Growth Guide

Today we speak with the acclaimed jeweler Pitango Trotoush. To label Pitango a jeweler is like calling the grand canyon a big hole. He's an enigma, an artist, a mystic, and in many ways a guru. Acquiring a Pitango ring is typically accompanied by a tea ceremony, a reading where he seemingly looks into your soul while he describes the powers of the ring you selected. Or did it select you? His story reminds us to embody our truth and follow our purpose which is exactly what he did. Some 30yrs ago Pitango came out of the Israeli army a hardened man who had lost his smile. One day while backpacking through India he begrudgingly followed a fellow backpacker to a cave where hundreds lined up. As he neared he felt something strange, the heaviness he carried became lighter. Each step closer brought him greater salvation and closer to his purpose. The monk he waited for changed the course of his life, while he never heard of this man, it was the Dali Lama. This experience clarified his purpose and he began making exquisite jewelry to empower people to be their greatest selves. Learn more about this incredible story. Pitango Maybe sees his rings and jewelry as tools of healing, steeped in the study of the special alchemic connection between stones, metals, and antique symbols he intentionally selects precious and semi-precious stones from locations around the world. He combines them with antique medals, talismans, and coins. These words fail to express the power in his rings. I was drawn to his work over 15yrs ago and it's rare that a week goes by without someone fixated on a ring that I'm wearing. First, it's because they are gorgeous but more deeply because they are true talismans that carry an immense material power. Learn more at growthguide.love

Astrology is a subject that was held in the highest regard at least as far as 3-4 thousand yrs. It's a subject that was studied by the Babylonians, ancient Egyptians, Arabs, Greeks, Europeans, and on and on. Until the 17th century, astrology was considered a scholarly tradition, and it helped drive the development of astronomy. It was commonly accepted in political and cultural circles, and some of its concepts were used in other traditional studies, such as alchemy, meteorology, and medicine. My next guest shifted how I relate to my life experience and made me feel intensely more connected to my place in the Universe. Rebecca Gordon is a renowned New York City astrologer, founder of 17-year running School My Path Astrology, and author of 'Your Body and the Stars' from Simon & Schuster. She is the resident astrologer for Harper's Bazaar and has been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Financial Times, Forbes, The Oprah Magazine, Vogue, and television shows like Dr. Oz and CNN among others. Over the last decade, Rebecca has also been collaborating with top luxury companies such as Chanel, Christian Louboutin, and Agent Provocateur curating astrological experiences, and most recently launched a wellness partnership with the Four Seasons. In Rebecca's client work, It's her mission to align people with their own unique brand of stardust so they can step into their highest potential. My wife and I studied Astrology with Rebecca for two years and it has had a profound impact on how we set our schedules, approach business, relationships and so much more. Learn more at growthguide.love

Muys Snijders is a powerhouse in the art world, but what makes her even more special is her deep intentions for honoring the artists and making art so accessible to everyone. In our discussion, we pull back the curtain on the art world's past, present and future. I am incredibly passionate about this topic. I've always been an artist at heart and struggled with many of the artist's current dilemmas. I graduated from the College of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University yet despite coming out of one of the top art schools I found it terribly challenging to enter into and make a living in the art world. I was encouraged to be pragmatic and look into commercial areas which ultimately landed me in the advertising industry. I've thought a lot about what the underlying reasons are for receiving advice that moved me away from my passion. I recognize how much we undervalue the arts in our current times and believe that connecting to the arts offers an opportunity to connect with much deeper parts of ourselves and our society. We'll get into this and much more shortly covering innovation, diversity, patronage as well as emerging technology in the arts. Muys is a seasoned executive and visionary leader with over 25 years of international experience working in the art world. She launched her own art consultancy firm and served as the Managing Director of Christie's Americas. Muys has a deep knowledge of the market for Post War & Contemporary Art having led the division for Bonhams in New York and prior to that, she was the Global Director of Client Strategy and Private Sales for this department at Christie's. Muys holds an MA in Art History and Classical Archaeology from Leiden University in the Netherlands, as well as an MA in Arts Management from Greenwich University and an MA in Art Market Appraisal from Kingston University in the UK. Muys is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Leadership Program for China from Harvard Business School, Tsinghua University in Beijing, and CEIBS in Shanghai and most recently obtained a Certificate in Alternative Investments from Harvard Business School. She is multilingual and has worked in London, Amsterdam as well as New York.

But don't be intimidated as we know how the art space can often feel. Muys is as approachable and inspiring as she is experienced.

Today is my most special guest to date. A man that has played a tremendous role in my life, serving as a teacher, inspiration and so much more. 94yr old Conrad Homler is my grandfather. I have been truly blessed to have him as an elder and fixture throughout my entire life. This episode is about honoring our elders, slowing down to connect with those who paved our way. Let's acknowledge the change that occurs in just one life and about capturing the amazing stories that are so often lost or degraded over time. Born in 1927 in BK, NY he entered in through the Great Depression. Not liking the austere world he experienced, he promised himself that he would create a more desirable life. He graduated HS at 15 and went to college on full scholarship all while working to help support the family on $3 a week. He served his country in the Navy narrowly avoiding deployment to the bikini islands where the US government's upcoming atomic bomb tests were to take place. He lovingly reflects on his relationship with his wife of 75 yrs whom we lost this past year. As you'll see he has a memory like a steel trap, an endless pursuit of growth, and the vigor of a much younger man

Kathleen Nagy is an orchestral musician, Bio Acoustic specialist, and author. Sound healing has no doubt hit the mainstream in recent years yet it's for from new. Music and sound has as long a history as we do. All cultures have their own versions of sounds, music, and instruments as well as sound healing modalities. Whether it be Kototama from Japan, the sound chambers of ancient Egypt, or Tibetan singing bowls and gong baths. What they all have in common is that they use the vibrational frequency of sound to target areas of the body to move energy and restore health. Different frequencies have the ability to penetrate different densities- blood, muscle tissue, organs, bone and so one. 25yrs ago while making a living as a classical concert musician, Kathleen noticed the benefit she seemed to get from certain sounds she played on the horn. She explored ways to optimize this and used her practice to heal herself from chronic asthma. With this undeniable experience she transitioned from a career of music for entertainment to one for sound and healing. Kathleen believes that our state of health can be found in the sound mapping of our voice. She says that it not only identifies root causes but also that our unique vocal range can be used to target and healing numerous issues. Kathleen focuses on a form of humming- yes humming that targets specific areas of the body. Her book Humming for Health explains how it all works in great detail. But for now let's hear it straight from her.

Visionary Kenji Williams is a composer, filmmaker, performer, and creator of the Bella Gaia experience. You may have heard him on TED, or seen him perform somewhere in the world. BELLA GAIA is an immersive performance unlike any other. It combines live cultural dance and music from around the world with awe-inspiring NASA footage of our planet from here on the ground and from up in outer space. Using mixed reality, and interactive data visualization it shows us how humans and nature are interconnected, and how art and science are connected. Itʼs an exploration of the relationship between human civilization and our ecosystem through time and space. What I love most of all is that it tells the story of our living, breathing planet, without a voiceover. Viewers are truly immersed in seeing and feeling this reality which I believe to be much more powerful than words. Kenji has devoted his life to this work, passionately developing the show while focusing on scaling it in order to effect meaningful change in our world. I believe that Kenji's perspective and passion for healing our planet are exactly the medicine we need right now.

Unbuckle your mind, and open your heart, it's grow time!

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My guest this week is Frank "The Legend" Shamrock, retired 4x undefeated UFC Middleweight Champion. Frank pioneered the sport as one of the first to successfully mix various disciplines. During his reign he was the No. 1 ranked pound for pound UFC fighter in the world. But all of that is a tiny part of his story. Frank's journey is nothing short of unbelievable. After leaving an abusive home at the age of 15, he lived on the streets, repeatedly landing himself in prison. One day he had the epiphany that he was on a losing path and decided to turn his life around. In prison, he committed himself to develop his mind, body, and spirit. He put himself through college, organized a weight training program, and when he got out channeled all of his energy into becoming the UFC champion. Never stopping on the path of growth, Frank lives by the Warriors code. Since retiring, Frank thrives as an entrepreneur, mentoring the youth, and motivating Fortune 500 companies as a public speaker. Frank has also journeyed deep down the road of reflection and healing bringing peace to himself and his family. A devout single father that I've seen in action, Frank works around the clock to consciously give his daughter the best life he can.

Jhon T is the founder of the Atmananda Yoga Sequence and inventor of the Atmananda alignment mat. His yoga system combines 71 poses rooted in Hatha and Ashtanga. I studied with Jhon T for my teacher training after ten years of practicing with him. I'll say first hand that no other yoga teacher I've experienced gets more directly to the underlying issues. Living in NYC I had the choice between a lot of incredible teachers, but it was a no brainer. Breath is the backbone of his approach and Jhon's style and isms demand that we take responsibility for how we show up on and off the mat. His teachings consistently push growth towards living a more consciously aligned lifestyle. Back in '94 after he saw many yoga students in NYC injuring themselves, he realized that this was a result of various yoga styles that were paying little attention to alignment in their teachings. He created the sequence and later his patented mat to equip yoga practitioners with the tools they need to become more conscious about cultivating a healthy practice.

Nathaniel Whitmore is an herbalist, mycologist, & Shiatsu-shi specialist. His knowledge and bag of tricks go deep pulling from many modalities that he's been schooled in, from herbology to shiatsu, macrobiotics to martial arts, native traditions to quantum consciousness. We walk his serendipitous path talking about some of his teachers like spiritual moonshine man Taterbug Tyler, and Michio Kushi who helped to introduce modern macrobiotics to the US. Born and raised around the border of upstate NY and Pennsylvania his family has been here for so long that his street bears his name.

Jude Boudreaux is a financial planner that helps others live their lives on purpose. His approach uniquely pairs living in the present with planning for the future. Weaving together finance, personal growth, psychology, and positive thinking, Jude breathes new life into a topic that typically makes my eyes glaze over. You may have heard Jude quoted in publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Journal of Financial Planning, Money Magazine, and The Times-Picayune, to name a few. As an avid traveler and family man, his oldest daughter visited 45 states by 4yrs old, never missing an opportunity to live life to the fullest. We cover off on: relationships to money, how to create a plan (regardless of age) that allows you to enjoy the moment, and how to introduce finances to kids as a learning opportunity.