Destination Different

We've all probably had a nasty tasting protein bar at one point or another. Sticks to your teeth, tastes like chalk, makes you feel sick... They can be gross. 

Michelle Razavi and Nikki Elliott set out to change that with Elavi. What started as an experiment in Michelle's kitchen to get more collagen in her diet has turned into a full-time, fast-growing health food company. Launching in the fall of 2019 (originally as BYLD Bar), the two co-founders with set out to answer their need for a tasty, filling, good-for-you snack that fit in with their crazy schedules. Over a year after their initial launch the Elavi brand is thriving with its new name, three unique flavors, and a growing list of retail placements. 

In this episode we talked all about how this pair of fitness nuts brought their idea from concept to shelves, the unique partnership the two share, and swapped a few INCREDIBLE stories about lost shipments and dating app consumer testing. 

If you want to get your hands on their delicious snacks, you can purchase straight from their site at elavi.co or keep up with the latest and greatest on Instagram @heyelavi. And the best part of all... they gave me a custom promo code to get some of their goodies! Use STAYWEIRD10 at checkout for 10% off.

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet... 

Twitter - @ry3dunn 

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June 3, 2020. That was the last Wednesday when there wasn't a new episode of Destination Different. 

I had no guest lined up for this week and I was just going to skip it. Chalk it up as a loss and move on to next Wednesday. But then I was standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror when I said to myself, "No, Ryan. You're doing an episode today. You're doing an episode and it's going to be great. You little bitch..."

On June 3rd I had missed two weeks of the podcast in a row and it was kind of at an inflection point. I could have said, "Well, that was fun" and slowly let it fade into oblivion. But it wasn't time for this show to die just yet. I doubled down and promised myself I wouldn't miss a week unless I got run over by a bus or something.

So despite no guest on this week's show, we've got a great power episode for you all. When everyone zigs, I zag. Today we're talking about how I started my New Year's Resolution on December 1st. What is my resolution, you ask? To tweet at least once a day, every day, for the entire year. It may not seem like a wild task, but I'm setting that goal with the hope of building a consistent creative habit. 

If you want to follow along with what I'm up to, pop on over to Twitter and toss me a follow @ry3dunn. You will surely regret it.

On Thanksgiving when I was a kid, before anyone could start eating, my grandmother would make our whole family go around the table and say what we were thankful for. As a 10-year-old, it was brutal because all I wanted to do was dive head first into my perfectly constructed mashed potato and gravy swimming pool. But now that I'm slightly older and wiser, I'm starting to realize that it was actually a beautiful practice.

We're all so go go go all the time, sometimes it's nice to actually stop for a second and remind yourself that there are SO many things to be thankful for.

On this week's show, there is no guest. Just me and a mic, sharing a few silver linings I've found in the year 2020. 

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next Wednesday, but as we head into Thanksgiving it just felt like a good time to pause and reflect on all the good that's still going on.

Wishing all of you a safe, healthy, and weird Thanksgiving. Mucho love!

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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This was an eye-opening episode. I sat down with Mike Mejer who is the Founder of Green Lane Communications, a Cannabis-industry specific PR firm.

That's right, a Cannabis-industry PR firm. Didn't even know those existed...

Mike started Green Lane nearly two years ago after witnessing the incredible benefits of CBD on an older gentleman at a dispensary. Since then, he has taken on a wide range of clients in the ever-changing and rapidly growing world of cannabis. In this episode I got some valuable clarity on the difference between the "Let's get high" side of cannabis and the "Health & Wellness" side of cannabis (Mike has clients on both sides). We also talked about the struggles of growing a business in such a new and regulated industry and how he's applying what he learned during his years in the book publishing industry to the world of cannabis

I also ended the show with a rapid fire weed name generator session resulting in the name "Spliffany Bongmaster." You should listen...

And if you want to keep up with what Mike is doing, you can check-out greenlanecommunication.com or @greenlanecommunication on Instagram.

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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Some people have complained their way through 2020. Others have seen it as an opportunity.

When brothers-in-law Carlos Gil and Reggie Williams both found themselves out of work at the start of the pandemic, their families headed to the hills of North Carolina to quarantine. What came out of that experience was a mask brand that is now being worn by professional athletes, celebrities, and hard working Americans across the country.

Carlos and Reggie saw that COVID wasn't going away any time soon and they sprung into action. With no prior e-commerce or production experience the two of them created comfortable, safe, AND beautiful masks in a variety of different colors. In this episode we talked all about starting a business with family, how they marketed their product by putting it in the hands of every player in the NBA Bubble, and how they're going about spreading positivity with the world. 

If you want to get a mask for yourself, be sure to check out outlawmasks.com and if you're looking to keep up with the journey of the brand, give them a follow over on TikTok. 

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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Never in my life have I seen someone go from a Spongebob voice to a Joker voice to a Marty McFly voice without missing a beat, but that's what Miles Allen does for a living.

Miles is a wildly talented voice actor and impressionist. He started doing voices as a way to make friends on the bus in middle school and he  hasn't stopped since. After graduating with a degree in cinematography he made the move out to LA to chase his dream of making it in Hollywood. Although it wasn't his formal education that would put him on the map, it was his on-camera shenanigans. 

When a video of Miles doing Breaking Bad impressions BLEW UP on the internet he got poached by an Australian producer to put together a comedy show. That ultimately turned into a multi-year one-man world tour... Since then, Miles has returned to LA picking up acting and voice acting roles, and he has recently exploded onto the scene to the tune of 1.4 million followers by doing his amazing impressions on TikTok.

This is a fascinating interview. If you want to check out what Miles is up to be sure to give @smilesallen a follow over on TikTok.

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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Most people do a little traveling and decide they're going to start a travel blog (cough, cough... me). Travis King has been on the road for 8 years now and just completed his first full-length travel memoir.

The book is titled Not That Anyone Asked: A Travel Memoir About Sex, Drugs, Love, and Finding Purpose and it is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Since finishing his Master's Degree at the age of 28, Travis has spent the last 8 years almost entirely on the road living, working, volunteering, building communities, and getting into justttttt the right amount of trouble (only one brief stint in prison). This book, however covers the first 4 years of his travels where he was traveling "solo" across 4 continents.

We talked about a little bit of everything in this episode from the actual process of writing a book, to building fast friendships in foreign lands, to cooking cocaine with one of Pablo Escobar's scientists. 

It's an awesome episode with a TON of good stories. If you want to keep up with Travis you can follow him on Instagram @traviskingtravels or follow everything that's happening with the book @ntaa_memoir.

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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If you would have told 9-year-old me that I could make a comfortable living drawing butts on things, I never would have touched another multiplication table in my life.

Brian Cook has cracked the code to my 9-year-old dream.

He is an artist and illustrator based in Portland, Oregon and is maybe most well-known for his ongoing series #ButtsOnThings where he--you guessed it--draws cute little cartoon bums on inanimate objects. Of course, Brian is more than just a butt drawer. He has done commercial work for massive global brands like Nike, Target, and Facebook, and has spent 10+ year spinning up new artistic projects.

This episode was a fantastic conversation where we talked about everything from building creative habits (he has now drawn a butt on something every Friday for 4+ years!) to building a sustainable business as an artist. If you want to keep up with what Brian is doing you can check out his Instagram @briancookart and his full portfolio of work at briancook.net.

This is an AWESOME episode. Hope you enjoy!

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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Picture this... you wake up one morning to find a slug on the floor of your bedroom. You write a little rap about said slug and post it to TikTok. A few hours later you check in to find millions of views and your life begins to change forever.

It sounds made up.

But that's the real story for Sarah Maddack. She is the self-proclaimed "Weird Gal Yankovic." A silly songwriter who has skyrocketed to fame with her wholesome rap videos.

When we sat down for this interview Sarah had JUST finished her final days at her 9 to 5 job, as she now moves full time into the world of content creation. We talked about a little bit of everything in this episode from her viral "Hey Slug" song, to how she makes money, to even a few live rap sessions on air. 

Sarah was delightful and we hit it off right from the jump. I'm super excited about this episode and think you're all going to love it (and love her). If you want to follow along with Sarah's shenanigans you can find her on TikTok @sarah_maddack and over on Instagram @sarahmaddack.

And if you're trying to hang with me on the internet...

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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I'd recommend eating before listening to this episode, otherwise you're going to be hungry the whole time...

Today we welcomed Dan Pelosi aka Grossy Pelosi to the Destination Different podcast, and what a treat it was. Dan is a creative by day and a blossoming food influencer by night. 

He grew up in an Italian-American household that was ALWAYS cooking. And after seeing some success over the years with his own cooking and recipes, he made a conscious decision at the start of 2020 to start sharing his food stories with the world... What a decision that has turned out to be.

Dan's brand, Grossy Pelosi, has taken off on Instagram, Pinterest, and his personal website where fans have flocked to learn more about him and his delicious concoctions. In this episode we talked all about his relatable approach to cooking, the purpose of a "second kitchen" in an Italian household, raisins in meatballs, his beloved Bimpy, and so much more.

Incredible episode. Hope you enjoy!

You can follow along with everything I'm up to right here:

Twitter - @ry3dunn

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