Grow the Good

Latest Episodes:

Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics with Jeff Warren Jan 02, 2019

Show notes

I recently asked people on Twitter what new habits they are trying to adopt. 95% of the responses had meditation as one of the habits. I've read a lot of articles on how meditation physically changes the brain, how it's a gamechanger not only for performance, but simply for enjoying life and how consistency is important. But I've struggled. I'd do it for a week and then give up (and then beat myself up for it). I'd find my way back to it, but I couldn't make the habit stick. I tried to figure out why I was having trouble making meditation a regular part of my routine. When I believe in the benefits of something, I just do it - like my plant-based diet, like my 14 year commitment to my career as a cyclist... so why couldn't I just DO meditation? It's because I couldn't tell if it was working.

I recently read the book, "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics" by Jeff Warren and Dan Harris. By read, I mean listened. Dan and Jeff both are narrating the book and Jeff even leads meditations in the audiobook. Jeff was the funny, relatable meditation expert in the book and his teaching style really resonated with me. He wasn't all serious and monk-y (is that a word?). I realized I by being too skeptical, I was looking for reasons for it NOT to work. I was even more excited to find the 10% Happier meditation app which has different instructors and just seemed like a more natural fit for me.

As I delved more into Jeff Warren, I learned he has also authored other books, leads meditation retreats, and is the founder of the Consciousness Explorers Club that creates community around meditation. Jeff enjoys exploring consciousness through the mind, through the body, and even socially. His goal is to help people live more fulfilled lives. Jeff's background before he found meditation was in journalism, especially on the science side of things. When Jeff went to his first meditation retreat, he said, that meditation did not come easily for him. "I was and am a distractible, impulsive, over-thinking, teeth-gnashing worrier. I preferred to think about all the things that could happen in meditation than actually were happening."

If you are curious about meditation or are struggling to make it a regular part of your life, I think you'll enjoy this podcast. I asked him a lot of questions based on what I learned in Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. We talked about how to meditate (even if you don't want to focus on the breath), different tools for learning about and accepting the inner workings of our emotions and thoughts, how to find the right practice for you, and even ways to make things like sports or even showering part of your meditation practice.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

the reasons why people have trouble starting meditation
how to stick with it
the 6 mental muscles
how to create a practice that works for you
power in equanimity
how to know if meditation working

Listen Now

Freebies from Jeff

Links

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Kikkan Randall Wins Olympic Gold and Survives Breast Cancer Dec 27, 2018

Show notes

When Kikkan Randall was 5 years old, she decided she was going to the Olympics for skiing. Most 5 year olds have lofty and cute dreams that rarely come to fruition. That wasn't the case for Kikkan. Not only did she make it to her first Olympics for cross-country skiing at just 19 years old, but she has 5 Olympic Games under her belt. Kikkan's house might tip over with all the medals as a 17x US National Champion, 16 podiums at World Cups, and to top it off - a shiny Olympic Gold medal that she won in Pyeongchang in 2018. 2 years before Pyeonchang, Kikkan gave birth to her son. Truly, she is wonderwoman.

Kikkan decided to retire after the 2018 Olympics and winter season. She was on as major high until one night, she found a couple small lumps in her breast. The doctors assured it was probably nothing, but Kikkan couldn't help be feel worried. The doctor came out to talk to her after her mammogram and uttered that she had Stage 2 breast cancer.

This podcast from start to finish is very powerful. It's a story of how Kikkan has achieved such amazing things in her life, her unshakable champion mindset that drives her to stay positive, and her mission sharing her journey being treated and healing from breast cancer. You might just listen to this episode a couple of times!

"The color pink has taken on a new chapter in my life as I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Although we caught it early and the prognosis is good, my life will change quite a bit in the coming months. It’s a scary thing to learn you have cancer and I have wondered every day since how this could have possibly happened to me. But I have promised myself that I will remain positive and active and determined throughout my treatment. I am going to bring as much tenacity, strength, and energy toward this challenge as I have throughout my entire career."

-Kikkan Randall (as quoted on her website)

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

How Kikkan created a road map to Olympic Gold
How Kikkan stayed engaged during her 20+ year career
How to deal with nerves
What it meant to be the first US skiier to win gold
Kikkan's life as a mother of a toddler
How it felt when she was diagnosed with breast cancer
Staying active every day through chemo
Kikkan's positivity keeps her going

Listen Now

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

How to Decode People with Vanessa Van Edwards Dec 19, 2018

Show notes

Vanessa Van Edwards is one of my heroines. She studies what makes people tick. More specifically- the science of people. Vanessa is a best selling author and behavioral investigator. She creates compelling, super helpful, and instantly applicable advice on how to be successful in any social situation. Vanessa has been featured on NPR, the Wall Street Journal, the Today Show and USA Today. She has written for CNN, Fast Company and Forbes and is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur magazine. She also speaks across the globe to Fortune 500 companies.

I discovered Vanessa from her book, Captivate. As a professional people watcher, Vanessa created a guidebook on how to make great first impressions, how to have dazzling conversation, how to be likeable, creating social game plans, being able to read people and uncover hidden emotions, how to get the best from people and from yourself, how to speak so people will listen and so much more. We barely scratched the surface of the massive value and gold mine of information Vanessa provides. Today, we went straight into the heart of it: how to crack someone's personality which is also a chapter in her book. You'll learn about the 5 ways to classify someone's personality, how speed read a person's personality, and how to interact in ways that will set you both up for success in your relationship - this applies to anything from work colleagues to significant others. As someone who loves analyzing, learning, and understanding "why" about pretty much everything, I find Vanessa's brilliant contributions to be helpful every day.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

The Big 5 Personality Traits: OCEAN
The Platinum Rule
How to decode each trait
What is an ambivert?
What the word neurotic actually means
how to use the big 5 to create successful relationships
can you export worrying?

Listen Now

How to Make Great Conversation

Support the Show

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Jeff Lenosky is the Trail Boss Dec 13, 2018

Show notes

You know that section of trail that you've never seen anyone ride? That one spot where you wonder if it's even possible? Jeff Lenosky, aka the Trail Boss is the guy to do it. Jeff tackles the hardest seemingly "unrideable" trails, rides them, and documents it for his youtube channel. And in case you aren't familiar with Jeff, he is a world-class freeride and trials mountain bike rider with three trials national titles under his belt and the world record for the bunny hop on a full-size mountain bike (45.5 inches). He has been in the sport since the late 80s. Not only is he one of the world's most skilled mountain bikers, he is also a dad to his 3 children. He also performs shows for hundreds of kids all year long.

In this episode, we talk about Jeff's evolution as a pro rider since the early nineties, how he has transitioned from trials to trail riding, why he decided to start a YouTube Channel, and some real life advice to help you improve your confidence and your riding.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

How Jeff has maintained a 20+ year career
From Trials to Trail Riding: Jeff's evolution
Life as a sponsored athlete
Why Youtube?
Does the type of bike make a difference?
Does he still get nervous on technical trails?
The Trail Boss name

Listen Now

A Few Free Videos (Jeff's Channel)

Support the Show

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Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on social media

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Apple Podcasts

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Pro BMX Rider Lives with Brain Tumors: The Resilience of Josh PerryPro BMX Rider Lives with Brain Tumors: The Resilience of Josh Perry Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

Imagine dedicating everything to your dreams and you actually achieve them. Professional BMX Athlete Josh Perry had this life experience. From seeing the X Games on TV to one day competing in them, Josh's path to success was one full of hard work, dedication, and tenacity. But at age 21, Josh went to the hospital after crashing on his head. His MRI uncovered the unthinkable. Brain tumors. With his whole future and dream life in front of him, Josh was forced to wrestle with the emotions, depression, and challenges of his diagnaosis and he did so by sticking to riding his bike. Josh is the definition of resilience and positivity. After surgically removing his tumors, more came back to take their place. But after doing research, he discovered Gamma Knife Radiation and a radical lifestyle change to take back control of his life. In this incredibly inspiring episode, you'll hear how BMX taught Josh to get back up and keep going, even with brain tumors, how he lives with uncertainty and squashes anxiety, how to use comparison for the better, and his journey to eventually becoming a holistic health coach.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

How josh got into BMX
Josh going from watching X Games to competing in them
the day he received a crushing diagnosis of a brain tumor
how to deal with fear and anxiety
how we can use comparison for the better
how to recover and get confidence back after brain surgery, an injury, or a sickness
Josh’s journey to becoming a holistic healthy coach
Josh’s mindset shifts to help him get through any adversity

Listen Now

Support the Show

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on social media

Don’t forget to subscribe!

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

**183.9 mph on a Bicycle: Denise Mueller Korenek Sets World Speed Record** Nov 28, 2018
Show notes

Have you ever driven your car 184 mph? I haven't either. Imagine... going 184 mph on a bicycle. Would you be scared? "That's impossible" you might think. I had never heard or imagined anyone going that fast on a bicycle. It seemed like you just wouldn't be able to do that. Imagine my surprise in September when I met a woman who had done it. Enter Denise Mueller Korenek. On September 16, she clocked the fastest time EVER to be ridden on a bicycle: 183.932 mph to be exact. She did this at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats with a very large front chain ring drafting behind a dragster. Imagine being inches off the back of a dragster at that kind of speed?

(Matt Ben Stone)

It wasn't her first world record either. The 45 year old mother of three set the fastest female speed record in 2016 at 147.75 mph. That wasn't enough, she went back for more and her current record is the fastest anyone has EVER ridden a bike. Denise is no stranger to grand achievements. As a racer in her junior days, she started collecting national champion jerseys in her closet. However, she hung up the bike for nearly 20 years before finding it again. Inspired and fired up, she ended up training again and scoring a few more national champ jerseys, this time as a masters rider. With her vision, confidence and cycling fitness in the stratosphere, she set out to ride... insanely fast. With the help of her coach (who also had a speed record at one point) and a female race car driver (Shea Holbrook), they did it. Twice. This conversation is powerful. We go deep into not only the logistics of how to actually ride a bike that fast and what equipment and training you'd need, but we went into the psyche of fear and self-belief. And to be going so fast where you'll likely die if you make a mistake, there is an insane amount of focus and attention.

(Matt Ben Stone)

**Topics Discussed in the Podcast**

Denise's early history as a cyclist

Why Denise wanted to set the bicycle speed record

All the details: the bike, equipment set-up, car

How she trained

How she mentally coped with fear and doubt

What it means to hold the record

**Listen Now**

Links

Video of Denise riding behind dragster

Project Speed Website

Follow Denise on Instagram

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With
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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

DocJenFit Esquer : Healing Physical & Emotional Pain with Mobility & Mindset Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

How well do you know your body? Dr. Jen Esquer (DocJenFit) believes in empowering people to heal themselves through movement and body awareness. As a Physical Therapist with a sports focus, she has the equation to our aches and pains: mobility. Mobility or being able to use our body through its full ranges of motion is often the most overlooked element. Mobility is what makes up the foundation behind stretching, strength work, and yoga and every way we bend and use our body. I recently started putting more emphasis on mobility when I realized that all of my recurring aches and pains were related to an inability to move properly. I also couldn't understand why I could never do a proper handstand despite doing yoga for over a decade. I learned that I actually can't put my arms over my head properly. Wake up call: all the yoga in the world won't fix your mobility issues. I learned mobility the key to shoulder and knee pain. When I found DocJenFit on Instagram, I was amazed and inspired by her videos. She makes it easy to understand and even more important- easy to execute in our daily lives.

Dr. Jen left the standard PT clinic and started her own business with both a private practice and an online platform called The Mobility Method and The Optimal Body. In this episode, we talk about Dr. Jen's journey, rethinking how to help people heal their own bodies, understanding your personal areas of pain, the mistake most people make with their breathing, and how to cultivate more self-compassion and self-love.

I follow DocJenFit very closely and I think after hearing this episode, you will to!

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

How Dr. Jen chose the path of physical therapy
How to take a leap to leave your job and start your own business
Understanding the areas of pain in your body through self-assessment
Why mobility is the key to unlocking performance
How to use the breath to lessen our sensation with pain
Emotional pain can manifest as physical pain
Key steps to having more self-compassion and self-love

Listen Now

Support the Show

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

How to Stay Motivated with Social Psychologist Dr. Heather Patrick Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

What really motivates us and where does motivation come from? Motivation can wear many faces. Sometimes we are motivated by external factors - a race result, a promotion, a leaderboard, money, or a number on a scale. Other times, we are motivated because we simply love doing something. Going deep into why we choose to do certain things and how to stick with our habits is a fascinating topic. I personally think it's important to have awareness around our self-talk and understanding how to motivate others in a positive, proactive way. I was really excited to have the chance to speak with Dr. Heather Patrick. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology. She has contributed to health psychology in many ways including her role as the health scientist and program director at the National Cancer Institute for 5 years and the associate director of the SmokeFree.gov Initiative. Currently, she works at Carrot to help create programs and technology around stopping smoking. She is passionate about health coaching and is a runner herself.

Dr. Patrick has more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and nearly 15 years of experience using scientific theories of human motivation to develop, implement, and evaluate behavioral interventions in tobacco cessation, nutrition, weight management, physical activity, and stress management.

Topics Discussed in the Podcast

What is Self Determination Theory (SDT)
3 building blocks of SDT
The one thing to focus on when it comes to goal setting
How to harness intrinsic motivation over extrinsic motivation
Motivating others as a parent and in the work place to do their best
Why using external rewards isn't most effective
The best way to pull yourself out of a self-destructive spiral
How SDT is used to help people quit smoking (or change habits)
Relationship between SDT and willpower, laziness, procrastination

Listen Now

Support the Show

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on soci

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

**Why Training with Wattage and Heart Rate Aren't Enough with Dr. Andrew Sellars** Nov 07, 2018
Show notes

What if I told you that there is an entire segment of training that maybe you've never considered? When I first moved to Kelowna, I was introduced to Dr. Andrew Sellars. Dr. Sellars is an anesthesiologist as well as a sports physiology expert. He also is co-founder of Balance Point Racing. When I did my first physiology assessment with Balance Point, I realized that everything I thought I knew about training and had learned from some of the top sports institutions in the US was very limited. The crazy thing that a lot of the assessments are still done using a very old method of measuring all of your physical systems. Balance Point taught me that there are many more factors at play. For example, instead of wondering my wattage was low when I tired, I learned exactly what it was about my body that made me unable to generate higher power - things like how much oxygen was in my muscle, if my heart itself was tired, or if my respiratory system was tired. There's a lot of incredibly important and useful knowledge in this episode if you're interested in taking your training up a notch!

**Topics Discussed in the Podcast**

Andrew's background and how he became a doctor

What Andrew learned through mentorship with Juerg Feldmann

What is a Balance Point Assessment?

Why the respiratory system is an integral part of fitness

how to train your respiratory system

**Listen Now**

Links

Balance Point Racing

Spiro Tiger

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on social media

**Don’t forget to subscribe!**

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Google Play

Spotify

Thanks for listening!
--------------
The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

**How Engineering Made Me a Better Mountain Biker and Entrepreneur** Oct 31, 2018
Show notes

A lot of people are surprised when they find out I have Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering. Sometimes I even forget because I finished my Master's 11 years ago. Time flies! I'm excited to share this story and speech with you. It's so hard to know what we want to do in university or even when we get out of university. I was fortunate enough to find mountain biking halfway through my undergrad. I was in the engineering program at UNM and even rode for UNM Collegiate Cycling Team! This was a speech I gave a couple weeks ago at the Western Michigan University to their engineering school. It's about my path through my Master's Degree and how mountain biking began to shift my perception of what I was capable of. It's about feeling dissatisfied with a traditional path I was following because I really wasn't passionate about it. This talk is about how I created my own path. The thing that was interesting about this talk is that I go into detail about the life lessons that being an engineer taught me, and how that helps me as both a mountain biker and as an entrepreneur.

**Topics Discussed in the Podcast**

The experience of being in engineering school

Almost failing out of my first semester of grad school

how to learn how to have self-compassion when you don't meet expectations

Changing my mindset

the major pivot points in my life

how I created my own path

the top 6 ways engineering helped me be grittier as a mountain biker

**Listen Now**

Links

Support the Show

If you would like to support the growth my show, I’d love your contribution on. Patreon. The current production of this free show is primarily supported out of my own pocket and a small portion is covered through the donations on Patreon. With my Patreon page, you can donate directly to the show which will help me cover the costs and help it grow! Even 4 bucks a month- the cost of one coffee per month helps a LOT! Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

Crowdfunding on Patreon – thank you!

Shop my products!

Leave a review or share on social media

**Don’t forget to subscribe!**

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Google Play

Spotify

Thanks for listening!
--------------
The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

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