Finding Your Summit

Evan Phillips climbed mountains until an injury took him out of the game. Now he pours his energy into making music after his last critically-acclaimed hit, Silhouettes, which represented a new energy for Evan Phillips, one of Alaska’s most enduring rockers. Music became the tonic for Evan Phillips’ soul after the injury. He changed his mindset, learned to play the guitar, and successfully revived his creative impulse. Now, Evan runs 'The Firn Line,' a podcast about the lives of climbers, artists, and adventurers.

Almost 60% percent of all inmates that are released with no training end up back in jail. If it wasn’t for The Last Mile, an entrepreneurial training program preparing incarcerated individuals for successful re-entry into society, Aly Tamboura would have been part of that statistic. Aly was sentenced to seventeen years in prison, the majority of that stint being in San Quentin located north of San Francisco, one of the most notorious hardcore prisons. In a fascinating conversation, Aly talks about what it’s like inside the joint, his pursuits to change his life by taking advantage of every conceivable opportunity to increase his knowledge base, and his chance encounter with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook which he now works for under his organization called. Chan Zuckerberg.

The whole game has changed in terms of the way people train today, especially in extreme sports. Legendary skier and erstwhile actor in Blizzard of Aahhh’s, Mike Hattrup can attest to that fact that everything seems to be much more organized at a much younger age. From weight training to all these other things that help lead towards being better at your particular craft. But despite all these modern men of steel, Mike remains unfazed. He understands that Sun Valley is not an easy place to work, but it's also made him valuable. Mike Hattrup is on the pulse; he's not sitting in an office in the city. This legendary skier prides himself with his direct connection to the community.

Christine Schwan holds state and national championships in fitness. Christine began practicing yoga as a way to find more balance after life changes brought her to the sacred space of single motherhood with two small boys. She fell in love with the practice of yoga then went on to receive her yoga teaching certification in 2008. Christine is currently an adjunct professor of Anatomy and Physiology, certified life mastery coach, breath and meditation instructor and yoga coach and instructor. Her extensive knowledge in breathing and meditation, as well as kinesiology and the biomechanics of the muscular system, enables her to bring a depth of knowledge of the human body to her clients. Christine specializes in corrective alignment, rehabilitation and improving sports performance for numerous professional athletes.

Having a career in the military means you’re always going to be overcoming trauma and cheating death in order to survive. Joshua Mantz’s career in the military started when his step-father planted the seed in his mind when he was twelve years old. He was already in the academy as a freshman when 9/11 happened, and it took everything he had not to drop out so he could enlist and fight the fight down range with the larger team. After graduating from the academy, he was sent to Iraq where the fight for his life began. Joshua and his senior officer were engaged by an enemy sniper on one of their patrols when a bullet ricocheted into his thigh and severed his femoral artery. Discover how Joshua was able to overcome trauma and cheat death as he shares his life and death experiences.

We’re a product of our own environment. Olympic skier and snowboarder, Alex Deibold, grew up in the Vermont. At age four, the slopes and the mountains became his playground. Eventually, he got recruited to go to a ski academy, and that started his journey for the Winter Olympics. Alex shares his experiences and his path to becoming an olympic medalist in 2014, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and why he’s paying it forward.

Going through seven years of breast cancer led Cynthia Besteman to create Violets Are Blue, a skincare collection of products that is natural and safe for the body as well as the environment. Cynthia talks about the changes in her skin, her hair, her fingers, and everything as she was undergoing radiation and all kinds of treatments that wreaked havoc on her body. This is the very reason she designed products that are 100% natural and aligned with the body so you’re not putting chemicals into it while trying to treat yourself. Cynthia shares her journey of overcoming her adversity and finding her way.

In the military, they all have different mission sets. Scott Huesing believes this is true for life outside of military as well. He learned all about the power of connection while he was a commanding officer at the Marine Corps. He was involved in one of the most harrowing warfare ever in Iraq and he relives his experiences during his 24-year military career. He shares that being a leader is not just about barking orders but understanding what his troops were going through, how valuable their time was, and taking the moment to understand that they really need, whether it’s an arm around their shoulder or an ear to listen to. He relates that the military is comprised of so many talented and unique individuals, and being a good leader is being able to leverage those skills and talents not only on the battlefield but in training as well.

To live an authentic life, you need to choose happiness that comes from within. When you are free from the outside circumstances that defines who you are, you then start living happy inside out. But this choice in itself takes a lot of courage, which Maura Sweeney didn’t have a lot of because her path to becoming a lawyer was laid out for her. She knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do, but at the same time she didn’t know what she really wanted. Maura shares how she conquered her fear of willingly stepping out to her freedom and paving her own path of happiness and authenticity.

If you’re big on surfing, there’s no way you haven’t heard of Laird Hamilton. He has been labeled as the sport’s most complete surfer and the biggest, boldest, and bravest big wave surfer there is. Growing up with a surfing background, Laird shares how he got into the sport himself after his adoptive father’s footsteps, and the intensive training he had to go through to master each discipline of surfing. In his life, he has always taken every wave, of which a movie of the same title has been made about his personal life and career. He also developed Laird Superfood, a line of non-dairy, GMO-free, gluten-free, vegan alternative to traditional creamers which provides razor-sharp focus, untapped energy, and exceptional endurance which is great for people who are active. Learn more about big wave surfing and what has driven Laird to become the best big wave surfer and entrepreneur in the world today.