The Human Adventure

#195 - A bull charges, a crowd roars, and a young teacher in Mexico says yes to the ring. That same man later sleeps on a bare floor in Juarez with his dog, ships bags at night, and turns a sketch into a company people chase through airports. Meet Dave Munson, founder of Saddleback Leather, whose path blends risk, faith, and relentless craft into a life that refuses shortcuts.

We dig into the moment he drew the first “Indiana Jones” bag, why strangers wouldn’t stop asking for it, and how a $100 apartment, bus-station pickups, and stubborn standards turned into a brand with a 100-year warranty. Dave shares blunt truths on pricing and materials, the discipline behind quality control, and the sacrifices most never see—waiting to marry, choosing grit over comfort, and protecting a business from the quiet temptations of cutting corners. His leadership lessons are disarmingly personal: court your spouse, encourage everyone, and help others win. Success, he argues, starts at home.

Faith threads through everything. Dave talks about praying boldly for “the coolest,” from a 1971 Land Cruiser rack to a headquarters built from compressed leather bales. He explains how purpose shapes operations—building a factory in Mexico, launching a homeschool program for employees’ kids, reopening an English institute, and sponsoring students in Rwanda and Uganda. Travel becomes marketing with a soul: crocs tug-of-war on a bag, shark dives on a honeymoon, and a simple stopover hack that turns Africa routes into Morocco detours at no extra cost.

We close by redefining adventure. Dave bans the word in branding and lives it instead: choose the unknown, trust that you’ll figure it out, and let curiosity steer the map. If you care about craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, service, and stories that actually happened, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves quality over hype, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway—what bold step are you ready to take next?

To learn more about Dave and maybe get yourself or a loved one a gift check out www.saddlbackleather.com and you can follow him on Instagram as well @saddlebackbags.

Be sure and follow me on Instagram as well to see some clips from the show and to get to know the personal side of yours truly! Check out @journeywithjakepodcast. 

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#194 - What if adventure isn’t something you chase, but something you create? That question sparks a sweeping journey with author and explorer Rick Glaze—from small-town Tennessee roots to whitewater rapids, open-ocean sails, limestone caves, and a treasure map that refuses to sit still. We dig into the stories behind The Purple River, Spanish Pieces of Eight, and Eight Pieces of Eight, and how real rapids, big water, and Caribbean passages shaped the fiction that readers can’t put down.

Rick opens up about the turning points that changed his course: a fear at the top of a long Rogue River rapid, the serendipity of spotting a piece of eight on a tiny island, and the joy of learning to sail after years of kayaking. He explains how songwriting and novel writing use time differently—compressing a life into three verses versus slowing a moment into a chapter—and why both require the same core ingredient: a spark you carry into the work. You’ll hear how family dynamics fuel a high-stakes treasure hunt across islands, why a “magic map” demands courage from a young protagonist in Tennessee’s vast cave system, and how a dog-and-cat-narrated, laugh-out-loud tale of 1959 grew from a pandemic pivot.

We also get practical about the creative life today. Rick talks candidly about discoverability in a noisy world, the shifting sands of social media, and the discipline it takes to keep shipping stories and songs. His advice lands with a friendly thud: begin ugly. Write the first novel so the second can exist. Play the first nine shaky shows so the tenth can sing. Whether you’re a paddler, a sailor, a reader of adventure fiction, or a creator looking for a push, this conversation blends craft, courage, and curiosity into a guide you can actually use.

If you enjoyed the episode, tap follow, share it with a friend who loves adventure stories, and leave a quick rating or review so more listeners can find the show. Ready to turn your spark into a story?

To learn more about Rick and his stories check out his website www.rickglaze.com and be sure to give him a follow on Instagram @rick.glaze.

To see clips from past, present, and future shows give me a follow on Instagram @journeywithjakepodcast.

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#193 - Some stories ask for courage. This one demands it. Marine veteran Rand Timmerman returns to share a raw, graphic, and deeply human account of Vietnam—what he saw, what he did to survive, and what it took to live with those memories when the shooting stopped. We open with a trigger warning for good reason: a suicide on his first night in-country, chaotic airlifts into hot zones, and an accidental death that still haunts him. Rand walks us through helicopter gunner missions where landing meant risking a minefield, and a midair struggle over a pilot’s unsecured revolver that ended with a prisoner out one door and Rand hanging from a skid at altitude.

The ground war was no less brutal. In a reaction platoon ambush, his unit ran out of ammo; he fixed bayonet, fought, and fled to a river where he hid for days while grenades exploded nearby. Rescue pulled him into another horror—collecting bodies after a C-130 crash that obliterated a village—then onto a hospital ship where he realized he was “okay” only by comparison to a Marine who’d lost his jaw. That moment shifted his mindset from terror to cold acceptance: do the job, and let go of what you can’t control.

Coming home brought a different kind of wound. Rand was shoved and called “baby killer” at LAX, learned to hide his uniform, and followed his father’s order to bury the war deep. He built a life—law school, family, work—until the nightmares flooded back, dragging him into years of alcohol-fueled numbness. The turning point arrived at the VA and through a 12-step path that replaced isolation with service. Today, Rand mentors veterans and chronic relapsers, writes to heal, and speaks with a clarity that cuts through myth: PTSD recovery is possible, purpose is medicine, and telling the truth can save lives.

If stories of resilience, veteran mental health, and trauma recovery matter to you, press play. Then share this with someone who needs hope, subscribe for more powerful journeys, and leave a review to help others find the show.

To learn more about Rand and get a copy of his book, "A Spiritual Passage" check out his website www.randtimmerman.com. 

Be sure to give me a follow on Instagram @journeywithjakepodcast to learn more about my guests and me personally.

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#192 - Some moments feel like they’re nudging us forward. Stephen Seidel’s life is full of those nudges: a favorite Eagles player on the flight to a funeral, a foggy window shaped like an eagle on the day of a tribute, a childhood hero literally saving him from choking. We unpack how he alchemized those signs, along with profound loss, into a mission centered on connection, courage, and story.

Stephen grew up a sports-obsessed kid in Philly, short but scrappy, learning early how shared rituals create belonging. After losing his stepdad and later his father, and while caring for his mother during the pandemic from a laundry-room office, he faced relentless pressure as a dad, husband, and founder. His response was to build Gents Journey, a men’s community where entrepreneurs and creatives meet weekly, ask bracing questions, and practice vulnerability. From that work came the Journey Deck, a toolkit that helps men open up with their partners, kids, and peers.

We dig into Steven’s G.R.E.A.T. framework—Grateful, Reflective, Empathetic, Accountable, Transformational—and how simple perspective shifts turn setbacks into momentum. He explains why “connection is your currency,” how the hero’s journey gives structure to personal change, and why storytelling is the fastest way to build trust in life, leadership, and brand. We also talk adventure as play and presence, including his “Survivor in a Day” experience that surfaced fear, grit, and unexpected joy.

You’ll leave with practical ways to reconnect to your purpose, rebuild with the right people, and reclaim your voice. If you’ve felt stuck, isolated, or unsure how to start, this conversation offers tools, language, and hope. Listen, share your biggest takeaway, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show.

To learn more about Stephen and his mission check out his website www.stephenseidel.com and also gentsjourney.co.

To see clips from past, present, and future shows give me a follow on Instagram @journeywithjakepodcast.

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#191 - What if your brain could learn to love better? We sat down with Dr. David Helfand—a therapist with a background in neuroscience—to unpack how neuroplasticity, meditation, and focused couples work can turn recurring fights into lasting repair. From breathwork that calms a spiraling argument to thought logs that retrain pessimism, David shows how small, repeatable practices change both your nervous system and your connection.

We dig into why so many “individual” problems live inside relationship dynamics: insomnia worsened by conflict, anxiety sparked by a partner’s withdrawal, intimacy dulled by routine. David explains his private couples retreats—three hours of intensive work per day over two to four days—built around four pillars: communication, regulation, prioritization, and intimacy. You’ll hear the picnic story that derailed a weekend and what actually sat beneath it, plus a powerful moment of trauma healing that helped a spouse finally understand where the anger was coming from.

If novelty bonded you at the start, lack of adventure can quietly pull you apart. We talk practical ways to bring it back: surprise reservations, trade-off date planning, tech-free walks, and playful intimacy that treats the bedroom as exploration, not performance. David also offers clear boundaries on who should attend a retreat and why consent and safety matter. Most of all, you’ll leave with a hopeful message: incompatibility is often just a lack of skill, and skills can be learned.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who could use a nudge toward connection, follow the show, and leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. Your support is greatly appreciated.

To learn more about couples retreats and Dr. David Helfand please visit www.marriagequest.org.

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#190 - What if you could trade flat maps and footnotes for sunrise on Sinai and sea spray in your face as you approach a harbor Paul once saw? That’s the world filmmaker Craig Dehut invites us into—where sacred places become cinematic classrooms and faith is strengthened by seeing.

Craig shares how Appian Media grew from a coffee-shop idea to a nonprofit producing free, high-quality Bible documentaries viewed more than 20 million times in over 160 countries. We dig into the nuts and bolts: small teams hauling Sony rigs, drones, and audio kits through Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece; the scramble for permits that can change by sunset; and the art of capturing clean, honest moments among crowds at sites like the Church of the Nativity. Craig explains why their films lean into archaeology, geography, and culture—so viewers can picture Capernaum’s streets, feel the Valley of Elah’s creek bed, and re-read Scripture with sharper eyes.

Beyond craft, we talk impact. Homeschool families use the series as living curriculum. Skeptics come for history and stay for the evidence. Teachers cue clips, kids ask to binge-read First Samuel, and lifelong believers say they finally “saw” Jerusalem. Craig opens up about the editing grind, the joy and exhaustion of 16-hour field days, and a bold ten-year plan to build a Genesis-to-Revelation visual journey. The goal is simple and ambitious: help people read better by helping them see better—turning the lands of the Bible into accessible, vivid learning for everyone.

Watch the documentaries on YouTube, explore resources at AppianMedia.org, and if the mission resonates, consider supporting monthly to fuel future trips and post-production. If this conversation moves you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what place from Scripture do you most want to see brought to life?

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Give me a follow on Instagram @journeywithjakepodcast

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#189 - A cone head at baggage claim. A prank that makes a whole terminal laugh. And beneath the costumes and skits, a marriage held together by faith, service, and a fierce tenderness forged in grief. We sit down with Troy and Melinda Hicks—Hicks in the Wild—to explore how everyday adventure can coexist with loss and how playful creativity becomes a lifeline.

Their love story starts in college, survives a mission and distance, and grows into a partnership where roles fit like puzzle pieces: Melinda crafts the ideas and heart-forward projects; Troy builds the systems, supply chains, and giving model. That model was born from pain. They share the sudden preterm birth of their son Tanner at 24 weeks, three days in the NICU, and the sacred details that became anchors—a donated blanket and cap, a father who knew how to navigate the unthinkable. Melinda now sews tiny blankets and diaper covers for NICU babies, transforming sorrow into service families can feel in their hands.

The Hicks also walk through a second crucible: their five-month-old’s neck tumor and the week of terror before a successful surgery. That experience reframed hospitals as places of skill and hope, inspiring them to donate a percentage of their revenue to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. We dig into their mission-driven venture, Searching for Jesus, a Christ-centered Advent tradition that turned their December into daily wonder and helped their kids fall in love with prayer. Along the way, we talk viral moments, Lord Farquaad gags, a months-long “bird landing” quest, and the simple rule that guides their content—if it isn’t fun, they don’t do it.

What emerges is a blueprint for meaningful, joyful living: schedule delight, let faith hold your anger long enough to heal, make small things that help real people, and keep choosing each other through the messy middle of family life. Adventure, they remind us, isn’t a mountain or an ocean crossing—it’s a decision to move forward without knowing every turn, and to laugh together when you can. If this story lifted you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a smile, and leave a review to help others find our community. Give me a follow on Instagram @journeywithjakepodcast.

To learn more about Troy and Melinda give them a follow on Instagram @hicksinsthewild and to learn more about having a Christ centered Christmas with your kids or grandkids check out www.searchingforjesus.shop.

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#188 - What happens when a comedian with a camera trades stage lights for sunrise on a dirt road and points his vehicle toward Panama? I sat down with author and traveler Matt Savino to unpack a seven-month run along the Pan American Highway that never reached South America yet somehow delivered everything he was chasing: humor in the chaos, humanity at the barricades, and a clear-eyed love for places most maps flatten.

Matt takes us from Baja’s empty beaches and Dr. Seuss–worthy boojum forests to the food capitals of Puebla and Oaxaca, where mole lessons and tlayudas become their own itinerary. He opens the door on a Nicaraguan uprising, describing the day he edged through student roadblocks by listening first and moving only when trust appeared. Then the road shifts again: Costa Rica’s bold choice to scrap its army and invest in parks and schools, and a volunteer’s-eye view inside the Panama Canal’s towering locks, where global trade rises and falls like a stage cue.

We also dig into Land Without a Continent, Matt’s sharp, funny travel memoir that blends road stories with deep dives into Mesoamerican history and modern politics. With a researcher’s rigor and a comic’s timing, he shows how travel rewires assumptions: Central America’s identity, the real cost of a “normal life,” and why empathy is the best gear you can pack. If you’ve ever wondered whether to overland, backpack, or simply follow your curiosity, this story maps the trade-offs and the rewards.

Subscribe, share with a friend who loves smart travel stories, and leave a review to help more explorers find the show. Then tell us: what part of this route would you tackle first, and why?

To learn more about give him a follow on Instagram @ushuaia_or_bust and to get a copy of his book "Land Without a Continent" visit www.mattsavino.com.

 Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#187 - A childhood marked by chaos. A career built on service. And a second act shaped by faith, language, and a blank page. Jake sits down with Ken Webb to trace a life that refuses to settle for mere existence—from praying his way through a turbulent home to leading across Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond.

Ken opens up about how his grandparents’ steady love and a lived-in faith helped him endure abuse and instability, and how those early lessons informed three decades in the Army Reserve. We walk through his pivot from military police to intelligence, the realities of early Iraq deployments, the nuance of embassy duty in Baghdad, and the complexity of retiring when your identity is wrapped in a uniform. Ken shares why he turned down comfortable contracts, chose Miraflores in Lima, and made Spanish class and the gym his new daily discipline.

We also dig into his debut novel, Trapped in Deception, a work of fiction threaded with real messages and real emotions. The story explores gaslighting, misplaced trust, and moral courage through a protagonist who—like Ken—keeps moving forward even when life tilts sideways. Along the way, Ken reframes adventure: not cliffs and bravado, but consistent growth, honest discomfort, and choices that expand your life. If you’re wrestling with what comes after a big chapter ends, or wondering how to trade drift for direction, this conversation offers practical hope and hard-won insight.

Listen, share with a friend who needs courage today, and if the story speaks to you, leave a quick rating or review. It helps more curious, purpose-driven listeners find the show.

To learn more about Ken and his first novel check out kenwebb69.com.

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure. 

#186 - What if the deepest calm you’ve ever felt could follow you out of the water and into everyday life? That’s the spark of our conversation with Kerry Ferguson, founder of Yoga Tree, whose path from free diving to yoga reveals how breath, mindfulness, and compassion can reshape how we move through the world.

We trace Kerry's arc from early wellness choices and Outward Bound grit to anatomy labs, massage rooms, and a turning point in the Bahamas where breath control under pressure became a doorway to peace. Back in Tennessee, she helped a community discover yoga as sanctuary, even holding space on a day of national grief. Kerry shares a clear, practical technique—sit tall, breathe through the nose, expand the belly on inhale, and extend exhale to twice the length—to quiet anxiety and teach the nervous system to trust you again. Her approach demystifies meditation, inviting you to watch thoughts like clouds until the sky clears.

Travel is a thread that binds it all together. Kerry leads mindful retreats in Greece and beyond, where mornings begin on the mat and days unfold with local food, culture, and unhurried conversations. These aren’t just vacations; they’re immersive practices in presence, from family-run kitchens to sunset meditations. We also dig into yoga’s evolution in the West—why the pendulum swung toward fitness and why many are now returning to philosophy, chanting, and stillness. Kerry’s stories, including a powerful moment from a silent retreat in Dharamshala, remind us that our quiet can steady someone else’s storm.

If you’re seeking anxiety relief, mind-body tools, or a more intentional way to travel, this conversation will meet you where you are and nudge you toward where you want to be. Listen, breathe with us, and if it resonates, share the episode, subscribe, and leave a review so more people can find their way back to calm.

To learn more about Kerry and Yoga Tree check out her website www.myyogatree.com and give her a follow on Instagram @myyogatree.

Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake 

Discover the journeys that do more than take you somewhere new—they change the way you see yourself and the world. Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel explores unforgettable adventures, hidden places, and the transformative power of stepping beyond the familiar.

Check out Wayfinder Life-Changing Travel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Xploreum connects you with authentic wilderness expeditions led by trusted local experts. Browse real adventures, book directly with experienced guides, and get $200 off your first trip using code HumanAdventure2026 at xploreum.io/humanadventure.