It felt like a new chapter and a hope I came to everyday.”   Have you ever been faced with a situation you wanted to overcome, but you couldn't’? Where it just felt like none of the stars were aligned at the right time. Where it felt as though the world was conspiring against you. Times like these are hard. It seems, at the time, that we’re in a dark hole that no one else understands. Today’s guest, Elina Vayzburg, knows that place and has also climbed her way out.   I don’t want my kids to loose their parents too early.”   Only up until a few years ago Elina was overweight. She had diabetes, was on medication, and found herself escaping her own reality. After losing her first child during pregnancy, Elina had a beautiful daughter. They would frequent cafes and lunch outings for her daughter, but as Elina developed in her own journey, she’s realized those trips were actually for her. If things already didn’t feel like they were going the right way, Elina’s father, her rock, passed away.   I decided that this had to be a life change for me.”   The day her father died, Elina made the decision to change her life. She began to workout, quit smoking, quit drinking, and took on a healthy vegan lifestyle. She was no longer worried about what others thought of her, but more how she could show up for her own kids. Through self control, hard fought workouts, and a primarily plant-based diet, Elina has transformed her life. Having now reversed her diabetes and lost 100 lbs in less than a year, Elina finally feels healthier than she ever has before and seeks to bring this feeling to more people. The WHY / / Being a healthy role model for the kids   Enjoy Elina’s journey as she shares about overcoming weight loss, reversing diabetes, and finding her definition of health and wellness.  

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I always knew I wanted to help others, but I didn’t know how.”   Sometimes all you can do is the next right thing. However, when anxiety, depression, or any other external forces are high, it can be hard to take the step. It can inhibit any sort of connection, with others or yourself. It may put you in a place where you need more things to help you cope with what is actually going on inside. This week's guest, SGT Matthew Pennington has lived through some hellish times and today, he shares his story of redemption.   I didn’t look at it, my friend told me it was gone.”   After enlisting in the Army pre-9/11, young Matthew Pennington was ready for a change. Having faced a tough childhood and the recent death of his grandmother, Pennington took the family place in the military. After two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and some time back at home, Matthew took his third and final tour. While finding a new post in what would become his final stay, Matthew was leading a convoy through a narrow road in a small city. As he turned the corner, the worst hit.   I believe there is an inherent divine purpose for all of us.”   After losing his leg in the war, Matthew’s homecoming was filled with ups and downs over the first few years back. He went from a year of celebrity status in the hospital to a few years of medication, alcohol, and pain. Matthew’s injuries consisted of his lost left leg, injured right leg, and a brain injury. All were noticed right away except for the brain injury. Years after his injury, as depression and alcohol became more involved in Matthew’s day-to-day, his shot at acting in a movie portraying an Army vet became his first form of therapy. Staring in ‘A Marine’s Guide to Fishing’ was life changing for Matthew. The WHY / / Where I’m going I do the best I can do while I’m there.   Enjoy Matthew’s journey as he recalls losing his leg while serving overseas, starring in a movie, and starting a non-profit!   Connect with Matthew: Email Facebook

We become our environment.”   Our environments set us up for who we are and what we become. In these spaces and with the people we hang out with, our lives unfold. It’s so easy to fall right in line with a lifestyle of partying, drinking, drugs, and working the typical 9-5. However, how easy is it to find and follow your truth? What does it take to get there? Is there even a “there” to get to? Today, we dive into this and more with Author, Speaker, & Writer, Lou Redmond.   I felt like I was being asked, “Do I want all that life has for me?”   A few years ago, Lou Redmond found himself deep into the party/rave scene and unfulfilled with his life. He had worked his way into a well-paying job, was getting promoted, enjoying parties, and had a great girlfriend. The new American dream, right? Some time into his escapades, Lou realized, however, that this was in fact not his dream. He was living a dispassionate life. More uncomfortable than ever, Lou found himself in a meeting with Junto Global talking about personal development.   It’s never about the goal, it’s about enjoying the process.”   As Lou’s journey progressed and the months went by, he connected more and more with the peace of life. With meditation, yoga, breathing, and less partying. His old partying, drinking, raving self might look at this new Lou like he was crazy. However, with this new outlook on life, Lou found himself, Lou found his truth.   The WHY / / Being a vessel for whatever love or work that wants to come through me   Enjoy Lou’s journey as he dives into his past party lifestyle, his big life change, and his path on finding his truth!   Connect with Lou: Instagram Website Facebook Buy Lou's Book: Find Your Truth

[caption id="attachment_2407" align="aligncenter" width="4160"] Nora w/Meb Keflezighi at the NYC Marathon[/caption] It’s fleeting when you’re looking to something external to soothe your internal.”   Many of us can go through life feeling lost, broken, or alone. Feeling like the pain we’re going through in our own head is nothing like what anyone else is experiencing. Maybe you’ve turned to food, alcohol, or drugs to help numb the pain that no one can see. Unfortunately, in the typical college environment, especially, this looks like the norm. However, how long can one really push through this alone?   Running kept me going.”   Today’s guest, Nora Allen, has experienced everything from anxiety to depression to a tough alcohol addiction. She is also an experienced runner and Registered Dietitian. Having spent much of her youth and young adult life suffering from anxiety and addiction, Nora knows that pain. However, when she got more into running during college, she also found that she could feel free of this pain, or at least learn how to accept it and move forward. Through many trial and error, Nora found her way through recovery on Dec. 26, 2013.   Through the challenges I can still take care of my mental health.”   Over the past few years Nora has continued to learn the ways of finding peace in her struggle. Recovery allowed her to feel again and even though this made the work a bit harder, she found solace through running and a positive support system around her. Nora noted that she treats running as she does recovery; one day at a time, one mile at a time.   The WHY \ \ Not just to live, but to thrive.   Enjoy Nora’s journey as she recalls her first feelings of anxiety, the struggle with alcohol, and the road to recovery through running.   Connect with Nora: Facebook

We were fed up with people feeling like they didn’t have an identity after sports.”   Sometimes life seems pretty straight forward. However, many times, for many of us, life makes no sense at all. We bounce around from job to job, school to school to find that thing. To have that moment in life. The one that everyone talks about. You know, where the clouds part and the heavens shine down telling us exactly what our purpose is and what we should do for the rest of our life? This happens to everyone, right? ....   I have so much to give and I’ve been holding it all inside.”   [caption id="attachment_2345" align="alignleft" width="300"] Caroline & teammates at the 2008 Olympic Games[/caption] Caroline Burckle is an athlete, swimmer, Olympian, and entrepreneur (among many other amazing talents!). Becoming an Olympian is the childhood dream of many. Although she loved her time in the sport, Caroline found herself unfulfilled after the 2008 Olympic games. Searching for answers, she left professional swimming behind and began her educational escapade. Over the past eight years, Burckle has acquired 2 extra degrees, worked her way into lululemon, and moved across the country multiple times. She began to realize something needed to change.   I am creatively connecting myself to what I feel the most alive doing.”   A few short years ago when fellow Olympic swimmer, Rebecca Soni, and Caroline reconnected, both women found that they had  [caption id="attachment_2344" align="alignright" width="300"] Caroline & Rebecca[/caption] experienced similar identity crises. Both also connected to the idea of giving back to young athletes in a way that they felt the support, knowledge, tools, love and community going into all the chapters of their lives. Today, Caroline and Rebecca thrive in their company, RISE Athletes, doing exactly that.    The WHY / / To create freely   Enjoy Caroline’s journey as she shares her post-Olympic discovery, her creative ownership, and how being uncomfortable breeds success.   [ Listen to Rebecca’s podcast here ]   Follow Caroline: Caro's Instagram RISE Website RISE Instagram RISE Facebook RISE Parent Group CaroCoco

What made me into the great athlete I was?”   There are times in every person’s life where one feels lost. Maybe it’s right after college when you get out into the “real world” with a degree and dreams of an amazing life and no clue where to start. Possibly it’s in your middle age where you’re in the process of rediscovering who you are after the kids leave home. Or maybe you were once an olympic athlete and are seeking more than just the identity of an olympian. Wherever you are, it’s okay to feel lost. It’s okay to not know where you’re going.   I wanted to be the author of my story.”   Rebecca Soni is a 6x Olympic medalist having competed at both the Beijing and London Olympics. However, after leaving the title of Olympic swimmer behind at 25, Rebecca felt a huge loss and had no clue what to do next. Her whole identity up until that point was wrapped up in being a swimmer. In this new space, Rebecca began to reach out to other athletes and begin her own process of self reflection. Here, she began to become the author of her own story.   You are way more than the person that is just performing.”   In 2015, Soni reconnected with another olympic swimmer who was experiencing similar feelings of identity crisis. It was then that Rebecca Soni and Caroline Burckle joined forces to bring RISE Athletes to life. From Rebecca’s journey she wanted the space to help mentor the youth through the mental aspects of becoming an athlete. Reflecting back on her own story, she recalled moments of suppressing feelings and emotions. Through RISE Rebecca strives to guide young athletes towards the tools to accept and allow these emotions and to better understand their own ‘user manuals’ in sport and life.   The WHY / / Finding joy in the day to day   Enjoy Rebecca’s journey as she dives into her life as an Olympic swimmer, transitioning into her own curiosity for life, and the process of starting and owning a business.   [ Listen to Caroline's Podcast here ]   Follow Rebecca’s Journey: RISE Website RISE Instagram RISE Facebook

Running is a boost to my mental health and allows me to find more joy in life.”   Have you ever gone for a run, worked out, danced, or just moved and felt really good afterwards? More and more studies are coming out around the benefits and effectiveness of aerobic movement in general. However, it also has a large impact and effect on those battling with any amount of mental illness. Today’s guest, Scott Douglas, took the initiative to compile the one-stop-shop for both the scientific data and personal stories behind this phenomenon through his newest book, Running Is My Therapy.   Running can be considered as an effective, stand alone treatment for some cases of depression and anxiety.”   Scott grew through running for most of his elementary, high school, and college life. When he first found it, he had a feeling that he would continue running no matter what. As he began to compete in high school and college, he only deepened his own understanding of the benefit of running to his mental health. Suffering from a chronic form of depression (discovered later in life), Scott found that running for at least thirty minutes to an hour a day brought him continued levels of joy. Later on, he would discover the actual science behind these improved feelings backed that up.   It’s almost always more important to be nice then to be right.”   Although he did not pursue competition, Douglas did continue running. He ran because it was a space for him to not only connect with himself, but others as well. As a big writer in the running world (having written or  collaborated on 9 books - one of which with Meb Keflezighi, the 2014 Boston Marathon winner), Scott took this chance to dive into the science behind the feeling of running and share it with the world. His new book, Running Is My Therapy, hit the shelves on April 16, 2018 and is spreading like a wildfire.   The WHY / / Be a good husband as a way of being a good person   Enjoy Scott’s journey as he dives into his history as a runner, his new book, Running Is My Therapy, and how he envisions becoming better everyday.   Follow Scott: Buy 'Running Is My Therapy'! Website Twitter Instagram

  A Lifeline fulfills that human need that we’re doing something that matters.”   Do you have something that keeps you fulfilled? That drives you? Gives you breath? Maybe you’ve felt stuck in this process. Stuck in the opportunity and purpose in life. This journey can be difficult. Many face tough struggles and hard decisions on a daily basis. Many feel lost inside. If you’re a young adult, you may know this road all too well. Pressured by a society that tells you what success looks like, what it means to be “cool”, and how you should fit into the status quo. Is this truly where you want to live?   The thing you think is really messing everything up is really what’s making you beautiful.”   Abbey Nash took the journey into her latest novel, Lifeline, not necessarily because she wanted to, but because she needed to. Originating from her own journey and experience with a brother who battled addiction and recovery, Lifeline follows a young man, Eli, through his experience with addiction and his discovery of his own lifeline. Although Abbey’s inspiration was her own life experience, this story takes a body of it’s own in the messiness and beauty of life as a young adult.   Just start walking and the path will show up.”   Further than Abbey’s own continued journey, her hope for this book is to offer a light at the end of the tunnel through addiction and recovery. After interviewing many artists and creatives about their Lifelines, Abbey has concluded that, “The thing you think is really messing everything up is really what’s making you beautiful.” [caption id="attachment_2179" align="alignright" width="226"] Abbey signing her Book contract![/caption] The WHY \ \ Choosing Hope and sharing it with others   Enjoy Abbey’s journey as she dives into her writing process, the birth of Lifeline, and her larger message of helping others find their own lifelines.   Follow Abbey’s Journey: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Buy Lifeline Here

Just accept that there will be pain. Start looking at positive things.”   Have you ever wondered what those people on the other side of the world live like? What is their culture? How is it different from yours? Your way of life? For much of his early life, instead of asking these questions, Patrik Gullerstrӧm actually traveled. His work and study took him everywhere from Canada to Kazakhstan and back to Sweden again. Traveling allowed him to truly experience the cultures of the world. However, it also forced him into running...   It’s all about opening borders, not closing them.”   Patrik took up running (or racing rather) a few years ago and hasn’t looked back. Well, there was that time or two where he told his wife post-race that he was done. Stopping the racing. Stopping the long distance. No more running. Until he, very quickly, signed up for his next race only weeks (sometimes days) later. Oh, and by the way, that next race was longer. If it wasn’t for his supportive and determined wife, he says his mindset might have just failed. But, he carried on!   It’ll work out in the end.”   Patrik takes pride in his family. It is the thing that drives him. Other than his free time he finds through running, Patrik truly enjoys seeing his children grow. He hopes to offer everyone the space to try whatever they want. To not rely on security or comfortability, but to pursue the opportunities that could lead you to something bigger.   The WHY / / Taking care of the family   Enjoy Patrik’s journey as he dives into his training, how he keeps his mindset straight, and his philosophy on trying things.   Follow Patrik’s Journey: Instagram

A Boston Marathon Recap   I’m mentally checked out of this.”   4:30am: Wake up. Drive into downtown Boston in the pouring rain. Soaking wet, hop on a bus to the 2018 Boston Marathon Start line. Run for 26.2 miles... Did we mention it was 35 degrees and pouring rain?   Running gave me the time to be self reflective.”   Entering what he’d soon find out to be the toughest Boston Marathon to date, RJ Gibbs took the plunge into his first marathon. Not truly knowing what to expect of this monumental race, he reluctantly trained for a few months to get his millage up. Only weeks before the race, however, he injured his achilles. A set back, but nothing he wouldn’t know about come race finish.   Challenge yourself. Take an active roll.”   Through torrential downpour, high speed winds, and shear cold, RJ and the 30,000 other soaked runners took on the race. All looking good for RJ until he hit the infamous Heartbreak Hill around miles 16-20. Pushing through, he found solace in seeing the beautiful city and thinking of his family and friends that would greet him at the finish. Running this marathon, maybe for RJ, a physical metaphor for his current challenge of starting a business.   The WHY / / Exploring How to Grow Doing My Own Thing Enjoy RJ’s journey as he recounts his 2018 Boston Marathon, what it means to grow through adversity, and an insight into his transition from long time writer to entrepreneur.