January 10, 2025 • 48 mins
Matt Dawson’s hidden personal struggle with lifelong periodic depression despite a successful career forced him to finally contend with his fraying mental health. At 40, he radically reinvented his life by founding a charity and pursuing extreme adventure challenges in an effort to demonstrate that we are all capable of more than we believe.
Matt reveals how the profound lessons from his life can incite powerful change beyond the adrenaline-filled adventures, inspiring listeners to incorporate these teachings into their personal and professional lives.
This is a fun conversation as we talk how to get through truly difficult physical challenges, how to find purpose, how to be of service, and the nitty gritty of day to day training (Dawson’s, not Dr. Liz’s!)
About Matt Dawson
Matt Dawson, a six-time world record holder, the visionary behind Dawson's Peak Foundation, and the author of “Strength in Surrender.” Dawson is an M&A investment banker, corporate investor and small business operator turned 6x world record-holding endurance/adventure athlete; sought-after public speaker; lifestyle/performance mentor; and founder of Dawson’s Peak Foundation. Dawson’s purpose lies in helping people live more authentic, meaningful lives based on purpose and service to others. Known for the concept of Strength In Surrender, his philosophies help individuals to face their fears and challenges.
Dawson has completed expeditions on every continent, including summiting the Seven Summits (the highest peak on each continent); skiing to the South Pole; traversing the Mojave Desert; and rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.
To donate to Dawson’s Peak Foundation:
Text the word “dawson” to 53555
IG: @dawsonspeak
Email: info@dawsonspeak
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About Dr. Liz
Interested in hypnosis with Dr. Liz? Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com
Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing.
A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation.
Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Liz (00:00):
Hey everyone.
Dr Liz here.
I'm going to jump right into this intro
rather than talking anything about myself
and what's going on with me, because I am
interviewing Matt Dawson, d-a-w-s-o-n from
Dawson's Peak Foundation.
He is a six-time world record holder, but
(00:23):
more than that, he has a heart of gold and
a deep sense of meaning and purpose.
So when the opportunity to interview him
came along, I jumped at it.
I was like absolutely would love to, and I
cannot recommend his book enough.
It comes out January 7, 2025.
(00:48):
His book Enough.
It comes out January 7, 2025.
This will air right around that time, but
if you're listening to this years in the
future, you will know his book is already
out and you can also look up what he's
doing currently.
He has truly impacted me personally as well
as professionally.
I took some of the concepts in his book and
immediately applied them to working with
(01:08):
clients and helping people that I see too.
Again, cannot recommend it enough.
So let's jump in.
Hi Dawson, welcome to the Hypnotize Me
podcast.
Dawson (01:28):
Hey, I appreciate you having me on.
Thank you.
Dr. Liz (01:30):
Absolutely.
I was very excited to read your book.
I loved it.
I will let you know probably the first book
I read about really adventuring is Into
Thin Air, john Krakow.
About really adventuring is Into Thin Air,
john Krakow.
Like when I'm in my 20s.
I'm in my 50s now, so I've followed that
literature for a very long time.
(01:56):
Read the.
Dawson (01:56):
Comfort Crisis by, I think it's Michael
Easter.
Dr. Liz (01:57):
Michael Easter, that's right.
One of my favorite books is how to Survive
in Extreme Circumstances.
John Hudson, who, like, trains the British
military.
Dawson (02:10):
I don't know that one.
I'm going to look that one up, yeah.
Dr. Liz (02:12):
Oh yeah, how to Survive in Extreme
Circumstances.
Okay, it actually came in handy when I was
in Asheville, north Carolina, visiting my
daughter when the Hurricane Helene hit.
Oh, no.
And we actually applied some of the
principles in it and it's, like you know,
sort of amazing how these books show up in
your life and yours.
(02:34):
It's been a couple of months now since I
read it and it has really stuck with me.
I don't know if you wrote it meaning to
inspire like a 55 year old, middle-aged
woman, but it totally has.
Even this morning I sprained my ankle, so I
I was reading it with a sprained ankle and
(02:54):
then I got really sick and I was like no,
it's time to work out.
This morning I'm interviewing Dawson and
I've got to get a workout in beforehand,
and so really impactful day to day.
Dawson (03:06):
So thank you, I really appreciate you
mentioned that and that means a great deal
to me because I was trying to break through
and kind of get outside of just that
adventure realm and the people that want to
go out and climb Everest, because, look,
there's been a million books written about
Everest and rowing oceans and doing all
this kind of stuff.
(03:27):
And I'm not taking anything away from them
because I've enjoyed all of them.
They're all wonderful works.
But I wanted to kind of break out of that.
I'm like, look, I'm not just trying to talk
to a guy or someone that wants to do
mountain climbing, it's like I'm trying to
relate a common experience that we all have.
Yes, we can apply to everything in our
lives and to everyone can take something
(03:49):
from a portion of this.
So that means a lot to that.
It resonated with you, so I appreciate you
sharing that with me.
Dr. Liz (03:55):
Yeah, I found it surprisingly relatable.
I really did and I really enjoyed the
structure of the book.
Did and I really enjoyed the structure of
the book.
So the structure was it's really not a
self-help but it's not just a straight up
this is what happened narrative.
It gives the meditations and call to action,
(04:17):
like the ask yourself and apply yourself,
and I really loved those.
I thought they were very relevant for my
life.
You would tell these like extreme stories
about what's happening and your surgeries
and like where you were in the different
parts of the world, and then I really did
(04:37):
find the end of the chapters like oh no, I
can apply this to my life apply this to my
life.
Dawson (04:45):
You know, I love to hear that that, that
that worked as well, cause, you know, the
last thing I wanted is I didn't want it to
just be hey, here's a story about me, and
then here's more information about me, and
then here's something else about me, and
making it about me because it's not about
me, it's simply saying, hey, here's my
experience, maybe you can take something
from it and incorporate into yours.
And so I really was working hard to put it
back on the reader to say you've learned
(05:07):
something.
Now.
Here's something you can do, or what are
you going to do with this information?
And it's just wonderful, because we
mentioned before we got on when you and I
were going to speak originally and then we
had to reschedule.
It's like the way that you did that.
I really enjoyed it.
Dr. Liz (05:23):
And now.
Dawson (05:23):
I've incorporated you know, incorporate
that into my story.
So it's like it's all about incorporating
other people's actions into your stories
and what you can learn and how you can
learn and all this.
So that's it's.
I'm glad to see that you enjoyed that.
Dr. Liz (05:36):
Yeah, I think you really accomplished it.
I do.
What was I am curious about?
What was the hardest element for you in
doing these extreme tasks like climbing the
mountains and going across the desert and
across the ocean.
What was the hardest part?
Dawson (05:58):
You know it's, I think there's two ways to
look at it.
You know there's physical, then there's
emotional, psychological think.
Dr. Liz (06:04):
there's two ways to look at it.
Dawson (06:05):
You know, there's physical, then there's
emotional, psychological on.
On a physical front, I would say probably
the the hardest one was actually the one
that's included in the epilogue, which is
my second successful crossing of the Mojave
Desert.
That was 330 miles in uh seven, just over
seven days, eight hours, where I did it
solo, unsupported.
It by itself, was a freestanding world
record of the fastest ever crossing the
(06:26):
Mojave Desert on foot, and I think it's
funny.
Well, the next book I'm currently working
on, I think, is going to be kind of
extrapolation of that crossing, with some
other things kind of mixed into it.
But the thing that was even just more
difficult, because what I found is physical
difficulty is one thing but, like a lot of
(06:46):
people can relate to, psychological,
emotional difficulty in all of our lives
normally just makes everything else pale in
comparison.
Yes, it was finding a way to keep going
time after time and stay committed for so
many years, because originally the project
Seven First Soldiers was supposed to kick
off in 2020.
And then it got delayed because of COVID
(07:07):
and then, once we finally got going, we
were on track to everything successfully.
And then the North pole got delayed in 2022.
Then it got delayed in 23.
Then it got delayed in 24.
It's just and that's like the last thing
that that we need to finish this thing and
we keep losing it, and you can only go for
three weeks out of the year.
(07:28):
So if you lose it in early April, you have
to wait another year.
So it's just every time you get so close
like last year I spent two weeks in Russia
and Siberia so close Then I lost it again.
Now you have to wait another year.
So it's just that relentlessness that you
have to just keep coming back, come back
and just open for an opportunity, which I
think you know everybody can relate to in
(07:49):
their lives, when we get so close to what
we, what we think we want, and then we lose
it.
Now we have to wait and to keep applying
ourselves for maybe a potential other
opportunity to perform, but nothing's
guaranteed.
Dr. Liz (08:00):
Yeah, yeah, on a much smaller, smaller
level, it's like my house is for sale right
now and two contracts have fallen through,
and it's like you get so close and then
it's like, nope, you're back to waiting.
Dawson (08:13):
You know like it is that feeling I
mentioned the book it's like, and we, it's
like, we all go through it, whether it's,
you know, selling the house or going for a
new job or something to do with a
relationship or whatever is.
I found so many times where I thought I was
all in.
Dr. Liz (08:29):
Yes.
Dawson (08:31):
Like you're playing blackjack or whatever
and I've got all my chips on the table and
I'm like I am maxed out physically and
emotionally and psychologically.
And then the universe looked at me and it's
like, listen, if you want to continue to
play, you've got to find more ways, put
more stuff on the table.
And I'm like I can't, like I'm all in and
like well, you better figure it out, that's
your problem.
So then you put more of yourself into it.
(08:53):
You find ways of growing as an individual
and if you think you're maxed out, then the
universe says, well, you got to put more on
the table.
And it's a constant requirement to
sacrifice and to grow even more, to pursue
what you want to pursue.
That was the greatest challenge.
It was I think a lot of people have
experienced that in various ways.
(09:14):
It just causes you to grow, and then
growing into it is even more.
Dr. Liz (09:19):
Okay, so it's like staying in the pocket,
like you say, this is later in the book.
But you had an acronym.
I was going to ask you.
You know, I was like waking up at night
thinking of that final S right, and then I
actually ended up coming up with my own.
I immediately started applying that with
clients, by the way, like okay, let's come
(09:41):
up with an acronym that works for you.
Like, okay, let's come up with an acronym
that works for you so that the listeners
know Dawson has this acronym BDS123.
It's breathe.
Don't give fear a voice.
Don't judge as good, wrong, bad, right.
Slow down mentally, stay in the pocket,
(10:01):
which is really like keep going, stay in
the pocket.
And then small, small, keep your world.
Small meaning stay present to where you are,
like don't go too far into the future, into
the past.
You know beside you all of that.
So how did you come up with this acronym?
Dawson (10:20):
yeah, it's.
You know, I just enjoy little things like
that.
I enjoy simple, little little things.
I can think about it in the moment.
When you do this type of thing, it's very
easy for things to get very big very
quickly.
I'm a pilot.
When you're up there and you're flying at
10,000 feet and you're all alone and
something goes wrong, things go wrong very
(10:43):
quickly.
So I need quick, little, you know reminders.
I don't have time to, you know, extrapolate
big, big concepts, yeah.
So it's just like a little checkbook that I
have and I was just trying to think, like
what are the major things that I look for
in ways to control myself and to understand
and mitigate situations?
And so it just kind of came to me one day
(11:04):
when I was, when I was out climbing, I'm
like what are kind of like the major things
and kind of stealing everything down, and
that that just, you know, seemed to
resonate with me.
It just seemed to work well and it's
something that I can just repeat very
quickly as I'm, as I'm going, I'm like, you
know, BDS, one, two, three, and I just it's
(11:25):
almost becomes like a, it's like a mantra I
can just chant yeah, it just just helps,
you know, slow me down and it helps me
perform better in a lot of situations.
Dr. Liz (11:29):
Fantastic, okay, got it, was really helpful.
I'll share the one that, um, we came up
with.
I was working.
I work with a variety of clients when this
happened, with an overeater, and then
another when it was a parent who has small
children and boy, small children can like
trigger you, you know, like they do crazy
stuff, and you're like, ah, so we came up
(11:50):
with PASS, which is pause, ask a question,
like get curious about what's going on here,
stay present, and then stay positive, like
don't start thinking far into the future
around.
Like you know, is this four year old going
to become a drug addict someday?
You know like no, he's just a four year old,
(12:11):
that's it.
Dawson (12:12):
I think that's.
I think that's wonderful, I think it's
absolutely perfect.
I love it.
I mean, it's something you can remember.
Yes, I think that that's absolutely perfect.
I appreciate you sharing that with me.
Dr. Liz (12:21):
Yeah, it speaks to also just um, let's let
this moment pass, for instead of like
getting really drawn into it and then you
know, all kinds of stuff starts happening
um real world and in your mind.
So it's like all right, let's just slow
everything down for a minute so I love do.
(12:42):
Yeah, so you also talk about the sense of
detaching, like not getting too much into
when, when you get back home.
So you do these amazing physical feats and
(13:07):
set these world records and then you'd get
back home and get depressed.
What do you feel like finally helped the
depression?
You talk about this some in the book, but
I'd really love for you to speak to the
listeners about it.
Dawson (13:26):
Yeah, no, it's something that it's a great
question and it's like we talked about
earlier with a lot of the things in the
book.
I think it's something that a lot of people
can relate to.
Yes, and that's something that was
important to me is to have a story where
we're just sharing elements of just a
common human experience or condition or
(13:47):
issues.
You know things like that, and ever since I
was very, very young, I just started to tie
my feeling of self-worth into performance
number one.
And then, secondly, it's just, I needed
like a constant sense of stimulation.
It was difficult for me to sit quietly and
to be quiet and to be present, and when I
(14:09):
was coming back and one of the things that
you're referencing is from when I was
rowing the Atlantic Ocean, which we were
successful in doing, but on that trip we
mentioned North Pole a few minutes ago is
we lost the North Pole because Russia went
into Ukraine and Even though you know, even
though we were gone, you know nine for nine
or 10 for 10 on expeditions up to that
(14:30):
point, it said all these records and
whatever is, all I looked at was we lost
the North pole, which meant we couldn't
finish the project on schedule.
Like we, like we said, and therefore I'm a
failure.
And because I'm a failure is I've let
everybody down.
I've let all these people that depend on me,
I've let them down and obviously there's
nothing I could do about it.
I mean, one country invaded another country,
(14:53):
but the way that I looked at it was I
should have been able to find a way to
still make this happen, like I don't care
the reason why it didn't happen.
I should have been able to find a way to
move heaven and earth and to create, you
know whatever, and to make it happen.
And I, just because I couldn't, is it
really impacted my, my feeling of
self-worth?
(15:14):
Okay, you know, and that's just kind of
what it comes down to.
And with the detachment is there.
There are different ways that you can
detach in various situations, but really
just, it's a matter of of, of not ascribing,
of not ascribing our feeling of self-worth
or value or our ability to love or to
receive love, to give love or to receive
(15:35):
love based on X, y or Z.
Fill in the blank number one.
But then, secondly, with regards to
performance, is you can't, you can't look
at how's this going to end up, you know, or
how did it?
How did it end up in the past?
Like, if you're a baseball player, you're
like well, I've struck out the last three
times, or I've got all this pressure on
(15:56):
this at bat, if I hit a home run here, then
my life's going to change.
If I strike out, my career is probably over.
Like, you can't think about that kind of
stuff.
It's especially the greater.
The moment grows is.
All you can do is just focus on your
performance in the moment.
And that's what I really talk about, about
that detachment.
It's like there are plenty of times when
you're on the mountain it's like I can't
(16:17):
think about there's a potential for me to
be dead here in a few minutes If I don't
get this right.
All I can do is just focus on what's
immediately in front of me.
So there's different ways to detach,
whether from the physical pursuit in that
moment or from kind of like that greater
psychological pursuit, once things kind of
calm down in a much, just kind of larger
personal sense.
Dr. Liz (16:38):
Yes.
Dawson (16:38):
That's right.
I know that was kind of a big answer, but
it's just, detachment is kind's kind of a
big subject it is, it is right.
Dr. Liz (16:47):
I mean, do you meditate?
Dawson (16:49):
I do, yeah, nor I try to make it a daily
practice, so I'm pretty, uh, I'm good at at
that, so it's an important part of my you
know kind of regime, okay and I did you
meditate before you started doing all this?
You know, I did, I did, but just not
consistently.
Dr. Liz (17:05):
Okay.
Dawson (17:06):
And it's you know.
You can use either like real kind of
traditional meditation, which I enjoy doing,
I enjoy sitting quietly and things like
that or you can.
You know, what I tell people is that you
can use kind of an active meditation where
you're just out, you know, walking by
yourself or exercising or doing some type
of functional flow technique.
You know where you're just out, you know,
walking by yourself or exercising or doing
some type of functional flow technique.
You know where you're just stretching and
(17:27):
moving.
So there's different ways of meditating to
connect with yourself.
Dr. Liz (17:32):
Yeah, yeah, okay, I'm curious because
meditation talks so much about detachment
as a concept, you know, as a philosophical
concept, but also as a very real, like
psychological in the moment, kind of
technique to use.
So that that's why the question popped into
my head of, yes, it's very much staying
(17:54):
present when you're taking that one step
and the next step could be lethal.
You know, it's like you're moving forward
and it, yeah, it would be very difficult to
think about that and then stay present as
well.
As you know, I was really struck about the
story you told I don't remember which one
(18:15):
it was where the guy was incredibly
physically fit.
He was part of the team going in on like
day two or something he gives up yeah it's
not cold, yeah, it's picturing cold, not
hot.
So, yeah, and he gives up and it's like
somehow that he got, you know, sucked into
the mental and, instead of really being
(18:37):
able to detach and be present, and okay,
this is what I'm doing right now.
Dawson (18:43):
Right now, yeah, it's, it's wild.
I'm it's, it's wild.
I'm sure you've seen it.
Well, I know you've seen this in your
practice.
It's wild what we tell ourselves and how
that impacts our ability to perform.
It is, yes, Just like you mentioned is.
He just got it in his head that he wasn't
strong enough, he wasn't in shape, he
wasn't this, he wasn't that, and I just I
(19:04):
watched him over you know two or you know I
guess two and a half, three days, just I
mean crumble mentally, emotionally,
physically, when I knew for a fact that he,
he could do it there, there was no question
in my mind and I saw people that he was
stronger than doing it.
And he just got it in his negative feedback
loop in his head and ended up paying like
(19:25):
$14,000.
Yeah, Got it backed out of there.
Dr. Liz (19:29):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
I think those beliefs we do have about
ourselves and our own abilities do impact
us like that, whether it's in the South
Pole or being able to walk down the street
and say, okay, I've just had a surgery and
now it's time to get active again.
Like you spoke about those beliefs that you
I think you said your your real awareness
(19:52):
of them came as a teenager Like I'm a bad
person, I deserve to be punished, I would
find some way to fuck things up here here,
and then how those continue to impact you
along your adult life until it sounds like
you really got a hold of them finally.
Dawson (20:10):
In the end, I think it was a lot of
self-sabotage going on.
Yeah, that's the thing you got to be
careful of.
And later in the book, when we talk about
the final 5%, is when we do all this work
and we address, you know, I guess you know
kind of obvious issues in our life.
But when we really continue to drill down
and drill down and drill down, when we
(20:31):
start to see kind of the theme, you know,
that permeates most of our lives, it really
is just a couple things often that drive a
greater, you know volume bubble.
But when you kind of distill it down, it's
normally like one, two, three things that
you just have on repeat.
And those three things you just mentioned
is I just kind of had on repeat where I saw
(20:52):
as implementing them in different ways to
self sabotage, you know, throughout my life
and that that's you know.
Once I kind of finally realized that and it
came to understand that and try and start
to address those in healthy ways.
And, look, I'd be honest with you, I'm
still addressing them.
It's still that I struggle with because I
honestly believe I think we can let go
(21:12):
probably 95, 98% of things, but I think
there are likely will always be things
there that that are going to be difficult
for us to let go, but look, that's okay.
But the fact that you understand that
they're there and we understand how to deal
with them in a positive, healthy manner,
and that we're not listening to them but
rather we're working to control them, then
(21:35):
we can change the course of our lives.
Dr. Liz (21:37):
Exactly.
Yes, I think there are some beliefs.
I mean, I'm a big believer and I've seen
the impact in my own life on hypnosis,
changing some of those deeper beliefs.
Hypnosis is not the only way.
There's all kinds of ways to change those.
But sometimes what happens is that we end
up managing them like you're saying, like
(21:58):
the awareness and the not listening and
saying, ok, I know that's popping up
because of this and that's what triggered
it.
And now you know, thanks for information,
continuing on my way, yeah, and coming back
to the better beliefs about ourselves.
But it can also fuel amazing acts.
(22:19):
That reminded me of David Goggins.
You know, goggins, the yeah, the worst self
talk I've ever seen in a book.
It's like, oh my God, directly stemming
from his childhood that was severely
abusive but fueled him to do all these
incredible physical acts.
(22:40):
But it's like it says down times, I think,
sometimes where, ok, the trip is over, the
expedition is over, your home, and now what
do you do with those?
You can't run from yourself anymore.
Right, yeah, exactly.
Dawson (22:55):
Well, I'm sorry to interrupt.
That's what we meant a minute ago is the
hardest thing for normally anybody to do is
to sit quietly with themselves.
Dr. Liz (23:05):
Yeah.
Dawson (23:06):
You can go out there and I don't care if
you're getting a new job or running a
marathon or you know, pushing a car a
hundred miles, but you sit there quietly,
with no distractions, in a quiet space, and
all these things start coming up.
It's just, it's very, very.
Or if you're out, moving, whatever it is,
but just where you can't hide from yourself.
Yes, you do have a consistent basis.
(23:26):
It brings up a lot of stuff and it's
difficult to do.
Dr. Liz (23:28):
It is.
It is so you get back from I think it's
your 10th world record or something and you
get very depressed.
Yeah, do you go into treatment at that
point?
Dawson (23:42):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Yeah, that that's a great question is, over
the years is I've met with a couple
providers you know a couple, you know
therapists, you can call them and, um, I
just I haven't really found the right
person.
That's resonated with me and I think when
you go into these treatment, in these you
know various types of treatments you have
(24:02):
to find the right person for you and one
person works with one person, but it just
kind of doesn't fit with the other.
So when I came back is is, I looked around,
spoke to a couple of people, but nothing
really kind of no one really matched with
me.
So it was more of just me grinding on my
own, of just kind of taking more time, more
trial and error, more sitting with myself,
(24:24):
more you know, just kind of evaluating and
just understanding, hey, and ask myself why
do you think you're feeling this way?
And then, like we mentioned a couple of
minutes ago, I just came to understand
there's nothing new here.
This is just me rehashing, reliving these
old things.
And once I saw that, I was able to slowly
start working past it and get to a better
(24:44):
place.
Dr. Liz (24:45):
Okay, got it so more of like self-inquiry,
sticking with it, not trying to avoid it
this time with whatever.
Dawson (24:54):
I genuinely believe there are certainly
times when it helps to work with an outside
service provider.
Yes, whether it be a physical therapist,
whether it be a doctor, whether it be you
know someone that helps you mentally or
someone that fixes your car, you know it's
like you need outside help.
But, that being said, is when we're dealing
with psychological issues.
(25:15):
I believe a lot of times we have the
answers we're looking for deep inside of us,
but we need to find the ability to listen
to ourselves and we need to get quiet to
listen to ourselves.
It's just so often we have so much going on
is we're screaming at ourselves but we're
not listening, or we have, we don't have
the ability to listen.
We've got that volume turned down so low
and we don't realize because I've been
(25:36):
doing this for a long time now is I've just
I've found different ways of dialing that
volume up and to say, hey, you know what?
What am I missing here?
And I can generally tell myself where the
issue is now.
Dr. Liz (25:46):
Okay, okay, fantastic, love it, love it.
All right, can you let people know about
the well you have to?
You have the seven for soldiers project was
what really started this whole thing.
And then you have the Dawson's peak
foundation.
So can you tell people about both of those?
Dawson (26:07):
Yes, certainly so.
Dawson's Peak Foundation is a 501c3 that a
good friend of mine and I, jay Jablonski,
started back in 2018.
And our mission is to inspire the discovery
and pursuit of individual purpose and just
trying to get people to live lives of
greater purpose and to transition from
being really self-centered to
service-centered, so to live for something
(26:29):
greater than ourselves and to really
understand that we're all participating in
this together, and everything we do not
only impacts ourselves, but impacts
everybody else.
So it's about learning to live with a
proper sense of contribution, and it's just,
I think far too often in today's society is
we're not thinking about the participation
and contribution that we want to have, and
(26:51):
we're starting to discredit our ability to
impact the world, and so it's important
that we understand the sense of purpose
that we want to have in our lives and the
impact we want to have.
So that's really our mission, and the
current project we're working on is called
Seven for Soldiers, where I was trying to
set seven world records through a variety
(27:11):
of activities.
We talked about several of them.
I ended up setting six so far, and 100% of
our net proceeds are benefiting the Gary
Sinise Foundation and Hope for the Warriors
that are two of the highest rated veteran
charities in the country.
So you know I haven't made a dime on this
in the past several years.
Everything that comes in that's not spent
(27:32):
goes out the door to those two groups.
Dr. Liz (27:34):
Got it Okay.
I wasn't quite sure how that worked in the
book, so thank you for explaining that, but
it's like how are you funding it?
Then I was like, how is this guy doing all
these expeditions?
I know you used to work in the banking
world and so are you privately funding it
yourself.
Dawson (27:55):
Yeah, so the way it got started was I was
funding everything personally.
You know, if you, you know, look at these
expeditions.
It's, it's not cheap, it's not going to the
IHOP across the street and then.
So I've personally funded everything and
then we backfill it with sponsors.
So Monster Energy is our largest sponsor
(28:18):
and they've been absolutely tremendous to
deal with over the past couple of years.
A lot of people don't realize the magnitude
and the volume of the philanthropic efforts
that Monster has in general because they
just don't, they just don't advertise it.
They have an organization within the
company called Monster Cares which has just
been, you know, incredible, and then also
(28:39):
they're very active with military veterans.
But then we have other major sponsors like
511 Tactical, oakley Sunglasses, everybody
knows Oakley Scarpa Boots.
So then they bring on products and funding
and things like that to get us over and
start to create a net positive situation.
Dr. Liz (28:59):
Okay, got it.
You talk some about the struggles in the
book with the nonprofit, Got it.
You talk some about the struggles in the
book with the nonprofit and I actually
enjoyed reading and hearing some of those
parts because it's like you know, people
are often like, oh yeah, I'm going to start
a nonprofit and they think it's so easy,
and it's not.
Dawson (29:16):
It's really not Everybody's going to care
about this, because I care about it, it's
going to be so funny, it's going to be so
easy, and I just give stuff away to people.
It's going to be so funny, it's going to be
so easy, and I just give stuff away to
people.
It's going to be wonderful.
Yeah, yeah, that's not how it works.
Dr. Liz (29:27):
No, no.
There's a lot of effort that you describe
that goes on behind the scenes of trying to
secure some funding and sponsorship and all
kinds of stuff, meetings that you got to
have.
Dawson (29:40):
Oh look, I mentioned in the book and
obviously you've read it but the backside,
the administrative tasks of the project
have been more difficult than training for
900 hours a year and going out and climbing
Everest, like that's the fun, easy stuff.
It really is.
Dr. Liz (30:00):
That's ridiculous, you know.
Dawson (30:04):
It is.
You know it's ridiculous, you know it is.
It's all of the folks, it's literally there
are over 1.5 million non-profits and like
civic groups and all these kinds of things
chamber of commerce.
So if you think you're gonna go out there
and tell somebody about your wonderful idea
and someone needs help, or you want to do
this or that, you're competing against over
a million other people.
(30:25):
You know a million and a half at least, and
that's it.
And I mean, when you factor in everything,
you're competing against millions of people
for every dime, yeah, for every second of
attention, for every this, for every that,
and you may have a wonderful cause, but no
one cares about it the way you do, right
yeah and if you're, if you're trying to get
something from them, whether it's their
time or their money, you're going to have
(30:48):
to fight for every single second.
It just and it's just.
It's a lot, and people just don't realize
until they get in it.
And all the time is almost every day,
someone reaches out to me and says hey, I'm
looking at starting X, y and Z because of
you know A, b and C.
I'm like that's wonderful, but you're about
(31:08):
to get your ass handed to you and you don't
know what's coming.
I'm like I hope you love it, cause it's
going to be a lot of work.
Dr. Liz (31:11):
Yeah, exactly.
Dawson (31:13):
Yeah, and I'm not trying to discourage
anybody.
Dr. Liz (31:18):
Right, right.
Yeah, I imagine there's a lot of vetting.
That happens too.
Dawson (31:29):
Oh, just some regulatory measures and
filing taxes and just keeping up with it to
get you know your 501c3 designation.
Then you got to deal with the feds and the
state and California loves to over-regulate
everything.
It's like a contest of how many letters can
they send you about some new regulation?
Yeah, right.
Dr. Liz (31:42):
Yeah, I have a friend who's from russia and
she always says california should be its
own country.
So she says she actually thinks the us
should be split into three.
She's like east coast, west coast and
midwest.
You'd have three countries, you'd all get
along a lot better.
I know it's funny, yeah, but I was quite
(32:02):
impressed that you keep going and you keep
doing it.
So are you still planning on going to back
to Russia in April 2025?
Then?
Dawson (32:14):
April 25.
Yeah, the trip's already set and we've
already got the dates and hopefully it's
going to happen this year, ok great.
Dr. Liz (32:21):
So tell us what's happening for you right
now, Like what are you focusing on now?
Why are assuming wait for that trip and
train for it?
Dawson (32:45):
no-transcript.
Dr. Liz (32:49):
Fantastic.
Dawson (32:49):
Just trying to finish, you know, finish up
everything, get all that stuff in place.
And then, as you mentioned, the North Pole,
in April I've got another climb that I
haven't started promoting yet.
That's probably gonna take place just after
that, okay, and then probably, or
potentially, some other big mountains next
year.
We just haven't started to promote yet.
So just, you know, just trying to get in
(33:10):
the proper shape for that.
And when you deal with, you know,
cardiovascular system, it takes months and
months and months to get it in the right
condition.
So it's just 100%.
You know, full time training for that right
now.
Dr. Liz (33:22):
Can you?
I'm sure some listeners will be interested
in your training schedule, so could you
give us a little insight into that?
Dawson (33:30):
I appreciate you asking that.
It's an interesting question.
I love that side of it.
I love hearing about the way people train.
It is, on average, I train between, you
know, 21 to 25 hours a week.
Okay, that really ranges from, you know,
two hours to maybe six to eight hours a day,
something like that.
I train seven days a week.
Yeah, I don't take, I don't take days off,
(33:55):
but one day a week is a recovery day.
So one day a week is I'll get in the pool
and I'll swim for an hour or two hours.
Then I'll do some recovery work, things
like that.
Four day or three days a week, three to
four days a week, or two days, so I work
out in the morning, then I work again out
in the evening, and then two days a week or
longer, sessions in the mountains.
So those could be you know, four hour
climbs, eight hour climbs, 10 hour climbs,
you know something like that.
(34:16):
And then I'll throw four weight sessions
where I'm actually in the gym training two
days a week, but it's, you know, in terms
of being on my, as I try to stay on my feet
as much as possible.
So that'll be.
You know cycling, for you know, 50, 50 to a
hundred miles or be out.
You know.
Jogging you know, but doing undulating
surfaces, you know so, going up and down,
not just you know flat roads.
(34:36):
And then the heavy pack carries, you know
so carrying about 80 to a hundred pound
pack either on a Stairmaster or out in the
in the mountains, and then I'll move with
packs you know anywhere from.
You know 30 to 60 pounds for four, six,
eight hours.
You know something like that.
Most of the training historically has been
done fasted, so no food before I train.
(34:57):
So I may carry a 50 pound pack for six
hours with no food.
Lately it's the science has kind of changed
a little bit where people don't believe
you're getting the, the fat adaptation
benefits they thought you were before,
where your body is fueling just off fat.
So now I'm kind of playing around with that,
sometime incorporating some carbs or
proteins, and you know just kind of.
(35:19):
You know it's just figured out little ways
to tweak things, but in a general sense
that's what the training looks like.
Dr. Liz (35:24):
Okay, fantastic, that's interesting I
hadn't.
I hadn't followed, like the newer science
on that, the fasted working out I used to.
When I was, I was keto for about two years
or so and low carb for longer than that,
but haven't really kept up with it in the
last year or two, so they are thinking
that's different now.
Dawson (35:43):
Yeah, so.
So initially is so if I'm going to go in,
say, for a weight session in the gym, then
I'll always eat before that session because
I know I'm burning a ton of carbs and you
need it, I need the glycogen, I need all
this stuff.
But if, if I was going out for just you
know, a long zone, one, zone two, training
session is I stopped eating because the
(36:03):
thought was you since you don't have the
glycogen, because you always use a
combination of carbohydrates and fat in
your body and glycogen is just stored
carbohydrates.
So if you're going out for these long
periods, if you don't have the glycogen,
then you're forcing your body to use fat.
So now when you're out on the mountain,
your body's going to be more apt to use the
(36:23):
fat.
The challenge, or what they're thinking
about now, is that just if you get the
training session long enough, or if you're
training enough during the week, so if
training, say, north of 12 hours, then
you're naturally going to be using more fat
than carbohydrates in a lot of situations,
especially at low heart rates.
(36:43):
So you don't need that fasted training
number one.
And then, secondly, it impairs your ability
to recover.
So if you you know cause I'm training- over
20 hours a week on average, so my body's
not gonna recover as fast as it could.
So it's honestly so.
The science isn't perfect on it right now.
You're kind of it's just ebb and flow to it
like most things.
(37:03):
So now I'm kind of trying to go back and
bend it towards having a little bit more
fuel at least, putting protein in before
I'm doing these sessions to help the
recovery process which has only happened
within the past maybe two months, so it's
been very recent.
I've switched back to this and trying to
see how my body feels.
Dr. Liz (37:21):
Yeah, yeah, what.
What kind of result have you seen, like,
are you feeling better with it?
Dawson (37:25):
Yeah, yeah, what kind of result have you
seen?
Like, are you feeling better with it?
Yeah, you know, honestly, it's, it's.
I'm not.
I'm not liking it so far, to be totally
honest with you, cause I've been, I just
gotten so used to not having, you know,
carbs or anything in my system and now it
just feels weird.
I can feel my body's a little bit, a little
bit bonky, a little bit up and down, which
I know there's going gonna be a transition
process.
So just trying to to see you know how it's
(37:46):
gonna go okay, gotcha, yeah, well, he's
really impressed.
Dr. Liz (37:49):
And where you talked about having these
surgeries like you had multiple surgeries
over the years, even while you're doing
this and then I think there was one on uh,
I think it was your ankle, because you said
it was hypermobile.
I have a hypermobile ankles where I used to
understand it I used to, yeah, sprain them
(38:09):
two or three times a year, just they'd go
out.
You know, like boom, it's gotten better
since I started riding the bike, more in my
peloton and doing bar and some more
strengthening, but still, like I said when
I was reading the book, I had sprained
ankle but, um, you had the ankle surgery
and then, like the next day out of the
hospital you were back in the gym.
(38:31):
Oh yeah, I was like, oh, my god, at least I
could do is, like you know, walk across the
room today.
You know, and it's like, what motivates you
to do that?
Is it really just like can't, I can't let
the upper body?
You did all kinds of upper body work and,
like you know, trying to do the electrical
stimulation.
(38:51):
Is it just this thought of like?
I won't make my timeline if I'd let off?
Dawson (38:57):
There was some fear because we were trying
to do so much in such a compressed timeline
and, like the two you mentioned, there was
a, an ankle surgery and then, as soon as
that was healed, I went in and had my
shoulder done.
Dr. Liz (39:12):
That was just to get to the starting line
of the project, so that one.
Even we haven't started the thing yet.
Yeah, it was just okay.
I didn't realize that yeah.
Dawson (39:17):
So it was a.
It was a combination of of being fearful,
of saying, look, I, I just, I don't have
the time to lose.
But secondly is to be quite honest with you,
I was proving a point to myself.
You know saying, hey, listen, it doesn't
matter what happens, it's how I choose to
respond to what happens.
(39:39):
I think a lot of times, you know, people
are fearful that they're not enough.
But I think the greater fear that that we
have, that we don't realize, is that we're
more powerful than we want to believe,
Because with that power comes
responsibility.
With with increased capacity comes
increased duty.
And you know, I, after surgery, I was, I
(40:01):
was in the gym about I don't know 12 hours
after surgery on my ankle.
I was in the gym, you know, lifting my
upper body and taking like a little you
know, on my crutches and all this kind of
stuff, because I could do it.
And I wouldn't go sit around and tell
myself you shouldn't do this or you can't
do this.
I'm like, look, you can do it.
So you're going to do it, You're gonna get
your ass off this couch and you're getting
(40:22):
in there because you can do it.
Dr. Liz (40:24):
Got it.
Dawson (40:25):
It's just kind of a theme I saw with myself.
It's that again, we're all capable of so
much more.
It's allowing ourselves to accept that
responsibility and to show ourselves.
It's funny you mentioned David Goggins.
I met him randomly in Beverly Hills.
And this was.
I was driving home from having my shoulder
operated on.
(40:45):
I mean, I was literally an hour, two hours
after surgery.
I had the gauze, I had the iodine, I had
all this kind of stuff.
I was driving down, or being driven down
Sunset Boulevard here in LA.
I look over and there's David Goggins
jogging.
I'm like what?
What the hell am I am I hallucinating?
(41:06):
Is this has the, you know, you know the
whatever's not worn off?
And um and I I told the guy to turn around
and I stopped.
I'm like, and he, he just finished his
workout.
I was like I'm sorry to bother you and I
introduced myself and I had like a hat on
with Dawson's peak.
I gave him the hat.
I was like you know, you know all this
(41:27):
stuff, whatever, whatever yeah, uh, and he
thought I was a crazy guy because my arms
in a sling and I got iodine all over my
neck, yeah, but you know what that is is?
Uh, you know, they told me, like, listen,
it's going to take you, you know, six weeks
to do anything, and all this, and the next
morning, you know, 12 hours after surgery,
I was out on the road bike.
Yeah, I still had the bandage on, I still
had iodine all over me and I'm out there
cycling with a bandage shoulder.
But because I could do it, I gave myself
(41:50):
the ability to listen to myself and there's
nothing special, everybody can do this.
I refused to allow them to tell me and
dictate what I could and couldn't do.
I could do it and I could do it relatively
safely, and I got it done and just moved on
with it.
Dr. Liz (42:06):
Okay, again, it was an inspiration because
I was like, well, my right ankle's out, but
I can certainly do upper body workouts and
core and like and I did it's like I have my
little app where I track things.
I'm like I have such a great streak I'm not
breaking it like I'll get a workout in
somehow when my ankle was out after the
surgery and I had the cast on it is.
Dawson (42:26):
What I found was I'd get on the rower and I
found a little furniture mover dolly that I
bought for Amazon for like five bucks.
I'd put that under the cast and I could
just roll row for hours with one leg, or I
could do a bike with.
We can all do these things.
It's just a matter of making the decision
to do it.
Yes, give ourselves the space, believing in
ourselves.
Yes, and it's.
It's look.
It's just a matter of making the decision
to do it.
Yes, give ourselves the space, believing in
ourselves.
Yes, and it's look.
Dr. Liz (42:47):
It's that old adage if there's a will,
there's a way, and it's just that simple
and I would say adaptability too, like,
okay, I can't do it the regular way, now I
got to adapt and figure out what I can do,
how I can do it.
Yes, well, on that note, I think it's a
good place to end the interview, but before
we go, please let people know how they can
(43:09):
find you.
They'd like to donate or sponsor, how they
can do that.
Dawson (43:13):
You know, look, I appreciate it.
Thank you very much for having me on.
I've really enjoyed it, me too.
Dawson's Peak P-E-A-Kcom that tells you all
about the adventures and everything that
links to the foundation site, which is
Dawson's Peak Foundation.
And please get involved with donations.
It would be wonderful.
(43:34):
As we mentioned, 100% of the net proceeds
go to Gary Sneed's foundation, hope for the
Warriors.
So I'm not making a dime off of this.
I haven't made a dime since the beginning.
The donations can be made through the
foundation site or simply texting Dawson
D-A-W-S-O-N to 53555.
And so we can't make it any simpler.
And then you can follow along.
(43:54):
You know the project, all this kind of
stuff.
And then, lastly, the book, as we've talked
about several times, which is called
Strength and Surrender, is coming out
January 7th.
Yes, the easiest way to find it initially
will be on Amazon, and that'll be the ebook,
the paperback and the audio.
It's already hit, like I mentioned, number
one new release on there, so we're getting
some great results on it.
Dr. Liz (44:13):
Fantastic.
Dawson (44:14):
And then, if you want to share your story
with me, you can find me on Instagram, just
at Dawson's Peak, or email to info at
Dawson's Peak, and it's been wonderful
because we've had so many people reach out
that are saying that things are resonating
with them.
How they're incorporating it into their
lives, which is the reason why we're doing
what we're doing.
So we'd love to hear those stories.
Dr. Liz (44:34):
Fantastic.
And all of that will be in the show notes
and that's January 7, 2025, because people
will listen to this for years later.
So thank you again.
I loved the book.
I highly recommend the book to anyone who
wants to pick it up.
And again, thank you so much for being here
and being on the show with us.
Dawson (44:55):
No, thank you for having me on.
I've truly enjoyed it as well.
Hey everyone.
Dr Liz here.
I'm going to jump right into this intro
rather than talking anything about myself
and what's going on with me, because I am
interviewing Matt Dawson, d-a-w-s-o-n from
Dawson's Peak Foundation.
He is a six-time world record holder, but
(00:23):
more than that, he has a heart of gold and
a deep sense of meaning and purpose.
So when the opportunity to interview him
came along, I jumped at it.
I was like absolutely would love to, and I
cannot recommend his book enough.
It comes out January 7, 2025.
(00:48):
His book Enough.
It comes out January 7, 2025.
This will air right around that time, but
if you're listening to this years in the
future, you will know his book is already
out and you can also look up what he's
doing currently.
He has truly impacted me personally as well
as professionally.
I took some of the concepts in his book and
immediately applied them to working with
(01:08):
clients and helping people that I see too.
Again, cannot recommend it enough.
So let's jump in.
Hi Dawson, welcome to the Hypnotize Me
podcast.
Dawson (01:28):
Hey, I appreciate you having me on.
Thank you.
Dr. Liz (01:30):
Absolutely.
I was very excited to read your book.
I loved it.
I will let you know probably the first book
I read about really adventuring is Into
Thin Air, john Krakow.
About really adventuring is Into Thin Air,
john Krakow.
Like when I'm in my 20s.
I'm in my 50s now, so I've followed that
literature for a very long time.
(01:56):
Read the.
Dawson (01:56):
Comfort Crisis by, I think it's Michael
Easter.
Dr. Liz (01:57):
Michael Easter, that's right.
One of my favorite books is how to Survive
in Extreme Circumstances.
John Hudson, who, like, trains the British
military.
Dawson (02:10):
I don't know that one.
I'm going to look that one up, yeah.
Dr. Liz (02:12):
Oh yeah, how to Survive in Extreme
Circumstances.
Okay, it actually came in handy when I was
in Asheville, north Carolina, visiting my
daughter when the Hurricane Helene hit.
Oh, no.
And we actually applied some of the
principles in it and it's, like you know,
sort of amazing how these books show up in
your life and yours.
(02:34):
It's been a couple of months now since I
read it and it has really stuck with me.
I don't know if you wrote it meaning to
inspire like a 55 year old, middle-aged
woman, but it totally has.
Even this morning I sprained my ankle, so I
I was reading it with a sprained ankle and
(02:54):
then I got really sick and I was like no,
it's time to work out.
This morning I'm interviewing Dawson and
I've got to get a workout in beforehand,
and so really impactful day to day.
Dawson (03:06):
So thank you, I really appreciate you
mentioned that and that means a great deal
to me because I was trying to break through
and kind of get outside of just that
adventure realm and the people that want to
go out and climb Everest, because, look,
there's been a million books written about
Everest and rowing oceans and doing all
this kind of stuff.
(03:27):
And I'm not taking anything away from them
because I've enjoyed all of them.
They're all wonderful works.
But I wanted to kind of break out of that.
I'm like, look, I'm not just trying to talk
to a guy or someone that wants to do
mountain climbing, it's like I'm trying to
relate a common experience that we all have.
Yes, we can apply to everything in our
lives and to everyone can take something
(03:49):
from a portion of this.
So that means a lot to that.
It resonated with you, so I appreciate you
sharing that with me.
Dr. Liz (03:55):
Yeah, I found it surprisingly relatable.
I really did and I really enjoyed the
structure of the book.
Did and I really enjoyed the structure of
the book.
So the structure was it's really not a
self-help but it's not just a straight up
this is what happened narrative.
It gives the meditations and call to action,
(04:17):
like the ask yourself and apply yourself,
and I really loved those.
I thought they were very relevant for my
life.
You would tell these like extreme stories
about what's happening and your surgeries
and like where you were in the different
parts of the world, and then I really did
(04:37):
find the end of the chapters like oh no, I
can apply this to my life apply this to my
life.
Dawson (04:45):
You know, I love to hear that that, that
that worked as well, cause, you know, the
last thing I wanted is I didn't want it to
just be hey, here's a story about me, and
then here's more information about me, and
then here's something else about me, and
making it about me because it's not about
me, it's simply saying, hey, here's my
experience, maybe you can take something
from it and incorporate into yours.
And so I really was working hard to put it
back on the reader to say you've learned
(05:07):
something.
Now.
Here's something you can do, or what are
you going to do with this information?
And it's just wonderful, because we
mentioned before we got on when you and I
were going to speak originally and then we
had to reschedule.
It's like the way that you did that.
I really enjoyed it.
Dr. Liz (05:23):
And now.
Dawson (05:23):
I've incorporated you know, incorporate
that into my story.
So it's like it's all about incorporating
other people's actions into your stories
and what you can learn and how you can
learn and all this.
So that's it's.
I'm glad to see that you enjoyed that.
Dr. Liz (05:36):
Yeah, I think you really accomplished it.
I do.
What was I am curious about?
What was the hardest element for you in
doing these extreme tasks like climbing the
mountains and going across the desert and
across the ocean.
What was the hardest part?
Dawson (05:58):
You know it's, I think there's two ways to
look at it.
You know there's physical, then there's
emotional, psychological think.
Dr. Liz (06:04):
there's two ways to look at it.
Dawson (06:05):
You know, there's physical, then there's
emotional, psychological on.
On a physical front, I would say probably
the the hardest one was actually the one
that's included in the epilogue, which is
my second successful crossing of the Mojave
Desert.
That was 330 miles in uh seven, just over
seven days, eight hours, where I did it
solo, unsupported.
It by itself, was a freestanding world
record of the fastest ever crossing the
(06:26):
Mojave Desert on foot, and I think it's
funny.
Well, the next book I'm currently working
on, I think, is going to be kind of
extrapolation of that crossing, with some
other things kind of mixed into it.
But the thing that was even just more
difficult, because what I found is physical
difficulty is one thing but, like a lot of
(06:46):
people can relate to, psychological,
emotional difficulty in all of our lives
normally just makes everything else pale in
comparison.
Yes, it was finding a way to keep going
time after time and stay committed for so
many years, because originally the project
Seven First Soldiers was supposed to kick
off in 2020.
And then it got delayed because of COVID
(07:07):
and then, once we finally got going, we
were on track to everything successfully.
And then the North pole got delayed in 2022.
Then it got delayed in 23.
Then it got delayed in 24.
It's just and that's like the last thing
that that we need to finish this thing and
we keep losing it, and you can only go for
three weeks out of the year.
(07:28):
So if you lose it in early April, you have
to wait another year.
So it's just every time you get so close
like last year I spent two weeks in Russia
and Siberia so close Then I lost it again.
Now you have to wait another year.
So it's just that relentlessness that you
have to just keep coming back, come back
and just open for an opportunity, which I
think you know everybody can relate to in
(07:49):
their lives, when we get so close to what
we, what we think we want, and then we lose
it.
Now we have to wait and to keep applying
ourselves for maybe a potential other
opportunity to perform, but nothing's
guaranteed.
Dr. Liz (08:00):
Yeah, yeah, on a much smaller, smaller
level, it's like my house is for sale right
now and two contracts have fallen through,
and it's like you get so close and then
it's like, nope, you're back to waiting.
Dawson (08:13):
You know like it is that feeling I
mentioned the book it's like, and we, it's
like, we all go through it, whether it's,
you know, selling the house or going for a
new job or something to do with a
relationship or whatever is.
I found so many times where I thought I was
all in.
Dr. Liz (08:29):
Yes.
Dawson (08:31):
Like you're playing blackjack or whatever
and I've got all my chips on the table and
I'm like I am maxed out physically and
emotionally and psychologically.
And then the universe looked at me and it's
like, listen, if you want to continue to
play, you've got to find more ways, put
more stuff on the table.
And I'm like I can't, like I'm all in and
like well, you better figure it out, that's
your problem.
So then you put more of yourself into it.
(08:53):
You find ways of growing as an individual
and if you think you're maxed out, then the
universe says, well, you got to put more on
the table.
And it's a constant requirement to
sacrifice and to grow even more, to pursue
what you want to pursue.
That was the greatest challenge.
It was I think a lot of people have
experienced that in various ways.
(09:14):
It just causes you to grow, and then
growing into it is even more.
Dr. Liz (09:19):
Okay, so it's like staying in the pocket,
like you say, this is later in the book.
But you had an acronym.
I was going to ask you.
You know, I was like waking up at night
thinking of that final S right, and then I
actually ended up coming up with my own.
I immediately started applying that with
clients, by the way, like okay, let's come
(09:41):
up with an acronym that works for you.
Like, okay, let's come up with an acronym
that works for you so that the listeners
know Dawson has this acronym BDS123.
It's breathe.
Don't give fear a voice.
Don't judge as good, wrong, bad, right.
Slow down mentally, stay in the pocket,
(10:01):
which is really like keep going, stay in
the pocket.
And then small, small, keep your world.
Small meaning stay present to where you are,
like don't go too far into the future, into
the past.
You know beside you all of that.
So how did you come up with this acronym?
Dawson (10:20):
yeah, it's.
You know, I just enjoy little things like
that.
I enjoy simple, little little things.
I can think about it in the moment.
When you do this type of thing, it's very
easy for things to get very big very
quickly.
I'm a pilot.
When you're up there and you're flying at
10,000 feet and you're all alone and
something goes wrong, things go wrong very
(10:43):
quickly.
So I need quick, little, you know reminders.
I don't have time to, you know, extrapolate
big, big concepts, yeah.
So it's just like a little checkbook that I
have and I was just trying to think, like
what are the major things that I look for
in ways to control myself and to understand
and mitigate situations?
And so it just kind of came to me one day
(11:04):
when I was, when I was out climbing, I'm
like what are kind of like the major things
and kind of stealing everything down, and
that that just, you know, seemed to
resonate with me.
It just seemed to work well and it's
something that I can just repeat very
quickly as I'm, as I'm going, I'm like, you
know, BDS, one, two, three, and I just it's
(11:25):
almost becomes like a, it's like a mantra I
can just chant yeah, it just just helps,
you know, slow me down and it helps me
perform better in a lot of situations.
Dr. Liz (11:29):
Fantastic, okay, got it, was really helpful.
I'll share the one that, um, we came up
with.
I was working.
I work with a variety of clients when this
happened, with an overeater, and then
another when it was a parent who has small
children and boy, small children can like
trigger you, you know, like they do crazy
stuff, and you're like, ah, so we came up
(11:50):
with PASS, which is pause, ask a question,
like get curious about what's going on here,
stay present, and then stay positive, like
don't start thinking far into the future
around.
Like you know, is this four year old going
to become a drug addict someday?
You know like no, he's just a four year old,
(12:11):
that's it.
Dawson (12:12):
I think that's.
I think that's wonderful, I think it's
absolutely perfect.
I love it.
I mean, it's something you can remember.
Yes, I think that that's absolutely perfect.
I appreciate you sharing that with me.
Dr. Liz (12:21):
Yeah, it speaks to also just um, let's let
this moment pass, for instead of like
getting really drawn into it and then you
know, all kinds of stuff starts happening
um real world and in your mind.
So it's like all right, let's just slow
everything down for a minute so I love do.
(12:42):
Yeah, so you also talk about the sense of
detaching, like not getting too much into
when, when you get back home.
So you do these amazing physical feats and
(13:07):
set these world records and then you'd get
back home and get depressed.
What do you feel like finally helped the
depression?
You talk about this some in the book, but
I'd really love for you to speak to the
listeners about it.
Dawson (13:26):
Yeah, no, it's something that it's a great
question and it's like we talked about
earlier with a lot of the things in the
book.
I think it's something that a lot of people
can relate to.
Yes, and that's something that was
important to me is to have a story where
we're just sharing elements of just a
common human experience or condition or
(13:47):
issues.
You know things like that, and ever since I
was very, very young, I just started to tie
my feeling of self-worth into performance
number one.
And then, secondly, it's just, I needed
like a constant sense of stimulation.
It was difficult for me to sit quietly and
to be quiet and to be present, and when I
(14:09):
was coming back and one of the things that
you're referencing is from when I was
rowing the Atlantic Ocean, which we were
successful in doing, but on that trip we
mentioned North Pole a few minutes ago is
we lost the North Pole because Russia went
into Ukraine and Even though you know, even
though we were gone, you know nine for nine
or 10 for 10 on expeditions up to that
(14:30):
point, it said all these records and
whatever is, all I looked at was we lost
the North pole, which meant we couldn't
finish the project on schedule.
Like we, like we said, and therefore I'm a
failure.
And because I'm a failure is I've let
everybody down.
I've let all these people that depend on me,
I've let them down and obviously there's
nothing I could do about it.
I mean, one country invaded another country,
(14:53):
but the way that I looked at it was I
should have been able to find a way to
still make this happen, like I don't care
the reason why it didn't happen.
I should have been able to find a way to
move heaven and earth and to create, you
know whatever, and to make it happen.
And I, just because I couldn't, is it
really impacted my, my feeling of
self-worth?
(15:14):
Okay, you know, and that's just kind of
what it comes down to.
And with the detachment is there.
There are different ways that you can
detach in various situations, but really
just, it's a matter of of, of not ascribing,
of not ascribing our feeling of self-worth
or value or our ability to love or to
receive love, to give love or to receive
(15:35):
love based on X, y or Z.
Fill in the blank number one.
But then, secondly, with regards to
performance, is you can't, you can't look
at how's this going to end up, you know, or
how did it?
How did it end up in the past?
Like, if you're a baseball player, you're
like well, I've struck out the last three
times, or I've got all this pressure on
(15:56):
this at bat, if I hit a home run here, then
my life's going to change.
If I strike out, my career is probably over.
Like, you can't think about that kind of
stuff.
It's especially the greater.
The moment grows is.
All you can do is just focus on your
performance in the moment.
And that's what I really talk about, about
that detachment.
It's like there are plenty of times when
you're on the mountain it's like I can't
(16:17):
think about there's a potential for me to
be dead here in a few minutes If I don't
get this right.
All I can do is just focus on what's
immediately in front of me.
So there's different ways to detach,
whether from the physical pursuit in that
moment or from kind of like that greater
psychological pursuit, once things kind of
calm down in a much, just kind of larger
personal sense.
Dr. Liz (16:38):
Yes.
Dawson (16:38):
That's right.
I know that was kind of a big answer, but
it's just, detachment is kind's kind of a
big subject it is, it is right.
Dr. Liz (16:47):
I mean, do you meditate?
Dawson (16:49):
I do, yeah, nor I try to make it a daily
practice, so I'm pretty, uh, I'm good at at
that, so it's an important part of my you
know kind of regime, okay and I did you
meditate before you started doing all this?
You know, I did, I did, but just not
consistently.
Dr. Liz (17:05):
Okay.
Dawson (17:06):
And it's you know.
You can use either like real kind of
traditional meditation, which I enjoy doing,
I enjoy sitting quietly and things like
that or you can.
You know, what I tell people is that you
can use kind of an active meditation where
you're just out, you know, walking by
yourself or exercising or doing some type
of functional flow technique.
You know where you're just out, you know,
walking by yourself or exercising or doing
some type of functional flow technique.
You know where you're just stretching and
(17:27):
moving.
So there's different ways of meditating to
connect with yourself.
Dr. Liz (17:32):
Yeah, yeah, okay, I'm curious because
meditation talks so much about detachment
as a concept, you know, as a philosophical
concept, but also as a very real, like
psychological in the moment, kind of
technique to use.
So that that's why the question popped into
my head of, yes, it's very much staying
(17:54):
present when you're taking that one step
and the next step could be lethal.
You know, it's like you're moving forward
and it, yeah, it would be very difficult to
think about that and then stay present as
well.
As you know, I was really struck about the
story you told I don't remember which one
(18:15):
it was where the guy was incredibly
physically fit.
He was part of the team going in on like
day two or something he gives up yeah it's
not cold, yeah, it's picturing cold, not
hot.
So, yeah, and he gives up and it's like
somehow that he got, you know, sucked into
the mental and, instead of really being
(18:37):
able to detach and be present, and okay,
this is what I'm doing right now.
Dawson (18:43):
Right now, yeah, it's, it's wild.
I'm it's, it's wild.
I'm sure you've seen it.
Well, I know you've seen this in your
practice.
It's wild what we tell ourselves and how
that impacts our ability to perform.
It is, yes, Just like you mentioned is.
He just got it in his head that he wasn't
strong enough, he wasn't in shape, he
wasn't this, he wasn't that, and I just I
(19:04):
watched him over you know two or you know I
guess two and a half, three days, just I
mean crumble mentally, emotionally,
physically, when I knew for a fact that he,
he could do it there, there was no question
in my mind and I saw people that he was
stronger than doing it.
And he just got it in his negative feedback
loop in his head and ended up paying like
(19:25):
$14,000.
Yeah, Got it backed out of there.
Dr. Liz (19:29):
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
I think those beliefs we do have about
ourselves and our own abilities do impact
us like that, whether it's in the South
Pole or being able to walk down the street
and say, okay, I've just had a surgery and
now it's time to get active again.
Like you spoke about those beliefs that you
I think you said your your real awareness
(19:52):
of them came as a teenager Like I'm a bad
person, I deserve to be punished, I would
find some way to fuck things up here here,
and then how those continue to impact you
along your adult life until it sounds like
you really got a hold of them finally.
Dawson (20:10):
In the end, I think it was a lot of
self-sabotage going on.
Yeah, that's the thing you got to be
careful of.
And later in the book, when we talk about
the final 5%, is when we do all this work
and we address, you know, I guess you know
kind of obvious issues in our life.
But when we really continue to drill down
and drill down and drill down, when we
(20:31):
start to see kind of the theme, you know,
that permeates most of our lives, it really
is just a couple things often that drive a
greater, you know volume bubble.
But when you kind of distill it down, it's
normally like one, two, three things that
you just have on repeat.
And those three things you just mentioned
is I just kind of had on repeat where I saw
(20:52):
as implementing them in different ways to
self sabotage, you know, throughout my life
and that that's you know.
Once I kind of finally realized that and it
came to understand that and try and start
to address those in healthy ways.
And, look, I'd be honest with you, I'm
still addressing them.
It's still that I struggle with because I
honestly believe I think we can let go
(21:12):
probably 95, 98% of things, but I think
there are likely will always be things
there that that are going to be difficult
for us to let go, but look, that's okay.
But the fact that you understand that
they're there and we understand how to deal
with them in a positive, healthy manner,
and that we're not listening to them but
rather we're working to control them, then
(21:35):
we can change the course of our lives.
Dr. Liz (21:37):
Exactly.
Yes, I think there are some beliefs.
I mean, I'm a big believer and I've seen
the impact in my own life on hypnosis,
changing some of those deeper beliefs.
Hypnosis is not the only way.
There's all kinds of ways to change those.
But sometimes what happens is that we end
up managing them like you're saying, like
(21:58):
the awareness and the not listening and
saying, ok, I know that's popping up
because of this and that's what triggered
it.
And now you know, thanks for information,
continuing on my way, yeah, and coming back
to the better beliefs about ourselves.
But it can also fuel amazing acts.
(22:19):
That reminded me of David Goggins.
You know, goggins, the yeah, the worst self
talk I've ever seen in a book.
It's like, oh my God, directly stemming
from his childhood that was severely
abusive but fueled him to do all these
incredible physical acts.
(22:40):
But it's like it says down times, I think,
sometimes where, ok, the trip is over, the
expedition is over, your home, and now what
do you do with those?
You can't run from yourself anymore.
Right, yeah, exactly.
Dawson (22:55):
Well, I'm sorry to interrupt.
That's what we meant a minute ago is the
hardest thing for normally anybody to do is
to sit quietly with themselves.
Dr. Liz (23:05):
Yeah.
Dawson (23:06):
You can go out there and I don't care if
you're getting a new job or running a
marathon or you know, pushing a car a
hundred miles, but you sit there quietly,
with no distractions, in a quiet space, and
all these things start coming up.
It's just, it's very, very.
Or if you're out, moving, whatever it is,
but just where you can't hide from yourself.
Yes, you do have a consistent basis.
(23:26):
It brings up a lot of stuff and it's
difficult to do.
Dr. Liz (23:28):
It is.
It is so you get back from I think it's
your 10th world record or something and you
get very depressed.
Yeah, do you go into treatment at that
point?
Dawson (23:42):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Yeah, that that's a great question is, over
the years is I've met with a couple
providers you know a couple, you know
therapists, you can call them and, um, I
just I haven't really found the right
person.
That's resonated with me and I think when
you go into these treatment, in these you
know various types of treatments you have
(24:02):
to find the right person for you and one
person works with one person, but it just
kind of doesn't fit with the other.
So when I came back is is, I looked around,
spoke to a couple of people, but nothing
really kind of no one really matched with
me.
So it was more of just me grinding on my
own, of just kind of taking more time, more
trial and error, more sitting with myself,
(24:24):
more you know, just kind of evaluating and
just understanding, hey, and ask myself why
do you think you're feeling this way?
And then, like we mentioned a couple of
minutes ago, I just came to understand
there's nothing new here.
This is just me rehashing, reliving these
old things.
And once I saw that, I was able to slowly
start working past it and get to a better
(24:44):
place.
Dr. Liz (24:45):
Okay, got it so more of like self-inquiry,
sticking with it, not trying to avoid it
this time with whatever.
Dawson (24:54):
I genuinely believe there are certainly
times when it helps to work with an outside
service provider.
Yes, whether it be a physical therapist,
whether it be a doctor, whether it be you
know someone that helps you mentally or
someone that fixes your car, you know it's
like you need outside help.
But, that being said, is when we're dealing
with psychological issues.
(25:15):
I believe a lot of times we have the
answers we're looking for deep inside of us,
but we need to find the ability to listen
to ourselves and we need to get quiet to
listen to ourselves.
It's just so often we have so much going on
is we're screaming at ourselves but we're
not listening, or we have, we don't have
the ability to listen.
We've got that volume turned down so low
and we don't realize because I've been
(25:36):
doing this for a long time now is I've just
I've found different ways of dialing that
volume up and to say, hey, you know what?
What am I missing here?
And I can generally tell myself where the
issue is now.
Dr. Liz (25:46):
Okay, okay, fantastic, love it, love it.
All right, can you let people know about
the well you have to?
You have the seven for soldiers project was
what really started this whole thing.
And then you have the Dawson's peak
foundation.
So can you tell people about both of those?
Dawson (26:07):
Yes, certainly so.
Dawson's Peak Foundation is a 501c3 that a
good friend of mine and I, jay Jablonski,
started back in 2018.
And our mission is to inspire the discovery
and pursuit of individual purpose and just
trying to get people to live lives of
greater purpose and to transition from
being really self-centered to
service-centered, so to live for something
(26:29):
greater than ourselves and to really
understand that we're all participating in
this together, and everything we do not
only impacts ourselves, but impacts
everybody else.
So it's about learning to live with a
proper sense of contribution, and it's just,
I think far too often in today's society is
we're not thinking about the participation
and contribution that we want to have, and
(26:51):
we're starting to discredit our ability to
impact the world, and so it's important
that we understand the sense of purpose
that we want to have in our lives and the
impact we want to have.
So that's really our mission, and the
current project we're working on is called
Seven for Soldiers, where I was trying to
set seven world records through a variety
(27:11):
of activities.
We talked about several of them.
I ended up setting six so far, and 100% of
our net proceeds are benefiting the Gary
Sinise Foundation and Hope for the Warriors
that are two of the highest rated veteran
charities in the country.
So you know I haven't made a dime on this
in the past several years.
Everything that comes in that's not spent
(27:32):
goes out the door to those two groups.
Dr. Liz (27:34):
Got it Okay.
I wasn't quite sure how that worked in the
book, so thank you for explaining that, but
it's like how are you funding it?
Then I was like, how is this guy doing all
these expeditions?
I know you used to work in the banking
world and so are you privately funding it
yourself.
Dawson (27:55):
Yeah, so the way it got started was I was
funding everything personally.
You know, if you, you know, look at these
expeditions.
It's, it's not cheap, it's not going to the
IHOP across the street and then.
So I've personally funded everything and
then we backfill it with sponsors.
So Monster Energy is our largest sponsor
(28:18):
and they've been absolutely tremendous to
deal with over the past couple of years.
A lot of people don't realize the magnitude
and the volume of the philanthropic efforts
that Monster has in general because they
just don't, they just don't advertise it.
They have an organization within the
company called Monster Cares which has just
been, you know, incredible, and then also
(28:39):
they're very active with military veterans.
But then we have other major sponsors like
511 Tactical, oakley Sunglasses, everybody
knows Oakley Scarpa Boots.
So then they bring on products and funding
and things like that to get us over and
start to create a net positive situation.
Dr. Liz (28:59):
Okay, got it.
You talk some about the struggles in the
book with the nonprofit, Got it.
You talk some about the struggles in the
book with the nonprofit and I actually
enjoyed reading and hearing some of those
parts because it's like you know, people
are often like, oh yeah, I'm going to start
a nonprofit and they think it's so easy,
and it's not.
Dawson (29:16):
It's really not Everybody's going to care
about this, because I care about it, it's
going to be so funny, it's going to be so
easy, and I just give stuff away to people.
It's going to be so funny, it's going to be
so easy, and I just give stuff away to
people.
It's going to be wonderful.
Yeah, yeah, that's not how it works.
Dr. Liz (29:27):
No, no.
There's a lot of effort that you describe
that goes on behind the scenes of trying to
secure some funding and sponsorship and all
kinds of stuff, meetings that you got to
have.
Dawson (29:40):
Oh look, I mentioned in the book and
obviously you've read it but the backside,
the administrative tasks of the project
have been more difficult than training for
900 hours a year and going out and climbing
Everest, like that's the fun, easy stuff.
It really is.
Dr. Liz (30:00):
That's ridiculous, you know.
Dawson (30:04):
It is.
You know it's ridiculous, you know it is.
It's all of the folks, it's literally there
are over 1.5 million non-profits and like
civic groups and all these kinds of things
chamber of commerce.
So if you think you're gonna go out there
and tell somebody about your wonderful idea
and someone needs help, or you want to do
this or that, you're competing against over
a million other people.
(30:25):
You know a million and a half at least, and
that's it.
And I mean, when you factor in everything,
you're competing against millions of people
for every dime, yeah, for every second of
attention, for every this, for every that,
and you may have a wonderful cause, but no
one cares about it the way you do, right
yeah and if you're, if you're trying to get
something from them, whether it's their
time or their money, you're going to have
(30:48):
to fight for every single second.
It just and it's just.
It's a lot, and people just don't realize
until they get in it.
And all the time is almost every day,
someone reaches out to me and says hey, I'm
looking at starting X, y and Z because of
you know A, b and C.
I'm like that's wonderful, but you're about
(31:08):
to get your ass handed to you and you don't
know what's coming.
I'm like I hope you love it, cause it's
going to be a lot of work.
Dr. Liz (31:11):
Yeah, exactly.
Dawson (31:13):
Yeah, and I'm not trying to discourage
anybody.
Dr. Liz (31:18):
Right, right.
Yeah, I imagine there's a lot of vetting.
That happens too.
Dawson (31:29):
Oh, just some regulatory measures and
filing taxes and just keeping up with it to
get you know your 501c3 designation.
Then you got to deal with the feds and the
state and California loves to over-regulate
everything.
It's like a contest of how many letters can
they send you about some new regulation?
Yeah, right.
Dr. Liz (31:42):
Yeah, I have a friend who's from russia and
she always says california should be its
own country.
So she says she actually thinks the us
should be split into three.
She's like east coast, west coast and
midwest.
You'd have three countries, you'd all get
along a lot better.
I know it's funny, yeah, but I was quite
(32:02):
impressed that you keep going and you keep
doing it.
So are you still planning on going to back
to Russia in April 2025?
Then?
Dawson (32:14):
April 25.
Yeah, the trip's already set and we've
already got the dates and hopefully it's
going to happen this year, ok great.
Dr. Liz (32:21):
So tell us what's happening for you right
now, Like what are you focusing on now?
Why are assuming wait for that trip and
train for it?
Dawson (32:45):
no-transcript.
Dr. Liz (32:49):
Fantastic.
Dawson (32:49):
Just trying to finish, you know, finish up
everything, get all that stuff in place.
And then, as you mentioned, the North Pole,
in April I've got another climb that I
haven't started promoting yet.
That's probably gonna take place just after
that, okay, and then probably, or
potentially, some other big mountains next
year.
We just haven't started to promote yet.
So just, you know, just trying to get in
(33:10):
the proper shape for that.
And when you deal with, you know,
cardiovascular system, it takes months and
months and months to get it in the right
condition.
So it's just 100%.
You know, full time training for that right
now.
Dr. Liz (33:22):
Can you?
I'm sure some listeners will be interested
in your training schedule, so could you
give us a little insight into that?
Dawson (33:30):
I appreciate you asking that.
It's an interesting question.
I love that side of it.
I love hearing about the way people train.
It is, on average, I train between, you
know, 21 to 25 hours a week.
Okay, that really ranges from, you know,
two hours to maybe six to eight hours a day,
something like that.
I train seven days a week.
Yeah, I don't take, I don't take days off,
(33:55):
but one day a week is a recovery day.
So one day a week is I'll get in the pool
and I'll swim for an hour or two hours.
Then I'll do some recovery work, things
like that.
Four day or three days a week, three to
four days a week, or two days, so I work
out in the morning, then I work again out
in the evening, and then two days a week or
longer, sessions in the mountains.
So those could be you know, four hour
climbs, eight hour climbs, 10 hour climbs,
you know something like that.
(34:16):
And then I'll throw four weight sessions
where I'm actually in the gym training two
days a week, but it's, you know, in terms
of being on my, as I try to stay on my feet
as much as possible.
So that'll be.
You know cycling, for you know, 50, 50 to a
hundred miles or be out.
You know.
Jogging you know, but doing undulating
surfaces, you know so, going up and down,
not just you know flat roads.
(34:36):
And then the heavy pack carries, you know
so carrying about 80 to a hundred pound
pack either on a Stairmaster or out in the
in the mountains, and then I'll move with
packs you know anywhere from.
You know 30 to 60 pounds for four, six,
eight hours.
You know something like that.
Most of the training historically has been
done fasted, so no food before I train.
(34:57):
So I may carry a 50 pound pack for six
hours with no food.
Lately it's the science has kind of changed
a little bit where people don't believe
you're getting the, the fat adaptation
benefits they thought you were before,
where your body is fueling just off fat.
So now I'm kind of playing around with that,
sometime incorporating some carbs or
proteins, and you know just kind of.
(35:19):
You know it's just figured out little ways
to tweak things, but in a general sense
that's what the training looks like.
Dr. Liz (35:24):
Okay, fantastic, that's interesting I
hadn't.
I hadn't followed, like the newer science
on that, the fasted working out I used to.
When I was, I was keto for about two years
or so and low carb for longer than that,
but haven't really kept up with it in the
last year or two, so they are thinking
that's different now.
Dawson (35:43):
Yeah, so.
So initially is so if I'm going to go in,
say, for a weight session in the gym, then
I'll always eat before that session because
I know I'm burning a ton of carbs and you
need it, I need the glycogen, I need all
this stuff.
But if, if I was going out for just you
know, a long zone, one, zone two, training
session is I stopped eating because the
(36:03):
thought was you since you don't have the
glycogen, because you always use a
combination of carbohydrates and fat in
your body and glycogen is just stored
carbohydrates.
So if you're going out for these long
periods, if you don't have the glycogen,
then you're forcing your body to use fat.
So now when you're out on the mountain,
your body's going to be more apt to use the
(36:23):
fat.
The challenge, or what they're thinking
about now, is that just if you get the
training session long enough, or if you're
training enough during the week, so if
training, say, north of 12 hours, then
you're naturally going to be using more fat
than carbohydrates in a lot of situations,
especially at low heart rates.
(36:43):
So you don't need that fasted training
number one.
And then, secondly, it impairs your ability
to recover.
So if you you know cause I'm training- over
20 hours a week on average, so my body's
not gonna recover as fast as it could.
So it's honestly so.
The science isn't perfect on it right now.
You're kind of it's just ebb and flow to it
like most things.
(37:03):
So now I'm kind of trying to go back and
bend it towards having a little bit more
fuel at least, putting protein in before
I'm doing these sessions to help the
recovery process which has only happened
within the past maybe two months, so it's
been very recent.
I've switched back to this and trying to
see how my body feels.
Dr. Liz (37:21):
Yeah, yeah, what.
What kind of result have you seen, like,
are you feeling better with it?
Dawson (37:25):
Yeah, yeah, what kind of result have you
seen?
Like, are you feeling better with it?
Yeah, you know, honestly, it's, it's.
I'm not.
I'm not liking it so far, to be totally
honest with you, cause I've been, I just
gotten so used to not having, you know,
carbs or anything in my system and now it
just feels weird.
I can feel my body's a little bit, a little
bit bonky, a little bit up and down, which
I know there's going gonna be a transition
process.
So just trying to to see you know how it's
(37:46):
gonna go okay, gotcha, yeah, well, he's
really impressed.
Dr. Liz (37:49):
And where you talked about having these
surgeries like you had multiple surgeries
over the years, even while you're doing
this and then I think there was one on uh,
I think it was your ankle, because you said
it was hypermobile.
I have a hypermobile ankles where I used to
understand it I used to, yeah, sprain them
(38:09):
two or three times a year, just they'd go
out.
You know, like boom, it's gotten better
since I started riding the bike, more in my
peloton and doing bar and some more
strengthening, but still, like I said when
I was reading the book, I had sprained
ankle but, um, you had the ankle surgery
and then, like the next day out of the
hospital you were back in the gym.
(38:31):
Oh yeah, I was like, oh, my god, at least I
could do is, like you know, walk across the
room today.
You know, and it's like, what motivates you
to do that?
Is it really just like can't, I can't let
the upper body?
You did all kinds of upper body work and,
like you know, trying to do the electrical
stimulation.
(38:51):
Is it just this thought of like?
I won't make my timeline if I'd let off?
Dawson (38:57):
There was some fear because we were trying
to do so much in such a compressed timeline
and, like the two you mentioned, there was
a, an ankle surgery and then, as soon as
that was healed, I went in and had my
shoulder done.
Dr. Liz (39:12):
That was just to get to the starting line
of the project, so that one.
Even we haven't started the thing yet.
Yeah, it was just okay.
I didn't realize that yeah.
Dawson (39:17):
So it was a.
It was a combination of of being fearful,
of saying, look, I, I just, I don't have
the time to lose.
But secondly is to be quite honest with you,
I was proving a point to myself.
You know saying, hey, listen, it doesn't
matter what happens, it's how I choose to
respond to what happens.
(39:39):
I think a lot of times, you know, people
are fearful that they're not enough.
But I think the greater fear that that we
have, that we don't realize, is that we're
more powerful than we want to believe,
Because with that power comes
responsibility.
With with increased capacity comes
increased duty.
And you know, I, after surgery, I was, I
(40:01):
was in the gym about I don't know 12 hours
after surgery on my ankle.
I was in the gym, you know, lifting my
upper body and taking like a little you
know, on my crutches and all this kind of
stuff, because I could do it.
And I wouldn't go sit around and tell
myself you shouldn't do this or you can't
do this.
I'm like, look, you can do it.
So you're going to do it, You're gonna get
your ass off this couch and you're getting
(40:22):
in there because you can do it.
Dr. Liz (40:24):
Got it.
Dawson (40:25):
It's just kind of a theme I saw with myself.
It's that again, we're all capable of so
much more.
It's allowing ourselves to accept that
responsibility and to show ourselves.
It's funny you mentioned David Goggins.
I met him randomly in Beverly Hills.
And this was.
I was driving home from having my shoulder
operated on.
(40:45):
I mean, I was literally an hour, two hours
after surgery.
I had the gauze, I had the iodine, I had
all this kind of stuff.
I was driving down, or being driven down
Sunset Boulevard here in LA.
I look over and there's David Goggins
jogging.
I'm like what?
What the hell am I am I hallucinating?
(41:06):
Is this has the, you know, you know the
whatever's not worn off?
And um and I I told the guy to turn around
and I stopped.
I'm like, and he, he just finished his
workout.
I was like I'm sorry to bother you and I
introduced myself and I had like a hat on
with Dawson's peak.
I gave him the hat.
I was like you know, you know all this
(41:27):
stuff, whatever, whatever yeah, uh, and he
thought I was a crazy guy because my arms
in a sling and I got iodine all over my
neck, yeah, but you know what that is is?
Uh, you know, they told me, like, listen,
it's going to take you, you know, six weeks
to do anything, and all this, and the next
morning, you know, 12 hours after surgery,
I was out on the road bike.
Yeah, I still had the bandage on, I still
had iodine all over me and I'm out there
cycling with a bandage shoulder.
But because I could do it, I gave myself
(41:50):
the ability to listen to myself and there's
nothing special, everybody can do this.
I refused to allow them to tell me and
dictate what I could and couldn't do.
I could do it and I could do it relatively
safely, and I got it done and just moved on
with it.
Dr. Liz (42:06):
Okay, again, it was an inspiration because
I was like, well, my right ankle's out, but
I can certainly do upper body workouts and
core and like and I did it's like I have my
little app where I track things.
I'm like I have such a great streak I'm not
breaking it like I'll get a workout in
somehow when my ankle was out after the
surgery and I had the cast on it is.
Dawson (42:26):
What I found was I'd get on the rower and I
found a little furniture mover dolly that I
bought for Amazon for like five bucks.
I'd put that under the cast and I could
just roll row for hours with one leg, or I
could do a bike with.
We can all do these things.
It's just a matter of making the decision
to do it.
Yes, give ourselves the space, believing in
ourselves.
Yes, and it's.
It's look.
It's just a matter of making the decision
to do it.
Yes, give ourselves the space, believing in
ourselves.
Yes, and it's look.
Dr. Liz (42:47):
It's that old adage if there's a will,
there's a way, and it's just that simple
and I would say adaptability too, like,
okay, I can't do it the regular way, now I
got to adapt and figure out what I can do,
how I can do it.
Yes, well, on that note, I think it's a
good place to end the interview, but before
we go, please let people know how they can
(43:09):
find you.
They'd like to donate or sponsor, how they
can do that.
Dawson (43:13):
You know, look, I appreciate it.
Thank you very much for having me on.
I've really enjoyed it, me too.
Dawson's Peak P-E-A-Kcom that tells you all
about the adventures and everything that
links to the foundation site, which is
Dawson's Peak Foundation.
And please get involved with donations.
It would be wonderful.
(43:34):
As we mentioned, 100% of the net proceeds
go to Gary Sneed's foundation, hope for the
Warriors.
So I'm not making a dime off of this.
I haven't made a dime since the beginning.
The donations can be made through the
foundation site or simply texting Dawson
D-A-W-S-O-N to 53555.
And so we can't make it any simpler.
And then you can follow along.
(43:54):
You know the project, all this kind of
stuff.
And then, lastly, the book, as we've talked
about several times, which is called
Strength and Surrender, is coming out
January 7th.
Yes, the easiest way to find it initially
will be on Amazon, and that'll be the ebook,
the paperback and the audio.
It's already hit, like I mentioned, number
one new release on there, so we're getting
some great results on it.
Dr. Liz (44:13):
Fantastic.
Dawson (44:14):
And then, if you want to share your story
with me, you can find me on Instagram, just
at Dawson's Peak, or email to info at
Dawson's Peak, and it's been wonderful
because we've had so many people reach out
that are saying that things are resonating
with them.
How they're incorporating it into their
lives, which is the reason why we're doing
what we're doing.
So we'd love to hear those stories.
Dr. Liz (44:34):
Fantastic.
And all of that will be in the show notes
and that's January 7, 2025, because people
will listen to this for years later.
So thank you again.
I loved the book.
I highly recommend the book to anyone who
wants to pick it up.
And again, thank you so much for being here
and being on the show with us.
Dawson (44:55):
No, thank you for having me on.
I've truly enjoyed it as well.
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