Destination Different

Carter Parry was dealt a hand most people don't come back from.

At the start of 2020 a bout of the flu put him in the hospital. By the time he left the Intensive Care Unit nearly 7 months later his lung, lower leg, and a couple of toes had all been removed.

Yet somehow, despite all of that, Carter talked to me in this interview with a smile on his face and with his sarcastic sense of humor still very much on display. 

Carter grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Hawaii for college and fell in love with the sport of surfing. So much so that after he awoke from a coma in January of 2020, he made it his mission to get back on a surfboard again.

We covered a wide range of topics in this interview starting with what actually happened to Carter from a health perspective and how he now navigates life with one lung and one leg. We also talked about his goal of one day competing for the Hawaiian Adaptive Surf Team and how he has been documenting his road to recover on YouTube. 

He is an absolute BEAST and inspiration and we just started to scratch the surface of what he's been going through in this episode. If you want to hear more about Carter's story you can check out his YouTube series "Just Trying Not To Drown" and follow along on Instagram @carter_parry.

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet.

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

It's a pretty simple concept... all the sports information you need to know, packaged up in a quick and easy 5-minute newsletter every morning.

That's what Danny Healey has created with the Morning Blitz. And he has executed to perfection.

Every morning for 2+ years (without missing a single day!) Danny and team at the Blitz have sent out a daily update with all the happenings from the prior day in the sports world. He executed so well that the newsletter was actually bought out by the media company Torch Pro in February to help elevate their athletic offerings.

I was SO impressed with Danny's commitment and discipline. He churned out the newsletter for years AFTER coming home from a full-time job, and it wasn't until The Blitz was acquired that he was officially able to go all-in.

We covered his celeb readers (sup Mark Cuban), becoming buddies with Dana White, his DM strategy, and a whole lot more. You can follow Morning Blitz over on IG at @morning_blitz and you can subscribe to the newsletter at morningblitz.com.

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet.

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

Christina Caaci has a gift.

She has the gift of turning her own body into a one-of-a-kind canvas.

Better known in the streaming world as SeeKaySee, Chris has built up quite the loyal fanbase on the streaming platform, Twitch.

Twice a week she gets on camera and creates masterpieces using body makeup on herself. The streams can last anywhere from 1-10 hours and are always centered around the art she's creating, but over the years have also evolved into space for her to have conversations with her audience.

Outside of Twitch, SeeKaySee creates content on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. She has gotten to the point where her audience is strong enough that she is able to pay all her bills exclusively by creating content 6-7 days a week. 

SeeKaySee is a GRINDER and it was crazy to hear about just how hard she works to make this dream a reality. We talked about the shock value of telling people she paints topless on camera, her weekly content schedule (spoiler: it's crazy), and how she is now collaborating with other creators to bring their unique skill sets to life.

If you want to check out her streams or follow along with what she's doing you can check out @seekaysee on Twitch or Instagram @seekayseee.

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet.

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

A good recipe for starting a successful business is identifying a problem that people have and solving that problem.

That's exactly what Coco Woeltz has done with Hummingbyrd.

Coco is a former Division 1 soccer player, and an avid runner and hiker. But when she started running marathons she realized that there wasn't a great solution for storing her phone and keys while on the move.

So she did what any normal person would do...

She visited a local Spanish-speaking seamstress and started jerryrigging a sports bra with a zipper pocket.

A few months and dozens of iterations later, Hummingbyrd was born. Coco has since applied for a patent on her proprietary design and just launched her first wave of branded sports bras. 

We talked about everything in this episode from how this idea came to be, to why "Hummingbyrd," to what she has planned for the future of the brand.

You can follow along with Coco and Hummingbyrd over on Instagram @runwithhumm and purchase a bra from her site at runwithhumm.com

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet.

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

2,650 miles. On foot.

Two thousand, six hundred, and fifty miles! In 53 days... 53 DAYS!

For those who are a little slow with their math that's roughly 50 miles a day.

That's what Joe Mcconaughy did when he set the Fastest Known Time hiking/running/surviving the Pacific Crest Trail down the West Coast from Canada to Mexico.

Since then he has shattered records on the Appalachian Trail, Wicklow Round, Long Trail, and Arizona Trail.

We talked all about how he got into ultramarathoning in the first place, what it takes to complete a 50+ day journey, and how he prepares for life on the trail. Highly recommend checking out some of the documentaries from his past trips on YouTube. They are INSANE.

It was also impressive to hear how Joe has created different sources of income from his athleticism. He is a sponsored Columbia athlete, has started guiding adventure trips all over the country, and now coaches other ultramarathoners and runners.

You can keep up with Joe's crazy adventures on Instagram at @thestring.bean and learn more about his story on his site at thestringbean.co

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet.

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

I have let you down. I have let down the listeners of the Destination Different podcast. Last week was a solo show on this podcast and I promised that I would have an interview for this week's show.

I don't have an interview for this week's show. 

It's just me. Again...

But I do think this mini episode is well worth the 13+ minutes.

For the first time maybe ever I tried to lay out my long-term, GRAND version for the future of Destination Different. It's lofty.

I want it to become the The Second City of the Internet. I want to create the greatest collection of internet minds and talents that this world has ever seen.

I have to be better. I have to swing bigger. And that mission starts right now.

I love you all. I hope you listen to this. I can't wait to hear what you think about this one.

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet.

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

There are a lot of things that go into making a single podcast episode. 

You have to research the guest and prepare a list of questions. You have script and record a coherent intro and outro. You have to actually interview the person featured on the episode. You have to edit that all together and upload it to a distribution network with one of these little description thingys.

But before you do anyyyyy of that, you have to identify, reach out to, and coordinate schedules with the guest of the show. 

Each week I send upwards of 10-15 messages (mostly to complete strangers) who I think would be interesting to have on the Destination Different podcast. Sometimes I slide into their Instagram DMs, other times I can track down an email address to contact, but it is a CONSTANT grind trying to find and land new talent.

Most of my messages go completely unread or unanswered, but if I can land just 1 or 2 out of those 10-15 I consider it a huge win. Despite my greatest efforts to schedule a new guest for this week, I failed. 

So I figured the next best thing would be to talk about my process of cold outreach, how I go about identifying potential guests, and shamelessly ask the listeners of the Destination Different podcast to send me cool and interesting creatives and entrepreneurs in their lives. I hope it's helpful. Please send me some people...

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet.

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

You know you're onto something when 10 MILLION people from around the globe are interacting with your brand.

That's the number of global photographers who have posted a photo using the hashtag #pursuitofportraits since its inception in 2015ish.

Saunak Shah is the man behind that global community. An Indian-born and New York-based photographer, Saunak practically grew up with a camera in his hands, but it wasn't until he quit his job and took a trip around the world that photography became a more serious career.

Saunak has always been drawn to portraitures and he started the @pursuitofportraits Instagram account as a way to showcase his own photography. The account quickly became so much more. A place to highlight diversity, a community of photographers, and a recognizable brand that has now hosted meetups in 20+ countries all over the world.

I was so impressed with Saunak's story and we covered everything from what preparation goes into a shoot day, how he nurtured such a powerful community, and how he managed to monetize something that always has and always will be a passion project.

If you want to check out Saunak's AMAZING work you can follow him on Instagram @saunakspace or check out his website saunakspace.com. You can also explore the collection of portrait photographers from anywhere and everywhere @pursuitofportraits.

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

I like art that is bright and colorful and makes you feel some kinda way.

Hailey Badovinac makes that kind of art.

She has been making art for about as long as she can remember. And what started as staying up late scribbling with Crayons in her bedroom has turned into a full-on career. What I appreciate most about Hailey's story isn't so much that she's an insanely talented painter (which she is), but that she has consistently worked a full-time job as a UX designer and her art has come and gone in waves over the years. 

It wasn't until just a few months ago that she made the commitment to herself and her art to give it a shot full-time. She is developing a website, building an audience on social media, selling her paintings and doing commissions via DMs on social, and even working live art shows on the weekends.

We talked about a TON in this episode from how colors can impact emotion, to hustling as a creative, to how art helped her battle Lyme disease. Hailey is crazy good and you can check out her art page over on Instagram @honeybehailey and we'll update this space here when her new art site goes live.

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent

There is art that you see where it's like "Ahh yes, this is art I'm familiar with..." Oil paint, charcoal, etc. etc.

Then there is art where you're like "I have literally never seen anything like this in my entire life."

Bev Acton makes the latter.

Bev is a surreal collage maker and illustrator from Cheltenham, England. Last March right as the pandemic started, she quit her job and decided to pursue making art full-time. The bet has paid off. Over the course of the last year she has blown up on Instagram and TikTok and sold over 5,000 pieces of art on her personal Etsy shop, Bev Acton Illustrations. 

She draws inspiration from things like old vintage magazines, being in nature, and outer space, and turns them into incredible digital and tactile collages. We talked about how she manages her finances as an artist, growing a social following, and where her crazy ideas come from.

If you've ever thought of trying to make a living from your creations, Bev is living proof that it can be done. Follow along on her Instagram @bevacton.graphics or on TikTok @bevactonillustration. And you can purchase her work over on Etsy etsy.com/shop/BevActonIllustration

And if you're not already, you should be keeping up with Destination Different all over the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

Instagram - @destinationdifferent

TikTok - @destinationdifferent