Discover how Tom grew up surrounded by climbers who worked in the store specifically because they were climbers, and how the legendary Willi Unsoeld—first American to climb Everest's West Ridge—became friends with his father and taught Tom to climb. Learn about the iconic poster that hung on Tom's bedroom wall showing Unsoeld and Tom Hornbein as tiny dots heading up the West Ridge, looking like astronauts heading to the moon, and why that image represented the ultimate journey that seemed impossibly out of reach for a kid in the 1960s and 70s.\n\nThe Formative Gap Years: Sweden, World Travel, and Three Years Out of Country\nDiscover the pattern that would eventually define Tom's entire approach to life transitions. Between high school and Dartmouth, he spent a year on the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden skiing and exploring. After college, instead of immediately launching a career, he became an expedition tour leader and spent three years traveling the world, climbing and kayaking when he wasn't leading trips. Learn about the remarkable gift his parents gave him—never pressuring him to follow a conventional path, even when he showed up in their living room asking to borrow money for a one-way ticket to Hong Kong with no job lined up. Tom explains why these weren't called gap years at the time, but they were exactly that—formative experiences stepping completely out of the mainstream that shaped who he would become.\n\n33 Years at McKinsey: The Golden Handcuffs and Life After Football\nTom opens up about his three-decade career at McKinsey, one of the world's most prestigious consulting firms, and the unique culture around retirement. Discover McKinsey's unusual model that encourages senior partners to retire between 55 and 60, and the remarkable retreat the firm organized at a palace hotel outside Florence specifically to help departing partners plan their next act. Learn about sitting in that room with 15 peers who were all planning their next CEO role, board positions, or teaching appointments, and the inner voice that told Tom something wasn't right about immediately jumping into another high-pressure role. Hear about the concept of "golden handcuffs"—the fear that your network and credentials are most valuable right now, and if you step away, all the deal flow will dry up and opportunities will disappear.\n\nThe Decision: Choosing Mountains Over Boardrooms at Age 60\nDiscover the pivotal moment when Tom decided to brand his retirement transition as a "gap year" and prioritize reconnecting with the climbing and skiing that had been on hold for decades while building his career and raising his family. Learn why he turned down lucrative client jobs, declined prestigious board positions, and told everyone to call him back in a year or two—a decision that felt risky when his professional relevance seemed to be at its peak. Tom explains the financial privilege that allowed him to make this choice, acknowledging that his lifestyle preferences aligned with relatively modest needs, and why his self-definition wasn't built around income maximization the way it is for some people. Hear about the realization that what he was really afraid of missing out on wasn't money but meaningful opportunities, and the leap

EP 291: Ed Marinaro - From Heisman Runner-Up to Hollywood Stardom

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Ed Marinaro, a former NFL running back, Heisman Trophy runner-up, and accomplished actor who spent six years in the NFL and decades building a successful Hollywood career. In this inspiring conversation, Ed shares his extraordinary journey from being one of the first Ivy League players ever nominated for the Heisman Trophy at Cornell University to playing in two Super Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings, and ultimately reinventing himself as a working actor in one of the most competitive industries in the world. This episode offers a masterclass in adaptability and resilience, demonstrating why choosing the harder path of an Ivy League education over athletic scholarships can pay lifelong dividends, how career-ending injuries force you to pivot and discover new talents, and why the discipline and mental toughness developed through elite athletics translates directly into success in other high-pressure fields. Ed opens up about his blue collar upbringing in New Jersey, the revolutionary offensive system change at Cornell that unlocked his record-breaking college career, the devastating foot injury that ended his NFL dreams, and the unlikely path that led him from a six million dollar man screen test to becoming a beloved character on Hill Street Blues and a cult icon on Blue Mountain State.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nThe Ivy League Decision: Choosing Prestige Over Scholarship Money\nEd reveals the pivotal choice he made at 17 years old that would shape his entire life trajectory. Despite receiving approximately 30 football scholarship offers from major programs including Penn State and Duke, plus basketball scholarship opportunities, he chose Cornell where financial aid was based solely on family need rather than athletic ability. Discover why saying he got into an Ivy League college meant more to him than having a full ride scholarship, even though his family came from a blue collar background with his father working as a sign painter. Learn about the recent precedent of Calvin Hill from Yale and Marty Domres from Columbia being drafted in the first round just years before, proving Ivy League players could compete at the highest level. Ed explains how this decision removed pressure when he entered the NFL because he knew he had a future beyond football, and why the alumni network and bonds formed with Ivy League teammates have proven more valuable than his NFL connections decades later.\n\nThe System Change That Created a Record Breaker: From Split T to I Formation\nDiscover the remarkable stroke of luck that transformed Ed's college career and put him in position for Heisman consideration. Between his freshman and sophomore years, Cornell's coaching staff attended a clinic and completely changed their offensive system from a classic split T formation to the I formation, placing Ed seven yards behind the line of scrimmage in a two point stance where he could go either direction. Learn why this system fit his skill set perfectly, even though he didn't realize it at the time, and how by his fourth game as a sophomore he was leading the nation in rushing. Hear about the legendary performance against Harvard where Cornell was a 20 point underdog, Ed gained 281 yards with five touchdowns, set an Ivy League record, and became Sports Illustrated Back of the Week as just a sophomore. Ed reflects on how preparation meeting opportunity and a healthy dose of luck created success he never anticipated.\n\nThe Heisman Experience: Second Place from Your Parents' Living Room\nEd shares the dramatically different Heisman Trophy experience of his era compared to today's elaborate ceremony. Unlike modern candidates who are flown to New York City for the Downtown Athletic Club announcement, Ed learned he finished second place while sitting in his parents' den watching the announcement on television. Discover why there's a newspaper photograph capturing the exact moment he learned he didn't win, and how this accomplishment is something he carries with pride despite the stigma some attached to his Ivy League pedigree. Learn about the ongoing debate Ed and Mark discuss regarding whether the connections and education from an elite university outweigh the scholarship money and exposure from major football programs, and why Ed believes his choice was one of the best decisions he ever made despite not winning college football's most prestigious individual honor.\n\nSuper Bowls Eight and Nine: The Last Single Digit Championships\nEd reveals what it was like playing in Super Bowls VIII and IX with the Minnesota Vikings, the last two single digit Super Bowls before the game became the massive cultural phenomenon it is today. Learn why the experience was dramatically different from the modern Super Bowl spectacle, with no elaborate pregame festivities, playing at Rice Stadium instead of the Astrodome because of renovations, and competing at Tulane

EP 291: John Ulsh - From 125 MPH Head-On Collision to Marathon Recovery: Surviving the Unsurvivable

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with John Ulsh, a resilience expert, bestselling author, and motivational speaker who survived what should have been an unsurvivable tragedy and transformed unimaginable adversity into a life mission of inspiring others to embrace the process of recovery and growth. In this profoundly moving conversation, John shares his extraordinary journey from a devastating head-on collision in 2007 that left him paralyzed, shattered his body, and changed his family forever, to becoming a powerful voice for commitment over motivation and process over outcomes. This episode offers a masterclass in true resilience, demonstrating why the greatest growth comes from the deepest adversity, how falling in love with the process rather than fixating on outcomes creates sustainable transformation, and why the person who emerges from trauma can be fundamentally better than who they were before. John opens up about the moment a 125-mile-per-hour impact destroyed his body and nearly killed his entire family, the 18 days he spent in a coma with less than a 3% chance of survival, and why he now considers the adversity itself the greatest blessing of his life.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nDecember 1st, 2007: The Collision That Changed Everything\nJohn reveals the devastating details of the accident that altered his life and his family's life forever. After completing a 12-mile run in the snow that morning and attending his 8-year-old daughter's swim meet, he made a simple decision to take the scenic route home instead of turning left. Discover the moment a car crossed the center line at the last second on a rural Pennsylvania road, creating an impact the police estimated at 125 miles per hour with no skid marks because nobody hit the brakes. Learn why the other driver, a 24-year-old father on the phone with his fiancée, did not survive, and how John's entire family was catastrophically injured in an instant. His wife was knocked unconscious with a severed bowel, broken hand, and broken foot. His 4-year-old son sitting behind him had his leg snapped, bowel severed, and collarbone broken. His 8-year-old daughter was the only one who stayed conscious, found crawling between the front seats crying "daddy don't die" when first responders arrived.\n\nThe Injuries: Shattered Pelvis, Collapsed Lungs, and 18 Days in a Coma\nDiscover the catastrophic damage John sustained in the collision. The energy came up his left leg, the engine box collapsed onto his feet, shattering his left foot and pelvis four and a half inches apart in the front while snapping the back and breaking his tailbone. Learn about the fractured vertebrae L1 through L4, the ruptured spleen and diaphragm, and how his left lung completely collapsed while his right lung partially collapsed. As a marathon runner under 10% body fat with strong lungs, John survived for over an hour and a half with half of a lung. Hear about the helicopter transport to Penn State Medical Center in Hershey, arriving with less than a 3% chance of surviving, and taking 36 units of blood in the first 12 hours when the human body only holds about eight. John was cut from sternum to pelvis, and after two days of trying to stop internal bleeding, doctors couldn't pull his abdominal muscles shut due to swelling, leaving him stitched with just the fascia layer.\n\nWaking Up Paralyzed: The Nursing Home at Age 36\nJohn shares the disorienting experience of emerging from an 18-day induced coma on Christmas, paralyzed from the waist down and hooked up to countless machines. Discover why he had no memory of the collision itself and how the drugs used to keep him in the coma were still floating through his system, causing hallucinations and confusion. Learn about the devastating realization that he couldn't move his legs, and the crushing news that because of his shattered pelvis and back held together with titanium, he was non-weight-bearing for eight more weeks. At 36 years old, John moved into a nursing home to spend two months lying on his back before he could even begin rehab to learn to use a wheelchair, let alone attempt to walk again. Hear about the stretchy bands he tied to his bed to do arm exercises because he refused to lose any more strength, and how he left the nursing home 16 weeks later weighing just 155 pounds.\n\nThe Moment That Changed Everything: "I Miss My Old Daddy"\nDiscover the profound turning point that occurred two and a half years after the accident when John was working from his home office using a walker. His 10-year-old daughter was juggling a soccer ball in the front yard,