Maximum Enthusiasm

“This experience taught me that I have value apart from my work — accepting my mistakes as learning experiences… I had this mindset that it was all or nothing, which was a driving factor to accomplish a lot of things, but the dark side was that I couldn’t accept mediocre as ok. But I’m human- and as a human I have the same limitations as everyone else who is a human. That means I need sleep and breaks. Taking time to relax, journal, slow down…. “

Friends… meet this powerhouse of drive, authenticity, and Vulnerability- this amazing woman, Danielle. Like me, Danielle is a lawyer and she’s also a partner of her law firm in WI. She’s a mom of 3, wife, friend, boss, mentor, leader, runner, and soooo much more.

I’ve been getting to know Danielle more and more in recent years and as we’ve peeled back the layers of life, I’ve loved watching her share her experience of dropping down into the darkness (the culmination of burnout, overwhelm, anxiety, and allll the things we throw at ourselves just to see how much we can stack on) and then pull herself back up into the light!!! As a leader in our field as well as a mom and leader in her communities and her circles, I feel her story is so powerful and LOVE that she’s willing to share it with us and with other women in law. I know you’ll find her as powerful, inspirational and incredible as I do! As they say, the hardest and bravest thing we can ever ask for, is help. “Help me.” And I’m so glad Danielle asked for help and now spreads the good word about helping ourselves by slowing down, feeling our human-ness, and cutting ourselves some slack.

From Danielle: "Here are some resources that helped me on my journey out of the darkness:

Undistracted by Bob Goff

The Enneagram Institute

The Road Back to You

Business Made Simple /Hero on a Mission book

Brene Brown - Values Test

Her contact information:

Bio: https://www.hq-law.com/attorneys/danielle-schroder/

Instagram: @wellnesswomenclub

@dmschroder

OK so... this guy and I - -we broke a doggone WORLD RECORD back in December 2019 - -we pedaled on our indoor spin bikes for 28 hours and broke the record for "longest static cycling class." It was an insane and amazing adventure and endeavor -and even though our record was recently broken (30 hours!) this event will always be one of my proudest achievements and most triumphant experiences as an adult.

Working on the event with Ryan in the months leading up to it and then working alongside him through those 28 hours - as well as being a fellow EO (Entrepreneur Org) member, I've gotten to know Ryan and his family these last four or five years and I just find his energy SO contagious. I always appreciate his outlook on things, his advice, his nuggets of wisdom... talking to him never fails to uplift me. SO of COURSE I wanted to share his uplifting spirit with YOU all! I really hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Here are some links to find more about Ryan:

https://ryanavery.com/ryan-averys-books/

Ryan Avery, The Keynote Speaker

Ryan Avery | Tel: +1-409-200-4774 | [email protected]

www.RyanAvery.com | PO BOX 1516 Englewood, CO 80150 USA

Join Ryan LIVE every Tuesday at 12:00pm ET for 15 minutes of motivation, inspiration and tangible takeaways thanks to Bellevue University! Register now (here: https://tuesdays.bellevue.edu/).

See also https://breakinghistory.tv/

Ryan mentions this book: Stretch

Books I mentioned in my intro:

4 Thousand Weeks

And (re being impeccable with your word):

The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz & Don Jose Ruiz

Meet Sharon Madison: She’s a survivor in more ways than one. Life has had its challenges along the way for sure, but specifically since election night, 2016, she’s endured and survived some of life’s greatest challenges - any one of them would have us all down on our knees- and she’s made it through several.

She could spend her days asking, “why me,” but instead she focuses on giving freely to others, using her time and talents to be of service and to build community… she’s called to give back in big ways, and for all these reasons (and so many more!) I find Sharon to be a true inspiration. Hear how this second-to-youngest of 10 kids growing up in a Nebraska town (pop : 100) went into the fashion industry and has blossomed into her current love: running a cycling team which functions as a non-profit and has the mission: we ride to give.

Check out her episode — and then visit her team page www.weride4.org and her other links below to learn more!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/weride4

https://www.instagram.com/weridefor/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71270192/admin/

Thanks as always to RELISH STUDIO for their help in producing this podcast and for being a show sponsor!

Meet Maureen O’Keefe: Wife, Mom, cyclist, community member, employee, nature-lover…. badass. Tenacious with a never-back-down attitude, if you ask me.

That’s what made her perfect for the show.

Also, meet Maureen O’Keefe: victim of a crash caused by a negligent motorist. Maureen went for a bike ride one day and she came home weeks later a very different version of herself. She sustained serious injuries, including a shattered shoulder and knee, in the collision.

Instead of finding a justice system ready to punish the person who did this- a young driver (who to this day has yet to apologize to Maureen) - Maureen was appalled to find the system all-too-eager to blame HER. She witnessed both the DA and defense counsel victim-blaming HER and she experienced a criminal/traffic case where the players in the game seemed more concerned with keeping the young driver driving and going to school, than it did with punishing the driver who left Maureen forever maimed, impaired and altered.

Maureen’s tenacity from day one is what left such an impression on me and given the various hurdles faced in her case with the DAs, defense counsel, even the cops’ body cam footage, we felt this interview would be hugely informative and helpful to anyone who may ever find themselves in a similar position.

Interested in getting involved in bike advocacy in the Colorado Springs area where Maureen lives and rides?

Check out Bike COS: https://www.bikecoloradosprings.org/

Thanks as always to RELISH STUDIO for their help in producing this podcast and for being a show sponsor!

HI listeners!!! Please meet my JOLLY and optimistic friend, TONY LUPO! I am sooo stoked to bring his insights, enthusiasm, and most importantly, OPTIMISM -- and thoughts on alternative energy and fuel sources (he's a Chief Geophysicist !!!) and he also works on an amazing podcast in which he features and tells veterans' stories-- all while absolutely EXUDING the essence of JOLLY. He truly is a JOLLY giant, and I'm so thankful to call him a friend and to know there are humans like him in this human existence making a real difference for all of us!

"... my outlook on life is that human beings are amazing – I am grateful that I’m one of them. Our ability to understand our surroundings, to communicate, I think human beings are destined for great things, that we’re going to overcome a lot of the things that we see today - I mean how can you not be enthusiastic about that?" -- Tony Lupo

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-lupo-48524535/

PODCAST:

https://www.thewarriornextdoor.com/

He references this Book – Herodotus- The Histories

Also he recommended to me this one :

Alchemy: The Dark Art & Curious Science in Creating Magic in Brands, Business and Life.

By Rory Sutherland

Find him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-lupo-48524535/

Hey friends, so stoked to bring you another guest who speaks on topics related to LESS, ENOUGH, sustainability and climate! You can read ALL the things about her at her website here: https://www.deliberateless.com and also on her linked in bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-c-97113613/ 

Mom of three, she is SUPER intentional- hence, deliberate- less. She really does make very intentional decisions for herself and her family and I appreciate the thought and time and research she puts into the things she buys, owns, and feeds her family. I’ve always admired her on her social media account and getting to know her better via our Bike Ambassador team last year.

Here are some awesome links and references she points out:

Imperfect Foods - food/produce delivery, preventing food waste!

Books:"How to Be a Conscious Eater" by Sophie Egan

"Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale" by Adam Minter

Shopping:

Azure Market - bulk food

thredUp Online consignment

Joyfill refill market

Buy Nothing Project (find your local group!)

Time Magazine article:

"We Analyzed the Emissions 4 Families Generated in a Week. Here's What We Learned About Living Greener"

Podcast Rec:

How to Save a Planet

In my intro, I mention this podcast I recently listened to on the Rich Roll podcast—  

https://www.richroll.com/podcast/sylvia-earle-660/

Meet amazing powerhouse rockstar, Jenn Dice, President & CEO of PeopleForBikes (aka PFB)!

Can we just talk about the power of bikes for a second— and how they can save us, if we’d let them!? People for Bikes is working hard to make cycling GREAT and safe for cyclists in the US. They do amazing work- and right now, I am proud to be one of their featured “local bike champions,” (more HERE). I really hope you’ll do as we ask in this interview, and join PFB —it’s FREE! Get involved and please do send the emails to your elected officials when they send you an email with a pending bicycle-related issue! You can dig in HERE!

Ways to get involved:

Join Ride Spot + Participate in one of our Monthly or Yearly Challenges — You can earn rewards and prizes just for riding your bike.

Submit a Local Bike Champion

Sign Up for the PFB Grassroots Army at the bottom of the main PFB Site to get notified about issues affecting biking in your area

See how your City Rates for bikes with our City Ratings Site — new U.S. scores arriving in early summer

Tag us in your best bike riding social media pictures on IG (@peopleforbikes and @ride_spot)

PLUS …. More about Jenn Dice HERE and HERE

********************************

The Rich Roll podcast episode I referenced in my intro here is this one: https://www.richroll.com/podcast/jacqueline-novogratz-657/

I listened to it on a hike and loved how they talk about people who get involved in solving the world’s unsolvable problems and issues- tackling them with fervor and intensity even though the problems are so giant.

I also referenced this podcast interview of mine recently featured on the I am Driven podcast.

The three books I mentioned in my intro:

-Atomic Habits

-A Year to Live

-Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess

Helloooooooo earth fans, meet this lovely badass, Ashlee Piper!

I first encountered her (name) when I ordered her book "Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet."

I loved that it truly is a handbook- written very practically and down to earth and approachable - and funny, with loads of F-bombs too.

I was overjoyed that she agreed to come on the show and she drops some true GEMS in our chat.

You can read about her and her book here: https://www.ashleepiper.com/book

More:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/417600

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlee-piper-4401498/

She also mentions several great websites, orgs and groups, like your local "buy nothing" group on facebook, "free geek", thredup, and more. I learned so much from her in this interview beyond what I'd learned in her book.

Also you MUST watch her TED TALK as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBdSz0ox4PQ

Hey friends, please meet Pete! (Today (11/10) is also his birthday so let’s please give him a shout-out, some thanks and virtual high-fives today !

I know Pete as a result of being in the bike advocacy world - he’s the ED of Bicycle Colorado, Colorado’s top and most effective statewide bicycle advocacy organization. He’s been there for a few years now and our paths have understandably crossed as a result of our work in this realm.

Yet somehow I’ve also always known he came from outside of the world of bikes prior to taking this role, and I felt called to host him on the show here once I announced my retirement. I don’t know why I had that idea, it just felt like the right time to sit down and have this chat with him -and it was!

Also yes you read that right - on 10/21/21, I announced my retirement from my work as TheCyclist-Lawyer. The truth inside me has been welling up for some time and I was honestly making myself sick trying to outrun it, avoid it, out work it, muscle through it. More on this for another time and show- I’ve got a lot to share as I continue to unpack this transition I’m in.

So Pete and I —we barely skimmed the surface on the bike advocacy questions and topics I wanted to cover with him so I’m hoping we can do a part 2 soon. For now- check this one out and be inspired— to pivot in life and in work, AND, to get involved in ANY WAY you possibly can, in bike advocacy or in whatever realm of service in any topic that touches you. The world needs us ALL rolling up our sleeves getting more involved!

Read more about Pete (and Bicycle Colorado) here: https://www.bicyclecolorado.org/bike-news/bicycle-colorado-names-peter-piccolo-executive-director/

Meet my friend and fellow lawyer, Mike Foote. Mike is a former DA and former legislator, now law firm founder and environmental activist. His firm specializes in "enviro law" and in my dealings with him in cycling law and law writing and learning more about climate crisis, oil and gas and the challenges we face here in CO and nationwide, I've learned a lot more about what environmental law means and stands for- and why we all need to know more about it and pay attention to this area of law and activism. I hope you'll learn a lot from this episode and be inspired by Mike's approach to working for something he believes in, with a focus on making a difference and keeping Colorado amazing.

You can learn more about Mike and his firm here: https://footelawfirm.net/mike-foote/

Some of the impactful organizations he references are:

Earth Justice

Sierra Club

Center for Biodiversity

Wildlife Guardian

The book I refer to in my intro is Sarah Wilson’s “This One Wild and Precious Life,” which I HIGHLY recommend! Read more here: https://www.sarahwilson.com/this-one-wild-and-precious-life/