Sean J: Recent Episodes

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Listen now | Steph is closing in on the end of her partnership with the Michael J. Foxx Foundation to run a 5k everyday, for 100 days in a row to raise money and awareness for Parkinson’s research. 

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Are you a music lover?

If you’re a music lover, share this interview with your music loving friends.

For smooth listening:

Open in your browser or listen in podcast app (subscribers-only).

You’ll magically see a “Listen in podcast app” link when you type in your email.

Note: Listening may be choppy in apps like Instagram, etc.

Another note: Listening may be smoothest after pouring yourself a bourbon.

About the Episode

Hey guys, welcome back to Adapt. This podcast, along with my newsletter, documents my pursuit of new talents - from music to cooking to workouts and a whole bunch more.

In this episode, I sit down with singer/songer Travis Smith to talk about the song writing process and the making of his debut album, Wildness.

We cover a lot of ground, from his musical upbringing to a live performance of his single, Try, and an in-depth breakdown of how he wrote it - from guitar riffs to full lyrics.

Before we dive in, a couple things to keep in mind:

I hope this episode will peel back the curtain a bit on all the work that goes into your favorite music, and give you what you need to have an even greater appreciation of the music you listen to

If music and song writing is something you’re interested in, I hope this interview will make those pursuits feel more approachable, and give you a structure to get started

I would recommend applying a lot of Travis’ song writing tips to your other creative pursuits. At it’s core, this is really about doing your best creative work

After this episode, I would highly recommend pouring yourself a bourbon, finding Travis’ album Wildness on Spotify or Apple Music, and listening to it front to back, with no interruptions or distractions.

Without further ado, please enjoy this whiskey filled conversation with singer/song writer, Travis Smith.

Lyrics to “Try”

There’s a dark moon hanging over my head tonight

Its pulling the tides, its blinding my eyes

and I can’t sleep

at least not well

And these thoughts they bleed

between the bad bad dreams of you

and the talk we had this afternoon

well I just want to rest

but this is still so fresh

I don't want to leave your side

No, I like to stay here my whole life

I think I’ll live forever, baby

I think I’m too scared to die

But I've seen people jump ship just as the sun starts to rise

Lord, I wish we tried

Remind myself that I been here before

and why I've locked those doors

and why I never go there anymore

Some nights the drinking helps

Others doesn't do the trick

And that path it crosses with some bad bad roads

think of holding hands and romantic poems

and well, I think I’d rather feel alone than be feeling like this

I don’t want to leave your side

No, I like to stay here my whole life

I think I’ll live forever, baby

I think I’m too scared to die

But I've seen people jump ship just as the sun starts to rise

Lord, I wish we tried

So I'll just sit here and watch you clear the floor

watch you, pack up your things

watch you, walk on the door

watch you walk away from everything

And I don’t understand anymore

I don’t want to leave your side

No, I like to stay here my whole life

I think I’ll live forever, baby

I think I’m too scared to die

But I've seen people jump ship just as the sun starts to rise

Lord, I wish we tried

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Should more people hear Danny’s story?

If you think more people should hear Danny’s story, share his interview.

For smooth listening:

Open in your browser or listen in podcast app (subscribers-only).

You’ll magically see a “Listen in podcast app” link when you type in your email.

Note: Listening may be choppy in apps like Instagram, etc.

About the Episode

Hey guys, welcome to the first episode of my new podcast, Adapt. This podcast, along with this newsletter, is going to document my pursuit of new talents - from music to cooking to workouts and a whole bunch more.

In this first episode, I sit down with my best friend of the last 15+ years Danny Travis to talk about the earth shattering news that neither of us saw coming, and the fall out that followed.

Picture from Danny & Jackie’s Wedding, about 6 months before diagnosis.

Danny’s openness and positivity, from diagnosis to recovery, was amazing for me to watch. And so I wanted to record this as the first episode of the podcast because for anybody that saw how Danny handled this, Danny put on a masterclass in handling adversity.

I will say a couple things before we get started:

Get checked. This is always something you think can’t happen to you, but it can. Be proactive.

If you’re someone who has been diagnosed, I hope that this conversation and Danny’s experience will provide you a little more clarity on what to expect, and give you the insights you need to beat this f****r.

If you know someone who has been diagnosed, I hope that this will provide you some insights into what they might be feeling and thinking at each stage of the journey, and give you a better handle on the best things you can do to support them

If you’re struggling to stay sane and positive in quarantine, or through any other type of adversity, I think Danny’s advice will provide you with the strength and calm you need to overcome

I’ll wrap up this intro with a poem that was Danny’s mantra throughout his recovery process (and that we both have tattooed on us as a result):

The devil whispers to the warrior,

You’re not strong enough to handle to the storm

The warrior whispers back

I am the Storm

Please enjoy this espresso fueled conversation with the Wildcard himself, Danny Travis.

Love, peace & elbow grease,

-sj

ps. Stay tuned for new episodes, coming soon…

Books Mentioned in the Episode

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind And Defy The Odds by David Goggins

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Hey guys, Sean here. This is an introduction to the private podcast feed available exclusively to subscribers of this newsletter.

So I just want to give you an idea of what to expect, and get you set up to get new episodes right in your favorite podcast app.

First, what to expect.

COVID-19 is the earth stopping challenge of our generation. It’s been a scary number of weeks that have forced us to change and adapt in ways I don’t think any of us fathomed.

Here’s the thing: if we don’t find a way to adapt to these new realities, our mind will slowly become a swamp: stagnant, moldy, seeping in every direction.

So I’m starting this newsletter for the people that want to find a way to adapt. People that want to conquer new challenges, explore new creative outlets and pursue new side-hustles. People who want their mind to become a river: raging, channeled and therefore pure.

In this private podcast feed, I’ll be interviewing entrepreneurs, athletes and artists, including some of you, about their work - what inspired it, how they stuck to it, the rewards they got from it.

We’ll also be reviewing the things they’ve made and the things they love to give you some new things to try and appreciate.

If you have an idea of someone I should interview or something I should cover, drop me a note.

Now, let’s get you set up to get new episodes in your favorite podcast app.

First, you’ll need to be subscribed to the newsletter to do this. So if you haven’t already, drop in your email and subscribe.

Next, whether you’re listening to this on your laptop or your phone, you should see a link below the play button that says “Listen in podcast app”.

Click or tap that link. You’ll see a green button that says “Email me the link”.

Open your email on your phone and you’ll see an email from me with the subject: Podcast app setup

Open that email, again on your phone, and tap Add to podcast app.

From there, select your favorite podcast app and you’re good to go. You’ll get new episodes in your podcast app now, along with email notifications from me here (though I’ll try to keep those to only once or twice a week).

That’s it! You’re all set up.

Keep an eye out for new episodes. I’ll be interviewing entrepreneurs, athletes and artists on producing albums, beating cancer, writing artificial intelligence algorithms, producing handmade goods overseas, running a 5k for 100 days in a row - and that’s just the first 5 episodes.

See you soon.

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