The Lilly Pad

I am stoked to get back into these Monday Motivation segments. This week I talk about how positive life changes are big deal, no matter how "small."

Rainier Wylde is a teacher, writer, and facilitator who works with men and women around the world in the art of working with your unacknowledged shadow, balancing the masculine & the feminine, and experiencing spiritual awakening. His recent book, As You Are: Meditations on Self and Other, is a collection of musings about what it means to be authentically you and to accept that you are good and wo...

No guest this week, so I thought I would take some time to give a life update and talk a bit about the future of the podcast.

Philip Shepherd is the author of two books, Radical Wholeness and New Self, New World, and co-author of Deep Fitness, which is being released on Oct. 19th, 2021. He also originated The Embodied Present Process (TEPP), which is taught in workshops, retreats and Facilitators Trainings worldwide. TEPP offers over a hundred gentle, unique practices to help people overcome the effects of our disembodie...

Investigative journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney has worked in some of the most dangerous and unlikely corners of the world. His work blends narrative non-fiction with ethnography. What Doesn’t Kill Us was a New York Times bestseller; other works include The Wedge, The Red Market and A Death on Diamond Mountain. Carney was a contributing editor at Wired for five years and his writing also...

Rick Alexander is a man who lives to find the depth in life. After serving 12 years in the military in a special operations capacity, he answered his next call to adventure to become a writer, speaker, and coach. Rick creates content that explores mythology, psychology, spirituality, and the human quest to find meaning. You can learn more about Rick's ideas in his podcast A Thousand Names for God,...

Bryant Baker is a passionate adventurer and someone who is proud to call West Virginia home. He founded Adventure Appalachia, a non-profit whose mission is to provide powerful outdoor adventures to children and adolescents who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Bryant also founded the Rim to River 100 mile race in the New River Gorge. It was the first 100 mile race to ever be held in West V...

Ben Jamn is a small-town kid from West Virginia just chasing his dream of being a musician. Singer, rapper, writer and composer, Ben is just having fun with his musical talents. He's not your typical artist who limits himself to one genre. Raised on Rock N Roll and Country, he found his love for Hip-Hop early on as well, so all of those sounds are bleeding from his soul. Hoping to share his love f...

My guest this week is my friend Mike Yarbrough, author and founder of Wolf & Iron, a powerful men's movement that is inspiring men to "heed the high call" in their lives and become the man they were meant to be. His most recent book is titled Tending the Fire, and it is a call for men to step into their purpose and live deliberately by "tending the fire" God placed in our hearts. Having spent his...

Matt Browning is a Charleston, WV, based writer. His latest book, The Definitive Golden Girls Cultural Reference Guide, examines the many pop culture references made on the enduring series. His other works include Bookstore Explorer: West Virginia, a celebration of the Mountain State’s indie bookshops, and Chicks and the City, a children’s book about urban farming. Learn more at MattBrowningBooks....

For this 25th episode, I interviewed my friend Crystal Price. Crystal and I worked together at a movie theater, and I just knew there was something inspiring in her that would encourage her to do something big one day to help her community.  Crystal Price is the founder and clinical director of Mountain Care Network. She is a LICSW from WV. She was born in Wheeling, WV to two 16 year olds in 1990....

Jason Gardner is a former U.S. Navy SEAL, combat leader, and now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front. Jason spent nearly three decades in the SEAL Teams with nine deployments across the globe. With experience operating in violent cities in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Jason has seen first-hand the power of the leadership lessons taught at Echelon Front. He brings perspective from...

Jeddy Azuma is the founder of The Rising Man Movement and the host of The Rising Man podcast. He is a proud husband, father, and mentor, and his goal is to initiate a generation of men into their power and purpose. To find out more, you can follow Jeddy on Instagram: @jeddyazuma @risingmanmovement risingman.org

J. Nichols is a marine biologist, water-lover, turtle nerd, embarrassing dad, and creator of useful words. J. is the author of Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do. J. is a passionate ocean lover and conservationist and has worked for decades to protect out planet's most life-g...

Isaac Cotec has dedicated his life to empowering others through art and creativity. He is a scholar of the subconscious and has studied the power of symbolism to help create enduring change. He has spent over a decade facilitating dance events, hosting music retreats, and mentoring artist. The HeroRise Archetype Deck gave Isaac another platform to inspire others on their creative purpose. He has s...

Just an update on what's been going on. Short answer: a lot!

My guest this week is a guest whose work I have been following for a number of years: Erwan Le Corre. Erwan is the godfather of natural movement, and if you have known me for some time, he is partially to blame for why I run around barefoot, lifting logs and stones, balancing on fallen trees, jumping across creeks, and crawling along trails. Just watch the Youtube video titled "The Workout the Wor...

Just a quick update and some words of wisdom.

For this episode, it was a great pleasure to interview Brandon Alexander: actor, entrepreneur, dancer, and more. Brandon Alexander is a young and inspired creative, born in Bremerton, Washington. At a young age Brandon began dancing and performing in talent shows and discovered he enjoyed the spotlight. He continued performing and took up sports when his family moved to their hometown of Killeen,...

An upfront conversation about the freedom we need to give ourselves to feel and express our emotions.

An update on all the things happening in our life right now.

Traver Boehm knows men. How they think, what’s behind their behavior, and most importantly — their unique challenges in the modern landscape. Traver is the founder of the UNcivilized Men’s Movement, the fastest growing men’s movement in the world. He is the author of Today I Rise, and Man UNcivilized as well as a two time TEDx speaker, men’s coach and podcaster. Drawing upon an eclectic background...

Casey Voltin is the owner of Casey's Cakes and Cookies. Her bakery is a bit different from others because it's not there for her to profit anything; it's there for her to help people get what they want at a super reasonable price. Casey feels that nobody should have to spend an arm and a leg to make an event very special to them. That's why her slogan is "making your life a little sweeter" because...

Welcome to another Solo Saturday. This just an update of some of the things going on in my life and what to expect from the podcast next month.

Mike and Rachel are the owners of Coal River Coffee Company, a locally owned coffee business and shop in St. Albans, WV. Mike's passion is to serve the best and freshest roasted coffees from around the world to everyone who walks in the doors. Rachel loves to bake beautiful and delicious food to share with all who visit the coffee shop. They both grew up in St. Albans, WV and are grateful to base...