Grow Big Always

There’s certain people you just can’t put a finger on. And those are perhaps my FAVORITE people. They’re uncategorizable astral projections, they’re so unique it feels like they almost have no derivative. Amazing Race winner, Tyler MacNiven is one of those people. Besides being a complete blast, he’s overflowing with life— he's so happy, so positive-- all the time— that it you wonder if he’s really like that. (He is.) He’s just a programmed happy person.

Hard to believe it, but Dave and I have worked together for over 10 years. When I joined Jive there were just 13-14 people but he had been there from day one. It was him, and two developers. We sat in the same office for most of the ride of what ended up becoming rocket ship until just before the company went public. After that, Dave gave me the confidence and coaching to launch my own company and worked with me as a Board member for 5 years. This episode will resonate with any of you who’ve had to remodel yourself. That have had to navigate that scary void between an old identity and a new one. Who’ve had to ease your old self out of the equation so you could truly become someone completely different.

If you’ve been to Portland, you’ve been to Andy Ricker's Pok Pok—or maybe you went in LA or NY—heck, it could have been visiting the kiosk in the Portland airport during a layover. Andy is obsessed with local, regional Thai food that you would never find in any Thai tourist destinations. In fact, you’d only find it after spending years in Thailand making a ton of local connections and really embedding yourself in parts of the country that most of us never get the opportunity to. Andy has made it his mission to bring that food to the American market. And he’s done so in a way that’s absolutely remarkable. The guy has eight restaurants in three cities, a book, a line of food, he was top 10 best new restaurants in America by GQ Magazine, restaurant of the year by the Oregonian, he’s won a couple of James Beard awards and been featured many times in lots of different media outlets— from Vice Magazine to Anthony Bourdain’s "No Reservations.”

The last thing that Florian and Shannon Radke are afraid of is risk. They had the balls to not only start and grow an unusual business but to hustle themselves onto Shark Tank (season 5, episode 28) and win. Their strong point of view on ethical veganism -- for example-- has not only been foundational in starting their own company, but they’ve invested that same energy into PETA, into helping bring important movies to life like Cowspiracy, which had Leonardo DiCaprio as executive producer. You should check it out on Netflix, btw.

Pete manages bands and not just any bands but popular alternative bands like The Bravery, Andrew W. K, The Airborne Toxic Event, In the Valley Below. In case you haven’t heard of these performers, bands he manages have been on Conan O Brian, on Letterman, they’ve headlined at huge music festivals like Cochella, Lallapolooza, Austin City Limits— they’re Grammy Winning Artists who have opened for big acts like U2, Depeche Mode, and Green Day. The point is, Pete knows his stuff. He knows how to grow bands from Seedling to a Sequoia. And more than anything, he’s a driven, passionate, funny, and overall great guy.

If we're lucky, we get to attend the magic of a birth. It might be just a

couple of them and they're most likely our own kids. But if you're a doula,

you attend hundreds of births. Each situation is completely different, each

family is completely different. Doula Mollee Franklin stopped by to share

how this reality affects the expectations she puts on life in general. How

these experiences have framed the way she looks at the world.

I bet if I told you I knew someone who helped people face the monsters in their closets everyday, who was personally and professionally devoted to the pursuit of intense human connections, of deep understanding, of learning, of helping others— you would think I was describing a psychologist or maybe a spiritual leader but certainly not a professional dominatrix. Last year the familial and romantic relationships in Colette's life went through a big shake up when the compartmental structure she had relied on to keep her secrets, completely collapsed and were brought into the light. In our conversation, you’ll hear how she’s traversed these changes and grown because of them. I want to hear from you so please comment on our Reddit community, on Instagram or drop me a line.

Edwin Anderson has spent over 30 years as a firefighter, a cop, and a paramedic. He grew up around murder, gang violence and sex crimes. Even though he's been perpetually surrounded by tragedy, Edwin continues to escape with his head held high.

Risk can be paralyzing. Less so when you live inside it everyday, which is a requirement as a pro-skateboarder. That's where Keith Hufnagel (or "HUF") started his career. You have to eat a lot of shit to get somewhere. And HUF would know. In our conversation, HUF talks about risk and what it's taken for him to stay focused and keep trying again -- even when he's fallen down a lot. You can find all notes and links to this episode at http://www.growbigalways.com/episodes/keith-hufnagel

Jenny Angelillo spent her life on stage which, according to her, both ruined and saved her life. She's the lead singer for punk band Neighborhood Brats, and previously was a ballerina, an esthetician and a MFA creative photographer. Vice Magazine called her the female Henry Rollins. She can "rip the hair off your crotch in 15 minutes." You can read the notes for this episode at http://www.growbigalways.com/episodes/how-not-to-fill-the-hole-inside-you-with-jenny-angelillo