April 15, 2024 • 22 mins
Season 2 Episode 01
"Conquering Oceans and Fears: A Voyage with Karlis Bardelis" PART 2
In the heart-pounding second part of Season 2, Episode 1, we continue our riveting conversation with host Michael Devous and guest, the intrepid Karlis Bardelis. Having ignited the spark of adventure within us last time, Karlis is now poised to take the helm and guide us through the perilous yet exhilarating process of preparing for an epic ocean row. Will his unwavering spirit conquer the anxieties of the unknown? Will his meticulous planning be enough to tame the fury of the Atlantic? Hold tight as we witness the raw determination it takes to transform a dream into a breathtaking odyssey. This is The Fearless Road, and Karlis Bardelis is about to show us the true meaning of courage in the face of the vast unknown.
Inspired by Thor Heyerdahl's quote about the non-existence of borders in his mind, Karlis reflects on the limitations he's encountered in his own life and how he navigates them. He discusses his fear of certain activities, such as ski jumping, despite his fascination with them. Karlis emphasizes the importance of following one's excitement rather than succumbing to fear, sharing his philosophy of taking small steps toward goals rather than leaping into the unknown. He and the host, Michael, discuss the significance of celebrating small victories on the journey to personal growth and achievement.
Karlis then shares details of his first rowing adventure, which took him from Namibia to Brazil across the Atlantic Ocean. Despite minimal testing of the boat beforehand, Karlis and his team embarked on the journey, prepared with basic safety training and navigation skills. He reflects on the support of friends and family, who sometimes questioned his decisions but ultimately stood by him. Karlis emphasizes the importance of following curiosity and excitement, which has led him to unexpected opportunities such as public speaking about his adventures. As they wrap up part two, Karlis and Michael preview the next installment, where Karlis will share more about his first ocean rowing expedition. Stay tuned for part three to hear about Karlis's journey across the Atlantic.
Key Takeaways:
- Follow your excitement: Karlis emphasizes the importance of pursuing activities that excite you rather than succumbing to fear or limitations.
- Celebrate small victories: Karlis highlights the significance of acknowledging and celebrating the small steps taken towards personal growth and achievement.
- Preparation is key: Despite minimal testing of his boat, Karlis embarked on his first rowing adventure with basic safety training and navigation skills, showcasing the importance of preparation.
Quotes:
- "Borders. I have never seen one, but I have heard that they exist in the minds of some people." - Thor Heyerdahl (quoted by Karlis Bardelis), highlighting the concept of mental borders and limitations.
- "I was following this curiosity, where this excitement of doing the things that I really kind of feel connected." - Karlis Bardelis, emphasizing the importance of following one's excitement and curiosity.
- "One kilometer, one hour, one meter is the same for me. I'm human being. So it's the same for me. So it's the same for you, listener, for you who watches, this is the same." - Karlis Bardelis, emphasizing the equality of time and opportunities for personal growth.
- "Have a backup for your backup, 'cause that could save you." - Karlis Bardelis, highlighting the importance of preparation and contingency planning in challenging endeavors.
- "I was following this excitement, and I saw that, 'Oh yes, I like to speak. I like to share my story.'" - Karlis Bardelis, reflecting on how following his excitement led him
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Michael Davoo 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007,
008, 009, 0010, 0011, 0012, 0013, 0014, 0015, 0016, 0017, 0018,
0019, 0019, 0020, 0020, 0021,0021, 0021, 0022, 0023, 0024,
0025, 0025, 0026, 0027, 0028,0029, 0029, 0030, 0030, 0030,
0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,
0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,
0030, 0030, 0030.
How does someone becomefearless?
(00:22):
Well, that's exactly what we'regoing to find out.
In every episode, we dive intothe lives of individuals who've
learned to turn fear into fuel,face some incredible challenges
and cultivate a fearless mindsetwhile navigating their fearless
road.
So join me for in-depthinterviews with some amazing
people where we investigate moredeeply the valleys on their
(00:43):
road to success, because thevalleys are where character is
built, foundations are laid andwhere the fearless are born.
Welcome to the Fearless RoadPodcast.
All right, and we are back withpart two of the episode, with
Carlos Bartalas exploring whatborders mean to him.
(01:04):
And yeah, I'll let him take itaway.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Enjoy.
Yeah, I was very inspired byone quote by Tur Heyerdahl.
He is an explorer from Norway.
He's an explorer from Norway,tur Heyerdahl.
(01:30):
He did an expedition calledKontiki and they made a
documentary and they got AcademyAwards in, I guess, 1960 as a
documentary movie.
When they traveled with a raftfrom Peru to French Polynesia
and there was a reporter whoasked him about borders and what
(01:54):
do you think about borders?
And he replied borders I havenever seen one, but I have heard
that they exist in minds ofsome people.
So, yeah, this quote stuck withme for the past, I think 15 to
18 years.
So for myself, there aredefinitely some borders in my
(02:21):
head where, let's say, there aresome activities that I cannot
imagine myself doing.
I just can't.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Okay, Like what I mean.
What would be, what would not,what would Carlos not be able to
imagine?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I wouldn't imagine.
You know, when I watch OlympicGames, winter Olympic Games,
there is a sport where theydiscipline, where they go down
with the skis by the very steepslope, like alone One guy with
big ski jumping, ski jumpingyeah.
I mean, they are insane.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
And then they fly, and then they fly, they fly like
little squirrels.
At the end, yeah, with thoselittle wow, they have these
little wings in there,absolutely that's.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
That's always fascinating for me when I watch
that.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I would love to do that, but for me it's.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I have some fear of like this uh feeling of flying,
like I don't mind to fly inairplanes or I once flew in a
helicopter in Somalia.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, I love helicopters.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
But like fly from some, like trampoline, I
wouldn't be able to do that, soI cannot imagine that.
So here is the very thin line,what I want to.
Um, I want to explain, likesomeone might say that, oh,
carlos, uh, you're afraid ofthat.
Oh, this is not your comfortzone, go out of your comfort
(03:56):
zone.
Yeah, someone might say that,but at the same time I am going
there.
But at the same time I am goingthere where my excitement is.
I follow my excitement.
So when I was following myexcitement, it turned me to
(04:17):
these adventures of human powerLike step by step.
I didn't start right awayrowing across the sea, no, Step
(04:37):
by step.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I had some adventures before I was telling the
concept of these layers.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
but I was following the excitement, I wasn't
following the fear.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So, yeah it, when you know we're, we're told to lean
into what we fear, we're told tochase what we fear and face
what we fear, because on theother side of that, fear is is,
accomplishment, is achieve, youknow, is what things that we
achieve personally.
Integrity is built, character isbuilt right.
Um, it sounds to me like whatyou've been able to do is
(05:09):
discern a method for, forfiguring out what excites you,
even if it's a little scary,even if there's some fear
involved in overcoming it ortaking on that challenge.
You, you know the differencebetween something that you're
afraid of because it's bad orit's got too much risk or danger
(05:30):
, and something that you havefear around but that it excites
you.
Right, yeah, and there's alittle bit of excitement on the
other side.
Most of us are, and this isspeaking from an entrepreneurial
standpoint the things we fearare the things that have the
great, have great risk, but alsogreat reward.
We are, we care about them somuch that if they fail, that's
(05:54):
what scares us we don't want tolose at at, at at this challenge
in front of us as a business,starting my own business,
getting financing, building anempire, whatever it is starting
a new family going back toschool, things like that.
How have you used this skill tolean into what excites you and
(06:16):
make that determination?
You say there's that thin line.
But what does it feel like foryou when you determine what the
thin line is?
Is it something you could teachsomebody?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
By thin line I mean that someone from a side might
say, ah, if you're notchallenging yourself, if you're
not going outside of yourcomfort zone, ah, then you might
be like lazy person.
And just I'm not saying that,are you excited to be lazy?
(06:48):
No, you are ex.
Well, for me it's always meantsomething.
No, I want to do something.
So I, I want to be active, I, I, I.
There there is this spark withthe idea that, oh, let's cross
europe with roller skates, and Ijust cannot stop that idea.
(07:09):
It's just uh, it just suckswith me.
And if I'm not moving closer,doesn't matter what closer means
, like five centimeters closer.
Or I worked whole week sendingout proposals for sponsorship or
something like that.
It doesn't matter If you'regetting five centimeters closer,
(07:34):
one day closer to your goal.
That's an amazing feeling.
And so, for me, this thin lineis that, yeah, I feel fulfilled,
and I feel that I'm gettingcloser to this fulfillment,
which is this excitement of likewaking up in the morning and
(07:56):
asking am I doing the rightthing?
And there is no doubt.
Can you imagine that there's nodoubt.
You wake up in the morning andthere is no doubt that, yes,
this is what I want to do.
So yes.
Yeah, this, that the that is soimportant.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I like the idea that you, that I like the idea that
you you celebrate the, the, theinches, you celebrate the
millimeters, you celebrate thesmall steps towards what excites
you, especially for those of us, I think, if we're thinking
about big goals and big dreamsthat we're trying to take on and
I talked about this previouslyin my show, as well as in my
(08:36):
speeches and stuff about when we, as humans, would want to do,
be or have something that isbeyond our current state Right.
The next greatest version ofourselves, when we want to step
into that.
It's scary, it can beterrifying, it can be
overwhelming, it can bechallenging.
(08:58):
But I wonder if we don't takeenough time, as you say, to
really celebrate the small stepsin that direction.
Right, we don't have to leapthere.
We can take small steps towardsthose big fears, towards those
big challenges, and enjoy themoments when we realize we are
(09:19):
getting closer to becoming abetter version of ourselves.
Yes, that we are facing thesechallenges and we're taking them
on.
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I could absolutely agree,because this is the only way
actually how I do all of myjourneys.
Some people might think that,oh, for Carlos is nothing, 100
kilometers for him is nothing.
No, one kilometer, one hour,one meter is the same for me.
(09:50):
I'm a human being, so it's thesame for me.
So it's the same for youlistener, for you who watches
this.
It's the same.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
You also?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
have these 24 hours, so value this.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
It's true that's present that you have every
morning like, oh, you have this,yes, every time you wake up and
face another day yeah, yeah,with those challenges in front
of you, whether you're crossingan ocean or you're crossing the
office, if you're, if you'rebuilding a future for yourself
that includes bigger, brighter,amazing things, new challenges,
(10:26):
new opportunities, new skillsets, new character, values,
things that you want to buildfor yourself.
Raising that bar little bylittle, every single time you
approach it is a reward in andof itself, and approaching it,
you know, fearlessly and takingthat on is a reward, and you
should be recognized for that.
(10:48):
Um, I want, I have so manyquestions, carlos.
You know I have so manyquestions, but, okay, so take us
on the very first rowingadventure that you began.
And then from there, ladies andgentlemen, we're going to.
Carlos is going to take us onthe journey around the world,
(11:08):
but we're going to talk abouthow he got in the boat, what it
was like to begin this journeyof rowing, and then there's a
couple of really incrediblemoments.
If being on the side of amountain where lightning strikes
isn't enough for you, hold onto your seats because this is
going to get, hold on to yourboat and your oars because it's
(11:32):
going to get good, it's going toget better.
So take us into that firstmoment when you did you fall in
love with your first boat?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Absolutely Well, and I still haven't changed the boat
.
The boat has been on all of myocean crossings and so, yeah, I
went to pick up the boat.
Uh, from uk, I knew it thatthis boat is experienced, uh
like we joked with my uh friendwith whom we crossed the
(12:06):
atlantic that that is the mostuh experienced team member,
because the boat has alreadythree crossings under the belt
Equipment.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
ladies and gentlemen, good equipment and good tools.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Those are key to success.
And the backups, and the backupof the backups.
It's in the ocean rowing.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yes, well, and you know about backups, because my
computer died and I thank youfor your email and wishing me
well and good luck on thatjourney, because that was
terrifying for me to lose someof my work and potentially lose
some of my work.
Have backups, ladies andgentlemen.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
As Carlos says, have a backup for your backup,
because that could save you so,the first journey, the first
journey, uh, we well, thatjourney actually justified its
name in 150 percent, because wecall the expedition the slowest
way to rio.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So, uh, the slow road to rio.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, the slowest the slowest, uh, road to rio,
slowest way to rio.
So, um yeah, we startedactually not from latvia but
from namibia, because when I didgoogling I understood that when
you do some research youunderstand on which side of the
ocean you need to start to beable to actually cross.
(13:36):
And there are quite many thingsthat goes into this in that
equation, but yeah, so Nambia,where is that?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Namibia, Namibia.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It's just northwest from South Africa.
So just Okay, yeah so, justOkay, yeah so you're.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Let me just see if I got this right.
Your first rowing was to gofrom the north of Africa, south
of Africa, to Brazil, south ofAfrica, south of Africa yeah,
okay, sorry, that makes a worldof difference apparently.
Yeah, from Africa to Brazilyeah, okay, sorry, that makes a
world of difference apparently.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
From Africa to Brazil .
Yeah, exactly, Not a lake, nota small like, a little like the
Mediterranean, but the AtlanticOcean was your first try.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
So when we got the boat, when we got the boat and
you know I don't want to promotethis way of doing the things-
but that was how it worked forme.
We got the boat at the very endof the season, like when our
(14:52):
seas and lakes were alreadyfreezing over here in Latvia.
We repaired the boat and by thetime when we needed to leave it
was still very early spring, sowe couldn't test the boat.
So the only test we did withthis boat was 32 kilometers on
(15:15):
the river.
32 kilometers we did on theriver, and then the next.
The next was Atlantic Ocean,from Namibia to Brazil.
And please don't do.
Don't do it at home.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Don't do it, Ladies and gentlemen.
Do not try this at home.
Yeah, absolutely.
Serious professionals, orCarlos Barlas, who is our guest
on the Fearless Reb podcasttoday.
So when you did this, I wouldassume, did you have friends and
family that were like Carlos?
What are you thinking?
You're absolutely out of yourmind.
What in the world are you doing?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Well, I've been gifted by these amazing friends
who most of the times they arevery supportive and at this time
, yeah, of course, my mother andfather, they were afraid when,
unfortunately, you know, themedia were quicker than me and
(16:17):
the media posted our next, mynext journey, and my mother read
that from the website and thenshe, she, and then she called
and like what is going, likethey are saying that you are
going.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Why didn't you tell me yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Well, unfortunately.
But then I went back to myparents' place.
I explained them everything,what I have Googled and what
I've learned for the past.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
But I Googled it, mom , it's okay yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Google it yourself.
It's on the Google, so it'strue.
Oh my God.
No, it's true, right, of course, I mean of course we did our
training.
We did our training also basicsafety on the sea, how to use
all the equipment, how thenavigation is being done, etc.
(17:22):
Etc.
How to communicate with the bigships and everything.
So, step by step, slowing,making small steps towards the
goal.
And yeah, basically that's howwe prepared.
But then it's just that thisexample of we arriving in
Namibia with experience of 32kilometers of rowing on this
(17:48):
boat not counting the rowingmachines in the gym, but with
this boat, how many months ofpreparation actually, you know,
I would say that all my previouslife was a preparation for that
, because definitely, theselayers I've put them on already
(18:09):
years and years before.
But uh, like the preparation forthis project was a little bit
more than one year, so yeah, Ithink it's interesting that you
say you know.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
I like the idea that you're mentioning.
You know, I think for those ofus when we reach our stride,
when we reach that level ofsuccess in our lives where
things just fall into place,it's not because of luck, it is
because I think we were prepared, our lives prepared us to step
into this version of ourselves100%.
(18:45):
And as soon as you do, and assoon as you're in that place and
you're aligned with yourpurpose and you're aligned with
yourself 100%, it's not thatit's easy, but it feels right
and it feels good and because ofthat you succeed.
You know, you just step intothat success and I think that's
what our lives prepare us for.
If you know how to follow thatpath and you know how to take
(19:06):
those challenges on all theskill sets and things you've
been learning up to now, yourwhole life can prepare you for
this authentic self and I thinkthat's such an amazing thing.
If you can be on that path andin the flow of your life, then
it becomes not easy but itbecomes amazing and successful
(19:30):
and good, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah, michael, and just to underline one thing,
which adds to that what you saidright now, that where this path
is going, and actually that isthe thing what I said before I
was following this, thiscuriosity, where this excitement
(19:52):
, uh, of doing the things that Ireally kind of feel connected.
I haven't done ocean rowingexpedition, no, but I feel that
there is this excitement and Iwant to follow this excitement
and I want to see where it willlead me.
And now, seven years later,yeah, I rode across three oceans
(20:17):
, cycled across south america,and and when people are asking
me oh so you planned this, thatthis is going to be your work,
also because now you're workingas a speaker, no, I didn't plan
it.
I went because where theexcitement was after my journeys
(20:39):
, when I came back home, peoplewere inviting me.
Carlos, we want to hear yourstory.
Could you share your story?
And there, it started justslowly, step by step.
I started with schools, studentgroups, and then I went into
(21:00):
companies and now bigger andbigger companies are inviting
and they are inspired by thestory and they feel that there
is a value to their team to hearthis journey and I could say I
never planned that this is goingto be like my path.
I was following this excitementand I saw that, oh yes, I like
(21:22):
to.
I like to share my story.
As you can see from thispodcast, you don't need to pull
out with the tools.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
You don't have to ask me.
Yeah, it's just stories.
Speaking of which, I love toshare stories too, and
apparently the turkeys love toshare their stories.
So if you'll give me one second, I have an entire flock of
turkeys outside, oh no worriesthat are squawking and squeaking
.
I'm gonna just shut them down alittle bit and tell them to be
(21:51):
quiet.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
So just one second no worries, we'll be right back,
we'll be back.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
So that concludes part two of the interview with
the incredible Carlos Bartolissharing his adventures in the
world, and he's going to share,in part three, his first journey
in his boat rowing across theAtlantic Ocean.
You've got to check that out.
That's what's coming up in partthree.
(22:19):
All right, so thanks forlistening, remember, like and
subscribe.
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye,bye, bye.
Michael Davoo 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007,
008, 009, 0010, 0011, 0012, 0013, 0014, 0015, 0016, 0017, 0018,
0019, 0019, 0020, 0020, 0021,0021, 0021, 0022, 0023, 0024,
0025, 0025, 0026, 0027, 0028,0029, 0029, 0030, 0030, 0030,
0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,
0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,0030, 0030, 0030, 0030, 0030,
0030, 0030, 0030.
How does someone becomefearless?
(00:22):
Well, that's exactly what we'regoing to find out.
In every episode, we dive intothe lives of individuals who've
learned to turn fear into fuel,face some incredible challenges
and cultivate a fearless mindsetwhile navigating their fearless
road.
So join me for in-depthinterviews with some amazing
people where we investigate moredeeply the valleys on their
(00:43):
road to success, because thevalleys are where character is
built, foundations are laid andwhere the fearless are born.
Welcome to the Fearless RoadPodcast.
All right, and we are back withpart two of the episode, with
Carlos Bartalas exploring whatborders mean to him.
(01:04):
And yeah, I'll let him take itaway.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Enjoy.
Yeah, I was very inspired byone quote by Tur Heyerdahl.
He is an explorer from Norway.
He's an explorer from Norway,tur Heyerdahl.
(01:30):
He did an expedition calledKontiki and they made a
documentary and they got AcademyAwards in, I guess, 1960 as a
documentary movie.
When they traveled with a raftfrom Peru to French Polynesia
and there was a reporter whoasked him about borders and what
(01:54):
do you think about borders?
And he replied borders I havenever seen one, but I have heard
that they exist in minds ofsome people.
So, yeah, this quote stuck withme for the past, I think 15 to
18 years.
So for myself, there aredefinitely some borders in my
(02:21):
head where, let's say, there aresome activities that I cannot
imagine myself doing.
I just can't.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Okay, Like what I mean.
What would be, what would not,what would Carlos not be able to
imagine?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I wouldn't imagine.
You know, when I watch OlympicGames, winter Olympic Games,
there is a sport where theydiscipline, where they go down
with the skis by the very steepslope, like alone One guy with
big ski jumping, ski jumpingyeah.
I mean, they are insane.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
And then they fly, and then they fly, they fly like
little squirrels.
At the end, yeah, with thoselittle wow, they have these
little wings in there,absolutely that's.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
That's always fascinating for me when I watch
that.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I would love to do that, but for me it's.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I have some fear of like this uh feeling of flying,
like I don't mind to fly inairplanes or I once flew in a
helicopter in Somalia.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, I love helicopters.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
But like fly from some, like trampoline, I
wouldn't be able to do that, soI cannot imagine that.
So here is the very thin line,what I want to.
Um, I want to explain, likesomeone might say that, oh,
carlos, uh, you're afraid ofthat.
Oh, this is not your comfortzone, go out of your comfort
(03:56):
zone.
Yeah, someone might say that,but at the same time I am going
there.
But at the same time I am goingthere where my excitement is.
I follow my excitement.
So when I was following myexcitement, it turned me to
(04:17):
these adventures of human powerLike step by step.
I didn't start right awayrowing across the sea, no, Step
(04:37):
by step.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I had some adventures before I was telling the
concept of these layers.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
but I was following the excitement, I wasn't
following the fear.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
So, yeah it, when you know we're, we're told to lean
into what we fear, we're told tochase what we fear and face
what we fear, because on theother side of that, fear is is,
accomplishment, is achieve, youknow, is what things that we
achieve personally.
Integrity is built, character isbuilt right.
Um, it sounds to me like whatyou've been able to do is
(05:09):
discern a method for, forfiguring out what excites you,
even if it's a little scary,even if there's some fear
involved in overcoming it ortaking on that challenge.
You, you know the differencebetween something that you're
afraid of because it's bad orit's got too much risk or danger
(05:30):
, and something that you havefear around but that it excites
you.
Right, yeah, and there's alittle bit of excitement on the
other side.
Most of us are, and this isspeaking from an entrepreneurial
standpoint the things we fearare the things that have the
great, have great risk, but alsogreat reward.
We are, we care about them somuch that if they fail, that's
(05:54):
what scares us we don't want tolose at at, at at this challenge
in front of us as a business,starting my own business,
getting financing, building anempire, whatever it is starting
a new family going back toschool, things like that.
How have you used this skill tolean into what excites you and
(06:16):
make that determination?
You say there's that thin line.
But what does it feel like foryou when you determine what the
thin line is?
Is it something you could teachsomebody?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
By thin line I mean that someone from a side might
say, ah, if you're notchallenging yourself, if you're
not going outside of yourcomfort zone, ah, then you might
be like lazy person.
And just I'm not saying that,are you excited to be lazy?
(06:48):
No, you are ex.
Well, for me it's always meantsomething.
No, I want to do something.
So I, I want to be active, I, I, I.
There there is this spark withthe idea that, oh, let's cross
europe with roller skates, and Ijust cannot stop that idea.
(07:09):
It's just uh, it just suckswith me.
And if I'm not moving closer,doesn't matter what closer means
, like five centimeters closer.
Or I worked whole week sendingout proposals for sponsorship or
something like that.
It doesn't matter If you'regetting five centimeters closer,
(07:34):
one day closer to your goal.
That's an amazing feeling.
And so, for me, this thin lineis that, yeah, I feel fulfilled,
and I feel that I'm gettingcloser to this fulfillment,
which is this excitement of likewaking up in the morning and
(07:56):
asking am I doing the rightthing?
And there is no doubt.
Can you imagine that there's nodoubt.
You wake up in the morning andthere is no doubt that, yes,
this is what I want to do.
So yes.
Yeah, this, that the that is soimportant.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I like the idea that you, that I like the idea that
you you celebrate the, the, theinches, you celebrate the
millimeters, you celebrate thesmall steps towards what excites
you, especially for those of us, I think, if we're thinking
about big goals and big dreamsthat we're trying to take on and
I talked about this previouslyin my show, as well as in my
(08:36):
speeches and stuff about when we, as humans, would want to do,
be or have something that isbeyond our current state Right.
The next greatest version ofourselves, when we want to step
into that.
It's scary, it can beterrifying, it can be
overwhelming, it can bechallenging.
(08:58):
But I wonder if we don't takeenough time, as you say, to
really celebrate the small stepsin that direction.
Right, we don't have to leapthere.
We can take small steps towardsthose big fears, towards those
big challenges, and enjoy themoments when we realize we are
(09:19):
getting closer to becoming abetter version of ourselves.
Yes, that we are facing thesechallenges and we're taking them
on.
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I could absolutely agree,because this is the only way
actually how I do all of myjourneys.
Some people might think that,oh, for Carlos is nothing, 100
kilometers for him is nothing.
No, one kilometer, one hour,one meter is the same for me.
(09:50):
I'm a human being, so it's thesame for me.
So it's the same for youlistener, for you who watches
this.
It's the same.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
You also?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
have these 24 hours, so value this.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
It's true that's present that you have every
morning like, oh, you have this,yes, every time you wake up and
face another day yeah, yeah,with those challenges in front
of you, whether you're crossingan ocean or you're crossing the
office, if you're, if you'rebuilding a future for yourself
that includes bigger, brighter,amazing things, new challenges,
(10:26):
new opportunities, new skillsets, new character, values,
things that you want to buildfor yourself.
Raising that bar little bylittle, every single time you
approach it is a reward in andof itself, and approaching it,
you know, fearlessly and takingthat on is a reward, and you
should be recognized for that.
(10:48):
Um, I want, I have so manyquestions, carlos.
You know I have so manyquestions, but, okay, so take us
on the very first rowingadventure that you began.
And then from there, ladies andgentlemen, we're going to.
Carlos is going to take us onthe journey around the world,
(11:08):
but we're going to talk abouthow he got in the boat, what it
was like to begin this journeyof rowing, and then there's a
couple of really incrediblemoments.
If being on the side of amountain where lightning strikes
isn't enough for you, hold onto your seats because this is
going to get, hold on to yourboat and your oars because it's
(11:32):
going to get good, it's going toget better.
So take us into that firstmoment when you did you fall in
love with your first boat?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Absolutely Well, and I still haven't changed the boat
.
The boat has been on all of myocean crossings and so, yeah, I
went to pick up the boat.
Uh, from uk, I knew it thatthis boat is experienced, uh
like we joked with my uh friendwith whom we crossed the
(12:06):
atlantic that that is the mostuh experienced team member,
because the boat has alreadythree crossings under the belt
Equipment.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
ladies and gentlemen, good equipment and good tools.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Those are key to success.
And the backups, and the backupof the backups.
It's in the ocean rowing.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Yes, well, and you know about backups, because my
computer died and I thank youfor your email and wishing me
well and good luck on thatjourney, because that was
terrifying for me to lose someof my work and potentially lose
some of my work.
Have backups, ladies andgentlemen.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
As Carlos says, have a backup for your backup,
because that could save you so,the first journey, the first
journey, uh, we well, thatjourney actually justified its
name in 150 percent, because wecall the expedition the slowest
way to rio.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So, uh, the slow road to rio.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, the slowest the slowest, uh, road to rio,
slowest way to rio.
So, um yeah, we startedactually not from latvia but
from namibia, because when I didgoogling I understood that when
you do some research youunderstand on which side of the
ocean you need to start to beable to actually cross.
(13:36):
And there are quite many thingsthat goes into this in that
equation, but yeah, so Nambia,where is that?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Namibia, Namibia.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It's just northwest from South Africa.
So just Okay, yeah so, justOkay, yeah so you're.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Let me just see if I got this right.
Your first rowing was to gofrom the north of Africa, south
of Africa, to Brazil, south ofAfrica, south of Africa yeah,
okay, sorry, that makes a worldof difference apparently.
Yeah, from Africa to Brazilyeah, okay, sorry, that makes a
world of difference apparently.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
From Africa to Brazil .
Yeah, exactly, Not a lake, nota small like, a little like the
Mediterranean, but the AtlanticOcean was your first try.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
So when we got the boat, when we got the boat and
you know I don't want to promotethis way of doing the things-
but that was how it worked forme.
We got the boat at the very endof the season, like when our
(14:52):
seas and lakes were alreadyfreezing over here in Latvia.
We repaired the boat and by thetime when we needed to leave it
was still very early spring, sowe couldn't test the boat.
So the only test we did withthis boat was 32 kilometers on
(15:15):
the river.
32 kilometers we did on theriver, and then the next.
The next was Atlantic Ocean,from Namibia to Brazil.
And please don't do.
Don't do it at home.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Don't do it, Ladies and gentlemen.
Do not try this at home.
Yeah, absolutely.
Serious professionals, orCarlos Barlas, who is our guest
on the Fearless Reb podcasttoday.
So when you did this, I wouldassume, did you have friends and
family that were like Carlos?
What are you thinking?
You're absolutely out of yourmind.
What in the world are you doing?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Well, I've been gifted by these amazing friends
who most of the times they arevery supportive and at this time
, yeah, of course, my mother andfather, they were afraid when,
unfortunately, you know, themedia were quicker than me and
(16:17):
the media posted our next, mynext journey, and my mother read
that from the website and thenshe, she, and then she called
and like what is going, likethey are saying that you are
going.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Why didn't you tell me yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Well, unfortunately.
But then I went back to myparents' place.
I explained them everything,what I have Googled and what
I've learned for the past.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
But I Googled it, mom , it's okay yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Google it yourself.
It's on the Google, so it'strue.
Oh my God.
No, it's true, right, of course, I mean of course we did our
training.
We did our training also basicsafety on the sea, how to use
all the equipment, how thenavigation is being done, etc.
(17:22):
Etc.
How to communicate with the bigships and everything.
So, step by step, slowing,making small steps towards the
goal.
And yeah, basically that's howwe prepared.
But then it's just that thisexample of we arriving in
Namibia with experience of 32kilometers of rowing on this
(17:48):
boat not counting the rowingmachines in the gym, but with
this boat, how many months ofpreparation actually, you know,
I would say that all my previouslife was a preparation for that
, because definitely, theselayers I've put them on already
(18:09):
years and years before.
But uh, like the preparation forthis project was a little bit
more than one year, so yeah, Ithink it's interesting that you
say you know.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
I like the idea that you're mentioning.
You know, I think for those ofus when we reach our stride,
when we reach that level ofsuccess in our lives where
things just fall into place,it's not because of luck, it is
because I think we were prepared, our lives prepared us to step
into this version of ourselves100%.
(18:45):
And as soon as you do, and assoon as you're in that place and
you're aligned with yourpurpose and you're aligned with
yourself 100%, it's not thatit's easy, but it feels right
and it feels good and because ofthat you succeed.
You know, you just step intothat success and I think that's
what our lives prepare us for.
If you know how to follow thatpath and you know how to take
(19:06):
those challenges on all theskill sets and things you've
been learning up to now, yourwhole life can prepare you for
this authentic self and I thinkthat's such an amazing thing.
If you can be on that path andin the flow of your life, then
it becomes not easy but itbecomes amazing and successful
(19:30):
and good, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Yeah, michael, and just to underline one thing,
which adds to that what you saidright now, that where this path
is going, and actually that isthe thing what I said before I
was following this, thiscuriosity, where this excitement
(19:52):
, uh, of doing the things that Ireally kind of feel connected.
I haven't done ocean rowingexpedition, no, but I feel that
there is this excitement and Iwant to follow this excitement
and I want to see where it willlead me.
And now, seven years later,yeah, I rode across three oceans
(20:17):
, cycled across south america,and and when people are asking
me oh so you planned this, thatthis is going to be your work,
also because now you're workingas a speaker, no, I didn't plan
it.
I went because where theexcitement was after my journeys
(20:39):
, when I came back home, peoplewere inviting me.
Carlos, we want to hear yourstory.
Could you share your story?
And there, it started justslowly, step by step.
I started with schools, studentgroups, and then I went into
(21:00):
companies and now bigger andbigger companies are inviting
and they are inspired by thestory and they feel that there
is a value to their team to hearthis journey and I could say I
never planned that this is goingto be like my path.
I was following this excitementand I saw that, oh yes, I like
(21:22):
to.
I like to share my story.
As you can see from thispodcast, you don't need to pull
out with the tools.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
You don't have to ask me.
Yeah, it's just stories.
Speaking of which, I love toshare stories too, and
apparently the turkeys love toshare their stories.
So if you'll give me one second, I have an entire flock of
turkeys outside, oh no worriesthat are squawking and squeaking
.
I'm gonna just shut them down alittle bit and tell them to be
(21:51):
quiet.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
So just one second no worries, we'll be right back,
we'll be back.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
So that concludes part two of the interview with
the incredible Carlos Bartolissharing his adventures in the
world, and he's going to share,in part three, his first journey
in his boat rowing across theAtlantic Ocean.
You've got to check that out.
That's what's coming up in partthree.
(22:19):
All right, so thanks forlistening, remember, like and
subscribe.
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye,bye, bye.
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