My Top Interviews of 2021

Over the course of 2021 I had the opportunity to interview 36 remarkable people, from athletes and coaches to entrepreneurs and artists. I also had the opportunity to be a guest on a number of podcasts to promote my book.

Jon and I started the year with a number of Go Be More podcasts before switching the majority of our effort over to hosting UCAN's Fueling the Pursuit podcast. I want to get back to doing some more GBM pods, but I think we'll focus more on conversation episodes than interviews when we can get back to it. 

Here are three must-listen Go Be More episodes, three Fueling the Pursuit episodes, and my favorite conversation from promoting the book...all recorded in 2021.

Three Go Be More Podcast Episodes

From April 2020 to May 2021, Jon and I recorded 90 or so episodes of the Go Be More podcast. Some of them were conversation episodes where we discussed a particular topic, but the majority were interviews with people who inspire us.

Here are the three that stand out most to me from this past year. 

Marathoner Peter Gilmore on Life Lessons in Kenya and Excelling in "His Lane" - Peter has been an inspiration to me since we competed in college, and once you learn about how he approached his career, all of his success makes sense. 

Changing What People Think is Possible: Geoff Woods on The One Thing - The book The One Thing changed how I thought about success, and this conversation put me in a challenging spot to think through my own strategy for success. 

3-Time Olympian Shannon Rowbury on Performing, Maintaining Balance, and Staying Authentic - What stands out to me now is the value Shannon placed on performing in dance as a child, and how that prepared her to perform as a competitive runner. It's made me think differently about my daughters' ice skating and about what types of skills help to develop athletes who thrive under pressure.

Three Fueling the Pursuit Episodes

I don't know that these are the three best episodes we've recorded, but I think they are the three where I laughed the most and/or felt the strongest connection. I really resonated with all three of these guests, and found myself laughing at one moment and then rethinking some aspect of performance in the next.

World Champion Triathlete Tim O'Donnell on Enjoying the Process & Overcoming Adversity - Tim's had more adversity since we recorded this, but his energy and honesty were so inspiring. Also, are you ready to enter the Hyperbolic Chamber? 

World Record Holder Dede Griesbauer Shares Secrets to Longevity - You don't have to be perfect to be great. Dede's approach to her diet is far from perfect. But it may also be one of the secrets to her longevity.

Pro Runner Makenna Myler on Listening to Your Body - We caught Makenna in the build up to her NYC Marathon debut. She shared how she had to learn to be accountable to herself before she could have the amazing breakthrough she experienced last year.

My Conversation with Alan and Liz on Running Book Reviews

Alan and Liz don't have the biggest podcast, but they embody a philosophy of continuous learning, sharing what you know, and lifting up others. They brought me on their show to discuss Make the Leap and we probably talked for way longer than any of us expected. 

From mental blocks about running on trails, to the work it took to understand math, to their shared goal of running a sub-3 hour marathon, we covered a wide range of topics.

Here's the episode on Buzzsprout.

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Here's to an exciting 2022. I hope next year's post is even harder to write!