Preston Durnford & THE EPIC JOURNAL

As we ride the waves of discussion with our returning guest, Preston Durnford, we uncover the therapeutic power of surfing, the hindrance of overthinking, and the beauty of embracing the present moment. We delve into the triumphs and challenges faced by Preston as a business owner. Our chat takes a turn down memory lane as we explore his passion for helping others and why it is so important to him.

Want to manifest your thoughts and ideas into reality? Journaling is your best ally. Listen in as Preston shares his inspiring journey of perseverance and the satisfaction of seeing his ideas come alive. We also venture into the importance of maintaining deep friendships, discussing an intriguing article which suggests people tend to have fewer close friends as they age.

We shine light on Preston's magnificent creation, The Epic Journal, which has gained clinical approval for use in behavioral health.  We also spotlight the upcoming "First Responders Night of Hope" event and underscore the importance of mental health among first responders. Be ready to be inspired as we navigate this wave of enlightenment, challenges, and creativity.

Thanks for taking the time to listen in. Please leave us 5 stars on Spotify & Apple Podcasts with a review. THANK YOU!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Preston Dernford.
Welcome back to the podcast.
How are you, man?
I'm doing good.
It's been.
Uh gosh, when's the last timeyou came on?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'd have to go on the Instagram.
Look, I think it's been a fewyears.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
You're here in our old studio.
Two or three, yeah, it's been.
Yeah, yeah, you were one of ouruh early guests that came on,
dude, I was one of the earlyones, I think.
So First year, right, firstyear, maybe in the second.
I can't remember spelling, yeah,yeah, but, dude, great to have
you back.
Thank you for taking the timeto come out here this morning,
because you have been workinghard and expanding just your

(00:42):
life, business, things thatyou've been doing Um and I
really want to talk about itbecause I support um, this
journal that you've made, whichis pretty awesome.
But, all that being said,you've also been getting and
surfing.
Yeah, my man.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Well, I've been in, like I've been surfing, for like
nine years but I've done like acollective of I don't know, man
, I just kind of chase what'sexciting for me.
It's hard, um, but I've beensurfing for like nine years,
between skydiving and moto andthis and that, but uh yeah, I

(01:15):
mean absolutely crave the ocean.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
So well, you and I are kind of the same way with
that.
Now I don't know if this is thesame for you, but for me
surfing, yes, it's fun.
So is skydiving.
We have a lot of things incommon but for me the ocean has
been so therapeutic most of mylife been surfed since I was
eight, so it's been like evenmore as an adult.
Now I see the importance of itfor me to get out in the ocean
and water and the waves and justcause every time I go in, you

(01:42):
know it could be having a uh,you know, a long week or long
shift before or whatever.
But once I hit the water I haveto focus so much on just timing
and surfing and what I'm goingto do on the long board or my
mid length that I, you know, Iforget about everything else and
every as soon as I catch thatfirst wave, it's just the old
school saying chest, chagrindude, just ear to ear, smile and

(02:03):
I feel good and I always leaveand get out of the water happy.
Better than you came in,absolutely.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, I don't know if that's the same for you.
I was thinking about cause I dolike to everything I do.
I like kind of like process it,like I.
It's hard because being out inthe ocean, yes, there is a bit
of presence on it, but I wasjust talking with a buddy where
I a couple of days ago and theswell was good, but I can,

(02:34):
though my mindset going into awave, like I can overthink about
thinking about something, aboutlife piling into a wave and
I'll blow it.
So it's, I don't know it's,it's a, it's a kind of a
learning lesson.
I'm kind of an overthinker, solike I have to really center
myself and then if I'm not, ifI'm just thinking about the wave

(02:54):
and everything and what I'mgoing to do, then I can serve so
much better.
But well, it's funny you sayoverthinking.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
I've learned through therapy and some other things.
I've done that a lot of people,who most people who are kind of
like overthinkers or like us,who are creatives right, we're
always, we think outside the box.
Right, we think, we alwaysthink what's the worst that
could happen, but then we thinkwhat happens if we don't do
something.
But that comes with beingsomeone who is an artist, right,

(03:22):
a creative, someone who createsa business or music or art or
cert, whatever it may be, andthat's kind of like, and when I
see you, that's what I see,right, you've done a lot as far
as businesses and helping otherpeople from where you came from.
And I think that's kind of partof it the overthink, because
I'm the same way, dude, I amabsolutely the same.
Now, when I get to the ocean, Iprobably should overthink a

(03:45):
little more because I've goneout in days.
I probably should have been outthere Like there was I think it
was two months ago, it wasprobably, I don't know like
eight to 10 feet, maybe a coupleof 12 footers coming in and
nobody was out.
It was huge and I was like,well, I came down here to surf,
man, it's a beautiful day, I'mgoing out.
There was nobody, dude, andeveryone looked at me like I was

(04:06):
crazy Because of course I tookmy longboard and when it gets
big I put a leash on.
So when I put a leash on, youknow it's like, okay, this is
going to be legit, right?
So, anyways, I paid for it thatday, trying to get out, I was
getting hammered and then allthe local guys that I kind of
served with have known my wholelife, they all went onto the
shore to watch.

(04:27):
So now you're feeling likepressure, but anyways, I got two
fantastic waves out of it Huge,probably a couple of 10 footers
dude, beautiful left, beautifulright.
But I remember on my third Iwiped out and I absolutely paid
for it.
Yeah, I got pretty much, tookme out of it short dude, oh
really, yeah, I was underwaterjust getting churned.
You're washing machine, I wasdoing cartwheels.
I remember thinking, okay,relax, let the wave do what it's

(04:49):
going to do, don't fly it,you're going to lose more oxygen
.
And by the time I came out, Icame up and I got my board.
I'm like, well, there's theshore, I'm getting out.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, you know, when you go in, it's extremely
humbling.
You learn.
Every time I go in the water Iam so self-aware of myself and
every time my ego gets checked Iget humbled.
Every time I get in the water Ihave this relationship with

(05:21):
nature that's kind of gotten methrough everything, and every
time I get in the water I'm likehi, hey, nice to see you.
You know this like bond, that Ihave this craving for that.
How grounded I feel out there.
But yeah, like when I get intosomething, I'm very obsessive
over things and I want to be thebest.
And so right now I'm in thewater nonstop.

(05:43):
But everything I do I want tobe so good.
And then my buddies I haven'tseen me surf a lot because it's
kind of a lone wolf sport.
Not everyone can really go outat the times I do, or the way of
life that I live, I can justkind of go whenever I want.
Or, you know, and especiallywith surfing, they can turn off,

(06:04):
like that it's on, it's veryjust timing for it, but I go out
and I'm getting, I'm getting,I'm doing all right right now.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Yeah Well, you, you typically you're at.
You go to the state beach,huntington State, pretty much
right Like Brookhurst, yeah,like Magnolia.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Magnolia.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
Brookhurst.
So I've been going out there alot more and I forgot how hollow
it is there.
So I've actually been.
I got a new 6'6 and a 7'2.
I've been taking those outthere and I've been having so
much fun.
Now the 6'6, I need, I need.
I've been forcing myself likesacrifice being such a great,
you know, being a good lawnboarder to learn to be a better
shortboarder so I can keep goingand get those better ways that

(06:41):
are hollow.
So, I've been doing that moreBeen a little bit of a learning
curve.
I've had some pretty goodwipeouts, but I want to take
that 7'2 out.
Man, it's that mid-length is somuch.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
See, but it's up, so I ride a shortboard all the time
.
And then when I went to mymid-length, that was a goober,
yeah, you know.
I took my girl out like yeah,you know I surf, yeah, yeah,
just freaking purling it.
Oh yeah, no, I feel you, it wasa whole other thing.
And then I got up and I'mtrying to like pump it.
I'm like no, that's not how yousurf this.
So it was kind of foreign to me.

Speaker 1 (07:11):
But yeah, Right, that's how I feel like when I
stand up on my.
You know, my 6'6 is a quad fantoo.
Yeah, and I remember the firstcouple of waves I got with it.
I just stood up.
It was like a lawn board, right.
I'm like whoa, this issquirreling.
I need to learn to pump better.
So I've gotten better with it,but it's definitely you know,
it's different style.
It's just a learning curve thatyou got to get.
But I've been trying to takethat out a lot more because I've

(07:32):
actually been having a lot offun with it.
It's been so much fun, yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
It's when you're out and you remember.
If you just get one good wave,you remember it.
But I've been doing like, I'vebeen getting so excited and if
I'm going for like, I'm goingfor a wave, and it was like the
gym coming through Right and Iwas so tired.
I was like three hours out inthe water and everyone's like,

(07:57):
yeah, go, and I completely goobit, and then like talking about
getting humbled my ego,everything, because I was just
doing pretty well all the waysbefore, but the one came through
.
You're not alone bro, it's notgonna be many times Right my
face.

Speaker 1 (08:11):
It's embarrassing, but I love surf.
Man, it's so nice being downthere, but you've been traveling
.
Seems like a lot too rightTraveling.
Did you up the 395?

Speaker 2 (08:20):
Yeah, there's so much to do up there.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, I mean I've been on the 395 road.
There's actually like I want tosay there's an Instagram data
kitty to it.
I mean, I found it a long timeago, is it really?
Yeah, like places.
It's like I gotta remember I'llshow you.
But it says like Highway 395Adventures or something like
that.
But it shows you all the likelittle spots that can't for go
hike and do stuff.
So when I saw you do that, Iwas like mom man's gonna have a

(08:42):
good time.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
I've been doing that for a while and I just crave
that and I've never.
I've just on my GPS and mytruck.
I'll just look at it and lookat like dirt roads on it and
I've always just camped and justtake off and just I've explored
all over there.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
Yeah, it's like a tour guide, yeah, but being
camping and being outside, Ifeel the same way.
Yeah, I love it no-transcript,the noise of, I would say, the
city, but suburbs life.
We live in Southern California.
It's fast so to get out and beaway into camp and see these
views and these mountain topsand these hikes that are so

(09:18):
beautiful, and sometimes there'swaterfalls or other people,
whatever it may be, I alwaysit's like surfing.
I come back a little exhausted,right you?
can hike and do stuff, but youfeel so good in the evening.

Speaker 2 (09:28):
Yeah, you know.
Yeah, I'll come back.
It's funny you say it's realfast Cause, like I love Joshua
Tree too.
Yeah.
And someone more recentlyexplained to me like you did
earlier.
He said earlier like as anartist.
But I think, like you know, youcan live your life very
artistic and the way you go outand live and to go explore those
areas.
People know, I know people thatknow other countries so well

(09:52):
but they don't know what's inSouthern California, right, they
don't know where, up through 95and Joshua Tree and Sequoia and
Big Sur and all these beautifulareas, and I feel like you're
not well traveled.
I'm like, well, I know SouthernCalifornia pretty darn well,
but there's still so much to go.
And when this life can get in,you know Orange County,

(10:14):
everything, there's a hustle toit and fast pace and to go out
there and, you know, get somestillness, feels really nice.
But coming back you're like, oh, you get hit with, like
especially pulling up on the 55right into Costa Mesa where I
live.
I've came back for my greattrips.
I'm riding and drawing, justlike, ah, you know.

(10:35):
And then I come back and I gethit and go into the grocery
store and people are tappingtheir foot behind me.
I'm like man, you guys take ashow pill here.

Speaker 1 (10:42):
But that's how I feel coming back because I have, you
know, my little Eepa.
Besides, it's getting worked on, yeah, but my RV it's a little
24 footer, it's nice Mercedesgot a slide out.
But I usually take that rightwhen we go out and so great,
Like I went through Utah,arizona, and we've gone up north
, you know, up to Bishop and allthat stuff, but it's always

(11:03):
coming back from those places.
It's kind of like as soon asyou start hitting that, you feel
it.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Yeah, you feel the stress coming, you're just like
ah, there's more cars and peopleare like cutting you off when
you come back through LA, likethrough Sequoia, like that way,
when you have to go through LA,that part I feel it the most
when you do like the 15 up yeah,that way through 395.
Yeah, but coming through LA youjust feel the force.
You're like ah, ah.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
Yeah, You're like traffic.
There's like any time of daycoming through LA, it's always
traffic yeah.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
No matter what you do , almost every time I want to
turn back around and go.
I'm like I need to get back atthe end of that, oh yeah, but I
think what is it?

Speaker 1 (11:41):
Over New Year's we'll be up in Pismo.
That's fun.
So, yeah, if you're going, ah,let's just start the end of New
Year and start the end this yearand start the New Year.
Have you been to Pismo before?
Yeah, so this time I'm notgoing to be at the Dunes, so I
had a different campground.
Ok, on the beach, though, yeah,ok, yeah, so I'm going to go up
to like Morro Bay in Surface,which is way cold.
Yeah, because I remember I wentI think it was last year,

(12:04):
little sharky, little bit dude.
There's been some attacks upthere, but I remember you've
probably been up there, right?
Yeah, you know the big rock andyou park, yeah, and I get out.
Oh, it's good waves, and I wasthinking why does everybody have
like hoods and booties andgloves on.
And I had a 4-3 sealed teamright Like, ok, I should be good
I get out there.
And as soon as my feet hit thewater I went oh yeah, oh.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
Yeah, I'm not prepared.
When I first I did a road tripup to San Francisco and I surfed
all the way up and then, on theway back down, a swell was
coming and I kind of chased thisswell all the way back down but
I went all the way up to OceanBeach in a 3-2.
And I was in October, november,that's all you had Just toughed

(12:46):
it out.
I was so dedicated, I wanted tolearn, I wanted to list.
You know, I was just like therewas great waves and it was so
frustrating seeing these greatwaves and not being able to surf
.
I was so dedicated.

Speaker 1 (12:58):
Well, I was surfing out there, moral dude.
I remember the first wave Icould swim.
I feel my feet.
You know I'm walking, the boardhanging the pipe.
And then by the second and likethe, I only did like 30 minutes
.
It felt like I was walking onmy ankles.

Speaker 2 (13:09):
Like ankles, only right, little nubs.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yeah, I was like are my feet here?
This is crazy.
So true, it was fun, it wasworth this.
So this time I'm going prepared.
Yeah, because it's definitelygoing to be a lot colder,
especially in December.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
So the booties and the gloves, oh yeah, everything
I'm going to do it Now, the hoodthing?

Speaker 1 (13:27):
I don't know, that's not.
I typically like my head andface.
I'm fine.
It's more or less like my handsand my feet, to make sure
they're big, big difference.
Huge difference, dude, hugedifference.
But to give people also kind ofa background about yourself,
because I want to talk aboutthis journal and why you have
made Epic Journal, which ispretty cool Because you started

(13:47):
with Epic Journey- rightCompany-wise.

Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, no, I mean, I started my first business when I
was like 17.
Oh my gosh, yeah, I dropped outof high school when I was like
I hated school.
I'd never liked a thoughtYou're a good company, never
liked authority.
Don't tell me what to do Eversince I was a little kid.
So yeah, I started a clothingcompany when I was like gosh,
maybe 16 or 17.

Speaker 1 (14:10):
OK.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
And I lived down by Coachella Fest and my buddy had
a screen printing press orwhatever for shirts and so I
bought a whole bunch of shirtsand sold them at Coachella Fest
and just crushed like 2,000shirts.
Wow, they're all neon.
Like I said, if it ain't neonshouldn't be on.
It was like twisted, that'scool.
But my dad when I was 15, mymom and dad, they just knew I

(14:36):
didn't like school, I alwayshated it.
And so, yeah, one day my dadwas like you don't like school,
you don't want to go, you'reditching all the time.
And when I would ditch, thesecurity guards for the high
school or the school would catchme at the skate park.
So when Preston's not there,I'd be at the skate park by
myself, just roaming around.
But I hated school.

(14:57):
So my dad's like hey, well, ifyou're not going to go to school
, then you're going to go towork.
And I started working with mydad and love, I was fascinated
with him.
Like he had a concrete company.
So when he'd pull up on the jobsites, everyone knew him.
He just had this kind ofgrubiness to him.
He's a really artistic,creative guy and always writing

(15:17):
everything down in his yellowpads and it was just like, oh, I
loved it.
And then, yeah, I ended updropping out of school and then
I started a clothing business,but that was my first one.
Then I started a company calledEpic Transformations with my
brother.
It was a marketing company fortreatment centers.
And then what we did with that?

(15:38):
We saved our money.
No mom or dad helped us out.
We saved up our pennies andthen we invested into a subacute
detox and we bought into thatand then I got the other partner
out, bought them out, and thenwe started that and then I
started Epic Journey after mybrother passed and then I was

(15:58):
consulting for the treatmentcenters and building other ones,
and business has been a journey.

Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yes, I definitely know it's not easy being a
business owner, but it seemslike you have a heart for people
.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
Where does that come from For me?
I mean, ever since I was alittle kid I was just this kid
looking up at the moon I wasjust always curious about
everything and why people didthings, and I was always just
kind of a self-aware kid, butalso a little hurt kid.
And so I've always been the guythat would go and rescue the

(16:37):
stray dogs, since I was my mom.
It's like another dog press.
I'm like, yeah, my mom, likeyou know.
So, ever since I was a kid I'dbe bringing stray dogs home and
I can just see a lot of myselfin people.
When I see people hurt, I'mlike, oh man, I have a way,
because I've worked withthousands of people over the
last 10 years, so I'm prettygood with people and there's

(17:02):
just a way that I feel like, hey, if I have programmed myself to
get through anything andthere's just working with all
the different clinicians I'veworked with and people and this,
and that I've found a way thathas worked for a lot of people.
But the reason I created thejournal was because I would have

(17:28):
all these really complexconversations with a lot of
people and I would tell themyeah all these suggestions on
what to do, and.
But what happened after allthese long conversations?
Coffee shops or wherever in thetreatment centers I own,
whatever, I would follow up withthem a week later so, hey,
where are you at?
Oh man, I didn't, you know.
All right, well, it was justtalk.

(17:49):
And so I kept having this Iwould say hundreds of times to
where I kind of got fed upBecause they had nothing
physical, nothing tangible towrite in, nothing like what I
was voicing on paper.
So I was like I need to writesomething.
So, because after these greatconversations, life happens,
they step away, they gotInstagram and Facebook and their

(18:10):
own porn or emails andgirlfriends and boyfriend, so
they would completely forgetabout all this energy.
I just jumped into aconversation and so I'm like you
know what?

Speaker 1 (18:20):
Like I'm going to put this whole thing together and
I've been journaling for a longtime, so I put everything
together and so I can kind of belike here yeah, I remember
talking with you a few timesthrough the years and how you
said oh, I have this idea fordoing this or this journal or
this business idea, and you werealways telling me the
importance of writing everythingdown.

(18:40):
And that stuck with me.
And that's what I do now withthis podcast and a lot of other
things that I'm involved in isnow, instead of just keeping it
in my head, boom, I'm like OK,step one.
I'm going to write this down anddo this, and it's helped me so
much.

Speaker 2 (18:54):
Well, down to like check your chest wrap.
I mean, I put that in right.

Speaker 1 (18:59):
It's so true, right?
Oh my gosh, it's so true.
It's kind of like yeah.

Speaker 2 (19:03):
One day I almost jumped with it off and I was
like, well, check your chest,wrap.
Yeah To this on your yeah yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
I mean it's really cool what you're doing, because
I see the importance ofjournaling, getting my thoughts
out down, not just keeping themin my head, but getting on paper
, and I mean the good and thebad Things that I'm upset with,
and sometimes I even writeprayers out there.
Absolutely, and that's just me,you know anybody, you journal
the way you want.
But it's actually cool too,because I did it yesterday

(19:32):
Because I've been remodeling andclinging some stuff out my home
and I found an old journal andI opened it just to page one, so
cool.
Going back to Dude, it was.
It kind of got me emotionalbecause I remember where I was
at during that time and thestate I was in mentally and how
down I was and I was justlooking at my words and I
remember thinking to myself lookhow far you've come.

(19:53):
Yeah, you know, and that's notto like feed the ego or anything
, but it's like, dude, you'vemade it through some difficult
times.
You can do this Like hang inthere, bud, it's going to be all
right.
Yeah, and it's cool to kind ofand I just flipped through and
you can start seeing wherethings are getting better and oh
, there's the day I went surfing.
My dad was out there, it was agood time.
It's just, it's so cool to seethe progress.

(20:14):
Yeah, so what, like what, wasthe process of making this
journal?

Speaker 2 (20:20):
Well, like I said, I've always kind of been, you
know, my own best friend in away, and I've always enjoyed my
own company.
Sometimes bringing people alongon my little journey has gotten
the way of it, because I dothink certain way and I don't
know, but the thing behind it is.
So it's called the roadmap,like I've already written on,
the roadmap to becoming the bestof you, but it's also like

(20:41):
becoming your own best friend,because in order, if you want to
go and you know you have thesedreams of business or this life
you wanna live or whatever it is, you have to be your own best
friend, because in good timesare bad, not everyone's gonna be
there, but the only personthat's there all the time is you
, very true.
So you know, when I've hadreally hard times and there

(21:04):
wasn't a lot of people around,because they also have their own
lives going on, so I can'texpect people to be calling me
because they have their stuff.
So by writing.
My dad always says if it's notwriting, it doesn't exist, and
so you know it was.
Yeah, I just.
If people learn to become theirown best friend and truly love
themselves, then a lot of theirpain would kind of go away, and

(21:30):
they always had someone.
They're never alone.
Yeah so, yeah, I mean, it's thebig thing.
A lot of people know that butdon't know how to do it.
So, and my journal is not.
It's something that like, ifI've been around a lot of high
achievers, you know, in my lifeand when I've talked about
journaling, a lot of peoplereally didn't know how to

(21:52):
journal.
So in this one there's like 28principles in section one.
Section two it's a morning,evening and then stream of
consciousness style, buteverything has examples.
So I put examples to everything.
Yeah so, yeah, it's just by theend of the journal you can go
off into a blank one and designyour life.
You can have that pen and paperand learn to become your own
best friends through good timesand bad, create business and

(22:14):
visions, or, you know, you canuse it in so many different ways
, but I designed it to.
You could say, oh, I love this,I didn't like this way.
And now I can go off into ablank one and, boom, now I'm off
my journaling journey.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
That's so rad, yeah.
So when you said, hey, I'mgonna do this, I make this
journal let's say it was youknow, this is month one.
What?
How many months or years?
What was the time period fromstarting it and having the idea
to, okay, this is completed anddone.
And now I have this, I wannaget this out to people.
Gosh.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
Probably like three years, wow, so it was like 10
years of journals.
And then someone I was in arelationship with before had her
sister bought her this journalcalled the Five Minute Journal
Okay, and it's a popular one andshe had it there and I was like
, can I see that?
And I started opening it up andI was like, oh, what did these
exist, right, right, and I thatjust boom started creating or

(23:13):
this.
I just started having thesevisions and this whole thing and
so I said okay, so I pulled outall my journals I had a big
office at the time and I startedputting them all into piles of
coming up with differentprinciples.
And how am I gonna structurethis whole thing?
You gotta also gotta think that, like I'm not, I would say what

(23:34):
educated, like school wise oranything like that.
So shout out to YouTube andGoogle huh.
Yeah.
And mentors At YouTube.

Speaker 1 (23:42):
University.
Yeah, I mean, that's how Ifixed up my home.
Yeah, just look at videos, youknow.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
I mean so I put it all on the floor and I started
to go on paper by paper andeventually they were scattered
over the floor and they startedjust coming together and yeah,
it was like it was a prettyfascinating process.
But yeah, and then what I didafter I started to get all these

(24:06):
principles together, I hired acompany that helped me publish
it.
Shout out to Enjoy your Mind.

Speaker 1 (24:13):
Oh, okay, that's what I was gonna ask yeah okay, okay
.

Speaker 2 (24:16):
So a lady named Jen Miller, another guy named Nathan
Hassel or they're well, they'relike really like intelligent on
that side.
So I said, hey, I had this bigstack of big old clip on it and
I said, hey, look, I have thisand I need to like, have you
guys help me edit it and putthis into something.
And we worked on it forprobably three years, two and a

(24:37):
half, maybe two, and then, onceI got it to one point, they were
probably really frustrated withme because I would go through
it and comb through it anddidn't like this, and they were
probably like gosh man, but theydealt with me, it's your baby,
you gotta make it what you want?
Yeah, and I paid them well.

Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, I was gonna say that's what I'm gonna pay to do
.
But what's cool I like aboutwhat you're saying is it shows
that yes, look, anybody can goafter and do anything they want
to do just be real right, Atleast here in the United States,
right?
This was what's great aboutthis country.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (25:11):
We love comeback stories.
You can make yourself anythingyou want to be right.
How bad do you want?
Absolutely?
But it wasn't something thatwas quick.
You put the time in.

Speaker 2 (25:17):
Oh my gosh, you put the work in you got the experts
to help you.

Speaker 1 (25:21):
It's not something that was just boom overnight.
And I think that's personally.
Nowadays we're living in afast-boot society.
Everybody wants that instantsuccess.
Everybody wants it.
Now it's like no for me.
I enjoy the process of gettingto the goal of what I want to do
.
I like and that's what I kindof see with you.
It seems like you enjoy theartistic process of getting

(25:42):
things and putting it togetherand seeing it come to fruition.
So it's a good example of look.
I had no idea I put all thisstuff together.
I've worked on it for threeyears and boom, here it is now.
Like I said earlier, before Icame to the podcast, I'm like
dude, your Instagram for EpicJournal.
The ads you guys have arebeautiful.
They look really good.
Thanks, I make sure to likethem all, by the way.

Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah thank you very, very much.

Speaker 3 (26:05):
I'm always like dude.
I got to support my dude man.

Speaker 1 (26:08):
So it's really cool that you stuck with it, that you
didn't give up during thefrustration or the times you
doubted yourself or man, what'sgoing on.
I don't know this isn't working, but you stuck with it.
You kept going Because I'm sureyou had those moments at that.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah, for sure.
And then you're putting a lotof money I mean I have a lot of
money into that thing.
So yeah, I mean it's, if Idon't, I have to at least try.
you know, and I've tried a lotof things and I've failed at a
whole bunch and I learned.
But I love the part of creatinga brand in a community.
I love taking photography.
I do photography andvideography and if I don't know

(26:45):
how to do something, I know whoknows and I've always been good.
Like well, I don't know how todo this, but you do Like.
Can you help me Reach out right?
Reach out and ask for help.
So it's like what's the brandgood to be like?
And then you have you know.
So what's it gonna be?
Who's my audience?
And learning, that wholeprocess of yeah, I kind of, if

(27:07):
I'm not really creatingsomething or doing something
artistic, like I'm kind ofdiscontent, so I always have to
be either drawing or living alife in some artistic way or
going after some type of goal.
But yeah, the whole process ofthat was great.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
But from manufacturing to that whole
thing, like wow, Dude, how didyou feel when you finally got
the finished product in yourhand, like it's done?
Did the three years of work?
It's been printed, it's leatherbound, right From what I have,
I mean, when you got that inyour hand, I'm sure what did you
get?
A box or something like thatfull of them, right when you

(27:44):
opened it up?
How did that feel?

Speaker 2 (27:46):
Crazy.
Yeah, it was wild and I ordereda whole bunch of them and, yeah
, like it was, fortunately atthat time I was able to, you
know, have like a lot of peopleproofread it from the clinical
perspective and it was amazingwatching people use it and

(28:07):
hearing the feedback.
But the biggest moment and I'vehad this with other businesses
as well or after pulling coolthings off events or this, and
then like sitting back andstepping out like, wow, good job
, man, you know.
Yeah, yeah.
I had it up in Joshua Tree.
It was like I don't know, maybethree months ago, and one of my
things is I love to go and rentcool air babies.

(28:30):
That's one of my things.
I don't buy fancy clothes,really, you know.

Speaker 1 (28:34):
What are you looking right now, bro?
Trust me, you got some swaggoing on right now.
You know what I'm doing.

Speaker 2 (28:39):
I'm just going to China.
No, no, never mind.
No, the surf side right here,thanks.
But I like to get places whereit's a vast view and I like to
have this big view and to kindof look at.
It's just really, I don't know.
It's good and empowering for me.
But I was out at this Airbnb bymyself on the hillside,

(28:59):
overlooking all of Joshua Treeand in the evening and I was
looking down at the whole townat night and it was lit up and I
had the one house on the sideof the mountain.
It was a beautiful home and Ihad this big like boom moment
and I was like there's so manyhurt and lonely and sad people

(29:20):
down in that little town and myintuition was speaking pretty
loud at that time and it waslike, well, you created
something that if peoplelegitimately, legitimately
followed this, which you hearall these people talking on
YouTube and this, and thateverything that for the most
part, is in that is in thisjournal.
I pulled this from not just me,I'm no genius, but I pulled

(29:44):
this from how many books I'veread, how many podcasts, from
everything I put.
All of this stuff.
It's a huge collective.
This isn't me, this is peoplethis is like all the good people
you listen to putting in thisand I was looking out down at
everyone and I was like man.
I just know how many people arein pain and if they

(30:05):
legitimately followed this anddid it every day and saw it
through like their life wouldchange.
So I had that big moment and myintuition whatever you wanna
call it, god, it's like I don'tthink you really know what you
created and, yeah, now we'vealmost sold like 2,000 of them,
which has been pretty cool, andI don't know.

(30:25):
I wanna hear more of like hey,is it working?
You enjoying it?
Like come on guys, but yeah, soit's pretty amazing.

Speaker 1 (30:34):
Well, it's interesting because I think the
things that we do in this lifewe probably won't really know
the impact we've had until ourtime's up, right.

Speaker 2 (30:42):
We'll be our creator then it's gonna.
It'll all we'll know right,yeah, have a good job boy.
Yeah, like hey.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
I've said it on here so many times when you're in the
business of helping peopletransform your lives whether
it's what I do in the fireservice or what you're doing
with the journal and otherthings you're involved in you
know you impact that one life.
It's like throwing that rock inthe that ripple effect.
Yeah, and that still the lakeright, boom.
You see that ripple effect.
You don't know the livesthey're gonna touch.
And then the lives those peopletouch it's all because of

(31:11):
something that you did and it'spowerful and I like that.
I mean, in a way, it's probablygood we don't know.
So it keeps us humble, cause Isay it all the time.
Like you know, I'll hear itevery once in a while like, oh
my God, your podcast dude.
I've been listening.
This is so cool.
I'm like I didn't, oh, I didn'tknow you listened.
Like I don't get feedback frompeople.
You know, I just put these outinto the ether and let them.
You know it gets downloadedworldwide.

(31:33):
Now it's pretty cool.
But I don't know.
You know I'm very honest onhearing people with struggles
and things I've been through andthey're good and bad and we
have guests that come on andthey're honest and it's cool
when you hear people say, ohyeah, like you had this guest on
, I had no idea they struggledwith this cause.
That's what I've beenstruggling with.
And it's.
You know, it was empowering toknow that this person got
through it this, so it made merealize I can get through it,

(31:55):
you know.
And when you hear that, you'relike, okay, I'm doing the right
thing here Like this is prettyrad.

Speaker 2 (32:00):
And it's amazing that you're doing this too, cause I
remember I was going through apretty hard time and you were
one of the ones that reached outand know that there was only
maybe a few.
You're one of a few thatreached out, so you are your
darn good soul, brother.
I appreciate that and yeah, Ithink it's just.
This isn't my train of thoughtthere.
What was I saying?

(32:20):
No, you're good.

Speaker 1 (32:22):
You're giving me all excited.
No, you're good I mean, dude,here's the thing.
Man like you opened up to me,told me you're going through a
hard time and I said, look, I'vebeen there.
I know Like there's some darktimes in the situation that you
went through and it's difficult,but there's light at the end of
the tunnel.
It's like you gotta hold out,grit your teeth.
And I try to make it a point atleast in my the people that

(32:45):
have been put in my life thatI'm close with or have ties,
relationships with, one's youright, and I try to always do
the same way.
I say, brother, check, I try to.
Every couple of weeks I'll justsend a text and I'll say, hey,
I don't need details, I don'tneed anything, I just want to
know are you good, you okay?

(33:05):
And then actually you know,boom, they're.
Oh, yeah, I'm good.
Dude, thank you for reachingout.
And I'll usually do a phonecall too just to make sure.
And it's like, dude, I've hadmultiple.
I do it with just guys, justyou know what I'm saying, cause
I don't want money in the watersand this is not to be like sex
or anything, but I think it'sbetter for me to do that with
men, you know, just check onthem, but it's cool to actually
hit them up and talk with them.

(33:26):
They say, kind of what you havesaid and this is not to glorify
myself, but it's like man,thanks for calling and even just
texting me.
I have like no one ever reachesout to see how I'm doing.
Yeah, you know, cause I've beenthere.
I know it feels like to bealone and not have hope.
That's a dangerous, freakingplace, cause you can go to a
dark, dark place where you knowyou're going to make a bad
decision, you're going to reachout for something that's not

(33:48):
good for you or you're going tomake a permanent decision to a
temporary problem.
You know and I know what thatfeeling it feels like man and to
have hope, to know thatsomebody actually cares, it's
getting me emotional thing aboutthis, because I just know that
feeling, man, and I agree withyou.
And you know, now, with sometime and age, and you know I've
had success in many differentthings.

(34:09):
I've had a lot of failures,I've made terrible decisions,
I've hurt people, but to knowthat you can change your life,
you can do better and there arepeople that care and love you,
is it's so, in a way, soothingand empowering.
It's like okay, I have thesesmall group people that no
matter what I do, good or bad,they're going to help me,
they're going to support me, andthat's very few.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah, and you're going to have a very yeah, oh
it's very.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
I tell people it's.
It's very, very small it'sprobably.
I tell people it's less thanfive.

Speaker 2 (34:34):
Yeah, For me I said if you got a solid five around
you, then you're doing all right.

Speaker 1 (34:37):
Yeah, it's crazy.
I read an article a while ago.
That was it.
Like it projected.
It shows you from 20 to 30.
It says like close friends,right, I think it was like 10 or
15.
And then, once you hit 30 tolike 35, it drops down to even
less than that, but from 35 to40 or 45, it says most people

(34:57):
don't have friends longer than ayear.
Wow, it was really interesting.
I was like what, yeah, and I'veI have great.
I tried to be that person who'sconnecting with people.
Like even our normal cameraoperator, sam.
I've known him since thirdgrade.
I reached out to him when wefirst started this podcast years
ago and had him come on and Iwas like hey, dude, like you're,
it's been great reconnectingWell, do you want to be a part

(35:19):
of this?
You want to do it?
You know, and through thatwe've cultivated such a close
bond and deep friendship andhe's been through difficult
times all of us in the podcasthave but we've created this huge
bond, almost his own, likefamily, within this podcast
where it goes so much deeperthan just doing the show Now,
like everyone's checking on eachother how are you doing this?
And that you know sending funnymemes, different things, and

(35:41):
they'll send a group text.
Hey, like, I had a rough daytoday.
Yeah, cool, we all startcalling.
What do you need?
Are you good?
And it's to me it's sad tothink that so many people don't
have that support as they getolder and they just feel there's
a lot of loneliness, evenduring the holidays, right, and
during the holiday, suiciderates go up and that just kills
me, dude, especially in firstresponders.

(36:01):
That's where I have a heart fora lot of people because I'm in
that career field.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
Yeah, and I've worked with a lot of first responders
and someone that you know I wasgoing to work with or referred
me to someone to work with them.
I've worked with firstresponders for a long time and
it's tough.
Oh yeah, I mean, you knowespecially what on the day to
day basis of what you know, youguys see and stuff, it's tough
yeah.
Yeah, and you have tocompletely reprogram, rewire.

(36:28):
You know everything, you know.
It's a lot of work, it is dude,it's.

Speaker 1 (36:34):
I mean, like I got off shift the other day it's not
like it wasn't a busy shift, wedidn't see too much but even
having to turn on that being afirst responder and you're there
for two days and you got to goto these calls Everyone's worst
day.
Remember coming home and I waslike man, I want to.
I just felt off, I didn't feelpresent.
I was just kind of like in thisweird numb mode and I remember

(36:58):
telling myself you need to goout and you need to, like, go
for a walk, come home, whateveryou need to do.
I didn't even go surf.
I ended up going for just ashort walk and then I came home,
took a fat nap and I felt somuch better.
Yeah, I need a second.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
But that's the little thing you just said is so hard
for people.
When just to go for a walk,yeah, like that's hard.
It's hard to get outside thatdoor, yeah, you want to.
Kind of a lot of people justwant to sit in it.
That's comfortable, yeah, butgoing in for a little walk, I've
told that the little thing youjust said seems so easy but it's
extremely challenging for a lotof people it is.

(37:29):
Yeah, even just before comingover here, like obviously the
waves weren't good and the spotswhere they were it was crazy
how packed it was.
But I just I had to go jump inthe ocean because I just get
centered and I'm grounded andI'm just good.
Then I'm connected.
Yeah, you know, but now it'swired, I'm programmed to do that
.
Yeah, if I don't do it, I feeloff.

(37:49):
I don't do something like that.
Oh, so I need to be barefootand I need to be grounded into
something I need to do my talkin and yeah, and I can get much
more centered like that.
But it's really hard for a lotof people to do a simple little
act like that for themselves.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
Oh, I could see it because I deal with it.
I deal with it, dude.
I deal with it on a probably ona daily basis.
Even this morning I woke up,you know I grab a rodeo and I'm
like, okay, I got to do thistoday, I want to surf.
But then I was like man, for meit's like it's either, it's got
to be something physical.
So I put on my running.
I just went for a six mile run.
I saw your shoes.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
Yeah, they're dry now , dude.

Speaker 1 (38:22):
And I just dude.
I came home and I felt so muchbetter.

Speaker 2 (38:24):
Yeah, I'm just getting out running dude, I
remember switching to that topicreal quick, though I remember
last time I came on I was doinga lot of triathlons and.
I've done a lot of longdistance stuff too and my
girlfriend now was asking melike why, why?
Why are you doing it?
And like it wasn't to go get inshape, like if you want to go

(38:45):
and say you're not going to goby running, you know you don't
get, like you don't get on.
No, yeah, it doesn't work likethat you come back and you're
extra hungry and you overeat orwhatever.
Yeah right, they have a coolstudy on that actually.
But I think that like thebiggest thing, like last time we
were out there, last time wetalked, we were talking about
all that, and now I don't dothat anymore.

(39:06):
I used to run every day.
Now I like more calm and likeconscious, like you got to work
out.
It's real light and or, if I goand surf, it's, it's, it's.
I'd rather go and surf thanwork out.
But the grunting.
And I have a buddy who'sgetting the triathlons.
Right now he's racing theOrange County triathlon that's

(39:28):
going on.
And he was.
He's getting all in it and Iwanted to go and do with him.
But I'm like I've done it, likeI don't feel like grinding it
out anymore.
I feel it's doing more harmthan good.
It's like I don't want to dothat.
I needed it then because it waslike finding who I was.
It was like, oh, you know, likewhen I do these long distance
runs, I'd want to stop at mile10.

(39:49):
But I would push through to 30miles or whatever, and I kind of
really found myself in what Iwas capable of.
But speaking on running, Iremember last time I was really
into triathlons Little skinnylittle madman, I remember, dude,
you had all the gear.

Speaker 1 (40:05):
I feel actually the same way because I used to do
triathlons, the 50, 60 mile runs.
Yeah, now I feel so am I.
I don't know if I want to putall that work in, because I've
kind of I've done that.
Yeah, you know, I've seen howfar I can push myself, and but I
have been running more becauseI'm like, all right, let's see
if we can get back and do in theultra marathons, see if we can
get you up to those 50 mile runsagain.

Speaker 2 (40:25):
See, I'm waiting for that, and I was.
We were out at dinner the othernight and someone was asking,
like both, do you want to do itagain?
I was like, well, when it calls, yeah, yeah, I mean I'll check,
but the energy is not there forit.
Like this is a different seasonof life.
So I'm kind of flowing with thewind, with what feels correct
for me right now, and it's a lotof peaceful, very kind of slow
movement, or it's very oceanrelated.

(40:47):
You know, we still haven'tspeak, we haven't skydived yet.

Speaker 1 (40:52):
I'm going up tomorrow .
Are you really?
Yeah, I'm going to Parameter.
I was supposed to do a balloonjump tomorrow morning, oh really
, but that got canceled.
So we're just going to meet atParis at like 830 or something
like that in the morning.
Thanks for the invite.
You're the one who's going.
I was going.
I was like oh, my God.

Speaker 2 (41:08):
They hit me up yesterday.
Sweet yeah, I'll meet you guysout there.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
Yeah.
So if you want to come, you'remore than welcome to jump on
board.

Speaker 2 (41:15):
It's a good time.
No, I'm right now as we'retalking about the ocean and all
that like I went out and boughtsome kayaks.

Speaker 1 (41:22):
Nice.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
And so I've done a lot of free diving over the
years and I've skydived for along time, like nine, 10 years,
something like that yeah.

Speaker 1 (41:32):
You got a lot of jumps on your butt bro.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
And like I have a weird relationship with it.
It's and it's prettyinteresting.
I was talking to a guy namedJoe Jennings.
He's like a legend in the sport.
He's the one that's sent carsout of the back of the military
planes.
He's learned to keep themstable.
He shot all anything in the sky.
He's like the videographer forit.

(41:55):
Yeah, he's like 61 now andstill doing.
He's just goes.
He's just geared like that anda lot of people with that sport.
It's like everyone uses itdifferently and I had a certain
way that I used it.
It was a great place for me topray and meditate on the way up.
Yeah, and when you're yourmind's saying all these things

(42:17):
and your fear's kind ofscreaming at you you're going to
die or you're this, or you'rethe checker chest strap or all
these things, I can kind of sitand like, hey, you know I can.
Really I've used it in a waythat's propelled me into
business ventures or into life,Like, yes, I had a season where
I had fun with it, but I used itto kind of like I did with the
running, you know, but right nowthe ocean has been so amazing

(42:40):
and I've never left it, likethroughout the weeks, but I've
got really in all thesedifferent sports.
But right now I have buddiesaround the world that are diving
with whales.
And then I met, I got my bookinto Laguna Beach.
What's her name?
Uh, Laguna Beach bookstore,Anyway.
So another guy named Rich man.

(43:01):
I'm sorry, man, I'm forgettingyour name.
But anyways, he, um, hepublished a book on his paddle
board.
He'd take, go do photographyout there and he was showing me
what type of whales migrate, andhe's orcas and gray whales and
humpbacks, and he's got allthese amazing photos of it and
uh, so I went out and bought akayak and so, uh, as I've been

(43:22):
free diving more offshore, now Ican bring the kayak out, know
when they're migrating and start.
So I got, uh, I got a wholebunch of really nice cameras,
but now I'm going to get ahousing and so I can go and
chase the ocean as I chase thesky, right, right, but the ocean
is absolutely fascinating.

Speaker 1 (43:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
So in this new season is to go out and chase the
ocean and see what's down there.
I'm still I'm terrified of it,which I know.
That's probably why I should doit, because I am afraid of it
and I know I'm going to be okayand it's a whole other world out
there.
But, um, yeah, this the it'sreally fun because it's really
cool actually coming back andtalking with you now, because as

(44:02):
I'm talking, I remember where Iwas when I came on last time
and I didn't expect where I'm atright now.

Speaker 1 (44:10):
It's cute and, um, that I would be really chasing
this and well, it's cool because, looking back on that time, you
were going through a tough time.
I mean even your countenance.
Now you, you're who you are,you seem happier, you seem way
more fulfilled.

Speaker 2 (44:25):
Yes, you know so it's cool.

Speaker 1 (44:26):
It's cool to see that progression and what you bring
up.
Something really cool is whatyou're doing, is you're still
exploring?
Yeah, you're still seeking.
And I read this book and it wascalled Wild.
At Heart it was a long time ago.
It's a Christian book, christianauthor.
But how we're not created to bestuck in our homes or in an

(44:46):
office all day, every day, likewe're actually.
We should be out exploring andtrying new things and
discovering things.
Now are we going to discoversome new animal?
Probably not Right, most thingshave been discovered.
But as far as like getting outhiking and seeing nature,
getting in the water, trying newthings and how that helps us
develop as humans to keepseeking, to keep looking for

(45:07):
things in life and the meaningand what it is, I mean because
so much can start happeningwithin yourself.
You know, as we call it, whatthe journey?
Right, it's cool because thatjourney can take you anywhere,
but it's really dependent on youand what you want to do and how
important it is to keepexploring.
There was even a slogan, therewas a sticker keep exploring.
It's so important as humans todo that.
We're not meant to be sedentary.
And everyone always asks meit's probably the same with you,

(45:30):
like skydiving and surfing, andall of a sudden, who are you
afraid you're going to die, andthis, and that I'm like, well,
this is probably more to say it,but in my head I'm like none of
us are making off this earthalive.
Yeah, we're all.
We're all going to get anexpiration date.
Oh, yeah, you have a beginningand an end.
It's we know.
What you do with that dash inthe middle is up to you.
Yeah, so I always tell peopleI've already accepted that I'm

(45:51):
already dead.
It's going to happen.
So I'm going to enjoy my life.
I'm going to go do the thingsthat I want to do.
I want to experience thesethings, and skydiving for me is
a very as odd as it sounds.
I've said this to a few peopleand they kind of look like
you're crazy, but it's a veryspiritual experience.
I first for me to be up in theair, to consciously look down,

(46:11):
point out my drop zone and thento let go of that plan or jump
out and to fall through the.
The sky is one of the mostamazing feelings.
It is a rush, but one of thebest moments I've ever had
skydiving and it gets me.
It gets me, it gives megoosebumps now, because I was
going through a difficult time.
This was years ago and I wentand jumped at Oceanside and I

(46:33):
did the sunset.
I can't remember what time ofyear it was, but I was the last
out of the plane and it was just, it was a free, free jump.
You know load we all.
There was no tandem in thereand I was the last to go and I
went solo and I jumped out and Iremember I was just, I felt
numb, but then it clicked to mehey, the sun setting turned

(46:54):
around.
So I freaking, and I turned and, dude, there wasn't a cloud in
the sky, the sun was settinginto the water.
You can see the Were you undercanopy when you turned around?
No, no, I was still falling andI was falling and I just, I
remember it felt like forever,right, but really it was
probably just seconds.
But I remember turning aroundand seeing that sun setting and
how beautiful the ocean lookedand the shoreline, and as you're

(47:16):
falling, as I was falling, andI look, it was all happened so
quick, right, I remember Iwasn't even looking at my
altitude, right yeah, and itjust hit me You're gonna be all
right, everything's gonna befine, like get through this and
everything's gonna be fine.
I remember getting under canopy.
I was kind of teary-eyed and Iwas like, dude, I'm good man,
I'm good, I know, so it's weirdto explain it to people, because

(47:37):
I was like aren't you afraid todie?
It's like look, there's safetyprotocols and things they teach
you in AFF school free fallschool right, check your
altimeter.
We have our AAD and all thatstuff and I would say it's up to
the person how you're gonna flythat, your canopy and coming in
low, swooping whatever you'regonna do.

(47:57):
That's, those are the mostinjuries I've seen.
But as far as like man, I don'tswoop dude whatever.
I'm on a 170.
So I still come down a littlebit fast.
I'm 190, but I have foundSkydive to be healing in so many
different ways.
I've met so many great peopledoctors, surgeons, book writers,

(48:18):
I mean people traveling fromaround the world to come out
here to Skydive and it's likeyou get this collective of
people who are all doing thesame thing.
It's just fun.

Speaker 2 (48:27):
It's fascinating.

Speaker 1 (48:27):
It's amazing.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
Yeah, there's the community in there.
There's a lot of people that,for instance, packers, people
who pack your parachute.
Yeah, yeah.
People living in their vans andthey go from Skydive place to
each drop zone and they traveland the community aspect's
really cool.
And then you have like, thenyou, there's just amazing

(48:51):
freaking humans.
But before I go into, I want sothe thing that we're talking
about is like going out andadventuring and exploring and to
do that things.
Now I've taken over a thousandpeople out Skydiving, probably
more than that, I don't knowexactly, but it's somewhere
around the world.
And this is through.

Speaker 1 (49:07):
Epic Journey.

Speaker 2 (49:07):
Epic Journey, yeah, and a lot of people, and for me,
I've had a lot of contact withall these treatment centers,
like I was saying, a lot ofpeople that are leaving an old
life, coming into a new one, anda lot of people want to do that
stuff, but they don't knowanyone that does it.
So I've been this catalyst tobring people into the sky.

(49:28):
When I get excited aboutsomething, I've been this person
that goes out and do thesethings.
Like I said, I go and freedivemyself.
I got in a skydiving by myself.
I surf, you know.
If people can join, fantastic,but regardless, I'm going out.
You know, I'm right there withyou.
Come on, come on, preston,let's go.
I'm happy to do it, but I'vehad to go.
I didn't know anyone that didany of these things, so I had to

(49:48):
go out and do them myselfbecause I wanted to go out and
explore it.
And then once I found that Iwanted to bring more people to
do it, but first I have to goand do it.
So when I found skydiving, Iwas absolutely amazing, and so
then I was like, well, god,check this out.
So I started bringing a wholebunch of people out to do it.
I've done that with surfing.
I've taken hundreds of peopleout in the ocean but a lot of

(50:12):
people want to do these thingsbut they just don't have anyone
to go out there and explore with.
So by it's all it's in them towant to go and explore.
But that's the thing with backto my journal is, after you go
through that, you will learn andyou will find a way to go out
and do those things.

(50:33):
You will learn, you will getthe courage and to go out and
explore, you know, withoutanyone, to go out into the
unknown and go and see, kind ofwhat you're made of.
And yeah, so yeah, by yousaying that stuff I know because
I've heard this so much thatpeople want to do it but they

(50:53):
don't.

Speaker 1 (50:54):
They don't know what to take with them.
Now your journal, you have itin recovery centers, right?
It's been what's the best wayto put this.
Your journal has also beencertified through clinicians,
right.

Speaker 2 (51:08):
Yeah, so it's been clinically approved.
So it's CBT, dbt andmotivational interviewing, so
it's all like different clinicalmodalities.
So I've had a lot of cliniciansreview it and then it's called
the Joint CommissionAccreditation so it's clinically
approved to be used inbehavioral health.
So it's like the big gold sealof approval.
So that, yeah, so that's prettycool.

Speaker 1 (51:30):
That's huge.
Yeah, that's gotta make it moreviable, right For sure, it
gives it like that stamp likethis is legit.
Yeah, yeah, this isn'tsomething so enthused.
Together you went through thetime and the prep and had the
right people look at it to say,hey, this is legit, let's get
people to start using it.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
I had a lady fly out from East Coast to come out and
approve it and she sat with allthe clients that were in the
program at that time and wentthrough it with them and really
combed through it.
And I had to wait.
It was a three day thing.
So they came and flew out andwent through it and went Dude,
how stressed are you, thosethree?
I was I was in there and I wasout.
You know all the staff was likeguys, I'm not gonna be here.

Speaker 1 (52:08):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (52:09):
And at the end she sat and she's like, wow, all
right, good job, so you can usethis here.
So having that was a pretty bigdeal.

Speaker 1 (52:17):
Now, what does that do for your journal as far as
getting it to out to people?
Will that make it go into moretreatment centers, since it's
kind of has that stamp ofapproval?

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Yeah, I mean there's a way to get that Like I mean I
would have to market it that wayand tell people that way.
But when I go and tell any youknow programs that are out there
like when I tell them that thatthey're more inclined to use it
.
Yeah, yeah, Cause a lot ofother places, like a lot of them
from what I've seen, aren'treally.
There's some amazing journalsout there.

(52:48):
Mine journal is great.
Yeah, how do you sell one Fiveminute journal is great.
But yeah, having the clinicalapproval cause I've worked in
treatment forever so I knew thatthat gold, silver approval is a
big deal.
Other people probably justdidn't.
It's probably just as good, youknow, but yeah, it wouldn't be
able to use it in like a inbehavioral health.

Speaker 1 (53:06):
I got you.
Yeah, so people can get aholdof this.
What's the best way they canlook up Epic Journal and buy it?

Speaker 2 (53:14):
Theepicjournalcom Okay.

Speaker 1 (53:16):
Yeah, and then you have your Instagram, right.
What's the Instagram for it,man?
It's all messed up.

Speaker 2 (53:20):
So I had the Instagram you guys are blowing
it.
They had, I had the EpicJournal and then I just, it just
was sitting there, so, and thenthey said I violated some terms
or whatever.
So I have it's like anunderscore, yeah, underscore,
the Epic Journal underscore.
But you just look up the EpicJournal, that pops up regardless
.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
Yeah, I mean I follow it my public account and also
with the let's go podcast.
We're huge supporter.
Yeah, I think what you're doingis amazing, man, and you know
to, to have known you as long asI've known you and having you
on the first time and you comingback and what you've done to
your life.
Your a great example of people.
Just don't give up, keeppushing.

Speaker 2 (53:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:00):
You have ideas, put them on paper, go for it
Absolutely, cause my thought isI'm sure it's the same as yours
what do you have to lose?
Yeah, go for it.
So, behind the scenes, I'vebeen working on this event.
It's going to happen on March8th.
It's going to be called FirstResponders Night of Hope.
It's open to everybody, butit's geared towards First
Responders and we'll talk alittle bit later about this.
I think you might maybe want tobe a sponsor or put your name on

(54:23):
it with Epic Journal.
Sure, this is just going to bethe night of concert, worship,
prayer.
I'm going to speak, okay, andit's going to be at this venue
in Irvine.
It's pretty cool.
It's got a huge, like 16 footscreen with everything lights,
all that.
It's been going pretty good.
The official sponsor is goingto be Public Square.

(54:43):
If you've heard of them, what'sthat?
Pretty cool?
So they have like a bunch ofbusinesses on their website that
people can go to, like mom andpop ones.
They're all over the US.
They got millions of businesseson there and they're doing.
They just went to the stockexchange and like opened up, did
the ringing of the bell.
Oh wow.

Speaker 2 (54:59):
It's pretty cool.

Speaker 1 (55:00):
They sponsored Nitro Circus so I had one of them on.
I told them about like hey, webelieve in our first responders
and believe in what you're doing, like we want to sponsor it,
want to help, so it'd be prettycool.
I think we'll talk more aboutthat so we can get those
journals out to people, cause mything is I really want to help
first responders but everyone isinvited, of course, because
suicide is now the number onekiller and first responders

(55:23):
which is pretty sad, I know.

Speaker 2 (55:25):
And if you, with what I do with the journal, I also
do coaching.
So I haveepicjourneycoachingcom, so I
work one on one with people andtake them through the journal.
Oh, that's awesome, yeah, sowith any of the guys that you
know, or anyone like.
Send them my way and then I canwork one on one with them too.

Speaker 1 (55:40):
Oh, I think it'd be huge.
Dude.
I think I'll leave the openinvite for you to be there as
well.
For sure I'll send you.
We're getting the flyers andthe logo.
I didn't realize, bro, when youput on a vent, how much work
goes into it.
I know it is.
It's so much behind the scenes,it's intense, it's been a labor
of love, but I know it's goingto a good cause.
The money that will begenerated from that night's

(56:02):
gonna go to the IversonFoundation.
Okay, ashley Iverson, herhusband was, was a firefighter
and he was killed in the fireand she went through a lot.
But she also started hisfoundation to help with first
responder mental health.
So all the money from thatnight is going to her, to her
foundation.
She's got a bunch ofprofessionals and all that stuff
on there.
So it'll be a pretty good night,man.

(56:22):
It's gonna be awesome.
I'm excited about it.

Speaker 2 (56:24):
Do you have a date for you?
March 8th, march 8th, march 8thokay, it's coming up.

Speaker 1 (56:28):
It'll be a Friday.

Speaker 2 (56:29):
Okay, yeah, we can talk more.
I've done with the event side.
There is a cool spot like oncethe event's going, you can,
after it's done, just sit back,like I was saying we were
talking about stepping away fromit and like, wow, we're doing
it, yeah, so yeah, it's been.

Speaker 1 (56:44):
it's crazy because when it first came to my mind,
you know I didn't want to do it.
I was like, no, god, like you,somebody else, like, yeah, I got
too much going on.
I got all this.
But the more I denied it, themore it was on my heart and I
was like, okay, I'm just goingto talk to a couple of people
about it, see what they think.
And the more I talk, people arelike dude, you gotta do this.

(57:05):
The one's ever done a nightlike that.
I'm like okay.
And then every time I doubtmyself or things aren't lining
up, I'm like dude, it's notgoing to work.
Next day it works.
I was just like okay, all right.
I see what you're doing LikeI'm going to get this done.

Speaker 2 (57:18):
If it's supposed to happen.
You know the energy's there.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (57:21):
So it's been.
It's been interesting to see itall come together.
It's exciting, it's cool, it'snerve-wracking because I haven't
been on stage and sang in along time.
Are you singing?
I'm doing the concert, bro,you're?

Speaker 2 (57:31):
singing yeah.

Speaker 1 (57:33):
I got a professional band that's backing me of the
page.
I didn't know you're singing.
Oh, yeah, I'm doing music.
I'm doing music.
Let me hear you.
I'm done for a living, dude.
Let me hear you a little bit.
Oh, I heard you do it out ofhere Three two, one yeah, no,
but yeah, it's going to bepretty cool how it's shaping up,
dude.
It's stressful, but you know,I'm hoping a lot of healing and
the biggest thing is to justpeople have hope.

(57:54):
Dude, that's my biggest thing,because I feel the same way you
do.
I look around, I'm like gosh, Idon't care who you are.
You can be the richest person,or someone who doesn't have
money, or destitute.
Everyone's going throughsomething.
Everyone's dealing withdifficult times, because life is
hard.
It ain't easy, man, whetherit's from a bad decision or
things that are out of yourcontrol.
It's difficult and to have hopeis amazing.

(58:16):
It's brought me through so much.
It's brought me through somevery dark times, and I want to
pass it on to other people, likeI want to tell them look, it's
great to have a great job, it'sgreat to have these things homes
, cars, whatever we can servebut at the end of the day, when
your life is towards its end,none of that stuff's going to
matter.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
You can't take any of it with you.

Speaker 1 (58:36):
What are we going to spend our life?
What are we going to do?
What are we going to cultivatefor each other in our hearts,
for our future and our hope?
And for me, that's been my ownfaith.
Now am I a person who's outthere?
Turn it burn.
No, bro, it does not mean.
I more or less it's more throughmy life, how I live and just
being there for people andloving on people, because that's
what I've found in my own faithin reading through scripture

(58:58):
and different things that I havelearned.
It's about love.
Love, grace and forgiveness.
That's it Biggest thing, dude,straight up, I'm like it's not
that hard, but we as humans makethings very difficult.
So all I have to say love tohave you there.
We'll talk about maybe puttingyour name on the flyer so people
can see.

Speaker 2 (59:15):
Yeah, I'm sponsoring something else.
On the third, it's an event outin Anaheim, so I love
sponsoring that stuff, all aboutit.
Yeah, it'll be cool, I'll comeout there and yeah.

Speaker 1 (59:25):
Well, it's cool, dude .
It looks like we're going tohave firefighters from across
the nation coming in, so I'mtrying to get discounted hotels
at least to give the governmentread.
So it's going to be pretty cool.
Man, there's some reachhappening with this, which I'm
really surprised.
I'm like whoa, because I didn'trealize that many people were
listening to the podcast too.
They're.
Hey, I heard you talk on thepodcast Night of Hope.

(59:46):
I'm like OK, yeah, it'shappening.

Speaker 2 (59:48):
Kind of you build it and they will come to do it.
Yeah, I guess it's crazy.

Speaker 1 (59:52):
But the biggest thing it's like what you're doing,
dude it's to give people a pathand show them there's a
community and that there's somuch more to life than just the
pain and the things that we'regoing through, like it won't
last forever.
The difficult times come, but,trust me, there's more good
times coming.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
Yeah, and I think within those times I was just
thinking about this the otherday and writing that a lot of
those tough times are sonecessary Because if you want to
be this certain individual, youwant to be this man or woman,
you can't just step into thatperson.
You have to go through thosetrunks of verily dense and hard
times.
You can't just step into that.
So, as you sit back and youlook, those three months were

(01:00:32):
tough but I had to do thatbecause there was a lot of
teachings and learning in that.
So, yeah, I think a lot of thehard times are necessary.
Man, some are unfortunate whenpeople pass and stuff like that.
Yes, but as you go down the roadand you kind of turn around and

(01:00:53):
you can see, well, I had to dothat because it's sculpting you
into the person you're supposedto be.
And if you have thatperspective it's good, because
when times are good, sit in it,save your energy, because down
the road there is some stuffcoming and it's going to be hard
.
But if everything's OK at themoment, sit in it, say hey,
relax, sit and be prepared forwhat life is going to throw you.

(01:01:17):
Be present.

Speaker 1 (01:01:20):
Sam too, I think Preston should speak.
I was really good dude.
Well, man dog.
To wrap this up, I 100% agreewith you.
I have done a lot ofintrospective and looking back
many times on my life to seewhere I'm at now and how

(01:01:41):
fortunate I am to have what Ihave and to be blessed with
what's been given to me.
It's come from hard work.
But looking back on thosedifficult times, even in
decisions where I've madeterrible decisions, I look back.
I'm like man.
I'm so glad that I never gaveup and that I went through those
times, because it's taught meso much.

(01:02:02):
It's taught me so much aboutmyself, about others, how I
don't want to treat people, howI don't want to be treated.
But it's maybe into the personthat I am now.
And you're so right, I wouldn'tbe who I am without those
difficult times.
We share a lot, dude.
I've had a brother pass away.
That hurts and that's somethingI still deal with to this day,
and that's been since 2004.

(01:02:23):
Oh yeah, you'll live with itforever, but you learn to live
with it and you learn that it'spart of your story.
And then I've learned that I'vebeen able to share that part of
my story with others who havelost loved ones in their life,
like I know.
I've been there.
There's nothing I'm going tosay, but you're going to get
through this.
We're going to get through this.
There's hope.
Again that key word is justthere's hope.
Promise you so, preston.

(01:02:44):
Thank you so much for comingback on the podcast.
Man, I know this might soundweird.
I'm so stinking proud of you.
I'm so glad that your friend.
It's great to see how muchyou've developed and what you've
done with your life and howyou're impacting others.
It's priceless, man.
You can't put a price tag onthat.
It's a beautiful thing.
It's cool to see another mandoing that.

(01:03:04):
So good job, man, cool, thankyou.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, so we usually do a.
Let's go on three at the end ofthis.
Did you get it, by the way, man?
The beard, the beard and longhair.
It just comes.

Speaker 2 (01:03:15):
It's so nice.

Speaker 1 (01:03:16):
Overnight.

Speaker 2 (01:03:18):
But you're lucky because if mine.

Speaker 1 (01:03:20):
I have a lot of white on the left side of my face.

Speaker 2 (01:03:22):
Embrace it, oh man, the salt and peppers Island.

Speaker 1 (01:03:26):
Yeah, yeah, 40s coming, quick man.
Yeah, I'm like wow life comesat you.

Speaker 2 (01:03:31):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, embrace them, dude, come on next
time.
I know I got to figure out,dude.

Speaker 1 (01:03:35):
Yeah, let's go on three.
You ready, brother?
Yeah, all right, one, two,three, let's go.
Bye everybody.
Thank you so much for listeningin.
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(01:03:57):
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