Dreams can't be caught unless they are chased, and eccentricity is but a symptom of brilliance.
I interview extraordinary people who forge their own path, make their own rules, and live outside the norms of society. Together, we can learn from each other. 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. 81, Actor Matt Drago, Somewhere in Montana
Matt Drago is an actor living in Los Angeles, starring in the current motion picture "Somewhere in Montana."
We talk about the fires in Los Angeles, becoming an actor, the importance of being a hustler to succeed in any art, backstory and preparing for a role, what goes on behind the scenes, screenplays, making Somewhere in Montana, calling up emotions, working with the crew, advice for aspiring actors, and more.
Ep. 80, Scott Grace, The Spiritual Dr. Seuss
Scott Grace is a forty year veteran teacher of transformation. He is the author of four books, including his latest "Mindful Masculinity." He has been a stand up comedian and opened up for Robin Williams and Dana Carvey, and a singer-songwriter who produced nine CD’s of original songs. He has shared the stage with Deepak Chopra, Dr. John Gray, Marianne Williamson, Bernie Siegel, Ram Dass, Louise Hay, and many other famous authors and personal growth celebrities. His alter ego is the Spiritual Dr. Seuss, where he is funny and profound at the same time.
We talk about living in Mexico, his book Mindful Masculinity, observing and becoming aware, the good side of masculinity, the importance of service to others, improvisation, creativity, his song portraits, LSD, joy, right brain and left brain, grief, relationships, meditation... He freestyles about Mexico in Dr. Seuss style, and makes up a song on the spot about our conversation.
Ep. 79, Author Peter Gooch, Seren, Creativity, and Finding our Muse
Apprentice House Press
Available April 8th 2025
Peter Gooch is is an author, painter, and former art professor. He is the winner of the Bosque Publishing Prize for Fiction, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines and online. He holds an MFA from Western Michigan University. His short fiction has been published in The New Guard, Bosque Publishing, Etched Onyx, and Light and Dark Literary Magazine, among other publications. His first novel, Seren, is published by Apprentice House Press, will be available in April.
We talk about his novel Seren, creative writing, books and reading, favorite authors, searching for a muse, creativity and the price we pay for it, finding moments of ecstasy, writing advice, poets, the importance of following the oblique tangent of thought, overcoming the fear to take risk, highlights from his book, what makes for good endings, what makes books great, and much more; enjoy!
Ep. 78, One Man, One Canoe, One Country, Bert Terhart
Bert Terhart crossed the entire country of Canada from west to east in a canoe in one season, and he did it alone. He is one of only two people to have done this, and the only to have done it without a dog.
We talk about growing up in Canada, finding adventure as a child, his adventure crossing Canada in a canoe, the gear he used, finding thousand-year-old portages cut in the rock, the misery and the enjoyment, the necessity of living in the moment, dealing with boredom, foul-weather gear, wildlife encounters, bears, a mountain lion, killer whales, sharks, badgers, and more.
Ep. 77, Art for your Sanity, Susan Hensley
Susan Hensley is a transformational coach, speaker, and author dedicated to helping people navigate life’s transitions with joy, creativity, and resilience. She is the author of "Art for Your Sanity," a book to help people deal with uncertainty and tap into their innate wisdom and creativity. Susan’s mission is to empower people to unlock their inner wisdom, creativity, and sense of play during times of uncertainty and change. Through workshops, speaking engagements, and one-on-one coaching, she guides clients to rediscover their authentic selves and infuse their lives with more color, meaning, and joy.
We talk about finding joy, designing a life that does not require a coping mechanism, the importance of creativity and curiosity, art journaling, paying attention to the things in life that spark joy, curating social media feeds, cultivating creativity, and much more!
Ep. 76, Mob Lawyer to Meditation Teacher, Bob Martin
Bob was a mob lawyer until he discovered the I Ching. He is now is a professor at Elon University, teaching Business Law and Meditation (two separate courses).
We talk about growing up selling hot dogs and cotton candy, becoming a lawyer in Miami in working for Janet Reno as a prosecutor; hitting the mob for $72 million; being recruited by the mafia; discovering the I Ching and Taoism; cultivating wisdon compassion, kindness, and generosity; creating happiness in our lives; the importance of cultivating sympathetic joy; meditation; freeing up your intuitive mind to work on the problems in your life in a non-verbal way; Bob reads Desiderata; Jesus and Budhism; and more.
Ep. 75, A Visit to Heaven and Hell, Daniel Brown, Recovery and Surfing
Daniel Brown, aka @mullet_lord, is a former hard partier who nearly died from drug and alcohol abuse. He now lives and surfs in Australia, owns a coffee shop, and leads a healthy life, however, at 24 years old, he needed a drink to avoid seizure, and was also into marijuana and extasy. During a short coma, he had a near-death experience in which he spent, as he describes it, a lifetime in Heaven, where he formed deep relationships with spirits in a dimension outside of time. This was followed by a lifetime in Hell, walking through a firey desert for an eternity, at the end of which he purged himself of his old self. He chose to come back to his body, and now has a new sober life. We also talk about surfing and staying physically fit, yoga, meditation, and much more!
Ep. 74, The Never-Ending Quest
In this episode, I read aloud a short story I wrote about one of my favorite places, Isla Escudo de Veraguas. If you like short stories, sign un for me free newsletter at paultrammell.substack.com, and get a story in your email at the begining of each month, as well as occasional poems, essays, and book reviews.
Ep. 72, Author Sung J Woo, "Lines"
Sung J. Woo is the author of "Lines," a novel I recently read and loved.
His short stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, PEN/Guernica, Financial Times, and Vox. He has written five novels, Lines (2024), Deep Roots (2023), Skin Deep (2020), Love Love (2015), and Everything Asian (2009), which won the 2010 Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Literature Award. In 2022, his Modern Love essay from The New York Times was adapted by Amazon Studios for episodic television. A graduate of Cornell University with an MFA from New York University, he lives in Washington, New Jersey.
We talk about New York City (where Lines takes place), how he got started writing, Stephen King's books, other books we love, his inspiration for the novel, developing characters, creativity, writing technique, his muse, the novel, the ending, his MFA, and more.
Ep. 71, Erden Eruc, a Solo Human-Powered Circumnavigation
Erden is one of two people to have circumnavigated under human power, and Erden is the only to have done it solo, and he did it by rowing, cycling, kayaking, and hiking. He holds 18 Guiness World Records.
We talk about rowing across oceans, bicycling across continenets, hiking across Papua New Guinea, his route around the world, training, dealing with difficult situations, eating coffe grounds, sharks, whales, tuna, sea turtles, birds, recording whale sounds along the way, the benefits of unplugging from society and spending time at sea, entering the 2026 Golden Globe Race, and more.
We talk about the Golden Globe Race on my other podcast Offshore Sailing and Cruising with Paul Trammell
Ep. 70, Enzo Dal Verme, Becoming a Photographer and Developing Creativity
Enzo Dal Verme is an Italian portrait photographer drawing on over three decades of experience in meditation. He approaches photography as a path of self-discovery and personal growth. His portraits have been published in Vanity Fair, l'Uomo Vogue, The Times, GQ, Madame Figarò, Elle, Glamour, Vogue Sport, Marie Claire and many other magazines. Enzo has been leading his acclaimed photography retreats in Tuscany since 2011.
We talk about developing creativity, becoming a photographer, getting out of your comfort zone, exposing yourself to inspiration, meditation, creating a fantasy in photography, publishing inspiring stories in stupid magazines, making the world a better place through photography, marketing for artists, teaching photography, dealing with fear, beautiful places, finding friendly people, and more.
Ep. 69, Elijah Nisemboim, Breathwork, Trauma, and Manifestation
Elijah Nisenboim is founder of Effiji Breathwork and has been helping people with suffering and trauma for 33 years. He is the author of 3 books including “The Trauma Code: Unlocking the Hidden Map to Your Life's True Purpose.” He has traveled to China more than 20 times, learning Sacred Taoist energy practice and Internal Martial Arts which he incorporates in his healing methods for trauma release. Elijah helps people release trauma and understand and use trauma as a valuable tool for fulfilling one’s life purpose.
Ep. 68, Author Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, Palm Springs Noir, Writers on Writing
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett is an author, creative-writing teacher, and host of my favorite podcast, "Writers on Writing." She is also a lecturer at Chapman University’s Dodge Film School, an adjunct professor of Advanced Creative Writing at Saddleback College Emeritus Institute, and instructor at Gotham Writers Workshop (online). She also holds two private workshops.
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Barbara was recognized with a Distinguished Instructor Award at UC-Irvine and awarded Literary Magnet #1 in Orange Coast Magazine’s Best of Orange County. She is founder of the Pen on Fire Speakers Writers Salon in Corona del Mar, California and in the summer of 2013, began holding writers retreats in Palm Springs. She’s the former president of Sisters in Crime, Orange County chapter, and was the editor of The ASJA Monthly, (the official publication of the American Society of Journalists and Authors), from 2002 to 2014. ASJA awarded her with the Extraordinary Service Award in 2015.
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We talk about how she became a writer (instead of going to clown school or starting a beauty salon), writing short stories, her writing habits and techniques, writing in longhand, stationary sickness, her book "Palm Springs Noir," lessons and insights gleaned from the hundreds of authors she has interviewed on her podcast, the importance of improvisation, cultivating creativity, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, book covers, artificial intelligence, favorite books and authors, and more.
Books Mentioned on the Show
