Real Talk. with John Rudnicki

For this week, I host a good friend of mine from the University of Washington, a recent graduate of the Foster School of Business: Kaitlyn Milliken.

With both of us graduating recently, we decided to have a "reflection" kind of conversation around our experiences through college, during graduation, and the stress we feel about moving out of the school phase of life.

Through the episode, I refer to the last episode where I interviewed Rolf Potts about traveling, the importance of a travel gap year, and post-grad life. If you'd like to check it out, click this link. 

But to keep the show notes short, here are the rest of the takeaway points through the episode:

• Grading success
• How it feels to "take a break"
• Relationships are inevitably going to change
• The value of doing nothing
• Handling healthy conflict
• Changing your identity that might've always identified with school
• Morally neutral tasks
• Final show quote from Tony Robbins

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This one was special. Thank you to legendary travel writer, essayist, lecturer, and awesome human Rolf Potts for sitting down and having this vulnerable and incredibly insightful conversation with me. 

To keep the show notes short and sweet, here are some of the main topics discussed in the episode:

• The idea of time wealth (achievement culture in the US)
• Find ways to WASTE your 20s!
• Failing to write a travel book at 25 and the critical lessons learned in that experience
• Learning how to lean into the uncertainty of travel and of life
• The importance of taking a travel gap year (undergraduate students listen up!!!)
• Some travel tips!
• Being vulnerable with your friends at home and the strangers you meet on the road
• What Rolf would say to his 20 year-old self now

If you enjoyed the episode, feel free to leave a review (written would be super super special) on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help these episodes get into more people's ears and allow me to see genuine feedback. 

Rolf Potts books I love!

• Vagabonding (2002)
• The Vagabond's Way (2022)

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Rolf's Instagram: @rolfpotts

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For this episode, I connected with well-renowned Pilates and dance instructor based out of LA, Alexis Fischer (Lexi for short), and had a really vulnerable and informational conversation about a multitude of things. 

We discuss Lexi's story of how she pivoted her career in dance towards Pilates, her difficulty with identity in her early years, how hard it is to be intentional, how movement has been her greatest healer, and her up and down relationship with social media. 

It was a really informational talk that taught me so much, so I am happy to share it and hope whoever decides to listen feels less alone and learns maybe a thing or two. 

Don't forget to leave a review!!

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Lexi's Instagram: @lexfish

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For this week, I was honored to have on a really special guest, Rome Odunze, who is not only a top wide receiver at the UW, but also a wonder off the football field as well. 

We discus topics around his story falling in love with football, learning to handle the expectations from others as a top wide receiver in college football, the overall increase in player accountability under a new NIL landscape, and take time to reflect on all the ups and downs of his life too. 

It was a really vulnerable, introspective, and constructive conversation that I hope to whoever is listening, can take something away from. Thank you to Rome again for coming on and providing an honest lens into his unique experience. 

Make sure to leave a rating and review so that I continue to improve and work on my craft.  Enjoy!!

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This week, long-jumper for the Washington men’s track team, Prestin Artis, joins the podcast to share his recent unfiltered experience in college athletics.

Specifically, we dive into Artis’s initial struggle with transitioning into the demanding lifestyle of a Division 1 track athlete, provide a fresh and vulnerable perspective of what that lifestyle actually looks like day-to-day, and the valuable life lessons learned in the process of its ups and downs. 

From the outside, it’s always easy to assume one’s path to success and afterwards is smooth. However, this podcast intentionally challenges this notion by showing courage in conversation through sharing vulnerable stories and feelings we would usually keep to ourselves.

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For this week's episode, I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with TedTalk speaker and experienced practitioner around topics of masculinity, conflict transformation, facilitation training.

For this episode, we get into messages such as "be strong, don't be weak", where and when the self-help world of positivity falls short, how to navigate the transition into adulthood, and how to hold space of vulnerability for both yourself and others.

I have personally struggled with a lot of these topics in the past and hope those listening can find a sense of relatability in the expert advice and stories shared this episode.

If you want to check out the TedTalk in which David Hatfield discusses similar topics, the link is shared down below. Clips of this episode will also be available on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram at Real Talk. with John Rudnicki. 

Honoring and working with male vulnerability | David Hatfield | TEDxEdmonton

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Hi everyone!

Welcome to the fourth official season of this podcast! After a minor break from the mic, I figured it was time to bring back amazing guests for more raw, interesting, educational, and fun conversations. 

This week I am honored to host future track star, STUDENT-athlete at THE University of Washington, and my friend: Prestin Artis. 

We cover his life in athletics, his ups and downs through the times of COVID-19, having an offer and losing it, and eventually working his way back into the UW track coach's office for sprints and long jump. 

We also get into the nitty and gritty of what it takes to be a STUDENT first (there's a reason why I'm capitalizing this), while still managing a job and working towards being a dominant athlete. 

These are only a few of the talking points with much more waiting in the actual episode. Anyways, I hope you find inspiration in his story and are also able to have a few laughs. 

Make sure to leave a five star review if you love it!

Hi everyone! For the last episode of Season 3, I decided to make it a special one that sits closest to my heart.

The very reason I started the podcast in the first place was to create an environment for the harder conversations to be had, open people up to vulnerable connection, and allow for listeners to feel that they aren't ALONE. Because you aren't alone. It can be easy to fall into those feelings and validate that you're the only one going through what you're going through.

But all it takes is hearing one other story that is similar to yours. Another story that you can personally resonate with.

So for this week, I went through all 23 previous episodes and compiled my favorite and most vulnerable stories that have personally helped me through my own difficult moments of FEELING ALONE and hope can help you in your own times of feeling lonely too.

Here is the specific story timeline:
Tyler Oakson on giving up DI Soccer to find fulfillment | 2:43
Sam Perez on breaking down and receiving support from counselors at school | 5:24
Jaskrit Bhalla on reaching a breaking point as a yoga teacher | 7:43
Tony Stark on quitting a program in the Coast Guard | 9:25
Nelson Tabarez on quitting college soccer and switching schools | 11:28
Atay Bulut on staying committed to what he loves despite the doubt from others| 12:42
Sam Smith on staying true to yourself and persevering through life's challenges | 14:24

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For this week, my friend Jean Robinston from the University of Washington joins the podcast and shares her experience with being multicultural in America, the impact it’s had on her life, and how to embrace your differences and uniqueness.

Here are the main takeaways:
- A day in the life in India
- The difference between being born in India and moving to America v. being born in America
- Having to mature earlier than others
- The transition into an entirely different culture and how to adapt to a conflict of culture
- The challenges with being multicultural and juggling separate identities
- The “me” versus “we” culture and toxic comparison in India
- How to embrace your uniqueness and accept your differences 

Find Jean at...
Instagram: @jean.robinston

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Hi everyone!!

This week's episode is something entirely new and was fun to create. A podcaster I look up to, Mark Groves, will come out with a "solo episode" once in a while that I really enjoy because it's an "educated rant" that discusses one topic in particular that he is thinking about or working through at the time.

For me, something that has bugged me and has been a challenge to recently push through is BURNOUT. I define the term and provide the key symptoms and critical causes from one particular video What does it mean to have "burnout"?  by How To ADHD on YouTube. 

But through the episode, I tailor my own experience and share some stories that resonate the most from notable people around this experience of burnout and how to overcome it. 

If you love the episode, please leave a 5 star review, SHARE with friends and FOLLOW Real Talk. with John Rudnicki on Instagram and YouTube. Thank you to everyone...I appreciate all the love and support each and every week. 

Enjoy!

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