David Smart 
Why I Took the Big Five Personality Trait Assessment “Know thyself” —Oracle Delphi I first heard about the Big Five personality traits from listening to Professor Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist whose Biblical lectures completely changed my perspective on the Bible. After a few close friends took his Understand Myself Assessment and reported interesting results, I finally … Read more
Sean Thompson is the former owner/operator of Liquid Float Tanks in Austin, TX, and a distributor of kindness. This episode was a treat! Sean and I briefly discuss the history of float tanks, sensory deprivation, getting to a state of optimal focus, and the dangers of cruise control before wandering down a tributary on topics … Read more
Madeline Acri (@m.acri + @macrieats) is a vegan, lover of plants, and advocate for the Zero-Waste lifestyle. After passing through the TWD essential oil ritual, Maddie and I discuss her beliefs on preserving the environment, veganism, the future of this planet, apocalyptic visions and stories of the past, and the greatest problems facing our homo … Read more
The day I received the first copy of a book that took me three years to write, I cried. But I didn’t cry from first glimpsing the book. Instead, I was brought to tears by writing this reflection. Writing this piece reminded me of where I came from, what it took to write this book, … Read more
Alrighty! I’m so excited to announce that my new book, The Trail Provides: A Boy’s Memoir of Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, is now available for purchase on Amazon in both digital and paperback formats! 05.01.19 Edit: The audiobook is now live too! It’s the story of my hike of the PCT back in 2015 and the … Read more
Liz Hartzell (@emhartzell) is a teacher of movement, yogi, empath, and student of mind/body healing. This week Liz and I discuss the growing revolution that is “movement”, how trauma lodges in the body, the ego craving identities, the counter-intuitive solution to pain, the dangers of victimhood, and much, much more. Much thanks goes to Liz for … Read more
the trail was the way, and it said to us: “come, and I will provide.” “come, and I will give you my walls, the mountains to be our fortress protecting us from the distractions and this will be our classroom.” “come, and I will teach you about people. incredible, beautiful people. whose faces and hearts … Read more
Robinson Erhardt (@robinsonerhardt) is the author of over thirty books including The Book of Lokk and most recently Viking Ninja Elements: Kill Your Ego, Challenge Your Discipline. I first encountered Robinson’s calm and collected demeanor at the local gym, only later discovering that at the young age of twenty-six, he was already a prolific author … Read more
Matt Vest (not on social media!) is an inner and outer-journeyman, and close friend. On today’s episode, Matt digs deep and shares with us his Hero’s Journey, from the initial Matrix-like call from the phone booth to the lowest valleys in his life, to the various ceremonies and life-changing experiences he’s participated in including Sessins, … Read more
Bradley Lovell (@bradleyjlovell) is a thru-hiker, vagabond, and manager for a meditation center. The man, the myth, the legend returns! In this episode, Bradley and I begin by recounting our time spent on the Pacific Crest Trail, what we learned, why we did it, and end up sharing some fun stories along the way. Our … Read more