Episode 172: Ben Katzaman | Of Symbolism and Social Enterprises

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 172 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Ben Katzaman.

I consider Ben as a genius.

He started off as one of my coaching clients, sharing about his struggles in business and how he needed more energy for his business to thrive. He was almost ready to give up.

But he didn’t.

Ben took matters into his own hands by removing the blocks and working toward his goals, eventually crushing the business he started with the local Balinese community.

It’s true that when you take on a mindset shift (and putting in a lot of hard work), things can become better. Business improves. Your entire life unravels to show you what you’re good at and what will help you skyrocket toward your goal.

Ben founded the social enterprise called Wanderer Bracelets - after getting lost in the Balinese jungles and stumbling into talented artisan carvers. He asked them to make bracelets for him to bring back to friends at home. In time, he discovered that this could be something that could work really well - both for him and for the locals.

He loves supporting the artisans and helps them by understanding exactly what they need and what their struggles are, and how he can make their lives better by providing them a sustained, long-term livelihood that the can actually get income on a daily basis from.

Learn more about Ben’s amazing “wandering” journey and get ready to be inspired.

Connect with Ben here.

Get your own Wanderer Bracelet here.

Episode 171: Kyle Lipton | Be In Constant Courtship with Yourself

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 171 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Kyle Lipton.

Kyle is an embodiment coach and speaker who focuses on the importance of reconnecting with your heart.

“I am not going to leave me behind.”

Kyle has gone through so many struggles and challenges in life - but what has kept him going is his love for life, and his trust for self. More than anything else, Kyle tells us to focus on our self-worth.

On this episode, Kyle takes us on his life journey and how he ultimately crushed all roadblocks by believing in himself.

“You can only trust other people to the level that you trust yourself. You can only trust yourself to the level that you know yourself.” 

Connect with Kyle on

Facebook

Instagram

Episode 170: Deniz Reno | Music, Goals, and Self-Love

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 170 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Deniz Reno.

Deniz Reno is an internationally acclaimed singer songwriter, entrepreneur and Canadian film industry scenic artist. 

She is one of the most sought after voices in contemporary electronic music and has lent her artistic talents to over 30 major feature film productions in the past decade. In 2017 Reno founded her own boutique eco accessory brand Beach Loot @beachloot with a focus on designing conscious wearable art while while focusing on women's empowerment and environmental conservation.

On this episode, Deniz shares her story - her journey through the music industry, and what it feels like to actually be doing the thing she loves most: music. She talks about her work as a visual artist for movies, her passion project, some really touching and emotional stories about love and life.

With her musical talent and can-do attitude, Deniz founded her own music label, Taksu Records. Deniz definitely is bound for greatness!

Connect with Deniz:

www.denizreno.com
Instagram
Facebook
Soundcloud
Twitter

Episode 169: Jacob Orak | Crushing Goals One Ethnotek Bag at a Time

Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 169 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Jacob Orak.

"I found myself stressed and burned out in paradise."

 

Jake is from Minnesota, USA, studied industrial design and runs a social enterprise called Ethnotek with his wife Cori. Ethnotek collaborates with artisans in Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia & Vietnam to combine their traditional handmade textiles with functional laptop and travel bags. Jake has been through the Life Athletics program twice and says that it has definitely helped him level-up in all areas of life and business.  
 

"You can’t fail if you’re trying."

On this episode, Jacob takes us through his entrepreneurial journey and what it means to run a successful social enterprise, how it's helping local, traditional weavers.

Listen in to the conversation today!

Connect with Jacob:

Support Jacob's Kickstarter Campaign here 
Ethnotek 
Instagram: @ethnotekbags
Facebook
 

Episode 168: Elizabeth Grojean | Building Businesses Outside the Comfort Zone

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 168 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Elizabeth Grojean.

Elizabeth Grojean is the founder of Baloo Living, a product company founded on principals of self-care and holistic wellness. After 15 years in corporate America, she left it behind to ask, who am I I'm not what I do?

"I take time in the morning to be with myself and be quiet."

With only $9,000 in savings, Elizabeth made it a mission to build a sustainable business - and what better way to learn the ropes than by actually meeting and getting tips from people who have actually done and seen success in the Amazon FBA industry.

So she left for Bali.

After a one year sabbatical she emerged from Bali to launch Baloo's first product, a weighted blanket, and is on track to gross 250K in her first six months in business. 

Her journey, though, is not perfect - from delivering disappointing news to former business partners to flying to China (and getting into some immigration hiccup) to fix product inspections. Listen to how she faced all the struggles and challenges and emerged victorious.

Check out Baloo Living here.

 

 

Episode 167: Colin O'Brady | What's Your Everest?

Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 167 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Colin O'Brady.

“Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.” 

At 22, Colin thought his life was over when what seemed like harmless fun in a remote village in Thailand turned into a nightmare. He was participating in a fire dance with a jumprope; the next thing he knew, his feet was entangled in the rope and he was burning up to the neck. 

Doctors told him that he would not be able to work properly again.

Yet here we are with Colin, speaking to us about stories from completing a triathlon and Snapchatting from the peak of Mt. Everest.

“Us humans have these reservoirs of untapped potential inside of us and we can achieve incredible things, particularly when we focus our mind and we commit to the process, and more importantly, when we believe they are possible.”

Colin tells us that all things you really want to enjoy in life require some sort of challenge. Not being one to back down, Colin - with the encouragement of his very supportive mother - got up and began breaking ceilings. Since the accident and since getting back in shape, Colin has conquered The Explorers Grand Slam and went on to break two world records.

“We aren’t experts, but we are curious enough to wake up every day and keep taking a few more steps.”

He's not stopping at all of his achievements. Colin wants others to take a challenge and break records too. So he started a non-profit called Beyond 7/2, which aims to raise awareness and funds to inspire kids and their communities to lead active, healthy kids and pursue their biggest dreams.

Join Colin and Nik on this very inspirational episode today.

 

Episode 166: Clementina Esposito | Feel Good About Walking Your Talk

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 166 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Clementina Esposito.

“The hardest thing to do is taking those first steps - but it will all evolve from there.”

Clementina Esposito is the CEO and founder of the Clementina Collective--A collaborative created to help writers, speakers, entrepreneurs, and visionary leaders advance their causes & their careers by mastering the communication skills necessary to create positive change, healthy relationships, lasting growth, and engaging writing and speaking.

Trusted advisor to Tedx, former Heroic Public Speaking faculty, and a lifetime of experience teaching business and creative writing have given her ample experience helping people tell their stories in service to their audience and a sound success strategy.

“Just because it feels clumsy doesn’t mean you’re not doing it. Keep moving forward.”

On this episode, Clementina shares her most exciting experiences in working with clients in her business - such as when people enlist her help to write their bio. She emphasized that it doesn't only have to be good to read on paper, but it should be great to listen to when spoken out loud.

Listen in for more inspiring nuggets of wisdom!

 

Connect with Clementina:

www.clementinaesposito.com
www.walkyourtalk2018.com

Instagram
Facebook

Episode 165: Patricia Young | Awaken to Life

Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 165 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Patricia Young.

"When we continue living from that place of being disconnected and on autopilot, we're not REALLY aware of how we're running our lives."

Patricia Young is a Certified Professional Coach and Certified Holistic Coach, host of the Awakening to Life podcast, founder of Inner Prosperity Academy, and author of the #1 Amazon Bestselling Book “Awakening to Life: Your Sacred Guide to Consciously Creating a Life of Purpose, Magic, and Miracles.”.

 With her keen insights, nurturing energy, and proven strategies Patricia has worked with hundreds of people in her coaching practice and online programs, supporting sensitive and growth-oriented women to lead more meaningful lives.  She helps her clients connect with their inner courage and confidence, and identify their highest life vision, so they can make braver decisions and take action to bring their vision into reality—personally and professionally.

"We want to inspire people to really drive their own lives... because no one is going to do that for you."

On this episode, Patricia talks about her own struggles and how she overcame them - from grief of losing a close friend to finding a coach who helped her untangle the emotional turmoil she was going through.

Listen in to be inspired with his deep, meaningful conversation.

"It's my hope that our conversations inspire other people to get clarity or take one baby step - or do something to bring them a bigger, fuller life!"

Connect with Patricia:

www.innerprosperityacademy.com . 
Facebook
Twitter
Listen to the Inner Prosperity Podcast here
Get Patricia's book here

Episode 164: Miro Heyink | Manifest the Life You Want to Live

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 164 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Miro Heyink.

Miro is the founder of Manifest X. He works with people to allow them to live their 10 out of 10 life.

“You’re not gonna get a yes, unless you’re willing to get a no.”

On this episode, host Nik Wood and Miro talk about making conscious decisions, acknowledging yourself for all the hard work you've put in, and celebrating life by building communities that make an impact in the world.

“Saying something positive about yourself is frowned upon - but that’s unnecessary.”

Miro opens up about a time when he was doing everything "right." His career was flourishing, his personal relationships were going great, he was earning well, and everybody was congratulating him. Deep inside, though, he felt quite the opposite. He was deeply unfulfilled.

He knew that he needed to make a shift. Miro then decided to work on himself more - and now, he's paying it forward by helping others get through their struggles.

“If I have a day that I am grateful for, that’s a win.”

Listen in to the conversation to learn more about "Miro the Hero" and how he shifted his focus from the negative to the positive and what type of impact that made on his life.

As mentioned, Miro loves to pay it forward - and today, THREE lucky individuals will be chosen to hop on a FREE one-on-one coaching session with Miro! Make sure to be visible to the Life Athletics team by engaging in the comments.

Connect with Miro

Episode 163: Winston B. Clements | Resilience and Lessons on Self-Acceptance

Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 163 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Winston B. Clements.

"You can learn from everybody."

Winston Ben Clements was born with a condition known as Brittle Bones disease, medical term Ostegenesis Imperfecta. An obvious characteristic is his small stature and his use of a wheelchair, which does not tell the story of the frequent and painful bone fractures that disrupted much of his childhood.

"My most important routine is my morning routine - because this puts me at the correct happiness and energy level."

Nonetheless, Winston graduated with BSc Honours in Computer Science and has built up a successful Technology career, working primarily within Management Consulting and the Financial Services. In addition to this, Winston is the Founder of an online platform known as “Positive Spin UK” with a mission of “Creating a world where nobody feels limited in what they can achieve.”

On this episode, Winston talks about how he stays resilient and very inspired to push forward, even when he is being viewed differently by everyone around him. In addition, he talks about his habits and goals - all of which makes him a great life athlete!

Connect with Winston:

www.winstonclements.com
Facebook 
Twitter
Instagram

Episode 162: Nik Wood | Interview with the Energy Matters Podcast

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Life Athletes, hello and welcome to another episode of the Life Athletics podcast!

For this episode we have something a little different for you. For those of you new to the show I’m Nik Wood,  Host of the Life Athletics Podcast. Typically I interview Amazing people from around the world who Are clear on what  their game is in life and are winning.

“Be an athlete to inspire other souls”

This time, I’m not the interviewer but rather the interviewee.  I was recently interviewed for the “Energy Matters” Podcast and it was a pleasure to talk to hosts David and Cody about what I’m up to and I thought it was a great chance to share that with you now. I apprise them the reason of “Life Athletics”, I talk to people who in my estimation are winning the game.

 

“Mold a character to people's minds”

 

Whatever we’re up to in life we can benefit by listening to someone who’s really doing what they want and what they love - and that's exactly where I am at this point.

Learn more about how I handle my day-to-day life as a life coach - what I do to manage my time, how I overcome stress, and the reason behind my coaching.

Today we discuss choosing the game you’re playing. As usual, I find it fascinating that we can find ourselves playing in guilt, love, compassion, or the growth.

Enjoy!


 

Episode 161: Dean Powell | Winning Against Addiction

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 161 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Dean Powell.

Dean is a Addiction Recovery Mentor, Quantum Shift Facilitator, Beta Release Practitioner, Counselor, Educator, Relationship Coach and Author of ‘Shoot Up’ – an autobiographical story from rock bottom to enlightenment.

"You can be addicted to something without even realizing it."

Dean is an experienced and sought after relationship Coach, author, educator and counselor with over twenty years’ practical experience working with individuals, couples, and groups.

Growing up, Dean was regularly exposed to, and on the receiving end of, violence and abuse. He left home as a teenager, and over time, became severely drug addicted. This later lead to alcoholism.

Dean’s addictions placed him in countless dangerous situations, made him incapable of sustaining intimate relationships, and left him suffering undiagnosed depression for many years. Dean has seen aspects of life and been spared from the kinds of harm that many of us only hear and fear about.

On this episode, Dean opens up about his own addiction, how he overcame it, and how he has made it his life advocacy to help others win against addiction.

Connect with Dean:

www.lifetorque.com.au

Facebook

Episode 160: School of Calisthenics | Don't Fear Failure

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 160 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athletes are Tim Stevenson and David Jackson of the School of Calisthenics.

Both Tim and David have extensive experience in elite performance strength and conditioning as athletes and coaches. Together, they have come up with a learning platform that utilizes the science of sport, strength and conditioning, physical adaptation and how to practically and systematically apply all of those within the realm of calisthenics.

 "We have to accept that failure is not a dirty word."

On this episode, Tim and David tackle the hardest part of training and working toward your goal: the fear of failure. They emphasized on how fear was given a negative connotation and that this shouldn't be the case. For young people who are starting to pave their way toward athletic success, this mindset can be quite deterrent. In the School of Calisthenics, they teach students to embrace failure and think of it part of learning.

"Failure is when we're learning."

The School of Calisthenics is looking forward to joining the International Handstand Day this June 23rd, and they'd love for you to participate too!

"We gotta do something different if we want a different outcome."

Connect with the School of Calisthenics today:

www.schoolofcalisthenics.com

Facebook

Instagram

Podcast

FREE beginner's guide ebook!

Join the Weekend Workshop in Marbella!

Interested in the Calisthenics Retreat 2018? Join HERE!

Episode 159: Paula Pant | How to Become Financially Free and Be Able to Afford Anything

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 159 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Paula Pant.

Paula was just like every one of us - she went to school, studied hard, graduated, and got a job. As a newspaper journalist, she was only given 2 weeks a year off. This was something she didn't enjoy.

So for some time, she did freelance work during the nights and weekends so that she could save up. Eventually, when she felt like she had saved enough, she packed her bags, quit her job, and traveled the world.

In her Paula's words, the summary of her life would be: she got a job, she hated said job, she quit and traveled the world, the came back to discover financial freedom.

A lot of us take finances for granted - and we really are living in excess, says Paula. 

On this episode, you will learn about how she and her partner bought a home that generates income for them instead of being a liability! 

Get ready to be inspired and to begin on your journey to financial freedom.
 

Connect with Paula:

www.affordanything.com

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

 

Episode 158: Stef Sifandos | Relating with Each Other with Authentic Love

Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 157 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Stef Sifandos.

Stef is a Relational Alchemist, Community Builder and Change Maker who facilitates transformational growth through neuro-empowerment practises, mindfullness, an integration of Eastern wisdom, diverse spirtual praxis and western psychology to improve, evolve end enhance the quality of your relationships.

"What are we passionate about? What passion projects do we daydream about constantly?"

He helps guide, facilitate, teach and provide a deepened perspective on life. Stef believes that it is "through our ability to observe ourselves in wholeness that we liberate ourselves from chronic and perpetual fear, pain and confusion. We then discover the courage to step into our truth and embrace life for what it can truly provide us with."

"You can't always flow. You become polarized by nature."

He believes that everyone can understand themselves better by connecting with their inner selves, as well as the people surrounding them - what relationships they're engaging in and where energy flows.

Figuring out what you don't want will help you identify what you DO want.

"Figuring out what you don't want will help you identify what you DO want."

Connect with Stef on:

www.stefsifandos.com

Facebook

Instagram

Episode 157: Justin Stearman | Perception Is Projection

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 157 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Justin Stearman.

Justin is the owner of Yoga Guide Magazine and Yoga Guide Media, a conscious lifestyle media company. He is a living proof that you can transform your life if you really put your mind to it.

Ten years ago, Justin was all about the nightlife, as his job revolved around promoting parties and alcohol. Over time, he realized how much he wanted to change his lifestyle. He started his transformation journey by taking a year off and doing a lot of meditating.  Then he started doing yoga.

Yoga, to him, was invigorating. He hasn't looked back since.

"People are willing to meet you where you're at."

With yoga and his new lifestyle, he started building communities and made friends that were interested in the same things, who were passionate about living life fully. That's how he came up with Yoga Guide Magazine. He wanted to create a platform that  would bring people together, people who were interested in yoga and wellness.

"Perception is projection. Whatever you project, people are going to perceive."
 

Justin's motivation is amazing, and his transformation and evolving consciousness is inspiring. Listen in to learn more about Justin Stearman!

Connect with Justin:

www.yogaguidemag.com

Facebook

 

 

 

Instagram

Episode 156: Data Garden | Connect with Nature through Plant-Generated Music

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 156 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete are Jon and Joe of Data Garden.

Data Garden builds community and connection to nature through experiences that extend human perception through sound. 

In 2011, Joe Patitucci along with Alex Tyson founded a zero-waste record label called Data Garden. Instead of CDs, vinyl records, and tapes, the label released digital albums via download codes on handmade printed artwork embedded with seeds that could be planted and grown into flowers.

"When something happens inside your body that creates a palpable shift in the environment, you'll hear something from the plant."

The fact that there seemed to be a connection between people who work closely with plants and subtle forms of energy greatly interested Joe. From that point on, he needed to learn how to connect to these energies without technology and continue to make this experience available to more people so that they could experience this connection.

This ultimately led to success, and they continued Data Garden's work in festivals and museums across North America.

Jon Shapiro then joined Data Garden and did not waste any time in exploring ways of presenting plant music in new spaces and formats. He explored the relationship between fluctuations in plant music with feelings in his body while practicing yoga. He began bringing musical plants to yoga classes and holistic healing spaces to explore how the relationship between plant music and energetic shifts in traditional healing.

On this episode, Jon and Joe take you on their story - how they came up with Data Garden and what they're looking forward to in the future.

Learn more about Data Garden:

www.datagarden.org

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

Soundcloud

Check out the MIDI Sprout here.

Episode 155: Emily Gallagher | Opening Up with the Conscious Boss

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 155 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Emily Gallagher.

Emily Gallagher is a connector, coach, speaker, experience creator & obsessive collaborator. She is the creator of Conscious Boss Clique, a growing network of 1200 wellness entrepreneurs who come together in person and online to learn from business leaders and to connect as a community.

"Surround yourself with epic people."

Emily has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs privately, through her group coaching programmes and events and is passionate about creating a conscious community of collaboration, connection & empowerment.    

"Be generous. Give more."

She has helped hundreds of women to reconnect their fire, their belief, and build the confidence to launch and scale their businesses from $0 to five-figure-dollar months.

"Be generous. Give more."

Connect with Emily

www.emgallagher.com 

Facebook  

Instagram: @consciousboss

 

Episode 154: Rick Cowley | Break Free with VisionQuest

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 154 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Rick Cowley.

Rick is the founder of VisionQuest Bali, a retreat which "attracts awesome people who are reaching for bold things in their lives, are willing to be real, and are down for adventure."

"What makes you feel alive?"

He survived leukemia at the age of 21, and because of that, he started looking at life differently. Rick started to surrender to his life's passions - and he wants the same for everyone too. VisionQuest was originally designed for cancer survivors, to help them appreciate the value of life. Today, Rick runs VisionQuest and caters to the general population.

"Something happens when you write things down. It's a bridge from just an idea to the physical world."

Rick believes in writing goals down. He believes that bringing these ideas into the physical world helps in its materialization and keeps us grounded.

On this episode, Rick talks about how you too can break free and reconnect with your life's true passions, with your soul's authentic mission, and to surrender completely for more clarity.

"Be willing to let people say what they want to say, let people hear it, let people react to it."

Connect with Rick:

www.visionquestwithrick.com

support@visionquestwithrick.com

Facebook

Instagram: @visionquestwithrick

Episode 153: Gina Swire | Embracing the Beauty of Self-Love

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Hey Life Athletes, welcome to episode 153 of the Life Athletics podcast!

Today’s guest Life Athlete is Gina Swire.

Gina is a self love expert and coach. She teaches women how to fall back in love with themselves through her programs, one to one coaching and retreats.

"What is it that I need today?"

Having spent many years feeling like something was missing in her own life and then figuring out exactly what that something was, she now teaches exactly how she shifted her own life to thousands of women around the world. Gina lives in Bali and travels around for various retreats and speaking engagements. 

"Find your version of self-love."

Gina is currently in England but spends most of her days in Bali and travels around for various retreats and speaking engagements. 

On this episode, she shares her experience being a plus-size model who wasn't "plus" enough. During this time in her life, there always seemed to be something lacking. Find out how Gina pushed through and broke through this challenging time.

Find out more about Gina:

www.ginaswire.com

Facebook

Twitter: @ginaswire

Instagram: @ginaswire

Infinite Self Love Society Facebook group