Growth at all stages with Eli Self



We are getting the second season of the On Adventure podcast off to a bang with my first conversation.  Adventure can come at all ages, and I know my next guest knows this very well.  Because he is my son, Eli.  Eli is in his second year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  During the holiday break, we got to sit down for a couple hours and pretend that I am not dad but a professional interviewer.  And man, was it fun. 

Eli is wise beyond his years, but you’ll find out why…it doesn’t come for free.  Eli lives big, loves big, and adventures big.  You’ll hear exactly what this means to him as a 19 year old, where his love of the outdoors comes from, and what he hopes all of this means for his future self.  To say I’m proud of him is beyond an extreme understatement, and that has nothing to do with the things that he has accomplished in his 19 years (and the list is very long).  I am proud of him for who he is. 

Enjoy my conversation with Eli Self.


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Finding our common humanity with Rachel Coghlan


I love all of these conversations, but I am particularly fond of this one because I have known Rachel for many years. I have watched her grow and mature in to the Everyday Explorer she has become, which has been fun.  Rachel is an old soul.  She has insight in to people, places and experiences that are unusual for someone her age.  Some of this comes natural, some of it is from being with people on their worst days as a trauma nurse in a variety of different emergency rooms around the country.  You don’t experience those kinds of things and come away the same. 

The conversation isn’t all dark and gloomy though.  This is the dark backdrop that highlights the brilliant light that she has experience in people she has met around the globe.  Her stories of teaching English in Spain and traveling Eastern Europe on her own (ON HER OWN!) are beautiful and inspiring to believe in the goodness of others.

I am sure you will enjoy my conversation with Rachel Coghlan, and be inspired in your own great adventure!

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Exploring the world with curiousity through caves with Dr. Ken Walsh


Not many of us have spent near as much time below the Earth’s surface as Dr. Ken Walsh has.  Ken is a Senior Environmental Engineer at Leidos Inc., but that is not who he is.  Ken is an Everyday Explorer at hear.  He started his love of exploration under ground early in his life, and it has taken him deeper and deeper in to exploring the beauty that exists above and below ground.  It also has been a mode for him to explore the reaches of his own limits.

We weave our way through a wide ranging conversation that will expose Ken’s intelligence, creativity and natural curiosity, all of which are used by him to find wonder and awe no matter where he finds himself. 

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How to find peace in the challenge with Rob Angst


What do you get when you pursue adventure in your life with abandon to push to the edge of growth? Rob Angst knows….peace.  This is such a cool conversation.  Rob has through hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) and spent many other long days and weeks on adventure in other spaces around the world.  His accomplishments are beyond impressive, but I think I learned more hearing about the one trail that he has not been able to conquer while pursuing the Triple Crown (AT, PCT, CDT), the Continental Divide Trail (CDT).

Rob has an ability to brutally assess what he wants and needs, both when he is ready to start a new adventure as well as when it is time to pull the plug.  He has a high ability to constantly answer the question of ‘Why’.  He has chased different adventures by being present in whatever space he’s in and experiencing life through all the senses.   He has a constant pursuit to expand himself and stretch his preconceived limits.

This conversation challenged me in all the good ways.  Rob is a bit more explicit with his words than my previous guests, so consider yourself warned, but I think it is completely fitting as he describes the rough edges of how life really works.  It’s never pretty and it’s never clean but man, what a journey.

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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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