Uncomfortable Is Ok Podcast

This week I chat with Joel Bouzaid. Joel is a business owner, a father, a leadership coach and speaker. Joel is one of the co-founders of “Against the Grains” which takes people on an adventure to help them create a life by design. He is one of the owners of Maia Crossfit where they aim to foster personal change through fitness. He speaks frequently throughout the country and is just an all-round good dude. Joel was introduced to me by a mutual friend, Pete Halsted – cheers Pete. When I rocked up to chat with Joel I knew it was going to be a fun one straight away. He is a guy that is just full of energy and is real happy to just go deep in a conversation pretty fast. Some of the topics we cover today include; + Being confronted by the fact that he took the piss out of people because he had low self esteem himself + Being able to take that on and actually do something about it + Enjoying the outdoors and using it to find out about himself + The importance of taking the time to reflect – how he does it and how

This week we’ve got Ben Logan of New Age Primal back on the show. Ben was a guest a couple of months ago back in episode 59. We talked about his background and what he is doing with New Age Primal now. Make sure to go back and check it out to get an insight into Ben. Today’s chat is focused on everyday survival, why it’s important and how we can train it. Ben was also gracious enough to introduce me to his good mate, Dr Greg Emmerson who appeared back on the show in episode 62 for another fantastic chat. Ben is a bit of a competitive dude so he seemed a little dark when I told him that Greg’s episode had more downloads than his, so to help him out if you like what you hear today make sure to share this episode out with your mates and your groups. Some of the topics we cover today are. + The difference between every day survival and extreme survival + The psychology behind survival + The importance of regular training to keep our knife sharp + Why prevention is better than cure + The ability to process what is

Today’s guest is Art Green who is a great proponent of getting uncomfortable.  Some of you may know him from that guy from that show, some of you may know him as the dude with great teeth, great hair, and great abs. Some of you may know him as a businessman or company director, or some as an advocate for health. Art loves a challenge and as a result has a wealth of experience to share. Some of the topics we cover today are; + Feeling the need to fit in to having a real job because everyone else was doing it + The feeling of being a bit lost + The power of self experimentation + The drive to do something meaningful and helpful + Making tough decisions + Pivoting in life and in conversation + Creating new friendships + Everyone is unique and you need to figure out what is right for you + His definition of boredom and why he hates it so much + The social and emotional aspects of food + The biochemical effects of thoughts and feelings + The power of a god mantra And Art was kind enough to talk me through the two

This is a bit of a timelapse through my Wellington Urban Ultra Marathon Journey starting about 5 weeks out and ending up a couple of days afterwards.   It includes some training, the race and post-thoughts. + Discussion about pain + The physical side + The mental side + How it went +Will I be back Wuu2k UIOK Facebook UIOK Instagram Twitter

Alex Hare is a force. Being around her you just pick up her vibe of "unforgiving optimism" it's contagious.  Alex has done some pretty awesome things professionally as a young female in the oil and gas industry, the construction industry, and the engineering industry. This hasn't always been easy often being the minority in the room, the only scientist, the only young person, and the only female. She has also experienced the emotional ups and downs that we do in our 20's and has learnt a lot about herself from them.  Alex has had a desire for physical adventure bubbling away below the surface for a little while now. Last year it manifested with Alex almost off-handed applying to sail in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Lo and behold she got accepted and is now about to embark on what is going to be a daunting but epic voyage. This is our chat before she heads off. Points covered + Exploring the topic of resilience + Finding a physical challenge + The importance of having challenging conversations + Why

Today I get to chat with Perry Newburn. We talk about his upcoming world record attempt to run the length of New Zealand in 17 days. We also chat about his run across the United States to celebrate his 60th birthday. Topics covered today include; + Overcoming a 16 year heroin addiction + Asking the question "do I want to live or do I want to die" + Rebuilding physically, mentally, and emotionally + Learning to laugh at yourself +Learning you don't have to be perfect + The journey into running + Why exercise if great for your mental wellbeing + The seemingly impossible becoming more possible + Finding out how far a body can go + Why it's important to live your goals + Expecting the unexpected + The development of self belief + Why running is the same as life + Not telling people what to do, only showing them an example + Keeping it fun + Dealing with chafing   Guest: Perry Newburn  Length of New Zealand 17 days Perry's Run America Support Koru Care Kids Host: Chris Desmond UIOK Facebook UIOK Instagram Twitter

Today's chat is with Dr Greg Emerson. Greg is a physician who seeks out the cause. He trained as an emergency physician and has run large emergency rooms in Canada and Australia. He became disenchanted with only treating the symptoms of illness rather than treating the root cause and optimising health. Today we talk through Greg's 7 principles of health. Other topics we cover are; Chasing after achievement for achievement's sake, and where that leads. Reshaping our own world views. Building skills to improve resilience. Society's current addiction to comfort and abundance, and the problems associated with it. Facing problems as individuals when we should be facing them as tribes. Riding in the saddle rather than the armchair. Doing the thing, rather than waiting for it to come to you.  Guest: Dr Greg Emerson Dr Greg Emerson Facebook Dr Greg Emerson Instagram Dr Greg Emerson Youtube Host: Chris Desmond UIOK Facebook UIOK Facebook Twitter Music: Jeremy Desmond Music  

This week I chat with Jerram Watts, CEO of Child Rescue in New Zealand. Child Rescue is part of Destiny Rescue which is a charitable organisation that rescues, restores, protects, and empowers children caught up in the sex trade. To date they have rescued and rehabilitated 2300 children with the goal of 100,000 children by 2020. Jerram tells us his story about how he came to work for Child Rescue, the work that they do, as well as his story. Today's topics cover; Rescuing children from the sex trade Shifting careers Being humble when asking The importance of faith for Jerram's work Learning to accept no as an answer Making the choices to shape him into the man he is becoming How he keeps himself healthy when dealing with the hurt The power of sharing stories - make sure to share this one   Guest: Jerram Watts Child Rescue jerram.watts@destinyrescue.org Host: Chris Desmond UIOK Facebook UIOK Instagram Twitter Music: Jeremy Desmond Music

Lynn "Red" Paterson is back on the podcast. I first caught up with her back on episode 24 as she was somewhere of Taranaki in her mission to kayak around New Zealand. I wanted to catch up with her again to hear how the rest of her journey went, as well as finding out what she had learnt about herself and being uncomfortable with the benefit of some time after finishing.  Red tells a great story and the conversation didn't disappoint and left me with some cool insights. We talk about that instead of the idea of normal being the rat race, it should be going out and having exciting adventures instead. Red fills us in on he ways she has grown as a person, the increase in empathy and the ability to be vulnerable are two of the big things she has noticed. She share her approach to tackling challenges, and how she doesn't want to have "Marjorie" moments. Most of all she encourages us to get out there and challenge ourselves.   Guest: Lynn "Red" Paterson Redz Website Redz Facebook Redz Instagram Redz Twitter   Host:

This week’s guest is Ben Logan who I got to have a Skype conversation with last weekend. Ben is a former pro triathlete representing New Zealand. He stopped the competitive triathlon circuit a few years ago and moved from Auckland down to Central Otago when he felt the call of the wilderness. Since he has been down there he has teamed up with Dr Greg Emerson to start up a company called New Age Primal. New Age Primal is about teaching people the unique mindset skills to thrive in life through practical survival courses. I’ll definitely be heading down south at some point to go on one of Ben’s courses so if you’re keen let me know and we can make it a group. Our chat is about getting outside the norm of what is socially acceptable, it’s about figuring out what to pursue and gaining the confidence to explore the things you’re interested in. One of Ben’s interests, which I share, is figuring out what optimal health looks like, we can see what the bottom end looks like, but where is the top end? Ben is about trai

A couple of months ago I had the good fortune of striking up a conversation while waiting in line to get into a conference. The guy that I was talking to was called Tommie Maharaj and he pointed my in the direction of Noa Woolloof as someone to have a podcast conversation with. That went well and Noa and I had a chat back in episode 52 of the podcast. Noa also told me that I needed to get Tommie on the show to share his inspiring story. Tommie and I managed to have a chat and create a podcast episode down at the BizDojo in Wellington last week. Tommie is a young guy full of passion and enthusiasm for life and for helping people. Whether that is through his role at Inspiring Stories, or as Founder of Millennials – the social enterprise recruitment agency helping young Kiwis, or just in his general day to day life. Tommie is also the survivor of a brain tumour and he graciously shared his experience of this with me. Going through this experience really cemented the three values that are important for him to liv

Last weekend I got a chance to go and share a cup of tea, a Pain Au Raison, and an awesome conversation with Kathy Tracey. I’d been pointed in Kathy’s direction by Liv Spencer-Bower, world champion canoe polo athlete who appeared back in episode 26 of the podcast. Kathy came to speak with the team as they were prepping for the world champs and by all accounts was insightful, inspirational and not afraid of the uncomfortable. The conversation I got to have with her didn’t disappoint. Kathy’s whole life has been interspersed with times and activities that have made her feel very uncomfortable. Facing these situations and working through them has given Kathy a detailed understanding of how to approach them, and the questions to ask, and the strategies to take to find a path through. I got to speak with Kathy about her world record feat of becoming the first all-female crew to row the Atlantic Ocean. We also spoke about her ABD to Victory process she uses both in her leadership coaching and in her personal life.

I had the pleasure of having a conversation with a young Kiwi dude currently residing in L.A. His name is Stephen McDowell, or better known on social media as “The Buzzy Kiwi”. Stephen’s plan for his life hit a bump a couple of years back. Just out of uni and working as a self-employed personal trainer an old rugby injury came back to haunt him. Undergoing what he thought was a routine surgery, he woke up to the news that the cartilage in his hip had started dying and he was experiencing arthritic changes. Instead of being back at work in 3 days, he couldn’t walk for 8 weeks, and couldn’t exercise for 8 months. I got to talk with him on the podcast about what happened and then his re-evaluation of what was important to the way he lived his life. Stephen is travelling the world and has found a new passion travelling and creating videos about it. We talk; Taking the time to learn about himself and taking the opportunity to re-shape his life His technique for dealing with difficult situations Standing up to his

I catch up with Jack Candlish in his studio in Berhampore to chat about Organic Dynamic and his journey. Being one paper shy of finishing his degre for he past 7 years. Building the beginnings of a business out of his parents garage. Trying out a whole lot of hings to figure out what he was into. Reiterating 12 ifferent surfboard designs in 18 months. Jack gives us his perspectives on coupling advice and experience when doing things, training your brain. Organic Dynamic is an awesome unique approach to making surfboards, and Jack is calling on all his experiences to pull it together in a true Slumdog Millionaire experience. Guest: Jack Candlish Organic Dynamic Facebook Organic Dynamic Instagram Organic Dynamic Host: Chris Desmond UIOK Facebook UIOK Instagram Twitter Medium

Today I got to sit down with a father/daughter combination. 5 years ago Mark O'Sullivan was overweight and unfit. He made a decision to change that and set an example for his young family. Mark's first Park Run was more of a walk/run, but 5 years down the track he's shed 30kgs, developed a passion for running and sets an awesome example for his kids. He's also graduated from the Park Run's to running ultra-marathons at a multitude of sites around New Zealand. Jess is 13 years old and ran her first 50km ultra-marathon last year and has many more planned. The rest of the family runs as well all having taken part in the Waitomo trail run a week or so ago. The youngest, Rebecca 5, has recently completed her 50th Park Run. These guys are a definite inspiration as to what you're capable of if you get into it. I'm looking forward to running on the same course as Mark in the 2017 WUU2K which will be my first ultra-marathon here in Wellington. Guests: Mark & Jess O'Sullivan Training blog - Ultra Crazy Host: Chris

I sit down to chat with Fraser Ross. Pacific purveyor of alt-folk music. His website proclaims a loud shirted presence which I can attest to, however the chat isn't always loud and rambunctious. Fraser chats to us about his introduction to music and song writing. He opens up about the struggles he faced trying to take his music out of the bedroom and put it on stage. We chat about his stage terrors, and why with such a strong reaction he kept coming back to performing. We talk the evolution of his music, and the creation of a song. We chat figuring out challenges, horses, releasing albums and running headlong into the dark. Make sure to check out his music because it is bloody awesome, and get to see him at a gig near you! Guest: Fraser Ross Fraser Facebook Bandcamp Host: Chris Desmond UIOK Facebook Twitter Instagram Music: Jeremy Desmond

On this week's podcast I'm talking to Noa Woolloff about breaking stereotypes. Noa became the head boy of his high school and became a dad in the same year. We talk the stigma around being a young parent and how Noa is challenging that and helping other young parents through his social enterprise Increase Clothing NZ. Noa is a passionate dude and he turns the tables on me a couple of times and starts asking the questions. His excitement about life is contagious and it's a real fun conversation. If you like what you hear make sure to share it out! Guest: Noa Woolloff Increase Clothing Facebook Increase Clothing NZ Noa Instagram Soundcloud   Host: Chris Desmond Uncomfortable is OK Facebook UIOK Instagram Twitter

This week I chat with Ben Warren, clinical nutritionist and holistic health practitioner. His goal along with BePure is to help build a new future of health, they strongly believe health and wellness is holistic and not focussed on just one thing. In their years of practice they have found what we eat, how we move, how we sleep and how we think all cumulatively affect our health; in both negative and positive ways. The human body is an amazing and complex thing and we like to look at it from all angles so it can function optimally.  Guest: Ben Warren Be Pure

Today is a bit special, it's episode 50. When I started out the podcast I wasn't sure where it would go but I'm pretty thankful that I've got to chat with so many fascinating people, and that you have tuned in and found it interesting. I've got a treat for you today. Alex Asher is back talking about his latest uncomfortable journey. Some of you will remember Alex from episode 2 of the show - one of the launch episodes. Alex filled us in on the next uncomfortable thing he was going to do, which was running and swimming the west coast of the North Island, New Zealand. He's done it and he tells the story today. Alex talks us through the process, including the pre-contemplation and the development of the idea. He talks about sharing the idea and allowing others the opportunity to help him with it. We talk the differences between his east coast run and this one. He chats openly about being the first person to swim the Kaipara Harbour, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and notorious for it's strong currents an

 Today is Episode 49 and I'm chatting with Lucy McSweeney. Lucy is an intelligent, eloquent young woman and today we talk about mental health education in New Zealand. Lucy has her own mental health story which she shares on the podcast. She has seen from her experience gaps in the education provided to young people about their mental health. Lucy has started a petition to make mental health education compulsory in New Zealand schools. We talk what the drivers of the petition are, what she hopes to achieve from it, how we can make education better, responsibility for delivery, and how Lucy keeps herself mentally healthy at the moment. If you get something out of this podcast, make sure to share it out. And make sure to get over to sign the petition. Guest: Lucy McSweeney Sign the petition Lucy Twitter   Host: Chris Desmond Uncomfortable is OK Facebook Uncomfortable is OK Instagram Chris Twitter Music: Jeremy Desmond