The Shadows Run Podcast

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

Today's guest is Mads Root. Mads is currently the Assistant Manager to the General Manager at the Durango Natural Foods Co-op (DNF) in Durango, Colorado. He has spent over 7 years in various different roles at the Co-op, and continues to play an integral role in its growth and success.

I moved to Durango in January of this year and have spent the last 4 months working at the Co-op and integrating into the DNF and broader Durango communities.

In this conversation we talk about:

• the origin story of DNF back in the 70s and how things have evolved over time
• the value of community-building and working with local farmers and producers
• a period of crisis the Co-op experienced in 2018/2019 where the store very nearly had to shut down
• how DNF has come back with an incredible few years of growth and success
• some of the growing pains a small business experiences as it starts to expand
• what Mads envisions for the future
• what it is about this work that is so meaningful to Mads!
• ...and a whole lot more

Thank you for being here!

Durango Natural Foods Website: https://www.durangonaturalfoods.coop/

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via :

• Email: [email protected]

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

Today's episode features a conversation with Magda Cotman. Magda is an artist, musician, and off-grid homesteader and gardener based on the far northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. When I was 18 I took a gap year between high school and college, and I spent a third of that year traveling through New Zealand and working on farms. Magda was the first person to host me and I spent about 3 weeks living and working with her. It was a total joy to reconnect for this conversation, 6.5 years later!

In this conversation we talk about...:

• how she has built up her homestead over the years as a solo woman
• navigating debilitating chronic illness since her early 20s
• hosting travelers from all over the world on her property and the lessons she has learned from those experiences
• her goals for the future of her land
• music and songwriting - Magda has recently started recording and sharing her songs, and we talk about the power of music to heal and connect with others
• what Magda envisions as a healed and thriving world
• ...and more :)

Thank you so much for joining us! Please be sure to check out Magda's music on Spotify, linked below.

Magda Lena on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4M6ClAKbGJLHA2ACqXNXz6?si=9JvXeY_7Q5SdaFVXX06GCQ

Magda's Website: https://magdalena.co.nz/

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via : • Email: [email protected] • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/ • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

This episode is part 2 of my conversation with mountain athlete Domenick DeMatteo.

In this half of our conversation...:

• we dive into Dom's experience navigating imposter syndrome in the mountains as someone who only recently entered the world of mountain sports and guiding
• Dom walks us through what a 3-day guided climb on Mt Rainier looks like, from his perspective as a guide
• We talk a lot about the importance of open communication in environments that often push people to the very limits of their comfort zones and abilities
• We discuss risk and Dom's thoughts on the concept of "human error"
• Dom introduces the idea of trying to quantify risk even when things go right, pointing out that we never really know how close we came to disaster unless that disaster actually happens
• Dom tells a number of interesting, fun, and insightful stories

If you enjoyed part 1 I am confident you will love this one as well! Thank you so much for joining us.

A Field Guide to Understanding Human Error / Book by Sidney Dekker: https://goodreads.com/book/show/376964.The_Field_Guide_to_Understanding_Human_Error

The Creative Act: A Way of Being / Book by Rick Rubin: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60965426-the-creative-act

Dom's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domdematteo/

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via: • Email: [email protected] • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/ • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

Today's episode is part 1 of a conversation with Domenick DeMatteo. Dom is a multi-sport mountain athlete, currently working as a guide on Mt. Rainier in the summers. He is also a part-time firefighter, a former personal trainer, and a high level competitive athlete in his past.

In this part of our conversation we talk about Dom's running career in high school and college, and how the trajectory of his ​​athletic career was severely impacted by struggles with an eating disorder. Eating disorders in sport are a real issue and, especially for male athletes, can be a taboo topic. I also had an eating disorder in high school, and my hope is that anyone going through or who has gone through a similar experience can see a piece of themselves reflected in Dom's story. I also hope it inspires a sense that a balanced and healthy life - one that can still involve high level athletic pursuits - is possible.

We go on to talk about Dom's transition to the West Coast, having grown up on Long Island in New York and having studied at Columbia and Duke Universities. We talk about his progression into mountain sports and the world of guiding, and how he has approached moving into a non-traditional career path after having spent many years feeling that this wasn't a viable option. His mindset around getting clear on values and pursuing passion is inspiring.

Thank you for being here, and I hope you enjoy!

I love to hear from you. Get in touch with me via:

• Email: [email protected] • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/ • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

Today's episode is part 2 of my conversation with my dad, Tom Happy. In this one we dive into his life post-Track Town Pizza, the business he ran for a decade spanning 1981 to 1991.

We begin with talking about how he met my mom, and the early years of their relationship.

We then talk about money and my dad's philosophy around giving back. This isn't a subject people often discuss freely, but I find it inspiring to witness people truly living their values in practice, and I think Tom does that. Just as a teaser for that part of our conversation, he is planning to donate 100% of the money that he made from his business to organizations doing social and environmental justice work when he dies - now that's pretty cool.

And finally, we talk about becoming a parent and a bit of what our relationship has been like over the years. This part of the conversation is very real, deeply vulnerable, and touches on themes and experiences that are painful in many ways. I am fairly certain that many people will really resonate with either my dad's experience or mine, possibly even both. I hope the vulnerability we bring is meaningful to you in some way.

As always, it's such a joy to have you here.

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via:

• Email: [email protected]

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

This episode features the first half a conversation with my dad, Tom Happy. Beyond being a parent to myself and my younger brother, throughout his life Tom has been a runner; a business owner; a philanthropist; an avid adventurer; and an engaged community member serving on a number of volunteer-based boards operating within the city of Eugene, Oregon.

In this half of our conversation we discuss my dad's running career, and the somewhat tragic ending that it came to. We also talk about the healing journey he has been on in recent years, and the ways in which he is grateful for that setback early in life as he looks back now.

We talk about his childhood and what it was like growing up in the 60s and 70s. He also shares about how being the oldest in a big family, where he had to navigate a number of challenging relationships and substance abuse issues with close family members, impacted him and the way he has come to operate in the world.

And finally, we talk about my dad's highly unusual 10 year career, running Track Town Pizza from 1981 to 1991 and for all intents and purposes retiring at 31.

This one is jam-packed with stories and insights. Thank you for being here!

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via: • Email: [email protected] • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/ • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

This episode features a conversation with Natalie Dawson. Natalie is currently the Director of Strategic Partnerships with the Alaska Venture Fund based in Haines, Alaska. She has previously been a professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Montana; a biologist on the Tongass National Forest; a public policy fellow with the American Institute of Biological Sciences in Washington, DC; and a research scientist at the USGS Alaska Science Center. I know Natalie because she was one of the instructors on the Wild Rockies Field Institute course that I took part in during the fall of 2021!

In this episode, we talk about:

• the experience as a teenager that sparked Natalie's interest in pursuing wildlife biology
• the process of falling in love with Alaska, a place she has now called home for many years
• Natalie's experience doing public policy work in Washington DC and what she took from that experience moving forward with her science and activism work
• her journey into experiential education and teaching with organizations like the Wild Rockies Field Institute, and the value we both see in that kind of immersive, place-based learning model
• what Natalie is doing in her work now, raising money for conservation, social justice, and tribal sovereignty in Southeast Alaska
• her experience serving in local government
• values and what it means to live a meaningful life in today's world

Thank you for joining us!

Wild Rockies Field Institute: https://www.wrfi.net/

Alaska Venture Fund: https://alaskaventure.org/

Chilkat Forever Campaign: https://chilkatforever.org/

American Institute for Biological Sciences Public Policy Fellowship: https:https://www.aibs.org/news/2024/241204-policy-fellow.html

USGS Alaska Science Center: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center

Wilderness and Civilization Program at the University of Montana: https://www.umt.edu/wilderness-institute/education/wc/default.php

Understory - Film about the Tongass National Forest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da2VRt24MA0

Natalie's Website from her time on the Borough Assembly: https://www.natstracks.com/

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

Today's episode is part 2 of my conversation with award winning author, contemporary shamanic teacher, and host of the Accidental Gods podcast, Manda Scott.

In this half of our conversation, Manda and I discuss:

• the power of dreaming - both while asleep and awake
• the importance of keeping promises and what promises represent in the story world of her newest book, Any Human Power
• what it means to her to be a good ancestor
• how to bring gratitude, compassion, and joyful curiosity to even the most challenging moments in life
• ...and a whole lot more!

It is a joy to have you here. Thank you.

Accidental Gods website: https://accidentalgods.life/

Accidental Gods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accidental_gods/

Manda's official author site: https://mandascott.co.uk/

Any Human Power book: https://linktr.ee/anyhumanpower

Thrutopia for Writers: https://thrutopia.life/

Audrey Tang / Aligning Tech with Democracy: https://time.com/6979012/audrey-tang-interview-plurality-democracy/

Rupert Sheldrake / Morphic Resonance: https://www.sheldrake.org/

Robert Falconer / IFS (Internal Family Systems): https://robertfalconer.us/

Chris Bache / LSD and the Mind of the Universe book: https://chrisbache.com/LSD-BOOK

Alnoor Ladha / Wetiko Paper: https://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/seeing-wetiko-on-capitalism-mind-viruses-and-antidotes-for-a-world-in-transition/

Tristan Harris / Your Undivided Attention podcast / Center for Humane Technology: https://www.humanetech.com/podcast ; https://www.humanetech.com/

Della Duncan / Upstream podcast: https://www.upstreampodcast.org/about

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via :

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

Today's episode features part 1 of my conversation with Manda Scott. Manda is an award winning author, contemporary shamanic teacher, and host of the Accidental Gods podcast based in the borderlands between England and Wales. Perhaps best known for her Boudica: Dreaming series, her life and work have spanned many other creative and purposeful ventures. These include: work as a veterinary surgeon, acupuncturist, regenerative smallholder, columnist, homoeopath, blogger, life coach, and renegade economist, to name just a few!

In this half of our conversation Manda and I discuss her most recent book, Any Human Power, and the new genres of "thrutopian" and "mytho-political" that the novel falls under. As we careen ever closer to climate catastrophe and socio-ecological breakdown, Manda believes writers - and especially those in the realm of fiction - have a powerful role to play in mapping out possible futures and the steps through to them from the world we find ourselves in right now.

Using her new novel Any Human Power as a touch-point, our conversation extends far beyond the bounds of the story line. Manda and I explore...

• the concept of "initiation culture" vs "trauma culture"
• drawing inspiration from author Ursula K. Le Guin
• the definition of "thrutopian" and "mytho-political
• why fiction writing is important to envisioning and building towards a healed world
• whether it's possible to shift a dysfunctional system while operating from within it
• the vision that led Manda to write Any Human Power
• ... and a whole lot more

Many of the books/researchers/resources that Manda references in this conversation can be found linked below.

Thank you so much for tuning in. It is a joy and an honor to have you here.

Accidental Gods website: https://accidentalgods.life/

Accidental Gods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accidental_gods/

Manda's official author site: https://mandascott.co.uk/

Any Human Power book: https://linktr.ee/anyhumanpower

Ilya Prigogine, nuclear chemist: https://www.nature.com/articles/424030a ; https://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/scientists/prigogine/

Francis Weller and Alnoor Ladha / Initiation vs Trauma Cultures: https://www.kosmosjournal.org/kj_article/deschooling-dialogues-on-initiation-trauma-and-ritual-with-francis-weller/

Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Patrice Somé: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192354.Of_Water_and_the_Spirit

Bill Plotkin / stages of development: https://www.animas.org/about-us/our-founder/ ; chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.animas.org/wp-content/uploads/Intro-to-ESDW-for-Animas-website.pdf

Nate Hagens: https://www.natehagens.com/

Kate Raworth / Doughnut Economics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=talXb1wiEFY

Jason Hickel / Less Is More book: https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more

Vanessa Andreotti / Hospicing Modernity: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57425775-hospicing-modernity ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0ZkOFFmbIY

Joe Brewer / Bioregionalism: https://accidentalgods.life/bio-regionalism-the-design-path-for-regenerating-earth/

Janine Benyus / Biomimicry: https://biomimicry.net/bios/janine-benyus/ ; https://www.harpercollins.com/products/biomimicry-janine-m-benyus?variant=32117835366434

Chris Bache / LSD and the Mind of the Universe book: https://chrisbache.com/LSD-BOOK

I love to hear from you! Get in touch with me via :

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast!

This episode is a little bit different! It felt like it was about time I did an episode where I shared a little more about myself; I have received feedback from a number of people wanting to hear more about me on the podcast, so this one is for y'all.

I wanted this episode to be a fun and interesting listen, so I invited three of my closest friends on to ask me three questions each. They were entirely in charge of coming up with questions that they were excited to ask, and for the most part I did not know what the questions were going to be until we were rolling. Because these three friends know me from different contexts and in such different ways, the conversations we ended up having were all entirely unique!

In no particular order, we talk about:

• a health scare in 2023
• what I would do with a magic wand
• my favorite memory from a day in the Tetons
• learning the Irish language and connecting to culture
• what I would never want to change about myself
• expressing emotions freely and in-the-moment
• my favorite album of all time
• ....and a whole lot more.

I am so grateful to Sally, Amanda Jo, and Cole for joining me in co-creating these conversations, and for bringing their wonderful personalities to the show. It was such a joy to bring this one to life.

Thank you so, so much for being here - and please don't hesitate to reach out and let me know what you think of this format. I always love your feedback.

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadowsrunpodcast/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shadowsrunpodcast.bsky.social

AJ's podcast with her friend Alex! : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-thoughts-sake/id1452642583