This Life Without Limits Weston McWhorter

On today’s episode I’m joined by writer, author, podcaster, amateur mountaineer, cycling enthusiast and food culture chronicler, Derek Beres.

Derek is the co-author of Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat, and the co-host of the Conspirituality Podcast. Derek and his colleagues began exploring the topic of the rise of conspiracy theories being propagated in the yoga and wellness communities right around the time that the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold around the world. And their work serves as a cautionary tale for those who may be seeking support in communities and alternative health modalities that may not always be what they seem.

Derek’s experience as a long time yoga instructor and his colleagues’ survival of different cult communities give them a unique insider perspective on how the anti-vax movement and QAnon were able to build a groundswell of momentum and support within the alternative health and wellness world. And they shine a light on some of the main personalities pushing confusing or downright false information out to a vulnerable population.

Personally, I became interested in their work due to my own desire to expand my knowledge of the subject matter and to hold myself to a high standard of integrity and intellectual rigor in my own work related to transformational embodiment and leadership coaching. I also just really love feeling like I’m sitting in on an advanced behavioral psychology class when I read or listen to these guys.

So I really hope you enjoy this conversation with Derek, let’s get into it!

About Derek Beres:
Derek is a multi-faceted author, speaker, and media expert based in Portland, Oregon. He has served in senior editorial positions at a number of tech companies and has years of experience in health, science, and music writing. He regularly speaks on science and media literacy.

You can find Derek online here https://www.derekberes.com/. To purchase a copy of Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat, you can hit this link right here. Listen to the Conspirituality Podcast and follow them on Instagram.

As always, this podcast streams on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And NOW, you can check out the visual experience on YouTube!

Be good to yourselves and be good to others,
Weston
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?
Tell Your Friends & Share Online!
Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher | Amazon
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Thanks to my dear compadre from another madre, Billy Hayes, for the intoxicating theme music.

On today’s episode I’m joined by investor, entrepreneur, event promoter, community creator, spiritual seeker and overall rad dad, Chris Schultz!

Chris and I met in New Orleans while we were both deeply integrated in the post-Hurricane Katrina entrepreneurial wave. Chris’ start-up incubator, LaunchPad, helped several early-stage businesses come to market by providing capital, mentorship and networking opportunities for growth to founders of all types. He also played a pivotal role in the Collision Conference, TribeCon, LaunchFest and many other events at the intersection of technology, community and entertainment.

Now making his home in Northern California, Chris and his wife, Anne, have launched a nascent music festival called Cosmico Fest (which has one event in Todos Santos, Mexico and the other in Healdsburg, CA) with the stated mission of building community and love through incredible musical experiences. You may say that “creating community” is in Chris’ blood, and you’d be right. It’s one of the things I like most about this guy.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Chris, let’s get into it!

About Chris Schultz:
I'm your first believer - Yes, you can do it. When we're together IRL, my goal is to encourage you. (We all hear "that'll never work" enough.) When we're not together, I write to educate and inspire.

Work Digital: I help companies build AI software to give their employees superpowers and their customers 'yay technology!' moments.  I've built software for & invested in 3 unicorns.

Live Analog: I'm writing a book called Analog.  It’s a love letter to my father who inspired me to live my life as an analog to his. It explores lessons from my entrepreneurial journey to help others to create a life of agency, meaning and joy.

Stay in touch through my weekly(ish) newsletter called Flow State: https://www.cschul.tz

You can find Chris’ Cosmico Fest on the ‘Gram here: @cosmicofest.

As always, the podcast streams on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And NOW, you can check out the visual experience on YouTube!

Be good to yourselves and be good to others,
Weston

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?
Tell Your Friends & Share Online!
Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher | Amazon
Donate: Check out our Patreon account.

Thanks to my dear compadre from another madre, Billy Hayes, for the intoxicating theme music.

Evan Fry and I met during the 2014 US National Cyclocross Championships in Boulder, Colorado. I was there promoting my cycling brand, Rouler, and Evan was enjoying a week of racing, industry parties and supporting all his homies. We bumped into each other on top of a hill at Valmont Bike Park where I was dressed up as a crazed rooster heckling riders as they tried to navigate a steep and slippery downhill off-camber portion of the course, and I think he was just stoked to see some weirdo having as much fun as he was having!

Our conversation touches on the span of Evan’s career in the commercial creative industry and his particular affinity for leading and mentoring young creatives which ultimately led him to his most recent venture, Ideas For Animals, which marries his passion for serving up big ideas with his equally big heart and mission in the world to cultivate a judgment-free life of radical creativity.

Evan’s one of those people who I have admired and been inspired by since we first met in the midst of mud, blood, beers and bike racing. And it’s a real honor to call this guy a friend.

About Evan Fry:
This is not one of those bios pretending to be written by someone other than the person the bio is describing. If it were, it may have started with “Evan Fry is a longtime veteran of the commercial creative industry, spending more than 12 years winning every award and learning a lot about content production at Crispin Porter + Bogusky during its heyday, and then co-running his own venture with a couple of co-founders at a startup called Victors & Spoils until it was acquired by a holding company (woo hoo!).

Since 2015, Evan has been keeping his own tiny agency in the black and trying to show up in the world as a person doing more good than damage. Most recently, Evan launched Ideas for Animals, a creative shop “ideating for kindness” with open source ideas and serving animal-free clients.

Evan is a longtime cyclist, animal lover, vegan coach, creative mentor and spiritual seeker. He’s been through his share of tough stuff but still sees himself as radically privileged and well-equipped for what this crazy world seems to value…” And so on. But such a 3rd-person approach would be disingenuous, because Evan is writing this himself. Just like most people do when writing their bio. Trying to be clever. Wondering if it’s too long. Or boring. But knowing it’s probably just fine. Especially because nobody but his mom will read it.

You can find Evan on the internet at Ideas For Animals, Fry (his personal portfolio site) or @ideas_for_animals on the ‘Gram.

The podcast streams on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And NOW, you can check out the visual experience on YouTube!
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?
Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher | Amazon
Donate: Check out our Patreon account.

On today’s episode I’m so excited to introduce you to my good friend, Robbi Geane King. Robbi and I had the opportunity to connect recently and discuss a whole spectrum of strategies for overcoming trauma – both healthy and otherwise.

Robbi’s journey has been arduous at times, but ultimately she’s arrived at a place that is grounded, purpose-driven and rooted in service – largely due to the mindfulness and contemplative practices she’s devoted herself to.

Her’s is a story as much about resilience as it is about listening to the voice of your heart.

Robbi is the mother of two beautiful boys, a plant-based chef, wellness coach, writer, mental health advocate and a trauma release breath work facilitator.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Robbi, let’s get into it!

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, you can reach the Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 from any phone, and help is available 24 hours a day.
About Robbi King:
You can find Robbi on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/robbigking/ or the web at http://robbiking.com.
As always, the podcast streams on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And NOW, you can check out the visual experience on YouTube!
Be good to yourselves and be good to others,
Weston

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?
Tell Your Friends & Share Online!
Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher | Amazon
Donate: Check out our Patreon account.
Thanks to my dear compadre from another madre, Billy Hayes, for the intoxicating theme music.

I’m so excited to introduce you to a man who has used his personal transformation journey as a source of inspiration for the growth and development of others – specifically his family, community members and other stakeholders. Neel Sus is the CEO and CPO (that’s Chief People Development Officer) at Susco Solutions in New Orleans, LA. Susco was founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when Neel discovered he could leverage his passion for software engineering to solve sticky operational challenges faced by some of the biggest industrial enterprises in the Gulf South.

Neel’s personal transformation has been inspiring to witness over the last several years. His focus on holistic well-being has helped him achieve a greater sense of spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, relational and professional alignment in his life. And that alignment supports the positive impact he has on the New Orleans community in the form of active mentorship of young people, other entrepreneurs, students, business associates, his Susco teammates and so many more.
About Neel Sus:
Neel Sus’s core purpose is to provide people with the tools they need to reach their full potential and to enable people to contribute in more meaningful and fulfilling ways.

Neel is actively engaged in efforts to build the technical, entrepreneurial, and cognitive health of his community; especially those dealing with undue adversity. He does so via his board membership Junior Achievement, the JEDCO Technology Alliance, the GNO Inc Digital Media Alliance, and the Tulane School of Professional Advancement.

He and his wife of 17 years, Rachana Sus, MD, are constantly pushing each other to be better people while also creating joy along the way. They are raising 2 wonderful spirited children, Rahm (11) and Reva (13), to be anti-fragile young adults with all the tools required to build successful and fulfilling lives for themselves.

You can find Neel on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/neelsus. He’s also here on LinkedIn, and below are some links to his writing on Medium.
https://neelsus.medium.com/achieving-our-full-potential-isnt-about-changing-who-we-are-it-s-about-uncovering-our-56f118b936f8
https://neelsus.medium.com/reflections-on-year-40-7ec29d81f14b
https://neelsus.medium.com/books-to-level-up-in-2022-6891344ec71a
As always, the podcast streams on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And NOW, you can check out the visual experience on YouTube!
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?
Tell Your Friends & Share Online!
Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher | Amazon
Donate: Check out our Patreon account.
Thanks to my dear compadre from another madre, Billy Hayes, for the intoxicating theme music.

On today’s episode I’m joined by a man who has discovered his true purpose in life by facing the trauma he experienced as a child head-on. It’s true that the greatest gifts we have to offer the world are often hidden behind a veil of the mental, emotional and psychological pain we carry throughout our lives. Often this pain originates in our youngest years and causes us to adopt behaviors and make choices that are way out of alignment with our true nature.

Sadly, Jake Kauffman’s story is all too familiar as so many of us carry the weight of emotional neglect and physical or sexual abuse around and we develop stories and beliefs about ourselves in order to ensure that we never have to experience that again. These stories and beliefs serve to cut us off from our hearts, our friends and families, the world and often lead to feelings of isolation, anger, depression and much more.

In his new book, Let Love In: The Pain Stops When The Truth Starts, Jake recounts the details of his incredibly painful childhood ordeal and how he chose to confront that experience in order to heal and offer himself deep love and compassion - the net result of which is him being able to trust and receive the love of others. What you’ll learn through this conversation is that when you make a conscious choice to work with your pain and trauma, the healing process is not only liberating but can provide a catalyst for creating a life beyond your wildest dreams.

As heartbreaking as Jake’s story is, it’s also powerfully inspiring. It’s one that I know will resonate with many of you.

So enjoy my conversation with Jake Kauffman, let’s get into it.
About Jacob Kauffman:
Jake Kauffman is an International Spiritual Mentor & Life Coach to purpose driven, visionary men & entrepreneurs who are seeking to grow in their life & leadership.

He has supported hundreds of men to thrive and reach the next-level in all areas of life, business & relationship.

His mission is to help men radically heal & transform so that they can achieve their full potential & fulfill their purpose.

You can find Jake on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/iamjakekauffman/. His book, Let Love In: The Pain Stops When The Truth Starts is available on Amazon.

As always, the podcast streams on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And NOW, you can check out the visual experience on YouTube!
Be good to yourselves and be good to others,
Weston
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?
Tell Your Friends & Share Online!
Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | YouTube | Stitcher | Amazon
Donate: Check out our Patreon account.
Thanks to my dear compadre from another madre, Billy Hayes, for the intoxicating theme music.