Pete Turner, American War Hero, talks about his experiences during his tour of duty in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He specialized in going into conflict zones out into the towns and finding people that will provide valuable and classified information. Pete had had to reinvent himself a couple of times to stay focused and continue to function as he throws himself in the middle of war-torn areas, as well as with his re-immersion back home and coming to terms with life issues. Surviving that per...
Mar 02, 2018•45 min
Overcoming a lot of struggles in life will lead to finding greatness and great happiness. But a lot of us still ask, “How do I get there?” Happiness Coach, Betsy Pake’s answer to moving forward is to stop getting caught in the parts of our lives that have no light or joy. Betsy lived a great life because she had an awesome mom. When she lost her light and joy to a car accident, she went through the motions of living almost mechanically. She shares her stories of going from “What am I doing here?...
Feb 23, 2018•42 min
Climbing mountains is an incredible feat that takes incredible people with incredible goals. Ed Viesturs is one of these people who has climbed fourteen 8,000 meter peaks. It took him 18 years to get to all those summits and 21 attempts. From all these climbs he learned a lot of things from guys who were above him, and these guys learned from guys above them. One of these life lesson essential to reaching impossible goals is tempering ambition. It’s an 8,000 meter climb, but when you get to the ...
Feb 16, 2018•52 min
There is no expiration date to do the great things we can do in our lives. The first step is to have a goal and work hard to achieve that goal. Mike Vowels has been hitting all his goals since he was nineteen, driving a Porsche 914 after winning one ski tournament after another. But it was clear to him that he would not be an acrobat skier forever, so when it was his time to step away he graciously did so. But skiing was part of his life, even when he hit a tree in 1985 that got him paralyzed th...
Feb 09, 2018•45 min
Football will always have bigger, stronger and faster guys. But this didn’t bother Steve Largent who is 5’ 11.5”, he had a job to do for his team and he did it. The only thing that was on his mind when he went out to a game was that he could catch everything that was thrown at him. But like most players of the sport, Steve experienced the bitterness of being cut from a team. But this wasn’t a setback to him, rather another opportunity to be better. Now Steve is an NFL Hall of Famer with a proud ...
Feb 02, 2018•49 min
The judges of America’s Got Talent could have never known that a beautiful voice could come from a young lady who couldn’t hear. Born with connective tissue disorder that affected joints and ligaments, Mandy Harvey got sick a lot of times and then finally lost her ability to hear. She describes the experience as falling down to a dark well and staying at the bottom for a long time, until she made the decision to start climbing up the walls. She wanted to do more in her life other than just give ...
Jan 26, 2018•49 min
In this technological age of social media and the internet, it is common to see people living a crazy perfect life. These three words has more meaningful for Dara Kurtz after surviving breast cancer. Her diagnosis of the lethal disease came at 2014 when she had two young daughters who had to process what the entire family was about to go through. Dara was able to defeat and crush cancer head on, but not without losing herself and not knowing where to go and what to do next. Dara shares her story...
Jan 19, 2018•28 min
In life, there are different things that hit you at different times, but what’s important is how you get back up when this happens. One of the hardest thing that can hit you in life is being diagnosed with retinoblastoma as early as 8 months old. Because of this rare eye cancer, Jake Olson lost his eyes. This setback however, did not keep him from living a life with amazing opportunities that led him to become a blind football player. But other than playing as the long snapper for the USC Trojan...
Jan 12, 2018•39 min
Bouncing around the league for 10 years wasn’t an experience NFL quarterback Hugh Millen planned, but he was still grateful for it. His football career lead him to play with 93 pro ball players and he learned from coaches that went to the Super Bowl. But his beginnings as an athlete and a person weren’t as smooth as other star players in the league. His mother had seven broken marriages, with his first step-dad being a heavy-weight boxer who physically abused his family. Although these stings in...
Jan 05, 2018•1 hr 18 min
Because his parents set an important example about work ethics, Rich Barton became focused on work and businesses and grew up doing odds and ends jobs like being an ice cream truck driver and a waiter. Even in college, he started an exterior house painting company. After graduating in college, Rich started working for Microsoft at a time the internet was just about to make a boom. He knew the connectivity to information that the internet offered was going to change the world; not just entertainm...
Dec 29, 2017•36 min
Kacey McCallister never wasted time and tears when he lost his legs from an accident when he was just six years old. His parents didn’t treat him any different from other kids who had to do their chores and go to school. What’s amazing is that Kacey found out that even after losing his two legs, he continually pushes himself to his limits to rise up to life and personal achievements like a Spartan Race Challenge and in the process, inspire others to do the same. Learn why the things that suck ca...
Dec 22, 2017•39 min
Having a vision of Vanessa Carlton meets Billy Joel, Danielle Taylor never let go of her love for being the singing voice of a Disney character and learned playing the piano. Before Danielle got her second LP The Chase she was told that she was good but she needed to grow to stand out and not be just another beautiful voice. Just like any artist, life happens and she actually became homeless three times. Danielle had to tear her ego down which lead into a succession of small successes. This laun...
Dec 15, 2017•45 min
Known as The Captain, Charles Plumb piloted an F-4 Phantom and flew 74 successful combat missions against Vietnamese forces and became a top gun pilot. Listen to his stories of being a prisoner of war for six years and coming home as a war hero. Learn how he packed his mental parachute to survive the wars of his life. We've got Charles Plumb, otherwise known as The Captain. The Captain is an original. He went to the Naval Academy in Indianapolis back in the day, and then went on and literally be...
Dec 08, 2017•59 min
Being born with no arms and legs never stopped Kyle Maynard from becoming a competitive football player, a champion wrestler and a summiteer of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Join Kyle’s journey as he almost gave up half way, but thanks to his family, coaches and mentors, kept living his life with no excuses. Never stop thinking forward on what can be possible and what you can achieve through hard work and positivity. It’s Mark Pattison back again with another phenomenal episode of Finding Your Summit, and I ...
Dec 01, 2017•34 min
Seeing her parents suffer from cancer, Dr. Neeta Bhushan stopped being a kid when she was 10. Learn how she was able to let go of her knapsack of hope and start a journey of freedom, courage and compassion. Stepping in to greatness amidst adversity is a feat anyone can master and Dr. Neeta will give you the key elements to climb your mountains and find your summit. We've got a remarkable spirit and her name is Dr. Neeta Bhushan. She is an emotional health educator and performance coach. She is a...
Nov 24, 2017•37 min
Former NFL Quarterback Tom Flick, has garnered a reputation around the world as an authority on leadership by helping organizations like Google, Starbucks, Boeing and the Pentagon develop leaders, lead change effectively, recognize opportunities for growth, and increase teamwork and organizational performance in a faster moving world. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Tom Flick Tom Flick LinkedIn Tom Flick Twitter
Nov 17, 2017•1 hr 2 min
Alison Levine is a high altitude mountain climber, sportswoman, explorer and a successful leadership consultant. She is the author of the New York Times Bestselling On the Edge and the executive producer of a documentary, The Glass Ceiling. She has ascended the highest peaks on every continent and also skied to both the North and South Poles. In 2010, she completed the Adventure Grand Slam by reaching the summit of Mt. Everest, after missing the peak by 200 feet eight years earlier. Today, she s...
Nov 10, 2017•52 min
Justin Osmond was born with profound hearing loss into a musical family. After 12 years of intense speech and listening therapy, he can now speak with passion and through modern-day technology, hear with conviction. Justin never allowed his hearing loss to stop him; even as a child, Justin found himself intrigued by sports, part of the Eagle Scouts, and loving and learning music. Today, Justin is the speaker for his organization, the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, raising awareness for the deaf and ...
Nov 03, 2017•48 min
Dr. Emily Farkas is a Yale-trained Cardiothoracic surgeon and the first female accepted to the program at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Farkas is board certified by the ABTS and regularly participates in humanitarian missions performing the most basic medical care to complex heart surgeries in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Peru, and Mongolia. In this episode, we will be discussing: How Emily’s creative childhood endeavors lead her to medicine The intense life Emily lived while st...
Oct 27, 2017•46 min
Colin O’Brady was born in the Northwest and attended Yale University. After graduating from Yale, Colin made the decision to travel around the world; however, while in Thailand, Colin endured a serious accident with a kerosene jump rope, burning 25 percent of his body. Though doctors predicted he would never walk again, today, Colin has completed multiple triathlons, gained sponsorships, and become the speed record holder for climbing the seven summits in addition to the North and South Pole. In...
Oct 20, 2017•56 min
Cory Porcter is a former American football guard in the National Football League, who played mostly for the Dallas Cowboys. I met him in Tanzania through the Waterboy foundation. In this episode, we will be discussing: How shifting your perspective can shape your life The grind that went into the dream Importance of hoping for the best, but expecting the worst Understanding that your life can be turned upside down instantly Experience with the Dallas Cowboys Why we should surround ourselves with...
Oct 13, 2017•57 min
Dianette Wells is a mountain climber and adventure racer who immerses herself in new experiences as a form of therapy. She has currently climbed seven summits, including Everest and Denali. After the passing of her son, Dianette found that she had been doing the right thing all along by influencing her children to live without rules and without fear. Today, Dianette addresses her goals allowing her to conquer more summits. In this episode, we will be discussing: The solace Dianette finds in livi...
Oct 06, 2017•51 min
Erik Weihenmayer lives a “no barriers” lifestyle even after becoming blind during his childhood. He is an adventurer who has climbed the seven summits, biked the Leadville 100, kayaked 277 miles down the Colorado river, and was even the first blind person to ever reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Erik is very honest about his life, writing multiple books and sharing his story while helping disadvantaged people conquer their own goals in life. In this episode, we will be discussing: How the progre...
Sep 29, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 17
Steve Azar is a singer and songwriter that marries country, rock, and blues influences to create “Delta-Soul.” Inspired by the state of Mississippi, Steve wrote many successful tracks that topped the country charts including “Waitin’ On Joe,” “I Don’t Have to Be Me,” and “Sunshine.” After many ups and downs in the beginning of his career, Steve found his musical purpose in his roots. Steve has been recognized by many notable figures including Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, and Oprah. He is current...
Sep 22, 2017•1 hr 15 min
Kathy Eldon is the founder of Creative Visions, an author of over 17 books, a filmmaker, a public speaker, and a warrior in the face of adversity. In this episode, we'll be discussing: The events that steadily propelled Kathy around the globe How Kathy’s actions inspired her son to make a difference Dan Eldon’s journey and the impact his legacy is making today Transforming woe and the profoundness of loss and grief Kathy’s journey into creating films The start of Creative Visions and its current...
Sep 15, 2017•46 min
Mark interviews his long time friend and former teammate Morten Andersen. He is the all-time leader in games played; he also holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history. Morten retells his story when he was out of football for almost 2 years hoping to comeback and become the all time leading scorer. It was a painful period in his life not knowing how it would turn out but he did come back and was just inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. http://MarkPattisonNFL.com/po...
Sep 08, 2017•48 min
Scott Parazynski is a marvel of accomplishment. He was raised overseas before coming back to the states and attending Stanford. He then went on to become a doctor at that same university before being admitted into NASA program to become an astronaut. He is the only person to have both flown in space and summited Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. http://MarkPattisonNFL.com/podcast
Sep 01, 2017•51 min
In 1985, Mitch co-founded Timeslips Corp, which grew to become the largest time tracking Software Company in the world. In 1994, Timeslips Corp was sold to Sage, plc. While at Sage, Mitch went on to run all of Sage U.S. as Chief Operating Officer, a division with 300 people with a market cap in excess of $100M. Mitch was nominated for Inc. Magazine's "Entrepreneur of the Year" in 1989 and 1991 and won "Best Entrepreneur" in 1989, by The National Association of Legal Vendors. http://MarkPattisonN...
Aug 25, 2017•47 min
Jerry Robinson played 13 years in the NFL. He attended UCLA where he was a three-time All American, was voted 10th in the Heisman Trophy race as best player in the country and then was drafted in the 1st round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Jerry played in the Super Bowl for the Eagles, made Pro Bowls and then was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders which is where we connected. Jerry talks about his adversity growing up, losing his brother to a gun shot wound and other things that he overcame.
Aug 18, 2017•53 min
Mark Bonchek is a PhD from Harvard and is on a mission to update leaders’ thinking in a digital age. He received his doctorate in Digital Strategy back in 1997 and was clearly ahead of his time as the internet was just taking off. Love his title: Chief Epiphany Officer!! Who wouldn’t want that?
Aug 11, 2017•37 min
