Your Revolution

Sometimes we meet people who have "interesting" stories. Shane Farmer, founder of DHR, is definitely that category. Despite being a bit of a failure at high school, Shane hasn't let that hold him back. His extraordinary work ethic is one reason, and the other is the fact that he wholeheartedly throws himself into uncomfortable situations - like when he took a job as a poo inspector in a Mexican hospital while awaiting university acceptance.

In this 3 part interview, we talk about Shane's sporting history, how he started Dark Horse Rowing, what the future may hold and how plans on leaving an impact on the world.

Sometimes we meet people who have "interesting" stories. Shane Farmer, founder of DHR, is definitely that category. Despite being a bit of a failure at high school, Shane hasn't let that hold him back. His extraordinary work ethic is one reason, and the other is the fact that he wholeheartedly throws himself into uncomfortable situations - like when he took a job as a poo inspector in a Mexican hospital while awaiting university acceptance.

In this 3 part interview, we talk about Shane's sporting history, how he started Dark Horse Rowing, what the future may hold and how plans on leaving an impact on the world.

What're you actually willing to do in pursuit of your goals?

Every now and again, we hear of people who've done extraordinary things in pursuit of something better.

Nate Chambers is one of those people. While working a full-time corporate job, and in order to fund his dream, Nate gave up his house and lived in his car for 7 months.

He has a few inventions up his sleeve - including a device that sucks the yolk out of eggs, and a backpack that allows "corporate athletes" to train hard while on the road.

By making a sacrifice that few of us would make, Nate launched his product. And did well enough that he was able to quit his day job.

Now Nate has taken that extraordinary focus, and is working on creating the lifestyle he wants to live, helping others be better versions of themselves, and inspiring others every day.

This has got to be my ACTUAL favourite interview!

I'm tired of hearing people pressure us into believing that "when something is important to you, you make it happen". Why? Because it's actually not that simple.

Yes, I am a believer in prioritising. Yes, I think that if something is important to you it will, and should, be reflected in your day to day life.

But yes, I also think there is some grey area when it comes to the "priority" discussion. It's not as simple as "if you're not making it a priority above all else, then it obviously isn't that important to you".

Today's podcast is all about addressing the guilt that this attitude perpetuates when the inevitable happens: when something comes up, and life simply gets in the way of your priorities.

This week, among all the happiness of Project Row and my European tour, a constant in my life was thrown into chaos. My Gym Jones world crumbled around me as hate and jealousy took hold of so many I held in high regard.

Out of this turmoil however, so many conversations have arisen for me with people who I have come to know from the GJ journey I have been on. Real conversations, ones about values, priorities and absolute core beliefs.

It's so heartening to see that when the very worst of the human spirit is highlighted it also brings out the very best of the human spirit. What I have learnt this week is that things won't always turn out as you hoped but you always have a choice in how you react.

Today's podcast is about core values. What are they and why are they important.

Choose to surround yourself with people who build you up and want the best for you and walk away with your head held high when people put you down or let you down. Choose to act out of love and compassion and never compromise that which is important to you.

This one's for the good guys.

When you're talking about movements, there's the saying "practise makes permanent".

It's something I learned from Sam Loch (episode 88), specifically about rowing technique, and how you should never, ever perform anything but a perfect stroke - because practising sloppy technique makes sloppy technique permanent.

It occurred to me that the same thing applies to how we see ourselves. Every time we think something negative - I can't do this, I'm not pretty enough, I don't like my body - we're practising a negative outlook. And, as we know, practise makes permanent.

In today's episode I talk about practising positive self-talk to ultimately create a permanent change in outlook.

Do you know someone who set themselves a big goal, like a marathon or an ironman? Someone who trained so hard, and ended up so fatigued, that the experience of actually doing the event made them hate it? And afterwards, they hung up their boots and did nothing for months, or even years? I know many like that. Life isn't about just the marathon. Life is about how we approach the every day with the same effort and preparation we do to the big events. The grand moments: the weddings, the birthdays, the marathons, the adventures. What if I told you that, instead of making your whole life about one day, you could be capable of not just running an entire marathon any day you feel like it, but that it's possible for you to enjoy it, too? What you are actually capable of will blow you away, and this story of my marathon will show you exactly that. I didn't have the perfect preparation - in fact, according to conventional wisdom, I had zero - but I have committed time, energy and effort to health and fitness every day of my life. And that every day aspect of my health and fitness meant running the Melbourne Marathon was a pleasure, not a great challenge to be battled. Seeing what you are capable of doesn't need to be saved up for your bucket list. In today's episode I talk about how to make capability something you live, every day.

Sam Loch is a two-time Olympic Rower, having represented Australia at the Beijing and London Olympics. Since his Olympic days he's focused on something you all know I'm familiar with: the Concept2 indoor rower. Sam has the 24 hour tandem record, the 1000m record, the max-metres-in-a-minute record and held the 1000m record on the skierg, just for fun. Often we think that people as successful as Sam are just born that way, that there's something preordained in their genes. But the reality is that Sam is not necessarily suited for rowing, and was told his whole career that he would need to work very hard to make the Olympics. Through nothing more complicated than dedication and effort, Sam showed that his hard work would pay off and made the Olympics not just once but twice. "If you say something's important to you, it can't just be important to you when you feel good about it". People say they want to achieve something, like losing weight, moving better or feeling better. Yet day in, day out, their actions demonstrate that they really want the opposite. "You're not getting up early because you like it, it's because of your goal. You can take that and apply it to why you're eating what you're eating, to why you're doing the stretching and the yoga, to why you're saying 'no' to something … it's the bit of you that decides something is important." Tune in to today's Your Revolution podcast to hear Sam's incredible story: what he really thinks about elite sport, his thesis on body image (did I mention he went to Princeton?), and the simple attitude it takes to succeed. revo.pt/yourrevolutionpodcast

Last week I entered the twilight zone: I was interviewed by someone else! Jane Ellen hosts the Glistening Particles podcast, and had been chasing me for a while. I was avoiding saying "yes", but in the end I had SO much fun being interviewED for once! I thought this would be a really fun way for you to get to know me better: I share a lot about what I think in a conversation led by someone I've never met, in what I think is a really great way to get my message across. Jane is a fantastic interviewer, and I'm so glad we finally got together and recorded an interview with me! Download today's podcast to hear the two Janes.

Matt Owen is a rarity. At just 30 years old, he's just celebrated his business's 10 year anniversary. Hockey, Track and Field, Olympic Lifting and Gym Jones - for over a decade, Matt has developed an enormous wealth of experience in both training and the business of training.

"This stuff is supposed to be fun, and most people act like it's a chore!"

Whether he's talking about his wife Emily, his business or his cars, his philosophy to live with optimistic aggression has served him well.

Tune in to today's podcast to hear Matt's story.