Gap To Great

Light Watkins is a former model and yoga teacher who’s spent the last 10 years teaching Transcendental Meditation to busy professionals--myself included--around the world. He’s also the author of The Inner Gym: A 30-Day Workout for Strengthening Happiness. Light's journey takes him around the world from growing up in the Bible Belt to Miami, Paris, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. When I first met Light, his cool, calm energy is what drew me in, but as I've gotten to know him, his teaching style and approach to life has made me appreciate him even more. If you're at all interested in learning more about meditation (or if you're a skeptic!) give this one a listen. Full show notes: www.andreawien.com/light-watkins

Alex Tague (Boy Alex) and Alex Enko (Girl Alex) are a married couple in their early 30s who recently left successful corporate careers in New York City to travel the world in search of happiness. Over a few Bloody Marys and the "Napkin of Choice" they decided to put their things in storage, buy two tickets to the other side of the globe, and spend the year interviewing people of different cultures about what makes them tick.   In this interview, we get into everything from leaving behind friends to building a commune to whether or not MBA programs are worth it. What I love most about this interview is the introspection and consideration the Alexes have taken in leaving the comfort and stability of their NY lives. These kids have quite a few profound thoughts up their sleeves, so even if you're not interested in setting off to see the world, you'll still get a lot of value from hearing their perspective.     Full show notes available: andreawien.com/alexes

“I did not used to go with the flow. That is new Jill.” [15:01] If you're wondering how the hell to find your passion or the courage to take the leap into a new career, give this one a listen. Jill Ozovek is the founder of Jill Ozovek Coaching, where she works with (mainly) Millennial women who want to get out of their dead end jobs and into lives they love. At one point, Jill herself was in a corporate job that wasn't fulfilling, but after some soul-searching and an international experience, she put a plan into place to set out on her own. As usual, it takes me a minute to get to the good stuff, but Jill's advice for raising your risk tolerance, identifying work you love, and becoming the best version of yourself is invaluable.  Show notes: www.andreawien.com/jill-ozovek

Aaron Miller is an Australian in his mid-20s who decided to leave his steady sales job and head out on the road less traveled. I caught up with him in Cambodia at the beginning of his trip to talk about how he's financing his journey, what he hopes to gain from his experiences and why he chose now to set out on his adventure.  More at andreawien.com/aaron-miller

If you're thinking about someday starting a company, or are concerned about jumping ship from your current spot in life, this one is for you. Jenna Tanenbaum co-founded GreenBlender, a smoothie delivery company that started in New York City. After graduating high school early and backpacking her way through South America before college, Jenna ended up following a pretty traditional path to business school and a corporate career. But, never one to settle for the status quo, she quickly created her own destiny and followed her heart to greener grasses. Full show notes available: andreawien.com/jenna-tanenbaum Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show! I read every comment, and would love to hear your thoughts on how it's progressing. 

"Social media cannot be an excuse for taking real action. It also can’t be an excuse to submit to social norms where we create these ideas of what it means to be beautiful, or a woman, or what it means to be an athlete."  Inam Sakinah is a second year student at Florida State University, studying biology and social sciences on the pre-med track. But don't let her age dissuade you from popping in your headphones and giving this interview a listen. Inam has a lot of wisdom to share -- from her views on volunteer work and our education system, to her contrarian take on social media. Full show notes: http://www.andreawien.com/inam-sakinah/

Adam Haigler teaches biology and environmental science at a progressive public high school in North Carolina. He's also the founder of The Pioneer Project, a gap year program that combines sustainable farming, survival skills training and traditional craft.  He's an inspiration, and I loved interviewing him. In this episode, we talk about learning a new language, breaking bad habits and the importance of good education versus obligatory education. I think you're going to really like this one.   Full show notes available at www.andreawien.com/adam-haigler

Liva Judic is the director at Merrybubbles, a mission-driven branding agency. In her past life, she's served as a diplomat to the president of Madagascar, the youngest correspondent at the Financial Times and an executive coach. On this podcast, we talk about how unforeseen events can completely derail your life, the importance of finding quiet, and saying yes, even when you're scared.   Full show notes available: http://www.andreawien.com/liva-judic/

Olive B. Persimmon is the author of Unintentionally Celibate, a book about...well, a book about not getting laid. She's also a stand-up comedian and spoken word artist who moved from Cleveland, Ohio to New York City to pursue her dreams.  This interview is hilarious, slightly risqué (sorry, Dad) and all kinds of fun. I had a blast recording it, and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Full show notes available at www.andreawien.com/olive-persimmon/ 

Sashka Rothchild is the founder of Standbuy, a business that crowd-funds for people going through cancer treatment. Sashka's story is one filled with twists and turns. Her story is sad, uplifting and incredibly inspirational. During our conversation, she gives some great advice on acceptance, forgiveness, hustle and forging your own path. Full show notes available: http://www.andreawien.com/sashka-rothchild/

Wills Hapworth is the co-founder of the Thought Into Action Institute at Colgate University, an incubator for student entrepreneurs. He’s overseen 218 ventures, 356 entrepreneurs and nearly 15,000 hours of mentoring with the program, in addition to heading up the Thought Into Action fund that invests in early stage startups. I wanted to bring Wills on the show as my first guest because he embodies so clearly how its entirely possible to shape a fulfilling life — even when you have no idea what that life looks like.  Full show notes available at: www.andreawien.com/wills-hapworth/