Most conversations about careers focus on finding the right job. This conversation is about something much bigger: becoming the person you want to be. In this episode of GAMELAYER Radio, David Kolmer sits down with experiential learning strategist Chris Federer for a wide-ranging conversation that explores what happens when you stop reacting to life and begin designing it with intention. Chris shares his unconventional journey from instructional design and facilitation into independent consulting, digital nomadism, and experiential learning strategy. Along the way, he challenges many of the assumptions we make about entrepreneurship. There are no secret marketing funnels. No overnight success stories. Instead, Chris argues that meaningful careers are often built one relationship at a time, through curiosity, experimentation, and the courage to continually reposition yourself as the world changes. The discussion moves beyond business into a philosophy of learning. Chris reflects on his experience volunteering in the Peace Corps, working abroad in Georgia, and developing a simple framework called TRIPP—(Track, Reward, Iterate, Progress, and Play.) A way of approaching travel, volunteering, and everyday life as intentional experiments rather than passive experiences. Instead of waiting for life to happen, he encourages us to choose an identity, test it, reflect on it, and share what we learn. David and Chris also dive into topics familiar to longtime GAMELAYER listeners: gamification, experiential learning, design thinking, branding, communities of practice, and the surprising realization that play is often less about games and more about creating safe spaces to explore ideas. Rather than treating learning as the transfer of information, they examine how curiosity, experimentation, relevance, and reflection create experiences that actually change people. One of the most compelling moments arrives when the conversation turns toward intentional living. Chris describes it as the difference between reacting to circumstances and becoming someone through deliberate choices. For him, every new pursuit—whether photography, facilitation, or consulting—began with a decision to lean into uncertainty and learn in public. That perspective resonates deeply with the mission of GAMELAYER Radio: creating space for people who are willing to prototype their lives, question old assumptions, and discover who they become through the process. What makes this episode especially meaningful is that it isn't an interview in the traditional sense. It's an exploration. Rather than asking Chris for polished answers or career advice, David follows ideas as they emerge, allowing the conversation to wander through business, education, travel, creativity, and identity. The result is a discussion that reveals not just what Chris does, but how he thinks—and in doing so, invites listeners to examine how they think as well. Whether you're an instructional designer, facilitator, entrepreneur, educator, traveler, consultant, or simply someone trying to build a more intentional life, this episode offers practical insights alongside thoughtful questions worth carrying long after the conversation ends. Because in the end, the most important project you'll ever design isn't a course, a business, or a product. It's the person you're becoming. TRIPP represents a structured approach to self-optimization: Track, Reward, Iterate, Progress, and Play. GAMELAYER RADIO is found wherever you get your podcasts. Transcripts and swag at Gamelayer.fm Theme Music by Caleb Willitz. calebwillitz.com/ calebwillitz.bandcamp.com/music Found Sound on the "domain of play" borrowed from Balance in the Spiritual Life Dharma talk by Sr. Trai Nghiem https://youtu.be/yZag9LOp7uc?si=T2Qyfc-4y-XJoSOz&t=3301 Interlude Music John_Kensy_Music - Mindfulness Relaxation & Meditation Music pixabay.com/users/john_kensy_music-26026995/
