Chasing Edges

Brian MacKenzie is the Founder & Creative Director of SHIFT, Co-Founder and President of The Health and Human Performance Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to researching how breath and innate tools can optimize and help health and human performance. He is also the co-founder of The Art of Breath, a division of SHIFT that teaches a principles-based approach to breath & performance. Brian has also co-authored the book Power Speed Endurance, The New York Times Best Seller UnBreakable Runner, and UnPlugged, which assesses the integration of emergent technology and human performance. He has voluntarily integrated and run his program at San Quentin State Prison with tremendous success. His programs have been featured in Outside Magazine, Men’s Health, Runners World, Triathlete Magazine, Men’s Journal, and periodicals such as The Economist. Brian and his protocols have been featured in 2 of Timothy Ferriss’ New York Times bestselling books, including: “The 4-Hour Body” and “Tools of Titans” and Scott Carney’s New York Times best-seller “What Doesn't Kill Us.” Brian is himself a highly accomplished practitioner. He completed the Ironman (Canada, 2004) and completed the Western States 100-mile and The Angeles Crest 100-mile runs using adapted training protocols he developed to improve performance.

Brian on IG : @_brianmackenzie &  @shift_adapt & @hhpfoundation
Brian on TwitterL @brianmackenzie
Company Website: shiftadapt.com. 
Personal Website: Brianmackenzie.com 

Zach Boren is the current President of Boren Brothers based in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to entering the business world Zach was a fullback and captain at The Ohio State University for their undefeated 12-0 season under Urban Meyer. He went on to spend 3 off-seasons in the NFL with the Houston Texans, San Diego Chargers, and the Tennessee Titans. 
On the podcast the boys open with the importance of asking questions to yourself and others, then take a deep dive into leadership tactics. Tactics that include effective techniques for sports and business and how they differ, leadership and its traps.  Then Zach elaborates on the lessons Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel including those he still uses today.  The end of the conversation focuses on the physiology of winning, how teams can drift away from their standards, and necessity of hard and tactical coaching. Hope you enjoy!

Chad Greenway is a 2x Pro Bowl NFL linebacker and 11 year vet spending his entire career with the Minnesota Vikings, by way of South Dakota and an All-American studded career at the University of Iowa as a Hawkeye.  He now works in multiple arenas as a co-founder of Gray Duck Spirits, farm owner, and  leads the Youth Basketball Association as their president. Alongside raising and coaching his 4 daughters with his wife Jeni.

On the podcast the boys dive right into the struggle to keep a chip on your shoulder while playing in the NFL and all the obstacles and politics to go with it. This transitions into the roots of motivation and the importance of how you leave and transition from the NFL. The podcast is studded with lots of leadership wisdom, both personal leadership and team leadership. The boys then focus heavy on the lessons Chad was instilled with growing up on a farm in South Dakota, how those applied to football, and now how is working these lessons into raising his daughters. Chad finishes out in savage fashion talking on the mindset his took and applied throughout his college and professional career, and the importance of self awareness then and now as he attacks life, business, his relationship, and his parenting. Dynamite episode! Hope you enjoy!

Laura Zerra is the current host of Decivilized on CarbonTV and highly capable human in the world of outdoor survival. Her decorated past included jobs as a farrier, butcher, taxidermist, back country guide, tree planter, mushroom hunter, and 5 appearances on the Discovery TV show Naked & Afraid. 
On the podcast, Laura and Brian dive deep into the idea of letting go of the titles we hold and the pursuit of expanding your capability to be at home wherever you are and in any scenario.  Laura talks extensively about the benefits and lessons that nature has taught her, and how they translate to her life in the "real world."  Then goes on to elaborate beautifully on her relationship with pain, and her curiosity with her limits and her potential in true Chasing Edges style. Laura then finishes off talking about her superpowers, in particular the importance of knowing herself and objectively observing herself to make decisions accordingly.  Hope you enjoy!

Adam is the current CEO and Founder of Strong Coffee and quite a renaissance man holding occupations such as former Professional Fighter, Celebrity Trainer, Versace Model, Union Electrician, and Trainer on the TV Show STRONG.  Brian and Adam have a phenomenal conversation starting with the creation, initial failure of launching Strong Coffee and the persistence it took to make it what it is today, and all the wisdom gained from its past and present.  Then the conversation takes off in some fun fun and insightful directions where Adam describes the purpose behind his company and his life, the lessons he's learned as his platform has grown and all the fears and insecurities that motivated him to do his homework and create products he can be proud of.  Then the boys get into the power of hyping up your people, how to motivate and push your circle, how fighting in emblematic of life.  Adam then closes out with his take on when and how to use his concept of violence, and the areas he is chasing edges, how to let go, and his obsession with not wasting time.  Juicy conversation. Hope you enjoy!

Jesse "Tha Monstar" Williams is an Australian native NFL defensive tackle that paved his own path from Brisbane to the Super Bowl Williams played Juco football for 2 years before becoming the #1 recruit in the nation for the University of Alabama, where he was a starter on the defensive line for the 2011&2012 National Championship teams under Nick Saban. The Seahawks chose him in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Williams became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring as a member of Seattle's 2013 team. He was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of his 3rd NFL season, he returned in a very short window but the repercussions of the kidney removal eventually led to  his retirement. He now resides back in Brisbane where he is training and coaching the next generation of Australian Grid Iron Football players, along with making the rounds as a speaker sharing his story.

On the podcast, Jesse tells his incredible story, elaborating deeply on the mindset that made his unlikely dream a vivid reality. His mindset, commitment, sacrifices, and passion for the game are absolutely savage and a must listen for all those entertaining a football career. The boys break down what it took to make his dream happen, the armor he built to execute it, and all the lessons on the way.  He beautifully articulates his emotional roller coaster with his cancer diagnosis and is a must listen in the world of facing adversity head on. Follow up questions to his incredible story yield some awesome wisdom as well, specifically the standards he held, and what he learned and observed in his time at Alabama under Nick Saban and in Seattle in his time being coached by Pete Carroll. Electric podcast. Hope you enjoy!

Sergeant First Class Michael “Rod” Rodriguez is a retired Special Forces Green Beret and current President and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation and with 10 deployments, from his first in Somalia with 10th Mountain Division to his last in Afghanistan with 7th Special Forces Group.  His last assignment as a Green Beret was as a Sniper Instructor at Fort Bragg, NC (Range 37). 
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On the podcast Rod opens speaking about everything he and the GWOT Memorial Foundation have done and are doing to make the memorial an inclusive and interactive reality, and all the edges he’s chased to make that happen. The conversation then dives into the understanding of violence, the necessity for it, the personal power and peace it develops, and the misconceptions about it, as well as the suffering that can be a result of that capability, this all makes for an electric conversation.  This leads into a conversation about the lessons he’s learned throughout his career, the understanding of humility and hubris, and the importance of pursuing knowledge and life with a candid and curious mindset.  Then the boys close out with an in-depth talk on the art of high performance and their approach to the art of living.  Hope you enjoy!

Jason Dhir is a supplement formulator and owner of the Ultra Human a company, based in Dublin, Ohio, that specializes in producing award winning nootropics, amino acids & tea, while spreading awareness about consciousness & cognitive enhancement. Born in Coventry, England, Jason moved to the United States to attend The Ohio State University Nutrition Program, and own a successful supplement retail establishment for 10 years. Jason then became a consultant to many top brands for the next decade as a multi-faceted expert in the field of supplements & nutrition.  

On the podcast Jason and Brian dive deep into all things life and simplicity. Jason breaks down the benefits of amino acids and nootropics, what to look for, dosages, the dangers of poor products, how to cycle your supplements, and at home concoctions you can create on your own.  The boys dive in and out of the depths of Jason’s philosophies on life and modern society as well, where he lives a philosophy of learning through experimentation and understanding. He also believes God is the greatest scientist, along with mother nature being what we need to get back to. A well rounded conversation of great applicable takeaways in the supplement world and good perspectives to ponder when assessing your habits. Hope you enjoy!

You can find Jason and his Ultra Human Products at  TheUltraHuman.net

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*:30 Chasing Simplicity

:45 Life is a lot more simple than we think

1:30 Simplifying Process

2:35 We’re no creating, we’re consuming

2:50 Take your health, then sell it back to you. Body has the ability to heal

3:30 Godless Society, only science to land on, “trust the science”

6:00 Dentists, mercury, trusting systems

11:52 Everybody’s trying to hack stuff

*12:08 God is the greatest scientist, given everything, vitamin D

12:40 Buy free stuff back

13:05 Herb Story, We’ll never know

15:50 Why don’t you use the extract?

16:00 Formula

16:30 Harness what has already been given

17:36 Best muscle to consume, is human muscle tissue. Cannabism? Lol

18:12 Capture what’s already happening in the muscle

19:38 Dangers of wrong amino formula ratio

20:15 Amino formula break down, No-Nos, artificial

21:20 Natural aminos, wipes out 99% of market, flavors, problem is its more expensive

22:10 Sweeteners

24:00 High Absorption Electrolytes

25:15 Compromised supplement companies, trust

26:00 Brian’s Non negotiable supplements

26:47 Nootropics

27:55 Always a fan of food, Supplement to food, Aminos vs Protein*** more muscle synthesis

30:50 No aminos with food, instructions for intake

32:18 Nootropics, problem with thrown together products, find and understand what youre taking.

32:40 Nootropic, cycling, alpha gpc, choline

33:50 Amazon killing supplement industry, 97% of supps on the market are shit***

35:00 Uppers (adderal, madafinil, etc.) Don’t even know how it works, problems (wolf of wall street clip)*

37:00 Adrenal fatigue and caffeine, testosterone

37:50 Nootropics, cycling advice for life

*39:15 Addiction, syringe example for presentation*, relationships, rats experiment

40:48 Relief, certainty vs uncertainty**, Brian on addiction**

44:20 Addiction takes 1 hit, reframing addiction

46:00 Money doesn’t buy happiness, no subtract happiness, 

47:00 Health isn’t rocket surgery

48:20 Selfishness, what is self love, simple vs minimalist

49:05 Simplicity often gives you the most abundance

50:44 Money fixes money problems

51:09 Pitbull “Money make you happy if you give it away”

55:30 Effects of Nootropics, Stance on Smart drugs

**56:35 Go to DIY Nootropic rec

Andy Moeckel, AKA The Flip Flop Guy, is an innovative outdoor cook, hunter, and entrepreneur that shared and developed a brand around a style of cooking wild game legs that was in his family for 3 generations. His style has influenced the use of wild game meat worldwide.  On the podcast Andy talks heavily on remaining a student in all aspects of life, and amplifying the reach and tradition of his style to break down barriers in the hunting, meat, and conservation world. He tells the story of his battle with alcohol and homelessness to then go on to become the man he is today built on willingness, self sacrifice, and service. He talks on how he was pushed to pursue his passion, and how he created his company/brand today. Then the boys close out with how to use your life experience and pain to be vulnerable to connect with others, and the push for good conservation efforts to protect our wildlife. Hope you enjoy!

Find Andy @theflipflopguy theflipflopguy.co & @gameoverig

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