She's Bold with Beth Whitman

Katie Arnold is a contributing editor at Outside Magazine where she writes the column called Raising Rippers (which is about bringing up adventurous kids). She's also written for The New York Times, Men's Journal, ESPN, Marie Claire, Runner's World, Elle and Sunset.

Katie is also a very accomplished ultrarunner - having won the very difficult Leadville 100 Run as well as a host of other long-distance races. She's also a wife, she's a mother of two AND she has a new book out called Running Home.

In this conversation we talk about how she manages to juggle her personal life with her work life and her running life and what she's had to give up to do so.

Katie, as you might imagine from someone who's accomplished in many things, has a very positive outlook on life and, as such, takes care in the type of language she uses – as you'll hear when she talks about working with her doctors to overcome an injury.

Katie is super focused and super dedicated to the things that are important to her – it's really no wonder why she's so successful as a long-distance runner.

With that, please enjoy this conversation with Katie Arnold.

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Connect with KatieWebsite | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Links/books/people mentionedAltra Running Shoes Hoka Nike Kiger Shoes Pearl Izumi Running Through Fear (article on Outside Magazine) Robyn Benson (on She's Bold Podcast) Leadville 100 Natalie Goldberg Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (Amazon) Upaya Zen Center Gu Gels R8 Roll Recovery P90X3 (Amazon) Dean Karnazes Drafting Dean - Interview on Outside Magazine

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Beth

This conversation is amongst the most inspirational and touching that I've done. It's a longish one and I really want you to hang on through this whole episode because there are some amazingly life-affirming stories here.

This conversation is with Chris Fagan. Chris, along with her husband, Marty, walked 560 miles over 48 days to the South Pole. They were the first married couple to successfully complete this adventure as an unsupported expedition, meaning they were carrying everything themselves. They were each pulling a 220-pound sled loaded with all of their food and essentials.

Chris has a book coming out in September called The Expedition about their journey (available for pre-order which I've linked to below). In this conversation, we definitely touch upon their adventure but also dig into their many other adventures as a couple and she shares some revealing information that will truly inspire you.

Seriously, you are so going to love this conversation with this energetic, optimistic, adventurer. With that, please enjoy this conversation with Chris Fagan.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with ChrisWebsite | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Links/books/people mentionedThe Expedition by Chris Fagan (Amazon) SENE Western States Endurance Run Marathon de Sables Scott Jurek R2AK Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions Lewis Clarke (16-year-old boy who walked to South Pole) Colin O'Brady (solo expedition to South Pole) Freshette (Amazon) Go Girl (Amazon) Diva Cup (Amazon) Vern Tejas

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Beth

Bonnie Crawford, along with 19 other women, recently went to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Now there are a number of things that make this group quite unusual – bold you might say.

First, the group size was 20. That's a lot of people all attempting a summit. I know because I've managed a group of 10 up Kilimanjaro.

Second, this was an all-female group and that is really unusual and pretty cool.

Finally, what really makes this group of women so unusual and what, you might argue, is the most bold part about their goal, is that they are all plus-sized women. They are women who came together despite of – maybe because of – they are overweight. But they were all determined to not let that stop them and, together, they were motivated to work toward their summit.

Bonnie is no stranger to athletic activities and to dedicating herself to a goal. She's an accomplished Ironman finisher – multiple times over – and she spent more than a year methodically preparing herself for this trip up Kilimanjaro.

As Bonnie points out in this conversation, a large percentage of our population is overweight. I don't want to gloss over this fact nor do I want to pretend that it's OK that we've gotten ourselves into this crisis.

But I do want to recognize and give huge props to Bonnie and the women who were part of her group because they are leading by example and advocating for people to hike and embrace other forms of exercise no matter their size.

The message here is that you need to start moving no matter where you are in your body size or shape. There may be more obstacles for you – and she addresses some of them – but she and others who are putting themselves out there, not only physically but also emotionally, are an excellent example of overcoming fears and doubts and physical issues to prove what's possible.

With that, please enjoy this conversation with Bonnie Crawford.

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Connect with Bonnie Instagram (Bonnie) | Instagram (Curvy Kili Crew)

Links/books/people mentionedLatoya Snell (on She's Bold Podcast) Jenny Bruso Unlikely Hikers Sally Edwards (Wiki) Jeff Galloway Evolution Healthcare and Fitness Fat Girls Hiking WHOA Travel

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Today's guest is Anna Brones.

Anna is many things. She's a writer, she's an artist and a documentary producer. And the thread through all of these is that Anna is a creative.

I met Anna maybe eight years ago or so and we've stayed in touch via Facebook all this time so I've been able to watch the growth of all the things she's involved with.

Most recently, something very interesting came across my radar and I really wanted to reach out to chat with her about it.

She's a producer on a documentary that's just come out called Afghan Cycles. After you listen to this conversation, I want you to go rent this movie – you can find all the ways to do so by going to Afghancycles.com.

It's the story about some very bold women in Afghanistan who are challenging gender issues by the "simple" act of biking. It's really quite amazing.

So of course in this conversation with Anna, we talk about the movie and these bold women bicyclists and the benefits of empowering women – whether in Afghanistan or elsewhere.

But we also talk extensively about what it means to be creative. Because she brings thoughtful creativeness to everything she does.

So many of the women I have on the podcast are living what I would categorize as a very intentional life. They make very thoughtful decisions when it comes to what it is they do. And Anna is high on the list with regards to that category. Perhaps it's the way she articulates her thoughts (of course, she's a writer!) but I was really impressed with how intentionally she lives and I think you'll clue into that during this episode as well.

I know you'll really enjoy this conversation with Anna Brones.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with AnnaWebsite | Instagram | Twitter

Links/books/people mentionedAfghan Cycles (website) Afghan Cycles (Instagram) Outside Magazine article about Anna Lomography camera (Amazon) The Oatmeal

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Today's conversation is with Dar Williams.

I've been a fan of Dar's since the late 90's when I first heard Cry Cry Cry, the band (and eponymous album) she recorded with Richard Schindell and Lucy Kaplansky. I'm sure I still have that on tape somewhere (yeah, I still have all my tapes from way back).

Dar is a singer-songwriter with about 20 or so albums to her name as well as several books including her most recent, What I Found in a Thousand Towns.

She is a great observer of culture and human behavior and what strikes me most about her music, her recent book and this conversation is that she is quite the optimist. I think that someone who is such a keen observer could easily fall into seeing the world from the dark side. But she doesn't. She not only sees the good but she is also a problem solver – which is exactly why she published this book which was borne out of her observing towns across the country.

It hasn't all been easy for Dar and in this conversation, she does talk about her bouts with depression and her suicidal thoughts. But, as you'll hear, she owns it. She doesn't shy away from talking about her low points or beliefs and that right there makes her pretty bold in my book.

I know you'll love this conversation with the amazing Dar Williams.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with DarWebsite | Youtube | Facebook | Twitter

Links/books/people mentionedWhat I Found in a Thousand Towns by Dar Williams (Amazon) Cry Cry Cry by Dar Williams, Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky Brene Brown Ted Talk on shame So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson (Amazon) Monica Lewinsky Ted Talk on shame Felicity Huffman scandal The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (Amazon)

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Today's conversation is with Caroline Paul.

Caroline is the author of several books including The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure and Fighting Fire about her 13+ years as a San Francisco firefighter.

She has given a lot of thought to what it means to be brave and specifically how this relates to females and how we are often taught to be fearful starting at a very early age. Caroline really wants to help change attitudes and language toward young girls in order to get them to be more independent and adventurous.

This is a really powerful and fascinating conversation and I encourage you to share it with moms of young girls as well as young women. There's just so much here that could change a young person's life.

With that, please enjoy this conversation with Caroline Paul.

Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with CarolineWebsite | Twitter | Instagram

Links/books/people mentionedNed Gillette Amelia Earhart The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure by Caroline Paul (Amazon) Fanny Workman David Breashears You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World by Caroline Paul (Amazon) Sebastian Beckwith A Little Tea Book by Sebastian Beckwith and Caroline Paul

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Today's conversation is with Dierdre Wolownick.

While you may not recognize her name, you'll likely recognize the name of her son – Alex Honnold. In the off chance you don't know who Alex is, he's the guy who free solo'd El Capitan and was featured in the movie Free Solo. I won't go into any more detail than that but, if you haven't already, you should see this Oscar-winning movie, Free Solo – and Dierdre is in the movie by the way.

So, yeah, Dierdre is Alex's mom. And that fact might be interesting right there. But Dierdre has her own interesting story to share.

She's a woman who speaks multiple languages and who only speaks French to her two children. Because she's passionate about music and saw the need for it in her hometown, she founded an orchestra in West Sacramento, CA.

She began running when she was in her mid-50's after telling herself all her life that she was not a runner (sound familiar?).

She's the author of numerous books with another one coming out in May called The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story. If all that wasn't inspirational enough?

She began climbing when she was 57-years-old so she could better understand what it was that her son was doing. And eventually Alex led her up El Capitan after free solo'ing it himself when Deirdre was 66.

She has a lot more to do and figures she'll need to live to at least 125 to accomplish these many things.

Dierdre is a fascinating woman. She really lives by her own rules (I mean, how many parents do you know that only speak to their children in a foreign language?). And what living by your own rules means is that you can accomplish a great many things.

I know you'll be inspired by this conversation with Dierdre Wolownick.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Links/books/people mentionedThe Sharp End of Life by Dierdre Wolownick (Amazon) El Cap in a Golden Day Life of Learning by Dierdre Wolownick (Picky Bars website) A Note from Alex Honnold's Mom (Climbing Magazine) Learning to Love the Planet by Dierdre Wolownick (Mountaineers Magazine)

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Be Bold,

Beth

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Today's conversation is with Lisa Betts-LaCroix. Lisa believes we all have our own unique superpower and as host of the SuperPower U Podcast, she dives in with her guests to reveal their mental models and tactical skills to uncover their very own superpower.

Lisa has an interesting background. Living in LA as an actor, she wracked up credits in hundreds of television shows, films and movies-of-the-week. After she and her husband moved to the Bay Area and started having kids, she co-founded a network of families who educate their children outside of traditional schools – you're likely familiar with home-schooling, unschooling or any number of names this is called. She didn't like what she was seeing in public school so took her kids' education into her own hands. Now that's bold.

And then, in her late 40s, she discovered ballroom dancing and within a very short period of time competing, won the World Title in Pro-Am American Rhythm Ballroom Dance. Pretty cool.

This conversation veers into some really interesting talk about how our current language around getting older just doesn't properly express what it means to age. Things have changed a lot in maybe just the past 10 years. People are talking about living to 120, 125, 180! When we set limits on how old we can live for healthily, those words affect the choices we make and how we're seen.

As you'll hear in this conversation, neither of us has the answer – YET - to how to best approach the topic of our "middle years," but we're exploring it and trying to figure out. If, after hearing this episode, you have some ideas, by all means, share them with me!

Until then, enjoy this conversation with the inspiring Lisa Betts-LaCroix.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with LisaWebsite | Instagram (Lisa) | Facebook

Links/books/people mentionedTim Ferriss (podcast) Michael Gervais (podcast) Jewel on Finding Mastery Podcast Faster Than Normal (Peter Shankman's podcast) Unmistakable Creative (Srini Rao's podcast) Rich Roll Ben Greenfield The Portable Coach by Thomas Leonard (Amazon) Shall We Dance (Amazon) Quin and Misha (Youtube) Alex Honnold Dave Asprey Rachel Hart (on SuperPower U podcast) Victoria Lorient (on SuperPower U podcast)

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Be Bold,

Beth

Support the podcast through Patreon and get access to special audio and written content, be part of a private Facebook group and enjoy other benefits reserved for supporters of the podcast!

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Today's conversation is with Stephanie Zito.

I suppose you could say that Stephanie accidentally stumbled into a career that found her living in several countries for long periods of time doing humanitarian work. And even though it wasn't something she planned, she created this amazing life of living abroad and, as she says, wandering for good.

She has spent a good part of her life "in motion" until relatively recently when she finally settled down in Portland to do the humanitarian work that she's been doing for years while living in other countries.

In this conversation, we talk about her early travels and how it started with a study abroad program in London and then grew to travel through Europe and beyond and included another study abroad program in China.

She went on to live and work in Thailand and, just when she thought she would come home to the US to settle down, the 2004 tsunami happened in Indonesia. She knew she had to do something to help and was immediately pulled back into her humanitarian work which brought her to Sudan.

What was supposed to be a multi-year contract there was cut short after six months when the car she was driving in in Kenya got hijacked and she was held and assaulted.

She escaped that harrowing event, took time to recover and then eventually went back to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro.

Stephanie now continues working on humanitarian projects and supplements that work with some pretty cool writing gigs that help other people to travel.

I know you'll enjoy this conversation with Stephanie Zito.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with StephanieWebsite | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Links/books/people mentionedChris Guillebeau Side Hustle by Chris Guillebeau (Amazon) Side Hustle Podcast Color Cloud Hammocks Go Girl Guides (Amazon) World Domination Summit Cassandra Overby (on She's Bold Podcast)

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Be Bold,

Beth

Support the podcast through Patreon and get access to special audio and written content, be part of a private Facebook group and enjoy other benefits reserved for supporters of the podcast!

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Today's conversation is with Lia Ditton.

Lia is a professional sailor and rower and she's accomplished some amazing feats. At 25, Lia was the youngest competitor and the only woman to sail across the Atlantic in a race called the OSTAR. She did that solo!

She's gone on to compete in many other single-handed sailing races including the Route du Rhum which goes from France to the Caribbean, and the Transpacific Yacht Race which goes from California to Hawaii.

She then got into ocean rowing and, among other things, did the Woodvale Challenge which is from the Canary Islands to the West Indies.

But now, NOW Lia is training for a 5,500 mile solo row across the North Pacific from Japan to San Francisco. Yeah, 5,500 miles across the Pacific. Though two men claim to have completed this, as we talk about in this conversation, these guys technically did not complete the journey. You'll hear how they fell short of the final miles and what Lia has planned for her own adventure so that she actually completes the entire route.

This is a pretty fascinating conversation. We take a deep dive into her training, what she's doing to get ready for this big event and also her diet, which includes a 900 calorie breakfast.

We talk a lot about logistics because I had SO many questions since I know so little about sailing and ocean rowing. She really indulged me and allowed me to ask a lot of really basic questions. You're going to love this amazing conversation with Lia Ditton.

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Have a burning question and want to be featured on a future episode? Call 877-280-5170 and leave a message or email me here.

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Connect with LiaWebsite| Patreon | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Links/books/people mentionedChris Talley Chris Talley (She's Bold podcast episode) Wim Hoff Intermittent fasting (wiki) Mick Dawson - ocean rower (wiki) Kim Swims Kim Chambers (wik) Elsa Hammond – rower Charlie Martell – rower Betts Boats Ultimate Survival Everest (Amazon) Megan Biging (She's Bold Podcast episode) Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (Amazon) Endurance by Alfred Lansing (Amazon)

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Be Bold,

Beth