Bear Johal: Extraordinary Living: Recent Episodes
Bear Johal
The 8th episode of the series, I wanted to try something a little different and really give the guest the driver's seat to provide more of an educational session, than a traditional interview. Billy is a good friend, but has also really influenced me on his goal setting methodology. He has the process dialled in; from choosing goals in different areas, setting accountabilities, tracking progress and reviewing it all at the end.
The 7th episode and 2016 debut features the talented Hayley McLean. Making a name for herself by winning Fender's 2013 Guitar Goddess of the Year, she went on to record a very successful debut album "I", which took the country pop world by storm. It was followed by promotions, touring and an inevitable move to Nashville. Now based out of Nashville, Hayley has transitioned her career to producing music, specifically of the electronic genre under the recording name Texada. She has just released two brand new EPs Texada's Gold EP and Texada's Blue EP, already receiving strong praise in the music world.
Some highlights to look forward to in the show:
- Making a living as a musician
- Performing live shows and the accompanying state-of-mind
- The power of YouTube and the digital age in gaining exposure
- Texada (at the 17:00 mark) starting as an outlet for creativity, now turned into an electronic music success
I've known Harry since high school, so it's been quite a treat to witness his progression from high school rugby champion to representing Canada at both the Rugby World Cup and in the Sevens World Series. Despite his new found celebrity status, he was generous enough to take the time from Dubai to describe his journey so far and the Road to Rio 2016.
I met Jeff by chance during my backpacking trip through Nicaragua. He is without a doubt one of the most interesting and yet humble individuals I've had the privilege of crossing paths with. It took a few months to tee up this interview, but Jeff's story is one worth listening to. An accomplished teacher in Massachusetts, he dabbled on a trip to Central America and was moved. Slowly, but surely, he began the transition. What started out as teaching summers abroad, soon turned into full-time work and now a very successful non-profit (Amped for Education), which is quite literally changing the educational landscape in Nicaragua. It's inspiring stuff & I highly recommend at the very least checking out his non-profit to see how you can contribute.
The fourth episode of the Extraordinary Living Series, features Mark Milburn a UVic graduate who's run the gauntlet in competitive sports: downhill ski racing, rock climbing, track & field, cycling; as well as modelling for Men's Health, Abercrombie, Nike, and Calvin Klein. Mark's interest turned obsession into health and fitness has cumulated into his greatest achievement to date: starting a successful gym in beautiful Victoria, BC (Catalyst Waterfront). A real treat to have him on the show and dive deep into health topics including: workout plans, eating, intermittent fasting, and supplements--just in time for the summer!
The third episode of the Extraordinary Living Series, features Andrew Hall, UVic BComm graduate and co-Founder of the non-profit Mealshare. After landing a solid consulting job at Deloitte following undergrad, Andrew had the burning desire to do more and gathered the courage to leave a secure job and start a non-profit with Jeremy Bryant and Derek Juno. After only 2 years, Mealshare is currently in over 150 restaurants in Canada and continues to expand across the country.
The second episode of the Extraordinary Living Series, delves into the world of ultra-distance running and spiritual health with Connor Meakin. Meaks is a stoic dude, of whom I first crossed paths with in our undergraduate days at UVic. After successfully balancing varsity sports and a social life at university; Meaks landed a role with the iconic BC tech firm Hootsuite and now acts as their Community Manager of North America, while still finding time to punish his body through Ultramarathons of over 85 km.