The Substrand Podcast

On this episode I sat down with Mr. Natty (@mrnattyofficial), one of the most interesting people I know. It’s hard to put him in a box, in fact you can’t, but he’s a men’s hair stylist, entrepreneur, world traveler, and even a permaculturalist with loads of stories and lil life hacks to keep you balanced and on your toes.

I wanted to have a chatty with Natty, because literally every time I chat with him he drops a little seedling of wisdom that inspires new ideas, practices, and even travels. A few years back he was giving me a cut when we struck up a conversation about India...which rekindled the fire within me to get out and go travel the orient myself. Since then we’ve been in touch pushing each other along, and I’m excited to bring you the latest and greatest from the man himself.

In this episode we chat about: the importance of keeping things mixed up in life - from routine to environment to food, his journey from growing up in London to living on a farm, becoming a surfer, diving into the world of meditation, and building a career traveling around the world cutting hair and building a brand.

Natty shares some stories from his days roaming India, working with top fashion icons in Europe, taking on New York City, and experimenting with new ways to level up men’s grooming into a more conscious and sustainable ecosystem of products and experiences. We even touch on some real tangible ways to keep things exciting and fun as most the globe is still on some sort of lock down.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now with civic-19c but we have some great laughs and share some deep insights that are bound to give you a lil boost and open your mind to some possibilities these next few days, weeks, and months.

So without further ado, here’s the one and only, Mr. Natty!

On this episode I sat down with Grace Duong (@grace.duong), founder of Mystic Mondays (@mysticmondays), the tarot for the modern mystic.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect of this episode, for the sheer reason that I’ve never really understood much about tarot cards, what they are, and what they do. For many years I’ve been exploring the world of mystic philosophy and practices, but tarot was something that I always had a hard time relating with.

Maybe it was all the whimsical drawings on most of them, or the idea that picking random cards could tell something about my future. But I learned, and what you may already know, is that this actually isn’t the case. What I found on the show really opened my eyes up to this world, and just how down to earth and practical these cards really can be.

On the show Grace walks me through her personal and entrepreneurial journey of founding Mystic Mondays, how she got into tarot, and why she decided to fuse her graphic design background and love for metaphysics into a new and highly visual tarot experience to help empower people like you and me, and especially young women who may be looking for new ways to reclaim and express their power.

We explore just what these mystical playing cards are meant to do, including how they can help you tap into your own intuitional self, reframe your personal narrative, and serve as a mirror into what’s already going on in your subconscious mind.

We also touch on topics such as astrology and numerology, and how all these different methodologies can be good tools to help you better understand and bring to life your inner spark and better selves.

Grace, being the epic creative she is, also breaks down the transformative power of visual art and design, and walks me through some of her own rituals & practices that get her into a creative and productive mindset. And there’s a lot more to come from Grace and Mystic Mondays in the coming months, and I’m excited to share with you our deep dive chat and all that’s on the horizon.

So without giving up too much of the magic, let’s get to it already, with the one and only, multi dimensional magician herself, Grace Duong!

Mystic Mondays: https://mysticmondays.com/

Grace Duong: https://www.graceduong.com/

This episode is going to be a little bit different. As we all know we as a people and a planet are going through some pretty massive shifts right now. COVID-19, a.k.a. the Corona Virus has been sweeping the globe and has brought much of the working world to a standstill. In an effort to stay safe, healthy and prevent the overflow of hospitals, countries cities and business are shutting down until the virus eases up.

I know this can be difficult and confusing for a lot of people, so I spent the last few days doing a bit of research and thinking about how the whole situation might impact us and the connections that hold our communities together. From the individual up to the global collective, the connections between all the different parts are what keep us supported, smart, and going strong, and what we’re up against now is definitely challenging the ways we do this.

What you’re about to hear is a transcript of an article I wrote for Newgeography.com. It may seem high level but all the links to the data are in the actual piece. My hope is that this sparks some critical thinking around what's going on right now, and despite all the obstacles and darkness we’re up against, just why we might see a brighter future on the other side. This is by no means meant to be a lecture, just a reflection and sharing of some observations, so please, if after listening you have thoughts, opinions, or suggestions, please reach out to us either though Instagram (@thesubstrand), or via email at [email protected].

We’re all in this situation together, and each and every one of us have a unique and valuable piece to add to what may be after all is said and done, an even more connected and creative world. So without further ado... here’s the call to connect.

A few weeks back I sat down with Troy Casey, aka The Certified Health Nut, to dive into the world of holistic wellbeing and his new book #RippedAt50: A Journey to Self Love. If you haven’t seen Troy yet, I highly recommend you check him out on Instagram at @certifiedhealthnut before listening. He’s definitely shredded, probably running around in his USA Speedo, and of course dropping a ton of wisdom on how to optimize our human technology.

He’s not your typical health guru. In fact, I’ve never seen anybody quite like him. He’s big on some of the health practices you might be familiar with like ice baths, breath work, meditation, organic nutrition, but he’s all over online sharing his crazy routines on things like earthing, butt sunning, sleep hacking, Maori healing, and even Shivambu pee drinking.

Tips and tricks are coming for the young yang with Troy! But it’s all rooted in a range of ancient wisdom and personal experiences - from Ayahuasca plant medicine in the Amazon jungle, to training with Paul Check, to his own personal studies and trials and tribulations living on the streets, to being an Italian Versace model, a Hollywood actor, and becoming the Health Nut himself - the Pied Piper of Human Liberation.

We go deep on this episode, hitting on core elements of Troys book - including his foundational 9 pillars to health, the Law of Correspondence, alchemical principles of personal transformation, and the key moments that defined Troys path to optimal condition.

We talk about Troy’s mission to raise human consciousness and change all systems holding us back today, in order to create a world of clean air, water, soil and equitable systems for all mankind, in his lifetime!

Troy’s a man of high energy, intensity, and action and is was an absolute blast and honor to sit down with him on the Santa Monica bluffs, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, chatting about life, love, philosophy, and making the most of the human experience.

Get ready for the show, there’s a ton of insight and some great laughs i think you’ll enjoy here. So without further ado, here’s the one and only, The Certified Health Nut, Troy Casey. 

Website: http://certifiedhealthnut.com/

Pre-order his book: https://www.rippedat50book.com/wisdoms

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP-kVqtIl2BEf9RcIkk3Z0g

On this episode I sat down with Lee Theisen, the Chocolate Guru (@chocolate_guru). Lee teaches the history, science and art of chocolate at UCLA, is an author, chocolate festival judge, avid world traveler and art scholar.

Now why an episode on chocolate? After all this show is about connection and leveling up our world, so where does the food fit into this?

Well I love to break it to you, there is more to chocolate than meets the eye. For thousands of years it has been produced and consumed as a means of connection. First by the ancient Olmec’s and Aztecs to reach the gods then by the Europeans as a social lubricant in the chocolate houses, and as we all know has become synonymous with love, romance and seduction in the modern world. It’s now a hot item in the superfoods isle because for its proven benefits on the mind and body.

But why is this? We dive into the history of cacao and it’s mythological symbolism, it’s effects on the mental and emotional chemistry of human beings, as well as it’s nutritional and medicinal properties. Lee also shares thoughts on the state of the craft Chocolate industry, where its evolving in the near future, and how to know if you’re getting quality chocolate or the toxic candy stuff.

All this said, it was a blast chatting with the Guru and if you have the slightest interest in chocolate and all it’s magic, I think you will enjoy this show and maybe even love chocolate even more after listening.

And if you’re really into it, the guru is working on a book on the comprehensive history of chocolate, and organizing a chocolate festival in the coming year, so you can give him a follow on Instagram @chocolate_guru to follow along his journey.

Website: http://www.chocolate-guru.com/

On this episode I sat down with @natma, digital creator, transformational life coach, healer & founder of @seekersandhealers, a platform that’s inspiring conscious living by sharing stories & healing modalities around the world.

If you feel on the brink of a transformation, and aren’t sure where to start, this episode is for you. I know this was me a year ago. I was interested in yoga and meditation and new ways to level up my lifestyle but was just plain overwhelmed with all the directions I could go.

I’m excited about what Nat's doing, cause he actually experienced the same thing which is the whole reason he built a go-to platform that would make it easier to get started on the journey to wellness.

A few years back he was living the so called good life in New York City, working as head of digital marketing at Burberry, but after multiple panic attacks and a decline in his health, Nat new the environment wasn’t right for him. So he quit his job, sold everything and set out on a journey to 50+ countries around the world.

He wanted to explore different ways of living and growing across the globe. So on his travels he spoke with thousands of people who were going through their own life shifts, learned from various spiritual masters, and tried out dozens of healing modalities to figure out which ways were best for him.

This took him years to explore and experience, and now he’s in full on creator mode sharing the stories of people he’s met and breaking down all the tools that are out there to guide all the people like us back home to a place of clarity, high energy, and deep purpose.

The links to Seekers and Healers are below, as well as links to Nat's videos and programs around Kriya meditation and energy healing in case you want to dive deeper and start the work.

On this episode, we also talk about mastering your energy, making time and space for yourself especially in big city life, we break down the practice of Kriya yoga, go over personal work, what it means and why we’ve got to do it before anything else, and talk about what it means to come home to yourself.

It was an absolute blast chatting with Nat, and despite how deep we got know there are so many more paths we could have gone down, so maybe this will inspire you to go check out some of these incredible stories and videos on your own!

Seekers + Healers: http://seekersandhealers.com/

Seekers + Healers YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9U7GWe_JLqL1C3IpxBF3JA

Nat's Kriya Meditation: http://seekersandhealers.com/kriya

If you’ve ever seen the matrix, then you know the scene where Keanu is offered the choice between the blue pill (the world he knows) and the red pill (the gateway to reality). Sure it’s just a movie, but we all face decisions like this throughout our lives. The problem is, a lot of times we don’t really know what we want. Or we’re afraid what will happen if we actually get what we truly want.

Robbie Richman (@robberichman), being the life hacker that he is, wanted to give people the option to wake up and get some clarity about their world - whatever that means for them. He wanted to make the movie real. So in 2010 at the big burning man festival he did an experiment. He grabbed as many red tic-tacs as he could find and handed them out to burners who wanted to know their reality. The pills were a hit, so much so that a psychologist he met started giving them to her patients, and they actually started having breakthroughs! It didn’t matter that there was nothing in the tic-tacs, science shows that with the right setting and intentions people can program themselves to experience anything they desire. And things were happening.

What started out as a playful gesture turned into a whole new venture. A few years later the XPill was born, a purple pill filled with nothing but rice protein. It has no affect on your physiology, but has tremendous effects on the mind. Take the pill with a purpose, and if it’s in alignment magical things happen. Robbe used it to find his house, others have used it to find love, build businesses, and transform their health.

I wanted to sit down with Robbe to learn more about his story, his background building a business for the famous Zappos culture, and why he started the Xpill. Robbe wanted me to try the pill myself and I couldn’t have been more stoked. Towards the end of the show Robbe guides me through the pill popping process, like a sort of modern shaman.. it was actually very confronting, emotional, and powerful, I can honestly say I’m still processing everything that’s happened.

But on top of the pill, we also hit a few other fascinating topics like:

- Some of Robbe’s productivity hacks

- How becoming a spin instructor got him out of depression and landed him a job working with the CEO of Zappos

- Why culture is a system, just like a computer, and how to hack it

- The science behind placebos and why they actually work on the human brain

- The importance of play in leading a happy and fulfilling life

This said, I had an absolute blast hanging out and laughing with Robbe. But I don’t want to give everything away, you’ve got to hear it for yourself...

You can learn more about Robbe & the XPill at:

https://www.xpill.com/

https://www.robertrichman.com/

On this episode I sat down with Renat Gabitov (https://www.gabitov.com/), an entrepreneur, world traveler, and lifestyle engineer who’s on a mission to spark curiosity and adventure in people and businesses around the globe.

I’ve met a lot of people in my day, but Renat is one of the most fiery individuals I know. Fiery in a great sense, in that every single word he spits out is fuels with intention and passion. Everything he does is the same way. When he was 19 years old he wrote out his bucket list and started ticking them off, visiting over 70 countries, running with the bulls in Pamplona, skydiving, swimming with sharks, and kitesurfing with Richard Branson.

Sounds insane, and makes you wonder how someone can pull all this off at such a young age. On top of just plain spitting fire, Renat actually built a very meticulous process for optimizing his life... he calls it lifestyle engineering.

While he does a lot of stuff, and starts a lot of businesses, everything is driven by a very scientific approach to exploring who he is what he wants to do, and giving it a try.

He describes it as reverse engineering his life’s path, starting with different hypothesis around what he might like and believe, and giving them a try. Why not start everything with the assumption that we don’t know anything... and then go figure it out? This mindset keeps him relaxed, energized, and motivated to continuously learn, explore, and evolve as a human being.

This said, here’s a few specifics we hit on during this interview:

- How his intention to kite surf with Richard Branson manifested into reality

- Why he wrote a 40 page life manifesto for himself and open sources it to the world on google dogs

- Why life has no meaning and why this is a huge opportunity for us to create it

- What it’s like being a digital nomad and how Renat pulls it off in a healthy efficient way

- The future of humanity and our relationship with technology

This was one of the most energetic and upbeat interviews so far on the show, I have to say Renat's enthusiasm is very contagious. So beware, if you’re vulnerable to inspiring content this may just unlock a whole new world from within you.

Check out Renat's businesses here:

https://www.gabitov.com/

https://www.tevasamorir.com/

https://www.cmo.one/

https://www.lifestyle.engineering/

On this episode I sat down with Ra of Earth (@raofearth), a student and teacher of human technology.

If you haven’t heard of him yet, he’s the guy that made butt sunning go viral on Instagram. Ra drinks his urine too, takes regular ice baths, rides a unicycle, and doesn’t work out but stays miraculously shredded.

He’s definitely got one of the most eccentric styles of any yogi I’ve seen, but this isn’t the whole reason I sat down with him. In fact, we didn’t even talk about any of this stuff. Instead we dove straight into the world of parallel universes, inter dimensional travel, ancient wisdom traditions, and philosophic ideas like perception vs reality, facing our death with acceptance, the power of relationships, and the future of social media and technology. We even talked about community building and entrepreneurship.

This was by far one of the deepest episodes I’ve recorded so far. To be honest, Ra was spitting so many wisdom bombs I was left speechless most of the time. It’s crazy to think just a few years back Ra was running multiple CrossFit gyms and competing on a regular basis. He went through a radical life transformation, decided to double down in his passions and return to his roots, and now he’s on a mission sharing his understanding and experiences with the world. All with the purpose of optimizing our human technology.

If there’s one thing to take away from this episode though, it’s not to confuse the teachings with the teacher. While Ra's got an unconventional approach, and some click baity techniques, at the end of the day he’s one down to earth guy with an honest and humble respect and curiosity for the ways of the world.

Ra is the Creator of @kriyaoftheweek - short, 15-25 minute Kriyas programmed for a daily practice, mean to bring energetic and physical effects on our human technology.

You can find more information on Ra and his program at raofearth.com & kriyaoftheweek.com

On this episode I sat down with Kristian Martinow (@kristianmartinow), a spiritual and wellness educator and a good friend of mine.

We actually met earlier this year back in India while we were both on our personal discovery journeys. The day I met Kristian I think we talked for 4 hours, about life, yoga, religion, science, and business, and even though Kristian’s from Melbourne Australia we even had mutual friends! It shows you how small of a world this really is.

Not only is Kristian a great human being, but he’s been doing some incredible things in the health and wellness space for some years now. He’s worked with over 4,400 people teaching, facilitating, and coaching on things like how to master your mind, understand and learn how to process emotions, transforming your body through nutrition, energy and movement, create a meaningful life with direction and clarity, and finally, creating open and connected relationships.

What’s cool about Kristian is that he considers his life as one big experiment so everything he teaches he makes sure he’s personally experienced and gone through the ups and downs of it all himself.

This said, we run through his story in this show. We talk about why he went to Asia to explore himself, what he’s learned on this journey, his thoughts on destiny vs choice, and what it takes to let go of fears and insecurities and step into the life that were meant to live. We also chat about:

How Kristian stopped looking for his purpose and started living it

Meditation, yoga, and the reason we don’t really need specific ‘methods’

The power of self-belief and love to transform yourself and your life

Numerology, Life Cycles, and aligning with the patterns of the universe

Super deep stuff, I came out of the convo so charged and inspired, it was such a blast and honor to have him on the show.

Reach Kristian at:

Instagram: @kristianmartinow

Facebook: facebook.com/kristian.martinow

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristianmartinow