Jodi has one of the coolest jobs out there!  She works with Gorillas!  Well, not just gorillas but all things primate at the Zoo Atlanta!

"Jodi has been working with primates for over 19 years, most of them at Zoo Atlanta, with a keen interest in western lowland gorillas. Before joining Zoo Atlanta, she worked with primates at Zoo Miami and the Pittsburgh Zoo. Jodi is a member of the Gorilla Species Survival Plan (SSP) Management Group and the Gorilla Behavior Advisory Group. She has also worked to raise support for Zoo Atlanta’s longtime partner in gorilla conservation, The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, and has led trips to Africa to observe mountain gorillas." 
- Zoo Atlanta

As the Curator of Primates, her job entails working with a team of folks every day to provide care for all of the primates in the Zoo! What's unique about Jodi is her passion for this career began when she was in 7th grade, and that was probably about the time I started hearing about it as well!  

Listen in as we talk about:

• all things primate including working with "The one and only Ivan"
• The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
• A Brown Jetta & Dave Matthews concerts

Jodi, you were, and always will be one of the best!  Thanks for spending some time with me to catch up and learn more about what you have been up to for roughly two decades!

Toby Weaver spends his life in the woods; we should all be jealous of him! As the owner of Antler Canyon Outfitters, he provides a very special experience to hunters worldwide.  While his job is being in the field, spotting game, and putting his clients in the right position, he can only lead a horse to water.  No matter your weapon type, seeing an elk on the landscape will elevate your heart rate to skyrocketing levels!

Listen in as we discuss:

• Why and how he devoted his life to hunting
• The best and worst moments of hunting elk and more
• Best practices of calling in screaming bull elk
• How hunting can and should be a family affair
• A near-death experience in the woods
• Archery hunting Coues Deer 

Toby, thank you for providing Cole and my family a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Guiding him into a 630-yard shot on an absolute monster of an elk is a memory and experience we will all cherish forever!

Eric Malzone is very easy to talk to, probably because he is a podcast host himself or maybe because he is just a genuine guy!
 
The "Future of Fitness Podcast" has been running for the last 4+ years, and is one of the top fitness and health podcasts today! Eric covers everything, and I mean everything in the very fast-moving industry of health and fitness! Via in-depth interviews with founders and more!

Our discussion on why the podcast medium is so enjoyable, marketable, and for sure is here to stay was brief, but his skill and in-depth knowledge of podcasting and the health and fitness space shine through!  

But we aren't here to talk about podcasting, we are here to talk about why he started hunting in his 40s!

Listen in as we chop it up about:

• his first experiences as a hunter, feeding that curiosity
• what makes hunting valuable and special in his eyes
• how hunting is ALWAYS a calamity, no matter your skill level
• the bond that comes from hunting, and the community that supports it

Eric, you are the man!  Your podcast inspires and informs me simultaneously regarding my ambitions in the world of podcasting, health, and fitness!  What a fun, and unique conversation that hopefully drives more people into nature in search of learning a new skill.  It is never too late to learn!

Crazy Lucchesi is her Instagram handle. She's far from crazy, but she for sure is a beast on and off the field!  

Daria Lucchesi is a former JMU Women's Lacrosse National Champion! You heard that right, National Champion!  She and her team also won two CAA titles in her tenure, and she's got the rings to prove it! To say that JMU lacrosse is a top-performing program is an understatement.  They are more like a juggernaut. Go, Dukes!

Listen in as Daria, Jack, and I chop it up about:

• Desire and tenacity to play sports
• What it takes to succeed at any level
• NIL money, benefits, and drawbacks
• Daria's hustle on and off the field
• Giving thanks to God

Daria and Jack, it was an honor to chop it up with you!  I loved seeing the Coach, Player discussion shine through.  It was really fun and insightful to learn from a player what a coach needs as both you and Daria have that exact perspective having played and coached the game from all angles!

#JMU #lacrosse #sportsuccess #NIL #hustle 

Pat is a lifelong friend.  He is also a husband, business leader, and father to three beautiful children.  Two of which reside only in their family's hearts and memories.

Tragedy struck the Schoennagel's lives not once, but twice, and sadly claimed the lives of two of their beautiful children. While this story is hard to listen to, it also has a silver lining. Pat, his wife Melissa, and their son John refuse to "not live life "simply because that is what their daughter Lia would have wanted them to do!

Listen in as Pat and I have a genuine discussion about how he and his continue to thrive, despite dealing with the worst-case scenario, the sudden death of a child.   They are so committed to honoring their stillborn son Christopher and daughter Lia, that they have heavily involved in a charity Lia's Wings that provides air transport for children and families who are in medical need. Pat's goal is to "be able to say yes to everyone".

Pat, thank you for taking the time to reconnect with me after so many years!  Your family's story may be one of the most tragic, yet inspiring stories I have ever heard, and I appreciate you sharing it and living it the way you do. The world is better off with people like you in it. 

Love you friend.

Check out this inspiring interview with Jessica Sikora, founder of the non-profit Superbands! Jessica's passion for music and mental health advocacy has led her to create a platform that connects teens and young people with their favorite artists while also providing mental health resources and support. Through her own struggles with mental health, Jessica turned her passion for music into positive momentum and created Superbands. 

Interview, Jessica talks about the importance of resiliency and overcoming obstacles. She shares her journey of turning her struggles into a mission to help others. Through Superbands, she's saying "I see you" to those who may be struggling and providing them with resources, support, and even cool opportunities from their favorite bands. 

Thank you, Jessica, for your drive and passion to help those in need. Your energy and determination are truly inspiring! 

#Superbands #MentalHealthAwareness #MusicForTheSoul 

Jacqueline M. Baker is the author of The Unexpected Leader. She is also the founder of a consultancy Scarlet, whose mission is to focus on and teach "Timeless modern leadership guidance for your career, home, and life". 

Her career and life have taken many twists and turns over the years, but in her words, she is "always wide open to new opportunities"!  Being open to new ideas, new things, and new people has been a key to her success!

Listen in as we talk:

• Football, specifically the Detroit Lions, and how she has helped young rookie players learn about "Modern Etiquette"
• Her path to becoming an unexpected leader and having the agency to lead in our corners of the world
• Her passion for helping people to "Just Start"
• Learning how to find your "Life Thesis", and running life through that wheel
• Finding how to do your part, and showing up in your way with intent

Thanks, Jacqueline! I appreciate your energy to help people "Just Start"! People need that energy more than you may know!

Matt Thomann of Mental Mettle is a former Athletic Director turned into a sports/mental/life performance coach. Beyond that, he is a father, husband and friend.

Matt had a unique and challenging life experience. After getting diagnosed with testicular cancer and having surgery to treat it, he suffered an ischemic stroke. Leaving him to relearn how to cognate, talk, and regain every faculty that normal human beings take for granted!

After beating all the odds, Matt made some decisions to change his direction in life, mainly around his career and what he felt was his calling to do!  After having such a great experience with positive psychology in his recovery, he started Mental Mettle coaching!

Listen in as we talk:

• Adjusting to the pandemic as kids and adults
• Staring cancer in the face, and the mental health component
• Having a stroke, yikes!
• Therapy, recovery, and more
• Relearning how to read, speak, and regain normalcy
• Positive psychology, therapy, coaching, empathy

Thanks, Matt! You are awesome!

Damien is a friend I met through lacrosse.  While not being a Dad, Damien and his company help people live better lives through financial planning!  He is always his authentic self but continues to look for ways in his life to mentor and be mentored. Listen in as we discuss:

• Parenting
• His weight loss journey, losing over 50 lbs
• Keeping up with fitness and diet as a busy adult
• Finances, when and how to start using a financial planner
• What we have learned as adults  to help keep us grounded as parents, husbands, and friends

Thanks, Damien, it was a pleasure!  Always great to learn from others, and share an experience!

Remember when you thought to yourself, "Is this what I am going to do for the rest of my life?"  I do! No, it wasn't a "take this job and shove it" type of feeling, but more of a longing to do something different, a calling if you will.  Something that held a higher personal connection to an internal sense of spirit...

There are a lot of reasons why people do or do not make changes:

• Guilt
• Fear
• Contentment
• Laziness
• Golden handcuffs

Lon Stroschein and the Normal 40 are here for it all! In other words, you are not alone and neither am I!  Listen in as we discuss all things Normal 40!

• There is no shame in aspiring to do something different
• How to tackle those feelings realistically
• A step-by-step guide in his book "The Trade" 

Thanks, Lon, for all of the insight!  You are awesome to "Ramble" with for sure!