Consequence of Habit

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This week’s guest, Freddy Shegog, is a man of excess. For the past couple years that excess has been in positivity, compassion, education and motivation to help the community around him…but that hasn’t always been the case. There was a time in Freddy’s life when the excess was in alcohol, drugs, and symptoms associated with mental illness. The consequences of these excesses left Freddy homeless and a shell of his current self. That is until Freddy got the help he desperately needed, and over time developed the tools and mindset that has allowed him to turn his story into one of hope. He has gone on to become a keynote speaker, helping others understand the power of change. The quote below demonstrates the power of Freddy’s words.

“I no longer count the days, I make the days count. I attack life with hunger and determination to spread hope. We are each unique with special gifts to offer. I realize my identity will forever change but only in an upward climb as I build upon the foundation of my truth. Like a student who achieves the highest level of education with more degree titles to his name, I want an identity with multiple initials indicating I have helped to change the world in an extremely positive manner.” – Freddy Shegog

For more about Freddy, check out https://www.themessagellc.com/

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One of the things I enjoy most about hosting a podcast is that sometimes I get the opportunity to interview people who’ve found something they're passionate about, and they turn that passion into a career. This week’s guest, Pat Cunnane, is a prime example of someone who’s done just that. 

Pat and I have few things in common, we both love bikes, and we’ve both spent our formative years turning wrenches as bike mechanics at a local bike shop (not the same bike shop). What we don’t have in common, is how we envisioned our future working in the bicycle industry. Where I never saw much of a career path, Pat saw an opportunity to build a career doing something he absolutely loved. And that vision took him from a poorly paid bike shop mechanic, to president of arguably one the biggest bike companies in the world. Pat has played an interracial part in the world of cycling and was an absolute pioneer in the development in modern day mountain biking. We discuss Pats' rise through the ranks in the cycling industry and some of the trials and tribulations, personally and professionally, along the way. For more information about Pat’s is current project, check out Yuba Bikes.

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This week we welcome back a CoH OG, Taylor Spike! Taylor revisits the podcast to discuss his sobriety, future plans to honor his son at K2, and why the hell he would want to enter a 250-mile foot race.  Taylor’s first episode (episode 6) is one of the most downloaded episodes for a reason. The man has battled with depression, addiction and tragedy and doesn’t shy away from sharing lessons learned along the way…no matter how good, bad or ugly that may look. He’s turned obstacles into motivation and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

Next week Taylor embarks on his newest adventure, the Cocodona 250. This ultra-marathon is a 250-mile foot race from The Rock Springs Café in Canyon City, Arizona to Heritage Square in Flagstaff, Arizona. And in case you’re wondering if the course is flat…the estimated cumulative elevation gain is 42,313”! For more about Taylor Spike check him out on IG @tspike2, and be sure to listen to our first conversation at CoH Episode 6: Taylor Spike.  

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This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Danielle Cook Kawash and Simon Matthews from First In Wellness. FIW is a wellness program specifically designed to help first responders manage their physical and mental health by improving their physical fitness, nutrition, mental agility and sleep. Addressing the issues facing our first responders is WAY overdue, and I was extremely excited to sit down with Daniel and Simon to discuss how they and their team are serving those who serve us.

Danielle Cook Kawash is the founder and nutrition expert at First In Wellness. She has a diverse background in health as a university educator, published author, personal trainer, and clinical dietitian. She co-developed and participated in wellness programs with the Berkeley Fire Department and Santa Clara County Fire Department. Specializing in Functional Medicine, Danielle uses this integrated, preventative approach as the foundation for the First In Wellness program development. Danielle has a master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science, along with a Board Certification in Health and Wellness Coaching.

 Simon Matthews Simon is certified in Health Coaching and Lifestyle Medicine. He’s the CEO of Wellcoaches® Australia School of Health Coaching. Simon is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Avondale College University Lifestyle Medicine & Health Research Centre and is on teaching faculty with Wellcoaches USA. He’s the Chief Psychologist and Director of Program and Learning Development for Likevekt Helse, the Director of the US not-for-profit Global Positive Health Institute, and the Director of the Australian not-for-profit Practice Excellence Institute. Simon consults and presents nationally and internationally in the areas of health coaching, behavior change, positive psychology and lifestyle medicine. Simon has extensive experience working with first responders and ex-military personnel to assess and treat PTSD.

For more about FIW please check out https://www.firstinwellness.com/

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This week I welcome EAT LOOK FEEL founder Dan Hyman to the podcast. At first glance, it’s clear to see that Dan has a profound understanding of fitness and nutrition; it’s what helped him become a highly successful male model. Dig a little deeper though and you’ll find that Dan’s understanding of fitness doesn’t end there. He approaches fitness from all angles, training, nutrition and especially mindset.  His passion for all around health is what motivated him to start EAT LOOK FEEL, an online coaching platform that inspires and motivates people towards creating a healthier lifestyle in a realistic and sustainable way. Dan and I also discuss habits and his deep understanding of how habit stacking relates to productivity and achieving goals. For more about Dan and EAT LOOK FEEL check him out at https://eatlookfeel.com/ or on IG at @dan_hyman.

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This week I welcome to the podcast my childhood sports hero, three-time winner of the Tour de France (1986, 1989, and 1990), two-time winner of the Road Race World Championship (1983 and 1989), and one of the greatest cyclists of all time, Greg LeMond. I tried my best to play it cool during this interview but truth be told, this interview was a very big deal for me. As a young cyclist in the early 90s, I absolutely idolized Greg LeMond, so to have him on the podcast was an unbelievable experience. Greg and I discuss his most recent project LeMond Bikes, his success in the world of cycling at an early age, and the ups and downs of his career on and off the bike. Please check some of the unbelievable bikes Greg and his team at LeMond Bikes are bringing to the market.

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This one is a first! Prior to my interview with this week’s guest Spencer Ploessl, I knew very little about him or his story. I usually put a fair amount of time into researching my guests’ backstory prior to inviting them on the show….but this week I’m trying something new. This time around, my research started and ended with me stumbling on a picture of Spencer along with a caption of him celebrating 365 days alcohol free.  There was something about this picture that I felt drawn to and within a few minutes and a couple instant messages, we had a date to record the interview. With that being said, I couldn’t be happier with the way our conversation went. Spencer and I discuss what it’s like to be a craft beer connoisseur yet refrain from drinking alcohol. We examine the connection between our identity and drinking, and all of the opportunities made possible by changing our relationship with alcohol. Please check out Spencer’s LinkedIn page for more about this wild man https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerploessl

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This week I sit down with the co-author of Under Our Roof: A Son’s Battle for Recovery, a Mothers Battle for Her Son, Harry Cunnane. Harry co-authored this book with his mother, Congresswomen Madeline Dean, and it describes the ugliness of addiction through the eyes of both the individual struggling with this disease, and the subsequent pain felt by parents as they try desperately to help their child towards sobriety. I really appreciated Harry’s brutal honesty when describing his battle with addiction and what his path was to sobriety. Harry and his mother wrote this book with the hopes that their story will inspire and inform other families experiencing a similar struggle. Please check out more about Harry on Instagram @harrycunnane, and his mother Congresswomen Madeline Dean at https://dean.house.gov. Under Our Roof: A Son’s Battle for Recovery, a Mothers Battle for Her Son can be found wherever books are sold. Consequenceofhabit.com

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This week I sat down with award winning professional climber, filmmaker and climate advocate, Graham Zimmerman. When I started CoH my goal was to empower individuals and communities by bringing awareness to the impact habits have on mental health, success and the environment. Having said that, I would be hard pressed to find another guest who hits all of those objectives as much as Graham. Graham and I discuss habits and how they’ve impacted his success in becoming and excelling as a professional climber. We also discuss Graham’s role as a climate advocate and how he’s used the spotlight as a professional athlete to raise awareness around climate change through the Protect Our Winters Organization (POW). To find out more about Graham and POW, check out Graham’s website https://www.grahamzimmerman.com/ and Protect Our Winter.