Future Optimist

On your quest for unusual success stories and inspirational tales, I’m sure you’ve noticed that many coveted jobs are all remote. From Tim Ferriss’s iconic-if-possibly-misleading 4-hour Workweek to the DJs I’ve interviewed to record label managers to songwriters to thought leaders à la Simon Sinek, Marie Forleo, and more -- many of the world’s most coveted jobs/businesses are remote or at least, location-independent.

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Leah Bonnema is a stand-up comedian and writer who recently moved from NYC to LA. She’s done performances on network television and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (a personal hero of mine), and she’s also written full-length books and scripts in addition to co-hosting a weekly podcast, Were You Raised by Wolves with Nick Leighton. Today we talk about making it as a comic in this crazy world.

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Are your goals big enough? Are you chasing after something that you could consider your life’s work? Or are you like me, still searching for that unique combination of awesomeness?

Tune in either way, because today’s guest is Vidjay Beerepoot, composer for Disney and TV/Film in Hollywood. We’ll talk about how he set the right goals and chased them down with relentless persistence, setting his targets in spans of 20 years, not 20 days. It’s such excellent stuff for someone who’s as impatient as me. His story is nothing short of remarkable. He packed up and moved to LA with a dream, and now he’s making that very big dream a very big reality. 

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That's a wrap on season 3 of the podcast!

We've had some remarkable guests this season, from entrepreneurs to charitable organization founders to social media experts to a reporter for the NHL and so much more, the range of talent and skill this season has been immense.

I'm beyond honored that these fine people have shared their wisdom with me!

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Once upon a time, Vikrant was down to his last dollar. He wrote several books—even though he doesn’t consider himself a writer—trying to get a bestseller. From there the idea was born to create an “angel writing” service for people who want to create a bestselling book but aren’t writers, and that idea has blossomed into a successful business for him.

This episode talks about what it takes to sell a book if you want to make one, and we also talk about how he created a successful business. 

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Nicola Cavanagh had her life all planned out. She was succeeding in the corporate world, she fought hard to attain that coveted “director” status. But the further she climbed, the more she realized the corporate world wasn’t for her. So she set out on her own to build her own recruitment company.

Oh - did I mention she also became a medal-winning bodybuilder? We talk about that critical moment when a person decides “enough is enough” and sets out on their own. If you’ve considered making the leap, this episode is for you.

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When I started this podcast… Spencer Kitson was exactly the type of person I was hoping to find.

You’ll notice that this is one of the longer episodes we’ve had on this podcast, because this South African man hasn’t just lived one story, he’s lived four or five. He built a career in music from the ground up, then completely switched gears to get into mining and mineral trading. But that was just the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey… Truly this is a fascinating tale that almost defies belief… It’s like the story you’d find in a movie, but it’s proof of all the many different “seasons” one life can have.

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Freek Coppens, otherwise known as Ferreck Dawn, is a Dutch musician and DJ with millions of streams per month. Before COVID, he was touring the globe continuously.

In this episode, we talk about how he was able to achieve his goals by staying determined and never losing sight of what he wanted in life. It’s such an inspiring tale of triumphing against all odds.

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Aside from being a brilliant play on words, (kidding), Beat the Often Path was born out of my own desire for better input. I wanted to share some insights into the "why" of this podcast, to help you put a context around what you're hearing. 

Kara Hammer is a reporter for the Nashville Predators NHL hockey team on Bally Sports. When you discover how Kara stuck with a dream with single-minded focus, I know you are going to be as impressed with her story as I am.

We’ll learn how she worked her way up the food chain to a coveted spot as an NHL reporter, fulfilling a childhood dream. This episode is perfect for anyone looking for validation that yes, you CAN achieve what you set out to, as long as you approach your unusual path in the right way.

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