Finding Your Summit

Host Mark Pattison sits down with Fred Couples, a legendary PGA Tour champion, Masters winner, and one of golf's most beloved figures who has spent over four decades competing at the highest levels of professional golf while maintaining one of the smoothest swings the game has ever seen. In this deeply personal and entertaining conversation, Fred shares his extraordinary journey from a nine year old caddy at Seattle's Jefferson Park Golf Course to winning the Green Jacket at Augusta in 1992, revealing why growing up on tiny greens with severe slopes made him one of the best iron players on tour, how his college roommate Jim Nance became CBS's iconic Masters broadcaster, and why staying clean and sober in a sport filled with pressure allowed him to remember every shot while others forgot their greatest moments. This episode offers a masterclass in longevity and authenticity, demonstrating why visualization matters more than mechanics when the pressure is on, how working class roots and blue collar parents instilled the work ethic that sustained a career spanning multiple generations, and why the simplest advice be yourself creates the most genuine success both on the course and in life. Fred opens up about his father working two jobs at Dairy Gold and the Woodland Park Zoo so the family could survive, the devastating back injury in 1990 that has plagued him for 31 years but never required surgery, the heartbreaking years caring for his wife Thais as she battled breast cancer down to 68 pounds, and why his friendship with Tiger Woods is built on trust and leaving each other alone rather than constant contact. Key Topics Discussed: The Gutter Lane at Jefferson Park: How Seattle's Public Course Built a Champion Fred reveals the humble beginnings that shaped his entire approach to golf and created the foundation for his Hall of Fame career. Growing up as a kid who didn't fit in after his family moved to Beacon Hill, he found refuge caddying for his brother's friend Steve Dallas at age nine and falling in love with the game on Jefferson Park's nine hole par three course where he could play all day for three dollars and fifty cents. Discover why being the weakest player in his group meant getting thrown in the gutter lane to just keep grinding, and how Jefferson's tiny greens with severe slopes forced him to develop pinpoint iron accuracy that would become his greatest weapon on tour. Learn why Fred believes growing up on that humble public track was the greatest thing that ever happened to him because if you can hit the first green at Jefferson Park you can hit the first green at Pebble Beach or anywhere the PGA Tour plays. Hear about playing in constant rain and cold without a glove because his parents couldn't afford to keep replacing seven dollar gloves that got ruined in Seattle weather, and why that necessity created the signature no glove grip that defined his entire career. The University of Houston and the Roommate Who Became a Broadcasting Legend Discover the remarkable stroke of fate that placed Fred in a dorm room with Jim Nance, the future voice of CBS Sports and the Masters, when both were just 17 and 18 years old. Fred explains why their coach would repeatedly say Jim Nance is going to be president someday while never predicting Fred or teammate Blaine McAllister would become tour champions, and how Jim was already making 25 to 35 thousand dollars as a sophomore selling clips to API and UPI while his roommates scraped by. Learn about Jim coming home at night with clips of Nolan Ryan and Warren Moon and practicing his broadcast calls by announcing Fred and Blaine coming up the 18th hole at Augusta, interviewing them in their dorm room years before it would actually happen. Hear about the emotional moment in Butler Cabin in 1992 when Fred won the Masters and had to avoid looking at Jim's face during the interview because seeing his college roommate presenting him the Green Jacket was the hardest thing he ever did, and why both of them broke down crying the moment they went off air. The 1992 Masters: When Visualization Became Reality in Butler Cabin

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Tim O'Donnell, a professional Ironman triathlete, over 50-time podium finisher, and endurance athlete who has competed at the highest levels of triathlon for nearly two decades, establishing himself as one of the most consistent performers at the Ironman World Championship in Kona. In this inspiring conversation, Tim shares his extraordinary journey from a struggling distance swimmer in a Northern California swimming family to becoming a top contender at the world's most prestigious endurance event, revealing why the ability to embrace discomfort became his superpower, how focusing on one day a year instead of over-racing throughout the season created sustainability with sponsors, and why pivoting away from Olympic dreams at the peak of his national team career to chase Ironman glory required the courage to bet on himself when no one else saw it coming. This episode offers a masterclass in resilience as a system rather than a trait, demonstrating why the lessons learned from swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running a full marathon in under eight hours apply to every challenge in life, how building the right support team around an individual sport makes the magic happen, and why stepping back from racing now allows Tim to teach others that resilience isn't something you're born with but a process anyone can learn through his Built Forward framework of reset, reframe, and rebuild forward. Tim opens up about his older brother forcing him to try out for the Naval Academy triathlon team when he hated the sport, the electric energy on the pier in Kona where the fittest endurance athletes in the world gather at their peak with anxiety and anticipation crackling in the air, and why leaving altitude three to four weeks before race day to fine-tune at sea level became the secret weapon that elevated his performances when it mattered most. Key Topics Discussed: The Worst Swimmer in the Family: How the Gutter Lane Built a Champion Tim reveals the humble beginnings that shaped his entire approach to endurance sports and life. Growing up as the youngest of four brothers in a swimming family where everyone swam competitively, he was the worst swimmer and couldn't compete in the sprint events or technical strokes. Discover why coaches threw him in the distance lane, what he calls the gutter lane, and made him just keep training really hard doing endless laps staring at the black line on the bottom of the pool. Learn about the pivotal moment at age 12 or 13 during a brutal test set of eight 400 IM races from a dive, arguably the hardest swimming event, when the kid in the end lane that no one was paying attention to started beating people as the sets got longer. Tim explains how this clicked for him that his superpower wasn't speed but resilience, the ability to work hard and push through when everyone else was fading, and why this realization at such a young age became the foundation for everything that followed in triathlon and beyond. The Naval Academy and the Brother Who Changed Everything Discover the family connection that altered Tim's entire life trajectory. All three of his older brothers attended the United States Naval Academy, and when Tim arrived as a plebe freshman, his brother Thomas was still there and forced him to try out for the triathlon team even though Tim was on the varsity swim team. Learn why Tim initially hated triathlon and kept at it anyway, and how by his junior year after finishing his sophomore year he realized this might be what he wanted to do with his life. Hear about the courage it took to stop swimming at the peak of his college swimming career when he was having breakout performances that shocked his coaches, and why having the foresight to shift direction when you're at the top of one thing to chase something greater requires betting on yourself in a way most people never do. Tim explains how his swimming pedigree gave him a six foot five wingspan despite being just under six feet tall, and why understanding that elite marathoners are all legs while elite swimmers like Michael Phelps are all torso helped him recognize his physical advantages. Kona: The Electric Energy and Brutal Reality of the Ironman World Championship Tim unveils what it's actually like to compete at triathlon's Super Bowl where the fittest endurance athletes in the world converge on the Big Island of Hawaii at their absolute peak. Discover why there's an energy on the island that impacts the entire day, and how standing on the pier in the morning with hundreds of athletes experiencing anxiety, anticipation, and electric tension creates an atmosphere unlike any other race. Learn about the unique challenges of Kona including the different salinity of the ocean that causes cramping and vomiting, four to five hours on the bike through lava rock with the sun pounding down,

"Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Mike Hulbert, a three-time PGA Tour winner, 26-time major championship competitor, and CBS Sports rules analyst who has spent over four decades at the highest levels of professional golf. In this entertaining and insightful conversation, Mike shares his extraordinary journey from winning the FedEx St. Jude Classic in his second year on tour to playing in four Masters tournaments, competing alongside legends like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and ultimately transitioning to a 15-year career with CBS as the network's golf rules expert. This episode offers a masterclass in golf excellence and longevity, demonstrating why course management and a world-class short game separated the greatest players from everyone else, how the transition from persimmon clubs to modern technology has transformed the sport, and why maintaining relationships and staying connected to the game creates opportunities long after competitive careers end. Mike opens up about the surreal moment of winning his first tour event and immediately knowing he'd earned a Masters invitation, the stark differences between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's games, and why Tiger's elite short game made him nearly unbeatable in his prime despite Rory being the superior driver of the golf ball. Key Topics Discussed: The First Tour Win: When Victory Means Augusta Mike reveals the unforgettable moment in 1986 when he won the FedEx St. Jude Classic at Colonial Country Club in Memphis, beating his close friend Joey Sindelar by one stroke after stiffing a shot on the 18th hole. Discover why the very first thought that entered his mind after sinking that 12-inch winning putt was "I'm going to the Masters," and how earning that coveted invitation represented the culmination of years of grinding to get on tour in 1984. Learn about the dramatic final hole where Joey was already in the clubhouse tied for the lead, standing behind the green watching as Mike faced the pressure shot of his young career. Mike explains why winning early in his career was so crucial because you never know if you'll get another chance, and how that first victory validated all the sacrifices and hard work required to compete at the highest level. Augusta National: The One Place That Never Changes Mike shares what makes the Masters different from every other major championship and why it holds a special place in every professional golfer's heart. Unlike the US Open, PGA Championship, and Open Championship which rotate venues, Augusta National remains constant year after year, creating a unique opportunity for players to build course knowledge and experience. Discover why Augusta's strict policies including the complete ban on cell phones even decades ago created an atmosphere of respect and tradition that other majors couldn't match, and how spectators who misbehave are escorted down Magnolia Lane and out to Washington Road without hesitation. Learn about Mike's 15 years working for CBS at the Masters as their rules analyst, giving him the privilege of experiencing this iconic venue from both sides as competitor and broadcaster. Mike explains why even among the four majors he played in throughout his career, the Masters never lost its magic or its ability to inspire reverence from players and fans alike. The Big Three: Arnold, Jack, and Tiger's Common Thread Mike unveils what separated Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods from every other player of their respective generations. Growing up idolizing Jack Nicklaus, Mike witnessed firsthand how the Golden Bear's course management and ability to deliver under pressure made him nearly unbeatable when holding a lead coming down the stretch. Discover why Jack's mastery with a one iron, now an obsolete club, exceeded most players' abilities with their modern hybrids, and how he strategically missed greens in positions where he could use his putter even through rough. Learn about Mike's friendship with Arnold Palmer as a member at Bay Hill, and why Mr. Palmer's first words whenever he saw Mike were always "Do you need anything?" revealing the generosity and class that made him beloved beyond his seven major championships. Mike explains how all three legends were "needle movers" for television, drawing audiences that transformed golf into a mainstream sport, and why their professionalism extended to spending hours every day signing memorabilia and responding to fans. Tiger vs. Rory:

"Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison reconnects with Frank Fumich, an accomplished adventure athlete and mountaineer who just returned from successfully summiting Mount Everest using a revolutionary three-week rapid ascent approach after pre-acclimatizing for two months in a hypoxic tent in his Virginia guest room. In this raw and deeply emotional conversation recorded just weeks after Frank descended from the world's highest peak, he shares the harrowing reality of what actually happened during his Everest expedition, revealing why money cannot buy your way up the mountain, how running out of oxygen on descent created a life-threatening moment he hasn't fully shared with his wife, and why standing next to the frozen body of a climber while waiting in two-way traffic on the Hillary Step delivered the sobering reminder that nobody who stays on that mountain ever thought they would be the one who didn't come home. This episode offers a masterclass in survival, humility, and life perspective, demonstrating why the summit doesn't matter when life matters, how the most dangerous moment often comes on the descent when exhaustion and oxygen depletion create deadly conditions, and why the experience of looking over the edge forces you to confront what truly matters when you have a family waiting at home. Frank opens up about the devastating moment his teammate turned around at the Hillary Step and made the admirable decision to prioritize his family over his summit dream, the week-long delay caused by the massive serac in the Khumbu Icefall that made international news, and why he spent the final moments on summit day locked in total concentration knowing this was life or death and not some fun adventure.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nThe Reality Check: When Pre-Acclimatization Meets Altitude's Brutal Truth\nFrank reveals that despite two months of sleeping in a hypoxic tent and successfully climbing Mera Peak at 21,500 feet, his body simply did not respond well to extreme altitude. Discover why even simple exertion at base camp sent him into total panting fits that were genuinely scary, how he learned he had to take measured steps and avoid sudden movements or risk gassing out completely, and why just practicing skills on the glacier below base camp taught him that his physiology was going to make this climb far more difficult than anticipated. Learn about the shocking reality that he had zero appetite throughout the expedition, struggled to eat even at base camp where nice food was available, and how forcing down an entire bag of sausage and cheese at high camp before the summit push may have saved his life. Frank explains why the pre-acclimatization strategy is still the best and safest way to climb Everest by reducing Khumbu Icefall exposure from six passages to one, but it cannot change how your individual body responds once you're actually living at extreme altitude.\n\nThe Khumbu Icefall Awakening: Six Hours Fifteen Minutes of Vertical Hell\nDiscover why the Khumbu Icefall on day one became one of Frank's hardest days on the entire expedition. Leaving at midnight and climbing for over six hours through the constantly shifting maze of ice blocks, Frank found himself so physically gassed on technical vertical walls that he had to stop mid-climb and catch his breath while climbers backed up behind him. Learn why he wasn't thinking about the danger of ice blocks collapsing because the physical demand was so overwhelming, and how this early experience made him realize he needed to slow everything down or he would never make it. Hear about Mark's experience dry heaving at Camp Two on his first rotation despite living at 6,000 feet and training at 10,000 feet daily, and why the Khumbu's combination of extreme exertion, technical climbing with heavy packs, and doing essentially a thousand pull-ups while gaining altitude creates a devastating introduction to what lies ahead.\n\nStanding Next to Death: The Body on the Hillary Step\nFrank shares the chilling moment that brought the mountain's deadly reality into sharp focus. As he stood on the narrow technical section just after the Hillary Step waiting for two-way traffic to clear, he realized he was standing with his left crampon just two inches from the frozen body of a climber who never made it home. Discover how Mark revealed this was his tent mate from Antarctica, Don Cash, lying in a small nest of snow on that exposed rock where maintaining purchase on crampons is incredibly difficult. Learn why Frank stood there for five minutes staring at this sobering reminder that nobody on that mountain ever thought they would be the one who stayed, and how this moment reinforced that this was serious business where every decision and every step mattered. Hear about the poor climber Frank's team watched pass away during their expedition, and why these experiences fundamentally changed his perspective on what he was asking his family to endure.\n\n

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison reconnects with Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, a humanitarian organization operating in the most dangerous war zones of Eastern Europe, delivering life-saving aid to civilians trapped in cities under constant drone surveillance and artillery bombardment. In this urgent and deeply sobering conversation recorded in May 2026, Yuriy provides a real-time update on what has become one of the most brutal and overlooked humanitarian crises of our time, revealing why the war that began in 2022 has evolved from conventional combat into what he calls "human safari," where Russian forces use AI-powered drones to hunt individual civilians on the streets, drop mines disguised as donuts into playgrounds, and systematically terrorize populations to force entire cities into abandonment. This episode offers a masterclass in courage under fire and humanitarian persistence, demonstrating why ordinary people with extraordinary determination can hold back the second largest army in the world, how volunteers risk their lives driving 140 kilometers per hour through drone-infested zones to deliver food packages, and why the 60,000 civilians still living in basement cities like Kherson represent the front line of democracy itself. Yuriy opens up about the evolution from operating on hope in 2022 to operating on "define hope" in 2026, the devastating reality that four million internally displaced Ukrainians have nowhere to go because safe areas are priced beyond reach, and why his forthcoming book captures the stories of regular people whose courage is rewriting what humanity thought possible in the face of relentless aggression.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nFrom Hope to Define Hope: Four Years of War and the World Has Moved On\nYuriy reveals the stark difference between 2022 when every aid organization in the world flooded into Ukraine and 2026 when only the most committed teams remain. Discover why he and Mark originally spoke at the end of 2022 when Yuriy believed the war would be over in three to six months, and the crushing reality that four years later the situation is worse than ever with no end in sight. Learn why Hope for Ukraine has shifted from operating on hope to operating on "define hope," acknowledging that optimism alone cannot sustain humanitarian operations when the global news cycle has moved on to Iran and other crises. Yuriy explains why the teams that remain are those who simply cannot leave because abandoning these populations would mean certain death for thousands, and how the mathematics of survival have become brutally simple when you're one of the few organizations still willing to enter the kill zones.\n\nHuman Safari: The Drone Warfare Revolution That Changed Everything\nDiscover the terrifying new reality of modern urban warfare that Yuriy calls "human safari." Unlike 2022 when aid convoys could drive into cities, distribute supplies, and leave without incident, 2026 has brought AI-powered drones that constantly patrol the skies above cities like Kherson, hunting for any sign of human movement. Learn why a simple trip to a coffee shop can result in a missile strike within minutes, how Russian forces use drones as spotters to pinpoint individual civilians and launch targeted attacks, and why the only defense is driving at 110 to 140 kilometers per hour while scanning the sky and listening for the telltale buzzing sound. Yuriy shares the devastating story of a family taking their two young daughters to a playground when a missile strike killed the father and injured the mother and both children, ages five and three, illustrating why Kherson has become what he describes as a total war crime scene.\n\nThe Three Hour Window: How Aid Missions Work in a Basement City\nYuriy unveils the precise and dangerous choreography required to deliver humanitarian aid in 2026. Teams load vans with food, hygiene products, and supplies in western Ukraine, then drive overnight to a staging area 60 kilometers from Kherson where they sleep. At 4 AM they wake and make the high-speed run into the city with one driver pushing maximum speed while two spotters watch through windows and listen for drones, using detection devices to identify threats. Discover why Kherson is now called "basement city" because residents spend most of their time underground, only rushing out when the aid van arrives to grab a food kit before retreating to safety. Learn about the two to three hour operational window before drone activity makes the mission impossible, why the team parks under trees for concealment, and how reducing exposure to the deadly Khumbu Icefall equivalent—the journey through drone zones—from six passages to one represents a massive safety improvement in humanitarian

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with David Meltzer, a renowned entrepreneur, sports executive, bestselling author, and one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the world who has made it his life's mission to empower over a billion people to be happy by making a lot of money for the sake of helping others and having fun. In this energizing and deeply inspiring conversation, David shares his extraordinary journey from running the most notable sports agency in the world under legendary agent Lee Steinberg to becoming chairman of the Unstoppable Foundation, chief chancellor of Junior Achievement, and chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute, revealing why the simple act of saying thank you before bed and upon waking has more power to transform your life than any complex personal development program. This episode offers a masterclass in gratitude, purpose, and conscious relationship building, demonstrating why surrounding yourself with people aligned with your divine direction creates exponential value, how ditching toxicity and negative influences allows you to fly higher than you ever imagined possible, and why the simplest things we do consistently and persistently in pursuit of our potential create the most extraordinary outcomes. David opens up about being purposefully named by his single mother with six kids as a beloved servant, the profound lesson Lee Steinberg taught him about never negotiating to the last penny and not doing business with difficult people, and why his experiences building sustainable villages in Kenya and Tanzania with Warren Moon represent the most meaningful work of his entire career. Key Topics Discussed: The Billion Person Mission: How a Thousand Times a Thousand Creates Global Impact David unveils his audacious mission to empower over a billion people to be happy, and the surprisingly simple math that makes this seemingly impossible goal achievable. Discover how he realized that God would not give him an invitation without already knowing his limitations, and how this revelation set him free to figure out the path forward. Learn why the mission comes down to finding a thousand people like Mark who will empower another thousand to empower a thousand more, creating the mathematical progression where a thousand times a thousand equals a million, and a million times a thousand equals a billion. David explains why he's never met anyone who makes a lot of money for the sake of helping others and having fun who isn't happy, and how creating this collective consciousness in his lifetime simply requires identifying and empowering the right thousand influencers who share his values and vision. The Power of Thank You: The Most Agreed Upon Way to Change Your Life Discover the deceptively simple practice that David credits as the foundation of his entire philosophy and the easiest way to transform your existence. Learn why saying thank you before you go to bed and when you wake up is free, takes point one seconds, and represents the most agreed upon method for life change whether you're a world thought leader, an NFL superstar, or someone just starting their journey. David explains why it's nearly impossible to be angry and grateful at the same time, making gratitude the ultimate choice in how we experience each moment. Hear about the greater lesson of gratitude for life itself, and why doubling down on the simple things that are simple not to do creates exponential value when they become non-negotiables like sleep, family, health, faith, and the study of finance, time, and relativity. Named with Definite Purpose: David Means Beloved, Meltzer Means Servant David shares the profound origin story of his name and how his single mother raising six kids purposefully gave him an identity that would shape his entire life trajectory. Discover how David means beloved and his last name Meltzer actually means waiter or servant, and how his mother made him live up to his name as a beloved servant to provide value to other people. Learn why in honor of his name and the definiteness of purpose his mom gave to that meaning, he gives that same meaning to his own life and aligns his past with this divine direction. David explains how this early framework created by his mother became the foundation for everything he does, from his speaking career to his charitable work to his mission of empowering billions. Lee Steinberg's Three Rules: Never Negotiate to the Last Penny, Always Be Fair, Don't Do Business with Dicks Discover the wisdom David gained from working under legendary sports agent Lee Steinberg, who represented eight first round draft picks in a row and created more charities than all other sports agencies combined. Learn about the three principles Lee taught David that became the title of his controversial but highly marketable book from Simon & Schuster,.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Ted Nugent, the legendary rock guitarist, multi-platinum recording artist who has sold over 40 million albums, and an uncompromising force of nature who has spent seven decades creating some of rock and roll's most iconic anthems while remaining completely clean and sober in an industry notorious for excess. In this electrifying conversation, Ted shares his extraordinary journey from an 11-year-old guitar prodigy playing Detroit fraternity parties surrounded by beatniks to becoming one of the most recognizable names in rock history, revealing why staying clean and sober wasn't just a personal choice but the secret weapon that made his music tighter, more powerful, and more memorable than his stone and drunk contemporaries. This episode offers a masterclass in discipline, authenticity, and primal creativity, demonstrating why the greatest art comes from connecting with nature's healing powers rather than chemical substances, how the work ethic of James Brown and Chuck Berry created the foundation for all great rock and roll, and why remaining grounded in earthly activities like bow hunting, dog training, and killing your own dinner unlocks musical genius that cannot be taught or manufactured. Ted opens up about growing up in the arsenal of democracy where his father followed legendary bow hunter Fred Bear, learning to climb from Willi Unsoeld himself, the devastating divorce that left him crying tears of blood, and why his new album Detroit Muscle represents the last of a dying breed of fire breathing musical warriors who grabbed the baton directly from Chuck Berry's hand. Key Topics Discussed: The Clean and Sober Warrior: 73 Years Without Drugs or Alcohol in Rock and Roll Ted reveals the remarkable reality that has defined his entire career and separated him from virtually every other rock star of his generation. From age 11 playing University of Detroit parties surrounded by beatniks smoking marijuana, he watched gifted virtuoso musicians get looser and sloppier the more drunk and stoned they became, compromising all the rehearsal work they had put into making their musical maneuvers tight and cohesive. Discover why Ted realized early that if his band was going to be the tightest and most energized, everyone had to be clean and sober, and how this created a Mount Everest challenge when he was surrounded by an entire industry that believed outside substances were necessary to loosen up and be adventurous. Learn about spending a weekend with Keith Richards at Studio 54 in 1979 and desperately wanting to discuss Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters but finding the Rolling Stones guitarist unable to carry a conversation, and why Ted remembers every gig, every stage, every audience, every song while his contemporaries don't remember the greatest moments when God gave them the gift of playing for 100,000 people. The Detroit Crucible: Born in the Arsenal of Democracy with Fred Bear and Willi Unsoeld Discover Ted's extraordinary origin story that shaped everything about his approach to music and life. Born in Detroit in 1948 just years after American warriors crushed the pure evil of the Japanese Empire and the Nazis, he grew up in the arsenal of democracy where his father already followed legendary bow hunter Fred Bear, discovering the mystical flight of the arrow and the origins of Zen. Learn how Ted's father owned a camping and outdoor equipment shop in Andover, Massachusetts, where the family's version of babysitting was throwing kids on the floor to crawl around climbing gear, and how the legendary Willi Unsoeld, first American to climb Everest's West Ridge, became friends with his father and taught Ted to climb. Hear about the discipline of learning that a conscientious step in the woods rewarded you while a stumbling step brought no reward because the animals would see you coming, and why this early connection to nature's healing powers created the foundation for a lifetime of musical genius. The Motown Influence: Grabbing the Baton from Chuck Berry's Hand Ted unveils the secret behind why his generation of rock warriors created music with such undeniable power and authority. Growing up surrounded by the soulful electricity of Motown, he was mesmerized by the inescapable grind and groove of black founding fathers who increased the thunder and dynamic of gospel music, expressing the emotional heartbreak of people who knew slavery was wrong and had to break the shackles. Discover how Ted opened for Billy Lee and the Rivieras in 1960 alongside a brand new band called Martha and the Vandellas, and how he struggled relentlessly to learn Chuck Berry guitar licks, Duane Eddy, Lonnie Mack, and the Motown grind. Learn why

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Alan Arnette, one of the world's foremost Everest experts, mountaineering coach, and Alzheimer's advocate who has completed 38 major expeditions including four attempts on Everest before finally summiting in 2011, plus a successful K2 ascent. In this timely and urgent conversation recorded on May 20th, 2026, Alan provides a real-time analysis of what may become one of the most dangerous Everest seasons in recent history, revealing why 270 climbers summiting in a single day creates life-threatening bottlenecks, how summit fever and social media pressure are driving dangerous decisions, and why the mountain continues to humble even the most experienced climbers. This episode offers a masterclass in mountain wisdom and risk assessment, demonstrating why arrogance is the deadliest sin a climber can commit, how finding your why transforms impossible challenges into achievable goals, and why proper preparation through experienced coaching can mean the difference between life and death at 29,000 feet. Alan opens up about his journey from three failed Everest attempts driven by ego to finally summiting while honoring his mother's battle with Alzheimer's, the stark differences between Everest and the more technical K2, and why he's deeply concerned about the frostbite, injuries, and potential fatalities that will emerge from today's massive summit push. Key Topics Discussed: The 2026 Crisis Unfolding: 270 Summits in One Day and What It Means Alan reveals the shocking reality happening in real time on Everest as they record this conversation. After delays caused by a massive 200-foot-high, 100-foot-wide serac teetering in the Khumbu Icefall and persistent jet stream winds of 150 to 200 miles per hour sitting directly on the summit, the weather window finally opened and 270 people summited on May 20th alone. Discover why this single-day number equals what used to be an entire season's worth of summits when Alan reached the top in 2011, and why the bottlenecks created by this traffic jam are causing climbers to stand in line for hours at 27,500 feet in minus 50 degree windchill. Learn about the dirty secret that guide companies won't talk about the frostbite, injuries, and near-misses because it's bad publicity, and why Alan predicts massive unreported casualties from this summit push. With 500 permits issued plus 1.5 Sherpas per climber for support, roughly 1,250 people started the season, and with only 400 having summited so far, another 400 climbers are still attempting to reach the top over the next four to five days. The Serac That Nearly Shut Down the Season: Ice Fall Doctors' Dilemma Discover the unprecedented challenge that delayed the entire 2026 season and created the dangerous compression of summit attempts. Unlike the typical hanging seracs on the west shoulder that constantly calve off and kill climbers, this year featured a giant serac sitting in the middle of the Khumbu Icefall near the top, teetering like a massive refrigerator. Learn why the ice fall doctors, the Sherpa team responsible for establishing the route through the constantly shifting maze of ice blocks, were terrified to work underneath this 200-foot-high structure that was slowly moving and threatening to collapse on them. Alan explains how the serac finally did collapse, leaving a huge debris field, and how a team from a matching Nepal finally got the ice fall doctors through to establish the route to Camp One. Hear about the remarkable effort to get fixed ropes all the way to the summit by May 13th, only to have the jet stream park directly on top of the mountain for another week, creating the perfect storm for today's dangerous overcrowding. The Summit Ridge Reality: Two Feet Wide with 8,000-Foot Drops on Both Sides Mark and Alan paint a vivid picture for listeners of what the final approach to the Everest summit actually looks like, and why the massive traffic jam is so deadly. After cresting over the top of the South Summit and seeing the final pyramid, climbers face a ridge that's only about two feet wide with 8,000 feet straight down to Tibet on the left and 8,000 feet down to Nepal on the right. Discover why this is essentially a one-way road where nobody can pass, and when 270 people want to take summit photos, hug, and celebrate at the top, the line backs up for hours. Learn about the critical danger of standing still at this altitude while using supplemental oxygen, how climbers must turn their flow down to half a liter per minute to conserve their supply, and why running out of oxygen in the death zone is a death sentence. Alan explains that supplemental oxygen doesn't make you feel like you're at sea level but only reduces the effective altitude by about 3,000 feet, and its primary benefit is keeping your body and extremities warm.

["Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Tom French, an accomplished mountaineer, adventure athlete, and author whose extraordinary journey from McKinsey senior partner to full-time adventurer embodies the power of reconnecting with your deepest passions at any age. In this inspiring conversation, Tom shares his remarkable story of leaving a 33-year consulting career at age 60 to pursue what he calls "gap years"—extended periods stepping out of the mainstream to rediscover the climbing, skiing, and exploration that made his soul sing in his youth. This episode offers a masterclass in life transitions and authentic living, demonstrating why the most meaningful career move might be stepping away from lucrative opportunities, how childhood influences can shape a lifetime of passion, and why taking time to think and reflect in natural environments unlocks creativity and clarity that no boardroom ever could. Tom opens up about growing up literally crawling around his father's climbing equipment shop where legendary mountaineer Willi Unsoeld taught him to climb, the transformative three-week solo approach to Everest through the remote Makalu Barun region that almost nobody attempts, and the moonlit summit night with just his Sherpa where they had the world's highest peak entirely to themselves.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nGrowing Up in a Climbing Shop: When Willi Unsoeld Is Your Babysitter\nTom reveals the extraordinary circumstances that shaped his life trajectory from the very beginning. His father owned a camping, climbing, and outdoor equipment shop in Andover, Massachusetts, and the family's version of babysitting was throwing the kids on the floor of the shop to crawl around. Discover how Tom grew up surrounded by climbers who worked in the store specifically because they were climbers, and how the legendary Willi Unsoeld—first American to climb Everest's West Ridge—became friends with his father and taught Tom to climb. Learn about the iconic poster that hung on Tom's bedroom wall showing Unsoeld and Tom Hornbein as tiny dots heading up the West Ridge, looking like astronauts heading to the moon, and why that image represented the ultimate journey that seemed impossibly out of reach for a kid in the 1960s and 70s.\n\nThe Formative Gap Years: Sweden, World Travel, and Three Years Out of Country\nDiscover the pattern that would eventually define Tom's entire approach to life transitions. Between high school and Dartmouth, he spent a year on the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden skiing and exploring. After college, instead of immediately launching a career, he became an expedition tour leader and spent three years traveling the world, climbing and kayaking when he wasn't leading trips. Learn about the remarkable gift his parents gave him—never pressuring him to follow a conventional path, even when he showed up in their living room asking to borrow money for a one-way ticket to Hong Kong with no job lined up. Tom explains why these weren't called gap years at the time, but they were exactly that—formative experiences stepping completely out of the mainstream that shaped who he would become.\n\n33 Years at McKinsey: The Golden Handcuffs and Life After Football\nTom opens up about his three-decade career at McKinsey, one of the world's most prestigious consulting firms, and the unique culture around retirement. Discover McKinsey's unusual model that encourages senior partners to retire between 55 and 60, and the remarkable retreat the firm organized at a palace hotel outside Florence specifically to help departing partners plan their next act. Learn about sitting in that room with 15 peers who were all planning their next CEO role, board positions, or teaching appointments, and the inner voice that told Tom something wasn't right about immediately jumping into another high-pressure role. Hear about the concept of "golden handcuffs"—the fear that your network and credentials are most valuable right now, and if you step away, all the deal flow will dry up and opportunities will disappear.\n\nThe Decision: Choosing Mountains Over Boardrooms at Age 60\nDiscover the pivotal moment when Tom decided to brand his retirement transition as a "gap year" and prioritize reconnecting with the climbing and skiing that had been on hold for decades while building his career and raising his family. Learn why he turned down lucrative client jobs, declined prestigious board positions, and told everyone to call him back in a year or two—a decision that felt risky when his professional relevance seemed to be at its peak. Tom explains the financial privilege that allowed him to make this choice, acknowledging that his lifestyle preferences aligned with relatively modest needs, and why his self-definition wasn't built around income maximization the way it is for some people. Hear about the realization that what he was really afraid of missing out on wasn't money but meaningful opportunities, and the leap

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Ed Marinaro, a former NFL running back, Heisman Trophy runner-up, and accomplished actor who spent six years in the NFL and decades building a successful Hollywood career. In this inspiring conversation, Ed shares his extraordinary journey from being one of the first Ivy League players ever nominated for the Heisman Trophy at Cornell University to playing in two Super Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings, and ultimately reinventing himself as a working actor in one of the most competitive industries in the world. This episode offers a masterclass in adaptability and resilience, demonstrating why choosing the harder path of an Ivy League education over athletic scholarships can pay lifelong dividends, how career-ending injuries force you to pivot and discover new talents, and why the discipline and mental toughness developed through elite athletics translates directly into success in other high-pressure fields. Ed opens up about his blue collar upbringing in New Jersey, the revolutionary offensive system change at Cornell that unlocked his record-breaking college career, the devastating foot injury that ended his NFL dreams, and the unlikely path that led him from a six million dollar man screen test to becoming a beloved character on Hill Street Blues and a cult icon on Blue Mountain State.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nThe Ivy League Decision: Choosing Prestige Over Scholarship Money\nEd reveals the pivotal choice he made at 17 years old that would shape his entire life trajectory. Despite receiving approximately 30 football scholarship offers from major programs including Penn State and Duke, plus basketball scholarship opportunities, he chose Cornell where financial aid was based solely on family need rather than athletic ability. Discover why saying he got into an Ivy League college meant more to him than having a full ride scholarship, even though his family came from a blue collar background with his father working as a sign painter. Learn about the recent precedent of Calvin Hill from Yale and Marty Domres from Columbia being drafted in the first round just years before, proving Ivy League players could compete at the highest level. Ed explains how this decision removed pressure when he entered the NFL because he knew he had a future beyond football, and why the alumni network and bonds formed with Ivy League teammates have proven more valuable than his NFL connections decades later.\n\nThe System Change That Created a Record Breaker: From Split T to I Formation\nDiscover the remarkable stroke of luck that transformed Ed's college career and put him in position for Heisman consideration. Between his freshman and sophomore years, Cornell's coaching staff attended a clinic and completely changed their offensive system from a classic split T formation to the I formation, placing Ed seven yards behind the line of scrimmage in a two point stance where he could go either direction. Learn why this system fit his skill set perfectly, even though he didn't realize it at the time, and how by his fourth game as a sophomore he was leading the nation in rushing. Hear about the legendary performance against Harvard where Cornell was a 20 point underdog, Ed gained 281 yards with five touchdowns, set an Ivy League record, and became Sports Illustrated Back of the Week as just a sophomore. Ed reflects on how preparation meeting opportunity and a healthy dose of luck created success he never anticipated.\n\nThe Heisman Experience: Second Place from Your Parents' Living Room\nEd shares the dramatically different Heisman Trophy experience of his era compared to today's elaborate ceremony. Unlike modern candidates who are flown to New York City for the Downtown Athletic Club announcement, Ed learned he finished second place while sitting in his parents' den watching the announcement on television. Discover why there's a newspaper photograph capturing the exact moment he learned he didn't win, and how this accomplishment is something he carries with pride despite the stigma some attached to his Ivy League pedigree. Learn about the ongoing debate Ed and Mark discuss regarding whether the connections and education from an elite university outweigh the scholarship money and exposure from major football programs, and why Ed believes his choice was one of the best decisions he ever made despite not winning college football's most prestigious individual honor.\n\nSuper Bowls Eight and Nine: The Last Single Digit Championships\nEd reveals what it was like playing in Super Bowls VIII and IX with the Minnesota Vikings, the last two single digit Super Bowls before the game became the massive cultural phenomenon it is today. Learn why the experience was dramatically different from the modern Super Bowl spectacle, with no elaborate pregame festivities, playing at Rice Stadium instead of the Astrodome because of renovations, and competing at Tulane

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with John Ulsh, a resilience expert, bestselling author, and motivational speaker who survived what should have been an unsurvivable tragedy and transformed unimaginable adversity into a life mission of inspiring others to embrace the process of recovery and growth. In this profoundly moving conversation, John shares his extraordinary journey from a devastating head-on collision in 2007 that left him paralyzed, shattered his body, and changed his family forever, to becoming a powerful voice for commitment over motivation and process over outcomes. This episode offers a masterclass in true resilience, demonstrating why the greatest growth comes from the deepest adversity, how falling in love with the process rather than fixating on outcomes creates sustainable transformation, and why the person who emerges from trauma can be fundamentally better than who they were before. John opens up about the moment a 125-mile-per-hour impact destroyed his body and nearly killed his entire family, the 18 days he spent in a coma with less than a 3% chance of survival, and why he now considers the adversity itself the greatest blessing of his life.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nDecember 1st, 2007: The Collision That Changed Everything\nJohn reveals the devastating details of the accident that altered his life and his family's life forever. After completing a 12-mile run in the snow that morning and attending his 8-year-old daughter's swim meet, he made a simple decision to take the scenic route home instead of turning left. Discover the moment a car crossed the center line at the last second on a rural Pennsylvania road, creating an impact the police estimated at 125 miles per hour with no skid marks because nobody hit the brakes. Learn why the other driver, a 24-year-old father on the phone with his fiancée, did not survive, and how John's entire family was catastrophically injured in an instant. His wife was knocked unconscious with a severed bowel, broken hand, and broken foot. His 4-year-old son sitting behind him had his leg snapped, bowel severed, and collarbone broken. His 8-year-old daughter was the only one who stayed conscious, found crawling between the front seats crying "daddy don't die" when first responders arrived.\n\nThe Injuries: Shattered Pelvis, Collapsed Lungs, and 18 Days in a Coma\nDiscover the catastrophic damage John sustained in the collision. The energy came up his left leg, the engine box collapsed onto his feet, shattering his left foot and pelvis four and a half inches apart in the front while snapping the back and breaking his tailbone. Learn about the fractured vertebrae L1 through L4, the ruptured spleen and diaphragm, and how his left lung completely collapsed while his right lung partially collapsed. As a marathon runner under 10% body fat with strong lungs, John survived for over an hour and a half with half of a lung. Hear about the helicopter transport to Penn State Medical Center in Hershey, arriving with less than a 3% chance of surviving, and taking 36 units of blood in the first 12 hours when the human body only holds about eight. John was cut from sternum to pelvis, and after two days of trying to stop internal bleeding, doctors couldn't pull his abdominal muscles shut due to swelling, leaving him stitched with just the fascia layer.\n\nWaking Up Paralyzed: The Nursing Home at Age 36\nJohn shares the disorienting experience of emerging from an 18-day induced coma on Christmas, paralyzed from the waist down and hooked up to countless machines. Discover why he had no memory of the collision itself and how the drugs used to keep him in the coma were still floating through his system, causing hallucinations and confusion. Learn about the devastating realization that he couldn't move his legs, and the crushing news that because of his shattered pelvis and back held together with titanium, he was non-weight-bearing for eight more weeks. At 36 years old, John moved into a nursing home to spend two months lying on his back before he could even begin rehab to learn to use a wheelchair, let alone attempt to walk again. Hear about the stretchy bands he tied to his bed to do arm exercises because he refused to lose any more strength, and how he left the nursing home 16 weeks later weighing just 155 pounds.\n\nThe Moment That Changed Everything: "I Miss My Old Daddy"\nDiscover the profound turning point that occurred two and a half years after the accident when John was working from his home office using a walker. His 10-year-old daughter was juggling a soccer ball in the front yard,

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Jay Samit, a serial entrepreneur, global business strategist, and international bestselling author who has spent over three decades at the forefront of digital disruption and innovation. In this paradigm-shifting conversation, Jay reveals why retirement is not just outdated but potentially deadly, and shares his revolutionary approach to building a meaningful second act in the age of AI disruption. This episode offers a masterclass in entrepreneurial thinking, demonstrating how anyone can launch a billion-dollar idea in 30 days, why the laziest person can add 28 years to their life with simple strategies, and how AI is about to eliminate 30% of all jobs while simultaneously creating unprecedented opportunities for those willing to adapt. Jay opens up about his journey from a 21-year-old who knew nothing about computers to becoming a trusted advisor to presidents, the Pope, and Spielberg, and why his latest book comes with a revolutionary AI companion that serves as your personal mentor for navigating life's biggest transition. Key Topics Discussed: The Retirement Trap: Why Stopping Work Kills You Faster Than Stress Jay unveils the sobering reality that most people have a one-week retirement plan, whether it's visiting Paris or organizing a stamp collection, and then they atrophy. Discover the shocking data showing that in your first year of retirement, you lose 30% of your short-term memory, not because your brain naturally decays but because you've given up your social network, your identity, and your purpose. Learn why retirement was designed for when people died at 60 or 65, but if you make it to 60 in the US, you'll most likely live to 90, meaning your second act will be longer than your first act. Jay explains why the Japanese concept of Ikigai, having a purpose to get out of bed, is the single most important factor in the Blue Zones where people thrive into their hundreds. The 30-Day Billion Dollar Idea Formula: How to Guarantee Innovation Jay shares the exact process he taught his university students that resulted in them making $100 million in actual cash in one semester. The formula is deceptively simple: write down three problems in your life every single day for 30 days. Discover why after the first few days you'll think you have no problems because we run our lives on autopilot, and how this forces you to see opportunities in disguise. Learn the story of the timer cap, a 25-cent happy meal watch attached to a pill bottle lid that solved a simple problem and became a major product, then evolved to Bluetooth-enabled medication management for opioids. Jay explains why most successful entrepreneurs didn't invent something new but rather pivoted existing inventions, and why data is your best friend with no ego that should be invited to every decision. From Video Dating Failure to YouTube Billions: The Power of Pivoting Discover the remarkable origin story of YouTube that Jay witnessed firsthand. Brilliant engineers built a video dating site called Tune In Hook Up, and the first video was a guy standing in front of the elephant cage at the zoo explaining why you should date him. The site worked perfectly, but nobody wanted to date these losers. Instead of quitting, they looked at the data and realized that while women didn't want to date that guy, they wanted to send the video to all their friends to say "this is the dating pool." One year later, they changed the name to YouTube and sold the company for $2 billion with zero revenue. Jay explains why failing is different from failure—failing is learning what doesn't work, while failure is throwing in the towel when you don't realize how close success might be. The Lazy Nerd's Guide to Longevity: 28 Extra Years with Minimal Effort Jay reveals the nine bare minimum things anyone can do to add 28 years not just to their lifespan but to their health span, and five of them you do while you're asleep. Discover why everything we learned about health and diet in the 20th century was wrong, created by lobbyists making food pyramids rather than scientists. Learn about the Nobel Prize-winning research on autophagy and intermittent fasting that Jay has simplified for people who, like him, weren't naturally athletic and whose favorite foods were Sampastraman and pasta. Jay explains why he wrote this chapter specifically for people who find the traditional "go to the gym every day" advice too high of a climb, and how AI will cancel most forms of cancer within the decade, making longevity strategies even more valuable. The AI Revolution: 30% Job Loss and the End of Universal Basic Income Fantasies Jay shares his prediction from 10 years ago that seemed crazy at the time but is now confirmed by the head of the International Monetary Fund: AI is going to wipe out 30% of all jobs.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Frank Furnish, an accomplished adventure athlete and mountaineer who is preparing to tackle the ultimate challenge: Mount Everest in just three weeks using a revolutionary new approach to high altitude climbing. In this fascinating pre-expedition conversation, Frank shares the innovative strategy that's transforming how climbers approach the world's highest peak, revealing why spending two months on the mountain may actually be more dangerous than a rapid three-week ascent with proper pre-acclimatization. This episode offers a masterclass in preparation, risk management, and the evolution of extreme mountaineering, demonstrating how technology and new methodologies are making the impossible more achievable while actually increasing safety margins. Frank opens up about his 30-year journey pushing physical limits, his decision to pivot from the North side to the South side just weeks before departure due to Chinese restrictions, and why sleeping in a hypoxic tent in his Virginia guest room for two months is the key to showing up at Everest in peak condition rather than worn down and sick. Key Topics Discussed: The Three Week Everest: Revolutionary Pre-Acclimatization StrategyFrank unveils the game-changing approach that's redefining Everest expeditions. Instead of the traditional two-month climb with multiple rotations up and down the mountain, he's using pre-acclimatization technology to prepare his body before ever leaving Virginia. Discover how sleeping in a hypoxic tent for two months allows climbers to build red blood cells and adapt to altitude at home, then arrive at Everest ready to make one powerful push to the summit. Learn why this approach is actually safer, reducing exposure to the deadly Khumbu Icefall from six passages to just one, minimizing time in the death zone, and avoiding the illnesses that plague climbers living in close quarters at base camp for weeks. Sleeping at Altitude in Virginia: The Hypoxic Tent Experience Discover the fascinating technology behind Frank's preparation as he describes sleeping in a head tent connected to a hypoxic machine that simulates high altitude. Starting at 5,000 feet and progressing 500 feet per night to over 13,500 feet, Frank has been training his body to produce more oxygen-carrying red blood cells without ever leaving home. Learn about the uncomfortable reality of sleeping in a claustrophobic plastic tent with a noisy machine that heats up the room, why his wife relegated him to the guest room for a month and a half, and why this discomfort is worth avoiding the traditional acclimatization rotations that left Mark Pattison 35 pounds lighter and exhausted after two months on Everest. Last Minute Pivot: From North Side to South Side in Two Weeks Frank reveals the dramatic change that occurred just two weeks before this conversation when China suddenly decided not to accept foreign climbers on the North side of Everest. After months of visualizing the North route specifically to avoid crowds, he had to immediately pivot to the South side, the same route Mark climbed. Discover why flexibility and the ability to adapt are essential qualities for any mountaineer, and how Frank's expedition company Furtenbach Adventures was able to seamlessly make the switch while other groups might have been completely out of luck. The Khumbu Icefall Reality: Why Every Passage Matters Mark shares sobering wisdom from his six passages through the notorious Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous sections of the Everest climb. Learn why this constantly shifting maze of ice blocks is far more dangerous than many climbers realize, with routes changing daily as 30-foot ice blocks tumble and collapse. Discover why climbers go through at 2 AM with headlamps when it's coldest, the eerie sound of ice crackling underneath as you cross ladder bridges over bottomless crevasses, and why many Sherpas have lost their lives in this treacherous section. Mark emphasizes that reducing exposure from six passages to one is a massive safety improvement. The 35 Pound Weight Loss: What Two Months on Everest Does to Your Body Mark opens up about the brutal physical toll of traditional Everest expeditions, revealing he lost 35 pounds from his already lean frame during his two-month climb. Discover why his body was at its strongest during his second rotation but had deteriorated significantly by the third, and why he ultimately spent a night at 26,500 feet without supplemental oxygen in conditions he's lucky to have survived. Learn why Frank's approach of arriving in peak physical condition, rested and healthy rather than worn down from weeks of exposure, represents a fundamental improvement in how humans can safely attempt the world's highest peak. Premium Guide Service: Two Sherpas and

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Dov Baron, a renowned leadership expert and emotional intelligence specialist who has spent 40 years studying the hidden frameworks that drive human behavior. In this paradigm-shifting conversation, Dov reveals why traditional approaches to behavioral change and even emotional intelligence fall short, and introduces his revolutionary concept of the Emotional Source Code—the foundational framework built during our formative years that unconsciously drives every decision, relationship, and achievement in our adult lives. This episode offers a masterclass in self-awareness, demonstrating why highly successful people often feel empty despite external achievements, and how understanding the five layers of human psychology can unlock genuine joy, purpose, and sustainable excellence. Dov opens up about his journey from abject poverty in Northern England surrounded by violence and abuse to becoming a trusted advisor to elite performers in politics, entertainment, and business, and why the greatest asset of high achievers is often simultaneously their greatest curse. Key Topics Discussed:The Five Layers of the Emotional Source Code: Why Behavioral Change Doesn't Stick Dov unveils his groundbreaking framework that explains why most personal development work fails to create lasting transformation. Discover the five layers from surface to core: behaviors, beliefs and values, identity, anatomy of meaning, and the emotional source code itself. Learn why changing behavior without addressing identity is like painting over rust, and why your identity—though not actually true—is the most addictive thing in your neurological system. Dov explains how your brain constantly works to qualify, verify, and validate your identity, and why siblings raised in identical environments can develop completely different identities based on the meanings they assigned to childhood experiences. The Resilience Trap: When Your Greatest Strength Becomes Your Greatest Weakness In one of the episode's most powerful insights, Dov challenges the conventional wisdom about resilience, calling his former belief in it "a stupid statement built by a stubborn mind." He explains why the mantra "get knocked down seven times, get up eight" is actually destructive, and why you should instead get knocked down once and stay on your ass long enough to understand why you fell. Discover why highly successful people are invariably driven by unresolved trauma, constantly moving forward not toward something but away from pain, and why this relentless momentum prevents the healing that would unlock genuine joy. Standing on Success Mountain with an Empty Soul: The High Achiever's Dilemma Dov reveals the common experience of his clients—highly successful individuals in politics, arts, entertainment, and business who have climbed to the top of their personal Everest only to discover it felt great for about four seconds before emptiness returned. Learn why these individuals often feel guilty for complaining when they have homes in multiple locations, financial abundance, wonderful families, and every external marker of success. Dov explains this isn't complaining but rather the soul crying out for expression, and why another trophy, achievement, or behavioral adjustment will never fill the hole in the soul. From Abject Poverty to Spiritual Prodigy: The Making of an Emotional Architect Discover Dov's remarkable origin story, born into poverty in Northern England surrounded by crime, violence, addiction, and abuse of all kinds including sexual. Learn how his narcissistic father punched him in the face at nine months old and left when Dov was seven, and how his mother sent him to study with rabbis after he began having mysterious dreams and waking experiences she couldn't understand. By age seven he was studying Kabbalah and the spiritual nature of Judaism, by ten he had taught himself Pranayoga and breathing techniques, and by fourteen he had made a commitment to leave his environment despite severe dyslexia, anxiety, and PTSD from childhood sexual abuse.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Wendolyn Holland, a Yale-educated historian, author, and newly appointed chair of the Historic Preservation Commission in Ketchum, Idaho, for a fascinating deep dive into the rich and surprising history of Sun Valley—one of America's most iconic mountain communities. In this captivating conversation, Wendolyn shares the remarkable story behind her monumental coffee table book that chronicles Sun Valley's evolution from mineral exploration outpost to the first destination ski resort in the United States, and why this remote Idaho valley continues to be voted best resort in North America year after year despite having no interstate highway, no nearby major city, and no massive hotel chains at the base of the mountain. This episode offers a masterclass in Western expansion, geographic destiny, and conscious community preservation, demonstrating how a combination of railroad ambition, volcanic geology, and deliberate planning created a place that has retained its essential charm while other resort towns succumbed to overdevelopment. Wendolyn opens up about her journey from Yale history major to local historian, the treasure trove of original source material she discovered in Ketchum's community library, and why she's now fighting to preserve the human-scaled buildings and authentic character that make Sun Valley special as capitalism and development pressure intensify. Key Topics Discussed: The Yale Thesis That Became a Masterpiece: Justifying Sun Valley as Serious History Wendolyn reveals how she had to convince her professors at Yale—including legendary historians of the American West like Howard Lamar, William Cronin, and Jay Gitlin—that the history of a ski resort in Idaho was worthy of academic pursuit. Discover how she framed Sun Valley's story as part of the larger patterns of Western expansion, railroad development, and how remote communities retain relevance in global economic systems. Learn about the lineage of Western historians at Yale, from Frederick Jackson Turner to modern scholars like Ned Blackhawk and Justin Farrell, and how this intellectual tradition shaped her approach to understanding Sun Valley's place in American history. The Treasure Trove: Original Source Material Nobody Had Touched Discover the moment Wendolyn found the holy grail for history majors—original source material that hadn't been picked over by generations of researchers. At the regional history department of Ketchum's community library, she uncovered handwritten letters, daily journals, and corporate correspondence that told the complete story of how Sun Valley came to be. Learn why she considers this small-town library her favorite in the world, how it was started by a group of women on land donated by the Union Pacific Railroad, and why preserving these archives remains critical to understanding the community's identity. Not Gold Rush but Mineral Extraction: Why Settlement Came Late to Idaho Wendolyn breaks down the geological and economic forces that shaped Idaho's development differently from California, Colorado, and other Western states. Learn about the 1849 California Gold Rush, the 1869 Golden Spike connecting the transcontinental railroad, and how the Oregon Short Line finally reached Hailey in 1882 and Ketchum in 1883. Discover why Idaho didn't experience the massive settlement rushes of neighboring states—the rocks here contained silver, lead, and uranium rather than gold, and the Snake River Plain created a harsh volcanic barrier that slowed westward migration. Wendolyn explains how Lewis and Clark's 1804-1806 expedition passed far to the north, and the first recorded white man to reach the Wood River Valley was Alexander Ross with the Pacific Fur Company in 1824, seeking furs rather than settlement. Count Felix Schaffgotsch: The Austrian Who Found America's Perfect Ski Mountain In one of the episode's most entertaining stories, Wendolyn reveals how Sun Valley was born from the vision of Averell Harriman, the young playboy chairman of Union Pacific Railroad who wanted to boost winter passenger revenue by creating a grand European-style ski resort in America. Learn how Harriman hired Count Felix Schaffgotsch, gave him a free pass to travel the entire Union Pacific line, and sent him on a Goldilocks quest to find the perfect ski mountain. Discover why Aspen was too high, Jackson Hole too remote (Wyoming wouldn't keep Teton Pass open in winter), and Oregon too far from the main line. Hear about the night in 1935 when the Count arrived in Ketchum, stayed at Bald Mountain Hot Springs Hotel, and woke up to see Baldy bathed in brilliant morning light—the moment he declared this the perfect location for America's first destination ski resort.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Jason Kroger, a remarkable survivor who transformed unimaginable tragedy into a mission of hope and inspiration. In this profoundly moving conversation, Jason shares his extraordinary journey from a devastating electrocution accident that claimed both his hands at age 29 to becoming the first person in the world with two bionic hands and a sought-after motivational speaker who proves that limitations are only as powerful as we allow them to be. This episode offers a masterclass in resilience, demonstrating how someone can lose everything they've ever known about their physical capabilities and not only survive but thrive, refusing to accept the role of victim and instead choosing to inspire millions with a message of faith, determination, and relentless pursuit of normalcy. Jason opens up about the moment 70,200 volts of electricity stopped his heart, the agonizing choice his wife faced in the hospital, and why his singular goal of holding his daughters again became the foundation for rebuilding an extraordinary life. Key Topics Discussed: March 1st, 2008: The Day Everything ChangedJason reveals the details of the accident that altered his life forever. At 29 years old, married with two young daughters (21 months and 3 months old), he was taking what he thought would be a quick ATV ride around his grandfather's farm in Kentucky when he struck a downed power line. Learn about the horrifying moment when 70,200 volts of electricity—more than the electric chair—coursed through his body for 30 seconds, stopping his heart completely. Discover how his cousin watched helplessly as sparks flew from Jason's body like Fourth of July fireworks, burning cigarette-sized holes through his clothing, and how hitting the ground hard enough after being thrown from the ATV miraculously restarted his heart. The Hospital Reality: From Thumb to Both Arms In a sobering revelation, Jason shares how he spent the entire helicopter ride to Vanderbilt Hospital convinced he was only going to lose his thumb. Discover the moment he saw his catheter bag filled with urine the color of Dr. Pepper—a sign his kidneys were shutting down from the poisonous toxins created when electricity burns you from the inside out. Learn about the harrowing experience in the hydro room where they pressure-washed his dead skin off without medication while waiting for his wife to arrive, and the devastating conversation where doctors told his 27-year-old wife she had 20 minutes to sign release forms allowing them to amputate whatever necessary or he would die. Waking Up to a New Reality: Both Hands Gone Jason describes the moment he woke from a three-day induced coma, strapped to a bed with no idea what had happened to his body. Hear about the powerful conversation with his father, a former Army drill sergeant who had instilled in Jason the belief that you set goals and work relentlessly to achieve them. Learn why Jason's first thought was to talk to his dad, and the emotional moment when his father delivered the news: "In order to save your life, they had to amputate both of your arms." Jason reflects on what it means to suddenly lose every sensation you've ever known—the feeling of reaching in your pocket, touching silk or cotton, holding your wife's hand—at just 29 years old. The One Goal That Mattered: Holding His Daughters AgainDiscover the transformative conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Guy, who told Jason he'd be hospitalized for months and asked him to think of one realistic goal to accomplish during that time. Without hesitation, Jason knew exactly what he needed: to hold his daughters again. Learn about the emotional negotiation where Jason convinced Dr. Guy to unhook him from every tube, catheter, and monitor so he could go to the waiting room—risking having to have his feeding tube reinserted if he didn't start eating. Jason shares the profound peace he felt after accomplishing this singular, most important goal, and how it gave him confidence that everything else would fall into place. The Bionic Breakthrough: First Person in the World with Two Bionic Hands Jason unveils his journey to obtaining the revolutionary prosthetics that changed everything. Despite being told he'd never receive the $150,000-per-hand electric bionic devices because insurance would deny coverage, Jason fought relentlessly and became the first person in the world with two multi-articulating bionic hands. Learn how the technology works through muscle sensors on his forearms that detect when he feels like raising or lowering his wrist, opening and closing the hands and rotating them through thought-controlled muscle movements. Discover why Jason has been the first person in the world five times with the newest bionic hand technology, and his current work with doctors on internal sensors that would provide actual sensation.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Jon Gordon, the internationally renowned leadership expert and bestselling author of 32 books including the iconic The Energy Bus, for an inspiring conversation about positive leadership, the power of process over results, and why the greatest leaders learn to love the battle rather than fear it. In this energizing episode, Jon reveals the counterintuitive truth that he's not naturally positive but rather has spent his life mastering the art of overcoming negativity, and shares the profound insights he's gained from working with championship coaches and Fortune 500 companies around the world. This episode offers a masterclass in sustainable excellence, demonstrating why commitment always trumps goals, how forgiveness unlocks creativity, and why the teams that connect deeply become the ones that commit fully. Jon opens up about his journey from restaurant owner to thought leader, the writers block that changed his philosophy forever, and the revolutionary culture-building framework he uses with NFL coaches like Sean McVay, Kevin O'Connell, and Mike Macdonald to create winning organizations.\n\nKey Topics Discussed:\n\nFrom 32 Books to the Next Challenge: The Power of Loving What's Next\nJon reveals how he discovered his calling to write and speak at age 30 after losing his job during the dot-com crash and selling his struggling restaurants. Discover why he believes everyone has a unique skill set and his was specifically to write books, speak about them, and share transformative messages. Learn about his upcoming book The Power of Positive Habits launching in May, which focuses not on habit strategies like Atomic Habits but on the specific habits that elevate you personally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Jon explains why he's already thinking about his next few books and how each new idea emerges and crystallizes into frameworks worth sharing.\n\nWhy Leadership Needs the Word "Positive": We've Polluted the Concept\nIn one of the episode's most powerful insights, Jon explains why we shouldn't need the term "positive leadership" at all—it should just be leadership. Just like we use the term "organic food" because we've polluted our food supply, we use "positive leadership" because we've polluted leadership itself. Discover why human nature leads to bad leadership through ego, self-preservation, survival instincts, and focusing on "me" instead of "we." Jon reveals that most leaders are either leading from their wounds or healing from them, and until you heal your wounds, you'll hurt people in your leadership.\n\nThe Forgiveness Breakthrough: How Letting Go Unlocked Creativity\nJon shares the deeply personal story of how his biological father left when he was one year old, and years later when he decided to pursue writing and speaking as his calling, he couldn't write. He visited his father with his daughter, forgave him, and when he returned home, the words finally flowed. Learn why if he hadn't let go of the old, he couldn't have created the new, and why leaders carrying emotional weight find it affects their health, wellbeing, mindset, and leadership ability. Jon introduces the principle from his new book: forgive fast—the sooner you forgive, the faster you grow.\n\nLove Casts Out Fear: The Game-Changing Mindset Shift\nDiscover the profound revelation Jon received during writers block while working on The Carpenter: love casts out fear. He explains how focusing on loving the reader, loving the writing, and loving the process eliminated his anxiety and unlocked the story. This principle has become central to his coaching work with NFL quarterbacks, players, and coaches who allow the joy to be sucked from them. Learn why when you focus on love—loving the battle, loving the competition, loving what you get to do—fear dissipates and you rise to a higher level in wellbeing, mindset, and performance.\n\nCommitments Over Goals: Why Every Team Wants a Super Bowl But Only One Wins\nJon unveils the core philosophy from his book The Seven Commitments of a Great Team, which he wrote in just 16 days. He explains why everyone talks about goals but your goals won't take you where you want to go—every team wants to win a Super Bowl but only one does. Commitments lead you to your goals. Commitments are greater than goals. Goals are great, but commitments lead to greatness. Learn about the commitment to vision and mission, the commitment to giving your best, getting better, staying positive through challenges, and most importantly, the commitment to each other.\n\nThe Secret Formula: Devotion Over Discipline\nJon breaks down his formula for giving your best, revealing that while discipline and consistency are important, it's devotion that drives discipline.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Kristen Ulmer, former US Ski Team mogul skier turned extreme skiing legend who held the title of best female big mountain extreme skier in the world for 12 consecutive years. In this paradigm-shifting conversation, Kristen reveals why everything we've been taught about conquering and overcoming fear is fundamentally wrong, and shares the revolutionary approach that transformed her from adrenaline junkie to thought leader on fear and anxiety. This episode offers a complete reframe on one of humanity's most misunderstood emotions, demonstrating why fear isn't something to be eliminated or overcome, but rather something to embrace intimately as a performance enhancer and pathway to flow states. Kristen shares powerful insights from her death-defying career jumping off 70-foot cliffs on skis, her interviews with legends like Alex Honnold and Laird Hamilton, and why the goal of being fearless is not only impossible but actually causing the anxiety epidemic plaguing modern society. Key Topics Discussed: From US Ski Team to Extreme Skiing Legend: Choosing Danger Over Amateur Status Kristen reveals how she went from mogul skiing on the US Ski Team to becoming the most celebrated female extreme skier in the world. Faced with a choice between remaining an amateur athlete or getting paid to jump off cliffs into powder from helicopters in Canada, she chose the latter because she couldn't afford to stay on the team. Discover how her natural talent in the air immediately caught filmmakers' attention and launched a 12-year reign at the top of one of the world's most dangerous sports. The Deadly Reality of Extreme Sports: Over 100 Friends Lost In a sobering moment, Kristen shares that she's lost over 100 friends to extreme sports, including four ex-boyfriends, and experienced more than 60 near-death experiences during her career. Learn what "extreme" truly means: the consequences of failure are death or injury. Despite media portrayals of athletes like Kristen, Alex Honnold, and Laird Hamilton as "fearless," she reveals the truth: none of them are fearless. They're all willing to feel fear to an extreme degree because it makes them feel alive. The Revolutionary Insight: Fear Times Intimacy Equals Flow Kristen unveils her groundbreaking framework that's transforming how elite performers and corporations understand fear. Fear times resistance equals anxiety, depression, insomnia, anger, and underperformance. But fear times intimacy equals flow states. She challenges flow expert Steven Kotler's assertion that "when there's fear involved, flow comes for free," clarifying that flow only comes when there's fear AND intimacy with that fear. This distinction separates the best in the world from everyone else. The Fearless Myth: Why No Expert Claims to Be One Discover why Kristen has virtually no competition as a thought leader on fear and anxiety. She reveals that she Googled "fear experts" and found nobody willing to claim that title, because we falsely believe that to be a fear expert, you must be fearless and teach others to be fearless—neither of which is possible or desirable. Learn why the subtitle of her book The Art of Fear is "Why Conquering Fear Won't Work and What to Do Instead." Interviews with 26 Elite Athletes: Only 3 Understood Their Relationship with Fear For the documentary Voices of Fear, Kristen interviewed 26 professional danger sports athletes at the top of their game, spending two hours with each asking one question: What is your relationship with fear? Only three athletes—all in their 40s and the absolute best in the world at their sports—said they had an intimate relationship with fear. Twenty had no idea what their relationship was, citing clichés like "I don't let it get the better of me." Three became so upset at the suggestion they had fear that one nearly punched her in the face. Fear as Noun vs. Scared as Adjective: Redefining the Language Kristen makes a critical distinction that changes everything: fear is a noun, a feeling of discomfort in the body that's always present like food or oxygen. Scared or afraid are adjectives—only two ways fear shows up, and they're very rare. Fear also shows up as aliveness, presence, focus, intuition, and what we now call anxiety. We've stopped calling it fear because of stigma, but understanding this linguistic shift unlocks a completely different relationship with the emotion. The 4% Rule: Alex Honnold's Path to Free Soloing El Capitan Learn the exact process by which Alex Honnold went from regular climber to free soloing El Capitan. Kristen reveals the 4% rule:

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Jim Sonefeld, the original drummer and founding member of the iconic 90s rock band Hootie and the Blowfish, for an extraordinary conversation about fame, addiction, redemption, and the power of second chances. In this deeply moving episode, Jim opens up about his remarkable journey from playing sold-out stadiums with one of the biggest bands of the 1990s to battling alcoholism, finding sobriety, and reinventing himself as a contemporary Christian artist, speaker, and devoted father. This episode offers a masterclass in resilience, demonstrating how someone can achieve extraordinary success, lose themselves in the process, and ultimately find their true summit through faith, discipline, and authentic self-discovery. Jim shares the untold story behind writing the massive hit "Hold My Hand," the surreal experience of going from bar band to number one album in America, and why stepping away from fame at age 40 to get sober was the most important decision of his life. Key Topics Discussed: Born a Drummer: When Rhythm Lives Inside You Jim reveals how he was born with rhythm in his fingertips and toes, constantly tapping and hearing beats that no one else could hear. Discover how his parents recognized this wasn't just hyperactivity or ADD but a genuine musical gift, leading them to get him drum lessons instead of therapy. Learn about his early influences, from Elton John to classic rock, and how Stewart Copeland of The Police became one of his drumming idols with his fierce, aggressive, internationally-influenced style. From Soccer Star to Rock Star: The University of South Carolina Years Jim shares his journey as a competitive soccer player who attended the University of South Carolina, where he would meet his three future bandmates who would change his life forever. Discover how the band formed in Columbia, South Carolina's state capital, and how they spent years playing bars and building a grassroots following throughout the Southeast before anyone outside the region knew their name. The David Letterman Moment That Changed Everything In one of the episode's most fascinating stories, Jim reveals the exact moment when luck met preparation. Their album Cracked Rear View was charting at 127 and heading toward obscurity when David Letterman heard "Hold My Hand" on his drive home from work. He called his booker and said "get these clowns on my show," and their three minutes and 20 seconds in front of five million viewers changed their trajectory forever. Learn about the surreal experience of going from opening for bands in theaters to headlining amphitheaters for 20,000 people almost overnight. Writing a Hit Song: How "Hold My Hand" Came to Be Jim breaks down the mysterious alchemy of songwriting, explaining how "Hold My Hand" flowed out of him in a moment of authentic expression. Discover why the simplest, most sincere songs often become the most memorable, and why timing is everything. Jim shares the powerful insight that luck is where preparation meets opportunity, and how this principle played out repeatedly throughout Hootie's career, from getting signed by Atlantic Records to that fateful Letterman appearance. The Warning from David Crosby: Fame Will Eat You Alive During the recording of Cracked Rear View, legendary musician David Crosby came to the studio and sang with the band. As he left, he offered a profound warning: "You're a musician because of what is happening in your heart. Don't ever forget that because you're about to enter this thing called the business world, and it will eat you alive." Jim candidly admits that as a young man caught up in the possibilities of success, he didn't take the warning personally, and it took him years to understand what Crosby was trying to tell him. The Dark Side of Success: When the Party Becomes Your Prison Jim opens up about how the music industry provides the perfect camouflage for addiction and destructive behavior. Unlike professional sports where peak physical condition is required, rock and roll allows you to slide, to party too much, to make headlines for the wrong reasons, and people just say "that's what rock stars do." Learn how Jim's drinking, which started as celebration and social lubrication, gradually became a coping mechanism for fear, pride, and the anxiety of maintaining success. The Three Things That Break Up Bands: Women, Drugs, or Money Jim shares the wisdom from a producer who warned them early on about the three forces that destroy bands. Discover how Hootie and the Blowfish navigated divorces, remarriages, blended families, changing musical directions, and the pressure of following up the massive success of Cracked Rear View. Jim explains why staying together for over 30 years is perhaps a greater achievement than any album sales or chart positions.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Tom Ziglar, CEO of Ziglar Inc. and son of the legendary motivational icon Zig Ziglar, for an inspiring conversation about legacy, leadership, and the art of scaling impact beyond a single generation. In this deeply insightful episode, Tom reveals how he transformed his father's timeless wisdom into a modern coaching and leadership empire while overcoming the immense pressure of living up to one of the most recognizable names in personal development history. This episode offers a masterclass in authentic leadership, the power of daily disciplines, and why the greatest leaders focus on asking questions rather than giving orders. Tom shares the pivotal moments that shaped his father's legendary career, his own journey from self-imposed pressure to authentic impact, and the revolutionary coaching methodology that's transforming corporate cultures across the globe. Key Topics Discussed: The Pivotal Moment That Created Zig Ziglar Tom reveals the transformative encounter that changed everything for his father. After two and a half years of sales failures, a mentor named P.C. Merrell told young Zig: "In all my years, I've never seen such a waste. But if you believed in yourself and went to work on a regular schedule, you could be a champion." That single moment sparked a lifelong journey into understanding belief and consistent action. The result? Zig went from never cracking the top 5,000 salespeople to finishing number two out of 7,000 in a single year. Learn why that "but" negated everything negative before it and became the foundation for decades of impact. The Daily Practice That Built a Legacy Discover the one habit that made Zig Ziglar who we know him to be. For nearly 40 years, Zig woke up early and spent the first two to three hours reading, researching scripture, and studying books of inspiration and motivation so he could internalize it, personalize it, and share it with someone else for their benefit. Tom emphasizes that last part is critical because when you seek to understand people's problems first and your motive is for them to win, combined with a daily practice of learning something new to benefit someone else, it fundamentally changes who you are as a person. Overcoming the Shadow of a Legend In one of the episode's most vulnerable moments, Tom opens up about the self-imposed lie that nearly derailed his speaking career. Despite his father never pressuring him to follow a certain path, Tom realized he was telling himself that audiences wanted him to be like Zig. The anxiety was crippling until he had a breakthrough: audiences don't want you to be like someone else; they want you to have the same principles and values while being authentically yourself. Once Tom embraced his nerdy style, dry humor, slower pace, and conversational approach, the anxiety disappeared and his impact multiplied. Success, Significance, and Legacy: The Three Levels of Impact Tom breaks down Ziglar's powerful framework for measuring your life's work. Success is achieving your goals through personal development and discipline. Significance is helping someone else be, do, or have more than they thought possible. Legacy is when you not only help people become successful but teach them how to teach others. The progression represents a shift from self-focused achievement to multiplication of impact across generations. Tom challenges listeners to evaluate where they are on this spectrum and what it would take to move to the next level. The Wheel of Life: Seven Areas of Balanced Success Learn about the Ziglar goal setting system and the Wheel of Life, which includes seven critical areas: mental, spiritual, physical, family, financial, personal, and career. Tom explains why achieving great career success while losing your health isn't really success, and why having good physical health but losing family relationships isn't either. The key is intentional development across all seven areas, following the Be-Do-Have philosophy: you must be the right person first, then do the right things, before you can have all that life offers. Coach Leadership: The Revolutionary Alternative to Command and Control Tom unveils Ziglar's powerful five-step coaching process that's transforming corporate cultures. The fundamental insight: 98% of people would rather be asked what to do than told what to do. Coach leadership focuses on asking powerful questions like "What does success mean to you?" and "Why is that important?" rather than issuing top-down directives. When employees create their own plans through guided questioning, they develop ownership, and ownership drives follow-through. This approach aligns personal goals with company missions, creating allies for life rather than reluctant compliance.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Kevin DeRooy, an award-winning filmmaker and extreme adventurer who has turned personal trauma into transformative storytelling. In this deeply moving conversation, Kevin shares his remarkable journey from a devastating divorce to conquering mountains around the world, and ultimately experiencing clinical death for 15 minutes—an encounter that forever changed his understanding of life, purpose, and the spiritual dimension of extreme adventure. Find Kevin DeRooy at TrueSummit.LLC or email Kevin at TrueSummit.LLC to learn more about The Journey Within docu-seriessue extreme challenges aren't running toward something—they're running away from pain, trauma, and a life they're afraid to face. Kevin and Mark dive deep into the psychology of risk-taking, the healing power of mountains, and the mysterious "third man phenomenon" that guides people at the edge of survival. Key Topics Discussed: From Divorce to Denali: When Trauma Drives Adventure Kevin opens up about his 2000 divorce and how emotional devastation drove him to climb Mount Rainier with a group of flatlander friends from Michigan. Discover the transcendent moment at sunrise on the summit that hooked him on mountaineering and set him on a path toward the Explorers Grand Slam—the seven summits plus skiing to both the North and South Poles. Learn why he believes most extreme adventurers aren't afraid of dying—they're afraid of living. The 18-Inch Journey: From Head to Heart In one of the episode's most powerful insights, Kevin reveals his discovery that if you can't make the 17-18 inch journey from your head (where trauma lives) to your heart (where passion and purpose reside), you'll have to climb 18,000 feet or travel 18,000 miles. Whatever we can't internalize, we always externalize. Hear how years of extreme adventures led him to understand that he wasn't looking for something—he needed to find what he'd left behind. Clinically Dead for 15 Minutes: A Divine Encounter Kevin shares the extraordinary story of September 21st when he collapsed during a routine training run and experienced cardiac arrest—the same day, decades earlier, that his maternal grandfather died from a heart issue. Learn about his out-of-body experience, his encounter with what he believes was the risen Christ, and the message he received: "Your mission is not complete. Your time has not yet come." Discover what the ambulance driver told him months later that sent shivers down his spine about straddling two dimensions. The 2,000-Yard Stare: Recognizing Combat-Level Trauma During expeditions to Mount Ararat in Turkey searching for Noah's Ark, special operations veterans told Kevin something that changed his life: "You have the same 2,000-yard vacuous stare that we all have." These combat warriors recognized in Kevin's eyes the signs of deep trauma—always punishing the past, poisoning the present, and fearing the future, but never being present. This revelation began his multi-year journey into therapy, community, and contemplation to access parts of himself he'd been unable to reach. The Journey Within: A Revolutionary Docu-Series Kevin unveils his groundbreaking four-part documentary series that reframes survival stories and athletic achievements as catalysts for spiritual awakening. Episode one, The True Summit, explores the 1924 Everest expedition where Mallory and Irvine disappeared into legend—revealing that all those climbers were World War I veterans seeking the silent space above the clouds to escape the human carnage they'd witnessed. ode offers profound insights for anyone struggling with trauma, seeking purpose beyond achievement, or wondering if there's something more beyond the physical realm. As Kevin powerfully demonstrates, the mountains we climb externally are really inside us, and when we go out and go far and go up, we're actually going deep and going in. The journey within is the greatest expedition of all. For more information, visit www.MarkPattersonNFL.com and download your free PDF guide "What's Your Everest" to start accomplishing your biggest goals. Check out Mark's book Finding Your Summit, detailing his epic Mount Everest journey, NFL career, and the lessons learned along the way. Find Kevin DeRooy at TrueSummit.LLC or email Kevin at TrueSummit.LLC to learn more about The Journey Within docu-series and how you can

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Kim Alexis, the iconic supermodel who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated six times and defined beauty in the 1980s. In this refreshingly candid conversation, Kim shares her remarkable journey from Buffalo swimming pools to New York City runways, and how she's transformed herself from a household name in fashion to a passionate advocate for healthy aging, wellness, and empowering women to find beauty from within. This episode delivers a masterclass in reinvention, demonstrating how someone can leverage past success into meaningful purpose while aging gracefully and authentically. Kim opens up about the challenges of transitioning from a career built on youth and beauty to becoming a certified fitness instructor, integrative health practitioner, and wellness ambassador—proving that true beauty and relevance come from continuous growth, adaptation, and service to others. Key Topics Discussed: From Swimmer to Supermodel: The Unexpected Journey Kim reveals how she went from being a competitive swimmer in Buffalo with zero fashion knowledge to navigating the cutthroat modeling industry at just 18 years old. Learn how she kept her mouth shut, listened to experts, and approached modeling like an athlete—showing up prepared, maintaining discipline, and setting firm boundaries in New York City without parental guidance. Discover the moment she took over Lauren Hutton's Revlon contract and became the face of ageless beauty. Live TV at 24 Hours Notice: Embracing the Unknown In one of the episode's most inspiring moments, Kim shares how she landed a fashion correspondent role on Good Morning America with Charlie Gibson—despite having zero broadcast experience and being told she'd go live the very next morning. Drawing on her parents' philosophy of "just try new things," Kim reveals how she said yes to opportunity and launched a three-year broadcasting career by simply being willing to fail. Learn about her experiences on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live, and what made Oprah's warmth and curiosity so special. The Art of Reinvention: From Beauty Icon to Wellness Warrior Kim candidly discusses retiring from modeling at 26 when her Revlon contract ended, and how having a "brand" before anyone understood what that meant opened unexpected doors. Discover how she transitioned through multiple careers—broadcasting, writing 10 books (including e-books on Amazon that required learning an entirely new writing style without citations), and eventually finding her true calling in health and wellness. Kim explains why being a great student didn't help in modeling but became her superpower in every career that followed. Aging Gracefully at 65: No Surgeries, Just Science and Discipline Kim shares her philosophy on healthy aging, revealing she's 65 years old and hasn't had any cosmetic surgeries—she's living proof that nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle choices create lasting beauty. As the Wellness Ambassador for Trilogy active adult communities, she creates meal plans, inspires residents, and recently completed her integrative health practitioner certification to dive deep into functional medicine, at-home testing, and how different systems in the body affect each other. Reducing Inflammation: Practical Tips for Feeling Your Best Get actionable wellness advice as Kim breaks down the inflammation epidemic affecting so many people. Learn which foods are inflammatory (wheat, nightshades like tomatoes, certain vegetables high in oxalates) and why most people are severely imbalanced between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Kim explains why supplementing with omega-3s can be life-changing unless you're eating four to five servings of salmon, sardines, anchovies, or mackerel weekly—and the important caveat about blood thinners. Mental Health Thr

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Shep Rose, the beloved reality TV star who has captivated audiences for 11 consecutive seasons on Bravo's Southern Charm. In this refreshingly honest conversation, Shep opens up about the darker side of fame, his transformative journey with plant medicine, and how he's redefining success beyond the camera's glare. This episode offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain of reality television stardom, exploring the paradox of living a seemingly charmed life while battling the very real challenges of maintaining authenticity, purpose, and balance when the world expects you to be the life of every party. Key Topics Discussed: The Reality Behind Reality TV: When the Party Becomes Your Prison Shep candidly reveals how he found himself trapped in a persona—the fun-loving, always-available guy who never says no. Learn how idolizing renegades like Joe Namath and living up to the hype of being everyone's favorite party companion led him to a crossroads at 33, where he realized he was losing control. Discover the moment he knew something had to change and why idle hands truly can be the devil's workshop when you have free time and a pocket full of cash. The Ayahuasca Journey: A Psychedelic Reckoning with Excess In a serendipitous meeting at Rhythmia in Costa Rica, Shep and Mark connected during Shep's transformative plant medicine experience—a journey he's now chronicling in his upcoming book Nothing in Moderation: A Psychedelic Reckoning with Excess. Shep shares powerful insights from his three-night ayahuasca ceremony, including the profound moment when the shaman told him "you are okay, brother"—a message he interpreted as confirmation that everything he needs is already within him. Learn about his revelations on following your heart, the empty pursuit of want versus need, and why surrendering to the experience unlocked possibilities he never imagined. The Paradox of Celebrity: Platform as Blessing and Burden Discover how Shep has evolved his relationship with fame, transforming from someone who took criticism personally to understanding that his platform offers tremendous opportunity to serve others. From charity work supporting epilepsy research to the simple act of making someone's weekend with a photo, Shep reveals how he's learned to appreciate the responsibility that comes with public recognition. Hear about his relationship with Bravo executive Andy Cohen and the hard conversation that changed his perspective on accountability. Charleston's Magic: Why This Southern City Captivates Millions Shep unpacks what makes Charleston the perfect backdrop for Southern Charm's success, drawing parallels to General Grant's decision to spare the city during the Civil War because of its undeniable beauty. Learn why the show works as a window into "erudite South"—well-educated, well-spoken, aesthetically beautiful—and how it satisfies curiosity about Southern culture in the tradition of Mark Twain, Flannery O'Connor, and Faulkner. Discover why Charleston itself is a character in the show and how the cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and coastal setting create television magic. The Art of Saying Yes: Adventure, Passion, and Purpose Shep reveals his life philosophy: say yes to 90% of opportunities that come your way. But he's also learned the hard way that this approach can be both his secret to an extraordinary life and his kryptonite. Explore how he's finding balance between being everything to everyone and maintaining boundaries, and why chasing passions like fly fishing, surfing, hunting, and golf has led him to Christmas Island and connections with fascinating people around the world. Online Hate vs. Real-World Love: The Keyboard Warrior Phenomenon In a powerful reflection on modern culture, Shep discusses the stark contrast between online trolls and in-person interactions. He shares why he now has empathy for people who spend time writing nasty comments online, recognizing a deep sadness that drives such behavior. Learn why he's become a fan of his own show, how he's stopped taking editing choices personally, and why the only people who matter are those actually living life rather than constantly commenting on others. The Future Beyond Southern Charm: Writing, Travel, and What's Next As the show evolves with younger cast members and Shep approaches his mid-40s, he opens up about his vision for the future. Learn about his developing travel projects with Southern Charm creator Whitney, his commitment to writing, his thoughts on family and finding the right partner, and why his primary allegiance remains with Bravo despite imperfections. Shep explains why he's not rushing into anything—especially the biggest decision of his life: choosing a life partner. Perspective from the Road: Lessons from

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with legendary college football coach Chris Peterson for a masterclass in leadership, culture-building, and the art of developing people beyond their sport. Chris, who built an extraordinary legacy with a 79% career winning percentage, two Coach of the Year awards, and championship runs at both Boise State and the University of Washington, opens up about why he stepped away from coaching at the peak of his career and what he's learned about leadership that transcends the game. This episode goes deep into the philosophy that defined Chris's coaching career: Built for Life—a comprehensive approach to using the demanding platform of football to build character, discipline, and life skills that players carry long after their playing days end. Mark and Chris explore the critical distinction between rules and standards, the importance of organizational alignment, and why the greatest enemy to success isn't the opponent across the field—it's the dysfunction within your own building. Key Topics Discussed: The Built for Life Philosophy: From Concept to Culture Chris reveals how Built for Life emerged when he unexpectedly became Boise State's head coach, transforming from someone who just wanted to coach offense into a leader who understood that sustainable success requires intentional culture-building. Learn how he developed "train tracks" to keep the program on course during both winning streaks and inevitable setbacks, and why his seniors consistently described the program not in terms of football success, but as a life-changing experience that prepared them for everything beyond the game. The Paradox of Leadership: It's About Others AND About You Discover the two fundamental rules of leadership that Chris has distilled from decades of experience: Rule #1—Leadership is about service and sacrifice for others, aligning and empowering them to unlock their potential. Rule #2—Leadership is paradoxically all about you: self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-improvement. Chris candidly admits his biggest mistake as a coach was spending too much time trying to "get them right" instead of first getting himself right, and why leaders must build their best selves before demanding excellence from others. The Enemy Within: Why Alignment Matters More Than Talent In one of the episode's most powerful insights, Chris explains that after working with multiple organizations since stepping away from coaching, he's discovered the real opponent isn't external competition—it's internal misalignment. Learn why lack of alignment, conflicting egos, and self-interest destroy more teams than any external competitor ever could, and why getting everyone "rowing in the same direction" must happen before you even talk about beating the opposition. Standards vs. Rules: Building Excellence from the Bottom Up Chris draws a critical distinction between rules (what you do at your lowest) and standards (what you aspire to at your best). Discover how he evolved from focusing on rules to building a culture around standards, and why the questionnaires he gave players twice annually revealed they were absorbing life lessons about teamwork, discipline, and character that would serve them for decades. The Process Over Results: Embracing Hard Things Both Mark and Chris share powerful examples of loving the process and embracing difficulty—from Mark's Mount Everest attempt where he literally stepped over bodies to Chris's realization that a leader's primary job is solving problems for others. Learn why the things we're most proud of in life are always on the other side of hard work, why we're wired for comfort but fulfilled by challenge, and how to reframe setbacks as learning opportunities in a results-obsessed world. Leading Yourself First: The Oxygen Mask Principle Chris reveals his biggest regret from 14 years as a head coach: not building his best self while demanding excellence from players. In the 24/7/365 pressure cooker of college football, he found himself sliding backwards, becoming narrower and more worn down. Discover why leaders must have a deliberate plan to maintain their energy, optimism, and presence, and why showing up with your best energy is the foundation for inspiring others to do the same. Why Chris Stepped Away: Purpose, Independence, and Balance In a candid discussion, Chris explains his decision to leave coaching at the top of his game, revealing that he needed clarity about why he was sliding backwards despite external success. Using Morgan Housel's formula for a good life—Purpose + Independence—Chris reflects on how coaching gave him tremendous purpose but zero independence, while his current work helping coaches and organizations with leadership provides balance he never had before. The Cost of Excellence and the Hypocritical Coach Chris doesn't hold back about the all-consuming nature of elite coaching and the irony that coaches spend their lives

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! Host Mark Pattison sits down with Hondo Carpenter, the longest-tenured beat reporter for the Las Vegas Raiders, for a candid deep-dive into organizational dysfunction, leadership failures, and what it takes to build winning cultures in professional sports. As a former Raiders player himself, Mark brings unique insight to this conversation about a storied franchise struggling to find its identity in the modern NFL. Hondo, who has covered multiple NFL teams including the Raiders, Rams, and Chiefs for Sports Illustrated, delivers an unflinching analysis of the Raiders' tumultuous 2024-25 season and explores the critical question on every fan's mind: How does Tom Brady's minority ownership role influence the franchise's future? This episode offers rare insider access to the inner workings of an NFL organization in crisis, examining everything from Pete Carroll's failed tenure to the upcoming draft decision on potential generational talent Cam Ward (Mendoza). Key Topics Discussed: The Pete Carroll Experiment: Why It Failed Hondo breaks down the discombobulation that plagued the 2024-25 Raiders season, revealing how a Hall of Fame coach was undermined from day one. Learn why Pete Carroll succeeds when he's in charge but struggles when he's not, and how the organization's "group think" approach led to confusion at every level—from players not knowing what plays were being called to six different offensive coordinators in three years for quarterback Aiden O'Connell. Tom Brady's Ownership Role: Asset or Obstacle? In a revealing analysis, Hondo explores the complexities of having the greatest player of all time as a minority owner. Drawing on insights from Magic Johnson about the difficulty of transitioning from legendary player to effective leader, discover why Brady needs to be more present in the building and how his "true north" role is both the Raiders' greatest hope and potential stumbling block. Mark Davis: The Misunderstood Owner Hondo offers a controversial but compelling defense of Raiders owner Mark Davis, explaining how Al Davis—an American icon—completely failed to teach his son the football business. Learn how Mark has grown the franchise from $750 million to nearly $8 billion, built the NFL's best stadium and facilities, yet continues to struggle with football decisions because he's receiving conflicting advice and lacks organizational stability. The Leadership Principle That Changes Everything "Everything rises and falls on leadership"—Hondo's father's steel industry wisdom applies perfectly to the Raiders' situation. Discover why stability and staying true to a vision matters more than talent, as evidenced by elite coaches like Carmen Brassillo leaving the Raiders' dysfunction only to transform the Giants' offensive line into a top-five unit. Cam Ward (Mendoza): The Generational Talent Get an exclusive NFL scout's perspective on the 2025 draft's top quarterback prospect. Hondo reveals why the Raiders were tracking Mendoza before the season began, how he overcame his tendency to drop his eyes under pressure, and why he's "as close to Trevor Lawrence as there's been since Trevor came out." Learn what separates college quarterbacks who succeed in the NFL from those who don't—it's all about the processor. The Processor: Why College Stars Fail in the NFL Mark shares insider knowledge about the massive mental leap from college to professional football, explaining why physical talent alone doesn't translate to NFL success. The ability to read entire fields in nanoseconds while monsters rush at you requires a highly developed mental processor that many college stars simply don't possess. What's Next for the Raiders? With the number one draft pick, a new head coach search underway, and Tom Brady's involvement still being defined, Hondo outlines what must happen for the Raiders to return to "Just Win, Baby" glory. The answer: organizational alignment, coaching stability, and letting the next head coach pick his own staff without interference. This episode delivers critical lessons for anyone in leadership—whether you're running an NFL franchise, a business, or a team of any kind. As Hondo powerfully demonstrates, talent without stability, vision without execution, and ownership without alignment creates nothing but expensive mediocrity. The Raiders have spent nearly $75 million on coaches no longer with the organization. It's time for a different approach. For more information, visit www.MarkPattersonNFL.com and check out Mark's new book Finding Your Summit, detailing his epic Mount Everest journey, NFL career, and the lessons learned along the way. Download your free PDF guide "What's Your Everest" to start accomplishing your biggest goals. Find Hondo Carpenter on Twitter @HondoCarpenter, on Instagram and Threads @HondoSR, on YouTube at Las Vegas Raiders Insider with Hondo Carpenter, and at SI.com/NFL/Raiders/OnSI for the most comprehensive Raiders coverage available.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! After a year and a half hiatus, host Mark Pattison returns with an incredible entrepreneurial journey featuring Jacob Salem, CEO of Easy Metrics, who transformed himself from a credit card debt-laden fitness trainer into a $15 million business empire through speaking, coaching, and digital marketing. This episode delivers a masterclass in business scaling, social media marketing, and building sustainable revenue streams. Jacob shares the raw truth about his early struggles and the strategic decisions that catapulted him from barely making ends meet to managing $4 million per month in client advertising and building multiple seven-figure companies. Key Topics Discussed: The Comeback Story: From Debt to Seven Figures Jacob opens up about his early days working multiple jobs, playing the credit card shuffle game, and making the bold decision to invest in himself through Zig Ziglar's certification program at age 22. Learn how he leveraged credibility from established brands to open doors and build trust with clients who initially doubted his age and experience. Social Media Marketing vs. Digital Marketing: The Critical Difference Discover why understanding the distinction between these two approaches can make or break your business. Jacob explains how to leverage social media platforms (which you don't own) to drive traffic into your own digital ecosystem (which you do own) - protecting yourself from algorithm changes and platform deletions that can wipe out years of work overnight. Content Strategy That Actually Works Get insider knowledge on what content performs best across different platforms, why Facebook's algorithm only shows your posts to 2-3% of followers organically, and how to create thumb-stopping paid ads that interrupt zombie scrolling. Jacob shares his proven approach to balancing images, videos, and links for maximum organic reach. The Power of Lead Magnets and Email Marketing Learn why "the money is in the list" only if you know how to use it. Jacob breaks down his automated drip email sequences that build trust, establish credibility, and nurture prospects toward buying decisions - all while you sleep. Discover the eliminate-automate-delegate philosophy that allows him to scale multiple businesses simultaneously. Leaving Money on the Table: The Speaker's Biggest Mistake Jacob reveals why most speakers miss massive revenue opportunities by treating keynotes as one-time transactions. Find out how to capture audiences, create backend offers, and build recurring revenue streams that transform a $10,000 speaking gig into six-figure opportunities. Scaling to $15 Million: The Real Numbers From managing $60,000 per month in personal ad spend to overseeing $4 million monthly for clients, Jacob shares the metrics, strategies, and mindset shifts required to scale. He discusses his multiple seven-figure ventures including Easy Metrics, SalemSpeakers.com, and SellCourses.com. 2026 Vision: The Thousand Gig Goal Jacob unveils his big hairy audacious goal for 2026 - booking 1,000 speaking gigs for clients through SalemSpeakers.com, including the story of helping one speaker close a six-figure corporate training contract. This episode is packed with actionable strategies for entrepreneurs, speakers, and business owners ready to stop leaving money on the table and start building scalable, sustainable businesses. As Mark emphasizes, success isn't about the summit - it's about loving the process and staying in the ring. Don't miss this powerful conversation about entrepreneurship, digital marketing mastery, and what it really takes to scale. For more information, visit www.MarkPattersonNFL.com and check out Mark's new book Finding Your Summit, detailing his epic Mount Everest journey, NFL career, and the lessons learned along the way. Download your free PDF guide "What's Your Everest" to start accomplishing your biggest goals. Find Jacob Salem on all social media platforms at @JacobSalem (most active on Facebook) and check out his book Speaker Millionaire Secrets to learn his proven systems for generating revenue through speaking, coaching, and online courses.

Welcome back to Finding Your Summit! After a two-year hiatus, host Mark Pattison returns with an incredible conversation featuring legendary football coach Jim Mora, who recently made the leap from UConn to become the new head coach at Colorado State University. This episode marks a special full-circle moment as Jim was Mark's very first podcast guest on Episode 1, and now returns for Episode 276. The two former teammates dive deep into the art of building winning cultures from the ground up, drawing from Jim's remarkable track record of turning around struggling programs. Key Topics Discussed: The UConn Turnaround Story Jim shares the incredible journey of transforming a program that won just six games in five years into a powerhouse that achieved back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in the school's 120+ year history. Learn how he walked into a "walking dead atmosphere" and created a winning mindset. Leadership Principles That Work Discover the three core messages that drive Jim's coaching philosophy: • Actions over words • Discipline over feelings • DNA - who you are and how you reinforce it daily Jim explains why keeping messaging tight and clear is essential, and how the culture you create drops to the lowest common denominator of what you allow. The Process of Excellence Both Mark and Jim share powerful examples of loving the process and embracing hard things - from Mark's Mount Everest summit attempt at 26,500 feet to Jim's team executing over 800 two-minute drills in preparation for crucial game situations. Competitive greatness means being at your best when your best is needed. Building Trust and Reliability Learn why support must equal demands, why team ego must supersede individual ego, and how brutal honesty creates the foundation for championship teams. Jim shares insights from coaching 54 Pro Football Hall of Fame members and what he learned from legends like Ronnie Lott and Morten Andersen. The Colorado State Challenge Jim opens up about his newest challenge - taking over a 2-10 program at Colorado State and building from scratch. He discusses navigating the transfer portal, retaining the right staff members, and identifying which players fit the culture he's building. This episode is packed with actionable leadership lessons applicable far beyond football - perfect for CEOs, business leaders, and anyone looking to create winning cultures in their organizations. As Jim says, "There is no finish line" - champions constantly seek the next challenge. Don't miss this powerful conversation about leadership, culture-building, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. For more information, visit www.MarkPattersonNFL.com and check out Mark's new book Finding Your Summit, detailing his epic Mount Everest journey, NFL career, and the lessons learned along the way.

Adrian Ballinger is a British-American certified IFMGA/AMGA mountain guide, certified through the American Mountain Guides Association and a sponsored climber and skier.Ballinger is the founder and CEO of Alpenglow Expeditions, and has been guiding full-time for 25 years. He has led over 150 international climbing expeditions on six continents, and made 18 successful summits of 8,000m peaks. He is known for pioneering the use of pre-acclimatization for commercial expeditions as early as 2012, which can cut the amount of time typically spent on an expedition in half.Adrian is the only American to have made three successful ski descents of 8,000m peaks, including the first ski descent of Manaslu from its summit. He is also the fourth American to have summited both Mount Everest and K2 without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Kelly Lynn Adams is a life coach who has gone through her own transformation. She is very talented and can help others make the necessary pivot needed when fear holds you back. Great episode to kick off the year and help you achieve your goals.

I met Kenton Cool on Mt EVEREST in 2021. He is an amazing and talented Englishman who has scaled MT EVEREST 14 times with no end in sight. He guides clients all over the world and had scaled most of the major peaks out there. This is a super engaging conversation w/ Kenton on where he has been, his philosphy on life and where he's going in the future.

Shane Jacobson is the CEO of the V Foundation which was started by Jim Valvano and ESPN in 1993. Jim V is a former coach who had won a national championship for NC State and later became a broadcaster on ESPN calling basketball games. He got a brain tumor and in his last speech, echoed those words, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”Today, Shane is carrying on his legacy to raise money and awareness to eventually defeat all forms of cancer. Shane talks about how they are doing this and his association with Dick Vitale.

Yuriy Boyechko is the CEO and President of Hope for Ukraine. It's a non-profit, set up to help all the people of that country who have been displaced with food, water, clothing and shelter. We had a great chat talking about their mission, challenges and where the war is going. Tune in...

Shawn Richardson went through a bumpy road a few years ago and was left with, where do I go from here? The mountains came calling and she has now turned her passion into a career while reaping the benefits of being in the outdoors and helping to solve various mental health issues. You never know when failures can turn into opportunities. Go Shawn go...

This podcast was a wonderful opportunity to speak with film director, Nancy Svendsen, about her 10-year passion project covering the remarkable life of Pasang, a Nepalese climber. She documents the obstacles Pasang had to overcome to climb Mount Everest and become the first Nepalese woman to climb the highest mountain in the world. Fascinating chat learning what she lived for—and ultimately died for.

The U Conn football team went 4-44 the last 4 years prior to Jim Mora showing up. He turned the football team in 2022 going 6-6 and being selected to play in a bowl game against Marshall. How do you change the mindset of young men who only know whats its like to lose? Listen to Jim Mora on how get got his players to believe and buy in to have a championship mindset. Amazing turnaround...

Nate Boyer is an incredible American. He served in the Green Berets for 8 years, then decided to go to college at the University of Texas and then walked on the football team where he was the starting long snapper. Although he got a quick workout with the Seahawks, he has gone onto greater things.  He spent two years on a passion project creating MVP, the Movie. It reflects what he has done for athletes and ex military vets who are looking for true meaning and purpose after they are done either playing or serving. It's a great film.

Tom French is an American mountaineer who I have climbed with on Mt Vinson in Antartica, Cotapaxi in Ecaudor and Mt EVEREST in 2021. Unfortunately, Tom didn't make it to the top in 2021 due to a cyclone storm but reset his mind and came back strong in 2022 and got it done. Tom talks about his facinating tale of how he was able to pull it off.

I recentlyy met Mike Tomczak at an NFL Golf Event. I had remembered him from his playing days against the Bears, the SuperBowl Shuffle and his time at Ohio State. He had a great career playing 16 years and has continued to stretch himself with many different ventures he is involved with. The best part is his relationship with Youngstown State where he remains active with the school and football team.

I had a fantastic chat with an old buddy from college that is now, along with his brother Eric is running Nordstrom. Certainly no small feat. We talked about running the family business, how he earned what he has become, his family, charities he supports and his favorite hobby beyond sports, playing in a band. Pete is a great guy who just gets it. Happy for him and his success. Listen to this episode as you can learn so much.

This is an amazing story of a former pro soccer player that is now using his former skills to organized camps around the world particulary in Turkey to help displaced girls via soccer. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Iran, Afghanastan, Iraq for the persecution of their religion or normal freedoms we take for granted. Through organized Soccer camps, Joe has provided structure to give them confidence to do whatever is possible with limited resources.

Jesse Bradley: From professional soccer player to almost dying from an allergic reaction to a malaria shot, Jesse talks about his redemption and life's purpose. He is now a pastor in the great state of Washington and has been on a journey to serve others. Catch his energetic spirit about overcoming adversity and finding his way.

Amazing conversation with Kristin who is from Norway and attempting the climb the 14 highest mountains over 24,000'. What an accomplishment. She just got off off K2 and the other mountains in Pakastain and now has 3 left? Will China let her into the country? Tune in and find out...

Don Munson is the voice of the Clemson Tiger. He tells us how he rose to the top of the broadcasting game and how he has been blessed to call 2 national championship football games and how Dabo Sweeny has made a difference. #clemson #footall #podcast #conversation #nationalchampionship

Tom House was a professional baseball player, turned baseball coach and now has transitioned himself into the guru of teaching NFL Quarterbacks the 4 principles of achieving at a high level. Facinating interview of how he has gotten the best of Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott and many others to excell well into their 40's.  Here is the full episode transcribed. Hey, everybody's Mark Pattison. I'm back again with another great episode of Finding Your Summit, all about people overcoming excuse me, all about people overcoming adversity and making their way through it and finding their summit. So, anyways, I haven't done this a little bit during the summer here, but we're back on we're back on track and before we get into today's wonderful guests, we're gonna talk about my website really quickly. WWW dot mark pattison, NFL DOT COM. There's a number of things going on there. Number One, the movie searching for the summit, which one and Emmy for best picture, covering my Everest journey by the NFL Um, is now on that website. You can check it out by following the different lengths that are there. That's number one. Number two, I've got over two D sixty podcasts of finding your summit with amazing people at the guy out today doing incredible things which will inspire all. And number three, I continue to have my hands knee deep in my flat. Philanthropy causes with with higher ground. That's the organization that helps um process all these things and and drive money, Um and awareness to people who really need. A lot of these people are military folks who have had PTSD and have had adaptive issues with their legs and norms and things like that. So really about empowerment. My daughter also has epilepsy. So we created this found this campaign called the millions Everest, and we have now raised well over a hundre ground towards these great causes. So, Um, if you want to donate over there, go ahead. Of all the money goes directly to higher ground. Okay, on that note, let's jump into today's great guests. His name is Tom. How's Tom? How are you doing? Very good, happy Wednesday. Happy Wednesday to you. I haven't done this in the spell in about a month and so my got a tongue twisted just a little bit and I normally don't do that, but it's all good. Um. So I I I found you, like a lot of times I do. You know, at some certain point the Dealta of knowing people and then tapping into other people. You hear about somebody and I was so fascinated because they've called you this guru, you know, quote unquote. I don't know how you exactly Um phrase that up, but I kind of want to give away what we're gonna talk about a little bit later and then to kind of go back and see how the building blocks of how you actually got to the place that you were in today. Um Tom, is a guy that I saw, I think, on twitter, and you've been, uh, somewhat infamous, that's the right word, for helping guys like Tom Brady, Dak Prescott many other NFL stars drew brees over the years with their throwing motion and helping them get better. And the interesting thing about all this is that you're really a baseball guy and you're a guy that that went to USC went on, you were drafted by the braves, played over the Red Sox and home my home, uh team, I guess, so to speak, the mariners. I grew up in Seattle, Washington, want to the University of Washington. So you you, I'm sure you know that area well up there. But but let's go back to kind of the route at the beginning of formulating because so much of what you do is just not about how to throw a ball. To me, all mechanics are roughly the same when throwing anything, whether it's, you know, a baseball, a football, a basketball. It's all that fall through shoulders, score a target and off you go. But there's so much more that you do that you contribute to this which is between the years um of making that happen. So let's let's start kind of back at USC and your love for baseball and how did that kind of evolve to where you are today. Mark, that's a great leading and you've done your homework. It's it's awesome to talk to some of it. It has any kind of clue that what I've been doing for the last fifty years. But we'll go back to sc it actually started sitting into that with my mom and dad. There Um not quantifying or qualifying sports as a way to make a living. They only cared about getting an education. So everything I did in sports I had to get an a to be able to play. So that's set the stage. But when I got to USC UM, my first bullpen was next to a guy named Tom Sieber. I had a really good high school career and my my first bullpen at USC with coach Rod Dato, who was the coach of the century, watching over my shoulder and severer shoulder. I was looking at this guy. He was a man child at eighteen, nineteen years old and I'm flipping up my little left hand at eighty mile an hour fastball and he's running it up there, you know, in a bullpen. And coach Dato was the first one to make me aware that there were options outside of a pure talent. He said, well, what do you think? A young Tom seewer Tommy House, and I said, rod if you need me to do what he's doing, you got to row left hander. And this is where I've been fortunate my whole life when it comes to someone mentoring me at the right time at a prosp room. He said, I don't need you to be Tom Seeber, I need to be the best Tommy House you can be. Throw your curveball, throw your change up field your position, hold downers close, you'll get innings, you'll win a lot of games with the TROJANS and you'll play some pro bowl too. You know again. But let me let me jump in really quickly, because you're telling me this whole story and the thing that that I'm recollecting again going back to Seattle, watching the Seattle Mariners, especially when they had griffey and Rodriguez and those guys up there. He had a picture named Jamie Moyer, and you sound just like him right, you left. He had could throw probably top s eighty five miles per hour. And you're you're aware that I had jamie for six years when I was a pitching coach with the Texas Rangers. Well, there you go. And and he ended up having a longer career. He Pitched Hill. It was forty eight. Nolan Ryan only pitched untilie was seven. But it was the same information and Instruction delivered to a particularly different human being. But the process created a better chance for an outcome, a positive outcome, with both of them. Okay, so let's talk about let's talk about that process, because it's you, you, I think you you used yourself in Tom Sieber, who I think played for the dodgers way back when, Um, and and then you're talking about Nolan Ryan and Jamie Moyer. Right, Nolan Ryan was just like a Pissy, you know, burning fire out of his nose, throwing Hunter Mile Prior fastballs well into, like you said, his late forties. And then you have Jamie Meyer, probably very similar to you, a lefty that would just right pots coming in and strike people out left and right right. Well, you talk about individuals, whether they're coaches or athletes reaching a semit or getting really good, with mastery at what they do. It's it's really finding order in chaos with with some kind of a process. We cannot what I learned early on, we cannot control outcome, but we can control process and by Hook or by Crook, throughout my playing career and my coaching career I got lucky in learning how to manage the process that I was going through and not getting so caught up in outcomes. Okay, so so, so. So. Go back there, though. I'm so fascinating this because if you can, if you can appreciate, you know, going through major college football with the process, going into the NFL, with the process, I was kind of like Tom Brady, another guy that you mentioned. I was drafted in the seventh round. He was drafted in the sixth round. Had to fight for everything. Obviously Tom Brady's a legend legendary player. I wasn't, but you know, still we all try to achieve our ceiling of what we were able to do and then going on and and climbing all these crazy mountains around the world. That took a process and didn't know what the Hell I was doing when I got into it and then, you know, coming back and helping to revive sports illustrated there was a certain process and so I'm trying to understand from you, like I really want to peel back the layer here and not just glaze over like Oh, there's a process. Well, what does that mean like to you in your mind? What is that process? What's that combined of well, it's it's unique to each individual Um, like there's one set of rules, but there's a million interpretations and it's a function of his movement efficiencies, his functional strength, his mal emotional capacity and his nutrition in sleep to recover. Those are the four basic pillars of health and performance in any sports occupation. And again, I played, but I continue to get education. I went on and got a couple of Bestelor's science, a cup of Masters and a Ph d, an avid learner for and just listen to you talk. You may have you may not have realized it was formal Um, but you're an avid learner or you would not have been able to do the climbing you did on the seven summits of the highest mountain ranges in the world. And it's the individual Um and he doesn't have to be a leader. He can. He can actually follow someone that identifies for himself or herself the path of least resistance, the process that will return the most give it, give the best return for the least akhams raiser, let the the best return for the least amount of thinking or processing. So what I got lucky at is, as a player I was always in front of somebody that gave me a how to with my talent and how a process to make it. They were Clyde King's of the world where he realized I didn't throw hard, but he saw that my e r a when I was in the minor leagues, one time through the lineup my Ra was less than two. By the third time through the lineup it was astronomical. So he was a a statistics guy before an

Miles Burris: transitioning from the NFL to the acting world and thriving.. He was drafted as a Raider and played 3 years before finding his new passion and career. Learn what he did to discover his new path and what he's excited for about the future.  https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingYourSummitWithMarkPattisonhttps://www.markpattisonnfl.com/finding-your-summit/https://twitter.com/MarkPattisonNFLhttps://www.facebook.com/NFL2SevenSummits

Matt Warren: Singer / Songwriter with multiple hits had to go through rehab to find his greatness.Everybody's Mark Pattison, I'm back again with another great episode of finding your summit, all about people overcoming adversity and finding their way. Can't wait to jump into today's guest, who certainly fits that bill. But before we do, I want to direct your attention to my website, www dot mark pattison nfl dot com, and I've got my film Emmy Award Winning Best Picture searching for the summit. You can check it out there. It directs you over to NFL three sixty. So fortunate that they film my amazing journey up and down Mount Everest and back Um and and what a beautiful story at the end of the day. And if you haven't seen it, check it out again. Best Picture Emmy. I've got the hardware comments, so I'm excited about that. Number two is I've done over two and fifty episodes, uh, going on out two or three years, and I've got so many amazing people doing incredible things and it always inspires me to talk to these people, like we're gonna talk to today, just what they're doing, how they've gone about life and their success and we all need that. I'm not the or you're not the only one I need it to to Jack me up and keep me going up and down these mountains. And finally, we continue to raise money for a millions everest all proceeds go to higher ground. It's all about empowering others and that's what we aim to do. Um, we we show the film, we've done these campaigns with Amelia, so on, so forth. Uh. And I think we have something coming either to the south down of Mississippi, which I hope Matt would be included with. That's coming on just a minute. Uh, and in southern California with Um, some pretty cool people. So tune into that, um all, if you do go on to that length. Philanthropy, millions Everest of all proceeds go directly to higher ground. It doesn't come to me in anyway. So on that note, let's get into today's awesome guest. His Name Matt Warren. Matt, I've met you two years ago down in the Great State of Mississippi, the little town of Greenville, at a wonderful common mutual friends, Steve Azar. He's another Delta Blues Singer, in your case singer Songwriter. I hope I got that right, Matt. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. Brother. I'm I'm excited to be on here and it's a real honor. Thanks for asking. Well, listen, you know, let's let's just rewind this, because we're gonna talk about your life. We're gonna talk about dreams, we're gonna talk about failures. You know, we talked about the name of the show is finding your summit. There's peaks, the valleys. Um, you've been in valleys. You've been in peaks. I've been in a whole probably more valleys than you've been, and I've been on a couple of peaks and it's fun when you're standing on the top. But you know, to develop that character over time you have to go through some stuff. Right. That builds that character, that broils that grit, that builds those other things that you ultimately are made up. But I want to go back just two years now and and I want to tell you my experience, Um, for the audience. So there's a there's a common friend of of Matt and mind. His name is Steve Azar. He's a Delta Country Blues he's had a number of hits. He's a singer, he's a songwriter, just like our guest today. Um. But he he throws a a Gulf event, a fundraiser, and then we're fortunate, the people that come down to be able to listen to these these amazing voices that Steve. He calls friends up on stage on a Friday night and I was sitting back with my girl dares, and I was I was this Guy, man Warren, was introduced. He came up and belt it up and we're looking each other like, oh my God, this guy sings like a flippant angel, I mean so talented. And afterwards I said something, you know, and we didn't really talk too much after that. And this last year, a couple of months ago, we got to talk a lot more. And again you got up and you sang a beautiful song and and so, I mean again, where did this love? When did you figure out that when you opened your mouth, you have this magic that could actually come out and it's I mean, I'd sounded pretty sweet. Gosh, that's an interesting question. Um, I've kind of got a funny story, uh, about that because, Um, I wasn't really sure, Um, that I had a beautiful voice, and the reason being, Um, you know, as a kid I was a product of what my parents listened to. I can remember being, you know, sitting in front of a record player, flipping records, you know, from one side to the next, while my mom was in the kitchen or doing whatever she was doing. And that was kind of my babysitter, was the record player. Um. And so from a very young age I loved music and I would lock myself in my room as I got older, and I had a whiffleball bat and I'd stand in there and, you know, Air Guitar and I'd sing it. I always thought that I had, well, I don't know if I thought I had a good voice, but I enjoyed singing. I thought that I could sing pretty much to anything. And Uh, and then in the what not? Okay, glad you're gonna say that. The seventh in the seventh grade, I tried out for the church choir and I was the only kid that didn't make it. So I was devastated, you know, because well, a you know, everybody should make the church choir. I mean, you know, we're all just, you know, praise in Jesus. But when they you know, I was I thought to myself, maybe maybe I'm not a good singer. You know, if I'm the only kid that didn't make the choir. So, Um, I was a little confused because I knew that I enjoyed singing and I thought that I was a pretty good singer. Um. And then it wasn't until the tenth grade that I had the courage to try out again for a for chorus in high school, and it was basically because my but these all my buddies I played football with. You had to have an elective and the reasoning for uh doing chorus was on my on. My budd said, they're all the cute girls were in there and it was a lot of fun. So I got the courage I have to to try out and I think I tried out with George all in my mind, by Ray Charles and my chorus teacher, Mr James Story. He uh, he just he said, where have you been? And so that was at that point that I thought, okay, well, maybe I was right, maybe I can't sing, and then he gave me a solo. Um, that Christmas we had a Christmas show at my high school, at Gallas in high school, and he let me Sing Jingle Bell Rock and that was the first time I'd ever sing in front of a group of people and I actually didn't even tell my mom and dad that I was going to be singing until the night before and I remember telling my dad I said, I think you guys should come to the Christmas program tomorrow and I I've got a solo and uh, my dad just looked at me and solo at what, you know, and I'm single Bell Rock. And so that was the first time that was it wasn't until then really that that I thought that I had a decent voice and I guess the approval of the crowd after the cheers. You know, that that kind of was what hooked me. You know, I was like you. I was, um, an athlete, a four spoor athlete my whole life, you know, a team, team player, and it went until I stood up on that stage by myself and sang a song that I was I was hooked. Yeah, I can tell you that really quickly that in high school, my senior year, after football season, UM, myself and some other football guys tried out for as a cast for the musical Ballyga doone and I was going to be in the village and I just singing, just dish. I had to sing in front of a hundred people and I was terrified. I knew that was not my place, but that was that was my story. So I want to mix this in. So now now, you you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you get up on stage, you're singing jingle bow rock, you know, you know, you finally like Hey, maybe I can do this. You know, as you're you've got a little confidence boost, you know, going and and then and then. I know we're kind of fast foreign forwarding at the clock a bit, but over the arc of time, you know, you find your place and you start writing songs. So where does the connection come from? You're, you're okay, I got a voice. Now I actually, rather than singing jingle bow rock and all these other, you know, songs that that you get up it's like Karaoke night, but you're actually you're gonna screate your own like, where the where did that inspiration come from? Um, so, I knew that I wanted to be my ultimate dream is to be the lead singer in a band. I mean that. That has never changed. Um. And so I had a band. I had a cover band, and we were basically signed to play like frat houses and bars in the SEC at Alabama or L S U or Tennessee. and Um, the band broke up and a couple of the guys wanted to go do a thing where they were playing original music. And I realized pretty fast that if I wanted to continue chasing my dream of being a lead singer in a band, I was gonna have to have some songs of my own, because I think my thought process back then was, and it's still this way. Um, no great musician is wanna gonna want to just play covers, so you're gonna have to have your own songs, Um, and that I started writing songs out of necessity because I needed a band, Um, and that's really what put me on the path to writing songs. And and at the time, you know, I still don't know how to read or write music. I just I know what chords I'm playing and I can hear them. I was just imitating Van Morrison and and and Willie Nelson, you know, generally speaking, because I would listen to some of their records and I how I started writing songs was I would just copy the chord structure from like Willie Nelson Song or a van Morrison Song, something pretty simple. You know, Tom Petty Song. I would copy those chords and the structure and the rhythm and then I would learn how to put my own words and my own Melly over top of those chords and that chord structure and that rhythm, and then I would change the rhythm up a little bit. And so I would, you know, create my own my ow

Terry Ahola: Made the US SKI TEAM from 82'-84 but got injured which derailed his Olympic dream but he picked himself up and has transitioned into a successful lilfe

Chris Long Podcast In today’s episode of the ‘Finding your Summit’ podcast, host Mark Pattison, former NFL Player, Mountaineer who has climbed the Seven Summits, has over 250 podcasts, and a proud Emmy Best Picture Award Winner talks with guest Chris Long, Founder of NFL Defensive End & WaterBoys.org. Chris shares about his transition from the NFL to philanthropic work.

Kristin Harila Podcast In today’s episode of the ‘Finding your Summit’ podcast, host Mark Pattison, former NFL Player, Mountaineer who has climbed the Seven Summits, has over 250 podcasts, and a proud Emmy Best Picture Award Winner talks with guest Kristin Harila, a Norwegian Mountaineer, Climber, Skier, and Runner. She holds the distinction of climbing both Mount Everest and the Lhotse summit, at the same time. In the podcast, Kristin shares her experience of climbing many summits. She also talks about her next expedition of climbing K2.