Forging Mettle Podcast

This podcast breaks the mold, and unapologetically goes against the grain. Julia and Travis are not your ordinary couple with four kids. They refuse to be shackled to a dreary life devoid of adventure. They have boldly decided to follow their dreams and break free from what society tells us we should do, and they do it all with young'ns in tow. Tara and Ron have a fun and lively discussion that is well suited for the start of a new year and perhaps new adventures. Do you dare to follow your dreams as Julia and Travis have? If so, they can help.

About Julia and Travis Gentry

Hey!

We are the Gentry’s. And we’ve decided to live our lives somewhere between brilliant and insane because we believe if it’s in you, it’s possible. 5 years ago, after having our 2nd child, we found ourselves living in a beautiful home, grinding out “the American dream” only to realize it wasn’t our dream. We found ourselves asking a very simple yet profound question: Is there something more? That started us on a journey of a lifetime…Now, we live to wake up Dreamers everywhere!

We started The Dream Factory And Co. to give people just like you the tools and resources to get unstuck and clear on what they want most in this life. Our greatest mission:

We are on a quest to constantly #rethink, grow and chase our dreams and now we are unapologetically giving you permission to do the same. It’s time to Dream. We dare you!

With our WHOLE heart,

Julia and Travis Gentry

Find them here:

https://thedreamfactoryandco.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thejuliagentry/

https://www.instagram.com/thedreamfactoryandco/

https://www.facebook.com/juliacgentry

https://www.facebook.com/thedreamfactoryandco

Referenced:

"Iron Cowboy"  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=illDZ9fKSGk

Kyle shares his views on creativity, problem solving, and finding a way. Instead of focusing on what you don't have, focus on what you do have. His message that we always have a choice and we are not helpless is empowering for us all. Join us as we gain real world tips on navigating your way through adversity in life.

About Kyle

Kyle Coon lost his sight at the age of six after a battle with Retinoblastoma—cancer of the eye. However, not having sight has not stopped him from pursuing vision. Since then he has become a competitive rock climber, downhill skier, runner and triathlete.

As a young child, Kyle was shown how to embrace his adversity by world-class blind athlete Erik Weihenmayer who encouraged him to live life to the fullest. Kyle took Weihenmayer’s advice to heart and began pursuing a life of adventure. In 2006, he hiked the Ankascocha Trail into Machu Picchu. In 2007, he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro at the age of 15. 

After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Communication, he became an endurance athlete competing in numerous marathons and triathlons. In 2018, he was a member of the first team of tandem cyclists with all blind or visually impaired stokers (person on the back of a tandem bike) to complete Race Across America—the world’s toughest bicycle race—racing from Oceanside, Calif to Annapolis, Md in seven days 15 hours. Later in 2018, at Ironman Arizona, Kyle became the first totally blind person to complete an Ironman branded Triathlon (2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike, 26.2 mi run) in under 11 hours. He continues to push himself physically and mentally as he now pursues his goal of representing the USA at the 2020 Paralympics in the sport of Triathlon.

As a young man, Kyle has spoken to major organizations about his adversity and triumphs including various Rotary Clubs in Florida and Taiwan, the International Association of Refrigerated Warehousing, and The American Cancer Society. He has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and in Backpacker and Triathlete magazines.

Losing sight has only served as a base for Kyle’s ability to master his ambitions despite his inability to see them. Inspiring those with similar challenges and sharing a few laughs along the way has become his trademark. Drawing upon his experiences as a totally blind person and adventure athlete, he demonstrates the importance of vision, commitment and courage to pursuing an “Eyeronvision” and embracing the adversity along our life’s journey.

While he wasn’t the first blind person to climb a mountain, run a marathon or compete in a triathlon, his goal is to be one of the best and ensure he isn’t the last.

Contact Kyle

If you'd like to have Kyle speak to your organization, ask him a question, or otherwise collaborate with him. You can find him at following social media sites.

http://www.kylecoon.com/

http://www.facebook.com/kylecoonspeaks

http://www.twitter.com/kyle_coon

http://www.instagram.com/eyeronkyle

This week in the forge, we talk with retired Air Force pilot, Dr. Jannell MacAulay. She is the founder of "Warrior's Edge," which provides mental skills training to military, first line responders and anyone in a high stress environment. We talk about how you can unlock your "badassery" and find your warrior's edge by doing some of the mental push ups she prescribes. Her philosophy is that we need to exercise our minds to make them strong just as we do our physical bodies. You'll enjoy this fascinating discussion where we even break a rule, or two. Don't miss this one! 

About Jannell

Dr. Jannell MacAulay is a combat veteran who served 20 years in the US Air Force as a pilot, commander, special operations consultant, and professionalism instructor. With her innovative leadership style, she was the first leader to introduce mindfulness as a proactive performance strategy within the US military. She continues to consult within the US government and corporate America delivering keynotes and a high-performance warrior mindset training program, called Warrior’s Edge, which she developed with Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks and Dr. Michael Gervais, a high performance sports psychologist. She is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, has a Masters Degree in Kinesiology from Penn State University and a PhD with work in the field of strategic health & human performance. Dr MacAulay is a TEDx speaker, certified wellness educator, yoga instructor, mindfulness researcher, and holds a certificate in plant based nutrition. She is a mother of two, military spouse, and a combat veteran with over 3000 flying hours as a pilot in the C-21, C-130, & KC-10 aircraft. Dr MacAulay is on a mission to help individuals excel in high-stress and rugged environments, by showing them how to lean into each moment to find their best selves.

TED talk, "How to Achieve High Performance Under Stress"

About Warrior's Edge

https://competetocreate.net/warriors-edge/

It is imperative to prepare our military with the mindset skills to not only fundamentally transform their individual lives post-duty, but to function as mental pre-hab in preparation for the necessary physical and mental stressors of active duty. It is time to transform the third largest organization and employer of our country from the inside out. Compete to Create has partnered with Dr. Jannell MacAulay, Lt Col USAF retired (combat pilot, military operational commander, and performance specialist) to bring their Finding Your Best training to the various military, government and first responder branches.

Multiple time Leadville 100 mile run and mountain bike finisher Brad Anderson shares with us the trials and tribulations of dealing with type I diabetes. Brad was diagnosed with adult type I diabetes just a few years ago. Amazingly, he just kept on running and biking long distances. How he continues to do these amazing feats of endurance and mental fortitude is a fascinating listen. Join us as we learn the secrets of how to keep moving forward in the face of uncontrollable obstacles.

We talk with a divorce coach as she shares how you can take a body-mind approach to healing after loss. Often we feel like a failure after divorce and a have a sense of loss of identity. We'll discuss pain through purpose, and how you can turn that pain into a catalyst for reinvention. Whether you are going through a divorce or not, this episode is about how to face a traumatic life event, process it, and then heal. You too can have a bonus life after loss. 

About Kelli Calabrese

After my excruciatingly painful divorce, I got certified as a Divorce Coach to get healed and help others do the same.

I founded Intentionally Fabulous and began my mission to help women going through any stages of separation and divorce go from fearful to fearlessly pursuing what sets their soul on fire.

I take a spirit, mind-body approach to help women redefine themselves to live an extraordinary bonus life filled with peace, joy, gratitude, self-love, and celebration.

My divorce left me filled with anxiety and in a state of depression. I went looking for help but it was all so scattered it was tough to find what I really needed.

I went on a quest to learn about how to heal from what I was experiencing. The result was a path that took me from that empty place to one of joy, freedom, and peace.

https://kellicalabrese.com/ 

https://www.intentionallyfabulous.com/now

References

"Mom & Dadpreneurs: Stories, Strategies and Tips from Super Achievers in Family and Business"  https://www.amazon.com/Mom-Dadpreneurs-Strategies-Achievers-Business/dp/0998312533/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=torimath-20&linkId=bf5cdeceae027bc568b9f3047104b11c&language=en_US 

"Passionistas: Tips, Tales and Tweetables from Women Pursuing Their Dreams" https://www.amazon.com/Passionistas-Tales-Tweetables-Pursuing-Dreams/dp/0998312509/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1495333127&sr=8-1&keywords=passionistas&linkCode=sl1&tag=torimath-20&linkId=2a3e8e52cf04f55bef2540036c398212&language=en_US 

"Success Habits of Super Achievers" https://www.amazon.com/Success-Habits-Super-Achievers-Wilson/dp/1735742805/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1603119084&sr=1-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=torimath-20&linkId=1d83d016e4fa89e80a95efccaa55158b&language=en_US 

In this episode, we explore the other component of mettle that is often overlooked. How do you spend your time off? How do you rest? Do you have a rest ethic? What does time off mean to you? For most people the answer is going to be vacation or holiday. But as John Fitch explains, to be our best it should go much deeper than that. Although rest and relaxation are part of it, it goes much deeper than that. Your rest ethic should serve as a nourishment of your soul through many activities that may surprise you. I invite you to give some of your time to listening to this important message in a world that is always "on" and dangerously teetering on burnout. 

We live in a time where busyness is seen as a badge of honor. Time off can seem like a forgotten or even despised concept. But in this book, you will learn how the deliberate practice of time off will enable you to be your most successful and creative self. Time off and leisure will be the essential skills and competitive advantages that keep you happy and unique.

"Time Off" book link

https://www.amazon.com/Time-Off-Practical-Building-Finding/dp/1734794402/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=time+off&qid=1605700357&sr=8-1

"Atomic Habits" book link (referenced by John)

https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=atomic+habits&qid=1605700386&sr=8-3

"The Way We're Working Isn't Working" book link (referenced by Tara)

https://www.amazon.com/Way-Were-Working-Isnt-Performance/dp/1451610262/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+way+we%27re+working&qid=1605701300&sr=8-1

"The Top Five Regrets of the Dying" book link (referenced by John)

https://www.amazon.com/Top-Five-Regrets-Dying-Transformed/dp/1401956009/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q8A0FUCDGPHG&dchild=1&keywords=the+five+regrets+of+dying&qid=1605701370&sprefix=the+five+regrets+of+%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1

"Indistractable" book link (reference by John)

https://www.amazon.com/Indistractable-Nir-Eyal-Julie-Li-audiobook/dp/B07SV4V6ZK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KPHW9NTJSCFM&dchild=1&keywords=indestractible&qid=1605702352&sprefix=indestracti%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-1

About John Fitch

John is a startup coach and entrepreneur. He lives in Austin, Texas and enjoys jiu jitsu, cooking and hosting dinner parties in his time off. 

"I love connecting new dots and creating prototypes of products and businesses. When new ideas aren't successful, it’s usually because a team was overconfident about how well customers/users would understand the idea and how much they would perceive its value. I specialize in quickly receiving customer/user reactions, before making any expensive commitments. It involves a lot of play, unlearning, and empathy."

https://www.john-fitch.com/

https://www.timeoffbook.com/

Twitter @johnwfitch

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwfitch/

In this rapid fire discussion with Shannon Huffman Polson, we discuss healthy ways to face your fear. Understanding and then owning the narrative arc of your life. If we can change our story regarding fear, it can help us overcome challenges, rather than hinder us. Shannon shares with us what it's like to face that primal fear in the cockpit of an Apache attack helicopter in Bosnia. And then relating it back to the pressure of being a keynote speaker and Today Show guest. 

About Shannon

Speaking and writing have been part of my DNA since leading our high school debate and forensics team and running the literary journal (when we still used scissors and glue!). I believe words change the world, and I thrive on seeing transformation come as a result of sharing lessons and stories through speaking and writing.

After a childhood in Alaska, I studied English literature and art history at Duke University. At graduation I was commissioned as a 2LT in Army Aviation and became one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters, serving on three continents and leading two flight platoons and a line company. In the midst of school and flying came skydiving, scuba diving, big-mountain climbing and long-course triathlons. To turn all that into something practical, I earned my MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and worked with some excellent people in the corporate jungle for a few years in the medical devices industry and technology. I started an MDiv (part-time), and decided not to pursue it, returning to my love of words with an MFA

Shannon's website

http://www.shannonpolson.com/ 

North of Hope

https://www.amazon.com/North-Hope-Daughters-Arctic-Journey/dp/0310328764 

The Grit Factor

https://www.amazon.com/Grit-Factor-Resilience-Male-Dominated-Organization/dp/1633697266/ref=pd_lpo_14_t_0/144-1101085-9996665?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1633697266&pd_rd_r=5de57c84-fa7e-4452-88e1-5c1f664e321a&pd_rd_w=YD2g5&pd_rd_wg=Cw5YN&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=EDYF45VBKVJJPZ167HWP&psc=1&refRID=EDYF45VBKVJJPZ167HWP 

In this intriguing discussion David walks us through how to use our breathing as a superpower to not only regulate our physiology, but also our stress levels. In these chaotic times, this message carries even more importance. By understanding our physiology, we can better manage our mental health through our mind-body connection. 

About David

David Bidler is a speaker, author, and leader in professional development. David is the CEO of Breathe to Perform which shares the science of stress management and peak performance with industry leaders and their teams. David proudly serves as the President of the nonprofit organization Physiology First which provides brain and body based education to students and teachers around the United States. David owns The Distance Project: Strength and Conditioning, in Freeport, Maine and is an avid endurance athlete and ultramarathon runner.

"Breathe to Perform" website and Instagram handle.

thebreathetoperformprogram.com @breathetoperform

"Physiology First" website and Instagram handle.

physiologyfirst.org

@physiologyfirst

Link to "Breathe to Perform" book on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Breathe-Perform-Breathing-Exercises-Performance/dp/1943795010/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1589804995&sr=8-1

A lively discussion with 5-time world champion, Lesley Paterson, from the world of Xterra triathlon. Join us as Lesley explains what it's like to reach the top of your field and then come tumbling down. Her insights on how to deal with the pressure of success, setbacks, and struggles are lessons for us all. She will share her thoughts on mastering your craft, self worth and body image issues. She feels that seeking out adversity and even embracing suffering is important so that we can grow and reach new heights.

About Lesley

Basically I’m a little Scottish lassie who packs a mean punch!  But here’s the longer version…

While growing up, my ‘thing’ was rugby…yes you heard it right, rugby! I loved to get dirty and I loved to fight boys. Being the only gal outta 250 boys in the squad, I learned pretty quickly how to take care of myself! However, as with most good things in life, it came to an end. I was too old to play with the boys, so I found an equally crazy sport called triathlon. Since the tender age of 14, I’ve competed all over the world for the British and Scottish triathlon team, developing awesome friendships and seeing some amazing parts of the world.

Lesley's websites

http://www.lesleypaterson.com/ 

www.braveheartcoach.com

The Brave Athlete

https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Athlete-Calm-Down-Occasion/dp/1937715736/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1605099816&sr=1-1 

Welcome to the forge! Tara and Ron discuss why doing hard things and resisting taking the easy path in life is beneficial to your wellbeing and happiness. Get to know your blacksmiths and why they believe this podcast is so important in our modern world.