The Genuinely Interested Podcast Roy Ben-Tzvi

Martin Gregus moved from Slovakia to Canada back in 2004, little did he imagine what the future might hold for him. Martin recently won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year award from the Natural History Museum for his now-viral photo series chronicling the summer lives of polar bears on the western coast of Hudson Bay. The first time I saw those images on Instagram, I had a hard time believing they were real, I've just never seen polar bears shot in such a way or in such a setting before. His photos really show the bears in an intimate way, as if giving you a peek into their personal lives & personality. Martin has won multiple awards and has had his images published in many publications including the coveted National Geographic. In order to get these amazing photos Martin had to spend 33 days in the Canadian Arctic, getting close to the bears and making sure they are comfortable with his presence so that he can document their incredible lives.



Martin and I discussed:




Where his love of photography stems from
How one prepares for such an adventure in the Canadian Arctic
The patience needed in order to be a wildlife photographer
The Canadian government’s lack of environmental accountability
How he got comfortable being so close to Polar Bears
Why he feels that the indigenous community has been misrepresented
Learning from Wildlife
His insane growth on social media
The logistical undertaking of a 33-day Arctic expedition



And much much more...

Martin Gregus

My Take: That old quote "find what you love and let it kill you" while extreme has kernels of truth in it. If you believe in what you're doing, all the sacrifices made in the name of achieving that goal are worth it, and all the hardships & hurdles are but the price you must pay before you arrive at your destination.

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Oren Schauble is a product & brand advisor to B2C brands, but also a content-creating machine!

He was the President of the public CPG company, Unrivaled Brands. Prior to that, he worked as a product development and marketing executive specializing in regulated and luxury products. In addition, he recently launched Hyper, he runs a newsletter and community for building physical products in our modern world and is part of the Builders Build Podcast. In addition to all that he regularly puts out video content breaking down trends, products, brands, and more in a fun, digestible fashion that is always entertaining to watch (and learn from).



To say he is a busy guy would be an understatement!



Oren and I discussed:




The importance of creating a personal brand
Why you don't need to reinvent the wheel in order to start a company
Content creation
Breaks down product development
The cannabis business
Lifestyle businesses
Finding your niche
How to find the right platform for your brand
How to "beat" the algorithm



And so much more...

Oren Schauble



My Take: If you intend to grow on the internet, regardless of whether it is your own brand or a company, it pays dividends to invest in promoting yourself in the space in which you reside. Being part of a community, regularly sharing information and insights, and helping, but also learning is a great way for you to grow and cultivate the niche that you are actively involved in. Remember, sprint, not marathon, don't be deflated if things don't "blow up" overnight, the long game is the right game to play.

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Karoliina is a Muay Thai fighter, turned MMA fighter, originally from Estonia. She currently trains in Thailand full-time and is dedicated to becoming the best MMA fighter she can be - with her sights set on the world's most prominent MMA organization - The UFC. Although she is still young, her clear vision for her future and determination to accomplish her goals are awe-inspiring. Karoliina wants to represent Estonia on the world stage and with an impressive fight record so far, she is on her way to doing so. 

Karoliina and I discussed:


Her accident, which in turn led to her pursuing Muay Thai
Her future ambitions in the UFC
Living & training in Thailand
Representing Estonia on the world stage
The importance of social media as a fighter
Handling the pressures of being a fighter
How she grew her online presence
The female fighters who inspired her
The community she found in Thailand

And much more...

Karoliina Arm

My Take: It's not easy to have a vision for yourself, especially at a young age. Most people go through life just working and trying to figure it out as they go, never really finding their 'true purpose'. If you are lucky enough to find something that you want to dedicate your life to which can not only fulfill your soul but your pockets as well, you have to go for it!

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Frankie is a Denver-based adventure/outdoors and travel photographer. His deep passion and love for nature clearly stand out when you look at his photos. It’s always fun for me to have a conversation with someone who shares my love for the outdoors. Frankie is the definition of someone who embodies their ethos and follows a life that is commensurate with the work that he loves. He moved to Colorado from Ohio in order to pursue his passion for not only the mountains but also photography. 

Frankie and I discuss:


The path forward for any beginner photographer 
How to grow your brand on Instagram
How he got started with photography 
Working with big brands
Seeing the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
Being present whilst outdoors
Being safe while backpacking
Encounters with wild animals

And so much more...

Frankie Spontelli

My Take: You will never go wrong pursuing something you love doing, even if you don't succeed initially, keep at it. Its never easy but it is rewarding, especially when you finally achieve the outcome you desire. 

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Thibault Louis-Lucas, known as Tibo, is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Tweet Hunter and Taplio. However, Tibo's entrepreneurial journey was far from an overnight success. Prior to Tweet Hunter, he attempted to launch & scale two startups with little success. 

His new approach was to launch 11 products, 1 every week or two, and see what sticks, i.e. what gets the most traction with users. 

Once they figured out what worked, then the real work started.

Tibo and I discussed:


How he recently sold his company and for how much
His 250k loan from the French government 
His "failed" startups
The entrepreneurial scene in France
Why Twitter was crucial to their success
What were some of the other products they shipped
The importance of "personal branding" alongside building a company
The rise of digital nomads & solopreneurs
Why giving away a piece of the company was the best move they made
The rise of AI

And so much more...

TIBO

My Take: Failure isn't final, and success isn’t eternal. The key is to always progress, move forward and try new things. With the number of new tools available to entrepreneurs and online creators, it's never been easier to build. With that said, the standards by consumers for products have never been higher. The only way to ensure success is to try, try, & try again until something eventually sticks.

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Andrew Hamilton & Andrea Sansone are a couple who just happen to be two amazing endurance athletes with pretty incredible achievements. Andrew is not only the holder of the FKT (fastest known record) of climbing all of Colorado's 14ers in 9 hours and 21 hours but he is also the holder of the state’s 100 highest summits in one relentless push over 22 days, 16 hours, and 54 minutes. Andrea is the first person ever, man or woman, to climb 12 fourteeners in 24 hours which is only one of many records she owns. 

Together they are a power endurance couple breaking records all across the country and enjoying the mountains along the way.  

We Discussed: 


His records on Colorado’s 14ers 
Future expeditions 
The logistics involved in achieving such feats 
The mental challenges  
The rules you need to follow in order to break these records 
How Andrew & Andrea work as a team to support one another 
Overcoming physical pain 

Andrew Hamilton & Andrea Sansone

And much more... 

My Take: There's nothing better than the mountains, they are this massive playground that is there for everyone to enjoy. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where the mountains are accessible to you, take as much advantage of that privilege as you can.  

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