Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman

We are all struggling during this pandemic, and Tom and Hardee are again finding that hobbies (both old and new) are crucial to keeping the mind and body occupied. But what is a hobby exactly? Does one need to immerse themselves fully in order to call it as such, or can it be something that we just casually do? Do we need every single tool of the trade to begin or can we start with nothing? And if your hobby is based around being outside, do you have alternatives for a rainy day?

In this episode, Tom tells us about some hobby-related apps he's been working on including Your Birding Story. Hardee laments a destroyed wood chipper and makes multiple references to the Japanese culture he knows and loves. "The Princess Bride" even makes a cameo.

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. To connect with him and fellow birders check out Your Birding Story on Facebook.

Recorded and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

It's been almost 6 months since there's been an episode of Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman. In this catch-up episode, Tom and Hardee talk about what they've been doing during the pandemic to keep their businesses (and minds) afloat and how those changes have affected them personally. Tom talks about innovations he made at Rise to keep his employees working and Hardee reflects on how to teach a contact sport via video.

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. To connect with him and fellow birders check out Your Birding Story on Facebook.

Recorded and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

Stay tuned for more episodes of the podcasts Your Birding Story (Tom) and The Ninja Everyday (Hardee) coming soon. Coronatose from Juan Huevos is also streaming new episodes.

Tom has been super busy with his D-Town Bird Club, spreading the awareness of the therapeutic value of birding, and getting Your Birding Story off the ground. It's taking a toll on him, as you can hear in this episode, but in typical Birdman fashion he cannot be stopped. It's a lot to take on with a family and, oh yeah, the BISCUIT EMPIRE that he still runs. Meanwhile, Hardee is sore to the core from shoveling gravel but he still finds time to train a couple times a day. Is the secret to success really an ICE COLD SHOWER?? Tune in to get caught up on everything Tom is doing for the birding community and a discussion on why "being the best" isn't necessarily the way to dive into a hobby.

Featured music:
"Don't Date" by Juan Huevos

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. To connect with him and fellow birders check out Your Birding Story on Facebook.

Look for brand new podcasts from each of our hosts coming soon on the Busy Waves Network.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

What started as an outdoors-themed podcast with an emphasis on mindfulness has become more of a story about the life journeys of hosts Tom Ferguson and Hardee Merrit. For this look back on the podcast's growth, the fellas are joined by the third member of the band, producer Jon Gregory. They follow-up on some past topics and also discuss how they feel about the podcast so far and where they see it going. Topics include donuts, naming pets, getting back to nature, and eating cheese in bed.

Featured music:
"Hot Mess" by Cobra Starship

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. To connect with him and fellow birders check out Your Birding Story on Facebook.

Look for brand new podcasts from each of our hosts coming soon on the Busy Waves Network.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

When you start a new hobby or business or job there can be a transition period where you feel like a bit of a poser. There are also those who don't have the credentials yet feel like they have truly become the thing they emulate. Tom talks about what it has been like breaking into the birding world this past year. Is feeling like a poser all in his head? And how badly can he mess up a rare bird sighting? Meanwhile, Hardee kills us with his least-favorite Christmas tradition and then tells us what it's like to have a sword swinging at your head. Originally recorded before Thanksgiving, we also ask the very important question: does The Birdman eat turkey??

Featured music:
"Show Your Tattoos" by Lil Boosie & Webbie feat. UGK
"Jurassic Park - Main Theme" by John Williams
"WUUUU!" by Scotty B

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. To connect with him and fellow birders check out Your Birding Story on Facebook.

Look for brand new podcasts from each of our hosts coming soon on the Busy Waves Network.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

Tom finally did it. After 35 years, he quit smoking. But when a friend implies that his methods were too drastic, Tom decides he has a thing or two to say about "mind over matter". Today's episode delves into why we need tools to assist our minds when overcoming challenges. Tom gets passionate about mental illness and his new favorite movie while Hardee shares relatable stories from his own life to keep the discussion moving. A segment at the end debates whether the practice of "snipe hunting" is more than just a prank and has Hardee ready to take on all bullies.

Featured music:
"Native Flute Diddy" by Wolven Within
"Mind Over Matter" by Ice T

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. Follow his adventures on his website Hyper Manic Birdman.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

In a return to form, Ninja & The Birdman discuss recent retreats they've been on, Tom having just returned from a managerial team build in the woods and Hardee fresh from a scouting mission in Hawaii. Tom shares details about leading his first sweat lodge while Hardee entertains us with funny but harrowing tales of hiking with his wife in Kauai. This lighthearted episode even has a fictional (but meaningful) Bird Of The Day.

Featured music:
"Lord Of The Flies - Original Score" by Philippe Sarde

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. Follow his adventures on his website Hyper Manic Birdman.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

In this episode, a noticeably pensive Tom is hung up on the notion of integrity. How do we lose it? And how can we get it back? A discussion of selling out in the food industry is followed by a tale of tobacco farming, a hammock review, and an uplifting story about a Golden Eagle. 

Featured music:
"Crossover" by EPMD
"Hennessy N Buddah" by Snoop Dogg

A note from our producer: As Tools For Tools progresses, we have found ourselves meandering a bit in our focus. What was originally intended as a nature-centric program with elements of mindfulness and meditation has become more of a motivational discussion between two men as they try to be the best versions of themselves. Those elements were always intended to be a part of this podcast, after all, the "tools" that were to be shared were skills for living a more productive life. I have been trying to formulate the best way to stay consistent, but Tom and Hardee live busy and interesting lives and both are very passionate about what they do, so when we get together it's hard be bound by a certain lane: we just shoot off the hip. Hopefully you are enjoying the journey as we continue to dial in our collective voice and try to make this show, like our lives, the best it can be.

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. Follow his adventures on his website Hyper Manic Birdman.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

With "discipline" and "motivation" being the buzz words for this episode, Ninja & The Birdman's conversation centers around Hardee's recent trip to Japan. Topics include classical cooking educations, seeking modern culinary innovations, a comparison of cooking to martial arts, a reflection on Bruce Lee, the pros and cons of strict discipline, bicycle-riding murderers, and more.

Some of the transition music was pulled from Soloists of the Ensemble Nipponia

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. Follow his adventures on his website Hyper Manic Birdman.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory

Even though Ninja & The Birdman are constantly pushing for their listeners to immerse themselves in their hobbies and interests, it's also important to remember the other people in your life who may or may not share your same passions. Your family is who you have to answer to at the end of the day, so how can you show them that they matter too? In this episode, Tom and Hardee talk about what happens when families and hobbies collide and how to be a better part of that family unit while still staying busy. Details include Hardee reflecting on his relationship with his young son and Tom discussing a recent family trip to Costa Rica that might have included some birding.

The background music during this episode's Zenspiration was called "Beautiful Asian Music Instrumental" and was made by Fantasy & World Music by the Fiechters

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Hardee Merrit (aka Ninja) is the owner of Chapel Hill Quest Martial Arts. He has been studying To-Shin Do Ninjitsu for 21 years and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 16 years. He is an avid outdoorsman. Many of his skills, teachings, and product reviews are shared on his website The Ninja Everyday.

Tom Ferguson (aka The Birdman) is a chef/entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Rise. A workaholic who has faced many struggles in his life, he now finds solace in the practice of birdwatching and photography and hopes to share this experience with others. Follow his adventures on his website Hyper Manic Birdman.

Produced, recorded, and edited by Jon Gregory (aka Juan Huevos)
Music by Jon Gregory