How to prepare for the Hard Things with Eric Clarke


My guest today is Eric Clarke.  Eric might be best known in business world as CEO at Orion Advisor Services.  But Eric also embodies the idea of the Everyday Explorer as well!  He is a man of many talents as you will find out, but exudes widsom and humility with each word.  What became clear to me is that Eric is made for doing hard things.  He has built a mantra around doing the ‘easy things’ first (like running the first 18 miles of a marathon) so that he can get to work on the ‘hard things’ (such as the final 8 miles).  The hard things are where we learn most about ourselves.  You will learn how he plans his adventures and expects the inevitable pain cave that comes when one reaches for the limits of what is possible.

There is much to this conversation, and even if you have known Eric for a while, there are still gold nuggets in this conversation to pull from his experiences.  From the Grand Canyon to the Napali coast of Kauai to the Four Pass loop around the Maroon Bells in Colorado, Eric’s stories will hopefully inspire you to pursue your own great adventure!

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Pursuing life with a fresh mind and open heart at 91 with Connie Grant


Folks, this is a cool conversation.  There is always something interesting to me about capturing wisdom and experiences from an elder.  It seems to be missing in our suburban spread, face paced, instant gratification culture, but I think we all desire to hear it at some level.  My conversation today with Connie Grant fits right into this.  Now at 91 years old, Connie has some great stories about adventures she has pursued during her lifetime.  From the Grand Canyon to the Tetons to Glacier National Park, she has a story.

But one of her best nuggets was that it is never too late to pursue a new adventure, no matter your age.  She even discusses what are the next things for her as she continues to evolve and pursues new interests in her life.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Connie Grant.

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Following seredipity with Lynne Culbreth


What do you do when your favorite uncle dies suddenly and leaves you 3 different businesses to run?  You move to the Caribbean, of course!  Lynne Culbreth is my guest today, and she has a pretty cool story of how to follow serendipity in life to find the next adventure.  I am not going to give up too much of the story, so you will just have to listen, but lets just say that the Covid time period had many different challenges for Lynne that she never could have planned for.

You will also find out that she runs a dive business, a retail shop and a small hotel as well!  You are going to want to check out the Carib Inn here.  The pictures are amazing, but perhaps it could be your next Caribbean destination.  You can also find Lynne and the Carib Inn on Facebook and Instagram.

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Gratitude through obstacles with Ironwoman Jenny Richardson


The On Adventure Podcast is about the Everyday Explorer and how she plans and pursues adventure in her life.  The pursuit is never easy, but the valuable lessons from the journey are always priceless.  And you don’t get them without the suffering.  So how do we push through our perceived limits to get to the treasure?  Well, mindset plays a key role.

The conversation today with Jenny Richardson is full of lessons from the suffering.  Jenny is a mom to kids, a wife, a pastor, a friend to anyone who is in need…and oh yeah, she is an Ironwoman with multiple full distance Ironman triathlons under her belt.  You will learn how she trains to get through the first half of the race, and then prays her way through the second half.  You will also hear how she is relentless in breaking through the hurdles in her way, no matter if it is illness, time limitations or even being hit by a drunk driver.

So without further ado, enjoy the conversation with Jenny Richardson.

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Using awe and respect to enjoy the journey to adventure with Steve Sanduski


What do you do when reach to edge of your mental capacity?  According to Steve Sanduski, you take one more step.  And then you take one more step after that.  Eventually, your body proves to your brain that there is more left in the tank in pursuit of the summit (literal or methaphorical).

Steve has been a very important mentor for me so I really hung on every word to hear what he learned from his experiences.  Steve is an accomplished author, podcaster, entreprenuer and outdoorsman.  He has accomplished much because of his ability to dream, plan, focus and execute on the things that are most important to him.  You will learn at ton from listening to this conversation for your own journey, so pay attention.

You can connect with Steve on his website or find his Twitter handle @SteveSanduski.

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Building a life of adventure by saying Yes with JW Eades


The Everyday Explorer comes in all shapes, sizes, ages and background.  JW Eades is one of those characters. Who would have thought that a boy from rural North Carolina would end up hiking Mount Kilimanjaro or become an expert skiier traversing some of the most extreme slopes in the United States?  JW certainly did not.  So how does a country boy turn himself in to an international man of mystery?  By paying attention and saying an immediate Yes without fear to adventures as they presented themselves throughout his life.

At 80 years old, JW can now look back and philosophize on how and why he built these exploits in to his life experience.  This conversation barely touches the tip of the iceberg with all of the things he has accomplished, but I especially loved his take aways about what he learned by touching different parts of the globe.  Sit back and enjoy a conversation with The Most Interesting Man in the World.

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Finding fulfillment and happiness at the ends of the earth with Hannah Thornton


Explore, Learn and Transcend…guiding values that Hannah Thornton has etched on herself as a constant reminder of how to live.  There is wisdom from experience in this conversation so pay attention.  Hannah has packed her 30 years as she explores the far reaches of the globe.  I am both inspired by this conversation and in awe at her drive to continue exploring.

But her global explorations are simulatneously self explorations, and Hannah is very open and honest about what she hopes to find in herself as she pushes to the literal ends of the earth.  What can one find by cave diving to an ancient sacrificial alter in South America or running with a stampede of reindeer in Alaska?  Only interesting things, I promise.  I hope you enjoy the conversation…this was a fun one.

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Turning suffering in to a super power with Van Fletcher


Welcome back to the On Adventure Podcast.  So Van Fletcher…Van is one of the smartest, most focused and reslilient person I have ever met.  Like my last guest, Van and I go way back but he told me things in today’s conversation that I had never heard.  If you have ever met Van, you know he is a legend and a force of nature.  This is obvious.  What is not so obvious is the intense suffering that he has indured…not just once, not even twice, but multiple times.  But Van hasn’t wasted his suffering.  He keeps getting up and taking the next step.  In fact, I think it is part of his super powers.

You are in for a real treat today.  You can find Van in Instagram here or his company page here.

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Chasing Pitchell and Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Adventure with Brew Davis


Welcome to the first edition of the On Adventure Podcast with Josh Self.  I’m joined today by Brew Davis.  Brew and I have known each other for many years, and I have watched from a distance the last two decades as he and his wife, Jen, have built their lives around adventure.  He’s the perfect guest to launch the podcast with.  I think you’re going to love this.

Brew is also a fantastic musician and story teller, and has serveral published albums to his name.  Enjoy the conversation, and then make your way to his website here and download some great tunes.

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