Biotropic Labs' "who Are You?" Podcast

Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is not the only Jagger with superior musicianship, song and lyric writing skills. He has a brother named Chris and Chris is arguable every bit as good as his brother, albeit different, and he has been making music just about as long. You may not have heard of Chris but that’s simply because the limelight shines so bright on his rock and roll royalty brother. It can be tough to get noticed in that company. Were it not for that, you’d know Chris well, like you’re going to know him now. But I know him, and I’m proud and honored to say so. Chris is an enteric, bright and incredibly talented artist, music to be exact. But his talents don’t end there, and you’ll see why here. Chris clearly has strong opinions and was kind enough yet again to take the time to chat with me about all things music, and some things not music. He’s played in huge venues such as Midnight Special, American Bandstand; has toured the USA and the UK – the world for that matter, and plays live and tours

This is part 2 of 2 interviews with the Mighty Quinn, that is, Stephanie Quinn, obstacle course competitor, coach, mentor, and Social Media expert. We’re still waiting for word from my boys in the band that this song was actually about her. As I said earlier, until they tell me otherwise, we assume that it is, because this a very mighty Quinn! (Who else could the song be about? An Eskimo???) Today we move away from her career as an actress and music aficionado to her current incarnation, a strong, fit, beautiful and accessible woman making her mark in the obstacle course world. And if you happen to fall into one of her workouts, she’ll make her mark on you too. We’ll discuss her infusion into the Austin, Texas fitness scene, specifically the Obstacle Course racing disciplines, where Stephanie trains like a madman (woman), competes with fury, and somehow has fun in the process. One of my favorite discoveries on the web about Stephanie was finding a site that had her physical statistics as: Height, 5’7,”

Obstacle Course competitor and Social Media expert Stephanie Quinn, also the subject of the classic song by Manfred Mann, the “Mighty Quinn,” is with me today. Although I don’t have confirmation yet from my boys in the band that that song was actually about her, until they tell me otherwise, it is, because, well, this Quinn is indeed mighty. A rule bending and self described social alchemist” (listen to find out what that is), Stephanie is a strong, fit, beautiful and accessible woman making her mark in the world. And if you happen to fall into one of her workouts, she’ll make her mark on you too. Her story starts in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (I’ve been there – it's cold!). From acting and playing music at a young age to somewhat accidentally and unintentionally navigating her way to the New York acting scene; to the Austin, Texas fitness scene, specifically the Obstacle Course racing disciplines – Stephanie has a story that is varied, diverse and wildly different today than how it started. One of my fa

How does someone go from the highest levels of Rock and Roll to stock trading success? Come in, meet Sean Manning, world class rock and roll star to stock and commodities educator, and hear the fun. What an amazing man and story. Sean was a onetime lead guitarist for Quiet Riot (yes, that Quiet Riot), the American heavy metal band founded by the great guitarist Randy Rhoads and company; and today a leading educator for stock traders. As a not so side note, Sean, as guitarist for Quiet Riot, had to fill a line of quality shoes, including Randy Rhodes legendary shoes when he took on the positon of guitarist for that band. How good was Sean? Let’s chat about Rhodes for a second to get an idea. Rhodes was considered one of the great guitarists of his day. He was so good that when he auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne's band, Osbourne said that he interrupted Rhoads' warm-up for the audition to hire him. This is the legacy that Manning had on his shoulders when stepping in to Quiet Riot’s history and legendary guita

Megan Bruneau, M.A. RCC is a psychotherapist, wellness expert, blogger, and lover of sport and satire and an amazing thinker. She also comes from a family of very high level athletes, some of them Olympians. I loved learning about the mind from this totally open, honest and very candid woman who tells it like it is; we’re all not perfect and that’s way okay; and this even includes therapists themselves like Megan. You won’t find many as up front and as clear on “issues” as Megan is. Listen in, gain some insights and ask her questions. If you’re an athlete seeking to understand yourself better, listen….. If you’re struggling with an issue that needs to go away, listen….. If you’re dealing with denial or anger, listen in…. She’s direct to the point, candid, buy deeply empathetic – and eminently loveable. Among other things, she tells us of a destructive relationship dealing with perfectionism and disordered eating that caused her umpteenth over exercise-induced injury. Seeking solutions, she found (reluctan

Ken Michal is an Ultra Runner. I just learned something: Ultra Runners are crazy – unadulterated crazy – but a hell of a lot of fun; and in this podcast we meet this ultra runner, Ken Michal, who’ll tell us all about it. Look, I’m a sprinter by nature, so I can only wonder about this crazy distance ultra running stuff and what drives a person to want to do this sort of thing for this long. Ken’s going to tell us all about it and why. This is a man who just plain likes endurance training, and then running these super long events where he gets lost in his mind. Why? Because the races he runs have titles like “HURT,” “48-Hour Races,” and other insane names that say to a guy like me, “Run,” but run away from this – which I do! On many occasions, his races take him into the night, all nigh. Here he tells a great story of just that, a nighttime run that heads into the darkness of night, over difficult terrain, where he gets lost, and has to figure his way out of trouble. He described stumbling into an aid stati

American Ninja Warrior Brent Steffensen is a Texan. Does that explain his toughness? Out of San Antonio, Brent is a professional stuntman, trampoline artist, and obstacle course athlete in. He is simply an incredible beast. You’ll be amazed at much this guy does! He is a veteran mainstay on ANW, is a well-known name in the Ninja world with multiple trips to the National Finals notched in his belt. Growing up in his hometown of Sandy, Utah, he began training at a young age as a competitive gymnast, snowboarder, and diver. As Warrior, he is most notably known for becoming the first American to complete the Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage 3 of the Las Vegas Finals on Season 4 of American Ninja Warrior. But, he has also made a name for himself as a managing partner for Alpha Warrior and as athlete at Tempest Free running. I was so impressed with Brent’s background that I asked American Ninja Warrior start Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky to do another interview of one of his counterparts. In this podcast, Brent’

The Third Rail Is Always Hot – and so is Kevin Rail, today’s fitness dude in the Who Are You podcast. Every now and then you come across an electric and eclectic individual in the fitness industry that gets you excited and makes you want to do more to get healthy. In this case, that eye-electric individual is Kevin Rail. His health and fitness specialties include, among many other things, motivation, human behavior, public speaking, and of course, very serious fitness and nutrition applications. This eclectic and deeply passionate man pulls no punches in this interview. Be prepared to hear strong opinions and if you’re not buckled up, do so now! He’s also a veritable modern day Renaissance man. Here’s proof: he’s also an actor (The Legend of Awesomest Maximus), musician (actually plays the Lute in the movie just mentioned); and author. He’s penned an paperback and eBook called Act of Nutrition; it’s chock full of healthy, organic recipes. Kevin is all about helping people but he doesn’t beat around the bu

I enjoyed interviewing Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky of American Ninja Warrior fame so much I asked him to do a guest podcast for me. He agreed and brought us a bolt of lightening in a bottle, the energetic and delightfully over the top Natalie Duran, also of American Ninja Warrior fame. Natalie is an amazing woman, a role model for all because she can do anything! During this podcast you will learn why Natalie is so special. She’s a star in many ways. Let’s count just a few of them: • She’s a YouTube star with over 100,000 followers; • An American Ninja Warrior Star; • A studess star rock climber; • Was on Esquire Network’s Team Ninja Warrior; • A UC Riverside alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and… • She’s a clinical research assistant at UCLA. It seems Natalie does it all! She also is an avid rock climber, fitness guru, and an expert at sneaking into places you shouldn’t (you’ll see what we’re talking about in the podcast)! Her fans around the country and around world love her and I

Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is not the only Jagger with superior musicianship, song and lyric writing skills. He has a brother named Chris and Chris is arguable every bit as good as his brother, albeit different, and he has been making music just about as long. He’s played in huge venues such as Midnight Special, American Bandstand; has toured the USA and the UK – the world for that matter, and plays live and tours still today. “Chris’s career, unlike his brother has spanned many fields in the artistic spectrum, from clothes design and theatre to journalism. He has appeared in repertory at The Citizen’s Theatre in Glasgow (his first play there was with one Pierce Brosnan).” (http://www.chrisjaggeronline.com/bio.html) As much as I love his music, his stories are just plain amazing too. A story he tells of Jimi Hendrix’s clothing really surprised me. I’m struggling to determine which I like better, his music or his life story. But no matter how you choose, you cannot lose. Chris is alert, bright, an

Here it is! This is part 3 of a 3 part series with Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky is a veteran TV star of the hit TV show, American Ninja Warrior (ANW). But don't fret!!! He'll be back. In fact, we have a surprise interview for you next week where he'll interview another extraordinary ANW athlete, one of the toughest and "funnest" ones in the game. Joe is a multi sport athlete who graduated to the world famous American Ninja Warrior obstacle reality show! He’s now a bona fide star and a constant threat to the show’s competitors. Joe is a man who never, ever gives up and constantly shows what it takes to get to the top – with Mt. Midoriyama being the next “top” he wants to tackle. Enjoy this 3rd series of our interview, Joe’s continued story and his views on competition, success and his views on what it takes to be a success in his endeavors are all here. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-who-are-you-podcast/support

This is part 2 of a 3 part series with Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky is a veteran TV star of the hit TV show, American Ninja Warrior (ANW). Recalling parts of our first interview, Joe is a multi sport athlete, played and excelled at all of them but found his groove in parkour. He took his parkour game to the next level, graduating to the world famous American Ninja Warrior obstacle reality show! He’s now a bona fide star and a constant threat to the show’s competitors. Joe is a man who never, ever gives up and constantly shows what it takes to get to the top – with Mt. Midoriyama being the next “top” he wants to tackle. Listen to this 2nd series of our interview, Joe’s continued story and his views on competition, success and his views on what it takes to be a success in his endeavors. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-who-are-you-podcast/support

Dennis Dombrow is an MMA fighter with an interesting background. He achieved his black belt in taekwondo at 9 years of age and then found his way into the BMX arena. After riding high and hanging with heavyweights in that scene, somehow BMX led him MMA. As a fighter, in arguably the world’s toughest profession, he’s successfully worked his way up the MMA ladder where each rung actually punches back. With roots in both Austin, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, Dennis now fights out of Chicago. He’s a combination of a laid back Texan with the internal fortitude and toughness that seems to part of the natural “stuff” that comes with a Chicago based fighter. Here we discuss MMA in general, his fights, wins, losses, and upcoming fights with very tough opponents. His upcoming fight against Cory Galloway can be seen live streamed on http://www.gfl.tv/fighter/gofightlive/Dennis_Dombrow/14198. Watch free, and live, over the net with this link. When the above fight is over, there will be more to come. So keep Dennis o

This is part 1 of 3 podcast episodes with Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky, star of American Ninja Warrior. Joe “The Weatherman” Moravsky is a veteran soldier of the hit TV show, American Ninja Warrior (ANW). A veritable TV star, as an ANW contestant, his name is respected & feared. He’s now the stuff of legend; and yes, he’s quite literally a weatherman for his local TV station in Sherman, CT! His motto “Never, never, never give up” is the root of his constant inspiration. The source of that quote? The larger than life Winston Churchill! ‘Nuff said on that! Joe never gives up, always stays the course, no matter the weather! (By the way, did you know he can sing? I mean, he can really sing. You’ll hear that too.) A multi sport athlete, Joe played and excelled at them all but found his groove in parkour and the now world famous American Ninja Warrior obstacle course where he definitely not only “showed up.” Joe is on his way to Mt. midoriyama. And on that road, Joe creates as many extra bumps, hurdles, ob

Craig Dinkel is the founder of BioTropicLabs.com. He is a former world class sprint freestyle and butterfly swimmer having achieved multiple Olympics Trial and NCAAs. He currently holds multiple national records and is a 23 time All American. He was the fastest inductee to his college’s Sports Hall of Fame. Here he is interviewed by fitness Guru, Ben Greenfield. Craig competed against, and was side by side with, many of the world’s great’s swimmers including Rowdy Gains (Olympian), Bruce Stahl (World Record Holder and Teammate), Bruce Furniss (Olympian and Teammate) and others. He was coached by two of the greatest coaches of all time, legendary USC and 2 time Olympic coach Peter Daland, and former Michigan Wolverine Swimming Coach and also 2 time Olympic coach, John Urbanchek. Both coaches are International Hall of Fame inductees. Here they discuss Craig’s athletic background and about, how he “fell” into competitive swimming, his company, the custom sports supplement formulations he used (and still uses)

Sylvester Rivers was born and raised in the heart of America’s music industry, Motown. A keyboardist extraordinaire, he has more music credits than there are numbers in the numbering system, and that includes many on the Motown label itself. Look at the following link to see an endless list of giants he’s worked with. (http://www.sylvesterrivers.com/Biography.html.) Here is a sample of those he’s played or worked with include superstars such as Ray Parker Jr. (Ghostbusters, et al.), music director for Soul to Soul (Back to life….), arranged for Nancy Wilson; and Sly scored his first Number 1 R&B and Top Twenty Pop hit with Candi Staton’s, “Young Hearts Run Free.” The list goes on and on. Sly he received his first composer’s credit for a gold record, the title cut of the Michael Henderson album, “In the Night-Time,” the music you’ll hear here on this podcast’s opening sounds. Along with being a bona fide music aficionado – his newest CD is arriving in early 2017 (buy it!!!) – Sly is a smart, energetic a

Doug Marks is a well known and respected music attorney for the famous start up record company, Epitaph Records. Epitaph has represented a plethora of music giants such as Bad Religion (guitarist Brett Gurewitz started the label), Weezer, Social Distortion, The Matches, just to name a few. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitaph_Records.) Because Epitaph is such a huge success story in the music industry and its beginnings so humble, the folks I know in the record business referred to Epitaph’s start up success as “The new kids on the block.” In other words, they really made a huge impact when they appeared on the music scene, had a lot of heads turn their way out of respect when they arrived. In this podcast, Doug and I share some time chatting about Epitaph, their amazing success story, some of the bands with the label as well as an item or two a bit off the charts. Take a listen. It’s a fun one…. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-who-are-you-podcast/support

My good friend Prince Mumba, a two time 800 meter Track & Field Olympian has a survival-to-success story like no other I know of. For me, as a child with 6 brothers, when dinner came I was always fencing with my ravenous siblings for yet another slice of pizza before they were all gone. We were a hungry bunch competing for food. Prince, at 8 years old, was fighting for his life. Starving, thrown out of his home and abandoned by his family in the dirt streets Africa – he somehow overcame these monstrous hurdles to make it to the highest level of athletic competition, the Olympics – not once, but twice! Along his journey, he’s collected so many records, Olympic Trials, World competitions, honors and other awards that they alone would take a book all by itself to document. Olympian, Hall of Famer, National Record Holder, Coach and Humanitarian, Prince Mumba epitomizes what it means to overcome seemingly impenetrable obstacles to triumph from disaster. Here he gives both lessons on both philosophical and