Do It For Yourself Podcast

This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn't neglect.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.

 

This week My guest is Triathlon Taren.  Taren is a YouTuber, Athlete, Entrepreneur, and social media influencer.  Taren creates online content centered around helping fellow triathletes take that first step into registering for a race, stepping up in distance or avoiding mistakes that he has already made and learned from.

 

Taren started as an investment advisor but was feeling unfulfilled in what he was doing.  On the side, Taren was exploring social media and that was when he decided it was time to make a change.  He began working for a social media company who was responsible for managing social media accounts for various businesses.  Taren actually went on to purchase the section of the company he was working for an launched it into its own business.  From there Taren began testing new ways to create content on his own, to test theories for his clients and so was born Triathlon Taren.

 

Taren has since closed the PO5T office and is now taking on Triathlon Taren as a full-time business.  His goal is to grow this into a self-sustaining company that is a major player in the triathlon world.

 

Please enjoy my interview with Triathlon Taren.

 

Taren:

Triathlon Taren YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1AKDrz2GvLxD29W9tow66g

Triathlon Taren Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triathlontaren/

Triathlon Taren Twitter: https://twitter.com/triathlontaren

Triathlon Taren Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/triathlontaren

Triathlon Taren Podcast: http://triathlontaren.com/topics/triathlontarenpodcast/

Triathlon Taren Website: http://triathlontaren.com/

 

Do it for Yourself: https://www.instagram.com/doing_it_for_yourself/

This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

This week I had the privilege to sit down with Kristen Harper who is specializing in Hair Mineral Analysis to help people fight adrenal exhaustion.  Kristen herself suffered from adrenal exhaustion up until she was the age of 22 years old.  Kristen tried countless different options to help combat what she was going through but nothing seemed to work.  

Kristen was determined to figure out what was going on with her health and even though it seemed like doctors did not have any answers she continued to research things on her own.  One day when she was researching she discovered an article written by Dr. Wilson.  She felt like this article was written about her and it resonated with her so much that she reached out to Dr. Wilson to talk to him.  Within 5-10 seconds on the phone call, Dr. Wilson told Kristen that she had adrenal exhaustion.  Kristen went through a hair mineral analysis with Dr. Wilson and went through his program.  

Thanks to the results from this test and Dr. Wilson's program, Kristen has gained her life back.  Her life's mission is to now share this with her clients to help them get the same results.  She helps her clients with diets, exercise and the supplementation to help fight adrenal exhaustion.  

This is a very powerful conversation surrounding adrenal exhaustion and I am very pleased to bring it to you on the podcast.

 

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This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

My guest this week is Roman Prokopchuk.  Roman is a business owner, entrepreneur, and fitness enthusiast.   I got connected with Roman through a group that we are both in thanks to the Podcast Movement.  As soon as Roman responded to my inquiry I knew that I needed to get him on the show and we did just that.  

Roman immigrated to the United States at a very young age from a communist country.  When they left, they could only take with them what they could carry.  They brought some cash and whatever clothing they could carry but that was it.  Originally Roman was scheduled to arrive on the West Coast but things changed and they ended up in New Jersey and that is where he has been ever since. 

When Roman arrived at the age of 5 there was certainly some stress stemming from the fact that he could not speak English.  The town that his family landed in though had a lot of Ukrainian immigrants that made it a little bit easier for him.  As soon as Roman went to school he began to learn English as his second language.  When Roman was moving into high school he was very athletic and he was focusing on playing sports.  Soccer was were he really excelled and he ended up getting recruited by some division 2 schools.  Roman knew he needed to go to college because he would be the first in his family to attend college and this was very important to him.  

When Roman entered college he was actually an undeclared major because he did not know what he wanted to do.  Criminal Justice was an interest to him at the time and the appeal of being able to put in 25 years and then retire with a pension sounded great.  Going through college Roman was surrounded by people who were working very hard.  His grandfather had to completely start over from retirement when he came to the United States and so hard work was something that was instilled in him at a very young age.  

When Roman was coming to the end of his college career he applied for a relationship with the Secret Service.  This entire application process was a total of 6 months and they went through EVERYTHING.  Once Roman passed everything, he went into the branch that was investigating counterfeit currency.  Roman enjoyed his time working here but he started to see the writing on the wall.  He saw that even if you went above and beyond, you were not necessarily rewarded for it.  

Once Roman graduated things took a bit of a turn because it was 2008 and EVERYONE was on a hiring freeze so he could not find a job.  Roman continued to go to the gym and keep up with his fitness and this helped him not only stay positive but stay in contact with a friend who was just starting his business.  This friend ended up needed help with his business so he gave Roman a packet to study and offered him a job.  Roman read this packet and took what he learned and ran with it.  

Roman ended up working for his friend for two months before another company ended up hiring him.  He pivoted once again and put his resume out there and he found a job.  Roman began in a role where he was focused on marketing and social media market within this company.  There were a lot of younger people working within this company who were going on to starting their own business and Roman thought to himself, they are not smarter than me, I know just as much as them, why can't I?

Roman began to branch off and start his own company from scratch.  He was using his personal days, nights and weekends to build this business.  He was really focused on networking and meeting people who were just as focused to help him grow.  Roman ended up leaving his full-time job and picked up another job just for a few months to make sure he was comfortable until he was ready to go into his business full time.  

Roman is now focused on building his social media market agency full time.  He works fully remote and is enjoying everything that he is doing. 

I really appreciate Roman taking the time to come on the show and I hope that you enjoy this interview!

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This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

This week my guest is Seth Rose who is a Mental Performace Consultant to many teams and athletes along with having his own company.  He is also a triathlon coach based out of Long Beach California working with triathletes.  Seth works with athletes of all levels and ages as well.  Seth is even going back to school for his Ph.D.  Are you tired just reading that?  

Seth has been into sport since he was a youngster.  His sport of choice was soccer and his dream was to go on and play soccer in college and possibly beyond.  Seth loved soccer and when it came time for college he needed to select a college based on how much money he could get because he did not come from a super wealthy family who could foot the bill for him.  

Seth ultimately found a school that accepted him and he went for his first college soccer try out.  He ended up getting his ass kicked and did not make the team but the coach told him to come back in the spring to train and practice with the team so the following fall he could essentially just walk on to the team.  Obviously, wanting to play soccer at the next level Seth jumped at this chance and continued to play club and intermural soccer to stay in shape and keep his skills sharp.

One night Seth was studying and his girlfriend talked him into going to an intermural game that he was going to skip.  That night ultimately changed Seth's path forever.  Seth sustained a knee injury that caused him to give up his dream of ever playing soccer in college.  This was a dark time for Seth.  He was on crutches, he was told he could not play soccer and that he may never be able to run again.  During this time, Seth felt like he didn't have the resources that he ultimately provides to athletes today.  

Seth began his rehab process while still staying in school and trying to figure out what path he wanted to go down.  He took online quiz after online quiz to try and figure out what he was going to do with his degree.  Seth came to terms with the fact that soccer was not going to be an option but he knew that he didn't necessarily want to be just a sports phycologist.  

While Seth was doing his rehab and going through classes he met a guy by the name of Ed and he was taking a class just before graduation.  Ed was living off campus but would come and hang with Seth and his roommates between classes.  It just so happened that Ed was very into cycling and after he graduated he went on to purchase a bike shop.  Ed had mentioned to Seth multiple times that cycling could really help him even after his rehab was complete.  Seth ended up getting a Schwing Varsity that was way too big for him but he started riding his bike EVERYWHERE.  He fell in love with it and continued cycling with local groups and became fully immersed in the cycling world. 

One day Seth was in class and he mentioned to his friend that he needed to prove to himself that he could still function as an athlete after everything he had been through.  Seth and his friend decided to sign up for a triathlon in California and their goal was simply to finish the race.  He had a base of swimming, he was into cycling through Ed and obviously, he knew running well from his soccer days.  Seth went into this race as a complete newbie but ended up getting a podium in his first race. 

As many triathletes can relate, Seth was hooked from his first race and he went on to continue racing.  At this point, Seth's interest was really peaked in the sports phycology background for athletes.  Seth's goal is to help people optimize their performance because he is still an athlete at heart and that is what he is trying to do. 

I really enjoyed this episode with Seth and if you are interested in learning more about his services please check out the links below.

 

Seth's Website 

Seth's Instagram 

Seth's email

 

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This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

This week I had the pleasure to sit down with Levi Schenk who is someone I have known since high school.  Levi and I went through the same struggles all through high school because we were both the bigger kids who were made fun of all through high school.  Thanks to the beauty of Facebook I was able to keep up with Levi post-high school and I could see what he was up to.  I noticed that Levi had lost an incredible amount of weight but this was well before the podcast had started.  I looked at Levi as some motivation for when I was starting my journey because he was someone I knew, someone who I saw go through his journey.  

Levi had a similar story to mine in that he tried to lose weight but did not have the resources in order to do so at first.  He was playing sports and knew he needed to make a change but did not have the options at home or at school to help with this.  The wake-up call came for Levi when he was forced to take a gap year during college and he also had broken up with his girlfriend.  He knew that if he wanted to attract someone that lived up to his standards, he needed to make sure he did whatever he could to live up to their standards as well.  

Levi took this as an opportunity to say fuck you to all of the people who said he wouldn't go back to school after his gap year and show them.  He knew that he needed to do something with this year rather than just work and save money to go back to school and that he did.  He treated the gym as if it were school to keep him accountable.  When he was in school he could only miss a certain number of days each semester and he treated the gym the same way.  

This really helped Levi stay on track with his weight loss.  As many of us experience with weight loss though, we become determined and more interested in how we can do things better.  He began researching and finding ways to "hack" his weight loss.  

Levi has completely changed his lifestyle and now he enjoys so many new activities that he never thought of before.  He enjoys cycling to work, he picked up skiing and he is loving life.  I love hearing and sharing stories like this on the podcast, it is definitely one of my favorite things to share. 

I really hope you enjoy this interview with Levi!

 

 

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This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

This week my guest is the amazing Wil Visser, otherwise known as icantweightnomore on Instagram.  I discovered Will's journey through a transformation page called Weight Loss Stories and I knew immediately I needed to sit down and chat with him.  I sent Wil a message and we got connected, little did I know that he was located in Australia.  This always makes scheduling a little difficult but luckily Wil was very flexible and we could make it work out nicely for both of our schedules.  

Wil's struggles with food really started at an early age because of an unhealthy relationship with food.  He learned growing up that you were to eat what was put in front of you.  Not only were you to eat what was put in front of you but you were to finish all of it if you wanted to have your treat after the meal.  These really began to create an unhealthy relationship with food.  

Moving through college or university Wil carried these habits with him and they began to get worse.  Food gave him a reason to socialize with people.  Gatherings were usually surrounded by food and this only fueled the unhealthy relationship with food through Wil's thirties.  Wil also learned that he had a tumor on his pituitary gland that actually made him put on weight and made it even harder to lose weight.  

Even when things began to spiral out of control and Wil had to have the chair that had an extra high weight rating, Wil did not shy away from food because it brought him together with others.  Even though he was so different than everyone at work, they could all come together for a meal.  No one ever looked at these things as a problem, they enabled it by getting a chair with a higher weight rating rather than helping him with things like diet or exercise.  

There was one day where Wil woke up and he was actually sad that he woke up that day.  Wil admits that he would never act on these thoughts, but he was still sad that he woke up that morning.  Wil knew that things needed to change and it wasn't simply that he was eating too much.  He started to have some symptoms that he knew something wasn't right but all of the doctors he talked to blamed it all on the weight instead of looking into it further.

Wil had an off chance to meet with a doctor who came in from overseas and they discovered the tumor and began treatment.  They actually got the tumor to shrink and he began to get on the right track.  Wil started to look into some options for weight loss surgery.  After a few years of bouncing back and forth between different procedures.  He woke up one day and he knew he needed to make a change and so he began to look into this very seriously.  

Wil found the best of the best, the most top-level surgeon that he could find and he went and spoke with this doctor.  The doctor told him that the risks associated with surgery were far outweighed by the risk of him staying obese.  Even after Wil made the decision to go through with something he was nervous about the person he would become if it worked, he was worried about being able to make the change and he delayed even further because he was so nervous.  

Ultimately Wil decided before he was going to go through with the surgery, he was going to work on his mental health and his relationship with food.  He began to work with specialists on his mental health to make sure he was ready to go through with such a big change.  Wil was so determined to not wake up sad anymore that he continually pushed himself to be better every single day, even before going through with his surgery.  Wil followed the diet his surgeon gave him to the script to ensure he would be successful.  

Once through the surgery, Wil learned that his stomach was so stretched they actually removed 90 percent of his stomach which was one of the highest amounts in the history of this surgery.  Coming out of the surgery things were definitely different but Wil was determined to make sure he was successful.  

Wil's journey is absolutely amazing and I am so honored that he came on to share his journey with us.  

 

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This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

 

This week my guest is Julian Hayes who is a high performance and sleep consultant and young entrepreneur.

This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

This week I had the privilege to sit down with the CEO and co-founder of Green Relief Warren Bravo.  Green Relief is a medical cannabis company based in Canada that is shaking up the industry with their growing techniques.  The story began with Warren working in the concrete industry.  He was the third generation in the family business and his interested was peaked by his good friend.  He was approached by Steve because his son and son's friends were able to grow plants based on the old rules.  After getting his feet wet with the first investment Warren knew that he wanted to pursue this a bit further.  

When Warren was going through this next process he knew that it was going to be a challenge because he and his partner Steve did not have any political ties to move this process along.  They needed to go through the process and answer all the questions once twice, sometimes even three times.  Warren is so thankful for his wife who took care of a lot of this because at times Warren admits he does not have the patience for this.  

Once everything was clear, Warren and his crew began building their facility to start growing aquaponically. Warren and his partner Steve were lucky enough to have the contacts and resources from the construction industry.  They were able to cut the cost significantly when it came to the constructor of their state of the art building.  Once the building was constructed they were ready to put in their fish tanks, yes you read that correctly, fish tanks.  The growing technique that Green Relief uses is called aquaponics and it is the first time it has ever been used to grow cannabis.  

The plant's life on a closed loop system where it feeds off of fertilizer that is pulled from the fish waste in the fish tanks.  This technique uses 90% less water than traditional growing techniques because they recycle the water and push it back into the system.  There is a lot that goes into getting this system set up but Warren and his team feel that this is the best way to grow and give back.  

Even after they are done with the fish they take the fish that they will no longer use for their growing process and they donate them to a local food bank for meals.  

 

I really enjoyed my conversation with Warren and learning more about his company and the technique they use for growing.  Please enjoy.

 

Green Relief

Green Relief Instagram

Warren Bravo

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This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

For many of you, this week's guest needs no introduction.  If you have been following anything triathlon on social media, especially YouTube you have most certainly seen something shot by Talabot Cox.  Talbot seemingly exploded on to the scene overnight but I promise you that was not the case at all.  

Talbot was using photography just as a passion while competing in triathlons himself.  When the spark was first lit Talbot was still working his full-time job and knew very little about the world he was going to jump into but he knew he loved triathlon and was finding his passion for photography.  

We get a chance to dive into full detail here for Talbots story and how it all started.  I really hope you enjoy this conversation!

 

Talbot Cox

Talbot's Instagram

Talbot's YouTube Channel 

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This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

Samantha Riley is an entrepreneur who helps others set up a "freedom business" that helps people live a lifestyle that they would like to live.  She has been an entrepreneur for quite some time now and she really enjoys helping people build a business that helps them do what they love while also living out the life that they love.  

Sam started her entrepreneurial journey with a side hustle as so many entrepreneurs do.  She started a dance studio on the side because she loved to dance and had done it for all of her life.  Soon after starting up her studio Sam realized there was a need in the area where her studio was.  Many of her students and other dancers needed to travel into the city to get their dance uniforms.  Sam decided to also open a shop that sold the products that these people needed much closer to where they lived.  Sam ended up running and growing these businesses over the next 18 years.  

By the time Sam turned 26 she had grown the business to 7 figures and beyond.  By the time she was 37 years old, Sam had the ability to retire, but she decided not to retire and still stay with it.  While growing the business and taking care of her family, things started to change for Sam.  Although things weren't going well for a little while Sam and her husband had decided to end their marriage overnight.  

After a few weeks of the separation Sam's then husband came to her with some paperwork and explained to her what it was but she did not have anyone review the paperwork before signing it.  Unfortunately, what Sam had just signed was the paperwork to turn the businesses over to her husband and she was left with nothing.  In the blink of an eye, Sam didn't have any money coming in anymore. 

After the paperwork was signed Sam began her rebuilding process.  She had some personal training clients that she was working with and she continued to work with them for a year.  After that year, Sam knew that she could not remain where she was.  Again, overnight Sam made the decision to move over 1,200 miles away and start completely fresh.  There was a pivotal moment when someone as Sam "If you were a fly on the wall at your own funeral, what would people say?" and this was when she began to completely rebuild.  Sam began by taking things one step at a time.  She was ready to rewrite her life in whatever way she wanted.  

Sam loves people and she loves to travel so she began to brainstorm ways to use her experiences and her passions to create the life she wanted.  Sam began to work with coaches, mentors and took classes to get herself out of this fog and really get laser-focused on what it was she wanted to do.  Sam wanted to experiment and build an audience that she could then turn them into her customers.  She would share content online and then listen to what people had to say and what they liked.  Sam just kept building and kept sharing to find her niche that she wanted to work in.  

During this whole process, Sam had the awareness to know when it was time to pivot or change lanes to find what it was that she wanted to do.  She was consistent and showing up every day to get stuff done, but she didn't stick to one thing at first, she was able to pivot and change as this went along to fins exactly what she was looking for.  

Sam knows this wasn't something that was built overnight but she kept showing up and has now built something that she loves doing and has such a passion for.  

I really enjoyed this conversation with Sam and I hope you do as well.  

 

Sam's Instagram

Sam's Website

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