Breaking Ordinary with Andy Petranek

In this episode of the Adventurecast, Andy fills us in on some recent experiments and invites Michael (as in Stanwyck, the co-founder of the WLC) to join him. Get a hilarious seat at the table as they challenge each other’s methods for personal growth and jab at each other's abilities to experiment.

Carley Knobloch is a self-professed “tech-geek,” graphic and web design wizard, smart technology expert, HGTV guest, and blogger. She's incredibly well informed, and is known for her unique ability to distill down all the options into what is most valuable and useful to you in your life. 

As my guest today, we talk about the general usefulness of technology, how it can be helpful in modern life, and how it can be used to make us more efficient and productive, as the importance of slowing down to take a breath and disconnect.

She also shares her thoughts and recommendations about home automation, useful apps for busy adults as well as kids, and her views on where technology is taking us in the future.

I’ve long believed that there was something off about my morning routine. Over the years I’ve played with many different variations in the things that I do when I wake up and the sequence I do them in. I’ve listened and read about the morning routines of many very successful people, and have tried adopting many of the things they say they do. For the next 21 days, I'm going to be tackling the one thing that has had it's grip on me for over 25 years regarding my morning routine... my ability to get up early - really early - with the intention on doing things I deem important to my life.

Read more about my relationship between sleep and my alarm clock.

What would it feel like to take that first step into “risk land”? If you’re stuck on what steps to take towards living a life of risk, Caroline Paul has the juice - she’s whitewater rafted with legends Lars Holbek and Beth Rypins, been sucked up into a storm cloud while paragliding, and crashed her experimental aircraft from engine trouble! Caroline jumps on the podcast this week to discuss the life of adventure she leads, concepts from her book like “Micro Bravery”, and ways to empower our lives in the face of physical and mental challenge. As a former member of the male-dominated San Francisco Fire Department Rescue Squad and someone who’s climbed the Golden Gate Bridge, she’s a real authority on breaking physical and psychological barriers.

As a regular “life explorer,” I find myself experimenting with interesting and different things. I love to “buck the norm.” I also love change — but change for a reason. Whether it’s finding a new method that has some benefit over the old; letting go of a long-standing belief; figuring out the most efficient, economical, or healthy way to do something; or determining the best make, model, or version of a gadget, product, app. You could say I’m addicted to experimentation.

In Andy’s Adventure-casts, you’ll learn about my process. I’ll share with you my thoughts, trials and errors and learnings. They’ll be short (less than fifteen minutes), applicable, fun, and informative.

Lucy Danziger, the long-time Editor in Chief of SELF magazine, has been in the business of creating and providing information for millions of people about health, fitness, and well-being for many years. She also walks her talk – she is a competitive triathlete, mother of kids, devoted wife, and entrepreneur. She’s got some great tips and lessons learned from her own life to share, and is an example of the rewards that come from persistence.

If you’ve listened to the radio or been to the movies in the past twenty years, chances are you’ve heard the creative genius of Harvey Mason Jr. more than once. His work has been Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe, and AMA nominated, so his behind the scenes stories of the artistic process are can’t-miss. Harvey has a competitive spirit that comes from athletics and has served him in his career pursuits, even merging the two passions by putting a gym in his studio! Here’s his story.

Ever wonder what goes into creating an ominous tone in a scary thriller, or finding the best song to fit that classic scene from your favorite movie? This is the job of a music supervisor, and on this week’s podcast we have one of the very best in Julianne Jordan! Her lifestyle requires creativity and flexibility, yet she manages the whirlwind through a balanced lifestyle of yoga and trust in your intuition. Here’s her story.

Charlie Brookins is Senior VP of Original Programming at BET, so you bet she's got an opinion about the lack of black nominees for the 2016 Oscars. She's had an incredibly success-filled life, is the mother of two great kids, and somehow manages to get it all done (with a little help from her husband). Here's her story.

Peter Himmelman is an American singer/songwriter, a film and TV composer, an artist, and most recently, a corporate creativity and leadership coach (through songwriting). He is also an observant Jew - and has been for over 30 years. 

In this episode, I talk with Peter about his Hollywood life, spiritual practice, and the way he makes it all work.