Doing Epic Stuff

Welcome to the Doing Epic Stuff podcast with your host Mike Drohan. Together we’ll explore the stories and journeys of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Man, being an entrepreneur is a real test. It just is. 
There are no safety nets. 
No cheer squad when you’re feeling sh*tty about progress (or lack of).
 No ‘easy days’ where you can just coast, safe in the knowledge that there will be a pay-check at end of th...

Welcome to the Doing Epic Stuff podcast with your host Mike Drohan. Together we’ll explore the stories and journeys of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Steve Chapman is one of the most interesting people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting during my time on earth.

 ‘The “(NOT A) LOST CAT”’ project is a prime example of the weird and wonderful pastimes Steve engages in. A hand painted re-production of an or...

Welcome to the Doing Epic Stuff podcast with your host Mike Drohan. Together we’ll explore the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

“What I was attempting to do was tell society what they wanted to hear. Or what I thought they wanted to hear, which was to have this Alpha Bravo male who doesn’t talk about pain. Who doesn’t talk about vulnerability and I was like ‘it’s actually killing me.’ – and it nearly did get to...

Ever had a job where, no matter how good you are at it, you can still get fired at any given moment?

Pretty stressful, right? 

“I could come in and do a terrific job on a team, get them in wonderful physical shape, but if for some reason the performances don’t ensue, ‘cause it’s a win/loss outcome-based environment, you might still lose your job. So, there’s not always that job security with what I do because, at the elite level, you...

Ever flirted with the idea of turning your favourite hobby, passion or side-hustle into your career? 

Dave Walker knows a thing or two about it and, as anyone who has bravely ditched the grind to pursue the glory of a passion led career would know, it doesn't always pan out exactly how you'd envisaged...

“You just chew it out in three hours, they don’t like it, so you do another one. I was like… ‘I think I might be dead ins...

“Maybe 17 years ago, as I was doing orthopaedics, I just started to feel like ‘oh my god, these people, much like myself with my injuries, never really get better’ right? You kind of get them sort of better – you have a broken leg, you can fix a broken leg and come back (to normal) but most injuries just end up being ongoing, nagging problems.”

Dr Elizabeth Yurth is the Co-Founder and Medical Director of Boulder Longevity Institute,...

“So, one of the greatest things that my students can do is not follow my direction. I love it. ‘Wow! you just came up with another way for me to teach this!’”

David Razowsky is the improviser’s improviser.

He’s also exceptionally good at cognitively reframing: turning the negative into the positive - a no-doubt valuable asset for one who has dedicated their life to performing completely unscripted.

Balls to the wall, no saf...

“To give you an indication, it was like 8 o’clock in the morning or 8:30 in the morning, the doors were pretty close to opening, and I’m sitting there with the AV (audio visual) guys, trying to work out how to get video in and, audio out...”

That’s Marco Rosano, co-founder of the NO/BS ‘Digital Reality Check’ digital/tech/design conference that almost wasn’t...

The disconcerting situation which Marco found himself (on opening morning...

“I feel like I’ve been doing it my entire life, and I still have that passion. When I wake up in the morning and go into the fire station I... I’m, you know, living the dream!”

Haisely O’Leary is clearly stoked to be Station Officer at New Plymouth Fire Station 61, New Zealand. 

Husband to legendary Ultra Marathon Runner; Lisa Tamati, it’s no surprise that Haisely is also not a stranger to pavement pounding across disturbing distance...

“I’m ultimately seduced by ideas and, I don’t think about ‘if I did this, I could make x’, it was more like: ‘I LOVE doing this, how can I make a living out of it?' You know?”

Jeffrey Madoff is the author of Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas. A book born from a course he taught at Parsons School of Design - a private art and design college located in Lower Manhattan, New York. 

During these legendary lectures, Je...

“It’s important that people take their own responsibility for mental toughness and resilience. If you’re not training yourself the worlds training you and guess what? The world wants you to be weak so don’t let that happen.”

Mark Divine does not mince words.

A former Navy SEAL Commander who saw 20 years of service.

A successful author, serial entrepreneur and host of The Unbeatable Mind Podcast.

In 1989 Mark was on a trajectory to beco...

“If you’re gonna do something you’ve never done before you kinda have to become somebody you’ve never been before.”

That’s internationally recognised speaker and author Bobby Cappuccio. 
Bobby has spent the last 20 plus years pushing for a health and fitness training industry paradigm shift: from a solely external, goal-oriented approach to a more holistic approach, focussed upon behaviour change.

In essence; more gains through d...

“I almost got scared for a while, to pursue things I was passionate about because I didn’t know how to manage it. How do you pursue your passion whilst keeping your own wellbeing balanced?”
- Helena Chen

At the ripe old age of 23 (a time when I was primarily concerned about busting moves on the dancefloor) Helena Chen was successfully executing upon her very own program (a little bit Operation Treadstone à la The Bourne Identity...

“Sometimes when you know too much you can actually hinder yourself and when you don’t; you’re naive and you just bowl on in. Sometimes that’s when you’ll get the best results.”

- Lisa Tamati is the epic persons epic person. 

Whenever I've referenced her to past guests it has inevitably elicited a response somewhere in the vicinity of awe.

I could easily have filled an entire episode with the retelling of any one of Lisa’s epic qu...

"Coach was high fiving me and they just said; "you know you've won a place to represent Victoria in the 24 hour championships" and I just remember, everybody was clapping and cheering and I just thought "Holy $&^@! I've got to do that all over again, twice as long? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

That's professional speaker, author and Health & Lifestyle Educator Kim Morrison retelling her EPIC ...

"All the self-help books will tell you to be present. Be in the moment. But they won’t tell you how to do it.”
- Dr Don Wood

Dr Don is the CEO at Inspired Performance Institute, based in Orlando, Florida.

A former elite level ice hockey player, Dr Don developed The Inspired Performance Program (TIPP); a neuroscience-based method which in essence provides the individual with the knowledge and tools to resolve or ‘c...

Welcome to the Doing Epic Stuff podcast with your host; Mike Drohan.
 Together we’ll explore the stories and journeys of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Can you remember the last time that, despite your best efforts, you TOTALLY LOST YOUR BANANA?!

Where you were SO MAD that it almost felt like you were being driven by some sort of dark force that refused to be sated until it had run its course?!

Well, it turns out you ...

Welcome to the Doing Epic Stuff podcast with your host; Mike Drohan.
Together we’ll explore the stories and journeys of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

“No one is going to wear or throw a punch for you. No one does it in a boxing ring and no one does it in life.”
- Tiffanee Cook

To underestimate Tiff would be a mistake. 

Under that ‘laid back Aussie’ demeanour and infectious giggle lies a weapon-of-a-human who has ...

 Welcome to the Doing Epic Stuff podcast with your host; Mike Drohan.
 Together we’ll explore the stories and journeys of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
 
 “We connected realising that maybe we were both people who would try and fight to live the lives we want to live.” 

Woah. 

Occasionally there’s a moment during a Doing Epic Stuff discussion that makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck and this was ...