Interviews with extraordinary people who have forged their own way and succeeded, will succeed, or barely lived to tell the tale, people who have had unique experiences that the listeners can benefit from, people who aim high and go for it, who are neither afraid to dream nor to risk it all to chase the dream. Eccentrics are those that live outside the norms of society, that make their own rules, set their own standards, and design their own lives. I ask questions about how they developed the dream, how the got started, pitfalls they saw and avoided, how they developed necessary skills and knowledge, how they stay sharp and ahead of the game, how they plan to succeed or continue to succeed. It's all about helping us learn from their successes and failures. Remember, foolish people keep making the same mistakes, smart people learn from their mistakes and successes, and extraordinary people learn from the mistakes and successes of both themselves and of others. That is what Dream Chasers and Eccentrics is all about!
Below, you will find all the episodes and show notes.
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You can also support the show by buying one of my books. Find them all here.
All books recommended on the show, and my own list of recommendations, can be found here.
Ep. 40, Setting yourself up for Success with Lucie Ptasznik
Lucie is a national speaker, coach and serial entrepreneur who helps people transform their identity and rewire their subconscious mind to take massive action towards their goals. She challenges entrepreneurs and business professionals to step outside of their comfort zone, to dream BIG and to become the best versions of themselves mentally, physically, financially & spiritually. With a background in quantum physics, she boldly teaches that you are the powerful creator of your own reality. Through special mind hacking tools & techniques, she teaches people the power of awareness, how to take back control of their life and how to achieve the success they have always dreamed of having!
Quantum physics, the vibrational universe, manifestation, attracting positivity and success, cultivating peak emotional state, awareness, stepping outside your comfort zone, meditation, affirmations, setting high limits for yourslef and chasing big dreams, becoming an entrepreneur, trading horses, practicing gratitude, and more!
promo code: dreamchaser
Tina Erwin is a Ghost Helper, on a mission to teach the living how to help the dead, and to help the dead cross over into the heaven world. Tina has studied metaphysics all of her life, gaining insight into the mystical world of magic and spirituality. She is the author of eight books on metaphysics. Her writing comes from an intense desire to know and understand the hard science behind the unseen world of action and reaction combined with a sincere desire to share this understanding with other knowledge seekers.
We talk about growing up as a psychic in the 1950's, a premonition in the mountains of Colombia, studying physics and metaphysics, spiritual law, remote viewing, clearing houses of ghosts, lower-realm intelligences, crossing over, how to recognize a ghost in your house, black magic, how people become ghosts, what happens when we die, where our souls go, our ecashic records, moving from the third dimension to the fourth and to the fifth, God's love for us, free will, the Crossing Over Prayerbook, Heaven and Hell, forgiveness, giving every soul dying or dead the possibility of experiencing the light of the divine, her team of angels, learning to love one another, the dynamics of love, and more.
Tina tells us that the compassion of the light is the message, and the light is waiting for you, no matter who you are or what you've done.
Ep. 39, Ghost Helper Tina Erwin
Ep. 38, Ryan DeLena, a Troubled Childhood Saved By Adventure
Ryan DeLena is currently studying at Northern Vermont University. He was pictured on the cover of Backcountry Ski Maps (2020) and has climbed and skied throughout the United States, and in Canada, Chile, Argentina, Svalbard, and Antarctica. Ryan is also a skilled rock climber and avid hiker.
As a child, Ryan had difficulty controlling his emotions and was placed in therapeutic schools that relied on detrimental methods of behavior modification such as physical restraint. Nothing helped, from a team of doctors to heavy medication. Then in 2010, Ryan was voluntarily committed to a mental hospital for further evaluation. His parents Rob and Mary Beth were counseled to place me in a group home. They refused.
Two years earlier, after an impulsive decision to take him skiing, his father discovered a different child than the version experts were so sure about. By his second day of skiing, Ryan was executing advanced runs, and with each conquest in the winters that followed, his father began to question the path laid by the professionals paid to judge Ryan. He later convinced Ryan's mother to fight the medical and educational complexes over Ryan's care and school placement, and together they fostered the freedom Ryan needed to pursue his dream of becoming a professional ski mountaineer.
We talk about out-of-bounds skiing in Vermont, becoming an outdoor adventure guide, learning to ski, skiing in Antarctica, how skiing changed his life, theraputic schools with restraints, prescription drugs, the book he and his father wrote "Without Restraint," skiing in Big Sky, avoiding drugs and alcohol, breaking the law in search of adventure, and healthy outlets for the same, finding contentment, fear, bucket-list adventure destinations, and more.
Ep. 37, Writing Fantasy and Living with Tourette Syndrome, Kristof Morrow
Kristof Morrow is an author of the fantasy novel The Second Sun.
We talk about tourette syndrome, sobriety, writing, self-promotion, comedy, his book The Second Sun, forstering creativity, inspiring yourself to write, the importance of learning history, words, poetry, the value of art in society, gender equality, and more.
Ep. 36, Soldier to Spiritualist and Stepping out of the Stream of Unconsciousness with John Lawyer
From 12 years in desert combat zones to facing a battle within, John Lawyer transformed from soldier to spiritual seeker. He is the co-founder of Kishar, a non-profit online spiritual community where people to share their journeys and explore their own unique spiritual path. John is an Omnist and believes in the validity of great human thought from around the world and across time. He is a higher purpose and transformational coach. John offers individual spiritual guidance as part of the Kishar Spiritual Community.
We talk about war, counterterrorism, the World Trade Center, Al Quieda, military intelligence, Afganistan, Iraq, Islam, propaganda, the swamp of sadness, world religions, Gulf War Syndrome, depleted uranium, an awakening leading to spiritualism, the Bhagavad Ghita, love and kindness, Omnism, spirituality, the purpose of life, free will, infinity, teaching self-love, stepping out of the stream of unconsciousness, organized religion, base spirituality, The Council of Nicea, and more.
Ep. 35, Hitting Multiple Rock Bottoms and Bouncing Back, Ryan Penley, Man Up Sober Up
Ryan Penley is five yeas sober after a lifetime of drug and alcohol addiction, and author of the book Man Up Sober Up.
We talk about the attraction of alcohol as an adolescent, becoming an alcoholic, how people get hooked on pills after going to a doctor, the deteriorating health of an alcoholic and drug addict, getting sober, dealing with sobriety, hitting multiple rock bottoms, being intentionally blind, different strategies to get sober, finding humor in adversity, using the Baker Act to get the first three days sober, feeling overwhelming joy in sobriety, the difference between joy and happiness, the benefits of accountability in getting sober, getting sober without AA, creating a new identiy, kaizen and perpetual incremental progress, and much more!
Ep. 34, The Day Tripper, Author James Goodhand
James Goodhand is the author of The Day Tripper, a novel about a man who has become detached from time and given the sometimes confusing opportunity to change his past, or is it his future?
We talk about fostering creativity, eliciting an emotional response with art, writing, the importance of walking, drive-through daiquiris, artificial intelligence and its potential impact on literature, masculinity, the foolishness of only pursuing money, addiction and alcoholism, the power of artists to change society, and even politics.
I also read passages I highlighted in the book to James and we discuss them, focussing on themes and meanings of the book.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, recommended by James
Ep. 33, Narcissism and Narcissistic Abuse, with Dana S Diaz
Dana S. Diaz is a wife, mother, and author of the best-selling book GASPING FOR AIR: THE STRANGLEHOLD OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE. Dana has had life-long experience with narcissistic abuse, beginning in childhood. Her education in journalism and psychology at DePaul University in Chicago gave her the ability to accurately verbalize and express how narcissistic abuse creates confusion and conflict within victims, so that she can help other victims know they are not alone and better understand their own circumstances.
We talk about living with an abusive narcissistic stepfather, then marrying and living with a narcissistic husband, dealing with trauma, recognizing and avoiding narcissists, why people stay in bad relationships, depression and anxiety, and much more.
Ep. 32, Why we Should be Composting with Worms, and the Benefits of Laughter Yoga with Cathy Nebitt
Cathy Nesbitt is a Health and Wellness Advocate. Cathy is the Founder of Cathy’s Crawly Composters (est 2002), Cathy’s Sprouters and Cathy’s Laughter Club. She is a multi award-winning environmental innovator who uses workshops and inspirational speaking to motivate people to live a more sustainable life. Cathy is an avid cyclist and gardener. We talk all about composting with worms, why this is useful, and how Cathy got involved in this. We also talk about gardening and related environmental issues, as well as laughter yoga, and more.
Ep. 31, Meditation and Spirit Activism with Teza Lord
Teza Lord is an author, artist, lifelong practitioner of yoga and meditation, and a sailor. She is also a spirit activist, and a survivor of addiction. We talk about near-death experiences, meditation, the indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego, creativity, sailing, dreams, mantras, sobriety, marijuana, rituals, books, poetry, and much more.
Ep. 30, Moon of the Turning Leaves, Author Waubgeshig Rice
Waubgeshig Rice is an author and journalist from Wasauksing First Nation. He’s written four books, most notably the bestselling novel Moon of the Crusted Snow, published in 2018, and his latest novel, Moon of the Turning Leaves, published in 2023. He graduated from the journalism program at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2002, and spent most of his journalism career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a video journalist and radio host. He left CBC in 2020 to focus on his literary career. In addition to his writing endeavours, Waubgeshig is an eclectic public speaker, delivering keynote addresses and workshops, engaging in interviews, and contributing to various panels at literary festivals and conferences. He speaks on creative writing and oral storytelling, contemporary Anishinaabe culture and matters, Indigenous representation in arts and media, and more. He lives in Sudbury, Ontario with his wife and three sons.
We talk about his culture and the Anishinaabe people, writing, creativity, and his latest novel, Moon of the Turning Leaves.
Ep. 29, Training and Nutrition with Philip Pape
Philip is a certified nutrition coach and helps people improve body composition, lift weights, eat better, and live longer and healthier lives. We talk about avoiding loss of muscle mass as we age, adding muscle mass through resistance training and supporting that through nutrition, losing weight, fad diets, evidence-based nutrition, longevity, preventing back injury, working out without access to a gym, developing a healthy identity, positive reframing, and more!
Ep. 28, The Subconscious, Past Lives, and Forgiveness, with Dr. Anthony J Emmett
Dr. Emmett is a retired surgeon, sculptor, and author. He has a vast and unique knowledge of a level of consciousness that most of us don't perceive. We talk about self-image, the subconscious, intuitive knowledge, meditation, past lives, working with clairvoiants, the source of knowledge, the creator, history of relegion, karma, the purpose of life, near-death experiences, other dimensions, the power and importance of forgiveness, and much more.
Ep. 27, Spiritualism, Meditation, and Web3 with Eric McHugh
Eric is a 30-year-old entrepreneur whose philosophy emphasizes the importance of simplicity, adaptability, and a clear mind, which has translated well into the world of web3 entrepreneurship. Eric specializes in leveraging his strategic thinking and adaptability to create innovative and effective solutions to the challenges facing this cutting industry.
Presently he is President of SHOPX web3 ecommerce, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Dataing and ai powered matchmaking. In the past, he founded a Saas platform that replaced affiliate codes for ecommerce brands, worked as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies, helped Snap optimize their ad algorithm, supported the research team at Carnegie Mellon University in their dark matter research, and interned abroad in Barcelona Spain.
Ep 26, Building Communication and Conversation Skills with Jake Stahl
Jake is a pioneer in conversational dynamics and a highly regarded fractional Chief Learning Officer. We talk about conversational dynamics, cadence over content, listening skills, facing fears, discipline, persuasion, converting social media to educational content,the 2/10 rule, honesty, and ethics.We also talk about addiction and drugs, AA and NA, and much more!
Books mentioned in the interview
Ep. 25, Recognizing the Miracle of Art with Heather Aguilera
Heather Aguilera is a professional artist creating beautiful paintings from her studio in St Augustine, FL, and is also an experienced body painter. We talk about being and becoming an artist, fostering and maintaining creativity, rituals, body painting, what makes art good, marketing and advertising and the business of art, and much more!
Ep. 24, Turning Yards into Food Forests with Jayme Glusman
Jayme lives in South Florida and has been organic gardening for thirty years. He and his wife run Seven Hills Garden and Soil, and they are on a mission to convert peoples yards into food forests. We talk about organic vs inorganic gardening, fertilizers, pests, organic pest control, beneficial insects, fostering living soil, composting, huegoculture, microgreen and sprouts, diet, staying healthy after 40, and more!
Ep 23, Biker and Author Bob Bitchin, Brotherhood of Outlaws
Bob Bitchin rode with various motorcycle clubs back in the 1970's and 80's, created the tabloid Biker News, Tattoo Magazine, edited Big Bike, Choppers, Chopper Guide, and Easy Riders, and was contributing editor to Forbes, Penthouse, Hustler, and New Look, and Created Lattitudes and Attitudes Magazine. He has written a number of books including Biker to Sailor, Letters From The Lost Soul, The Sailing Life, Brotherhood of Outlaws, BIKER, Emerald Bay, King Harbor, Starboard Attitude, DORF, and Grand Bay.
We talk about being a biker, riding with motorcycle clubs, brotherhood, drugs, quitting drugs, sailing, Sons of Anarchy, his book "Brotherhood of Outlaws," informants, contracts, and much more.
Bob's radio show is Saturday at noon EST
1978 On the set of “Do It In The Dirt” With Frank Sinatra Jr.
2012 On the set, Sons Of Anarchy Season 3
1980 Nontron, France, European Outlaws meet to form ABATE of Europe
1980 The presidents, vice presidents, and wives of the European Outlaw community
1972 Evel Knievel Los Angeles
Ep. 22, Outdoor Endurance Sports with Will & Kenzie of The Lost Compass
Will and Kenzie live in Idaho and are into ultrarunning, mountaineering, distance swimming, sailing, rock climbing, and other outdoor sports. We talk about training, supporting each other, life lessons from endurance events, developing discipline, alcohol, caffeine, offshore sailing, the psychology of those of us drawn to endurance sports, the benefits of difficult goals, getting back to our primal selves, dopamine, the downside of instant gratification, preventing injury, happiness, and more!
Ep 21, Befriending Sharks with Jim Abernethy
For nearly four decades, Jim Abernethy has been running large predatory sharks & large aquatic wildlife expeditions with nature lovers, film crews and professional photographers, while respectfully not interfering with the wildlife. I interviewd him in 2020 in order to learn more about sharks, particularly how we should behave around them, how to be safe while in the water with them, and how to interpret their behavior in order to arm myself with information and combat my fear of sharks. The interview achieved all my goals. When I went to the Bahamas soon after, I encountered a large hamerhead shark, and instead of being terrified, it was a fantastic wildlife encounter. Hopefully the interview will have the same effect on you.
Ep. 20, Circumnavigating Vancouver Island in a Kayak with Filipe Behrens
Felipe Behrens, of Around on my Kayak, has circumnavigated Florida, Puerto Rico, and Vancouver Island on his kayak. We talk about his adventures, camping and gear, unexpected difficulties, sharks, whales, alligators, bears, safety, rolling, first aid, tides, paddling around the UK and Ireland, and more!
Ep. 18, Author Liz Mugavero
Liz Mugavero, who also writes as Cate Conte, writes cozy mysteries, crime, and witches, from her home in Boston. We talk about wanting to be a writer when she was a child, her writing education, the steps in creating a book, plotting, books about writing, finding motivation, rituals, self-publishing vs traditional publishing, marketing, rewards, obstacles, editing, developing characters, book recommendations, and much more!
Ep. 17, Sober and Happy with Tim Phillips
Tim Phillips is the host of the Sober and Happy Podcast. I found him on Instagram (@iamsoberandhappy) and liked his message. He and I are both recovering alcoholics, so we had lots to talk about, including rehab, hangovers, detoxing, other drugs, suicide, change, growth, travelling, having fun while sober, cravings, temptation, changing your identity, rebuilding a social life, facing fears, removing the sigma and shame of alcoholism, living a fulfilled life, chasing dreams, saying yes more often, creating positive ripples, and much more!
Ep. 15, Captain Ky the Sea Glass Guy
Captain Ky lives on a sailboat and makes his living from finding and selling sea glass. We talk about buying a cave in Hawaii, selling it and buying a sailboat, finding a sea glass beach, starting a business collecting and selling sea glass, sea glass tours, where sea glass comes from, sea glass mules, sea glass treasure maps, helping others, cloning a dog, and much more! This is the second half of the interview. The first half is all about sailing, and is on my other podcast Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell.
Ep. 14, Author Libbie Grant
Libbie Grant, who also writes under the pen nam Olivia Hawker, writes Literary Fiction and Historical Fiction, and is a best-selling author. I recently read her newly published book "October in the Earth" in three days, because I loved it. We talk all about her career, how it started and how she developed her writing skills, the importance of writing poetry, self-motivating, rituals, getting published, self-publishing, planning characters and themes, writing historical fiction, and some passages I highlighted from her book that I read aloud.
Ep. 13, Stuntman Tyler Galpin
Tyler Glalpin has been a stuntman since he was a child, apearing in such films and shows as The Highwaymen, Oracle, The Winchesters, Cloak & Dagger, Bad Moms, American Refugee, and over 80 more. We talk about what it takes to become a stuntman, training and martial arts, being lit on fire and attacked by dogs, and much more!
Tyler (L) with Collyn Oquin (R) on the set of The Channel
Tyler with Alejandro Barrios (Chico on Queen of the South tv show)
Tyler on the set of the 2017 Anheuser, Busch Super Bowl commercial
Tyler, his father, and Sam Trammell (L to R) on the set of Going to California about 20 years ago when his father was Sam's stuntman
Tyler as Sam Trammell's stuntman on the set of American Refugee
Ep. 12, Meditation, Metaphysics, Van Life and Sailing with Owen Murphy
Owen Murphy was a teacher in Colorado and living in a van when he decided he wanted to be a sailor, and he made it happen by intentionally making dramatic and irresponsible decisions. We talk about changes, reinventing yourself, meditation, extroversion and introversion, theta healing, finding happiness, controling emotions, the Dalai Lama, drugs and sobriety, spearfishing, books, conformism and authoritarism, and much more.
Ep. 11, Peter Swanson, Author
Peter Swanson is a best-selling author of thriller novels. We talk about developing his writing career, transitioning from hobbiest to professional, writing novels, getting an agent and traditionally published, marketing, routines, imagination, creativity, books, daydreaming, artificial intelligence and Chat GPT, art, classics, advice for writers early in their career, and much more.
Ep. 10, Sober Traveling with the Nomadic Addictt Zac Spowart
Straight talk about addiction and sobriety with sober-travel enthusiast Zac Spowart, aka Nomadic Addictt. He and I are both sober - former alcoholics and drug addicts. We talk about getting and staying sober, sober travel, using travel to get and stay sober, maintaining sobriety, why life is better sober, easy countries to travel as a sboer peron, how and why we got sober, the ins and outs of addiction, withdrawal, substitutes, and much more.
Ep. 8, Paul Trammell: Sobriety, Sailing, and Writing Books
The podcast host, Paul Trammell, shares his vision for the show, what it means to be a dream chaser and an eccentric, and his story of getting sober, redisigning his life, becoming a sailor, and writing books.
Windflower in a fjord in Newfoundland
sailing to Jamaica, 2021
Windflower in The Bahamas, 2020
Trimming the headsail, The Bahamas, 2023
spearfishing in Panama, 2023
Windflower before I bought her
paddling into a big one in Panama
oil on wood
The Band, I-Vibes
Ep. 7, Filming Giant Surf with Tim Bonython
Tim Bonython has been making surf movies since the 1970's and is now the premier big-wave cinematographer. We talk about the early days of surf cinematography, making and marketing surf movies, working with big-wave surfers, his camera, filming from the back of a jet ski, working at Nazaré, Teahupoo, The Right, and Jaws, staying in shape, training, the Australian Surf Movie Festival, and more.
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Ep. 6, Stephanie Shuldt, Finding Freedom on the Water
Stephanie Shuldt, aka Freediver Steph, left the corporate world to find freedom on the ocean, in a sailboat. She became an expert freediver and spearfisher, and holds 7 world records in spearfishing. We talk about how she made it all happen, how she escaped the rat race and developed a new life on the ocean, roaming free, and harvesting fish with a spear. We also talk about her secrets to success and staying in shape, pivoting when times change, inspiring people, sharks, ciguatera, and much more!
Ep. 5, Emmanuelle Chriqui, The Confidence to Dream
Emmanuelle Chriqui has been an actor since she was a child, and is best known for her roles as Sloan in Entourage, Dalia in Don't Mess with the Zohan, and Lana Lang in Superman and Lois. We talk about developing of her career, getting into character, comedy, behind the scenes and homework, the benefits of having no backup plan, character traits useful to actors, talent, art vs craft, mistakes she avoided in her career, allowing herself to dream, confidence, a day in the life on set, meditation, challenges for women in acting, favorite and least favorite things about acting, staying sharp, and much more!
Ep. 4, Sam Trammell, Making It as an Actor
Sam is best known for his role as Sam Merlotte in the HBO series True Blood. We talk about childhood visions of being a physicist, getting into acting, Brown Summer Theater, Broadway and Off-Broadway jobs, acting classes, working hard, staying focused, luck, persistance, rejection, staying in and getting out of character, doing accents, moving to Los Angeles, avoiding temptations, drugs, food, professional decisions, job choices, auditions, offers, a typical day on a set, dangers, calling up emotions, alligators, advice for young aspiring actors, and more.
Ep. 3, Justin Ruby, Business and Family
Justin Ruby decided what he wanted out of life at an early age, methodically chased the dream, and caught it. We talk about what he did differently than his peers and competitors that led to his success, the steps he took to build his business, what his routines are now, goal setting and goal monitoring, family time, exercise, self-talk, and much more.
Contact Justin for Commercial Real Estate at 407 865-0311
Ep. 2, Roan and Karrie Poulter, Adventure Traveling
I met Roan and Karrie at a boatyard in St Augusitne when they were getting a small catamaran ready for the great loop. I was surprised to learn that they were not sailors, but that the great loop was one of many adventures they had planned. We talk about setting up and preparing for their dream, riding motorcycles across America, skinny dipping in the Arctic Ocean, travelling the Pan-American highway in a van, sailing the great loop, Mexico, their van, books, and much more.
Ep. 1, Rick Levy, the Sound Between the Silence
Rick has been a professional Musician since the 1960's, playing guitar and managing bands, and author of the book, "High in the Mid-60's." We talk about making people happy through music, the musical optimism of the 1960's, gratitude, getting started as a performing musician, the source of music, psychedelics, transcendental meditation, yoga, avoiding drug addiction, mystical experiences while performing onstage, pottery, James Brown, and much more.