Inside The Adventure

Dan Opalacz decided to sell most of what he owned and move into an 86’ Subaru Powered VW to travel around North America and build one of the nation's most exciting footwear startups, Bedrock Sandals. After a couple years in the VW, Dan traded in his VW van for a small boat in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved the company out to Oakland, CA where he’s currently living at the marina out of a sailboat...with no sail…or even mast. In addition to building the Bedrock Brand, Dan recently traveled the entire country of New Zealand via bike, foot, and canoe and was recently named to the Outdoor Industry's 30 Under 30 list.    On this episode we chat with Dan on why he decided to made such a radical change to his lifestyle, we hear amazing stories from his epic adventures and we discuss how he built Bedrock Sandals.    Links mentioned in episode:  

1. Bedrock Sandals

  This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Jason Antin is currently the director of Partnerships at Gociety, an app dedicated to easily getting you outside with awesome people; simply and spontaneously.

On top of that, Jason is a guide for Denver Mountain Guiding, has extensive emergency medical training as an EMT, and he coaches mountain athletes at the Alpine Training Center in Boulder, CO. 

On this episode, we discuss how Jason went from being a law enforcement officer to working in the outdoors, how he built his career around the outdoors and advice he would give to someone who wants to make a career change into the outdoors.

  Links mentioned in episode:  

1. Adventure Fest
2. Gociety

  This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Bob Dalton was inspired to help the homeless population when his mother, a hard-working single mother, found herself living on the streets in 2013. Because of his Mother's story, Bob realized that not all choose to become homeless, and that some just need a second chance. He began to call homeless shelters in his area to ask what they needed: They all said blankets. In June of 2014, Bob founded Sackcloth & Ashes. For every blanket that you purchase, Sackcloth & Ashes gives a blanket to your local homeless shelter.   On this episode we discuss:

1. How Bob’s childhood shaped his career and the business he started.
2. How Bob used his mother’s time on the streets as inspiration to start his business.
3. The impact Sackcloth & Ashes has had on the homeless community.
4. The advice Bob would give to someone who wants to be a social entrepreneur.
5. How Sackcloth & Ashes is revolutionizing social entrepreneurship. 

  This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Craig Cooper is a 53-year-old serial entrepreneur from Australia and an early investor in companies such as The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed.

Craig is currently the CEO of CooperativeHealth, a digital media company focused on men’s health, as well as the author of the Harper Collins book “Your New Prime: 30 Days to Better Sex, Eternal Strength, and a Kick-Ass Life After 40“. Through this, he’s created a comprehensive guide to healthy aging for men, highlighting the specific things to focus on – flexibility, mobility, balance, functional strength, nutrition and endurance.

And as if that weren’t enough, Craig is also the host of CNBC's new Shark Tank style show, the "Adventure Capitalists,” showcasing the best new innovation from outdoor startups across the world.
  On this episode we discuss:

1. Craig’s early life and how he forged his own path in his multitude of careers.
2. How his many injuries and near death experiences have shaped his life.
3. A behind the scenes look at the TV Show “Adventure Capitalists”.
4. Why an active and healthy lifestyle is so important to Craig.
5. The advice he’d give to other outdoor entrepreneurs.
6. What Craig wants his legacy to be.

  This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Chris Burkard is an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Traveling throughout the year to pursue the farthest expanses of Earth, Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.   On this episode we discuss:

1. How Chris fell in love with the outdoors
2. How he ruined $30,000 worth of camera gear.
3. Why he spent a night in a Russian jail
4. Chris takes us behind the scenes of all the hard work that goes into planning an outdoor trip.
5. How anyone can turn their passion into a career. 

This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Patrick Sherwin is the founder of GoSun Stove; a versatile and powerful portable stove that can cook a meal in only 20 minutes, safely sizzling its contents up to a remarkable 550°F, all without the use of fuel.   On this episode, we discuss how Patrick fell in love with the outdoors, the impact solar energy has on our community, how Patrick discovered this technology and created the GoSun stove and advice he would give to others on how to make an impact on society.   This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Mark Llano is the owner and driver of Serket Racing, a seasoned veteran, and entrepreneur dedicated to bettering the lives of his fellow veterans.

Llano joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1986 and served five years prior to being called up for active duty during Desert Storm in 1991. Llano’s dedication to excellence was apparent as a marine, and upon leaving the service, continued with his entrepreneurial work.

In 2003, Llano left Sterling to pursue a new venture that would bring him closer to his military family and community. Named Source One Distributors, Inc., Llano’s new venture provided equipment, products and support services to the defense industry. In 2012, Llano married his success with Source One and his passion for racing by creating Serket to raise awareness and direct financial support for veterans and their families.

On this episode, we discuss how Mark got into Serket racing, how he trains for Serket racing, his favorite memories from racing and we learn about his mental approach to series racing and how we can apply it to our lives. 

This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Brody Leven is a professional adventure skier and storyteller raised in flat, northeastern Ohio as a freestyle skier and soccer player. Brody graduated from Westminster College in 2010 where he was elected as a two-term student body president and recipient of his college's highest honor, the President's Leadership while studying economics, honors, and Spanish. He’s obsessed with climbing and skiing the world's mountains and volcanoes. Once a year Brody wears a suit once a year to talk with congress about climate change.   On this episode, we discuss how Brody fell in love with skiing, how he became a ski mountaineer, and how Brody has built his lifestyle around outdoor adventures and making an impact on the world. 
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Kyle Davidson is the founder of Sourced Adventures, an adventure travel company specializing in day trips, weekend excursions, and destination travel. Sourced Adventures helps people escape the city and experience the outdoors. In three short years, Sourced Adventures has taken over 30,000 passengers on trips.   On this episode, we discuss how Kyle got involved guiding outdoor trips, how he started Sourced Adventures, and advice he would give to people who want to lead outdoor trips. 
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.

Justin Lukasavige is a free-lance marketing and photography guru who gets paid to travel the world and pursue what he loves.   On this episode, we discuss Justin’s experiences motorcycling the Colorado mountain passes, how he combines his passion for photography and the outdoors, and advice he would give to others on how they can build an income around the outdoors.
This podcast is sponsored by Vestigo and produced by Force Media.