“I want to produce and live in a way that enables my kids to have the same kind of experience I had growing up. That is my way of sustainability.” - Jack Candlish

Jack Candlish is the founder of Verdure, a sustainable surfboard company based out of Wellington, New Zealand.

After noticing a lack of non-toxic environmentally friendly surfboards, Jack started developing and building his own boards full-time in 2017. Using recyclable materials that otherwise would have become landfill waste, Jack aims to create affordable, high-quality boards that also have a minimum impact on the environment.

Show Notes:

Verdure: Website | Insta | Facebook

TED X Talk: Surfing the Eco-design Wave | Jack Candlish | TEDxWellington

“When I wake up in the morning, I know that it's going to be the best day of my life. I never think about what I can't do. Make sure positive thoughts are the first ones you think in the morning. & never procrastinate.” ― Tao Porchon-Lynch

Yoga master, ballroom dancer, actress, model with the “best legs in Europe”, wine connoisseur & Guinness Book of World Records holder — these are just a few ways to describe Tao Porchon-Lynch, a remarkable human being whose 101 years on this planet were truly extraordinary.

Today I was privileged to record a podcast with @joannaraj who was Tao’s assistant, student & the author of “My Guru Wears Heels”, an inspiring book about Toa’s remarkable life.

As mentioned by Tony Robbins, “Tao was an incredible example of a life FULLY and BEAUTIFULLY lived! Born in India, she discovered a love for yoga at 8 years young — in 1926! — and spent the next 93 years committed to sharing her passion with the world. Tao was one of the few people who marched with both Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., & helped Jewish families escape from hiding during the war. When she came to America, she did films with Bob Hoe & Elvis Presley. Tao was amongst the first to bring yoga to the U.S. — she even held the Guinness World Records title as the world’s oldest yoga instructor!”

Show Notes:

Book: My Guru Wears Heels

“Pete Egoscue has totally changed my life. Never have I experienced such complete pain relief as I have by following the Egoscue Method.”

- Jack Nicklaus

Brian Bradley is the Vice President and Head of Development and Special Programs at The Egoscue Method. He is also the posture coach to many of the greatest athletes and high performers of our time from Tony Robbins to Jack Nicklaus and Connor McGregor.

Brian is on a mission to help millions of people learn how to live healthier, pain-free lives and achieve complete fitness. A frequent speaker at industry events, he presents, consults, and conducts training with corporations, organizations, and nonprofits on the topics of chronic pain, healthy living, and high-level performance. His clients include the Tony Robbins Companies, Bulletproof Radio, YPO, the Seattle Study Club, and the NFL.

Brian has been studying “true” biomechanics and human anatomy using The Egoscue Method for more than 25 years. As the Posture-Pain-Performance coach and motivational speaker, he has spoken in more than 15 countries, promoting a myriad of healthy principles for achieving success in all areas of personal and professional life. Brian believes that real and lasting change can happen when we commit to health as a lifestyle. His postural training, fitness experience and engaging personality get people of all ages moving and digging deep to get their best results.

It was an incredible opportunity to sit down with Brian and share his wisdom with you all. The Egoscue Method is truly life changing and the podcast inspires you to go barefoot, move your body and live a limitless life. To get you started i’ve included one of my favourite Egoscue Workouts Videos below.

Think less, experience more,

:Doug

Show Notes:

Brian Bradley: Instagram | Twitter

Egoscue Method: Website | Instagram

Elev8d Fitness: Vimeo

Sonima Fitness (Egoscue workouts): Youtube

The Egoscue Patch Workout - Youtube

Not many of us think of the negative impacts a yoga mat can have on the environment, on the people who made the mat, or even on us as consumers. However, Danny, the founder of Valka Yoga, built a socially and environmentally conscious business on this thought. - Jasmine Mayhead

Danny Garg is the founder of Valka Yoga, a company dedicated to sustainability and making high quality and ethically sourced yoga gear accessible to everyone.

I met Danny many years ago at one of my yoga classes at Lululemon. I hadn’t seen him in several years so it was great to connect again and hear his story from growing up in New Delhi, to selling calculators while at university, working for one of the Dragons on Dragons’ Den (Touker Suleyman), to his current business selling yoga sustainably yoga products online with Valka Yoga.

I would like to show larger businesses that sustainability and profitability can co-exist. There is always room for improvement in production, supply chain and packaging. - Danny Garg

I can also personally attest to the quality of Danny’s Valka Yoga mats. As a yoga teacher and student I have tried so many yoga mats, many which smell and are made of toxic chemicals, mark and breakdown easily, or become slippery and feel plasticky. So it was a joy to find Danny’s natural rubber and cork Valka Yoga mats which I love which we now have at our studio at Te Arai Lodge.

If you would like to get your hands on one of Danny’s Valka Yoga mats make sure to enter our giveaway on my Instagram page here.

Show Notes

Connect with Danny: Instagram |Linkedin

Valka Yoga: Website | Instagram | Facebook

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Sam Walton: Made in America

Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Mark Manson: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Netflix: Broken

Dale Carnegie: How to Win Friends & Influence People

Chris Wilkie is the co-founder of Otis Oat Milk alongside Tim Ryan. Together they are going against the grain of producing traditional dairy-based milk to find a more sustainable alternative and to something better for New Zealand.

Interestingly the best oats in the world are grown in Southland, New Zealand so it’s no wonder there oat milk tastes so delicious.

Jerzy Gregorek (@TheHappyBody) immigrated from Poland to the United States with his wife, Aniela, in 1986 as political refugees. He subsequently won four World Weightlifting Championships and established one world record.

In 2000, Jerzy and Aniela founded UCLA’s weightlifting team. As co-creator of The Happy Body Program, Jerzy has been mentoring people for more than 30 years.

In 1998, Jerzy earned an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. His poems and translations have appeared in numerous publications, including The American Poetry Review. His poem Family Tree was the winner of Amelia magazine’s Charles William Duke Long Poem Award in 1998.

If you want to Zoom Jerzy at midday PST time the number is: 4594418282

“Don’t buy new, you don’t need too …Have fun. Enjoy it. Have a laugh. It’s the process of building… A real raw sense of, I did this!.” - Edward Lawley

Edward Lawley is a very talented mechanical engineer and adventurer from Taranaki. He is also the founder and builder of Ecoescape, a self contained off the grid 2 bedroom cabin that you can rent out on AirBnB here. Edward also recently rebuilt a Landrover Defender called Bernie down to the last nut, bolt and lick of paint. You can follow the rebuild here, Project Bernie. You can also follow Edward on his personal instagram here.

Make sure to go to my DOUGIT instagram page for your chance to win a 1 night stay at Ecoescape.

Sir John Kirwan is one of New Zealand's greatest All Black rugby players. Since retiring from playing rugby he has gone on to coach the Japan, Italy and Auckland Blues rugby teams and become a leading mental health advocate. He is also the founder of Mentemia, a free app for mental wellbeing which is available free to download.

Finn Delany is a professional basketball player for the New Zealand Breakers and Tall Blacks. He’s also played for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2019 NBA Summer League after a short stint in Serbia playing for FMP Beograd. I first met Finn when he attended my yoga classes at Studio Red in Auckland city. We’ve kept in touch since and i’ve enjoyed following his basketball process and also seeing his great cubist paintings that he posts on Instagram. At only 24 years of age Finn has a bright and creative future ahead of him.. Follow his journey on his Instagram here and Twitter here.

Gratefully,

Doug.