Destination Different

Up until March of 2019 Shane Leonard had never even touched a paint brush. Now, he just might be one of the most naturally talented artists I've ever seen. After his collegiate football career was cut short due to injury, Shane was forced to look for other ways to occupy his time. When his friends decided he had gotten a little too good at Fortnite, he turned his attention to painting pretty much on a whim.

It turned out he was pretty damn good.

Within just a few weeks he was hooked and started creating art as regularly as he could. That natural gift quickly turned into an apprenticeship with an extremely well-regarded local artist. In less than a year since his first painting, Shane has moved into his own studio, and has already begun commissioning paintings for paying clients and brands. His energy and passion for what he does is absolutely infectious, and you can't listen to this interview without getting jacked up.

I could not recommend checking out Shane's work enough. Instagram - @sleonxrd and Website - shanemakes.com

Keep up with us as well...

Instagram - @yopro__

Twitter - @yopro_

Website - yoproco.com

Will Farrell, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Jimmy Fallon... What do all of those names have in common? Well, they were all once members of the esteemed Groundlings Company improv group out in Los Angeles. You know who is also an alum of that very same group...? Our guest on today's episode of Destination Different.

Jackie Young grew up more of an athlete than an actress or comedian, but as of late she has gone all in on improv and sketch comedy and it turns out she's pretty damn good at it. On today's episode we talked about Jackie's move out to Hollywood to chase her dream of becoming a comedic actress, which also lead us down the path of discussing her most memorable failures on stage, as well as some of the best characters she has created.

Jackie is hysterical and extremely genuine and I think both those things really come through in this episode. If you want to watch some of her absurd character sketches, or just want to see where she is performing next, be sure to check her out on Instagram @therealjackayy.

And if you want to keep up with us...

Instagram - @yopro__

Twitter - @yopro_

Website - yoproco.com

STAY W3IRD.

You know those people who have a contagious energy about them? That as soon as they open their mouth you find yourself hanging on every word they say? That's this week's guest on Destination Different. We've got ourselves Benny Lieber, or "Alpine Benny" as he is known in the climbing world. Benny is a full-time mountaineer, alpine guide, and just overall a general adventurer and badass.

After completing a degree at design school, he pulled a complete 180, moving out to Mt. Rainier just to be in the mountains. He has never turned back. Since that moment he has lived and worked all over the world from Alaska, to Nepal, to New Zealand, to his current home in Bozeman, Montana. He's not just climbing for the sake of climbing, either. He has married his skills as a designer and marketer to acquire sponsors and outdoor adventure partners who help fund his love of the outdoors.

In addition to the stories of Benny chasing his dream, we also heard some UNREAL stories from him about living alone on a glacier surrounded only by bears, capsizing and raft and being forced to sleep in a tent, and riding in a buggy with goats on the roof in the Himalayas. 

Awesome interview. Be sure to give it a listen and also be sure to check out what Benny is doing at alpinebenny.com and @bennylieb on Instagram. 

Keep up with what we're doing: 

Instagram - @yopro__

Twitter - @yopro_

Website - yoproco.com

When you think "Hollywood screenwriter" you probably think beautiful mansions, red carpets, and endless partying. What you probably don't think about are ALLLLL the hours that go into making a dream like that a reality. On today's episode of Destination Different we have screenwriter, playwright, and general deviant, Jeremy Gurvits, on the show to talk about his pursuit of a writing career in New York City.

Over the last year and change, Jeremy has written multiple feature-length comedies, numerous TV pilots, countless "spec" scripts, and even a play. What I quickly realized is that the life of a writer doesn't just fund itself, either. He has worked more odd jobs than I can possibly count, including a job that actually inspired his most recent TV script.

It is an incredibly entertaining interview, so be sure to give it a listen. And if after listening you feel so inclined to help make Jeremy's movie dreams a reality, you can find him on Twitter and Instagram (@jgurvits).

STAY W3IRD.

Check us out:

Instagram - @yopro__

Twitter - @yopro_

Blog - yoproco.com

"Party time, excellentttt."

It all started with a birthday party when Ado Kawuba was just a junior in college. Since then, it has turned into a multi-disciplined entertainment property that throws parties attended by some of the biggest names in sports, music, and pop culture. 

On today's show we have my former soccer team and the current founder of Dope Promotions. His backstory into how he built the business he's in today is fascinating. Ado is a true hustler and has scrapped and clawed to build a team and make his brand one of the premier names in Boston night life. We talked a little bit of everything on this show from growing pains when he was just starting out, to building a team, to working with BIG name talent on a regular basis. 

Awesome interview. Tons of great stories. And a guy named "Ace" who remains the one thing I wish I asked more about...

You can keep up with everything Ado and Dope are doing over on Instagram @dopepromotions. Might even help you get into the next big party.

STAY W3IRD.

And, of course, keep up with yopro and destination different on the ol' socials below:

Twitter - @yopro_

Instagram - @yopro__

A beautiful mind meets a beautiful idiot in this episode of Destination Different. Our guest, John Cain Carney, founder and partner at the Philadelphia-based advertising agency Draulhaus, the beautiful mind. And me, your host, the beautiful idiot. We had a wide-ranging conversation in this one. Everything from how John and his team have basically learned how to build an agency from scratch, to where their unique name comes from, to a philosophical discussion about the similarities between sports and creativity.

JCC has this fascinating way of stringing together thoughts and words, which makes this episode an incredible listen. You can check out what his agency is doing at draulhaus.com and see check out life through John's photographic lens over on his Instagram at @visiboul.

And, of course, if you want to keep up with Destination Different and yopro, get on up in the links below. 

We'll see you next Wednesday.

Stay weird.

TW - @yopro_

IG - @yopro__

It has been a big year here on the podcast. Well, we launched, so that's kind of important. Then we interviewed some people, we made some videos, we had some laughs. It has been a wild ride so far and I can't even begin to describe how much fun it has been doing this thing. If people enjoyed listening to it even a fraction of the amount I've enjoyed making it, there can only be big things to come in 2020.

This episode is a mashup of some of my favorite moments and lessons from all the guests in 2019. Listening back on it, it's actually incredible all of the knowledge that our guests dropped this year. In addition to the best clips, I also break down my goals for yopro and Destination Different in 2020, which hopefully makes you think, "wow, this guy really has his shit together," when, in fact, I do not.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for a hell of a year in 2019. We're onto bigger and better things in 2020.

Stay weird.

Social stuff:

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Twitter - @yopro_

One of my best friends joins the show today. And I know what you might be thinking... "but Ryan, it's so negative, why do you hate yourselves...?" 

What you have to realize is that that's all part of the plan and all part of the brand. The two of us actually just love making strange things and are completely convinced that if you put us in a 400x400 Boston apartment we would be millionaires within a year. This episode is filled with little insights into the intricacies of the creative process. We also brainstorm ideas about yopro and discuss our love/hate relationship with content creation. There is A LOT going on in this show. Give it a listen.

If you want to follow one of the best accounts on the internet, be sure to give Bob's dating account a follow @fumbledbumbles or check out his slightly longer-form works on his website at bobbydurben.com.

This week marks exactly one year since I started yoproco.com and got my "company" off the ground. A year later and it is still certainly not a company, but it has proved to be an incredible learning experience for me. While I typically reserve Destination Different for me interviewing other entrepreneurs and creators and asking them how they got their start, I realize that I've never shared the story of how my little project got off the ground.

This episode today is a peak behind the curtain of how yopro got its inspiration and all the hiccups that have occurred along the way. It has been an AMAZING year. Absolutely nothing that I expected, but I wouldn't change a single thing. If you're at all interested in my story or the yopro story, this quickie of an episode will give you a pretty good sense of where it has come from and where it's going.

We're on to bigger and better things in Year 2. Onward and upward, baby. Let's stay weird.

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