The Breaking Normal Podcast by Daniel Eisenman

December 24, 2025 He Turned Down Millions… to Babysit a Whale | Shawn Heinrichs

This may be the most Breaking Normal episode we’ve ever recorded — and both the producer and I agree.

This conversation traces the evolution of Shawn Heinrichs from growing up in Durban, South Africa — surrounded by landscapes that feel straight out of Avatar — to moving to the mainland United States and excelling at the Wharton School of Business.

At one point, Shawn was on the deal of a lifetime with NVIDIA Corporation — now ranked as the most valuable company in the world — and he said no.

They came back with a better offer.

That’s when he truly walked away.

No amount of money was worth abandoning the ocean — the place that felt like home.

What followed was nearly a decade as an undercover investigative journalist, exposing some of the darkest industries tied to the sea: whale shark fins, rhino horns, and global poaching operations. His work put him directly in the path of people operating within criminal networks capable of extreme violence — working in the shadows, often out of sight and out of mind.

He persevered — until the darkness nearly overwhelmed his own soul.

That’s when everything changed.

Shawn realized fear doesn’t inspire protection — love does.

And instead of telling people what’s wrong with the ocean, he devoted his life to helping people fall in love with it.

That evolution led to him founding the global conservation organization Only One. Most recently, he brought to Boulder — with event co-founder and his dear friend Samuel J — Ocean Bloom, a living art and conservation project featuring the musical talents of previous Breaking Normal guest Ayla Nereo.

At its core, Ocean Bloom reflects a much deeper philosophy:

Expect nothing. Experience everything.

In this episode, we go everywhere:

• Babysitting a whale for three hours

• Kissing a whale shark

• Swimming with tiger sharks

• Communicating with a baby manta ray underwater that told him,

“The ocean doesn’t need saving — it’s time to save yourself.”

One of the most unexpectedly Breaking Normal moments came when Shawn became the first guest ever to turn down Tribe Vitamins — not out of judgment, but out of a deeply personal pact with the animal kingdom. He believes the animals know he will never harm them, and in return, they will not only avoid harming him — but invite him into unimaginable, intimate connections with them.

It may be one of the most grounded, honest, and compelling reasons for long-term veganism I’ve ever heard — and somehow, he understands Tribe Vitamins and regenerative bison and elk better than most people who actually use the products.

Ironically, the one guest who didn’t take the supplements became one of the strongest reflections of the ethos behind them.

He did accept the honey.

He took the book.

And his way of living — expecting nothing and experiencing everything — mirrors the very heart of Breaking Normal.

I couldn’t even take notes like I normally do during this conversation.

I was too busy listening.

This isn’t just an episode.

It’s an experience.

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🔗 EPISODE LINKS

📘 Breaking Normal (Book)

👉 https://amzn.to/3L7j3sG