Paul Watkins knows a thing or two about doing difficult things. In addition to being an accomplished entrepreneur and mountaineer, he won the 380-mile “6633 Arctic Ultra” race in the Canadian arctic in 2019, and achieved second place in the 2023 Laplandian Arctic Ultra—which was another 300+ mile race. And by the time this episode airs, he’ll have competed in a desert ultra in Namibia too. But this episode was a lot more than just a rundown of Paul’s accomplishments. A discussion into his path towards that first arctic ultra facilitated a much deeper discussion into perspective, mindset, the human spirit, and philosophy—why humans have pushed themselves dating back to our furthest ancestors, how missing opportunities to push ourselves deprives us of opportunity, and what implications those missed opportunities—both in the physical and mental realms—might carry for our species. And as serious as it was at times, there were plenty of laughs and lighter topics too. So strap in for the ride. You can find Paul in the following places: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.rogue.scholar/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-watkins-92125499/ website: paulwatkins.com.au Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
Dr. Barbara Rothbaum(Ph.D) has spent the past four decades researching anxiety disorders, and specifically Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Her career is marked by innovation and dissemination of leading edge treatments, including both the invention of using virtual reality(VR) in exposure therapy, and driving it’s use in prolonged exposure therapy programs for veterans. To top things off, she and her team are now running a groundbreaking study using MDMA and exposure therapy to treat veterans with PTSD, with plans to run follow-on studies in the future. Today, she’s the Director of the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, which she created to provide intensive PTSD treatment to all veterans whilst removing as many barriers as possible—it’s entirely free to anyone who served, regardless of discharge status, so long as they’re struggling with one of the conditions the program treats. She’s also a professor and Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Research at the Emory School of Medicine in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Department, and Director of the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program, in addition to an extensive list of other titles, credits, and achievements associated with her name. You can find the discussed services here: emoryhealthcare.org/veterans Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
Adam Cheyer is a visionary software engineer, AI expert, and entrepreneur behind many of the technologies used by most of us today. In addition to sharing his trajectory, Adam he had some very nuanced things to say on machine learning, large language models, and where “AI” is headed—including his prediction of the next iteration of Cheyer’s Conjecture coming in 2035. He and his team developed the world’s first digital assistant, Siri, which was acquired by Apple in 2010, and was the basis for all that came after: Alexa, Cortana, Bixby, and any others you can think of. In fact, another AI company he started (Vib Labs) became a backbone in Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant in more recent years, before his next company, GamePlanner.AI was acquired by Airbnb. But he also created the world’s first social network for social change: Change.org, amongst other companies, like the company formerly known as Genetic Finance. Along his trajectory, he’s worked as a researcher at the Standford Research Institute(SRI) on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) COLA project. He’s headed massive teams at Airbnb, Samsung, and even worked alongside Steve Jobs whilst leading efforts at Apple. Follow Adam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcheyer/ Website: http://adam.cheyer.com/site/home Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
Ben Patton is the grandson of General George Patton—the famed WWI and WWII General—and son of Major General George Patton IV, a man whose service record is as broad as his own father’s was. But Ben went a different path; he worked across various multimedia industries, co-authored a book, and founded the Patton Veterans Project, where he’s now helping American veterans process their own toughest times through filmmaking. And it’s having incredible outcomes—Ben and his team have conducted studies with the VA and found that veterans with PTSD who’ve completed a workshop with the Patton Veterans Project are much more likely to seek formal mental health treatment at the VA, and Ben shared it’s even saved one veteran’s life. But we dove into much more than just Ben’s nonprofit, we discussed the role of AI/LLMs in the classroom and as a parent, what it was like growing up, Ben’s year at a nunnery, writing, suicide, and everything in between. Connect with Ben LinkedIn: https://www.google.com/search?q=ben+patton+linked+in&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1069US1069&oq=ben+patton+linked+in&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQABgNGIAEMgcIAhAAGO8FMgoIAxAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBBAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBRAAGIAEGKIE0gEIMjQwMmowajSoAgCwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Website: https://pattonvets.org/ Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
Dr. Holly Wood is a sex therapist who works with individuals and couples in California. She And Zach got into some spicy territory, covering everything from sex robots, AI companions, and non-monogamous relationships, to sex addiction, navigating infidelity, and helping victims of sexual violence reach a place where they can enjoy being intimate with a partner again. You can find Holly in the following places: Website: www.thehollywoodsexologist.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thehollywoodsexologist Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
Tim “F-ing” Barber rose from racing go-carts as a kid, all the way to racing cars at the professional level. Along the way he’s owned multiple businesses, recorded on albums as a drummer, and is now running TFB Performance, where he trains the next generation of racers, builds racecars, and handles every aspect of vehicle and race prep/support for his clients. You can find Tim and his team at TFBPerformance.com Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
Dr. Philip Yanos grew up on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital in New York, and went on to become a world-renowned clinical psychologist known for his work on serious mental illness and stigma surrounding serious mental illness. He’s a professor and Director of Clinical Training for the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at John Jay College, and an author. We discussed his new book about his experiences growing up on the grounds of the aforementioned facility, his work and development of “Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy”, and Phil’s surprising love of punk music—he plays in multiple bands! You can find Dr. Yanos and his work in the following places: Book discussed today: Exiles in New York City: Warehousing the Marginalized on Ward's Island Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/exilesinthecity NECT website: http://www.nectglobal.org Previous Book: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/written-off/C04D6187C09919B6964BAF77BA27534A Scream Therapy: https://screamtherapyhq.com/ Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm. #52 Dr. Philip Yanos: Growing up on psychiatric hospital grounds to treating serious mental illnesss
Tom Lancaster has spent his life adventuring around the world, making films, and even setting a world record. But this episode focused on just about everything other than that; Zach and Tom went back-and-forth on philosophical meanderings about both the old and modern ways of the world, and what they might implicate on a larger scale. And it all began with an inquiry into Tom’s views on modern rites of passage and what he calls the “maturity crisis”. Tom is now the Founder of Altitude Evolution, where he and his team merge wilderness experiences with high-impact coaching for entrepreneurs, executives, and creators. You can find Tom and his efforts at AltitudeEvolution.com. Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.
After serving 10 years in the Army, including two combat deployments, Deke Letson found healing through adventure and the Marcus Institute for Brean Health. And those combined experiences led him to found Veteran’s Exploration Therapy, where he is the Executive Director, and leads other veterans and their families through explorative experiences to help them grow, heal, find purpose, and embed themselves into a community. You can find Deke and Veteran’s Exploration Therapy at VetXTherapy.org. Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm. #52 Dr. Philip Yanos: Growing up on psychiatric hospital grounds to treating serious mental illnesss
Sal Gonzalez is a professional musician, Marine Corps veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and professional speaker with the Wounded Warrior Project®. His new album, “Sal Gonzalez” will be released November 10, 2025(links below). You can find Sal in the following places: Website: peglegsongs.com Social media: @SalGMusic Zach’s book is on the way it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website. Follow And Support The Show Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends. Website: https://zachtidwell.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388 Instagram: @ZachCTidwell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GIB_Pod #GIB #GoingInBlind Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.