Walker Evans, co-founder of Columbus Underground, discusses his journey from tech enthusiast to journalism and the importance of filling a void in local news. He emphasizes the need to stay positive and focus on solutions when examining systemic problems and encourages cities to invest in the arts to create a vibrant culture. Walker also shares his experience curating events in the early days of Underground and navigating negative feedback in the online sphere. Lastly, he shares insight on the food scene in Columbus and unpacks issues with mass consolidation in US industries.

Today on Gravity:

• Columbus Underground and its importance to the city
• Staying positive and providing enjoyable news
• Investing in the arts and creating culture in cities
• Early days of Underground and curating events
• Addressing systemic problems with nuance and solution
• Issues with mass consolidation in industries

Connect with Walker:

• Website: columbusunderground.com 

Connect with Brett:

• Instagram: @brettkaufman 
• Website: thegravitypodcast.com 

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

Blake Compton, founder of Compton Construction and partner in Side Street Development, shares his journey from a childhood around the foster system and generational trauma to running a successful construction company. He recounts impactful lessons from his teenage years that informed his career trajectory, and unpacks the importance of empowering those who work alongside him. Blake discusses how coaching and therapy completely transformed his life and career, along with his experiences with plant medicine that have allowed him to heal childhood wounds.

Today on Gravity:

• Childhood experiences around the foster system
• Blake's early teens and experiences with therapy, gaming, and small business
• How Blake empowers the people he manages
• Blake's experience with plant medicine & healing childhood wounds
• Walking away from a destructive lifestyle and facing the fear of failure

Connect with Brett:

• Instagram: @brettkaufman 
• Website: thegravitypodcast.com 

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

In this emotionally raw and vulnerable episode, entrepreneur and CEO of the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC), Greg Davies, shares his journey of overcoming obstacles and trauma to become a strong and committed leader. Despite a difficult childhood and the suicide of his brother, Greg found his way to success through hard work and determination.

Greg shares how through therapy and recovery, he was able to reclaim his identity and find the strength to keep moving forward, even after the devastating loss of his wife to suicide. Today, Greg continues to lead with a foundation of love, both in his work with the CDDC and in his role as a father.

Today on Gravity:

• Overcoming obstacles & finding success without traditional pedigree
• Coping with trauma and the suicide of a loved one
• Finding identity and reclaiming self-worth
• Leadership in politics and managing people
• Greg’s journey with therapy and recovery
• Love as a foundation for personal and professional success

Connect with Brett:

• Instagram: @brettkaufman 
• Website: thegravitypodcast.com 

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

Today, Brett takes listeners through his simple yet impactful morning routine, sharing the disciplines that help him release energy to be freer throughout his day. Brett discusses his love of reading and why he enjoys having multiple books in process at once, sharing insights from titles such as The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and The Power of Kabbalah. 

Brett also touches on the importance of journaling, both as a form of meditation and as a way to practice conscious creation and gratitude. He shares his thoughts on the practice of Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way" morning pages, and encourages listeners to allow their energy to flow freely and connect with the constant stream of energy moving within all of us.

Today on Gravity:

• Starting the day: releasing and moving energy
• Going deeper with Brett’s disciplines of reading & journaling
• How to show up more fully in your life
• Dreaming, gratitude, and conscious creation

Books:

• The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
• The Power of Kabbalah by Yehuda Berg
• Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender by David Hawkins
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Connect with Brett:

• Instagram: @brettkaufman
• Website: thegravitypodcast.com 

This show is produced by Soulfire Productions

Today's guest on the Gravity Podcast is Joshua Clark, an award-winning Columbus-based filmmaker. His production company is located in Franklinton, at the Idea Foundry, placing his inspiring creative endeavors squarely in the Gravity universe; it was only a matter of time before we crossed paths and I’m so glad that we did.

He shares his vivid story of growing up in Pittsburgh in the view of violence and volatility, his own path into the same kinds of destructive patterns as a youth, reaching rock bottom with a suicide attempt, and how therapy helped him ultimately discover filmmaking as an outlet for positive impact.

His voice is authentic and measured as we discuss the heavy burdens he’s uncovered and overcome through emotional explorations with his family back home – a growth and personal development he’s captured on film for the Cinema Columbus Film Festival, titled: Cycle Breakers. It certainly sounds like Joshua has put together a truly special behind-the-scenes piece of American life and I’m looking forward to seeing the end result. 

Joshua’s story has a different frequency to it than most we hear on this podcast. Its vivid colors are important to include in the rainbow of experience that we call life. I’m grateful he took the time to speak with me today and hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. 

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Watch the Trailer: Cycle Breakers 

• Linkedin: Joshua Clark

• Instagram: @gymfeaproductions

• Website: gymfea.com

• YouTube: GYMFEA Productions

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Today's guest on the Gravity Podcast is Dr. Jeffrey Gladden. Many of you have probably heard me talk about the Gladden Longevity Clinic in Dallas, Texas – Dr. Gladden’s functional medicine and wellness clinic that he started. I have been, and many others have been, the beneficiaries of this phenomenal facility that's really changed a lot for me physically and mentally.

Facing the rest of his life in likely physical and mental decline, Dr. Gladden made his own path – leading to his own truth. He cracked the code for himself, coming to profound questions and answers which drove him to a renewed passion for helping others turn back the clock, stay young, and lead their most impactful lives.

Dr. Gladden is, amongst other things, due to release his first book, Making 100 The New 30, which provides the basis for most of our conversation today. It was fun for me to have a chance to share his story with the Gravity community. Enjoy.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Podcast: Making 100 The New 30
• Podcast: Gladden Longevity Podcast
• Linkedin: Jeffrey Gladden MD, FACC
• Website: gladdenlongevity.com
• Instagram: @gladdenlongevity
• YouTube: Gladden Longevity
• Facebook: Gladden Longevity

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Today's guest on the Gravity Podcast is Simon Fraser, an English comedian by way of Yale who’s set down roots here in Columbus, committing himself to developing the comedy scene in a city he’s grown so fond of.

Traveling around the country to open mics for the last six years, we talk about the many lessons in comedy he’s picked up, the steps it takes (in a digital age) to get your content seen and heard en masse, and the way comedy colors his view on the world.

We also touch on his childhood as a troublemaker, facing rejection at Yale, our shared marathon experiences, and an important standard for every comedian – the value of bombing a set.

Simon also produces Don't Tell Comedy shows around town, up to four every weekend, which have gone sold out for 54 shows straight since September of 2022. It certainly seems like he’s onto something; we find common ground in our belief that Columbus is the perfect place to build something – and I look forward to watching his plan take shape in the near future.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Website: simonfrasercomedy.com
• Instagram: @simonloveshighnoons
• Don’t Tell Columbus: @donttellcolumbus
• YouTube: Simon Fraser
• TikTok: @simonfraser_
• Viggo Venn: Viggo Venn at The Comedy Store

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Brett drops in for a quick solo episode – an added format to the feed – to discuss what’s on his mind, sharing impactful lessons from workshops and teachers, expansive ideas from books he’s reading, and an impactful Ram Dass quote that can be applied to all of us as we make our way in the world.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Building Routines for Joy & Fulfillment with Brett Kaufman #138
• Conscious Communities & Creativity with Brett Kaufman #139
• The Pursuit of Happiness & Measuring Progress Backward with Dan Sullivan #89
• Read: The Gap and the Gain
• Read: The Courage to Be Disliked

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

It’s been a busy few years for Joe DeLoss, to say the least.

Since his last appearance, episode 76, on the podcast, he’s relocated his family, weathered a global pandemic in one of the most dramatically impacted markets, and led Hot Chicken Takeover through an acquisition process – and it hasn’t even been two full years. 

Starting at the beginning, we lay the foundation of his childhood and volunteerism roots, before jumping back into the 2017 rock-bottom which formed the basis of our earlier conversation. 

We talk about the divinity behind his unforeseen move away from urban living to an open space where he and his family could expand their lives, the massive decision to give up majority ownership in his business, and the personal growth he’s experienced from therapy and meditation.

Open and honest as ever, the sense of contentment and self-awareness is palpable in his voice. It’s such a breath of fresh air to hear his POV on the mindsets that lead him to low points and the practices which have helped him recover a true, deep sense of peace.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Gravity 76: Hot Chicken is Good for the Soul: Business as Spiritual Nourishment with Joe DeLoss #76
• Website: https://www.joedeloss.com
• Order Up: hotchickentakeover.com
• Instagram: @HotChickenTakeover
• Read: The Courage to Be Disliked
• Gravy Stack: gravystack.com

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Cardale Jones cares about supporting others – on the field, and off.

The youngest of six siblings, he gets incredibly honest about his upbringing in Cleveland, falling out with his birth mother, being adopted, and the mindset challenges he faced as a highly recruited prep football player.

We get an on-field perspective from behind the facemask of one of the most legendary Buckeye quarterbacks ever – getting thrown into that initial Michigan game, the unbelievable 2014 championship run, his time in the NFL, and where he plans to play next.

Cardale made his dreams come true through hard work and humility. Now, he’s on a mission to do the same for other young people. He’s the founder of TenTalents NIL agency, which supports college players in securing fair Name, Image, and Likeness contracts – an opportunity he was not afforded, but holds no ill will over.

Cardale is most known for authoring one of the greatest college football stories of all time. His past is bright, but his future is even brighter. I’m excited to share this conversation with you today, and look forward to having Cardale on again to cover the release of his autobiographical book later this year.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Instagram: @cardale7_
• NIL: tentalentsnil.com

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

In his 27 years as a divorce lawyer, Andrew Grossman has learned a few things about human connection.

In fact, knowing him personally for most of his life, I’ve come to learn a few things about him, too. Andrew and his brother are two of my very best friends; our families and greater social networks are very much intertwined – making this a unique twist on our usual interview format. 

Skating through most of school, he was set on his current path, strangely enough, by a tornado in Kansas – a chain of events that would send him abroad to Oxford and change his outlook on life forever. The core theme of our conversation, though, is Andrew’s hyper-informed perspective on marriage, family dynamics, parenting, and how drastically each has changed over the decades.

We get personal about our own upbringings, comment on the state of society, and Andrew reveals the question he’s asked most often about his work: Why do most people get divorced? I’m excited to have him here for an in-depth exploration of that very question, and many more.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Read: The Love Prescription: Seven Days to More Intimacy, Connection, and Joy
• Website: grossmanlawoffices.com

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

The expansion of your conscious creation is endless.

Join me for a second AMA chat as we delve deeper into my own unique human experience through the submissions of our listeners and members of the Gravity community.

The gradual widening concept and greater mission of Gravity as a brand, development progress on Phase 2, and initial reactions to Intel’s move into the city are covered. We get a little personal, too, as I get into my added emphasis on healthy boundaries and prioritizing my most precious resource: time.

I also take this rare opportunity to detail what conscious creativity means, to me and to society at large, how I practice it in my personal life and business endeavors, and the roles (good and bad) that I believe technology plays amidst it all – now and in the future. 

Thanks again for all of your thoughtful questions. We can’t wait to get guests rolling in again as we continue this grand experiment in human connection.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Learn more about EOS business operating structure  
• The Color Shaman: Healing Through Creativity with Chor Boogie #131
• Gravity II Update: Demolition Begins, OhioHealth Facility Planned
• Stillness Is Always Waiting: Learning To Pay Attention with Christopher Celeste #133

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Rolling into a new year is always a good time to reflect on what was, what is, and what can be. It’s also a good time to stretch and evolve yourself, to get uncomfortable again after unwinding for another holiday season with friends and family.

For me, that means getting a little vulnerable here on the podcast with a solo AMA session. We’ve done these in the past, and I’m always so surprised and enthused with the submissions we get. You all have such a way of prompting ideas and new connections, a few of which I discuss in this episode. 

In this one, I detail my set of newly adopted morning routines, overview my meditation practice, look back at a long-held connection to tennis, share my favorite biohacking and wellness practices – and of course, give props to The Dead.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Read: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
• Read: The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations on Codependency
• Read: Journey to the Heart
• Read: Becoming Built to Lead: 365 Daily Disciplines to Master the Art of Living
• Read: The Artist's Way: 30th Anniversary Edition
• Read: Tiny Habits

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

With the snow finally piling up in Columbus, I thought it appropriate to reflect some of the warmth and expansion I’ve experienced as a direct result of producing this podcast, of working with and knowing so many of you, and of having the great honor of sharing the journey of life.

At the end of the day (and of the year) this show is for you and we want you to be a part of it.

If you know of anyone with a story to tell that you think would be a good fit for our format, please pass them our way. You can also help out by sharing links with friends and family, posting your favorite episodes or video clips to your own social accounts, and by leaving us a rating and review.

It’s been yet another year of great challenge and great growth. Cheers to our collective progress, and to welcoming everything in the year ahead!

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Rex Elsass knows that the medicine is out there.

Today's guest on the Gravity Podcast is Rex Elsass. Rex and I have recently gotten to know each other through a mutual friend and have a lot of shared passions around mental health and the different modalities out there that can really be helpful to people. 

From a very young age, Rex had the desire to be a congressman. Through that inspiration, his dream evolved into helping others win elections, which he'd done successfully for decades while building The Strategy Group Co., the largest political advertising agency in America.

After strategizing to elect over 100 congressmen and women all over the country, two years ago, Rex made the call to step away from his fast-paced role in politics to focus on community work – namely, The Reid Foundation – named, established, and operated in honor of his son who was tragically lost to addiction.

Today, Rex is a fierce proponent of expanding research and research funding for mind-expanding plant medicine practices, music therapy, and other alternative modalities in an effort to bring a new frequency of healing to a world in desperate need of it.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• The Strategy Group Co: tsgco.com
• The Reid Foundation: reid.foundation
• Linkedin: Rex Elsass

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Matt Scantand is a world builder.

And he’s today’s guest on the Gravity Podcast. Matt is the Founder and CEO at AndHealth, a digital health company with the mission of helping people reverse chronic disease. Previously, he was Co-Founder and CEO of CoverMyMeds, one of the largest and fastest growing healthcare technology companies in the United States.

A dyslexic kid who struggled in school and rebelled against the world, he sits across from me today to explain how the impact of his work is changing healthcare for the better, providing wider access to technology and treatments in an effort to raise the collective human potential. 

It’s super ambitious, big picture stuff – and even more impressive when looked at next to those humble beginnings. And it’s working. 

We cover the Quaker religious influence in his upbringing, life as a twin, the power of our mind/body connection, critical gaps in modern healthcare, selling and departing from CoverMyMeds, finding the motivation to start new, and a whole lot more in this one.

He's really a very thoughtful, kind, caring, and loving man – and a great friend of mine. We have these kinds of conversations quite often; it’s great to finally get one on the record and share it with the Gravity community today.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Website: mattscantland.com
• AndHealth: andhealth.com
• Explore: The Cenotes of Mayakoba
• Instagram: @mscantland
• Linkedin: Matt Scantland
• Glassdoor Awards 2021: glassdoor.com/Award/Top-CEOs

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Family, first. Now and always.

This one’s all about family support and overcoming addiction. Growing up as the oldest of five kids, Dr. Keegan Caldwell watched his parents struggle with money. He also picked up on his father’s gift for conversation – leading him to wield the trait for his own professional benefit as a lawyer (and as a doctor).

Early in adulthood, and again later on, Keegan found himself struggling with a serious opiate addiction – admitting he lacked the mindset tools to deal with his emotions at the time. 

After a long and painful recovery journey, he’s now a respected business leader with diverse experience in start-up development and patent law. His latest work aims to close the knowledge gap in intellectual property law and even the playing field for modern-day creators.

As a parting gift, we learn that Keegan has developed his own code for living a fulfilling life – loving all people. This drastic shift in perspective is evident in his presence, even on Zoom, as a man of acceptance and growth through it all.

Recognized on a first-name basis with local police, serving a healthy stint as a US Marine, homeless at times – his life’s path has been as unexpected as it has been informing. He’s gracious in recounting his many lessons with us today. 

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Linkedin: Keegan Caldwell
• Website: caldwellip.com
• Read: intellectual-property-law-firm-pro-bono-patent-work.html">Before Starting His Law Firm, He Narrowly Avoided Prison
• BirdieLight: Fighting the Fentanyl Epidemic with Beth Weinstock #128

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Stillness is always waiting for Christopher Celeste.

Today, we’re joined by an overdue name on the Gravity guestlist, Christopher Celeste, a very near and dear friend of mine. He holds a special place in my heart, in my life, and in the greater Gravity story – having a major influence on the brand’s name and ethos. 

We go back to the beginning, talking about his being born in India and how that shaped him from an energetic standpoint, how themes from Jerry MaGuire changed his life forever, and parenting – assessing our upbringings (wearing dad’s suits) and what it means to do our best.

We also unpack influential traumas from early on in his life, and those passed on to him generationally. Christopher is honest and thoughtful in his retelling, welcoming us into his experience in exactly the way this podcast was intended to. 

Talented poet and engaging conversationalist, Christopher’s story demonstrates deeply meaningful personal growth and a grounded mindset that we can all learn from. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share his energy with the Gravity community today. 

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Book: ‘Leaders Lead Themselves First’
• Linkedin: Christopher Celeste
• Instagram: @christopherceleste

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Sarah Gormley started an art gallery by accident.

Today's guest is the owner and founder of Sarah Gormley Gallery, a contemporary art gallery that operates from the belief that original art can be a source of joy for everyone. She opened the gallery in 2019, 25 years after her grandmother gifted Sarah with her first piece of art. But, as we tend to do on this show, we go a lot further back than that to learn more about who she is today.

Knowing it was time to rest and reset amidst the illness and passing of her parents, an opportunity arose to host art. She was invited to come and see the space – and the rest is (art) history. We talk about her life-changing experience with therapy, how she – and the rest of the world – determines whether art is “good” or not, and why Columbus is such an art hot spot.

At 40, Sarah couldn’t imagine making it through another half of her life. Success, money, experiences – nothing brought her the grounding that committing to therapy did. She’s a major proponent of the work, as am I. And I hope this one influences you – the listener – if you think you might be in need of it, to seek the help that you so deserve. 

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Website: sarahgormleygallery.com
• Twitter: @scgormley
• Instagram: @sarahgormleygallery
• Facebook: Sarah Gormley Gallery
• Read: Radical acceptance by Tara Branch

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Chor Boogie speaks in rhythm through splashes of color.

A renowned artist in the medium of spray paint, Chor Boogie, aka The Color Shaman, joins the show today for a deep dive into creativity and his own personal journey. 

Self-taught from the age of five, he always wanted to be an artist. Throughout his life, he’s redefined the term to envelop more healing, more learning, and a deeply communicative approach – spotlighting important issues like: race, class, and gender; neo imperialism; corporate corruption; substance abuse; healthcare and drug policy reform; and the rights of indigenous people.

Having just finished the first big art piece on the second phase of Gravity, he’s now part of our community forever – a contribution I am so thankful for. He's an incredible human being and he's a phenomenally talented artist. Enjoy this vibrant conversation with a modern savant. 

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

DISCLAIMER: None of the subject matter in this podcast represents mental health advice or should be understood as a medical recommendation to consume psychedelic substances.

Resources:

• Instagram: @gnyangou
• Twitter: @chorboogie
• Website: chorboogie.com

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

The same person she always was, let’s get to know Dr. Amy Acton.

Rising to prominence with her off-script, endearing, and authentic press conferences during the height of the COVID pandemic as Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton explains that this new, public, understanding of who she is falls exactly in line with who she’s always been.

In today’s episode, we sit down for an honest and eye opening conversation on her childhood, one of severe neglect and poverty, the inspirations that arose from that lived experience, her path to preventative medicine, and yes – we unpack those incredibly challenging years and the impossible decision making processes involved in them.

We wrap up with Amy’s latest project, the Rapid Five vision, an innovative and equitable plan to reinvigorate our region with culture and connectedness, and what it would mean for Ohio going forward.

You won’t want to miss this truly special episode of Gravity. In it, it’s easy to hear the measured and empathic person who comforted so many millions of Ohioans during a period when seemingly everything around us balanced on a pin. We can’t thank Amy enough for all she’s done for our community – now, then, and in the future.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Rapid 5: rapid5.org
• Instagram: @rapid5org
• Facebook: The Rapid 5
• New York Times: ohio-amy-acton.html">The Leader We All Wish We Had
• New York Times: makes-a-great-leader.html">What Makes a Great Leader? 
• BirdieLight: Fighting the Fentanyl Epidemic with Beth Weinstock #128

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

His parents used to call him Honest Abe.

As a really grounded and thoughtful young kid, Joe Apgar played sports, collected baseball cards, and looked up to his grandfather, a man whose steadfast virtuousness lives on in family legend – as told by Joe. He describes his childhood as idyllic and loving, all supported by a strong sense of community in his smalltown home.

But, as we know well, trauma escapes no one. And how we let these experiences shape us is what matters most at the end of the day.  

Joe tells of his sister's kidney cancer diagnosis at the young age of five, a memory that stays burnt into his brain to this day as he recalls a stark conversation on life and death with father. Surviving to become a nurse herself, this experience was the first of a few that lead Joe to where he is today, President of Pelotonia, one of the world’s most recognizable and revered cancer charity brands.

We also go deep on Joe’s own bout with testicular cancer, and how overcoming the disease isn’t exactly a prerequisite to fundraising for cancer research – but it sure does help his understanding and ability to communicate the dire perspective shared by so many patients around the world.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Pelotonia: pelotonia.org
• Linkedin: Joe Apgar
• Instagram: @joe.apgar
• Episode 20: How a Three-Time Cancer Survivor Dedicates His Life to the Future, with Doug Ulman

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

The numbers are astounding and the stories are heartbreaking. 

Fentanyl-associated incidents are the number one cause of death for people aged eighteen to forty-five in America – more than car accidents, more than illness, more than anything – and today’s guest, Beth Weinstock is bravely doing something about it.

We first talk about her early career as a doctor, owning and growing her own practice for seventeen years, and how her story came full circle – back to creativity and disruption after a childhood interest in creative writing was passed over for med school.

Founding her own non-profit, BirdieLight, with her daughter after the tragic passing of her son, Eli, to fentanyl ingestion in 2020, she’s now committed to distributing the critical education and overdose response materials that young people need to avoid the same fate.

BirdieLight is an online information resource and traveling workshop that visits schools, clubs, and any other organized gathering of today’s youth to tell Eli’s story; to inform kids, their parents, and their teachers about the wide prevalence of fentanyl in other recreational street drugs; and to distribute life saving narcan doses and fentanyl test strips.

Her courage is to be commended, in telling her full story on the podcast, and in taking action to lessen the impact of this deadly trend in our society. It’s not the 70s anymore, that much is for sure. And it’s why her work is so important.

To learn more, visit: thegravitypodcast.com

Resources:

• Website: birdielight.org
• Instagram: @birdie.light
• Facebook: BirdieLight
• Twitter: @birdielight2021
• Linkedin: Beth Weinstock M.D.
• Twitter: @bethweinstock
• Read: sons-murder-by-fentanyl-will-not-be-the-last-but-the-risks-can-be-lessened-beth-weinstock.html">Beth’s guest column at cleveland.com

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

John Marsh has a story to tell. Many of them, in fact. 

He joins Gravity today for an all-time episode, packed with rich, descriptive storytelling, traumas and successes, heartbreak, redemption – even conscious development – and it all comes back to love. John’s seen and done some things in his time on earth, and is incredibly gracious in this honest retelling of his life and learned lessons.

We start by reliving his rebellious teen years, where John’s experiences, while unconscious, made a deep impact on the rest of his life. Next, we learn about his challenges with addiction, a cracked marriage that he and his wife have since healed, and the mentorship they now provide to couples in need of the same kind of reconciliation. 

Please note, the subject of suicide is discussed in this episode as well, as John reveals the dark moments that preceded the light of his current experience. 

We wrap on his incredible passion project, a thoughtful take on modern development, redevelopment, and preservation as a combined means to build inclusive communities. John and his team have created what they call irreplaceable real estate by pioneering historic downtowns as a new asset class in the market. It’s really fascinating stuff. 

It’s easy to see where his values align with those of this show, this movement, and my own personal ethos – we’re so glad he shared this time with us today.

Resources:

• Linkedin: John Marsh
• Podcast: Redemptification with John Marsh
• Marsh Collective: marshcollective.com

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

The Gravity Podcast is back with a new twist on a recurring favorite guest of mine, Chet Scott. I invited Chet to bring his own topic, or topics, to the interview table today – and he offered the interesting and expansive theme of: Endurance.

Delving deeper than any other episode in the past year or so, Chet prompts me to unpack my own past – the decisions, inspirations, and risks that brought me to today. The back-and-forth nature of our conversation paints a picture of the roots of endurance that we all grow in life, of the deep learning and hard work which cannot be skipped in our stories – but in fact, write them.

I’m not alone in my truth telling in this one, as I also challenge Chet on some of his own self-work, both that he’s overcome and the hurdles he faces today. He lands on a profound declaration that no one can do it alone, that endurance is impossible without community – highlighting a growing fissure in this standard with respect to today’s increasingly isolated society. 

Chet also teaches us, among so many more bits of wisdom, how not to lose heart or hope through trials and tribulations, that endurance is not a synonym for longevity, and that peace is found on the other side of acute pain.

Many thanks to Chet for joining me in the Gravity studio for this, the latest edition in our ongoing series of intimate chats. With each conversation, we’re expanding the space to explore. Thanks for tuning into that growth process, as we’ve enjoyed it so much. Keep an eye out for the next one, coming soon to a podcast platform near you.

Resources:

• Rediscover Who You Are - Brett Kaufman at the Chamber of Commerce

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

Amy Landino shares how she learned to live with intention and developed her morning habits, how that connects to her past, and how she uses her experiences as fuel to form connections and build her audience.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Learn more at amylandino.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/schmittastic
• Watch: AmyTV
• Read: Good Morning, Good Life
• Read: Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill it Online with Video Blogging

Gravity is a production of Crate Media

Bob Roth is one of the most experienced and sought after meditation teachers in the US. For nearly 50 years, Bob has taught transcendental meditation to many, many thousands of people. He’s the author of the New York Times bestseller “Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation” and the CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, a global non-profit which has taught meditation to more than one million at risk adults and youth in 35 countries.

When he saw Robert Kennedy speak at the Civic Auditorium he saw a path to creating a better world — and four days later, Kennedy was assassinated. Bob went to college from that point with a desire to become a Senator and change the world. He originally believed the way to change the world would be through legislation, but it wasn’t until he was exposed to the idea of transcendental meditation that he saw a true path to healing and change.

What Brett asks:

• [01:31] Can you tell us about your early childhood and journey?
• [04:26] Can you elaborate on what it was like to grow up in the Bay Area?
• [09:15] What was it like being at Berkeley in the 60’s?
• [14:15] Can you talk about how meditation came into your life?
• [24:21] How do you make sense of how these things show up in our life?
• [33:36] How was working with people of high influence been important to you?
• [36:49] What are you doing with your foundation in tackling trauma?
• [46:26] Can you talk about what you are seeing going on in the world?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Learn more: stillnessbook.com
• davidlynchfoundation.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/davidlynchfoundation
• Twitter: twitter.com/meditationbob

Gravity is a production of Crate Media

Josh Trent, founder of Wellness Force Media and host of Wellness Force Radio, has gone through a lot in his life — like every one of us — but he’s also done the work to acknowledge his trauma and make it work for him, which is a step that we can all benefit from but not a lot of us are willing to or know how to take.

Luckily, Josh has a knack for breaking this stuff down and making the choice to change feel accessible. It isn’t easy. It will require you to live more intentionally and consciously every day, for the rest of your life. But the rewards are incomparable.

What Brett asks:

• [2:30] What’s your origin story?
• [6:25] What did you learn from past-life regression and how did you go about doing it?
• [16:00] How did your father’s generational trauma show up in your childhood? Your mother’s?
• [24:00] How did your generational trauma start manifesting as a teenager?
• [29:40] What pulled you into observer mode so that you could see the unconscious way you were living?
• [37:25] How did you move into the work you’re doing now?
• [45:00] What is Rythmia and how did it affect you?
• [52:20] How are you using all of the experiences that led up to now, good and bad?
• [1:02:40] Tell us about BTFA (Belief, Thought, Feeling, Action).

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Learn more at WellnessForce.com
• Listen: Wellness Force Radio
• Instagram: hinstagram.com/wellnessforce
• Facebook: facebook.com/WellnessF
• Get your FREE M21 Wellness Guide, with six science-based morning practices guaranteed to give you more energy to let go of old weight plus a seven-day guided breathwork challenge at wellnessforce.com/m21
• B.R.E.A.T.H.E - 21-Day Guided Stress Reduction Breathwork & Wellness Life Design Program
• Read: It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn

Gravity is a production of Crate Media

Content warning: this episode features graphic descriptions of violence and domestic abuse.

Katy Smith is Business Editor at The Columbus Dispatch and Editor of Columbus CEO magazine. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years, most of those covering business in Columbus. She grew up in Bexley and now lives in Clintonville in a duplex with her husband Nick, her rescue cat Dexter, and her brother Joe, who she cares for.

So, Katy has been sharing other people’s stories for about 20 years now — and, today, she is generous enough to share her own story publicly for the first time

What Brett asks:

• [10:12] Can you talk a little bit more about what happened for you and how you managed to navigate domestic violence?
• [14:30] Let’s back up and talk about your early childhood.
• [21:30] It must have been very difficult, whether you knew it at the time, going through that family dynamic as a young girl.
• [26:20] Tell me a little bit more about your brother and how that experience shaped your life.
• [34:23]  I think what you've shared so far is really important for others to hear, and maybe important for you to acknowledge and create real space for.
• [38:33] This kind of sharing is very cathartic, not just for you but for the people who hear it.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence
• The Columbus Dispatch
• Columbus CEO Magazine
• Tim Ferriss podcast about Parts Work: “Richard Schwartz — IFS, Psychedelic Experiences without Drugs, and Finding Inner Peace for Our Many Parts (#492)”

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

David Meltzer is the co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing and the former CEO of the Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, which served as the inspiration for the movie “Jerry Maguire.” His life’s mission is to empower over one billion people to be happy, a simple-yet-powerful mission that has led him on an incredible journey to provide one thing: Value.

What Brett asks:

• [01:37] Can you tell us about what jumps out from your childhood?
• [09:32] How did your relationship with your environment, your mother, and your siblings affect your life?
• [12:40] What was the impetus to start going to law school?
• [16:53] What gave you the courage and clarity to take a different path from the obvious one?
• [21:33] Are there some drawbacks from being risk-averse or should you be mitigating risk?
• [25:59] Can you talk to me about the stage in your life where you get involved with sports and internet marketing?
• [46:37] What is it like returning to success and how are you fulfilling your mission to empower a billion people happy?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• dmeltzer.com
• sports1marketing.com
• linkedin.com/in/davidmeltzer2

Gravity is a production of Crate Media

Learn the story of how pizza changed Jim Grote’s life — and, as a result, thousands of lives around the world — and how Jim is now helping others create businesses based in unconditional love. Jim is the founder of Donatos Pizza and the founder of the EDGE Innovation Hub.

What Brett asks:

• [3:15] How did Jim’s life journey lead to his work with Donatos and the community?
• [13:20] When Jim was, as a teenager, given the offer to buy the pizza place he worked at, was he thinking about how it would affect his future?
• [23:20] How do you, in hindsight, reconcile the missed opportunities and times you were slighted?
• [25:45] Where did Jim’s inherent sense of principle, his deep-rooted core strength, come from?
• [31:00] What was the trajectory of Donatos Pizza? How did it come into McDonald’s radar?
• [38:00] How does a family impact the way you run a business?
• [45:35] Tell us about inventing the Pep-A-Matic, a patented machine designed to slice and apply pepperoni directly to pizza, and your thoughts on manifestation.
• [50:55] What is Jim’s process for manifestation?
• [58:45] What metaphysical and spiritual practices have shaped Jim’s personal practice over the years?
• [1:02:00] Let’s talk about unconditional love, Agape Capitalism, and plant medicine.
• [1:06:35] What’s Jim’s experience with plant medicine?
• [1:18:45] What is Jim doing now as a result of that experience?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Gravity is a production of Crate Media

As we’ve settled into the summer of 2022, it’s as good a time as any to take a look at the year’s most fascinating Gravity interviews, so far. It’s been a great batch of episodes already, as we crossed the 100-episode mark and beyond, and we have some extra special content planned coming up this fall.

In this compilation episode, we’ve got a little Columbus, some web3, and a whole lot of inspiration. Don’t miss these full interviews by searching the back catalog and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform to get notifications for all new releases. 

What we cover:

• What is an opus?
• Art and technology
• Musings on web3
• Social media and free speech
• Finding your why

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com/">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• Safe at Home: Community as the Key to Confidence with Kumi Walker
• Try Anything Twice: Exploring the Parallels Between Creativity & Mortality with Hani Hara
• The Road to Recovery: Learning to Become a Better Person with Rick Ricart
• Riding the Dot-Com Wave, Getting Paid to Play & Life in a Simulation with Mike Ragsdale
• Building a Leader Within Yourself: Deep Ruminations with Chet Scott
• Solving for Why: The Role Sustainability Plays in Differentiation with Taras Kravtchouk

Gravity is produced by Crate Media.

My guest today is Brian Mohr, CEO and co-founder of Anthym, and board member and President Emeritus of the Arizona chapter of Conscious Capitalism. Like many past guests on the show, Brian’s career and adulthood was shaped by an impactful experience participating in team sports in high school. Brain was part of a swim team that went all four years undefeated, which really is some accomplishment. 

As you might imagine, he’s not used to losing. And he’s been using the lessons he picked up in the pool to iterate his work and life goals ever since. Now, with Anthym, he’s connecting corporate teams working remotely through the power of music.

We dive into the deep end of parenting, then and now, and round out the conversation with a healthy dose of hope. Brian acknowledges that capitalism isn’t perfect, but that it is the system that can help enhance the quality of life for the most marginalized people in our society. 

What we cover:

• Finding success in the swimming pool
• Growing into a leader 
• Disciplining kids – then and now
• Learning hard work 
• Seahorse Country 
• How the pandemic changed his career
• Capitalism's role in a prosperous future 

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com/">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• LinkedIn: Brian Mohr
• Anthym 

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

My guest today is Kenny McDonald, third president and CEO of the Columbus Partnership, a civic organization of our city’s top business leaders. His current day-to-day environment varies greatly from his early childhood experience, living on a ranch in Eastern Montana – which sounds like an episode straight out of Yellowstone. This small town upbringing, and his achievements playing team sports, shaped the man, and the leader, he is today.

In this episode, we learn how he’s translated those qualities to his career work as a community builder. In fact, he tells us of a recruiting trip he took here just before the Columbus Partnership came to be, where he and his family were introduced to the city on ComFest weekend – an important city event that just celebrated its 50th anniversary this past weekend in Victorian Village.

I ask Kenny about how his role has changed, both after taking over as CEO, and since the beginning of our current period of social and economic upheaval. We also unpack the perfect circumstances, and incredible teamwork by hundreds across the region, it took to land the Intel development project for our city.

Kenny’s voice and perspective on the true viability and cultural health of Columbus is second to none. Even, and especially, as the larger civic foundation shakes under our feet, he and the community leaders he’s taken on the role of “coach” for, represent as good a shot as any we have at coming out the other side as a stronger, more united people. 

The only thing we can do now is come together. I’m proud to be part of Kenny’s team and excited to share this important episode with you this week.

What Brett asks:

• Kenny’s early childhood on a sheep ranch
• Prioritizing sports over academics 
• Embracing leadership roles 
• Cultural experience going to grad school in the South
• Getting into economic development 
• Gaining a global perspective and building a network
• Moving from Charlotte to Columbus
• Hope for the future

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com/">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• Columbus Partnership
• One Columbus
• LinkedIn: Kenny McDonald

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Today’s guest on the Gravity podcast gives us another fascinating look into the complex human mind and how it works. Kurt Malkoff was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to two restaurateur parents that he says gave him everything but limits. He has a BA, MA, and PhD from Ohio State University, is a clinical psychologist, and the founder of Matrix Psychological Services here in Columbus, one of the oldest, independently-owned psychological practices in the country..

We discuss how he went from being an uninspired student to a passionate special education teacher early in his life, a move that directly led to his long career as a practicing psychologist and successful entrepreneur. 

He explains how understanding even the basics of psychology can help people build and manage teams, thoughtfully comments on the state of social unrest we’ve landed in as a culture, and emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, especially as one gets further into their career.

Kurt’s the kind of person, as he explains, to print a line of good-natured smacktalk on the back of his Pelotonia jersey. Communicating with such warmth and authenticity, he’s a tangible source of real optimism – a quality I can’t ignore in the interview and one I know you’ll pick up on, too.

What we cover:

• Kurt’s loving childhood and restaurateur parents 
• Leaning into special education  
• Back to graduate school for psychology 
• Understanding human behavior 
• Melding psychology and entrepreneurship 
• Iterating yourself throughout life 
• Building efficient teams using psychological studies 
• Landing an ideal work-life balance
• Kurt’s POV on the current social landscape

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com/">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• LinkedIn: Kurt Malkoff, PhD
• Matrix Psychological Services

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

My guest for today’s episode of the Gravity Podcast is my friend, Kumi Walker, technologist, advisor, investor and co-founder of Embedded Capital. Like all of my guests, a few simple bio lines don't do justice to this man’s impact on his environment and the people close to him. Kumi’s story – as a man of color born into a family of high achievement and intellectualism – is endlessly fascinating.

It starts in the very first planned community, in Maryland, designed by James Rouse. It was there that Kumi tells us he felt safe, encouraged to be himself, and be curious about the wider world. His resulting confidence and willingness to take risks are themes we hear throughout the episode. The combination carries him from industry to industry, blazing his own path to success while a select few (no longer) around him doubted his process.

Kumi makes a splash at Twitter, comments insightfully on the current state of social media and free speech, and reminds us all that networking is not nearly as impactful as the concept of being in network.

With detours onto the soccer pitch, Stanford campus, and Washington DC, this conversation is packed with relatable real life wisdom and inspiration. Now, he’s grown roots in Columbus and is committed to helping others in his shoes reach the very top. Tune in for a good one.

What we cover:

• Kumi’s incredibly impressive family
• Growing up feeling safe leading to confidence and humility 
• The benefit of being in network
• How following and playing soccer opened up his worldview 
• Having the courage to take risks 
• Nothing is fun until it’s hard, first
• Graduate school in a risk taking environment at Stanford 
• Making a big impact at Twitter
• Free speech online in 2022
• How Kumi got to Columbus and why he’s staying

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com/">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• LinkedIn: Kumi Walker

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Chet Scott is back to untangle the issues of the world, of our own, and of the future – as has become the norm on about a monthly basis. We get deep on instinct vs. intellect, especially as they relate to coaching and parenting, before jumping from cloud to cloud with questions and comments on the importance of conflict in innovation, diversity of thought in team building, the transfer portal mentality, and loving harder as a way to seek, and find, truth.

There’s no shortage of innate curiosity in this one, so settle in for an expansive conversation that is sure to push the limits of your own considerations. 

What we cover:

• Seeing potential in unexpected places
• The role of instincts in coaching
• Having confidence to start something new
• Healthy conflict and diversity of thought 
• Starting a campfire for ideas 
• Puking it up
• The overvaluation of busy-ness
• Slow down, stay in your domain, let's build mastery
• The transfer portal mentality
• Creating margins for yourself
• Loving harder to find the truth

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com/">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• Read:  Becoming Built to Lead
• Learn: Build to Lead
• Linkedin: Chet Scott

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Tobi Ewing is an artist, maker, guide, and so much more. Her work flows between several mediums at the intersection of art, design, and wellbeing, including painting, textile and fiber art, interior design, storytelling, meditation, and body care. Tobi is personally inspired by the possibilities of divine beauty, imagination, and intentional care – and she uses her art to express a desire to rethink the wellness industry.

Growing up as the oldest of three, born to teenage parents, she had the unique experience of feeling like she grew up alongside her parents, while also feeling somewhat like a parent to her two younger siblings. Because her parents had her at such a young age, Tobi had to battle the stigma of being labeled as someone destined for failure from the beginning. She didn’t let outside voices sway her resolve.

She opened her first solo gallery, The Reappearing Dream, in 2021, and is now at the helm of her own boutique contemporary studio, Frances Bernice Design Studio. She’s obsessed with the concept of “bringing the gallery home” – how we can interact with contemporary fine art outside of galleries or museums. Her dream is to make art more accessible and believes that exposure to art can change the trajectory of our lives.

It’s a colorful and inspiring conversation that I hope kickstarts your own creative mind into building, writing, painting – making something unique this week.

What Brett asks:

• [00:35] Can you tell me about your upbringing and family dynamics?
• [16:50] How did your life experience begin to shape who you are as a young adult?
• [27:30] How did you get clear on what you wanted to create without judgment?
• [35:45] How have you learned to make a career out of art?
• [40:11] What does it mean to explore art beyond the gallery?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• beautyasametaphor.co
• Instagram: @beautyasametaphor
• Frances-Bernice Design Studio
• Podcast: @pleasureprinciples.art

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Mike Malatesta grew up in a small world. He moved four times before the age of ten, each time practically within the same neighborhood. In middle school, he became a good enough football player that he was able to get into a nice private school for high school – a drastic change which he resisted at first. 

There, he felt that he was behind his peers in some ways. There were so many kids from different backgrounds, many with much more money than he grew up with. But he quickly learned that when he went out on the field, there was no difference. That helped him understand that, as people, we are all the same.

He had a love of trucks from a young age. From sitting outside his home and watching them go by, all the way to college, where he got a job driving a garbage truck in downtown Philadelphia for the fun of it. It was there that he realized his passion for the work extended beyond a love of trucks. There was purpose (and profit) to be found in the refuse industry.

Later on, at a low point, a friend of his reached out, recognizing his value, with interest in partnering up on a business idea. Mike’s entrepreneurial path had many successes and failures, but as the business grew, he stopped learning and eventually burned out, entering a negative feedback loop that he calls The Valley of Uncertainty. It took him years to climb out of it. 

It was through coaching that Mike was able to break through, turn his business around, and eventually sell it. Now, he hosts his own podcast, wrote a book called Owner Shift, and coaches entrepreneurs on how to make the futures that they want.

What Brett asks:

• [01:16] Can you tell us about your early days and family dynamic?
• [03:12] What were you interested in in your early years of school?
• [08:13] How did you start to put the lessons you were learning to work?
• [17:20] What happens as you go back to college and regain your confidence?
• [20:16] Where did your love for the garbage truck industry come from?
• [30:46] How did your career in the waste management business progress?
• [34:48] What was it like in the valley of uncertainty? How did you get out of it?
• [46:39] What are you doing now? Are you still interested in entrepreneurship or have you shifted to coaching?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• mikemalatesta.com
• Read: Owner Shift
• Podcast: How'd It Happen?
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikemalatesta

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Chris Chung is the founder of Locate 852 and the leading Facebook ads strategist in Asia. His proprietary Ad Hygiene System is the core foundation that has allowed him to successfully manage over $24.7M in ad spend for his clients. He’s also the host of The Chris Chung Show, one of the top business podcasts in Asia where he interviews industry titans on topics covering business success, entrepreneurship, relationship building, and habits.

Chris grew up with everything he needed. His parents – contrary to the traditional or stereotypical Asian parenting style – were very supportive of whatever interests he pursued. Their one stipulation: if you start something, you need to finish it. Going all in on his passions, such as basketball, showed him what it took to get better at something.

When his parents unexpectedly split up, and he lost everything he owned, he had to find a way to make money on his own. He discovered the world of Instagram influencers, that people were being paid to work with brands, so he reverse engineered what the top performers were doing to grow his own following and see success in it. What Chris really discovered he loved about the process was the art of creating successful ads.

Chris applied what he learned as a child to what was turning out to be a successful business opportunity: take a topic you love, stick with it, and apply what you need to in order to get good at it. He focused on just a few fundamentals and built up something that was highly successful. His story serves as an inspiration for anyone who still doubts that passions can be made into careers. 

What Brett asks:

• [01:23] Can you tell me about some of your earliest memories?
• [13:41] How did life unfold after college?
• [18:24] What did you do after your parents divorced?
• [27:02] How did your life change as you grew as an influencer?
• [32:38] What are you doing now with this advertising skillset? How are things changing?
• [39:42] What are your thoughts on the future of brand building?
• [46:05] How do you stay on top of the changes happening in social media?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• locate852.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chrisichung

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Jim Sweeney became Executive Director of the Franklinton Development Association Community Development Corporation in 2002. While in that role for 14 years, Jim led the effort to revitalize Franklinton through the creation of over 150 affordable housing units, various community-building activities including founding the Franklinton arts district, and aggressive neighborhood advocacies on all levels. 

Jim moved Franklinton, AKA “the bottoms,” to the center of the discussion about central Ohio development. He built consensus around the revitalization of east Franklinton as an arts destination, an initiative that gained the support of city hall and now has begun the path to reality.

The fifth in line of five kids, Jim grew up fast to keep up with his siblings. What caught his attention as a kid was building – he’d find himself in the woods, taking pieces of lumber out of people’s yards and building forts. This fascination with building wouldn’t return until later in his life when he turned his attention to his old neighborhood and what could happen there with some conscious revitalization.

Jim grew up in two worlds: The suburban lifestyle of Columbus and the dense city life of Brooklyn. He knew the benefits of both, and he became deeply attuned to the strengths of each place – more importantly, how he could utilize those strengths in urban planning. This conversation begs us to take a look at forgotten spaces and how we can truly have the best of both worlds.

What Brett asks:

• [01:48] Can you tell us about your life growing up?
• [10:22] What kind of person were you in grade school?
• [20:16] What was it like going to college in Athens?
• [28:22] What was it about city planning that got you interested?
• [32:08] How did your studies start to shape you moving forward?
• [36:44] What inspired you to build and plan your own neighborhood?
• [42:24] Where did your vision for Franklinton come from? What was the beginning of that?
• [55:12] How are things in Franklinton and where are they going in the future?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jim-sweeney-833b317

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

My guest for episode 115 of Gravity is Bruce Garfield. Bruce began his career as a pioneer in band merchandising, signing deals with Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Rolling Stones, and many others. He was then recruited by Capitol Records as Vice President of Artist Development and Press, making him the youngest senior executive in Capitol’s history.

We talk about how he found himself in such a place, unpack some wild industry stories, and discuss what helped him succeed in his roles. Namely, he attributes his ability to blend creativity with business instinct as what pushed him over the edge – a common thread we’ve seen and heard in Gravity guests of late. 

He’s seen the way musicians are often treated by people, either idolized or as disposable products. Now, he’s working to establish a new generation of talent in Columbus with a non-profit label that protects artists’ rights. Tune in for a colorful conversation packed with nostalgic wisdom.

What Brett asks:

• [01:56] Can you tell me about your childhood and family?
• [12:37] What was it like to work with some of the most iconic musicians in the world?
• [16:04] What do you attribute your early professional successes to?
• [25:33] How was it working at a big record company?
• [31:02] What skills had you developed that made you so good at your job?
• [37:04] Did the business aspect of music change your relationship to it?
• [41:37] How did you wind up in Columbus and what are you doing here?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• musiccolumbus.com
• brucegarfieldentertainment.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brucegarfield

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Alex Bandar, PhD, is an engineer by training and entrepreneur by accident. After having worked for 10 years as a computational metallurgist with clients ranging from GE to Apple to Honda, he founded the Columbus Idea Foundry, which has been called by TechCrunch, “The World’s Largest Maker Space.” It’s home to a wide assortment of artists, metal workers, carpenters, designers, small businesses, musicians – the list goes on and on. 

As you might expect, he is passionate about the culture of innovation neighborhoods and speaks and consults regularly on this exciting emerging topic.

Alex grew up with a love of science fiction. He was fascinated by the technological possibilities depicted on the big screen. As he got older, he decided engineering was what would put him closest to making that magic a reality, but that wasn’t the case. Along the way, he learned to combine his fascination with technology and love of making things in a unique way that opens up those same opportunities for the rest of his community. 

His point of view on creativity and expression are as refreshing as they are familiar. It’s great to interview and highlight people like Alex who are having an impact on their community in ways that so directly align with what Gravity is all about. Enjoy.

What Brett asks:

• [02:09] Can you tell us about your childhood?
• [09:25] When did you make the connection between your childhood spark and what you do today?
• [14:22] Why do some persevere while others give up?
• [18:35] How did your interests as a kid fall into alignment with who you are today?
• [33:04] What is the meaning behind your tattoo?
• [38:05] How did the Idea Foundry get started?
• [51:32] Where do you see things going in the maker space?
• [1:00:27] What are your thoughts on the metaverse?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• ideafoundry.com
• Instagram: @ideafoundrycolumbus
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexbandar

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Scott Danner is the CEO of Freedom Street Partners, a practice that supports financial advisors in their next career step and helps them explore all available paths to secure a fulfilling future. After 15 years practicing on an employee platform, Scott founded Freedom Street and took it from zero to 2 billion in assets under management in just five years. He is also the co-founder of the Chesapeake Virginia Wine Festival. 

After a traumatic event as a child, Scott became obsessed with security, safety, and justice. He wanted to work for the FBI from a young age, but he found a better outlet for that energy. In hindsight, he learned to see how his current profession ties back into that original goal.

He’s another great example in a long line of Gravity guests that’s used a pain point, a traumatic experience, or extreme challenge to inspire and influence the rest of his life in a positive way. It’s no easy feat, to be sure, but seeing and hearing stories like this are what helps other people going through these periods know that it’s possible to come out on top.

In a very conversational episode, we talk about how events from your childhood can shape your future life in unexpected ways, his career path as it relates to his passions, and self-belief through it all.

What Brett asks:

• [00:56] Tell me about who you were as a kid.
• [15:36] What was it like growing up with a parent who was a strict disciplinarian?
• [19:57] How did your mindset take shape as a young adult?
• [27:55] What is your current view of business like?
• [39:13] Where do you see it going?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: kaufman.com/">brett-kaufman.com

Resources:

• scottdanner.com
• Read: Freedom Street
• Instagram: @scottwdanner
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/scott-danner-freedom-street
• YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC7_zYDRBiJmLuVlwcCi3qzQ

Gravity is produced and published by Crate Media.

Hani Hara is the first guest on Gravity who hasn’t had an official bio, but that certainly doesn’t make him any less compelling or insightful. A dear friend, mentor, artist, and spiritual advisor, Hani is one of the more personal guests to appear on the show and an important figure in my life.

Born in Cairo in 1948 to Jewish, Egyptian parents, Hani Hara was one of many siblings, and saw more than his share of hardship during The Suez War. His family moved to Paris which kickstarted his love of the arts. Even though his father couldn’t work due to lacking the necessary paperwork, his mindset made the experience into a fun adventure for Hani, who fell in love with creation after being taken to visit museums, the opera, and other world class displays of creativity in the area.

Eventually, Hani and his family found their way to America, where he made numerous lifelong friends. But as he went into education and a professional career, art was pushed further away – partly because he didn’t feel qualified to create. 

Thankfully, Hani later picked up a brush and he’s now an incredibly accomplished artist who is still learning and encourages all of us to do the same. He believes that we all have creation inside of us, whether we access it or not – a concept I am keenly in tune with.

Our conversation also covers manifestation, our relationships with mortality, and more. Tune in to soak up his wisdom and overflowing optimism on life and people.

What Brett asks:

• [01:20] Let’s start at the beginning and talk about your early childhood memories.
• [10:05] How much of your dad’s mindset was an important influence on you?
• [11:27] Tell us about coming to New York.
• [16:45] How did you juggle a desire to work in the arts with the need to build a life?
• [18:37] How much of you not getting involved in the arts was a belief that you weren’t good enough?
• [32:45] Tell us how art begins to enter your life again.
• [37:18] How do you feel free to trust in your ability to create?
• [39:45] What’s your relationship like with death now?
• [42:00] What is good art and what makes a good artist?
• [46:40] Can anybody create good art?
• [47:16] Tell us the story about manifesting Ohio State game tickets.
• [50:50] Tell us about the rule of 10,000 hours in relation to creation.
• [54:55] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Jaclyn Tracy is the founder of SISTAIN, a DTC marketplace that curates sustainable products and provides the tools to educate consumers about sustainability, making it not only easier, but aspirational too. She joins the podcast for a conversation about knowing you’re on the right path in life and balancing commerce with lifestyle. 

Working in advertising before becoming an entrepreneur, she learned that consumer behavior can be changed and made doing just that her mission: moving the world toward less waste and, as she puts it: “imperfect progress.”

We discuss how she realized she wasn’t on her right path in life thanks to a holistic, intentional approach to living. Of course, knowing about a problem is much easier than fixing it, so we also talk about the changes she made to address things. An interesting part of our conversation gets into the need for money and whether or not this always comes at the expense of how we choose to live our lives. 

Self-care is important to Jaclyn – as it should be to all of us – we cover her must-haves, from sabbaticals to drinking enough water. Then we get into what the future holds for her and SISTAIN. It’s exciting, meaningful stuff. Tune in for a look into the future of digital commerce.

What Brett asks:

• [01:26] Talk a little bit about the early memories of your childhood.
• [05:38] What was it like growing up with such diversity of thought in your household?
• [10:44] What were your childhood passions?
• [14:48] What was your relationship with your anarchist brother like?
• [18:46] How did societal norms initially keep you in a lane?
• [22:14] How do you balance the need for money and the importance placed on money?
• [25:22] What was your path towards entrepreneurship?
• [33:52] Tell me how you self-care.
• [43:34] What’s next? Where are you going from here?
• [46:18] What’s the biggest obstacle for you in the way of getting the business to the next step?
• [47:46] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• SISTAIN
• Jaclyn on LinkedIn
• Jaclyn on Instagram

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Jay was on a path that many would, and do, aspire to. But then he discovered entrepreneurship. Risks and all, he knew it was what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. For the last ten years, he’s been professionally exploring what it means to be a creator. He joins Gravity to continue that discussion.

We explore what it was that drew Jay away from what he was doing and towards the world of startups and business building. He saw a real spark of magic among his peers and getting to the root of that makes for fascinating conversation. 

It was working with a creative coach in 2017 that opened his eyes to his desire to create things. That’s when Jay left his job to become a full-time digital creator. It was then that he also started an online accelerator for other founders and creatives, just like him. 

The focus of our discussion is on how Jay has always been completely unafraid to change his direction and path in order to pursue magic and go after what excites him. Not only did he change his path once to join the world of startups, but he later completely changed industries, jumping from one to another and, in the process, having to learn a new business landscape from scratch.

Now, Jay’s main focuses are his podcast, Creative Elements (which has nearly 1 million downloads), and his newsletter. Jay has spent his career carving out the freedom to spend his time and creative energy on the projects of his choosing. His goal is now building a life of creative independence and that’s admirable. 

What Brett asks:

• [01:05] Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about your childhood.
• [03:35] What interests did you have as a kid?
• [05:37] What pulled you towards sports?
• [10:26] How much of your life is geared around finding pleasure?
• [11:58] What happened when you went to college?
• [13:59] What did you see in the entrepreneurs you were around that made you interested in what they were doing?
• [19:56] What happened after you decided that you wanted to be a founder?
• [22:32] Tell me about your first startup.
• [27:44] Why did you choose your work instead of just trying to improve the situation you were in?
• [30:19] How scary of a leap was changing your path?
• [34:26] How were you able to teach yourself everything you needed to know to join a new industry?
• [40:14] Can an unknown compete with established influencers?
• [48:24] What else would you like to share with us?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Jay’s website
• The Creative Elements podcast
• Jay on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Kit Yoon is a Chinese medicine practitioner, life and health coach. She's had a private practice helping people feel better by tapping into their own healing potential since 2002, integrating multiple natural healing modalities to help people live a sweeter and healthier life without all the drama.

Kit is originally from Thailand and has called New England, California, New Zealand, and Ohio home in the last three decades. She grew up in a town just outside of Bangkok, mostly raised by her grandmother. Both of her parents were working professionals; Her father was, and still is, a journalist, while her mother was an editor for a fashion magazine.

As a kid, Kit didn’t know what she wanted to do beyond “I want to help people with my hands.” As she went through school, that was pushed aside until she, through inertia, ended up in biology. She didn’t want to be a doctor but she still knew she wanted to help people. 

It wasn’t until looking back from where she is today that she realizes that she’s fulfilled that desire, making this an extra special edition of the podcast.

What Brett asks:

• [01:00] What was the dynamic with your family in your early childhood?
• [07:14] Tell me about how your life transitioned as you moved to the US?
• [14:40] How did your parenting and cultural upbringing impact you and what would you do differently?
• [14:40] Do you find how you were raised a blessing or a curse?
• [17:56] What happens for you as you get into your adult education and career?
• [21:00] How did you end up deciding what you wanted to do in the future?
• [23:50] How did you get into the work that you’re doing?
• [34:31] How has your current practice evolved?
• [44:56] What does a coach do that a therapist does not? And who coaches you?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• kityoon.com
• Instagram: @kit_yoon

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Sharon Sloane, President and CEO of WILL Interactive Inc has 30 years of experience designing leading edge instructional systems for behavior modification and performance improvement. She holds a US patent for creating computer based interactive movie software to help improve human performance. Her work has been featured on NBC, CNN, NPR, as well as in Forbes Magazine, TIME Magazine, The Washington Post, and approximately 50 other outlets.

Sharon grew up in an entrepreneurial household. In fact, she thought sights like watching her dad tally up retail margins on the back of a napkin after dinner was typical family fare. Her father had a saying, “You want to be the person that signs the check, not the person who waits for the check.” But she also saw how difficult entrepreneurship could be, and so she wanted for a while to become a teacher. She did eventually become one, but she realized that she wanted to use that teaching background to work with adults.

She discovered that the training that was being given to organizations and governments was not effective at creating lasting change, so she set out to build a better system. She had a vision for interactive video training that walked people through what they needed to learn. Keep in mind, this was in the 90s, when watching video on a computer seemed absurd. Technology, and her work with it, has come a long way since then.

It was through having a vision for the future and sticking with it despite the doubt of others that she was able to build her business to what it is today and make the impact she has on the world. She’s had proven success reducing the suicide rate of US soldiers as well as improving retention rates of some of the top companies in the US.

What Brett asks:

• [01:32] Tell me about your early memories and what your family dynamic was like as a child.
• [08:00] How did you decide what it was you wanted to do?
• [12:31] What was it like to hear so many people doubt what you’re doing and still carry on believing?
• [16:16] Can you walk us through the work that you’re doing now?
• [20:10] How have you seen tech evolve over the years?
• [35:42] Where are you headed and what’s next for your group?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• willinteractive.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sloanesharon

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Rick Ricart is the President of Ricart Automotive Group in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded as Ricart Ford in 1953 by his grandfather, whose philosophy for leadership was to work alongside your employees before you are ever fit to lead. Rick started in the business painting light poles around the lot and has since worked in every aspect of the operation.

Rick grew up spending a lot of time with his dad, but he didn’t spend a lot of time talking about business – which was kind of odd, considering Rick saw his dad on television during practically every commercial break. It was nice having a dad who knew how to create some work-life balance, but it was also confusing knowing his father was something of a local celebrity but not having a great handle on why.

Out of college, Rick wanted to break from his old identity. He was always known as “Fred’s son,” Ricky Ricart. When he went to Dallas, Texas for college he legally changed his name from Ricky to Rick and began figuring out who he was on his own. But after a few years away, a transition took place that led him right back to the family business – and he couldn’t be happier about it.

We go over his whole career, how he fell back in love with the automotive industry, and how his battle with alcoholism has played a role in who he is today.

What Brett asks:

• [01:38] Let’s hear about your childhood, your parents, and your upbringing
• [05:39] What was it like having a dad that was such a big personality in the town?
• [14:51] How did you decide what to study in college and how does that lead into your profession?
• [22:03] What led you to come back and join the family business?
• [36:20] How are you similar and how are you different from your father?
• [41:05] What are you up to now?
• [48:05] Can you tell us more about your recovery process through Alcoholics Anonymous?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Twitter: @rickricart
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rickricart

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Dan Snyder is the co-founder and CEO of Lower, a multi-channel fintech brand focused on helping more people achieve wealth through homeownership. Dan was named the number four CEO by Glassdoor in 2021, and in other exciting local news, Lower recently became the naming rights partner for the Columbus Crew’s new stadium, Lower.com Field.

Dan is passionate about supporting the growth of his local community and gives back through the Young Presidents Organization, the New Albany Foundation, Junior Achievement, Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Healthy Homes. Dan and his wife have two children and call the Columbus suburb of New Albany home.

We start, like we always do, at the beginning, where Dan started working hard at a very young age. He attributed this to the pressure of his younger brother, who was naturally excelling at a young age. Not wanting to be shown up by his little brother for the rest of his life. He began working with his mom, helping her close mortgages at the ripe old age of 15.

His parents offered just the right amount of pressure. They didn’t force him to do anything, but they did model a good worth ethic and gave him the space to figure out what he liked and was good at – which, admittedly, wasn’t easy to do.

After working at Wells Fargo, Dan hit a block. The only way to move up would be to relocate, and he wanted to stay in Ohio. He was drawn to something more entrepreneurial, so he began working for a lesser known bank that gave him much more control over how he operated.

Eventually, after a few years of successfully growing that banking division, Dan and his coworker made the decision to go off on their own and found Lower in 2018. It’s his dream job, and he’s never been more excited about where he’s at. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with it’s own set of challenges. Tune in to hear his story.

What Brett asks:

• [02:04] What was your early childhood upbringing like?
• [04:50] What were you like as a kid before you started closing mortgages for your mom?
• [06:54] Do you think you are naturally driven or did it come from other factors?
• [10:06] Why did you start working with your mom?
• [16:03] What prevented you from going to law school?
• [23:44] What was it about entrepreneurship that was appealing to you?
• [29:42] How did you transition into Lower?
• [34:07] Where are you now?
• [42:16] How do you deal with new challenges as they come up?
• [49:14] Where do you see things going in the future?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• lower.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/snyderdan

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Chet Scott is back for his third episode of Gravity. We covered the usual Gravity questions in his previous appearances, so this time, we thought we’d go off-format and enjoy a simple conversation between the two of us friends. It’s always worth listening when Chet starts speaking. 

Last time Chet was on the podcast, he told me the story of his recent heart attack, so we start this episode with how he’s doing now, several months later. We discuss his athletic upbringing and how it ultimately shaped how he discovered his place as a leader – before we break down his delayed embrace of the arts.

Now, Chet is an artist who sees words as his medium. As well as writing, he spends a huge amount of time reading. We talk all about his approach to reading and how it differs from the ways that other people approach books. We also talk about the true power of writing – and creating art in general, as we try to drill down into what it really means to create something.

Things get especially introspective when Chet prompts me to answer one of my questions on his behalf. We then get into the very role of God in our lives, and how we can make sure that we spend our lives pursuing what really matters. 

It’s so easy to fall into a trap of convincing ourselves that we love what we do when we actually don’t. Chet has amazing advice about how you can tell the difference.

What Brett asks:

• [01:47] Where are you in life, these days, following your heart attack?
• [02:30] Can you elaborate on exactly what opus means to you?
• [05:48] Why is it hard for people to realize that we need to love our work?
• [09:21] How can we be sure that we haven’t convinced ourselves that we love our work when we actually don’t?
• [18:19] How do you define being an artist?
• [21:22] Are we all born to be artists or creators?
• [24:48] How much are you willing to step in and guide someone else as their truth teller?
• [31:07] How much time do you spend continuing to learn about yourself?
• [33:49] What role does reading play in your life?
• [40:19] How do you decide how to spend your time?
• [52:31] Any last words before we finish?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• kaufman.com/g82-chet-scott/">Gravity episode #82: “A Heart Attack’s Teachings”
• kaufman.com/g46-chet-scott/">Gravity episode #46: “The Builder’s Journey: Building Yourself So That You Can Build Others” 
• Chet Scott on LinkedIn

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

I’m back from my sabbatical and I couldn’t be more excited for this first guest of the year. But I’d first like to thank all of the incredible Gravity guest hosts who took over the show while I was away. Their variance in experience and perspective only grows what we’ve established here and I’m appreciative of those contributions. 

In this edition, we’re sitting down with Mike Ragsdale, Founder and CEO of 30A, a Florida travel guide that has transformed into a full blown lifestyle brand shaped around the American beach way of living. 

Our conversation begins with Mike’s childhood upbringing where he was pushed to become a high achiever before falling into a successful career as a marketer working in advertising. Mike stumbled upon an AOL disc in the early ‘90s and the rest was history. He was instrumental in the creation of one of the world’s first humor websites, building a highly successful online community in the process and creating a highly successful company in the process. 

Sadly, as we know, The Dot-Com Bubble didn’t last and Mike pursued other ventures and interests. Eventually, he realized that there were things in life more important to him than money, and following his bliss inadvertently led to the creation of 30A – now a wildly popular brand in its own right. 

We discuss everything from what he’s learned along his remarkable life journey, to the ever-evolving perception of video games in society and culture, to whether or not we exist in reality or if we’re just living a simulation. This is exactly what Gravity is all about. It’s great to be back.

What Brett asks:

• [01:47] Let’s start at the beginning: tell me about your upbringing.
• [12:25] Were you interested in gaming as a kid and how did that affect your childhood?
• [15:44] Tell us about the awakening you had.
• [23:03] Tell us how you got into marketing.
• [36:02] How did your experience with AOL unfold?
• [44:59] What caused you to step down as CEO and found a new venture in 30A?
• [52:21] How are you building community with 30A?
• [59:46] What role do you think community will play in Web3?
• [1:08:51] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• 30A
• 30A on Twitter
• Mike on LinkedIn

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

This week’s guest host is Megan Kilgore, City Auditor of Columbus since 2018. She’s an adjunct professor at Ohio State University, the founder of Ohio Women in Public Finance, and the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including The Bond Buyer’s “Rising Star” Award, being named one of Columbus Business First magazine’s “40 Under 40,” and being named a Columbus Alive “Person to Watch.” 

She’s speaking to Christine Mortine: a former classical musician, and now a flight instructor. In 2021, she lost all power to her plane’s engines and was forced to make an emergency landing. She walked away from the resulting crash, and she still flies today. 

We talk about her passions, and why she turned her back on her music career in favor of pursuing aviation. Of course, there’s no getting away from the miraculous story of her surviving the emergency landing she was forced to take while flying over Worthington. Her reaction in the moment – not to mention afterwards – is profound in what it teaches us about the way we live and relate to the world and people around us.

Christine initially took three weeks off from flying, but decided that that was enough, and got right back on the horse. The fact that she didn’t let this traumatic experience prevent her from pursuing her passions is incredible and something we can all learn from. 

What Megan asks:

• [02:50] Tell me about your 25-year career in classical music.
• [04:18] Why did you choose to become a pilot?
• [05:04] How long have you been flying now?
• [05:40] What are your college degrees?
• [05:47] How do you actually become a pilot?
• [06:30] Tell us about the plane crash you survived.
• [24:59] What happened immediately after the crash, when the plane stopped moving?
• [27:21] Tell us about how you made peace with death in those moments before the plane hit the ground.
• [36:41] Were you always this comfortable with the idea of failure? 
• [38:02] What’s it like having such varied interests?
• [40:23] Did you question flying again?
• [44:15] Tell us about your family.
• [46:18] Quickfire questions.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Megan Kilgore’s official site
• Christine Mortine’s official site

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Finishing up this fun AMA series to get us into the new year, this episode brings together your questions about my mindset practices and personal life. I’m truly sitting in the Gravity guest’s chair for this one, with eleven different hosts sitting across from me.

We begin with my time management philosophies and where I picked them up (Hint: past Gravity guests). We go granular on this subject, detailing my day-to-day routines, how they’ve changed over the years, and what kinds of things I like to do in my free time – including a list of recommended reading.

From there, we jump into the deep end with some great questions about how I perceive myself, my work, and the world they exist in. I talk about walking the line between appreciation or gratitude and the desire to make things better – before another well-worded inquiry prompts me to discuss the complicated role fear has played in my life.

We finish up with a few popular podcast topics, how I make and keep friends as an adult and how my wife and I have gone about raising three exceptional young adults as we prepare for an empty nest. Perhaps these subjects are so commonly discussed because they don’t have any one real answer or rule book.

I hope my perspective on them, or on anything we’ve covered in these two AMA episodes, has shed some light on something you’ve been struggling with or made you think about something in a way that allows you to better understand yourself or someone in your life. Thanks for listening.

Questions Brett answers:

• [01:20] Advice on how you prioritize time.
• [06:28] Tips and programs that help you set and execute goals
• [08:57] How many hours a day do you work?
• [10:35] How does your daily routine change throughout the week?
• [11:30] How do you get into a creative zone?
• [13:40] Book recommendations?
• [15:04] Appreciation for the way things are vs. desire to make them better
• [16:11] Handling fears and self-doubt
• [18:44] What kind of friendships do you seek/need as an adult?
• [21:40] Being the best parent you can be to teenagers and young adults
• [25:57] How do you come to terms or prepare for an empty nest?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• kaufman.com/g89-dan-sullivan/">89. The Pursuit of Happiness & Measuring Progress Backward with Dan Sullivan
• kaufman.com/g82-chet-scott/">82. A Heart Attack’s Teachings: Finding Your Opus with Chet Scott
• “Becoming Built to Lead” by Chet Scott
• “Who Not How” by Dan Sullivan
• “Willpower Doesn’t Work” by Benjamin Hardy
• “The Surrender Experiment” by Michael Singer
• “Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer
• “How To Do The Work” by Dr. Nicole LaPera
• “Maybe You Should Talk To Someone” by Lori...

After collecting your thoughtful questions over the past few months, the time has finally come for our long-awaited AMA episodes. In this, the first in a two-part series, I talk about how I go about leading my businesses, hiring and developing employees, and continue to set goals that motivate me.

You know about the art, the meditation, and the development projects. And conversations with coaches of mine, Chet Scott and Dan Sullivan, surely lead you in the right direction in terms of what my priorities and passions are. But after eclipsing the one-hundred episode mark, it’s as good a time as any to take listeners a little deeper into what makes the host of this show tick. 

An AMA takes our conversation to the next level, opening up honest two-sided communication – just like we do in interview episodes – so that we may all learn and grow from shared experiences. 

I’m excited and proud to be opening this door and hope you enjoy it or learn something new about me in the process. Please, feel free to drop new or future questions on my AMA-themed social posts or send an email to kaufman.com">brett@brett-kaufman.com.

Questions Brett answers:

• [1:37] Talk about your entrepreneurial milestones. 
• [3:17] What were the toughest periods of growth?
• [4:09] Anything unique you can share about your hiring practices?
• [7:24] Advice on taking funding and keeping your vision on track?
• [11:08] How do you evaluate whether you're going to take on a project?
• [13:51] Can you teach entrepreneurship to K through 12 students to adults, to anyone?
• [17:30] What keeps you motivated?
• [20:11] Any long-term goals yet unreached? 

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• kaufman.com">www.brett-kaufman.com

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

After two long years (for so many reasons), we’ve reached triple digits on a social experiment that has been equal parts illuminating, educational, inspiring, and hard work. This checkpoint gives us a good opportunity to view the collection of episodes as a library, a growing anthology of human knowledge and experience. At that elevation, it’s a significant accomplishment and one we’re proud to continue building on.

To celebrate the milestone, we’ve put together a very special compilation episode which brings together a handful of our favorite stories and lessons from this past year. It wasn't easy. Each and every guest has been gracious to, oftentimes, reveal parts of their lives and careers that they’ve never talked about – sharing their wisdom and most deeply-held experiences so we can unpack them for the benefit of the community.

Tune in to hear from ten guests as we weave a story through our 2021 content to pull out themes and overarching takeaways. Take notes, refine your mindset, laugh, cry – and feel more grounded in your own life and achievements, big and small. This episode is sure to bring you the full range of human experience, just like we drew it up.

Featuring:

• [3:02] Chet Scott sets our intention for 2022
• [6:40] Joe DeLoss asks why, and does the work to find the answers within himself
• [11:09] Howard Getson gets deep about love and its place in the world
• [14:24] Jeff Krasno shares an embarrassing story from his childhood
• [22:23] Dan Sullivan previews foundational wisdom from his latest book
• [27:45] Jordan Reeves sheds light on the LGBTQ+ point of view
• [32:56] Stephanie Hightower coaches us on modern workplace equity 
• [36:40] Mark Goulston paints a picture of his mindset practice principles 
• [42:04] Magie Cook’s story goes from an orphanage in Mexico to Whole Foods
• [47:39] Katy Smith helps us realize the power in human experience 

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• kaufman.com/g82-chet-scott/">82. A Heart Attack’s Teachings: Finding Your Opus with Chet Scott
• kaufman.com/g76-joe-deloss/">76. Hot Chicken is Good for the Soul: Business as Spiritual Nourishment with Joe DeLoss
• kaufman.com/g65-howard-getson/">65. Love as Primary Energy: Simplification, Collaboration & Healing with Howard Getson
• kaufman.com/g73-jeff-krasno/">73. Creating Identity Through Consciousness & Community with Jeff Krasno
• kaufman.com/g89-dan-sullivan/">89. The Pursuit of Happiness & Measuring Progress Backward with Dan Sullivan
• kaufman.com/g-70-jordan-reeves/">70. Living Outside the Box: Compartmentalizing Love & Acceptance with Jordan Reeves
• kaufman.com/g-70-president-stephanie-hightower/">71. Clearing Life’s Hurdles: Both Metaphorical & Literal with Stephanie Hightower
• kaufman.com/g87-dr-mark-goulston/">87. Crafting a Michelangelo Mindset: Finding the Angel in the Marble with Mark Goulston
• kaufman.com/g52-magie-cook/">52. The Ultimate Underdog: Rags to Riches & Nothing to Nobel Prize with

Continuing the Gravity podcast takeover, Brianna Bullentini is our guest host for this episode. Brianna is an entrepreneur who has been involved in the Gravity universe of projects for a while, so it’s a pleasure to hand over the podcast reins to her, this week.

Her guest is Taras Kravtchouk, the Founder, CEO, and designer at TARFORM. TARFORM Motorcycles is a startup on a mission to set a new standard for two-wheeled vehicles. By fusing modern technology with the lessons we can learn from nature, they’re redefining the way we look at building bikes.

Utilizing a carbon-free business model, and by building their products from scratch using sustainable materials – often developed in-house, TARFORM is aiming to raise the bar when it comes to making high-end products with a respect for the environment. His intent is a noble one and hearing him describe his path to achieving it is just as inspiring.

Taras has worked for companies including Google, T Mobile, and Spotify, but he got there by refining a mindset of sustainability, focusing on the right questions and inspirations. Brianna and he talk about what really drives them – what is their “why”? And why is that influence so important on the overall creative process?

The altitude of this conversation is perfect for a start-of-year episode, as we look at things from above to see a more full and colorful picture of what’s before us.

What Brianna asks:

• [04:00] What is your “why” that brings you to the “what” of your company?
• [05:20] What made you interested in the idea of sustainability?
• [08:25] What is the culture of your product?
• [12:30] Tell us about having to invent each material used in the product.
• [17:00] How do you feel about companies that don’t have a sustainable approach?
• [21:40] What are the major moments in your life that shaped your worldview?
• [29:00] What’s your secret sauce? And what are your biggest weaknesses?
• [31:55] What are you most excited about right now?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Brianna on LinkedIn
• Taras on LinkedIn
• TARFORM

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

This week, Gravity is guest hosted by Yohannan Terrell, CEO at Warhol & WALL ST. and Director of the Columbus Fashion Initiative, where he’s working to modernize and democratize Columbus’ massive fashion industry. He’s also an incredible thinker and inquisitive conversationalist. 

But wait, there’s more! This special episode brings two amazing guests for the price of one because, joining Yohannan for this discussion of life and legacy is the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio, Elizabeth Martinez.

Elizabeth was born premature and given only 24 hours to live. She believes that early ability to defy the odds has set the tone for her purpose and identity throughout her life. 

Born in Puerto Rico, her family moved with her to The East Coast. She’s since developed an inspiring career, recently launching the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s Hispanic Mentoring Initiative, which has evolved into the model now used by agencies throughout the country. 

This episode gets into what makes a person, be it an urge to live up to expectations or a desire to shatter them. They discuss the ways our life experiences culminate when we find the right outlet for ourselves professionally and emotionally. Most importantly – this is still Gravity after all – they discuss the meaning of purpose and what it looks like to move humanity forward with intentionality. 

What Yohannan asks:

• [04:00] Tell us a little about you and your beginnings.
• [09:27] How did growing up in Puerto Rico affect you?  
• [13:40] How did your experiences bring you to your current role in life?
• [17:50] What are some impact moments you’ve had in life?
• [28:40] How does the online world create a challenge for the next generation?
• [44:50] How much of a role does purpose play in your life?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Yohannan on LinkedIn
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Jessica Jackley is the Co-founder of Kiva and a leader in the groundbreaking microloan movement that’s now helping people everywhere lift themselves out of poverty on a constant basis. Kiva alone is responsible for over $1.5 billion in loans facilitated to date – and that number doesn’t even account for all the work done by the many similar organizations it has inspired since its launch. 

Growing up in Pittsburgh as a key member of her family’s church, Jessica always sought to help others wherever and however she could. She volunteered a lot, but none of the charity work she could take part in was scratching the itch she felt to make the world a better place. She found that most charity was focused on giving money, and is often done with an angle on cognitive dissonance so that you don’t even realize that you’re giving something up. 

That didn’t sit right with Jessica, who believes charity should be something we embrace, both in terms of helping, but also by mentally engaging with it. Crashing a lecture that taught her the concept of crowdsourcing combined with her first-hand experiences of helping people while interning in Uganda ultimately led to the founding of Kiva.

Armed with the understanding that all parents want their kids to grow up as kind people, she’s now leading a new project, Alltruists, which develops and sells DTC volunteer kits that empower kids to get involved in their communities. It’s never too early to start giving back.

She joins the Gravity podcast today for a discussion of her path in life: how did she become such a powerful force for positive change within the world of charity? We talk about her amazing work, then and now, and what people can learn from her incredible experiences. We also explore the importance of family, how and when to push ourselves to take risks, and much more. 

What Brett asks:

• [02:15] Tell me about your childhood.
• [13:00] What was it like having a purpose going into school life?
• [16:30] Tell me about trying to figure out your urge to give?
• [22:30] Tell us about what it was like to become part of the business world?
• [30:00] What was it like, leaving to go to Africa?
• [34:00] How did Kiva come together?
• [47:30] Where are you now?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Jessica Jackley.com
• Jessica on LinkedIn
• Untapped Capital
• Alltruists

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Artie Isaac is a renaissance man, a Vistage Chair with peer groups in Columbus and Dayton, an executive coach, a poet, a writer, even an actor. He has a rich wealth of life experience and it shows in his deep knowledge and connection to the things that actually matter in life. 

His attitude towards living intentionally through relationships is amazing to hear about, especially during a time of year where family serves such an important role to our mental and emotional wellbeing.

From a young age, he questioned everything, thanks to an upbringing of constantly being asked “why?” This quality turned him into a lateral thinker who’s been able to embrace all the aspects of his one-of-a-kind personality, as you’ll hear in his sense of humor, his penchant for dramatic departures, and his flair for blending creativity with business. 

What Brett asks:

• [00:40] Let’s start at the beginning. 
• [14:00] What kind of person were you when you were younger?
• [20:00] How much of our personality is chosen or inherent? 
• [25:20] Tell us about life as Artie in your college years.
• [29:30] Could you get further by planning?
• [33:40] What stands out to you between your first job and your current one?
• [48:00] What made you realize you needed to make a change in life?
• [51:40] What important work would you like to tell us about?
• [57:00] What’s it like being so content with your life?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Artie’s website
• Artie on LinkedIn
• Artie on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Dr. Eric Bean is an executive coach and the Director of High Performance at HigherEchelon. He’s a firm believer that the mental game affects every single one of us. His mission is to help us think about, well, thinking, on a whole new level. 

Eric grew up around a lot of in-fighting which led him to develop an unhealthy desire to please. After growing up and finding his true self, his new mental framework formed the basis for a career in psychological coaching, helping high performers unlock their full potential. We break down the steps he took, both forward and backward, to get there.

Eric believes that, whether you’re a surgeon, an athlete, a business person – anything – you can probably do you better. And making that jump all comes down to a few changes to our mindset and awareness. 

This sets the stage for Eric’s current work with HigherEchelon and the Coaching Through Stories podcast, with which he aims to help people improve confidence, alleviate stress, and go a little bit deeper in a way that will impact all of us for the better.

What Brett asks:

• [00:35] Let’s start at the beginning.
• [08:30] How much of your athletic desire came from wanting to please?
• [13:45] Why did you originally choose to study aerospace engineering? 
• [15:25] What gave you the confidence to change direction?
• [17:45] Can you tell us about your experience struggling with your mental health?
• [21:40] What was it like to apply your training to the military?
• [26:45] How do you work with individuals?
• [36:00] Let’s talk about what it means to win.
• [38:55] Tell me about your current work.
• [45:00] How much life experience do you need to be qualified as a coach?
• [47:50] Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• HigherEchelon
• Eric on LinkedIn
• Eric on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Vicki Bowen Hewes is the CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of SocialVentures. It’s just part of an amazing career with highlights including founding the Columbus branch of Dress for Success and Fashion Forward, an ecommerce social enterprise now piloted by The RealReal. 

Vicki’s life and, by extension, her career, has been one of finding ways to empower women to be their true selves. An advocate for diversity and equity, she believes in the power of people working together for the sake of the greater good. 

We discuss the nature of self-identity and how to find yourself. We also talk about the idea of reinventing who we are – even later on in life, after who we are is fairly well established. It’s never impossible to make changes so we shouldn’t be afraid to try new things.

We touch on her new role as Chief Empowerment Officer, what it actually means and what she – and SocialVentures – are doing to make the world a better place. 

What Brett asks:

• [01:35] Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about your upbringing.
• [04:50] What was it like seeing your dad work so hard?
• [07:30] Were you a naturally loving child or is it something you’ve developed over time?
• [15:00] When did you begin to find yourself?
• [30:00] Tell me how your career started.
• [35:00] How did you start Dress for Success?
• [40:00] Tell me about your new role as Chief Empowerment Officer.
• [45:30] Talk about what it’s like to change who you are later in life.
• [49:50] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Vicki Bowen Hewes’ Official Website
• Vicki on LinkedIn
• Vicki on Instagram

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Justin Breen is the founder and CEO of BrEpic Communications, a PR firm designed to solve archaic problems in its own field. A master journalist and highly successful entrepreneur, he makes a point of being a father first, and a business person, second.

Justin and I are friends through Strategic Coach so it was great to sit down with him, and really dig deep into where he came from, and what drives him. Family is Justin’s most treasured part of life, going all the way back to his childhood. His father was a WWII hero. Justin found his diary after his death, only to discover that their writing styles were exactly the same. 

He believes everyone should strive to discover their passions and talents, but more importantly, that the people who find theirs are obligated to put them to use. 

A master journalist with twenty years of experience, now, he runs a PR firm of his own. Justin considers himself a journalist once more. It’s just a different form of journalism. Now, he gets to choose the people he works with. Now, he isn’t beholden to covering negative news, a concept he’s never been a fan of.

We talk about the need (or lack thereof) for business knowledge when becoming an entrepreneur, the basics of spreading a message, and the importance of living with purpose and intent – both for ourselves and for others.

What Brett asks:

• [02:15] Tell me about your early days.
• [04:15] What was having an older dad like?
• [06:40] Tell me what you were like as a kid.
• [08:20] What interested you in childhood?
• [17:40] What took you into journalism?
• [24:00] Explain what it is, exactly, that you do today.
• [25:20] What makes you unique in PR?
• [35:00] Tell us about your new venture.
• [40:40] Talk about being a dad and your family life.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• BrEpic Communications
• Justin on LinkedIn
• Justin on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Sifu Love is one of the world’s preeminent practitioners of martial arts creatively applying their ancient principles to healing and personal growth. After 15 years of training, he’s learned ways to help overcome many mental health challenges through mixed movement modalities.

Having experienced special, science-defying gifts from a young age, Sifu eventually found his way to living in China, where he became a devout student of multiple disciplines and styles of martial arts while tapping into the energies all around us.

We share a fascinating discussion detailing how he learned the ins and outs of various styles of Chinese martial arts and applied them to his own life with a mixture of mysticism and soulfulness. Sifu has used what he’s learned to tackle his own mental health challenges and now he wants to share his tools with the world.

And it doesn’t stop there. Sifu is an advocate for helping those with minority backgrounds, racial, sexual, or otherwise, to reconcile with traumas they may have suffered and find ways to grow. It’s important work that truly enriches the world.  

His life is one of intentional modalities and a strong sense of self. It’s a truly inspiring story that we can all learn from, be it our approaches to empathy or how in tune we are with our own bodies and the various natural states we find ourselves in.

What Brett asks:

• [01:50] Let’s start with your early days and childhood.
• [04:00] Was your approach to spirituality in childhood something you did consciously at the time?
• [07:00] What was it like being different as a kid?
• [17:00] What’s your perspective on bullies?
• [25:55] What was the process that got you to China?
• [29:50] Where did all your strength come from?
• [32:30] Where should people interested in martial arts start to learn about them?
• [35:25] Take us from your return from China through to what you do today.
• [47:00] Tell us how you involve shamanic teachings in your work.
• [50:00] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Healing Kung Fu
• Join Sifu’s Mailing List

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

In a flip of the usual Gravity format, Amy Landino is taking over as today’s host. We talk about the show, its origins, and what I’ve learned from the experience after nearly 100 episodes.

Amy is a fellow podcaster, a YouTuber, and a bestselling author. I could think of no one better to take on my role as interviewer so that you can finally dig a little deeper into the host of Gravity and learn a little bit about me for a change. 

We cover everything from why I started the podcast to how we were able to weather a pandemic and how it feels to be coming up to the landmark 100th episode. 

Of course, this is Gravity, so we take things deeper as well, with a discussion of what drives me creatively and emotionally and how Gravity is an expression of them. Any regular listener of the show will be familiar with some of my thoughts on the nature of the human experience and how we can leave the world a better place than we found it, but this was my first chance this year to really dig in and explore what any of that means, now, after so many conversations.

This one should be a must-listen for fans of the show or of the Gravity concept, as you’ll get some insight into how the show is made, as well as what pushes us to create more.

What Amy asks:

• [00:50] Why do you do what you do?
• [02:00] How does it feel to be coming up to 100 episodes of the Gravity podcast?
• [04:00] Has your approach to the podcast changed in response to the pandemic?
• [07:40] What originally drove you to succeed?
• [15:20] What are you doing when you feel most in your element?
• [17:00] How do you decide what projects you can take part in and what you have to decline?
• [23:30] Is there a question you don’t get asked often that you think is interesting?
• [27:00] Based on your experience with the podcast, what would you say a winner looks like?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Learn more about Amy
• Find me on LinkedIn
• Find me on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Lisa Ingram is the President and CEO of White Castle, the iconic Columbus-based burger chain founded 100 years ago, and now, with 377 locations across 13 states. She’s been at the company for over two decades, although her tenure was split to allow her the opportunity to experience work elsewhere – a fascinating hiring concept applied to all interested family members.

Lisa’s great grandfather, Billy Ingram, co-founded White Castle over a century ago and the brand is still going strong. In 2014, Time magazine named the White Castle slider as the most influential burger of all time. They pride themselves on being a family business. But, just because you’re part of the family doesn’t mean this is the right job for you. We talk about how they knit family into the fabric of the company, and when the two are separated for the good of all involved.

As part of that process, Lisa spent time working for a variety of companies outside of the famous burger chain, and remains heavily involved in the local community to this day, holding a seat on multiple local advisory boards among other things. 

Our conversation starts with her upbringing, experiencing the divorce of her parents and digging into what drew her toward cheerleading from a young age (as well as how being a cheerleader is more similar to being a CEO than you might think). Then, we get into the pros and cons of working with family. We also touch on how to juggle multiple priorities and responsibilities while honing in on what’s important and, ultimately, what will make you happy. 

What Brett asks:

• [02:10] Let’s start at the very beginning. Tell us about your childhood.
• [06:05] How did your parents’ divorce shape you?
• [11:10] Why did cheerleading stick as a childhood hobby?
• [13:40] How much of being an introvert is down to nurture vs. nature for you?
• [22:40] How have you found working with family?
• [34:10] How long have you been in your current role?
• [40:15] Will you put together a succession plan for the generation after you?
• [42:00] What’s the biggest challenge with juggling motherhood, your involvement in the community, and work?
• [46:50] How do you manage self-care through exercise? 
• [50:00] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Lisa on LinkedIn
• Lisa on Twitter
• White Castle

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Dan Sullivan is the Co-founder of Strategic Coach, an organization built to grow entrepreneurs into their best selves and unlock the full potential in both their business and personal lives. An innovator and gifted conceptual thinker, Dan has over 40 years of experience as a strategist, coach, consultant, speaker, and writer, having authored over 30 publications, with his latest, The Gap and the Gain, out now!

From an early age, Dan saw the raw power and positivity that was up for grabs if you simply apply yourself in a strategic manner. You can hear this in the stories from his time spent in the Army as you can from his time paying his way through college. Before landing into an oeuvre, helping entrepreneurs achieve their best, Dan even worked for the FBI – and, once again, saw the potential that everyone around him was missing by simply taking a step back and analyzing how things worked. 

Dan’s philosophy is built on the idea that we can’t measure progress by looking forward. It’s only possible when we look back and see how far we’ve come. And one of the best ways to do that is to focus in on happiness. When it comes to success, what better metric is there than how happy something makes us?

He has so much incredible insight to offer, both for those of us with entrepreneurial leanings and for those of us who’ve never dreamed of running a business, too. I’ve found his teachings profoundly useful in my own life, so it’s a pleasure to be able to share them with you on the Gravity Podcast. 

What Brett asks:

• [01:23] Can you start at the beginning and tell us about your upbringing?
• [06:30] Did you have a desire to figure stuff out and crack codes as a kid?
• [13:28] How important is having a childhood to allow someone to discover who they are?
• [19:46] Let’s talk about your path into being an entrepreneur.
• [39:30] Tell us about your entrepreneurial venture before you launched Strategic Coach
• [48:20] Has learning from other people’s behavior shaped Strategic Coach?
• [53:30] Expand on the concept of happiness.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Visit: Strategic Coach
• Read: The Gap and the Gain
• Listen: Multiplier Mindset with Dan Sullivan
• Watch: Who Not How: Your Single Formula For Achieving Bigger Goals

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Aisha Ceballos-Crump is a first-generation Hispanic American who is the founder of two beauty brands, Botanika Beauty and Honey Baby Naturals, both multi-million dollar brands that are sold in Walmart, Target, and Sally. She is also a member of The Global Beauty Alliance and Target's Business Partner Council, serving as the only minority woman focusing on diversity and inclusion in Target's stores.

Aisha was born and raised in Indiana. Both of her grandparents immigrated to Gary, Indiana during the steel industry boom to create a better life for their families, but when the steel industry crashed, so did the city. The entire city changed nearly overnight, and Aisha grew up determined that she would not stay in that place.

At 28, and with a kid, she realized that she wanted to start her own business. She heard a casting call for Richard Branson’s TV show Rebel Billionaire. She went for it, and, out of 250,000 applicants, she was selected to be on the show. This became the turning point where she decided she would do anything she wanted to do, and find a way to make it happen.

Determined to show everyone what she was capable of, Aisha flew out to London to be on the show… only to be eliminated in the first episode. Devastated, she went back home, feeling like a failure, but the producers called her back for the finale and she had an amazing time. She felt like she belonged. She decided then and there that she was going to put her all into making her business dreams come true. She quit her high-paying job, put her entire life’s savings on the line, and, eventually, Honey Baby Naturals was born.

Aisha later founded Botanika Beauty to embrace her heritage, and, in her first year, got into 300 Target and 1,200 Walmart locations. In her place on the Small Business Council at Target, she fights for diversity, inclusion, and representation.

What Brett asks:

• [01:01] Can you tell us about the beginning? Where you grew up, the family dynamic, all of it?
• [03:19] What do you remember about being in this environment and seeing it “go away?”
• [07:33] How did you learn to embrace your gifts instead of dumbing them down?
• [14:30] Can you tell me about your performing arts school experience?
• [18:09] Tell me about how your college life and early career emerge?
• [24:24] What happened when you realized that you didn’t want to become an engineer?
• [30:28] When did you realize how everything in your life started coming together?
• [41:54] Can you tell us a little about Honey Baby and what you’re up to now?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

honeybabynaturals.com

botanikabeauty.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aisha-ceballos-crump-3154676

Instagram: @aisharc

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Content warning: this episode features mentions of suicide. If you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.

Dr. Mark Goulston is the co-founder of Michelangelo Mindset. Founders, entrepreneurs, and fortune 500 CEOs hire him when there is a critical or urgent problem they want to deal with or an amazing opportunity they don't want to miss. He coaches them to tap into the way Michelangelo saw his masterpiece sculptures in blocks of marble. He would carve until he set them free. 

Mark is also the author or co-author of nine books, with his book, Just Listen, being translated into 28 languages and becoming the top book about listening in the world. He hosts the highly rated My Wakeup Call podcast, and is a former UCLA professor of psychiatry and FBI hostage negotiation trainer.

Mark considers his greatest personal accomplishment to be graduating from medical school after dropping out on two separate occasions. He didn’t drop out because he changed his mind or he wanted to see the world, but he had untreated and undiagnosed depression that was holding him back. He could not retain all of the information contained in his textbooks, so he quit.

Mark started working blue collar jobs after that first absence, and this ended up having a very calming effect on his mind. But something in him convinced him to go back to medical school again, and the same thing happened: his mind just wasn’t working. One day he was called into the dean’s office and was told that he’d essentially been kicked out. Growing up being taught that you are only worth what you can do in life, this was a severe shock to his system. He thought about ending his life that day, but the dean told him, “Mark, you didn’t mess up, but you are messed up.” He said if he got fixed up, the school would not regret giving him a second chance.

And he did. Mark fixed himself up and returned to medical school a third time, this time graduating, and now he’s focused on paying it forward. In that moment where he almost gave up and his dean gave him a chance, Mark began focusing on suicide prevention and helping others who may have been in his shoes.

What Brett asks:

• [04:36] Can you paint a picture for us about your early years?
• [17:55] What has it been like to fight back against the conditioning that told you to stop being creative?
• [41:36] Why is it so hard to do what we know matters?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• markgoulston.com
• michelangelomindset.com
• Listen: My Wakeup Call
• Audio Course: himilaya.com/defeat
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markgoulston
• Watch: TEEN MENTAL HEALTH WEBINAR

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Wanona Satcher is the founder and CEO of Mākhers Studio, a green manufacturing and modular design build company. She’s a graduate of Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction, and Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business. She’s written for The Huffington Post, and participated in both the CityLab Aspen Institute, and Bloomberg Philanthropies National Innovation Program.

Wanona was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and that had a profound impact on who she grew into. Not only was she surrounded by family and community members who were entrepreneurial in spirit as well as community-focused, but she was also surrounded by civil rights leaders and the bedrock of the civil rights movement. She grew up knowing that there is always an obligation to do more for others and do it in a way where you meet people where they are. All of this led to her asking: what does it mean to build conscious communities?

While working a government job after college, Wanona created an innovation lab. She was working at the intersection of tech, research, agriculture, music, and more. She began submitting proposals to build community labs where low-income residents could work with high-income residents, create new technologies together, and enable upward mobility. It didn’t become a reality, but ideas from that started gaining traction – particularly the idea of using shipping containers – a sustainable resource – to provide value instead of having them just sit around like normal. After leaving her government job, she created Mākhers Studio with the idea of utilizing small spaces for big impact. This brought together her passion for curating to allow people the opportunity to create their own experiences, while also using sustainable resources.

Wanona believes that we need spaces to bring together people of different backgrounds to create a common language: common ground. She physically does that with Mākhers Studio, and she advocates for empathy and mindfulness to create those emotional connections necessary to make it happen and forward social impact.

What Brett asks:

• [01:21] Can you start at the beginning and tell us about your early childhood?
• [07:35] How much of what you experienced as a kid was a part of who you are today?
• [14:02] How did mindfulness become a part of your parents’ life to pass on to you?
• [21:30] What emerged for you during high school and college?
• [31:22] How did dealing with that uninformed teenager shape your career?
• [36:18] What are these communities that you’re building? What shape are they taking?
• [47:40] How has mindfulness come and gone in your life?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• wanonasatcher.com
• makhersstudio.com

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Today’s episode is a speaking engagement that Brett Kaufman had recently with the Conscious Capitalism organization.

Conscious capitalism is the way forward. We have to be not only creating consciously, but also recycling good, quality capital back into the market – into the hands of young entrepreneurs who will define the future of business, and, more importantly, the future of our world. Conscious Capitalism offers opportunities to engage, to meet other like-minded people, to grow, and to be a part of the change we’d all like to see in the world.

Topics discussed:

• [08:48] Discovering creativity and being an artist
• [10:27] What it means to be on this journey as human beings
• [23:35] Brett’s one piece of advice for other conscious capitalists
• [28:14] How to take risk without getting stressed
• [30:28] How investors and VCs can apply conscious capitalism to what they do
• [35:44] Where Brett sees real estate evolving over the next few years
• [38:06] Recommendations on starting a new business using conscious principles
• [41:14] Brett’s stress management strategies

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Kelly Mooney grew up the 8th of 10 children. Her family was a huge influence on her as she launched a career that placed her in the heart of the then-emerging industry of internet commerce. Now, she’s a CEO and Strategic Advisor recognized for leading organizations in customer insight and digital experience. She recently founded a pre-leadership organization, Equipt Women, focused on helping young professional women excel at work and in their personal lives.

More importantly, Kelly is a dear friend who I was fortunate enough to sit down with to hear her story. We talk about how important creativity is and the ways we can pursue it from a business perspective without compromise – as she did. We also explore the impact of the digital landscape on the world and what it’s like to be at the forefront of such an exciting, emerging field as the internet and digital media.

Nowadays, Kelly is focused on mentorship so I also take the opportunity to hear her experiences with handling everyday sexism, as well as some of her best business advice and we explore the idea that we should always keep the faith in ourselves and our abilities – even though that’s often easier said than done.

What Brett asks:

• [00:02:25] Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about your childhood.
• [00:04:18] What was it like growing up with so many siblings?
• [00:06:20] How did your dad fit into your early life?
• [00:08:50] What were you like as you moved through school?
• [00:13:00] Did you feel much support for creativity in your life?
• [00:18:00] Where did the idea of combining art with business come from?
• [00:23:55] What happened as you got a degree and started working?
• [00:26:00] Did the passion you had for your work make you more teachable?
• [00:33:00] What was it like being part of an emerging industry?
• [00:38:40] How would you summarize your professional experience?
• [00:40:40] Tell me about the hard times in your line of work.
• [00:43:55] What’s it like being a woman in your leadership role?
• [00:48:00] Do you have any specific examples of sexism that you’ve experienced?
• [00:51:00] What are you doing now?
• [00:57:00] How important is trusting in yourself?
• [01:04:40] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Kelley at IBM
• Kelley on LinkedIn
• Kelley on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Phil Franks is the co-founder of Owl & Key, a lifestyle design agency aiming to help people design extraordinary lifestyle freedom. His co-founder is his wife and co-host of their podcast Unlocked, which further explores the work they’re doing and how you can apply it to your own life.

Phil was adopted when he was just six weeks old. The honest and open nature in which his adoptive parents treated that fact shaped much of Phil’s positivity and gratitude that extends into his world view today.

Sport was a huge part of Phil’s life, too. From a young age, he was taught to follow his passions and that meant that he spent a lot of time playing baseball. He was so good that even the coach of his rival high school team saw his talent – to the point that he ended up pulling strings to get him onto a college roster. Phil acknowledges that he likely owes much of his baseball career to the kindness of this man.

We talk about the role that sport played in further shaping Phil’s approach to living an intentional life, as well as how his life seems designed to have led him to the career he now has, helping build the perfect lifestyles for others. We even get into the idea of nature vs. nurture and how we can feel secure when trusting in the universe and our own intuition. 

What Brett asks:

• [00:01:40] Tell me about the early days. What was your childhood like?
• [00:09:55] What was the impact of moving so often as a kid?
• [00:20:50] What was challenging about being adopted?
• [00:25:00] Have you ever spoken to your parents about why they chose to be so open with you about your adoption?
• [00:30:15] What was life like as you moved into being a teenager and a young adult?
• [00:39:30] How do you maintain trust in the universe and God?
• [00:50:10] What are you doing with your life now?
• [00:54:00] What qualifies you to do the work that you’re doing, how did you get to where you are, and how does it make you feel to be there?
• [01:07:00] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Owl & Key
• Unlocked podcast
• Phil on LinkedIn

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Chet Scott joins us for something we don’t do very often on Gravity: a returning guest. He’s a leadership and development coach for some of the world’s most influential people. After “waking up” in 1993, he set about pursuing his life’s opus – something his organization, Built to Lead, strives to help everyone discover for themselves.

Last time he joined the show, we explored how his upbringing led him to where he is today, but we didn’t get into the personal health revolution he went through after a client convinced him that he was “skinnyfat.” Chet had been getting some bad data in health tests but was unable to figure out why. It turned out that, although you’d never know it to look at him, his relationship with sugar was causing him to have worryingly high glucose and blood pressure levels. He was pre-diabetic. In Chet’s words, he had been a sugar addict who had used the substance to self-medicate. 

Ever since then, Chet’s been an intense follower of his health regime, prioritizing core workouts and fitness plans aimed at building longevity. That’s why it was a total surprise when he suffered a heart attack in March, earlier this year. As the doctors put it, it was a one-in-a-million fluke that it happened, but it was also a one-in-a-million fluke that he survived.

This completely reframed how Chet looked at the world and, now, he’s even more focused on his life’s work than ever before. Built to Lead is still about finding our opus. As Chet puts it, everything we do is work, so we should find our labor of love and do it right.

What Brett asks:

• [02:10] How would you describe yourself and your work?
• [08:45] Do you think finding your identity is a life’s work?
• [11:35] Can you tell us about the journey of health and discovery you went on after learning that you were “skinnyfat”?
• [17:00] What happened after your health journey?
• [27:00] Is it fair to say that your heart attack was a fluke?
• [35:00] You decided to get straight back on the horse after your heart attack, but did you take some time to reflect and experience gratitude first?
• [37:00] Tell me about your prayer at the hospital.
• [42:00] How do we get to a moment of truth from our words and actions?
• [49:20] Is there anything you’d like to get across to the audience based on your learnings?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Built to Lead
• Chet Scott on LinkedIn
• Read: Becoming Built to Lead by Chet Scott

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

We’ve gathered some of the most informative and inspiring voices to appear on the show since we launched almost two years ago into this fun compilation episode featuring their tales of childhood entrepreneurship. It turns out that people drawn to business often start young and you can learn a lot from them, even if they were only just starting to learn things themselves. 

We hear about lemonade (and beer) stands, buying low and selling high, and realizing our worth as creators and suppliers. We hear about early experiences balancing checkbooks and catching bank errors. Nothing gets past these young entrepreneurs.

And in broader strokes, we hear about the moment lightning struck with inspiration for many of our past CEOs and Founders, be it being raised around business owners, learning life lessons from our parents, or turning stigma and unease into something more productive. 

No matter what specific form it takes, most of us have a tale of inspiration and, more often than not, these moments of growth happen young. 

Keep an ear out for some pretty interesting commonalities throughout the episode, as a certain happy-to-play-along audience tends to pop up in many of these sales scenarios.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Episode #12: “kaufman.com/g12-chris-olsen/">On the Cutting Edge: Having the Courage to Take Big Risks & Love Failure with Chris Olsen”
• Episode #21: “kaufman.com/g21-david-schottenstein/">Behind Every Success is a Dozen Failures with David Schottenstein”
• Episode #25: “kaufman.com/g25-jeni-britton-bauer/">Discovering the Art of Ice Cream with Jeni Britton Bauer”
• Episode #45: “kaufman.com/g45-scott-donnell/">Hapbee Days: Empowering Kids & Hacking the Human Experience with Scott Donnell”
• Episode #50: “kaufman.com/g50-claire-coder/">People Helping People, Period: The Origins of a 23-Year-Old Founder & Transforming Your Business in a Pandemic with Claire Coder”
• Episode #60: “kaufman.com/g60-rob-dube/">Do Nothing: The Power of Stillness with Rob Dube”
• Episode #61: “kaufman.com/g61-debbie-penzone/">Recognizing Beauty From the Outside In with Debbie Penzone”
• Episode #63: “kaufman.com/g63-alex-frommeyer/">Transforming Insurance with Wellness with Alex Frommeyer”
• Episode #64: “kaufman.com/g64-ilya-bodner/">Creating the American Dream: Learning Through Action with Ilya Bodner”
• Episode #65: “kaufman.com/g65-howard-getson/">Love as the Primary Energy: Simplification, Collaboration & Healing with Howard Getson”
• Episode #67: “kaufman.com/g67-mikey-sorboro/">Start With an Experiment: The Best Ingredients for Brand Building with Mikey Sorboro”
• Episode #76: “kaufman.com/g76-joe-deloss/">Hot Chicken is Good for the Soul: Business as Spiritual Nourishment with Joe DeLoss”
• Episode #78: “

Will Zell made his mark at an early age when he ran for a city council seat in his hometown of Bellefontaine, Ohio at the age of 17. He’s since gone on to serve as Executive Chairman of Nikola Labs and as CEO of Zell Capital, which he also founded. Zell Capital was designed to open investment opportunities to all – not just the wealthy. 

We look at Will's entire life, from his upbringing surrounded by maturity and female role models, to his early experiences in politics, and how they led him to where he is today. He believes that having an older-than-average father instilled a greater sense of maturity in him from a young age, as though he matured quicker than most to keep up.

We also get to the bottom of how he built up a wealth of invaluable experience – all despite, as he says, being formally unqualified for every job he’s ever had. He’s living proof that outsiders with passion and belief in themselves can bring fresh ideas that rejuvenate their fields and how we should never dismiss people based on their background.

From his early attempt to join the city council right up to his current work democratizing finance and making it accessible to all, it’s clear that Will is ethically minded and intentional in all aspects of his life, so he’s completely aligned with Gravity. His story should hold value for us all.

What Brett asks:

• [00:01:05] Tell me about your early days.
• [00:03:00] Did you find the maturity of your older father helped you?
• [00:07:30] What were your siblings like?
• [00:10:20] What was it like having an older father as a child?
• [00:11:05] Where did your decision to run for a seat on the city council during High School come from?
• [00:17:30] Do you think you believed in yourself because you hadn’t been conditioned not to?
• [00:19:20] Do you think you owe a lot to your parents’ support?
• [00:22:30] Do you see value in failure as a way to learn?
• [00:33:00] Can you highlight some of your failures that led you to where you are today?
• [00:41:15] Can you tell us about Nikola Labs?
• [00:46:30] How did you transition away from Nikola Labs and into launching Zell Capital?
• [00:52:40] Tell us about Zell Capital and what you’re doing.
• [01:00:00] Would you agree that it makes sense that you’re helping democratize finance so that people who aren’t rich have access to the same tools as those who are?
• [01:01:30] Do you think outsiders are better suited to jobs because of their unique viewpoints?
• [01:03:10] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Will Zell on LinkedIn
• Will Zell on Twitter
• leap.com">Entrepreneurial Leap

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Simeon Schnapper is a psychedelic philanthropist, futurist, and managing partner of JLS Fund, formed to aid investment in the booming intersection of science, technology, and neurology investigating the use of plant-based and psychedelic medicines to heal illness and enhance wellness. 

Simeon initially found his way into a burgeoning career in the world of the performing arts, becoming a staple of the Chicago theater and improv scene, and even releasing a feature film, “Dot,” as a star-writer-producer-director in 2002. He taught thousands of students in his time as a faculty member of the Second City Conservatory.

That list of achievements would be more than enough for most people, but Simeon was slowly drawn away from the arts in favor of work in the world of tech and business. He founded Youtopia, a highly successful engagement platform, as well as the world’s first Visionary Art Gallery and Medical Marijuana Dispensary, and co-founded The Family Office Funding Challenge. He even spent time as President of The Hinman Foundation, a nonprofit focused on providing grants to community-based organizations, and now he works for the JLS fund, furthering their assistance and research in the field of psychedelic and plant-based medicines. 

We start off by discussing Simeon’s upbringing after being born to Peace Corp parents which set his early life up as a constant discovery and exploration across different countries and cultures. With that diverse foundation, a personal ethos of exploration and helping those in need became deeply ingrained in his belief system. 

We also discuss the world of psychedelics and plant-based medicines, as well as how the associated social landscape has changed. It’s still a volatile subject, politically; Simeon weighs in on the stigma and stability of the industry, as well as where anyone interested in the benefits of psychedelics can start their own journey to enlightenment.

What Brett asks:

• [00:57] Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about your childhood.
• [06:15] What were you like as a child? 
• [08:20] Were you an entrepreneurial kid?
• [11:30] What was it about business that drew you away from your creative pursuits?
• [20:40] Was growing up with Peace Corp parents exciting?
• [23:00] Where did the freedom of your childhood lead you?
• [30:00] How do you feel about the notion that your entire life experience has fed into what you do now?
• [37:20] How does it feel to be doing good in an area that’s so heavily stigmatized?
• [45:10] Do you worry that things in the area of psychedelics are changing so fast that it could all be shut down?
• [53:30] Where do you recommend people start with psychedelics?
• [58:20] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• JLS Fund
• Simeon on LinkedIn
• approval.html">The New York Times: “MDMA Reaches Next Step Toward Approval for Treatment”

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Nick Nanton is a multi-Emmy-award-winning documentary filmmaker and the Founder and CEO of DNA Films, through which he’s produced countless works, including, “Dream Big: Rudy Ruettiger Live on Broadway,” a sell-out one-man show he wrote and directed.

In Nick’s words, he came from a childhood where he had “more love than he could spend, but money was scarce”. He soon learned that if he wanted something in life, he would have to be the one to make it happen. Learning a lifestyle of entrepreneurship from a young age, he’s gone on to enact an intentional life of spirituality and manifestation – at one point, he Googled “How to win an Emmy.” He’s since won over twenty of them. 

Among his many tenets are that we must learn how to lose, and lose to learn. He also believes that we never stop learning – and that that fact is one of life’s joys, infinitely exciting and personally fulfilling. 

Nick is also the CEO of the Dicks + Nanton Agency, founded to help celebrities, entrepreneurs, and experts in their field put their best selves forward to the world. In this edition of Gravity, we discuss how anybody at all can set about achieving their goals simply by addressing their branding. As Nick says, “Branding is storytelling” and sharing our stories is the central philosophy of the Gravity podcast.

What Brett asks:

• [01:30] Tell me about your childhood.
• [06:20] What was it like being a child in a family where money was an issue?
• [12:40] Do you think you’re a natural hustler?
• [19:00] Let’s talk tennis.
• [28:00] Tell me about going from law school into adulthood.
• [36:50] Why did you finish your law degree if you wanted to quit?
• [42:00] Connect how you went from graduation to present day.
• [52:10] How do you think you went and other people can go about gaining undeniable wisdom?
• [56:00] Do you have any advice for people doubting that they can achieve their dreams?
• [58:00] How do you continue to grow, learn, and provide value to the world?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Nick Nanton’s Website
• Nick on IMDb
• Nick on Instagram
• Nick on LinkedIn
• In Case You Didn’t Know with Nick Nanton

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

This week, we’re joined by Rachel Friedman, the founder and CEO of TENFOLD: a cultural, strategy, and creative firm aiming to build brands from the inside out by leveraging what makes them special. Their award-winning solutions connect people to place in a meaningful way and they will soon be launching TENSPACE, a sister brand dedicated to creating physical showcases for brands and their stories.

Rachel was aware of a sense of “not-enoughness” from a young age and harnessed it to live an intentional life. She identified the creative spark within her after discovering her passion for Interior Design at school. That energy combined with her longing for more to meld a high-achieving creative who’s gone on to forge an extremely impressive career. She’s now a three-time recipient of the Business First C-Suite Award for Most Admired CEO.  

As well as exploring the steps in her life that led to where she is today, we get into all things creation, starting with recognizing the creative drive within us and knowing how to act on it. We also explore what qualifies as creation, the ways creativity can be utilized to help others, and our creative processes. 

Then, we explore the more philosophical side of things such as the relationships we choose to maintain, how to give them our best, and the very nature of following our passions and drives. 

What Brett asks:

• [02:10] Tell us a bit about your early life.
• [04:06] How did the early version of you form in childhood?
• [08:10] What was it like having two very different parents?
• [13:45] At what point did you recognize the desire for more instilled in you from a young age?
• [18:30] Tell us how you started to emerge as a creative within your career?
• [24:30] Do you agree that all forms of creation are valid?
• [28:00] How much of the hunger to become more than just a designer came from your childhood want for more?
• [34:00] What is your creative process?
• [38:00] What’s it like being a CEO as a woman?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• TENFOLD’s website
• TENFOLD on LinkedIn
• TENFOLD on Twitter
• TENFOLD on Instagram

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Joe DeLoss is a social entrepreneur who’s focused on building transformational brands that leave a positive thumbprint on the planet. The owner and head fryer of Hot Chicken Takeover, Joe has been called “the best marketer in Columbus.” 

Starting out as a humble pop-up, Joe generated such incredible demand backed by positive word of mouth for Hot Chicken Takeover, that the Kickstarter he launched to fund the purchase of a food truck raised over $63,000. Now, they have six locations. Joe calls himself a social entrepreneur for a reason. Hot Chicken is a fair chance employer that provides employment opportunities to those who are often overlooked, be it due to criminal histories or just a long gap in their employment history. At one point, over 70% of their workforce was made up of people who had been formerly incarcerated or affected by homelessness. 

He states that the company employs anyone with “an orientation towards personal growth”, something that’s reflected in the way he’s lived his life. On today’s episode of Gravity, we get into where that drive stems from and how Joe is driven to take action both for himself and for the world. 

Joe is a spiritual person and takes us through his philosophies, from finding and fanning the flames of spirit in others to filling up our cups so much that they overflow into those of the people around us. It’s an optimistic and in-depth conversation that I know you’ll be inspired by.

What Brett asks:

• [01:45] Tell me about your childhood.
• [07:20] What was it like dealing with hardship as a child?
• [12:20] Can you elaborate on the idea that you adopted a persona each time you joined a new school?
• [20:30] What drove you to be an entrepreneur at such a young age?
• [21:50] Did your entrepreneurial spirit continue into high school?
• [24:45] Did you see yourself being an entrepreneur after high school?
• [27:00] How did you shape an identity coming out of school?
• [35:00] How did pursuing coolness help or hurt you?
• [40:40] What led you to start Hot Chicken Takeover?
• [46:00] How does Hot Chicken Takeover fit into your life, spiritually?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Hot Chicken Takeover’s website
• Joe DeLoss’ website
• Hot Chicken Takeover on:
• Wikipedia
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Dr. Don Wood, PhD, lived an idyllic childhood with loving and supportive parents. It cultivated a sense of confidence and optimism that he’s carried throughout his life. This high vantage point instilled in him an appreciation for the wildly diverse atmospheric conditions we all face, and how they make us unique in so many ways.

After struggling to find a way to combat his daughter’s Crohn’s and his wife’s autoimmune disease, he decided to dig deeper – past their symptoms, which had been the focus of conventional medical science. He eventually realized that their bodies were responding to mental and emotional trauma with a stress response that was destroying their immune systems. Our bodies aren’t designed to experience the fight or flight response permanently, after all. This insight was the seed for something amazing.

Leveraging his background in psychology and clinical counseling, he developed a system to address the problem: the TIPP method, which he’s used to successfully cure not only his family, but help professional athletes, world record holders, and CEOs alike break through deeply held mental barriers that limit their physical and intellectual performance or well-being.

He joins us on this edition of Gravity for a fascinating discussion of how trauma (or a lack thereof) shapes us, how sport is a wonderful tool for us to learn life’s lessons, and the power of positivity when trying to achieve inner peace. We also hear his firsthand account of the creation of his TIPP program, how it fits into medicine as we currently know it, and how he’s hoping to use it to help the world in the future.

What Brett asks:

• [01:30] Tell me about your childhood.
• [07:00] What were your interests as a kid?
• [09:00] How do you feel about having such a nice upbringing now that you know how rough some people’s are?
• [11:30] How do you feel about the notion of us being responsible for our choices?
• [15:50] Did you enjoy being able to play sports without carrying stress into your games?
• [17:05] Tell me about your experience of becoming a young adult.
• [23:00] Do you agree that sports are a good place to learn?
• [25:50] Tell me about the career you had prior to your current work?
• [27:00] Was the decision to leave your family business, in part, driven by the confidence and optimism of your upbringing?
• [31:30] What’s it like to walk away from something without worrying about it?
• [34:40] Tell us about making the jump to your current career?
• [37:30] Tell us about the medical system today and the things that we don’t know yet.
• [41:00] How did you find out what was medically wrong with your daughter?
• [44:05] How did you arrive at the techniques of your program?
• [46:25] What’s next for you and the program?
• [48:30] Describe the processes that the program involves.
• [53:00] Tell us how this can be helpful to everyone.
• [58:00] Do you have any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Inspired Performance Institute
• Dr. Wood’s official website
• Books written by Dr. Wood
• Dr. Wood’s other podcast appearances
• Dr. Wood on...

Elizabeth Brown was elected to Columbus City Council in 2015 and holds the office of President Pro Tempore. She’s the executive director of the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network, a member of the Columbus Women’s Commission, and serves on various committees, such as for the CelebrateOne Policy. 

An accomplished writer, Liz initially pursued a career in journalism, working for WOSU Public Radio and being published by New York Magazine. Eventually, she realized that her work wasn’t satisfying her life calling and decided to follow in her father’s footsteps by turning her hobby of politics into a career. To this day, she maintains that writing is one of the most important and practical skills a person can have. 

One thing led to another and she was able to turn her work as a Campaign Manager into a seat on the Columbus City Council, where she’s now led the city through a pandemic and beyond. 

Our conversation covers her entire life story, from the stressful early years through to her city council job and beyond as we get into what the future might hold – both for the city and for Liz.

We explore her gratitude for her difficult childhood, we grapple with the idea of a politician as someone who serves popular opinion versus someone who makes independent decisions based on what they believe is right, and we examine the benefits of injecting fresh, outsider perspectives into organizations and groups where things have gone stale. 

What Brett asks:

• [00:02:30] How did you get to where you are today?
• [00:05:10] Do you believe fresh, outside perspectives can be valuable in politics?
• [00:10:30] Let’s go back to the beginning. Tell me about your childhood.
• [00:15:00] You talk about there being silver linings in the negatives of your upbringing but was that how you saw things at the time?
• [00:18:20] Did your parents maintain a good relationship after their divorce?
• [00:20:50] What were you like as a child once you started school?
• [00:23:55] Was your desire to follow in your dad’s footsteps evident in childhood?
• [00:25:18] What was your mom’s line of work?
• [00:28:00] What role have the arts had in your life?
• [00:29:50] What happened once you finished school and began thinking about your career?
• [00:35:20] What was your first job in the world of politics?
• [00:39:40] What was your path from campaign manager to being on the city council?
• [00:42:00] You spend so much time taking care of other people, how do you manage to recharge your own batteries?
• [00:46:30] Coming out of the pandemic, how are you finding your role as a leader in the city, today?
• [00:53:00] Would you say it’s accurate that you have no separation between work life and personal life?
• [00:54:55] What does the future look like for you and for Columbus?
• [01:00:10] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Liz Brown on Twitter
• Liz Brown on LinkedIn
• Liz for Us
• Liz Brown at The Columbus City Council

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Jeff Krasno is the creator of both Wanderlust, a series of yoga-based wellness events, and Commune Media, an online platform for personal and societal betterment. Through his work, including weekly essays and hosting the Commune podcast, he has interviewed the likes of Deepak Chopra, Brendon Burchard, Russell Brand, and many more important voices.

After a tumultuous childhood involving everything from a double life as an American abroad to a bout with a malignant tumor at just age 13, Jeff internalized the protective and restorative value of forging relationships and creating communities around himself. It’s something he’s continued doing to this day, though now, it’s a conscious endeavor undertaken with deep purpose. 

This week, Jeff, one of my dearest friends, joins us to walk through his life story and to explore how it led him to where he is today: one of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100. 

We discuss the modern obsession with identity and how it relates to the greater consciousness. We explore the importance of sharing relationships and building communities. We even get into Jeff’s thoughts about the future.

Jeff also explains how one simple trick can allow us to change our outlook and how we apply ourselves to building a better world: it’s all about where we focus our attention.

What Brett asks:

• [00:02:17] Tell me about your childhood.
• [00:06:14] Were you aware of how special your childhood was at the time?
• [00:18:44] How old were you when you moved back to the US?
• [00:19:20] In many ways, you lived double lives as a child. How did that shape you?
• [00:35:00] How did your childhood experiences shape you as you grew older?
• [00:47:20] You went from one extreme to the other in terms of popularity. How did that shape you, going forward?
• [00:51:30] How did you get into a more conscious state as you matured?
• [01:00:00] Would you agree that you have to be a part of a community in order to build one?
• [01:20:00] How do you feel about the future?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Jeff’s podcast: ”Commune”
• Jeff’s website
• Wanderlust events

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Rob Perkins was an accomplished Managing Partner of his family business, WestView Real Estate, when he decided to launch the WestView Senior Home Purchase Program. He talks about their acquisition of Senior Move Masters, a new venture designed to guide senior citizens and their families through the difficult process of moving home or joining a retirement community.

From a young age, Rob was concerned with the advantages he’d been gifted in life thanks, in part, to his family’s emotional and financial support. While he was always grateful, his biggest fear remains growing arrogant with his success.

In the latest episode of Gravity, he joins us for a stark exploration of the pros and cons of working with loved ones, the value of the mentors in our lives, and the difficulties in striking the right balance between humility and taking pride in our achievements. 

What Brett asks:

• [01:25] Let’s back up and start with your childhood.
• [05:58] Did growing up around toxic masculinity affect you?
• [09:23] Why did you feel bad about the advantages life gave you?
• [11:25] Were you a good athlete and what interests did you have outside of sport?
• [15:46] What did you do after leaving school?
• [16:40] What did you study?
• [17:30] Tell us about your first job.
• [22:20] Tell me about the experience of losing your mother.
• [24:12] Can you elaborate on the mentors in your life, their wisdom and their therapy?
• [33:24] As someone who strives for humility, is it possible that you undervalue your achievements?
• [39:00] How are you forging your own path, now?
• [47:48] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Senior Move Masters
• WestView
• Rob Perkins on LinkedIn

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Stephanie Hightower is the former president of USA Track & Field, and current president and CEO of the Columbus Urban League, a community‐based, non‐profit advocacy organization. She is a four-time US champion in the 100 meter hurdles, a five-time US indoor champion in the 60 meter hurdles, and earned a silver medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. 

In 1980, she qualified to represent the United States at the Moscow Olympics, but was unable to take part due to a nationwide boycott of the games. Instead of letting this setback define her, she continued onwards and became President of USA Track & Field, a member of the IAAF council, and she is currently President of Columbus Urban League, an organization dedicated to empowering African Americans and disenfranchised groups through economic, educational, and social progress. 

Life wasn’t always so distinguished for Stephanie, though. A military child, she lived in a variety of places growing up, and frequently  experienced the different forms of racism that came with each one. Just like the hurdles she built an athletic career jumping over, she didn’t let adversity stand in her way and proved herself through her action and courage off the field, too.

As a person of color, Stephanie brings a unique perspective to this week’s edition of Gravity, where we go deep on the complex issue of racism in America, her personal experiences with it as a child, checking privilege, and code switching in the workplace.

We take time to champion Stephanie’s many achievements, illustrating how she’s used her story and experiences to impact others, and exploring ways we can all become better people while living as our truest selves.

What Brett asks:

• [02:30] We’re going to start at the very beginning. Tell me about your childhood.
• [06:20] What were your parents like?
• [14:55] Tell me about how you realized you were fast enough to become an athlete.
• [17:25] Did you love being a hurdler?
• [18:35] What happened after you realized you could become an athlete?
• [25:10] What were your college years like, outside of sport?
• [32:25] What was it like being given such an incredible opportunity to travel the world and experience different cultures?
• [40:00] Is becoming an Olympian an amazing feeling?
• [42:45] How did it feel to have to boycott The Olympics in 1980?
• [44:20] What did you do after sports?
• [50:00] What’s leadership like today?
• [57:45] Is it useful to be a scrappy outsider?
• [1:02:30] What do you tell people about how we can all come together as a society?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Columbus Urban League
• Stephanie Hightower on LinkedIn
• Stephanie Hightower on Wikipedia

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Jordan Reeves is the Founder and Executive Director of VideoOut, an organization dedicated to producing LGBTQ+ stories, content, and programs to educate the world about the LGBTQ+ community and how to best advocate for it. Jordan has written for Huffington Post and created LGBTQ+ inclusive content for major brands including Hulu, Verizon, P&G, and AARP, and they’ve even given a TED talk.

Jordan’s belief that stories are a powerful tool that can connect the entire world is completely aligned with the mission of Gravity. We learn about their religious upbringing in Hueytown, Alabama, and the moment (or lack of) when they realized they were queer, trans, and non-binary. 

Jordan’s parents love them but acceptance isn’t something they’ve arrived at yet. We explore how Jordan has made their peace with this for the sake of maintaining their relationship, as well as the everyday struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community, and the idea that we should look beyond the categorization of gender.

We also touch on the importance of gifting our stories to the world, the support hearing other experiences can provide for those of us in need, and the way that hearing about other people’s lives can normalize and cultivate acceptance across the planet. 

What Brett asks:

• [01:30] Let’s dive right into your childhood.
• [08:30] Can you elaborate on the idea of knowing who you were from a young age?
• [17:00] How did you come to accept your parents’ views about who you are?
• [24:55] Would you say that society conditions people to believe they’re something that they’re not or that they just hide their true selves?
• [30:20] What happened to you once you became a teenager?
• [38:40] How did you break away from your religious beliefs at the time?
• [45:00] What happened after you left for New York, through to the present?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• VideoOut
• Jordan Reeves on LinkedIn
• Jordan Reeves on Instagram
• Jordan Reeves on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Scott Simon was a meek and timid and fearful child. His withdrawn personality led to him being bullied and finding himself isolated and lonely. Though his loving family only had the best intentions, they perpetuated his behavior instead of pushing him to grow and overcome his anxieties.

While at college, Scott stumbled upon the quote, “Do one thing a day that scares you,” and thanks to having found his people, he started to push himself a little bit each day. He graduated with a newfound spark for life and decided that, from then on, he would live life only ever saying “yes” to the opportunities presented to him, no matter how scary they were. 

This led him to become a “happiness entrepreneur,” building businesses designed to improve the lives of everyone around them. He founded Scare Your Soul, the USA’s first happiness incubator with a mission to inspire the world to grow into their best selves through the ignition of fear. Overcoming what scares us takes courage and courage is a wonderful quality to cultivate.

Thanks to Scare Your Soul, Scott has done everything from marrying couples to running parades to giving a TEDx talk and he continues to spread his message through all the means he can – his latest of which is appearing on Gravity.

In this episode, we discuss the power of music and the importance of finding our people. And, of course, the main focus is on our fears, how we can decipher between the ones that exist for a reason and the ones that are only going to hold us back, and how we can use being scared as fuel to drive ourselves to become better people, every single day.

What Brett asks:

• [00:02:50] Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about your childhood.
• [00:06:20] Were you naturally shy and withdrawn or was it something you learned?
• [00:14:40] What was high school like, being so scared of interacting with others?
• [00:19:40] Tell me about the role of music in your life.
• [00:24:00] Mentorship and the arts are two very large parts of your life. How do you think they combine and work together?
• [00:28:50] What did you do after leaving high school?
• [00:31:30] What was it like to finally find your people?
• [00:36:30] How did you go from being scared to embracing the fear of the unknown?
• [00:44:28] You mentioned the philosophy that you never really graduated. Tell me more about that.
• [00:50:18] Your bio refers to you as a real estate developer, a happiness entrepreneur, and the founder of Scare Your Soul. Tell me more about these three things.
• [00:57:40] How are things unfolding for you, now?
• [01:04:01] Any final thoughts?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Scare Your Soul
• Scare Your Soul on Facebook
• Scare Your Soul on Instagram
• Scott’s TEDx Talk: “Happy by Design”

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Kaitlin Mogentale, founder and CEO of Pulp Pantry, was a model student and, despite a healthy admiration for her more mischievous peers, was a high-achiever who studied and earned good grades at school while voluntarily taking on whatever extra-curricular activities she could. Attending a Women in Science event sparked her passion for the subject and sent her down the path of searching the world for its problems and solutions.

The first major problem she identified came while interning with The Garden School Foundation, an L.A. non-profit that provides schools with gardening and cooking classes. Through her work for the organization, she became aware of just how many people are living their lives with a dire lack of access to healthy, nutritional food.

The second big problem became clear, one day, when she watched her friend juice a carrot. They were about to throw the solid, vegetable leftovers away, and Kaitlin was immediately struck by just how much quality food is constantly being wasted as discarded pulp.

She saw a way that the two problems could be united, solving each other in the process, and Pulp Pantry was born: a food manufacturer with the aim to cultivate nutritious and sustainable food options for future generations.

Kaitlin came from a loving, stable family and, to this day, she’s filled with gratitude for the upbringing they gave her. It’s, perhaps, this gratitude that makes her sense of social responsibility so strong and makes her so driven to find ways to improve the world, two problems at a time. In this episode of the Gravity podcast, Kaitlin joins us to discuss the inspirations and motivations behind her successful, ethical venture.

What Brett asks:

• [01:26] Start at the beginning: tell me where you came from?
• [05:55] How was your family life, growing up?
• [13:20] Why do you have so much gratitude for your upbringing?
• [17:50] What was it about science that inspired you?
• [21:00] Where did your sense of social responsibility come from?
• [27:50] After you developed an interest in science, what happened next?
• [34:35] Did you ever wonder what your path in life was going to be?
• [42:00] What were the steps between your studies and launching your business?
• [48:40] Tell the listeners about your company, Pulp Pantry.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Pulp Pantry
• Kaitlin Mogentale on LinkedIn
• Pulp Pantry on Twitter
• Pulp Pantry on Instagram

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Mikey Sorboro is a natural-born entrepreneur. His story isn’t one of overcoming childhood adversity or trauma to grow into something remarkable. He simply worked hard, made astute observations about himself and the world around him, and was never scared to take the plunge into launching a business that fit the basic needs of consumers.

While driving minicabs as a young man, Mikey’s late-night passengers would routinely ask him where they could buy pizza by the slice. The answer was: nowhere. Yet.

The gap in the market soon widened into a canyon of opportunity and Mikey started spending his taxi profits on buying up restaurant equipment. With energy and effort, Mikey was able to transform a humble pizza shack into a vibrant, animated space called Late Night Slice: a pizzeria and iconic local food brand that elevates its community.

In this episode, we dive into an exploration of authenticity and our collective ability to weather hardships, both personally and as they relate to brands and business.

Late Night Slice is as authentic as eateries get, with humble origins and a sincere passion to create something that adds to the culture and world around it. The business has survived COVID and Mikey believes it has emerged stronger than ever before. There are currently six locations, with more on the way, so it sounds like he’s right. If you weren’t planning on pizza tonight, you are now.

What Brett asks:

• [01:42] Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me about your childhood.
• [04:44] Did you have an entrepreneurial drive at a young age?
• [08:55] What were your creative outlets growing up?
• [11:06] I’m curious about your parents. 
• [15:58] What happened once you left for Ohio State University?
• [19:45] What gave you the courage and conviction to leave college?
• [23:35] Was there an idea that you took your early jobs to gain experience or were you just enjoying yourself?
• [35:45] What sets your business, Late Night Slice, apart from everything else?
• [41:44] How important do you think authenticity is when creating something?
• [45:50] How do you account for the issues that arise when expanding a business?
• [49:38] How involved are you, personally, in the decisions being made as your business scales up?
• [50:20] How did COVID impact Late Night Slice?
• [53:35] Are licensed franchises part of your business plan?
• [54:30] Speaking as a father, how do you see your personal life playing out over the next 20 years?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Late Night Slice’s Official Website
• Late Night Slice on Twitter
• Late Night Slice on Facebook
• Late Night Slice on Instagram
• Mikey Sorboro on LinkedIn

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

In early 2016, Achea Redd was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Her initial attempts to hide it from the world only created a shame spiral that made things worse and, eventually, she suffered from a full mental breakdown. Once she acknowledged the situation with her loved ones and sought out treatment from mental health professionals, she finally started to heal.

As part of her journey to wellness, she launched a blog, allowing her to share her feelings and experiences with those who needed to hear them. The response was overwhelmingly positive and, so, she followed the blog by creating Real Girls F.A.R.T., an organization that empowers women to become their best, most authentic selves.

We were lucky enough to talk to her in episode #66 of the Gravity podcast, where she bares all about the struggles in her upbringing and how she’s been able to find strength for herself and others in times that are uncertain in more ways than one.

Achea is still healing, but she’s found assisting others to be a wonderful stepping stone on the road to her own recovery. We can all learn something from her story.

What Brett asks:

• [04:40] Let’s start at the beginning: tell me about your childhood.
• [08:20] What is the felt experience of being a child whose father has a different public and private persona?
• [20:50] Looking back on your childhood, how do you feel about your father?
• [24:50] What are your thoughts about the notion that families should adhere to a set of social norms?
• [30:00] How did you find growing into a teenager and a young adult?
• [36:30] Tell me about your struggles with the shame spiral that you experienced?
• [40:35] Do you think healing should happen parallel to advocating for others to heal?
• [44:10] Do you look back on your life and see how it served you on your journey to where you are, now?
• [49:30] How do you live with uncertainty and a lack of conclusion?
• [52:00] Speaking as a black woman, how has your mental health been affected by the events of the past year?
• [56:20] Tell us about the work you’re doing and how we can support you.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Achea Redd’s Website
• Achea’s Instagram
• Real Girls F.A.R.T. on Facebook

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

We meet Howard Getson, CEO of Capitalogix, a company that implements cutting-edge A.I. in the creation and management of hedge funds.

He shares the four stages of A.I. application in business and how he believes the technology will change and shape the future, both in the corporate landscape and in our day-to-day lives. There are countless inspiring messages to take from Howard’s story, from using businesses as a force for good, to the desire to leave the world a better place.

What Brett asks:

• [03:20] Tell me about your upbringing.
• [08:05] Where did your entrepreneurial spirit come from as a child?
• [25:30] How have leadership tools made you better at business?
• [30:00] How were you shaped by the childhood death of your brother?
• [38:30] And how did that affect your parents?
• [42:00] What goals did you commit to during your college years?
• [47:20] What can you tell us about your use of A.I. in the world of hedge funds?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• Text “gravity” to 972 992 1100 to receive free access to Howard Getson’s Weekly Newsletter
• Or simply subscribe to the Newsletter Here
• Capitalogix Official Website
• The Capitalogix Blog
• Howard Getson on LinkedIn
• Howard Getson on Twitter

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Ilya Bodner is the founder of numerous start-ups and has a unique perspective on innovation. A first-generation Uzbek immigrant, Ilya set his sights on achieving the American dream while paying his way through Ohio State University. His entrepreneurial spirit, one instilled in him as a child, hasn’t slowed down.

He joins the Gravity Podcast to discuss his business philosophies, what fuels his passion and his three rules for launching a new company. 

What Brett asks:

• [03:25] Tell me a little bit about your childhood and what shaped you in early life.
• [06:15] What memories do you have of moving to the United States?
• [09:55] What was this period in your life like for your parents?
• [13:10] Was America what you expected at age 10?
• [22:20] Where does your entrepreneurial spirit come from?
• [26:45] Tell me a bit about your first entrepreneurial outings.
• [30:40] How was your college experience?
• [39:00] Do you prefer launching new business ventures or running operations once they’re established?
• [48:10] What would you say are the biggest learning experiences that led to you founding Bold Penguin?
• [52:40] You’ve achieved the American dream. Does it live up to expectations and what’s your next goal?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• boldpenguin.com/about
• linkedin.com/in/ilyabodner
• twitter.com/ibodner

Gravity is a production of Crate Media

Alex Frommeyer, known by many as Fro, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Beam Dental, a digital-first provider of dental insurance for businesses in over 40 states. Fro started Beam Dental with Alex Curry and Dan Dykes in 2012, applying their collective passion for solving problems to the fragmented and analog dental industry. With multiple dental professionals in both his immediate and extended family, Fro used real life feedback and insight to guide Beam from an apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, to over 200 employees and 5,000 clients. Fro is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

What Brett asks:

• [02:43] Let’s start at the beginning.
• [05:18] Do you think you were born creative or was it a product of your environment?
• [16:42] How did your parents impart the value of things and how did you carry that into adulthood?
• [19:56] What led you to engineering school?
• [30:44] How did you develop the ambition to make an impact?
• [42:02] How did Beam form?
• [01:01:07] How did you get comfortable with doing things differently?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• beam.dental
• linkedin.com/in/alexfrommeyer
• twitter.com/alexfrommeyer

Gravity is a production of Crate Media

Bruce Griffin Henderson is an author and the Chief Creative Officer of SmileDirectClub, the next generation oral care company. From touring musician, to author, to cancer survivor — he’s seen a lot and learned even more in his life. Each stop along the way has contributed to his unique perspective on the world, leaving him with an appreciation for the journey and allowing him to de-emphasize the outcome.

What Brett asks:

• [06:18] Tell me about how the music really grabbed you.
• [12:10] Was music your calling? Was it necessary to lead you to your calling?
• [16:10] Have you been able to let go of attachment to outcome?
• [19:10] Is there something valuable about really letting go?
• [22:40] You mentioned a life event as a catalyst for change. Can you elaborate on that?
• [27:23] In hindsight, how do you view the experience of having cancer, and needing to switch careers to get insurance?
• [34:20] What was it like to be in Austin in the late 70s and early 80s?
• [41:15] Let’s talk about your writing and your work today.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• www.brucegriffinhenderson.com
• Twitter: @BHendersonNYC
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/brucegriffinhenderson

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Debbie Penzone has a distinguished resume as a salon industry innovator, community leader, author, philanthropist, and lifestyle expert. She is passionate about wellness and inspiring others to live their fullest life, and integrates those principles into the business. When not leading a team of hundreds as President and CEO of Charles Penzone Incorporated, you can find her cooking up a new recipe, laughing with her husband, or on a yoga mat.

Debbie had a skin disorder in middle school. She would sometimes get made fun of because of it, making her feel not pretty. The lessons that experience taught her helped make her the woman she is today — with a different perspective on what society says is beautiful. When she went to cosmetology school, she didn't judge people for their appearance on the outside. What was most important was understanding who they were on the inside, a thread she’s continued throughout her life.

What Brett asks:

• [01:41] Start at the beginning.
• [11:22] What were some of your first hustles?
• [14:29] When did you start thinking about cosmetology?
• [20:49] Tell me about the path to PENZONE
• [25:41] How did you go from an entry-level position to CEO of PENZONE?
• [35:36] How did you prove to people you could run the company?
• [44:12] How did yoga become a part of your life?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• penzonesalons.com
• Instagram: @debbiepenzone
• Read: "Debbie's Club: Discovering My True Beauty for Girls"
• Read: "The Truth About You"
• Podcast: From The Outside In

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Rob Dube started his first business in high school selling Blow Pops out of his locker. For the last 30 years, he's served as the CEO and co-founder of imageOne, ranked as one of the Top 25 Small Businesses in America as a Forbes Small Giant. Rob has guided the company with a focus on their purpose: To deliver genuine care that consistently drives extraordinary energy, actions, and experiences to everyone, every day, every time.

Recognizing the benefits that meditation brought to all areas of his life, he sought to share it with others while debunking most people's misconceptions surrounding the practice. He started his leadership retreat, donothing, and wrote a book about his own experiences transforming his life.

What Brett asks:

• [01:35] Let’s start at the beginning.
• [12:50] Did you feel like you were labeled as a kid?
• [22:10] What led you to decide you wanted to be in business?
• [31:11] Let’s talk about your early marriage.
• [39:16] What role has meditation played in your life?
• [45:45] Tell me about donothing and how this has emerged as an important part of your life and work.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• donothingbook.com
• linkedin.com/in/robdube
• twitter.com/robddube
• Read: "donothing"

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Regan Walsh is an author, a keynote speaker for Fortune 500 companies such as Freddie Mac, Nike, Intuit, and JPMorgan, and an NYU-certified coach who focuses on helping women who are over-programmed and underwhelmed to reclaim their lives, both personally and professionally. She contributes to Harvard Business Review and Forbes and Fast Company, nbc.com, Today, and Real Simple have all featured her work. Regan is located in Columbus, Ohio, and coaches people from all over the world.

Regan is also the first return guest to Gravity. In Episode 2, she and Brett shared a vulnerable story about their history and early careers. Both have evolved — in their careers and as people — and now Regan is excited to talk about her new book, “Heart Boss.”

What Brett asks:

• [02:33] Why Regan had to write “Heart Boss”
• [08:01] Can you give people context into how you’ve followed your gut in your life?
• [18:27] Can you tell the story about the vacation you took with your dad?
• [29:04] How can people learn to ask for what they need?
• [31:57] How have you developed a love for solo vacations?
• [40:37] What have you learned through practicing Muay Thai?
• [44:46] What was the journey like to publish your book?

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• reganwalsh.com
• Instagram: @reganwalsh_lifecoach
• Twitter: @reganwalsh
• Read: “Heart Boss”

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Susan McPherson is a serial connector, angel investor, and corporate responsibility expert with more than 25 years of experience in the field of marketing, public relations, and corporate responsibility. In 2013, she founded McPherson Strategies, a communications consultancy focused on the intersection of brands and social impact, to provide storytelling, partnership creation, and visibility to corporations, NGOs, and social enterprises.

Susan is also the author of "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships" — and this book is, in many ways, a tribute to the memory of her mother, who tragically passed away too early. Long before the term was coined by internet marketers, Susan’s mom was a serial connector. She didn’t have social media, but she did have a telephone and a manual typewriter. And if even just 10 people buy and read the book, Susan will be happy to have honored her — although I think it’ll probably touch a few more people than that.

What Brett asks:

• [04:05] What was it like growing up feeling like an “other” because you were Jewish?
• [08:45] What happened to your mother and how did it impact you?
• [14:24] What did you do next? How did that eventually bring you to writing your book?
• [18:25] How did you eventually choose to deal with the pain?
• [21:35] Can you elaborate on your service work and angel investing?
• [29:53] Why "The Lost Art of Connecting?"
• [33:41] Let’s talk about “Gather, Ask, Do”

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• "The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships" by Susan McPherson
• Instagram: @susanmcp1
• McPherson Strategies
• Modern Loss
• Support: UN High Commission for Refugees

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.

Content warning: this episode features graphic descriptions of violence and domestic abuse.

Katy Smith is Business Editor at The Columbus Dispatch and Editor of Columbus CEO magazine. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years, most of those covering business in Columbus. She grew up in Bexley and now lives in Clintonville in a duplex with her husband Nick, her rescue cat Dexter, and her brother Joe, who she cares for.

So, Katy has been sharing other people’s stories for about 20 years now — and, today, she is generous enough to share her own story publicly for the first time

What Brett asks:

• [10:12] Can you talk a little bit more about what happened for you and how you managed to navigate domestic violence?
• [14:30] Let’s back up and talk about your early childhood.
• [21:30] It must have been very difficult, whether you knew it at the time, going through that family dynamic as a young girl.
• [26:20] Tell me a little bit more about your brother and how that experience shaped your life.
• [34:23]  I think what you've shared so far is really important for others to hear, and maybe important for you to acknowledge and create real space for.
• [38:33] This kind of sharing is very cathartic, not just for you but for the people who hear it.

To learn more about intentional living, and for the complete show notes, visit: gravityproject.com

Resources:

• CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence
• The Columbus Dispatch
• Columbus CEO Magazine
• Tim Ferriss podcast about Parts Work: “Richard Schwartz — IFS, Psychedelic Experiences without Drugs, and Finding Inner Peace for Our Many Parts (#492)”

Gravity is a production of Crate Media.