Driving Force Podcast

Today’s guest is Anne Donnell. Anne is a psychic medium and reiki practitioner based out of York, Maine. Over 12 years ago, Anne suffered a life-threatening medical condition with her third child's birth, leading her to make significant shifts in her life. It was through Reiki Training that Anne discovered her intuition and psychic abilities. After a great deal of self-reflection and several years of studying under many different leading psychics worldwide, Anne began her career as a Reiki Practitioner and Psychic Medium. Today, she uses her knowingness and psychic abilities to deliver thousands of healing messages and intuitive guidance to clients across the country and worldwide. She continues to study and expand her practice around the needs of her clients and offers many diverse classes from Manifesting 101, Psychic Intuition Development and Psychic Medium Development. I’ve had a couple intuitive psychic readings with Anne and would highly recommend her if you’re interested in seeing a psychic medium. In this interview, we get into Anne’s relationship with spirit growing up, her journey to discovering her psychic abilities, Reiki healing, psychic readings, and much more. 

Timestamps

00:02:28 Growing up in Maine

00:05:41 Her interaction with spirit and spirituality growing up

00:11:49 The feeling you have when you're around a spirit/ghost

00:13:16 What she wanted to do for a career growing up

00:15:05 The life threatening medical condition that led her to make significant life changes

00:21:43 Stress cardiomyopathy

00:25:46 Overview of Reiki

00:28:01 A Reiki session

00:31:18 Discovering her psychic abilities

00:36:58 Developing her psychic abilities and creating a business

00:41:56 Filtering and controlling her psychic abilities

00:43:11 Overview of Clairs

00:45:49 Preparing for a psychic reading

00:48:24 What she feels when she connects to spirit

00:52:10 Ethics when it comes to conducting readings

00:55:07 What she recommends clients do after a reading

00:56:37 What clients typically want clarity on the most during psychic readings

00:57:38 Her mission as a psychic medium

00:59:47 Teaching others to tap into their psychic abilities

01:04:41 My quick reading

01:06:08 What it's like to be a mother with psychic abilities

01:07:27 What she wants to have accomplished 5 years from now

01:08:08 Her daily routine

01:09:25 Her driving force

01:10:31 Parting words of wisdom

Today’s guest is Ric Prado. Ric is a paramilitary, counter-terrorism, and clandestine operations specialist, with a focus on international training operations and programs. He is a twenty-four year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he served as an Operations Officer in six overseas posts. He was Deputy Chief of Station and "Plank Owner" of the original Bin Ladin Task Force/Issues Station as well as Chief of Station in a hostile Muslim country. Ric also served as Chief of Operations in the CIA's Counterterrorist Center (CTC) during the September 11th attacks, where he helped coordinate the CTC’s special operations (SPECOPS) activities with the National Security Council and FBI, as well as with elite U.S. military representatives from Delta Force and SEAL-Team Six, then detailed to CTC. He retired as Senior Intel Service-2 (SIS-2, Major General equivalent at CIA). Ric’s new book Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior hits bookstores on March 1st and details his life and career conducting some of the most important covert wars that America has fought since Vietnam. In this interview, we’ll dive deep into the contents of the book.

Timestamps

00:02:33 His reasons for writing the book

00:10:11 Difference between CIA officers and agents

00:11:02 The subtlety of CIA work

00:11:44 Enhanced interrogation techniques

00:15:47 Growing up in Cuba

00:20:54 The sacrifice his parents made to give him a better life

00:24:32 Getting in trouble in Miami

00:27:16 The impact that martial arts has had throughout his life

00:29:36 His time in Air Force Pararescue

00:35:16 Transition into the CIA

00:39:00 His relationship with his wife Carmen while working in the CIA

00:41:02 Helping train the Contras in Honduras

00:50:28 Lessons learned about gaining trust

00:53:38 His perspective on high performing teams

00:57:56 America's engrained sense of fair play

01:02:01 Recruiting agents in the field

01:06:39 Cooper's Colors

01:10:06 What he could share and not share with loved ones while working in the CIA

01:12:05 CIA vs. Washington DC politics

01:15:16 His perspective on the current Russia-Ukraine situation

01:19:15 What he wants to accomplish 10 years from now

01:22:06 His daily routine

01:23:40 His driving force

01:27:56 Parting words for the listeners

This year, I want to include more guests on the show who lean toward the more spiritual side of things. To kick that off, the guest on this week’s episode is Natalie Walstein. Natalie is a career astrologer at Soulshine Astrology, where she focuses on the intersection of career coaching and astrological counseling to help others find their true calling in life. Originally born in Minneapolis, MN, Natalie went on to study at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, Canada for Communication Design before running her own design studio as a graphic, web & magazine designer for creative entrepreneurs for 5 years. Then, everything in her life came to a standstill. Her relationship went south, she had an intense near-death experience in which she also got misdiagnosed with cancer, and she was falling out of love with her career. By tapping into her own astrological birth chart, she decided to pivot to working with others on a deeper spiritual level through astrology. In this interview, we get into Natalie’s background and how she got into astrology, the work that she does today as a career astrologer, the value of comparing astrological charts in relationships, and my own mini birth chart reading.

Timestamps

00:02:11 Definition of astrology

00:03:38 What got her into astrology and spirituality

00:06:05 Her career prior to becoming an astrologer

00:08:42 The severe illness she dealt with for 3 years

00:10:13 What her parents did for work and their reaction to her career change

00:11:40 When she decided to become a full-time astrologer

00:13:43 Overcoming her doubts and hesitations to become a full-time astrologer

00:16:20 Overview of Soulshine Astrology

00:18:23 The kinds of clients that come to her for guidance

00:19:07 Increased interest in astrology during the pandemic

00:19:58 What she looks for in a person's birth chart when helping them find their true calling

00:21:16 My quick birth chart reading

00:26:09 Not being in alignment with your true calling

00:28:35 Determining when significant shifts in your life might occur using astrology

00:30:53 Interplay between free will and astrology

00:32:48 The ethics of astrology

00:34:28 The value of comparing astrological birth charts in relationships

00:40:01 What inspired her to write her new book?

00:41:00 Where is the best place for people to start when learning astrology?

00:42:07 Jupiter crossing my career line

00:44:52 What she wants to have accomplished 5 years from now

00:46:53 Her other spiritual interests

00:47:23 Her daily routine

00:48:32 Her driving force

00:49:29 Parting words of wisdom

Today’s guest is Quin Sandler. Quin is a designer, product builder, investor, entrepreneur and musician. He’s founded four start-ups in the last 12 years: Keystone Learning, a mobile tutoring company; Principle Design Group, a branding and identity company; FestThis, a media and live events production company; and is currently leading the charge at Plantiga, a human analytics company with one simple goal: to build the most comprehensive, intelligent system that monitors, analyzes and predicts human movement for recovery, health and fitness. Plantiga provides members insights on their movement health through a combination of sensor insoles – which track how you walk, run, jump, and change direction – and 1 on 1 coaching with certified movement specialists to help you better understand what to do with the data you’re getting from the insoles. In this interview, we get into Quin’s career pivot from musician to entrepreneur, the companies he founded prior to Plantiga, and all things Plantiga and movement health.

Timestamps

00:02:22 Growing up in Vancouver, Canada

00:04:45 Wanting to become a professional musician

00:06:31 Is he a natural/born entrepreneur?

00:07:28 Pivoting to entrepreneurship and leaving college

00:10:24 The tutoring company he founded

00:12:46 The other companies he founded prior to Plantiga

00:15:29 Key takeaways from his prior ventures

00:16:39 Founding Plantiga

00:18:05 The name Plantiga

00:19:05 Plantiga overview

00:20:04 Plantiga use cases

00:22:05 The Plantiga insoles

00:24:06 The movement health crisis

00:27:13 The Plantiga user experience

00:30:53 Target markets and customer base

00:32:48 The sedentary lifestyle

00:35:23 Why movement is the best lens into human health

00:38:37 Plantiga business model

00:39:59 How the pandemic affected the business

00:42:50 Raising money for the company

00:44:55 Ultimate vision for Plantiga

00:48:30 Other niches within human performance he finds really interesting

00:51:13 Being a space enthusiast

00:54:00 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now

00:55:25 His daily routine

00:56:38 His driving force

00:58:32 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today’s guests are brothers Shane and Josh Rogers, co-founders of RPM Training. Founded in 2012, RPM was born out of the idea that legit, purposeful functional training is the foundation for a truly full and adventurous life. It all started with jump ropes. Shane and Josh began noticing the frustration their fellow gym members were having over completing the dreaded double-under jump rope workout. They scoured the market for the best jump ropes out there only to find critical flaws in every one they tried. So, they took it upon themselves to build a jump rope unlike any other. In addition to jump ropes, the company also recently announced the launch of Atom, a first of its kind virtual functional training program. Atom members get an unparalleled at-home workout experience through a combination of the best coaching, the right gear, and the power of community. Personally, it’s something I’m super excited about and I can’t wait to hop on the platform! In this interview, we delve into their backgrounds and relationship as brothers, the genesis of RPM, the reinvention of the jump rope, the Atom platform, and their annual 10k Challenge.

Timestamps

00:02:27 Growing up in Northern California

00:07:15 What they thought they wanted to do for careers growing up

00:09:47 Their backgrounds prior to RPM

00:12:37 Biggest takeaways from their prior jobs

00:16:11 The genesis of RPM

00:22:14 Nailing the foundation of their jump ropes

00:25:03 Doing everything in-house

00:28:02 The RPM brand and its evolution

00:33:07 Marketing RPM

00:37:41 Defining functional training and the creation of Atom

00:42:13 Overview of Atom

00:43:50 How do people come into Atom?

00:54:41 The Atom gear kits

01:01:04 The Atom leaderboard

01:08:55 The 10K Challenge

01:13:22 Ultimate vision for RPM

01:15:24 Working together as co-founders

01:17:00 What they want to have accomplished 5 years from now

01:17:46 Their daily routines

01:23:11 Their driving forces

01:25:16 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today’s guest is Tony Blauer. In his return to the podcast, we dive deeper into the self-defense system and fear management program he’s created. We discuss the scenario-based approach to his self-defense system and why it’s called the Spear System. He emphasizes the importance of what it means to know fear, discusses the fear loop and how to get out of it, and provides tools people can use to better manage their fear. If you’re new to the show, I would encourage you to listen to part 1 of my conversation with Tony prior to this one. Part 1 goes over Tony’s background and upbringing and will provide you with the context to understand why he does the work that he does today.

Timestamps

00:03:05 How he went about creating his self-defense system

00:19:23 2 biggest things out of the 80s that drove the development of the Spear System and Know Fear

00:21:15 Simple rule on applying force in a fight

00:24:54 Why is it called the Spear System?

00:40:25 Idea for the Know Fear program

00:44:50 Change your relationship with fear, change your life

00:48:15 Fear management needs new management

00:54:50 Why a lot of people don't fight back

01:02:03 How people can get out of the fear loop

01:12:36 How business leaders can apply Know Fear principles

01:19:33 Why a lot of people just call him "Coach"

01:23:42 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now

01:26:29 His daily routine

01:30:16 Parting words for the audience

Today’s guest is Tony Blauer. Tony has been in the martial art, self-defense, defensive tactics, and combatives industry for over four decades. He founded Blauer Tactical Systems (BTS) in 1985 and it has grown into one of the world's leading consulting companies specializing in the research and development of performance psychology, personal safety, and close quarter tactics & scenario-based training for law enforcement, military, and professional self-defense instructors. His research on the neuroscience of fear and the startle-flinch led to the development of the SPEAR System®, a modern personal defense system based on physiology, physics, and psychology. It has been used by defensive tactics and combative trainers all over the world for over 30 years. After decades of interviewing victims of violent encounters and studying violence, he created the KNOW FEAR® program which focuses on managing fear through self-awareness, resiliency, and a 'movement' mindset. This program has also been integrated by psychologists helping Vets to deal with PTSD. In part one of my interview with Tony, we define fear and Tony’s personal journey in dealing with fear over the years. We unravel his origin story, get into scenario based self-defense training a bit, and set the stage for part II where we’ll dive deeper into the fear management and self-defense systems he’s created.

Timestamps

00:03:58 How he defines fear

00:07:27 Reframing fear in the moment

00:10:38 Where he grew up and his parents

00:12:19 Dealing with a lot of fear growing up

00:25:51 Self-awareness in fear management

00:32:51 Discovering and studying martial arts

00:41:44 How often he would train martial arts

00:43:25 Martial arts progression

00:46:50 Why does he have so many haters?

00:55:50 Opening his first self-defense school

01:08:31 His driving force

01:11:01 Advice on managing fear in our day-to-day lives

Today’s guest is Nikola Mrvaljevic. Nikola is the co-founder and CEO of Strive, a human performance company. Strive enables clothing with technology to capture performance insights to empower real-time decision-making. By outfitting an athlete’s clothing with their technology, it allows coaches & trainers to compare body input to body output, and provides insights on muscle activity including load, symmetry, and fatigue. So, as an example, as athletes near the end of a hard practice, coaches will be able to see through Strive if certain individuals are beginning to favor one side of the body vs another or if certain muscles are exerting excessive amounts of load. The inspiration to start Strive started many years before Nikola officially founded the company. As a pro basketball player in Montenegro, he often asked himself why his coaches were having the team do these workouts that would leave them overly fatigued. If only there could be a way to help coaches understand how their players are feeling – hence the beginning of the idea for Strive. In this interview, we get into Nikola’s time growing up in Montenegro, his pro basketball career, and all things Strive.

Timestamps

00:02:27 Growing up in Montenegro and culture

00:07:56 Playing pro basketball in Montenegro

00:13:53 Biggest takeaways from playing pro basketball

00:16:40 Questioning his coach's training methods

00:19:53 Moving to the US and adjusting to the culture

00:25:18 Going to University of Rhode Island (URI) and doing research for Strive

00:28:04 Time between URI and starting Strive

00:34:35 Strive overview

00:38:07 Strive's technology

00:41:02 Example use case of Strive

00:45:06 Thoughts on partnering with other human performance companies

00:46:07 Strive business model

00:47:42 Target markets

00:52:52 Product roadmap

00:56:41 Fundraising for Strive

01:00:15 Impact of the pandemic on the business

01:02:21 Ultimate vision for Strive

01:06:33 Pivotal moments that changed his perspective on human performance

01:08:45 Being a Thalassophile

01:10:34 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now

01:13:40 His daily routine

01:15:25 His driving force

01:17:58 Parting words of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur

Today’s guest is Ricky Williams. Ricky is the co-founder and CEO of LILA, an Astrology powered dating and relationship app, and the co-founder of RW Real Wellness, a unique line of herbal-based wellness products that can be incorporated into daily routines. Upon the completion of a successful football career (which saw him win the Heisman trophy in college and lead the NFL in rushing in 2002), Ricky turned his attention to spiritual exploration and development. A Gemini fueled by a passion for learning, he studies and practices yoga, meditation, astrology, craniosacral therapy, pranic healing and Ayurvedic medicine. It’s been through his journey of spiritual exploration and development and exploring these passions that ultimately led him to co-founding LILA and RW Real Wellness. Ricky also hosts a popular podcast called Curious Questions with Ricky Williams, where he discusses astrology, sports, and the benefits of medical marijuana with a special guest every week. In this interview, we dive deep into LILA and Ricky’s exploration of astrology, his passion for plant medicine and spiritual development, RW Real Wellness, and much more.

Timestamps

00:02:31 Ebbs and flows of building LILA

00:04:49 Inspiration to start LILA and overview

00:10:53 Showing people that astrology can be utterly useful

00:12:10 Describing astrology

00:15:53 Making sure LILA is approachable and understandable

00:17:28 Sagittarius and compatibility

00:22:01 Launching LILA publicly

00:23:01 Ultimate vision for LILA

00:26:08 Biggest rewards for him in practicing astrology

00:27:36 Gemini season

00:29:41 Has he always been a spiritual person?

00:31:13 Passion for plant medicine

00:37:48 What it was like to wrestle his two passions of plant medicine and football while in the NFL

00:39:57 His retirement from the NFL

00:41:43 Co-founding Real Wellness

00:43:28 Real Wellness products and his favorite product

00:47:10 How he sees his focus shifting with LILA and Real Wellness

00:49:29 His podcast

00:51:44 Perspectives on the psychology of high performers

00:53:18 Is he a really competitive person?

00:53:56 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now

00:55:41 His daily routine

00:56:30 His driving force

00:57:07 Parting words for Gemini season

Today’s guest is Jon Dengler. Jon is the Executive Director of The Well, a Tampa, Florida based non-profit comprised of a community of people committed to living in direct relationship with the materially poor. They work to help people meet material needs such as food and clothing and do it in a way that provides opportunities to meet each other’s spiritual needs as well. The Well builds real, strong relationships with the people it serves and in that way they engage needs holistically. One of the key ways that The Well does this is through the WellBuilt Bikes initiative, a bike shop that provides access to affordable bikes and workshops, ranging from repairs to safety. By accessing bikes that would have been considered garbage, as well as donations from supportive neighbors, WellBuilt Bikes ensures that all people who need a bike are able to own one. Jon’s story of how he ultimately got to where he is today is also incredible – surviving a near fatal car accident and having a life changing, mind-altering experience through LSD. In this interview, we get into the important distinction between being kind and being nice, his near-fatal car accident and life-changing experience taking LSD, the relationship between the rich and the poor, and his WellBuilt Bikes non-profit.

Timestamps

00:02:26 Growing up and his love of Tampa, Florida

00:06:36 Compassionate work and actions

00:11:53 The distinction between being kind and being nice

00:20:56 What he wanted to do for a career growing up

00:25:34 His near fatal car accident and the life-changing LSD experience

00:34:40 Leaving the partying lifestyle

00:39:32 Renting a house to welcome in impoverished people

00:51:10 The Well and WellBuilt Bikes overview

00:57:59 The weekly group rides

01:00:10 Biggest challenges in running The Well

01:05:54 Thoughts on expanding WellBuilt Bikes and the idea behind it

01:10:14 What he wants to accomplish 5 years from now

01:17:51 His driving force