Finding Your Summit

Alison Levine is a high altitude mountain climber, sportswoman, explorer and a successful leadership consultant. She is the author of the New York Times Bestselling On the Edge and the executive producer of a documentary, The Glass Ceiling. She has ascended the highest peaks on every continent and also skied to both the North and South Poles.
In 2010, she completed the Adventure Grand Slam by reaching the summit of Mt. Everest, after missing the peak by 200 feet eight years earlier. Today, she serves as an adjunct instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and is currently one of the most in-demand speakers on the planet.
In this episode, we will be discussing:

Stories from childhood and how Alison developed love for climbing

Being diagnosed at 17 with congenital heart defect

Lessons on leading through uncertainty

How she was able to travel for free during graduate school

What is it really like to climb mountains

Understanding that asking simple questions can lead to great opportunities

What to do if our peers are holding us back

Getting caught in a vicious midnight snowstorm in the region just below the summit, known as the Death Zone

Finding the courage to follow our biggest dreams

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

On the Edge by Alison Levine

Alison's Twitter

Alison on 60 Minutes

Support her documentary on Indiegogo

Justin Osmond was born with profound hearing loss into a musical family. After 12 years of intense speech and listening therapy, he can now speak with passion and through modern-day technology, hear with conviction. Justin never allowed his hearing loss to stop him; even as a child, Justin found himself intrigued by sports, part of the Eagle Scouts, and loving and learning music. Today, Justin is the speaker for his organization, the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, raising awareness for the deaf and hard of hearing.
In this episode, we will be discussing: 

The struggles Justin faced during his childhood

The diagnostics that revealed Justin’s deafness was hereditary

How Justin’s father, Merrill Osmond, introduced his son to music

The importance of not allowing others to define our limits

How Justin accepts himself for who he is

The unique way Justin learned to play instruments

Justin’s acts of service from childhood to now

How Justin’s grandmother inspired his helpful nature

Justin’s relationship with sports

How Justin made a change for local children

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Olive Osmond Hearing Fund

Children's Miracle Network


Hearing with My Heart by Justin Osmond

Dr. Emily Farkas is a Yale-trained Cardiothoracic surgeon and the first female accepted to the program at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Farkas is board certified by the ABTS and regularly participates in humanitarian missions performing the most basic medical care to complex heart surgeries in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Peru, and Mongolia.
In this episode, we will be discussing: 

How Emily’s creative childhood endeavors lead her to medicine

The intense life Emily lived while studying to be a surgeon

What it’s like for Emily on a day-to-day basis in the US

The moment in Kenya that made Emily realize her knowledge of medicine was a skill set she could take anywhere

The high honor Emily received from a tribe in Nigeria

The level of adaptability Emily had to possess to work in difficult conditions

How Emily inspires women and young adults to see every possibility

Emily’s experience working in a male-dominated field

The fascination Emily has with mountain climbing

How Emily combines adventure with her professional life

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Operation Crossroads Africa

Colin O’Brady was born in the Northwest and attended Yale University. After graduating from Yale, Colin made the decision to travel around the world; however, while in Thailand, Colin endured a serious accident with a kerosene jump rope, burning 25 percent of his body. Though doctors predicted he would never walk again, today, Colin has completed multiple triathlons, gained sponsorships, and become the speed record holder for climbing the seven summits in addition to the North and South Pole.
In this episode, we will be discussing:

How Colin’s roots in the Northwest fueled his need for adventure

Colin’s decision to stray from the paved path and travel the world

The tragedy that struck Colin in rural Thailand

How Colin’s mother inspired him to look toward the future during recovery

How Colin became a triathlete only 18 months after his injury

Channeling positivity and making a plan to accomplish any goal

How Colin’s first athletic sponsor found and invested in him

Colin’s mission to spread a message by beating multiple world records

The subtle things Colin had to do to keep himself healthy while climbing

Colin’s big plans for the future

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Change Your Mindset and Achieve Anything | Colin O'Brady | TEDxPortland

Beyond 7/2

Colin in Outside Magazine

Colin's Instagram

Colin's Twitter

Colin's Facebook

29Zero29

Cory Porcter is a former American football guard in the National Football League, who played mostly for the Dallas Cowboys. I met him in Tanzania through the Waterboy foundation. 
In this episode, we will be discussing:

How shifting your perspective can shape your life

The grind that went into the dream

Importance of hoping for the best, but expecting the worst

Understanding that your life can be turned upside down instantly

Experience with the Dallas Cowboys

Why we should surround ourselves with successful people

Understanding that it's OK to ask for help

Taking daily actions to achieve your goals

Waterboys Initiative

Developing grit

Overcoming major hardships and challenges

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Cory's Twitter

Cory's Instagram

Cory's Facebook page

Cory's Website

Waterboys

Dianette Wells is a mountain climber and adventure racer who immerses herself in new experiences as a form of therapy. She has currently climbed seven summits, including Everest and Denali. After the passing of her son, Dianette found that she had been doing the right thing all along by influencing her children to live without rules and without fear. Today, Dianette addresses her goals allowing her to conquer more summits.
In this episode, we will be discussing:

The solace Dianette finds in living in the mountains

What sparked Dianette’s love for mountain climbing

Therapeutic qualities of adventure and experience

The adventurous life and accomplishments of Dianette’s son

How Dianette influenced her children to approach life with no fear

Dianette’s peculiar journey getting to Mt. Carstensz

The multiple attempts Dianette made to summit Mt. Everest

The acceptance Dianette found at Everest after her son’s passing

The importance of proficiency and efficiency in climbing mountains

Dianette’s future goals encompassing adventure

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Dianette's Instagram

Dianette's Twitter

Erik Weihenmayer lives a “no barriers” lifestyle even after becoming blind during his childhood. He is an adventurer who has climbed the seven summits, biked the Leadville 100, kayaked 277 miles down the Colorado river, and was even the first blind person to ever reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Erik is very honest about his life, writing multiple books and sharing his story while helping disadvantaged people conquer their own goals in life.
In this episode, we will be discussing:

How the progression of Erik’s blindness affected his childhood

When being stubborn helps and when it hinders

How Erik had to reintroduce himself to the world

Things that sparked Erik’s sense of adventure

The people Erik’s organization, No Barriers, is helping

Tapping into resilience to be better a better person

Erik’s journey to the top of Mt. Everest

Seeing through the journey to envision the summit

Adapting your mental outlook to flourish

Erik’s definition of vision

The growth and evolution in Erik’s future

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Erik's Website

No Barriers: A Blind Man's Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon

No Barriers Organization

Steve Azar is a singer and songwriter that marries country, rock, and blues influences to create “Delta-Soul.” Inspired by the state of Mississippi, Steve wrote many successful tracks that topped the country charts including “Waitin’ On Joe,” “I Don’t Have to Be Me,” and “Sunshine.” After many ups and downs in the beginning of his career, Steve found his musical purpose in his roots. Steve has been recognized by many notable figures including Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, and Oprah. He is currently working on multiple projects, including the Mighty Mississippi Music Festival, The Steve Azar St. Cecilia Foundation, producing, and continuously playing music.
In this episode, we will be discussing: 

Influence of the Mississippi Delta on Steve

Steve’s journey to finding his musical purpose

The inspiration behind “Waitin on Joe”

Steve’s first album and the essence it captured

Troubles Steve faced with his first popular track

The link between music and people

How “Sunshine” ignited a change in Steve’s life

Steve’s interactions with other famous individuals

Steve’s mission to help and where it stemmed from

Mississippi festivals opened to Steve

Legendary music acts influencing Steve

The soon-to-be-released documentary by Steve’s son

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Steve's Music Website

Steve's Website

Info on Something in the Water

Something in the Water Trailer 1

Something in the Water Trailer 2

Upcoming Mighty Mississippi Music Festival

Steve Playing "Fly" at 2015 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships

Kathy Eldon is the founder of Creative Visions, an author of over 17 books, a filmmaker, a public speaker, and a warrior in the face of adversity.
In this episode, we'll be discussing:

The events that steadily propelled Kathy around the globe

How Kathy’s actions inspired her son to make a difference

Dan Eldon’s journey and the impact his legacy is making today

Transforming woe and the profoundness of loss and grief

Kathy’s journey into creating films

The start of Creative Visions and its current impact

Kathy’s project with Julia Roberts and the opportunities that came with it

Forgiveness found in Somalia

Kathy’s books and why she wrote them

How Amy and Kathy came out on the other side

Never giving up

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

The Journey is the Destination Book

The Journey is the Destination Movie

Dying to Tell the Story Documentary

Creative Visions

GolbalTribe

Extraordinary Moms

The F Word Revolution

In the Heart of Life by Kathy Eldon

Be Relentless Movie

Soul Catcher Journal

Love Catcher Journal

Kathy's Website

Dan's Website

Rock Your World: Human Rights Education

Mark interviews his long time friend and former teammate Morten Andersen. He is the all-time leader in games played; he also holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history. Morten retells his story when he was out of football for almost 2 years hoping to comeback and become the all time leading scorer. It was a painful period in his life not knowing how it would turn out but he did come back and was just inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. http://MarkPattisonNFL.com/podcast