Off Grid

Jake Billsberry-Hawkins

Conversations with the top people in adventure.

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English

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#65
Yesterday · 46 min
#65 - Leon McCarron: Nomadic Author Living In Beirut And Trail Designer In Iraq
Leon McCarron is a writer, filmmaker and adventurer from Northern Ireland who has walked across the Gobi Desert, lived in Iraq and now lives in Beirut, Lebanon. In this conversation, we talk about: - Why deciding which life you want to live comes down to which regret is easier to live with - Cycling from New York to Hong Kong at 23 with almost no money and no experience - Why Western media gets places like Iraq and Syria completely wrong - Building the Zagros Mountain Trail through Iraq and why a hiking route can change an entire region - The time Leon met grave robbers searching for buried treasure in Nicaragua Leon’s website is here: https://www.leonmccarron.com/ You can find Leon here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leonmccarron/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonmccarron/ Thank you
#64
September 17 · 59 min
#64 - Ben Aitken: Travel Writer Celebrates The UK's Worst Cities
Ben Aitken is a British travel writer, Sunday Times columnist, and author. His most recent book is called Shitty Breaks, which celebrates the 12 least visited cities in the UK. In this conversation, we talk about: - Why adventure doesn't require an exotic destination or a big budget - How solo travel builds resilience and why talking to strangers is the antidote to anxiety - Why your phone is making modern life heavier than it needs to be - How to find a sense of departure without leaving your own city or even, your own bedroom - Why embracing boredom might be the most radical thing you can do right now You can find Ben’s book here: Shitty Breaks - https://www.waterstones.com/book/shitty-breaks/ben-aitken/9781837730483 You can find Ben here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/benaitken85/?hl=en-gb Thank you
#63
September 10 · 55 min
#63 - Niall McCann: Living Up To The Family Legacy - Biologist And Explorer
Niall McCann is a conservationist, adventurer, biologist, mountain rescuer and TV presenter. In this conversation, we talk about: - Surviving a spinal cord injury after a speed flying accident at 40mph - How Niall's disabled body carries 45kg for days on expeditions in freezing temperatures - Summiting a mountain his grandfather named in 1953 but never climbed - What it means to live up to a family line of explorers - The failure of large conservation NGOs in doing more harm than good Find Niall’s website here: https://niallmccann.com/ Find Niall here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drniallmccann/?hl=en Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/niall-mccann-5805a4147/ Thank you
#62
September 3 · 47 min
#62 - Hazel Findlay: Elite Climber On Using Fear To Perform Under Pressure
Hazel Findlay is a professional climber, mindset coach, founder of Strong Mind Climbing, and the first British woman to climb an E9 level of rock climbing. In this conversation, we talk about: - How to use fear as information rather than a barrier - The neuroscience of thriving under pressure versus simply coping - The pressure of climbing on TV with the likes of Steve Backshall and Alex Honnold - How she built a professional climbing career without a plan - Why having multiple interests protects you from burnout Hazel Findlay’s website is here: https://www.hazel-findlay.com/ You can find Hazel here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hazel_findlay/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLvaY1ewJWH444aMXsc7kRA Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazel-findlay-a59636135/ Thank you
#61
August 27 · 1 hr
#61 - Tommy Lewis: Is Run Culture Going In The Wrong Direction?
Tommy Lewis is a running coach and content creator who left a career in sales and tech in London to build his own run coaching business and spent the last year living and running across Vietnam, Thailand, India, Egypt and the French Alps. In this conversation, we talk about: - Why the nomadic dream is harder than it looks from the outside - How running became a spiritual guide through his darkest moments - The hidden cost of building a business on social media - Quitting corporate life to build something of your own - Why hitting the "f*** it" button is better than waiting for the perfect moment Tommy is the founder and run coach of That’s Runnable: Website - https://thatsrunnable.com/ Tommy is the host of That’s Runnable Podcast: https://thatsrunnable.com/podcast/ You can find Tommy here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tommyrunpt/?hl=en LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tlewisuk/ Thank you
#60
August 20 · 49 min
#60 - Will Simpson: Real Meal Founder And British Army Officer
Will Simpson is a serving British Army major and founder of Real Meal, a high performance nutrition bar with over 600 calories in - it's bloody good for endurance and expeditions. In this conversation, we talk about: - Managing a military career, a startup, and parenthood all at the same time - Dealing with personal branding as a private military guy - How fear of failure can be a more powerful motivator than chasing success - Building a business with no investment and 42 product iterations - Why hard work is the one variable entirely within your control Will is the Founder of Real Meal: Website - https://realmeal.co.uk/ Find Will here: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-simpson-54657b67/ Thank you
#59
August 13 · 53 min
#59 - Preet Chandi: Polar Explorer On Building A Resilient Mind
Preet Chandi is a four-time Guinness World Record breaker, British Army veteran and polar explorer. She has skied to the South Pole alone three times, sometimes for as long as 70 days carrying up to 120kg. In this conversation, we talk about: - What 70 days of complete solitude does to your mind - From the British Army to solo polar exploration with no skiing background - How anger can drive momentum without becoming the thing that controls you - Why failure on her second expedition built the resilience that made her third a success - How to take the first step into the expedition world Preet’s website is here: https://polarpreet.com/ Preet is here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/polarpreet/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/preet-chandi-mbe-5897a3199/ Thank you
#58
August 12 · 51 min
#58 - Tom Livingstone: Rock Climber On How To Turn A Hobby Into A Career
Tom Livingstone is a professional climber, two-time winner of the Piolet d'Or and Founder of the Young Alpinist Group, a mentorship programme supporting the next generation of alpinists. In this conversation, we talk about: - How he turned climbing into a full-time career over ten years without a plan - Why he disagrees with awards in climbing - What life as a sponsored climber actually looks like - Why failure happens roughly half the time and why that is fine - His advice for young people who want to pursue an uncertain path You can find Tom here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tom__livingstone/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@tomlivingstone1154/videos Thank you
#57
July 30 · 54 min
#57 - Oli Broom: He Quit Corporate Life To Cycle The World
Oli Broom left a corporate career at 29 to cycle from England to Australia following the Ashes, ran a charity in Rwanda, and went on to found The Slow Cyclist, a business taking people on journeys through some of the most remote landscapes on earth. In this conversation, we talk about: - Quitting a corporate job at 29 with no guarantee it would work out - Cycling across the world on £5 to £10 a day - Building a business that survived Ebola, COVID and a war in Ukraine - How he dealt with the mental and physical impact of serious injury - Why your twenties are the decade to embrace uncertainty Oli is the Founder of The Slow Cyclist: Website - https://www.theslowcyclist.com You can find Oli here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/olibroom/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oli-broom-a970922a/ Thank you
#56
July 24 · 55 min
#56 - Waldo Etherington: Professional Tree Climber On Attacking Your Dream With No Money
"If I end up in a gutter with absolutely nothing, I don't mind because I'm trying my hardest to do what I want to do." - Waldo Waldo Etherington is the founder of Remote Ropes Limited, a rope safety specialist for remote wilderness expeditions. In this conversation, we talk about: Funding his entire early career on credit cards while living in a car and a hammock Why he runs his business for experience and community over money Using Google Earth to expose illegal logging and protect an indigenous rainforest Rigging for climbers like Alex Honnold and why even he finds it scary Twenty years of expeditions and the isolation nobody warns you about Why you need far less than Western society tells you to be happy Buy tickets to the Lamo Auru showing and Q+A on 28th July here: https://thecastlecinema.com/programme/111075/lamo-auru-old-forest-new-lines-q-a/ Thank you
#55
July 16 · 28 min
#55 - Solo Ep: 5 Lessons From 55 Adventurers
Wuzdopamine people. In this episode I talk about 5 lessons from 55 adventurers: 1. You do not need to be an adventurer, to be an adventurer 2. Adventurers are entrepreneurs 3. You don't want their life 4. Being a generalist of the outdoors is underrated 5. You can change the course of your life You can find me here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/offgrid.jake/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-billsberry-hawkins-561a0812b/ Thank you
#54
July 9 · 1 hr 44 min
#54 - Kenton Cool: What 20 Everest Summits Actually Takes
Kenton Cool has summited Everest more times than any other non-Sherpa climber in history. He is a British high-altitude guide, mountaineer, and the man responsible for leading some of the world's most recognised names, including Ranulph Fiennes and Ben Fogle, to the top of the world. In this conversation, we talk about: Why Everest might now be too dangerous to climb The unglamorous early years that made him the best in the world at what he does Why the Sherpas are the most underrated people in mountaineering Ego on Everest and why it gets people killed Attending more funerals than weddings An unexpected emotional breakdown during an NLP session Why English capitalist culture doesn't sit well with him How to actually build a career in the outdoors What you lose by never going travelling The financial cost of climbing Everest Why a 10 day silent meditation retreat caught his attention Kenton Cool’s website is here: https://www.kentoncool.com Kenton’s social handles are here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kentoncool/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenton-cool-687b06a/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/KentonCool/?locale=en_GB
#53
July 2 · 53 min
#53 - Ash Bhardwaj: Travel Journalist On Why You're Not A Traveller
Ash Bhardwaj is a journalist, author of Why We Travel, and Army reservist who spent six months travelling from Norway to Crimea retracing the new Iron Curtain. In this conversation, we talk about: - The neuroscience of why humans are wired to crave stories - The inner turmoil of not having a single career path - How AI gives rise to the importance of storytelling - Joining the Army Reserve at 29 and learning servant leadership - Should people be holidaying in America? - How social media turned travel into a performance You can find Ash here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ashbhardwaj/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashwinbhardwaj/ You can find Ash’s book, Why We Travel, here: Book - https://shorturl.at/6kaPu Thank you
#52
June 25 · 53 min
#52 - Markus Stitz: A Year Bikepacking Around The World
Markus Stitz holds the world record for being the first person to cycle around the world on a single-speed bike. He is a bikepacker, author and filmmaker based in Scotland. In this conversation, we talk about: Why closing the door on comfort is the only way to create real change Why the so-called safe career is disappearing faster than you think Cycling through grief after losing his father mid-trip and choosing to continue What growing up behind the Berlin Wall taught him about freedom How to find adventure in everyday life once the big trip is behind you You can find Markus here: Website - https://markusstitz.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/reizkultur/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@reizkultur You can find Markus’s new book here: GRAVEL RIDES: EDINBURGH, FIFE & THE LOTHIANS - https://markusstitz.com/books/
#51
June 18 · 54 min
#51 - Belinda Kirk: Why Adventure Is A Human Need
Belinda Kirk is the skipper of the first all-female crew to row non-stop around Britain, founder of Explorers Connect, and author of Adventure Revolution. In this conversation, we talk about: - Why adventure is not a luxury but a human need - How adventure helped Belinda overcome childhood trauma - The case for letting children be feral - Leaving a successful TV career to become an entrepreneur - What western society gets wrong that creates unnecessary suffering Belinda is the Founder of Explorers Connect: Website - https://www.explorersconnect.com Belinda is the Author of the Adventure Revolution: Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adventure-Revolution-case-living-boldly/dp/0349428239 You can find Belinda here: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindakirk/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/explorerbelinda/ Thank you
#50
June 11 · 53 min
#50 - Levison Wood: Step Into The Colosseum
Levison Wood is an explorer, author and former British Army officer who has walked the length of the Nile, the Himalayas, and the Americas. In this conversation, we talk about: - Why solo travel is crucial for young people right now - Being homeless while starting a business - Hitchhiking to India in his 20s with less than £500 - The psychological shift from civilian life to becoming an Army officer - How to be the type of person who steps into the Coliseum of life - Why money can actually make you less happy - Psychedelics, spirituality, and his connection to the natural world You can find Levison Wood’s website here: Website - https://www.levisonwood.com You can find Levison here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/levison.wood/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/levison-wood-frgs-ba526620/ You can find Levison’s latest book here: The Great Tree Story: How Forests Have Shaped Our World - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Tree-Story-Forests-Shaped/dp/1856755614 Thank you
#49
June 4 · 48 min
#49 - Rebecca Stephens: How To Bet On Yourself
Rebecca Stephens is the first British woman to summit Everest, expedition leader and author. In this conversation, we talk about: - Rebecca quitting her job in a recession to pursue Everest - Why following your interests matter more than the ‘sensible path’ in life - What it was like to be the only woman on the expedition team in 1993 - How to gain the confidence to take big leaps in life - Concerns about the commercialisation of Everest You can find Rebecca’s website here: Seven Summits Performance Limited - https://rebeccastephens.com You can find Rebecca here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rebeccastephensofficial/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-stephens-mbe-090539b/ Thank you
#48
May 28 · 51 min
#48 - Alastair Humphreys: Adventure Does Not Need To Be Extreme!
Alastair Humphreys is an adventurer and author who first became known for cycling around the world for four years before later pioneering the idea of micro-adventures. In this conversation, we talk about: - Busking across Spain with no money by playing the violin - Why people feel the need to adventure in the first place - How micro-adventures became Alastair's answer to fatherhood and modern day life - How technology is disconnecting us from richer travel experiences - The chasing of adventurous achievements in pursuit of proving himself Find Alastair Humphreys website here: Website - https://alastairhumphreys.com Find Alastair here: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/al_humphreys/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastairhumphreys/ Find Alastair's latest book, Unwilded, here: Book - https://alastairhumphreys.com/product/unwilded/ Thank you
#47
May 21 · 54 min
#47 - Mike Trueman: Ex-Gurkha Officer Turned Everest Rescuer
Mike Trueman is the founder of True Adventure that lead expeditions for school children. He has also been a Gurkha officer, Everest summiteer, army helicopter pilot, chief jungle warfare instructor in Brunei, diplomat during the Yugoslavian war, mountaineer, and author. In this conversation, we talk about: - Why travel is needed to develop young people - Joining the Army aged 16 as a boy soldier - Everest rescue missions of the 1996 storms and Michael Matthews - How to make decisions in a crisis - The true meaning of great leadership You can find True Adventure here: Website - https://true-adventure.co.uk Thank you
#46
May 14 · 1 hr 1 min
#46 - Ben Sherlock: Adventure Cameraman For Ed Stafford
Ben Sherlock is an adventure cameraman whose work has taken him from war zones to some of the biggest adventure productions on television, including Blue Planet 3 with David Attenborough, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, and multiple shows with Ed Stafford. In this conversation, we talk about: - Flying into war in Baghdad age 21 - Why Ben describes his early career as a series of terrible mistakes - What it's really like to be Ed Stafford's personal cameraman - Struggles with arrogance and depression in life - How to doggedly pursue your dream Ben’s website is here: https://bensherlock.net/ You can find Ben here: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-sherlock-30527253/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dopsherlock/ Thank you

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