Shooting it RAW with Ran Elfassy

Welcome back to the podcast, Kim Lengling! The last time, she shared her nuggets of hope, and this time it's her new new book, 'Pawprints on the Couch'. Join us to learn more about Kim's commitment to spreading joy, hope, and a new way of seeing the world. This time, she shared more about her life with dogs and her anthology that connects us to all our pets. Thanks again for your energy and dedica...

OK. Life has to go on, and thankfully Rory Mackay is here to guide the way. I met Rory when he invited me to help him run tours for his company, Go Wild Hong Kong. From cycling with teens to taking couples and groups on hikes and kayaking tours across Hong Kong, Rory's tours are really impressive. But why does he do it? Well, listen in and find out! For starters, here's a guy who just has adventur...

After October 7 and what happened in Israel because of Hamas, I decided to open my podcast to anyone who wants to share their story. Introducing Sheila Priver. The reason is simple enough: To help people better understand. To better understand how to care. Thanks to some connected people, I crossed paths with Sheila, who used to live in Hong Kong more than two decades ago and who now lives outside...

What can I say? I was born in Jerusalem. My identity, values, and cultural background are steeped in Israeli culture, history, philosophy, and so much more. I am very much an Israeli. For this reason, I reached out to Ralph to sit with me. This podcast's underlying value asks what if life really is a gift – how do we make every second count? Then, after October 7 happened, you can imagine how horr...

In the world, there are two kinds of people and Yuriy Polyashko is definitely in the camp with all the entrepreneurs and people who want to create value in the world. Thanks again to Miss Liz for the introduction, I ended up speaking with Yuriy after he settled more in his new home, in the city of opportunity that is Miami, Florida, USA. Listen in and soak up Yuriy's amazing energy and can-do spir...

Oh life! Danny Covey is here to help inspire us to face our fears and just live. Under the backdrop of what's been a very difficult month, Danny and I met up to review the incredible strength and hardships he's overcome – just to live a normal life. Think one open-heart surgery is huge? Imagine having several across your life! Danny is an amazing human. Just amazing. *For the full YouTube episode,...

Kareem Daniel Ryce is on the mic! Thanks to Miss Liz and her introduction, I lined up a call with Kareem, who's down in Trinidad and Tobago. With a simple question behind the podcast, isn't it great that I can cross paths with people like Kareem? Arguably living in different worlds, we met and he shared his experience coping with schizophrenia. Although thousands of kilometres and oceans a...

*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/qcQpngBrVo8 What's your T-E-A? Such a simple question that's at the heart of Liz Gagnon and her mission to bring people together. The fates wanted us to meet, and we quickly sat for a call. Speaking from her home in Canada, Liz quickly showed how her other-centeredness and generosity manifest. First, by her work as a Peace Ambassa...

*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/x5QIowVHYi4 Alex Macro. Truly so much of this radiant, generous soul lives and breathes photography. Starting with his name. We met on Peng Chau, one of Hong Kong's outlying islands, and we meandered to his home where we set up and sat for a heart-to-heart, or tête-a-tête. Here is a creative spirit who has dedicated years to the craft...

*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/416I88aqBQU Aaron Landis. Paging Aaron Landis to the nomad's courtesy phone. Neshama. That's who and what Aaron is. We met at The Center, a tower in Hong Kong with a Subway restaurant inside. This was years ago. From the start, I knew he was a hell of an entrepreneurial spirit. Across Covid, I saw he was living the life with his,...

*For the full YouTube episode, click here: https://youtu.be/iDCJU7sB6fI Roger Leslie. What an inspiring, thoughtful, generous and wise brother! We got on our call and within a few sentences it was clear that this was going to be an epic, far-reaching conversation. With cliffhangers waiting for you to discover, expect to learn about coming out at a time so different than now. And yet calling for a...

*For the full episode, click: https://youtu.be/VLvbHiJWB-I This episode was first released in March 2020 – episode 12 of the podcast! For this one, my friend and brother Fabrice Gaëtan joined me to discuss what it takes to make it as a photographer today, what it's like to go to extreme or great distances to tell a story, and how much things have evolved in the past 30 years. We first met whil...

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Freddy Effin Cruz! We set up the call and connected as he's based in Houston, Texas. What an amazing human. After years of dedication and years of running an award-winning radio show, Freddy took the entrepreneurial plunge into building Speke Podcasting, a network and platform that he's using to unite and inspire. On top of that, he's dedicated himself to hel...

*For the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/mdCsyV0dpnw Savannah Russell is in the house! The house being on Lamma Island in Hong Kong. We connected and what a bundle of creative joy and expression. Is home in the Philippines? Hong Kong? Scotland? Join us to learn how Savannah turned the difficulties of her personal growth and coping with tough mental health challenges into a source of goo...

*For the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/Fz3OKeNxhOE For this week, I'll reissue the episode with Jenny Page. It's been exactly two years since I first published it and it's definitely a good one. Great to connect with a creative spirit who could add some musical depth to the podcast. Jenny remains the bee's knees. The cat's meow. The Penn's Teller. The fiddler&#...

*For the full episode, click here: https://youtu.be/_Ogko6ckFcs Back on the podcast are the fun and inspiring duo, Rox Burkey and Charles Breakfield! They again connected from Texas to bring us into their process and writing a new technology thriller series. Letting the characters lead the way, they launched a new cycle of their 21st-century techno-thriller stories. Learn more about how they evolv...

Awarded Bestselling Author 2022 for her cozy mysteries, Diane Bator joined me to share a bit of her world and how she builds her stories. Did we talk about how much she loves hiking, her work as a Reiki Master or martial artist, and how she loves to cook? No. That's for another time. Instead, she shared how she finds inspiration to write, her love of books, and how sometimes in life you have t...

*For the full episode and to subscribe, click here: https://youtu.be/-SBpM4uaFeU Welcome back, Randi-Lee! What a force of nature who is simultaneously cheerful and almost effervescently positive, yet who doesn't shy away from the most intense and almost grimy experience. For this second time on the podcast, Randi-Lee walked us through the power of vacations, togetherness, rescue dog training a...

*For the full episode and to subscribe, click here: https://youtu.be/GyyXHHVujQo Want to be inspired on how to make every second count? Enter Kim Lengling's world to learn about the joys of animal rescue, giving to causes that are bigger than yourself, and how to fill the world with nuggets of hope. Oh. And be ready to LAUGH. Kim has really lived, survived, and is strong as ever. Better still,...

How do you place yourself in time? From speaking with Bettye Kearse, I got to thinking about the accident of our lives. She – as me and as you – in our timelines. Here we are, after the generations before us, probably to have other generations to follow after us. A tough question. Bettye is one of many daughters, shaped by her inherited past. A free great grand-daughter, she pursued helping kids i...

Yes, and then I spoke with Kay Ross and she told me all about her life with improvisation. Yes, and she also talked about her Playground of Possibilities. Kay and I have known each other for a small age, and we caught up to discuss how improv theatre – an improvisational mindset – can unlock new ways of thinking and living. For laughs, absolutely, but also at work and everywhere else in our lives....

Just going to reissue this great episode from December 2021 with Anna Blocki. Join us and be inspired. Because SCIENCE! Anna is amazing. WHAT A CRAZY YEAR! Covid-19 has definitely made 2021 one of the most difficult and complex years in my life. Essentially launched at the start of the pandemic, the podcast's been growing extremely well. So I'm delighted to have the last episode of 2021 be...

Conservationist, content creator, sustainability advocate, speaker and all-around champion, Tanja Wessels joined me for a fantastic conversation. Is she German or Portuguese? South African, Hongkonger, Malaysian, or just an inspired global citizen? Well, whoever she is, she's just the bomb. It's funny how two people with such divergent lives can meet to record a podcast episode, just have...

Representing Ukraine, Roman Olinchuk and I spoke on the deeper pools where we find photographic expression. Separated by a long commute, we decided to get on a call. Roman found refuge and creative inspiration within the cozy community of Lamma Island, where I did as well, many years ago. We had a great chat on what it is to make photos... Especially with the mission of getting the work noticed. H...

And here we go! A quick one on why we launched our #petsforsharks fundraiser and why we're sharing the spotlight with Hong Kong Shark Foundation. Andrea Richey, who heads HKSF, joined me and we talked a bit of shop when it comes to marine conservation and how May is our Fundraising drive. Listen in, upload your pet photos with the hashtag #petsforsharks, and please donate to help us do our wor...