Issue 01 | Face the Current by Face the Current

FtC Issue 1

2016 NOVEMBER

the SECRET TO HEALTH & LONGEVITY with Dr. Pompa

KOMODO

Islands of Awe

TICKLED

THE MOVIE SENSATION

WORLD FAMILY

For the love of life

Reaching the

Olympics

I AM SIRI

N JEVinTceMReA ffet

Susan Bennett

breaking the human flight barriers ...inspiring positive change in the world

www.facethecurrent.com

EDITORIAL

editorial

FtC

fAce the current issue 01 · November 2016

Let’s Get Social... facethecurrent @facethecurrent

In the Beginning Face the Current was created with the intention to inspire positive change in the world and enhance lives by encouraging one another to relentlessly discover, explore, question and learn from current and emerging information and perspectives. Driven by a deeprooted love of learning, creative minds and a great appreciation for connection with other individuals who are passionate about what they do, Face the Current has quickly developed into a growing team and global community of incredible people who believe in living life to the fullest and discovering their true potential.

“I find it inspiring to connect with others who are following their flow, pursuing and exploring their passions. Their energy is vibrant & contagious and there is often a lot of incredible things to learn from their life experience and the perspectives they have gained.” Sasha Frate, Founder and Co-Editor in-Chief Sasha Frate editor in chief

sashafrate sasha@facethecurrent.com

FACE the CURRENT MAGAZINE

@facethecurrent www.facethecurrent.com For advertisement and sponsor inquiries, or to request our media kit: info@facethecurrent.com For writer and collaborator inquiries please contact: Founder & Co-Editor in Chief: sasha@facethecurrent.com Co-Editor in Chief: naia@facethecurrent.com All Rights Reserved DISCLAIMER The information provided on this magazine is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider.

FTC OVERVIEW Face the Current Magazine is a life, thought, goal and experience - enhancing resource of stimulating inspiration and empowerment. We provide access to expert advice, stories, experiences and knowledge from the world’s leading experts on Health & Wellbeing, Travel & Leisure, Sports & Fitness, Culture & the Arts and Business. We are developing an enriching community for perspective seekers who desire a fit, healthy and positive lifestyle. FtC is packed with inspiring & motivating features on outstanding people, places and products. It’s a springboard to attaining greater focus, fulfilment & potential – connecting people to what matters! FtC Magazine links individuals and businesses alike with pro-active networks, associations, platforms, information, opportunities and ideas; to facilitate and encourage development and success from personal goals to business tactics. FtC makes multi-faceted learning and development accessible, engaging and beneficial. We provide a valuable platform for the exponential interest and movement towards a healthier lifestyle. We provide truth, exploration, solutions and higher perspectives for positive change seekers who desire a fulfilling and optimized lifestyle. We champion those who are making positive change and seek sponsorship for upcoming athletes, life-changing projects etc. FtC - Fuel for an inspired life. Discover your potential.

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issue 01 · November 2016

the

t e a m 4

FACE the CURRENT MAGAZINE

fAce the current

Sasha Frate

Naia Reid

Founder and Co-Editor in Chief

Co-Editor in Chief

Founded by Sasha Frate, Face the Current was created as a platform for sharing knowledge, expertise, and inspiration from individuals around the globe who are pursuing and living their passions. Sasha has studied a broad range of academic subjects, including Holistic Health, Exercise Science, Herbal Studies, Linguistics, Crosscultural Perspectives, and Science & Society. She has traveled the globe competing and coaching professionally in a variety of sports, including soccer, boxing, and personal training, and is an avid outdoors adventurer who aims to balance her time connecting with nature. Sasha received her MA in Liberal Arts, BA in Linguistics, and fluently speaks English, Spanish, and Russian.

was formerly the Editor of BGlife Magazine, Marbella; a popular, high-end, glossy, monthly lifestyle publication. She is a prolific creative writer, having spent many years working as a Copywriter for a Google-Affiliated website design company, before writing, reporting and photographing for Andalucia’s largest English newspaper conglomerate Euro Weekly News and she now brings her creative talent and passion to FtC Magazine. When not sleuthing around for inspiring international stories, networks and characters or adding to her own eclectic collection of published articles, she balances life with the tranquility of her home in the Mediterranean mountains, training Andalusian horses and creative projects in photography, graphic art and sculpture.

Sema Garay

Jamie Young

Sema is the graphic designer behind the development of the image and magazine of Face the Current. He has developed a multitude of projects, including his previous job leading the Creative Department of BG Life Magazine, where he worked alongside Naia Reid. Sema is passionate about all kinds of artistic expressions, especially music and architecture. sema@facethecurrent.com

Jamie is a Manchester based designer and musician with a passion for creative arts and social collaboration. Entirely self taught he has recently designed two award-winning websites.

Creative Director

Web Design

November´s CREW David Asarnow

Dr. James Bentz

Michael Malone

Jesse Weinberg

is the founder of Business Oxygen, and How To Monetize business marketing and monetization agencies. He is an authority in monetizing your business. David’s clients have added millions of dollars to their bottom line after implementing his business monetization strategies. David has trained thousands of business professionals worldwide, including those for clients like Tony Robbins and Chet Holmes Business Breakthroughs International. www.BusinessOxygen.net www.HowToMonetize.net

D.PSc. is a Chiropractor, Speaker, Health Coach & Educator, Trainer & Leading Practitioner in Neurological Integration System (NIS), which is a method of restoring communication between the brain and body based on the principle that the brain monitors every cell in the body. www.fidalgoislandhealthcenter.com

is an American Comedian, Actor, Director, & Podcaster. His popular comedy podcast “Punched Up” explores the stories behind the comedians you love. Michael writes on “Great Comedians. Great Stories. Told Differently.” www.malonecomedy.com @malonecomedy

is Founder of Global Yodel Media Group, a content, influencer and social marketing agency, Global Yodel a digital community that explores the globe from a local perspective and Kindness & Co dedicated to starting a movement of kindness. You can visit Jesse at: www.globalyodelmediagroup.com T: @stuffJWsays

Ingo Snorrason

is a professional Athletic Developer, Personal Trainer, Seminar Speaker, NLP Specialist and a Counselor for various professional athletes and teams. He travels Europe working with people in sports ranging from handball and football to horse riders, martial artists and golfers. Email: ingo@ingo.is

David Ryan

David is a celebrity trainer in Los Angeles, California and creator of LIFTSTRONG Max Intensity Interval Training. You can get your own personalized HIIT program at www. DavidRyanFitness.com Instagram: @DavidRyanFitness

Antoine Adams

aka “Fastest Producer” is an Olympian, World Class Runner sponsored by Adidas, and Music Producer. Personal Bests 60m (6.58) 100m (10.01) and 200m (20.08) www.downloadabeat.com FB: @fastestproducer

Oliver Jarvis

Eamon Sylvester

Beachgrooves Radio

is the Online Editor and In-house writer for Scuba Diver Magazines. Out of the office, Oliver enjoys travelling Asia; writing, photographing and, after both producing and directing his own documentary, now enjoys videoing his experiences. Once a lifestyle writer for The Gentleman’s Journal, and presenter for Radio Brunel, Oliver decided to change his ‘game’ and cover topics that actually matter. oliverwjarvis.com Instagram: @oliverwjarvis

is a former CrossFit coach at CrossFit RXD in Anaheim, California since 2010. He holds certifications in CrossFit Level 1, Endurance, Rowing and Football. He’s also a staff member at Power Monkey Fitness Camp staff and entertainment contractor for The CrossFit Games, Reebok and Progenex. Instagram: @djsly1 FB: @esylvester

BeachGrooves is spain’s #1 Live Streaming Deep House DJ Station, reaching the globe from la Costa del Sol. www.beachgrooves.com

Sabrina Hutchinson

is CEO of Defiant Public Relations, an entertainment PR firm headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. With over 15 years of PR, marketing and advertising experience, Hutchinson has worked closely with celebrity talent, creatives and top corporate clients and has extensive experience in entertainment and digital marketing, delivering smart communication strategies, passion, creativity and integrity to the clients she serves. www.DefiantPR.com T: @DefiantPR

www.facethecurrent.com

CONTENT issue 01 · november 2016

COVER stories JETMAN VINCE REFFET 68 Breaking The Human Flight Barriers

52 KOMODO Islands of Awe

THE SECRET TO HEALTH & LONGEVITY Dr. Pompa

TICKLED 10

The Movie Sensation

REACHING THE OLYMPICS 78 I AM SIRI

WORLD FAMILY For The Love Of Life

114

FACE the CURRENT MAGAZINE

Susan Bennett

102

NOVEMBER CONTENT e

r ltu

ic us

l ve e a tr isur e &l s rt s o sp nes it &f & th g l n a he lbei l we ss

e sin

Tickled The Movie

Walking The Talk

Awakening Consciousness

The Beauty Of A Simple Life

Getting Emotional With Emojis

Word Play

Madeline Spooner “Had To Let It Go”

Kevin Martin Of Candlebox “Getting Lost In Airports

S-Man “The House Master”

Chus & Ceballos “Iberican Brotherhood”

Komodo - Islands Of Awe

The Unique Retreat

Amazing Dinning Experiences

11 Of The Most Wonderful Beaches

Jetman - Vince Reffet

If At First You Dont Succeed

3 Best Practices To Get The Most From Your Fitness Workouts

Body & Fitness Mind With Ingo

86 Liftstrong 92

The True Path To Health And Longevity

Medicinal Herbs To Have On Hand For The Cold And Flu Season

102

I Am Siri

106

It’s Time To Monetize Your Business

110

5 Ways Living Wall And Green Roof Systems Are Changing Your World

114

World Family Ibiza

118

Influencer Marketing Done Right (And Wrong)

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FtC fAce the current

culture 10 16 20 26 32 36

TICKLED THE MOVIE WALKING THE TALK AWAKENING CONSCIOUSNESS the beauty of a simple life getting emotional with emojis word play

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FtC culture

TICKLED by Michael Malone & Sasha Frate

An innocent investigation into the little known and somewhat underworld sport of “Competitive Endurance Tickling”, undertaken by New Zealander Journalist and Film Director David Farrier - well known for his journalistic reporting of many weird and wonderful oddities around the globe- suddenly takes a series of ever deepening and darkening unexpected turns and becomes a shocking yet engrossing conspiracy thriller. A secretive, deep-pocketed sponsor, with a penchant for power and humiliation, is determined to shut down the investigation and will stop at nothing to keep the dark side of their personal fetish from the public. Farrier’s unbelievable-yet-true story has received unprecedented interest, raving reviews and huge demand since it’s release last may.

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Q: When you first discovered this sport, what was your first reaction? A: It was sort of disbelief, in a way, of what I was seeing. Here were these athletic young men all kitted out in Adidas sports wear, doing these little introduction videos and then one of them would get tied down while the others tickled them. The videos were long - like 30 minutes to an hour - and they seemed to be shot in a professional studio. So... they seemed legit, somehow. These weren’t home videos. So I thought.. maybe this is like ultimate frisbee, just someone’s idea of this outlandish, silly sport. Q: By the look on your face as you witnessed a tickling fetishist indulge in his “sport,” you didn’t appear to have any interest in experiencing this firsthand. What was going through your mind when you saw this take place before you? Was it worse or better than you expected it to be (based on the videos you watched)? A: It’s hard watching someone be tickled non stop, when they can’t get out. It starts as funny and amusing - they are laughing, you are laughing. But then as it goes on the model gets exhausted and the room

is heating up and you can sense the exhaustion - and that’s where it feels odd. Also, Richard actually had told me that he would be tickling me next, so I knew that was coming up. So I was tickled for 10 minutes by a professional tickler. It was hard. Really difficult. My body ached a few days after as it’s like a full body workout. That didn’t make it in the edit - it was amusing, but didn’t further the story. Our editor Simon Coldrick did an amazing job editing this film by the way.. he’s a genius Q: When the lawsuits came about after Sundance, did you think - “Maybe I’ll challengethem to a tickle match, winner takes all kind of thing?” A: Haha, I think at this point I wasn’t feeling like joking around too much. I think we all sort of felt a bit exhausted by the time the lawsuits came in, so it was just, “Oh god, here we go again” Q: If it were up to you, what fetish would you make a competitive sport? A: Tickling. It’s so obvious. I have been watching the Olympics, and there is some pretty outlandish stuff in there. I bloody love it. Tickling would fit right in. No one would blink an eye.

Q: What was it like finding out there are some people in the world that actually enjoy being tickled? I imagine it’s like meeting people who eat those gross yellow duck marshmallows at Easter. A: I don’t know what yellow duck marshmellows are, but they sound delicious. I actually didn’t find it all that surprising. I mean - everything is a fetish. Everything can be fetishised, so of course tickling is a thing. Once I knew it, it was like, as Richard says in the film, “Oh yeah of course it’s a thing”. Q: You have covered so many oddities, but did you ever imagine that you be known as the “That guy who made the movie about tickling?” A: I could never have imagined this. I mean I have covered lots of odd things - it’s what I am drawn to - and I think people and the odd things they get up to make life worth living. But yeah, I never saw tickling being a big part of my life. I think the most odd story I did in the past probably was with a guy in Florida who’d had a 6 month sexual relationship with a dolphin. We’re still Facebook friends, actually. But that’s the joy of life - you www.facethecurrent.com

really never know where it’s taking you next. Q: As a journalist you’ve always loved to seek out off-the- wall stories. Is there another bizarre story you’ve covered that can even compare to this one? A: Oh, the dolphin thing. That is on YouTube somewhere that story. The interesting thing was is that he says the dolphin started the relationship. I’ve always thought that was an interesting angle on it. Aside from that - I have fond memories of a man in Hamilton, this cute little NZ town, that create a robot band. Him and his robots did a little tour. They were great. Very low fi but also incredibly complex when you looked at what went into it. I mean - there are so many odd stories out there. I did some stories with Lorde when she blew up - that was crazy too. Here is this super smart, sassy, talented young lady tearing up the industry - all on her own steam. Sure, she had support around her - but she’s the one making the big calls. So weird, so cool - the way it should be.

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A: Is there anything that you have refused to cover? Do you have a line in the sand? Q: Luckily I’ve managed to just sort of naturally navigate away from some news stories I didn’t want to cover when I was working in a newsroom. The death knock sort of stuff. Didn’t want any part in it. But I’ve been very lucky - my newsroom let me focus on the odd stuff that I liked to focus on. Q: At the end of the day, this fetish (almost all fetishes really) are about power. When you were around these “Ticklers”, were they comparable to any other athletes? A: This whole film is about power, control and manipulation. Tickling is a great metaphor for the themes in this film. As for as comparable athletes - I see alot of similarities in wrestling and MMA - which is what we kinda look at in the film as well. Our DP Dom Fryer shot some amazing footage at an MMA match.. which also, surprisingly, ties back into the world of tickling.

Q: Could you feel the power and pride some of the athletes had? Like, was it the same aura that you feel around a great basketball player or football star? A: It’s a different thing, I think. Tickling is more fun. It’s not about winning. And despite the name “Competitive Endurance Tickling”.. it’s not really a sport! Q: Did you ever think it might be easier to go undercover and sign up to get tickled to expose this story? A: I couldn’t because I wasn’t the right sort of athletic build to get picked! Q: You mentioned your hesitations with covering this story, but did you ever think it would escalate to the degree that it has? A: Not in a million years. It went places I never could have imagined. I knew it would get strange, but not quite this strange. Q: As a fellow filmmaker I know the struggles of leaving stuff on the editing floor. I can’;t even imagine the footage

you decided not to show. Is there anything we didn’t get to see that would be cool to know about? A: Just little things that were really annoying to leave out. Simon cut this great intro to Richard Ivey where he was doing Karaoke. Dom had shot it beautifully, these really wonderfully composed surreal shots. And we had to cut it because we couldn’t get the rights to use the song! I wanted to cry. I probably did cry. We also spent a day at Gator Land in Florida, shooting some scenic stuff there - some good metaphors in there with alligators devouring meat. Dom got up close in there.. really brave stuff. Simon had cut some cool stuff together and we played around in the booth... but we had to drop it. Just didn’t have a place in the story. Q: A simple initial inquiry turned into quite a risky investigation for you. Your “risk-everything” approach seemed to be driven by more than a mere desire to cover the story. What was the greatest motivating factor that really had you hooked and committed to uncovering

the truth behind this “sport?” A: I think Dylan and I both saw injustice in the way some of the young men were being treated. Bullied. They couldn’t do anything about it.. and it seemed like making a film was a good way to shine a light on what was going on. Plus.. I think me, and the whole team, were just incredibly curious! Like.. how could we stop?! Q: You never appeared all too threatened by the attacks that had so many others in fear and/or shame. How were you able to remain “unaffected” the whole time? A: It stressed me out.. but I think in New Zealand I am fairly “out” there.. like I don’t have secrets, and am fairly open.. so Jane O’Brien Media didn’t really have any dirt to use against me. Also, I am not really easily offended. So the personal insults didn’t really matter. I was worried about the legal aspects.. the legal threats.. but again, I had a great wee team around me. Dylan. Our producer Carthew. I have nice friends in my life. I also think I come

across quite deadpan sometimes. It’s just my default. Q: Were you ever concerned about how this might affect not only your life and career, but the others (like TJ) that were getting extorted as well? A: We were super aware going in - and had those kinds of discussions with TJ. I think TJ was incredibly brave coming forward and I admire him so much. Also, I have kept in touch with people like him and kept checking in. Q: Was there ever a time where you regretted covering this story? A: Early on I felt a bit of regret - like, I had sucked Dylan into this legal kind of wormhole and I felt anxious about that. But we are both adults, we talked, and we decided to just keep going. And we are all pretty proud of what we made, and feel really honored to have made so many friends along the way. Q: What was most shocking for YOU with this story- (either in the way things www.facethecurrent.com

unfolded or in the response from film viewers)? A: Some people watching the film have discovered they have a tickling fetish! That is kinda great. I was also shocked at how BIG this tickling empire was. That still blows my mind. And the effort this company goes to to cover things up... things it doesn’t want the public to know.

sobrave. Do you think you have put a dent in the tickling community? A: The tickling community seems really happy with the film. We wanted to show that the tickling community is great and supportive.. we just unearthed one bad part to it. A small part. But

Q: Have you been contacted since the film has been on the festival circuit with people who were abused or taken advantage of thanking you for exposing the truth of this odd underground corruption? A: Loads of people have come forward. This story stretches back 20 years, so we have heard from LOTS of people involved. Some of them speak of a sense of closure in watching the film.

Q: Besides the obvious things, what did you take away from this making this film? And what would you do differently knowing how this panned out with the threats and on going lawsuits? A: I learnt that you need to surround yourself with a good team. Making a documentary is such a collaborative process and I had a great team from our EP Justin Pemberton to our DP to Editor to our soundie Cam Lenart to our co-director Dylan Reeve! What great people. Q: When they started to fight back and say that you were coaching these interviews and paying off ex ticklers to say what they said.. Did you ever think that it was all over and that they had the upper hand? They have more money and influence, so did you think all of our hard work was going to be worthless? A: I think if people see the film, that everything will make sense! Q: Outing this corruption and sticking to your guns and not backing down was

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uncovered the corruption? A: Richard is bang on.. the videos he makes are erotica. I think when anyone watches any tickling video that Richard makes.. or that Jane O’Brien Media makes.. it’s not just strictly a “sport”.

Q: With everything that’s going on in the aftermath, the lawsuits, people showing up at the premiers taking over the QA’s and the media coverage... have you thought about doing a documentary about what’s happening now? A: I am not sure really - we are filming some of the things going on. What happens to that footage.. who knows. I have to move on from tickling at some point! yeah - this film really isn’t about tickling.. it goes somewhere else. So the tickling community is all good. Q: Richard Ivy describes these tickling videos as “Erotica.” How would you describe them now, and how would you have described them before you

Q: Most people didn’t know tickling is an actual sport before this film came out. If you could make up a fake competitive sport that you people don’t know about yet, what would it be? A: Well again.. it’s not really a sport. I think this film shows that you can really turn ANYTHING into a sport, you just need

to say it’s a sport. Competitive Shopping? Why not! Competitive sleeping? Heck yes. Competitive gaming? Well, that one is already a sport. Anything can be a sport. Q: I run an underground pillow fight club, the only rule is you can’t talk about pillow fight club. Would you be interested in joining? A: Too busy with tickling mate. Q: I Googled “5 ways to win a tickle fight” and there was actually some really great tips. One being “Show No Mercy” Where are you most ticklish? How do you think you would fare in a tickling competition? A: I am so ticklish I would lose instantly. I wouldn’t stand a chance. Q: What advice would you give to filmmakers who find themselves in a similar situation as yours, involving the pushback and threats while investigating? A: Just keep going. Take advice along the way.. but keep going. Q: With the knowledge you have now here in the aftermath, if someone gave you a chance to do it all over again, would you still make the same film? A: Most definitely. Q: What is the one thing you want people to take away from this film after they see it? A: I hope they think twice about signing up for a Competitive Endurance Tickling competition.

ymore info: Tickledmovie.com Twitter.com/davidfarrier Twitter.com/tickledmovie

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FtC culture

Walking the Talk with TrashMe Activist & Humanitarian Rob Greenfield by Naia Reid Photography: Garybencheghib.com / Ned Gerard / Brent Martin

Once an ordinary guy, living an ordinary life and now a non-stop activist and humanitarian dedicated to making a difference and inspiring others to lead a more sustainable and happy life, Rob Greenfield is the host of Free Ride on Discovery Channel, the Author of “Dude making a Difference” and he has also featured in several eyeopening documentaries. In the name of positive change, Rob has cycled coast to coast across America on a bamboo bike to inspire eco-living, raised funds to build mini homes for the homeless, instigated a wave of awareness and positive changes with his Food Waste Fiasco campaign, travelled thousands of kilometres with nothing but the clothes on his back and his passport, to demonstrate that “People Are Good” and has just completed 30 days of wearing every piece of trash he created living “the average American lifestyle” to highlight pollution, recycling, sustainable living and a greater sense of communal and environmental awareness.

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At what point in your life did you decide you were going to be an activist for humanity and the planet and what inspired you to make that decision? It was about 2011 when I really woke up. I was living a somewhat typical life. I was very focused on earning lots of money, owning nice possessions and on my image. I think all around I was living a self-centred life that did not provide much benefit to the humanity or the earth. I started to watch a bunch of documentaries and read a few books and just realized that my life was causing destruction to the world around me both near and far. The food I was eating, the car I was driving, and the chemical filled products I was using were

just a few of the things that I was doing that I realized I didn’t stand for. So at that point I decided I was going to start making positive changes one at a time until I transformed my life. You have the incredible ability of making things happen and getting powerful messages across, even on an almost zero budget. How do you achieve what so many see as impossible and have an incredible time doing it? That’s a tough question to answer and I don’t know if it’s simple. I know for certain I work really hard. Many days I’m working for 10 or 12 hours and many weeks it’s probably 70 hours. It’s not really work to

me because I love it though. And I guess that’s the point. I do what I really want to be doing. I pursue what I am whole heartedly passionate about. This means I don’t burn out easily and I don’t feel that I’m actually working. I’m just living the life that I want to live. So for anyone who really wants to make positive changes in the world one of my first pieces of advice would be to work on the issue that you are the most passionate about, not what someone is telling you to do or what you think you should do. What do you think is the greatest factor in generating human apathy in modern society and how do you believe this can be reversed? Why www.facethecurrent.com

you believe it’s so important that this happens urgently? I don’t know what the greatest factor is but I can say that the way that I reverse apathy in some people is by making things enjoyable, entertaining and fun. My activism is typically done in a way that doesn’t point fingers but rather gets people interested and excited. It’s got to be serious to though because something has to actually be accomplished. During your “People are Good” experience, traveling from Panama City to San Diego in 37 days with nothing but your passport, did you ever have doubts...or encounter particularly challenging moments... or was it really just a fantastic, affirming adventure? It was a great adventure but every day was a challenge and many times I questioned why in the world I was doing it. One of the great challenges for me was that I was constantly trying to meet my own needs of food, shelter, water and transportation. This made it hard for me to live in the service of others which is where I get much of my purpose in life. I had to keep reminding myself though that unless I can learn to receive unconditionally from others I will never be able to understand people who may be in need, nor will I be as capable of giving of myself. It was a true

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learning experience for me that can’t be summed up in those 37 days but rather is a part of a constant effort to make myself a better person. Why do you think the media concentrates so much on the more negative aspects of human behaviour and leaves out the amazing and often life-changing kinds of experiences you have all the time? There does seem to be a tendency for people to tune into negative news and as many of these media outlets are for profit businesses it seems they usually do what will make them the most money. Then again maybe the media is what created this interest in the negative stories in the first place. I don’t know which came first but I would guess it’s a combination of the two. To answer your question, I can’t explain the issue but I do think that money plays a large role in it today. During your “Food Waste Fiasco” project you highlighted and created a solution for the very common problem of food wastage, primarily from large supermarkets. Explain how things have changed and improved since you

started that mission. I am one very small part of the solutions to food waste. There’s thousands of people working on the issue including activists, non-profits, farmers, businesses, politicians and more. I started working on this issue in 2013 and I’d say there is vastly more awareness today of the issue in America. That’s a great thing, but unfortunately I think we are actually wasting as much food or possibly even more.

“

maybe the media is what created this interest in the negative stories in the first place

“

You are currently “living the average American daily life” but carrying every piece of trash you are responsible for over 30 days.Tell us about what you hope to achieve with this project, your daily challenges and the impact it has made so far. The average American creates 4.5 pounds of trash per day but most of us rarely think twice about it. Once the trash is in the garbage can, it’s out of sight, out of mind. Many of us have seen the photos of the overflowing landfills and the

oceans littered with trash, but a small percentage of us truly understand our connection to it. By wearing all of my trash for 30 days the idea is to create a visual of how much trash just one person creates so that people can understand that they are actually a big part of these issues. Once the conversation has been started and people are thinking about, it I hope to inspire people to make positive changes in their lives to create less trash. I’m happy to say that many people have told me that they’ve now woken up to the issue and are making positive changes in their lives

to make less trash. What’s next on your to do list?... and how can people support your upcoming projects? Next summer I am cycling across the USA planting food gardens and it’s an open bike ride for anyone who wants to join. So far about 150 people have contacted me saying that they’d like to join. We’ll be traveling across the country living in a very environmentally friendly lifestyle and helping people across the nation to start growing their own food.

ymore info about Rob Greenfield: Dude Making a Difference |

www.RobGreenfield.tv Find me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter

www.robgreenfield.tv/films www.robgreenfield.tv/books www.facethecurrent.com

FtC culture

AWAKENING CONSCIOUSNESS

Changing the Clubbing Paradigm

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“

I have a mentor – Simon Boyle of the Beyond Food Foundation and the Brigade restaurant. He challenged me to put on my first Drink & Drugs Free event in June 2015, offering to underwrite it… and Awakening was born. The first party was a huge success and I knew then,

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Have you ever wanted to go out with friends and have a great night without the pounding morning-after head, churning stomach and hours lost recovering? Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to find a venue that offers great ambience, music and lively, fun company, where alcohol isn’t being served? It’s tricky to say the least…but one person realised this and decided to change the ball-game. Christina Murphy has been in recovery from alcoholism for just over seven years. She has always loved to dance and to party but found it was incredibly difficult to do that in London without having to go to places where alcohol and drugs abounded. She realised she was not alone; that there were many people who needed a nightclub space where they could enjoy all the aspects of partying and dancing without having to be a part of the usual scene. Around that time, she started go to Ecstatic Dance and 5 Rhythms classes. She recognised the profound benefits of conscious movement and how people didn’t want to have to completely abandon certain aspects of their former social lives… more than just meditation was needed and so she came up with the

idea of Awakening Conscious Club – the hub and the heartbeat for a conscious movement - for people to meet, relax and enjoy like-minded company through Love, Dance and good Food!! The plan became clear: to open a permanent venue that would be a nightclub, community centre and restaurant that provides apprenticeships in event management and cookery to people in recovery from addiction. Once she realised that she had a viable idea for Awakening, she prepared and presented her project. The validity of her vision was recognised and she was awarded a place at the School for Social Entrepreneurs, where she attended for a year. (She is now an SSE graduate) Christina realised that before she could start looking for and investing in a venue, to give her project a chance at success, she would first have to establish her audience and ensure Awakening was a recognisable player in the conscious scene. This, she says “I have done!” “I have a mentor – Simon Boyle of the Beyond Food Foundation and the Brigade restaurant. He challenged me to put on my first Drink & Drugs Free event in June 2015, offering to underwrite it… and Awakening

was born. The first party was a huge success and I knew then, that this type of event had huge potential.” The journey has not been without hardship, Christina recalls. She discovered the trials, tribulations and frequent let downs involved in trying to secure a venue that was willing to lose its bar takings. Venue owners wanted compensation and so raised their hiring prices to extortionate levels. Although challenging, it was somewhat of a silver-lined cloud as a result, Awakening became a mobile pop-up concept, reaching even more like-minded individuals and connecting with farther afield communities searching for the same alternatives. London, Kings Cross, Elephant and Castle, Hackney and Tottenham have all been host to some truly incredible Awakening events. The club is run entirely by volunteers. Even the artists and DJs do not ask for a fee… why? Because they all are 100% behind the concept and also personally feel the need and desire for a space like this to exist; this is absolute collaboration in its most authentic and beautiful form. “We are all co- creators!” says Christina. www.facethecurrent.com

Awakening – The Rebirth.

The night gets warmed up with ecstatic dance. For anyone not familiar with it, it’s basically a fun way to get the body freely moving, disconnect and relax the mind and connect with those around you in a safe and healthy manner. Anyone can do it, regardless of age or physical ability. Awakening showcases ecstatic dance practitioners from around the UK and beyond. Once you find your rhythm, it’s possible to immerse yourself into the ecstasy of the dance; increasing your serotonin and dopamine levels and enabling you to achieve natural highs! This is followed with two floors of pumping ecstatic music. People can enjoy the amazing ecstatic food available at the restaurant during events. Fantastical Botanicals provide an alcohol

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free bar. The response to their delicious drinks has been phenomenal. They offer organic blends of soft drinks and botanical shots that energise, or provide clarity and a sense of wellbeing!

“We’ve hunted far and wide for utterly delicious and highly effective herbs, fruits, roots and flowers to stimulate the senses and lift the mood. Our artisanal drinks are meticulously composed; ancient wisdom is coupled with modern techniques. The result is a completely new concept in alcohol free beverages”. facebook.com/fantasticalbotanicals

Expression, creativity and imagination all play a big part at these events. You can expect UV art, a plethora of stunning performers and dancers…sometimes the events are themed and folks really do get into the spirit of it, dressed to impress! The club goes from 8pm till 2am and every moment is an extravaganza of delight and hedonism… without the hangover of course!! During the last year it became increasingly obvious that a permanent venue is needed. Passing Clouds closed down and although it was not alcohol free, it was a space where alternative events could take place affordably. One Spirit; an event that was running for 5 years at the Brix in Brixton, also lost its venue. The Hive in Hackney remains at risk of being closed. Simply put- there is not a secure space for

events of this nature to take place. Christina however, is not one to give up or get discouraged… with her innate effervescent nature and outlook, she has come up with a solution - the next phase of Awakening Conscious Club is to find a permanent venue and raise the funds to get this amazing project moving.

“We are pioneers of the Conscious Clubbing Movement – this is the future of alternative clubbing in this time of conscious evolution. I am currently looking for a philanthropist or a corporation who can see this dream into a reality before the big boys jump on it and make it something less!! With love,

consciousness and awakening... there are many fantastic possibilities!” When asked if there are notable differences between patrons of Awakening events and regular clubs? Christina divulged that Awakening club nights can resemble the days in the 80’s, when everyone was loved up on ecstasy… except at Awakening events, they are loved up on life!!

“Everyone is clear-eyed and openhearted. They are the kind of events where you can arrive on your own feel at home, welcome and safe. You also get to leave with a new set of

friends and a sense of community!” Going beyond the initial purpose of providing an amazing alternative environment to dance and socialise; the deeper connection and vision resonates deeply with all who experience it. Awakening is part of a growing global movement toward conscious evolution and a greater sense of connectedness. The project also provides a safe nourishing space and network for people in recovery to work and to play. Many are probably wondering what would happen if someone under the influence was to try and gate crash an Awakening event…and the policy is very clear – people under the influence are not allowed entry, as Awakening is about creating a natural spiritual high; which can easily be displaced with an www.facethecurrent.com

opposite energy. It’s generally overlooked observation, yet it delivers an element of introspection; to consider the energetic effect on the body, mind and soul after a typical night out!

“Positive change is about wanting it, believing in it and coming together to achieve it…whatever the goal is. The time is now for conscious clubbing! Awakening has been my Awakening. I have met such beautiful kindred souls and I know the evolution is spreading!” 24

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ymore info: If you would like to offer your support or sponsorship or would simply like more information about Awakening Events or bookings, you can contact Christina at shiftingtheparadigm@yahoo.co.uk or on 0044 781 817 6709 www.facebook.com/AwakeningLondon/ www.facethecurrent.com

FtC culture

The beauty of a simple life by Naia Reid

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Elizabeth Wynn could easily remind you of a fairy or a nymph. She has a feminine delicacy and gentleness that also radiates from her when she sings. Many have heard and admired her beautiful voice…but none knew of the fierce determination with which she disappeared into the depths of the Andalucían wilds for a year, to accomplish a dream many would consider impossible. Elizabeth is a songwriter and singer, an artist and “general creative” as she puts it humbly. She is also the owner of an absolutely breath-taking mini home, which she designed and built alone, with no prior experience and on an equally tiny budget.

Did you have an idea of what you wanted it to look like or did it take shape as you went along? After years of ideas and scrap books of images, last year things finally started to move. I found that when you make a decision to follow your dream, your true calling and you throw yourself in to it whole-heartedly, things start to happen. The journey began with a phone call from, at that time, a complete stranger to me. My phone rang and I said hello. A voice spoke back ‘Are you the girl that wants to build a house on wheels? I replied ‘that’s me’ in a stunned voice! He told me ‘I have an old van base for you.’ I mean wow God is good! We have to listen to the messages, the whispers that we are sent everyday. We have to listen to our hearts and what they are really saying. It turned out this man heard about me through a friend of a friend and lived just ten minutes drive away from the land where I planned to build my dreams. And that was the other miracle, after mentioning my idea to a friend whom I had literally just got to know, who had just come in to my life at that point, he said to me....’when you are ready to start, you can build it on my land in the countryside. I’ve got plenty of land so you are welcome to use it.’ And so these two things came together

and I drew my final design, making sure I had got everything I needed in to my house and that everything worked in the 5m by 2.20m space. After that, I made a cardboard model....and then I started. Do you have any experience in building/electrics/plumbing etc?

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I HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN BUILDING, ARCHITECTURE OR CARPENTRY. THE ONLY THING I HAD MADE BEFORE WAS A RABBIT HUTCH FOR MY TWO RABBITS. I FIGURED THIS WAS JUST A LARGER SCALE VERSION!

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What made you decide to build your own mini off-grid home? I’ve always had a sense that the more simple you can make life, the better. I am a creative, full of ideas and inspiration and I have a brain full of images and pictures. From a young age, I always wanted to build my own house, something really beautiful that I could make to my design. I kept scrap books of images and things that inspired me, everything from interiors to colours to artists paintings and nature. Being a bit of a hippie at heart, I have never settled in one place for a long time. I didn’t like the idea that I might create a beautiful home and then if I moved from the area where I built it, I would have to leave it there. So I thought why not build a house on wheels! Then if I move, I can take it with me. I like the idea that without the normal foundations, its not a permanent structure tied to the spot, but something movable, after all, I’ve learnt that nothing material lasts forever.

How did you figure out things you didn’t know how to do? Did you have help during the process? I watched a lot of YouTube videos on how to build a house before I started. I was amazed what you could learn, watching them. I have a very pictorial brain so reading about building techniques was no good to me. I needed to see in images or videos things happening. I got a good idea in my head about the construction from this. I took my designs and the knowledge I had learnt and I spoke to the man who had given me permission to build my house on his land. I said “these are my designs and my ideas about how I want to construct it and I have this old van base with an axel and wheels on. Will it work?” He said “theoretically, yes.” That was enough for me, so I started from there. He gave me guidance and help throughout

the process as he had built a house in England before (not a wooden one on wheels, but a brick one) but I did everything. I made the walls, I cut the wood, I hammered every plank of tongue and groove wood on to the outside of the house. I used over 3000 pins for this job alone! I stuffed every space with insulation and I made every piece of furniture inside. The only thing that I did get total help with was the electrics and plumbing. But again I made an electrical plan stating where I wanted every socket and light switch and how I thought it could work with two way switches. I watched as the electrics and plumbing were done and helped as much as I could with those. How long did the process take and how much did it cost you? The whole process from having nothing, to a finished home, took 1 year, although for 9 months of that I only worked on it at weekends because I was working a day job on the coast in the week. 3 months before the project was completed I lost my job because the company closed and so I made the brave decision to give up my flat by the sea, that I was renting and go to work on my wooden house on wheels full time. It was crazy to not have a job and money coming in but I also saw it as a blessing that pushed me to move away from what I was trying to escape; which was working in a job to pay all my wages over to the rental estate agents. The last 3 months I pretty much worked on it all day every day. There were so many little jobs that took so much longer than I expected, especially doing it all myself...there are only so many hours in a day, although I did work about 13 or 14 of them! From having nothing....to have a finished furnished home complete with a full sized shower, composting loo, kitchen with gas over, sink and fridge, a wardrobe, storage, a sofa with storage underneath that doubles in to a day bed, a mezzanine level with double bed and record player and a side terrace for yoga...I spent 5000 euros. That was my budget...and I stuck to it. That is less than I would pay in one year on renting a place and now I have a home for life. You used a lot of recycled/reclaimed materials. Where did you find them? A lot of the materials I found by bins! By the side of the road....it was like God www.facethecurrent.com

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The last 3 months I pretty much worked on it all day every day. There were so many little jobs that took so much longer than I expected, especially doing it all myself... there are only so many hours in a day, although I did work about 13 or 14 of them!

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put them there sometimes. I found all the wood for the mezzanine floor neatly stacked by the bins outside my old flat. I found beautiful wooden drawers, which I made in to my main kitchen unit. I used two trees that had fallen down to make the table leg and the porch post, the lanterns on the porch are carved out of gourds (a vegetable that is dried out and turns to a material like wood) I found these on the bottom of the land where my house is. I bought my cooker for 20 euros from a flea market and the big bubble light was 10 euros. The big kitchen sink was free from a lady that didn’t want it anymore, as was the stained glass panel in the door. All the windows I found by another bin. Lots of other elements I made from bits of wood I found. Its amazing what you can do when you get creative! Describe the mod cons, the ecological features and anything you felt you didn’t need and why. As I said, I have a fully functioning kitchen

with a hob and oven...I didn’t even have an oven in the flat I rented so this feels like a luxury. I wash up overlooking stunning mountains and scenery. I have a fridge that can run off gas or solar, so it can be switched to solar in the summer when there is lots of sun and then back to gas in the winter or on days that are overcast...which thankfully isn’t too many in Andalusia. I actually have more storage space than in my studio apartment because I carefully planned it to fit in everything I knew I would need. The shower is great, full size. The only thing I will need to buy for the future is an inline pump to increase the water pressure coming out of the shower. I need to research these and find out how much they cost and then save up again. I don’t think they are too bad though. I have a little table with room to seat 3 or 4 for eating or sewing, or drawing or writing songs or using my laptop. I have a really comfy double bed on a mezzanine level. The composting loo takes a bit of getting used to but that’s the only

thing that I feel is a bit of a compromise, everything else feels like luxury to me. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a mini home? You realise that with careful planning and design, you really don’t need a space any bigger than this to live in. Everything has a place and I have everything I need. I find the size perfect. Living in Spain also means that I spend lots of time living outdoors, eating outside, writing music, painting, doing yoga on my terrace, so the land around the house becomes important too and I believe that’s how it was always meant to be, not everyone living in brick boxes, shut away from everyone else. The only disadvantage is you can’t really leave things out, because if you do, it quickly becomes messy looking...but I love it so much that I love putting everything away and keeping it looking beautiful. That said, it does looked lived in and natural. www.facethecurrent.com

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The composting loo takes a bit of getting used to but that’s the only thing that I feel is a bit of a compromise, everything else feels like luxury to me.

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Did you ever feel like giving up? What was the hardest part? Yes! I felt like giving up so many times! There were times when it felt like I was working so hard yet I couldn’t see much progress, that was hard mentally. It felt like I would never get there. It was hard to constantly motivate myself and keep my spirits up. It was lonely at times too. I had no social life because every spare second was taken up with building or thinking about building. And there were a few things I did wrong or that went wrong that I had to re-do. ..and that was frustrating. Patience is definitely a virtue I struggle with! What does it feel like to have achieved this…and what are the most important things that you learned in the process? Wow it feels amazing to finally say I have a home that I built myself, away from the confines of society. I’ve learned to keep going, to ignore what other people think and follow my heart, to follow my convictions and trust that there will be a way. I learned that I don’t like to be alone! I learned that it was necessary for me to be alone for a year...to learn and understand myself more...the good parts and the bad parts. I learned to be more comfortable with myself. I learned that I was never totally alone because God was with me and provided for me. Your beautiful handmade home has received attention from far and wide. Did you expect it would have such an impact? In what way has this inspired or changed you personally? I had no idea that it would receive so

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“

I want to encourage you whatever you are facing, however hard it seems, however crazy people think you are…you are stronger, braver and more courageous than you realise and if you have hope, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. It is okay to follow your heart and not the way of the world. Life is short, don’t be afraid to be you.

Hope was what kept me going. There was one point near the end where I almost lost it…and quite out of the blue, again someone I had never met, picked me out of a crowd and said to me “young lady, do not lose hope…hope is the one thing you can’t afford to lose.” That gave me enough hope and focus to finish. What´s the next goal in the life of the lady who can do anything?! Haha...now I am hoping to find my way in the world. To live a more sustainable life, to try to listen more to my heart and what it is saying and to go with it. I am looking forward to writing music again. It was hard to put my singing and song writing on hold for all that time. I have a lot of ideas for my next album so I am looking forward to starting work on that soon. The honest truth is I may never do a project as big as this again, or I may start one tomorrow. I’m not sure. I’ll wait and see what my heart says and try to follow it. What would you say to people who

are interested in building their own mini home like this themselves? I would say....Go For It!

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Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because you will make them, do some research of course, but you know what, you will find the answer to most things inside yourself and you will be amazed at what you can achieve.

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much attention, with huge companies sharing my story. I was bowled over by the comments people left me on my personal Facebook page. It was so encouraging. I know that the story has touched many people and my hope is that it has inspired them to follow their dreams. If I’ve helped just one person, that would make me hugely happy...and it seems I have inspired quite a few. I want to say this to anyone that reads my story:

yYou can follow Elizabeth’s ongoing story on Instagram @edenwhispers where she publishes one photo and an update daily.

Email: edenwhispers@aol.com Facebook for music: Elizabeth Wynn Instagram for music: @elizabethwynnmusic

www.edenwhispers.com www.facethecurrent.com

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Getting Emotional with Emojis Quite a debate is going on behind the scenes of the new Unicode 9.0 Emojis for 2016. Some people argue that these humorous and depictive appendages are paving the way towards the desiccation of classical written languages, adopted by those who find literary communication challenging or tiresome…while others argue that symbolic

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communication has been an integral part of our evolution for eons and that Emojis are slowly becoming an internationally recognised and used pictographic interface between all languages…and pictorial communication is a valuable tool for many who learn “outside the box” or have reduced dexterity.

Although there are not enough characters to make up an official Emoji language, perhaps “yet” should be added… it is possible to have some pretty entertaining and precise conversations with them…if one is so inclined…and it seems the majority of modern communication device users are.

Developed originally in Japan and undoubtedly inspired by their highcontext culture (they don’t actually say what they are communicating) they do serve a set of practical purposes of sorts; adding visual eye candy to entertain the brain… an extra element of energy, playfulness, wittiness, clowning, imagination and pleasantries to conversations. They bring a whole new realm and dimension to 2D communication. They can even be useful for avoiding misinterpretation in emails and text messages. Some would say they save time and effort. There’s no doubt they do possess an almost magnetic challenge for users to communicate with

Emojis are slowly becoming an internationally recognised and used pictographic interface between all languages…and pictorial communication is a valuable tool for many who learn “outside the box” or have reduced dexterity.

them efficiently and share this prowess across the cyber world. Considering there are Emoji-only social sites and lots of folks taking dressing up as these characters very seriously; it’s interesting to stand back and look at the overall effect of how the herd mentality surrounding these little guys and other crazes that regularly surface, effects and shapes society, norms and culture on a grander scale and from a more psychological viewpoint. Most of us are aware of, yet pretty apathetic about how easy it is to

become addicted to social sites and virtual interfaces and the effect that can have on one’s interactions with the real world, friends and family. How often do you sit on a bus, at the park, even in a restaurant… and notice everyone’s noses pointed at their screens. Adults don’t converse as they used to in the days before the technical flood that swamped this generation. Kid’s don’t move around, play or interact like they used to… iPads or smart phones are now the educators, social interfaces, entertainers and platform for developing a sense of self identify to put out to the world. Our expressions have become internal;

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expressed synthetically within an electronic matrix, rather than externally expressed in a truly human form. The action and interaction of previous generations has given way to a sedentary air of overall separation. Now we run, cartwheel, cycle, play instruments and make conversations and expressions with our often virtual friends, in a virtual world…using virtual symbology. Is this really the healthiest and most beneficial direction for society to be moving? Close-knit and highly interactive society was once the backbone of human existence and survival. Indigenous “uncivilized” tribes knew nothing of locks, private property, jails, hunger, poverty, pollution or currency…they all worked together in unison to support each other and develop their standard of living and relationships within the community. As modern society evolves…and life seems to get tougher around us, it’s all too easy to zone out of reality and get wrapped up and busy with what celebrities wore or said, or to become completely absorbed in the latest crazes…in this case pictorial pursuits….and forget about or become much less concerned about or interested in what is happening in the real world around us.

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Is this really the healthiest and most beneficial direction for society to be moving?

The reality of our current existence as a whole is that we are perched on the precipice of crucial times. Globally, there are warning signs of changing times ahead… yet these issues hardly make the news or headlines as modern society is now increasingly fed and subsequently much more interested in what’s “hot” what’s “in” than life-changing issues that require our attention and input. As long as we continue to keep our heads buried in the most trivial of things…who’s taking the responsibility for our future?…and just where are we headed?! So as we ogle over the 72 new Emojis in the Unicode 9.0…their more 3D appearance and more impressive detail… perhaps we should also consider creating a better balanced dedication of our time, thoughts, actions and interactions with and for the important elements of real life. It’s time to exchange apathy for empathy and action…it’s time to pay attention!

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FtC culture

Conversation

NOVEMBER

Enhancers

November’s Word Play

Words to Enhance Vocabulary & Enrich Life Ebullience: bubbling with enthusiasm Boffola: a joke that gets a loud or hearty laugh. Eucatastrophe: a happy ending to a story Couthy Scottish: (of a person) warm and friendly;

(of a place) cosy and comfortable rnity: eternal existence or everlasting duration

Evite

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Let’s try it out! Everyone felt couthy as they ebulliently exchanged boffolas, resulting in an eucatastrophe for what felt like eviternity.

How to play te word, Send your favoriph se to expression, or ra

rrent.com u c e h t e c fa @ fo in with

”entry to y a l P d r o W “ ur yo r fo for a chance ion. Be sure to in the Subject line month’s edit be featured in nerxtname or @john/janedoe include you

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FtC fAce the current

MUSIC 40 madeline spooner “had to let it go” 42 kevin martin of candlebox “getting lost in airports 46 s-man “the house master” 48 chus & ceballos “iberican brotherhood”

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FtC music

MADELINE SPOONER

“Had to Let it Go” Los Angeles based experimental electronic pop artist Madeline Spooner has just released an exquisite six song EP called “Nautilus” alongside one of the industry greats; singer songwriter/engineer, Ethan Allen, (Ben Harper, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Daniel Lanois,The Cult, Sheryl Crow, Patty Griffin) The pair have created a melodic symphony of emotionally-charged analogue synths, supercharged bass hooks and drum beats, with powerful lyrics and her distinctive siren-like voice…the verdict? Pure chill out bliss.

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“Madeline just had her EP release at LA’s Bootleg Theatre with Zealyn and Wrenn, and recently completed a residency at The Satellite as well as a performance on the LA Weekly live stage at Chinatown Summer Nights. Chris Douridas of KCRW first premiered Madeline on the airwaves on his Saturday radio show. Respected music columnist Kevin Bronson (BuzzbandsLA) first debuted her single on KCSN. He wrote: ‘Had to Let It Go, a dreamy communiqué about shucking the weight of the world, embodies the mystical themes on the EP. With its airy flourishes and What do you like about having your music called experimental avantgarde pop? I haven’t always made electronic music but I have always been more left-of-center as a songwriter. When I was making only acoustic music on the guitar I referred to that as avant-garde folk. So, no matter what medium I choose to write with, I will still be approaching my compositions from that point of view.

cinematic sweep, [it] has the same je ne sais quoi as the more experimental work of Marina and the Diamonds. It’s good for letting go.’ With roots as a Midwestern native, Madeline has married her early acoustic storytelling with her affection for electronic music. She draws inspiration from the non-standard pop sensibilities of artists like Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel and The Doors as well as the esoteric tendencies of Coco Rosie,The Knife and Kate Bush.”

curious about what is on the other side. What do you like about working with songwriter/producer Ethan Allen (Ben Harper,The Cult, Sheryl Crow)? “My favorite thing about working with Ethan is the true collaborative spirit behind the work that we do. When we are writing music together we are really in it,

You recently released your EP NAUTILUSWhat does “Nautilus” symbolize for you and your music? Like the cyclical nature of the music, so is the spiral of the Nautilus. It is ever-repeating, yet growing in intensity and form. That repeating of life, death and rebirth is the theme of the album and a lesson from the inherent proportions of the spiral. You mention themes in your EP Nautilus being rebirth, regeneration, reincarnation, and transformation. How did these come about? Did you choose to work with these as your focus? Were they inspired by something you were experiencing in your life? Or did someone suggest them to you? I have always found a great amount of spiritual growth in confronting death in different ways. The idea of death and the idea of inspiration for the intention of creating music to me are very similar because they both deal with the unseen and what is behind the veil. I’m very

and we let the music write itself. We get lost in it together. It’s magical.” How have your Midwestern roots and background in songwriting on guitar influenced your path? Has becoming LA based changed/ inspired the direction you intended to go with your music? Growing up in the Midwest I was surrounded by more nature and I didn’t

have as many people to collaborate with musically so I spent a lot of time in my head with the freedom to write any way I wanted to. That made me a very introspective songwriter and in my years studying music at California Institute of the Arts I felt like a bit of a lone wolf. Finding people to collaborate with was a process of getting clear on my own vision as to not lose myself in another musicians’ style. You’re aiming to collaborate in a variety of ways with other artists including visual and performing artists- How do you envision this enhancing your ability to express meaning from your songs? There was a period of time before I created Nautilus that I was making demos on my own and needed another outlet to express myself creatively and collaboratively. Doing a myriad of visual photography around the themes of magic and mystery helped create a conceptual starting point for where I was headed musically. I see myself doing collaborative work in the future with other visual and performance artists but as of now I am more focused on continuing to hone my craft working with other musicians and producers.

ymore info: madelinespooner.com facebook.com/madeline.spooner instagram.com/madelinespooner www.facethecurrent.com

FtC music

Photo Credit:Troy Taylor

GETTING LOST IN AIRPORTS

with Kevin Martin of Candlebox by Sabrina Hutchinson

Kevin Martin has spent the past 25 years as the lead singer for bands including Candlebox, Dormarion and The Gracious Few. More than just being a singer and multi-instrumentalist, Kevin is an entertainer and storyteller. He has a way of making everybody in the room feel comfortable, while at once commanding the attention – and respect – of those in his presence. A forward-thinking businessman, Kevin has made a successful living as an artist for over two decades despite monumental changes in the music industry. And he sounds better today than he ever has. We sat down recently to talk about music, drugs, love and life, and ‘Disappearing in Airports’ Candlebox’s sixth studio album.

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SMH: You began your career as a drummer. How did you make the transition to vocalist? KM: When I was 17, I went to a Midnight Oil show. Peter Garrett’s command, his voice, the songs and the band’s support of him floored me. I never wanted to be a singer in a rock band until that moment. I consider myself to be a reluctant singer and when I see a band perform I’m usually watching the drummer – other than Alison Mossart of The Kills who I saw perform recently. Every musician wants to be adored and watching Peter Garrett and how adored he was by every person in that venue, that did it for me. SMH: You moved to Seattle when you were 14 played in bands like Social Smash and some others in the early days. You formed Candlebox when you were 22, as the Grunge era was cresting. What was it like living in Seattle at that time? KM: It was pretty incredible but at the same time it was so small you know. Really, I think if you went out more than twice a week to a different bar every night you’d run into at least 20 of the same people from the night before. The music scene was of course the most amazing thing about it though. There was always a show that everyone wanted to go to. SMH: In 1992, Candlebox was playing out a lot, getting bigger shows and playing to bigger and bigger audiences. When did you know that

something had changed? – that you had “made it” KM: It was a BMI showcase at what was then The Offramp in downtown Seattle. It was a last minute thing that Damon Stewart may have gotten for us. We were the first band on a roster that included Green Apple Quickstep, Sweetawaer and Fire Ants. We’d never played anything that big; it was a huge, sold out show and I knew we crushed the performance. That’s when I knew. SMH: Your biggest single to date is “Far Behind” which was released in 1992.You wrote that song about the late Andrew Wood, singer of Mother Love Bone, correct? KM: Yes. Originally the lyrics to that song were not “Now maybe” but “Now Andy”. I didn’t know Andy well, but we knew each other. I considered him a friend. I loved everything he’d ever done musically. I would see him at John Fleuvog’s where he worked. After he died, I wrote that song as if I were drugs – as if I were heroin – talking to him. I don’t think a lot of other songs are written in that way. “I didn’t mean to treat you bad, but I did it anyway”. I miss him. I miss seeing him. SMH: The Seattle music community suffered a lot of losses – as I’m sure other music communities did, unfortunately. You personally lost a lot of friends. KM: Many good people have died from

heroin. My friend Kelly Clark was one, Andrew, Lane Staley of Alice in Chains. It bothers me that more people have not spoken up about Lane. He was a good friend who I carried great love for in my heart, and cared a lot about. After he did the Mad Season album, he gave me these original etchings from the album. I remember Mike McCready seeing them and saying, “hey, he made me pay for mine”. SMH:And you have lent your support to those who help with addiction and recovery? KM: Yes. Once, in particular we donated an acoustic set to a Florida recovery center. When you care about an addict, it’s like, you may create a certain fate for yourself. I’m someone who has loved and cared about a lot of addicts. SMH: Let’s talk about your shows at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle in 1992. You set a record selling out three shows there, breaking the record formerly held by Madonna (who happened to own your label at the time). How was that experience? KM: It was great. It’s a record to this day, I think. We’d come home from being on tour with Living Color. We donated $25,000 from each one of the shows to a different charity – one that I remember was Children’s Hospital. It was great. SMH:You were in The Gracious Few. Tell me about that experience. You released one studio album, correct? www.facethecurrent.com

KM: That was a very cool moment for me - and a hard one for Candlebox. Ed Kowalczyk took a break from his band Live and Chad Taylor reached out to me in 2009. As it turned out, it was right after Ed’s last live US performance and Candlebox and Live performed on the same bill. It was early September and I flew out to Pensylvania where Live has a studio. We wrote three songs. Then we brought in Sean Hennessy to play guitar and in four days we’d written six songs. We flew out to record with Chad Gracey in Orange County and wrote six more songs. We did a short, punk rock tour for about three months.

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SMH:You charted with that album. KM: We did. We charted on the rock/ alt/ Hot AC charts. It’s a great rock record and it was very smooth working with those guys. We respected each other’s talent. SMH: Talk us about the “un-sexy” part of being in the same band for over 20 years. KM: Burnout is a reality. I’ve taken on other projects at times. It takes discipline – it’s not all adoration and accolades. It’s work.

It’s a business. I’ve had to make hard choices at times. SMH: You re-formed Candlebox last year and have a new album out right now. KM: Yes, right now we’re out supporting the new album. Mike, Brian, myself, Dave and Adam. I definitely miss Pete (Klett) and Scott (Mercado). I’m glad they both found their way to other things and that things are going well. We’ve just released the new video for Supernova which was directed by a friend

Candlebox US tour dates through 2016: FRI 11 NOVEMBER Rockbar TheaterReno, NV SAT 12 NOVEMBER Suncoast Hotel and Vegas, NV

CasinoLas

SMH: I know that there’s a story behind the cover art for the album. Tell me about this. KM: The album cover is a painting by Scott “Rivers” Fisher. He passed away while he was working on our cover art and his

SAT 19 NOVEMBER Roseland TheaterPortland, OR

MON 14 NOVEMBER BadlanderMissoula, MT

TUE 22 NOVEMBER The Regent TheaterLos Angeles, CA

TUE 15 NOVEMBER BoomtownLewiston, ID

European tour dates begin January 17th in Redding UK.

THU 17 NOVEMBER Neptune TheatreSeattle, WA of ours that we pieced together over 3 shows. It’s a live video with behind the scenes footage that really lets our fans into our lives. They get to see what we are like behind the scenes, on the bus, down time. We’re really happy with it and excited to see what the response is.

FRI 18 NOVEMBER Elsinore TheatreSalem, OR

sister was kind enough to give us a painting he’d done. The title of the painting is “Disappearing in Airports” and that’s what we called the album. The album takes you on a trip. Like being in airport. You don’t know where your gate is or how long you’ll be there. You discover it all along the way. SMH: That describes your life a bit: disappearing in airports. KM: Yes it does.

SMH: Will you leave us with a list of what you’re listening to right now? KM: Aeges, Blind Pilot, Grizfolk, the new Kings of Leon, Half the Animal, Divine Fits and my side project, Dormarion.

ymore info: www.CandlboxRocks.com

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FtC music

S-Man the House Master

by Derek D (Beachgrooves Radio)

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Your career began in the late 80’s in Corona, Queens as a Hip-hop artist, is that correct? When I first started out it was a mixture of everything: Hip-hop, Disco, Funk and Soul, so you kind of had a mixture of all different sounds going into what Dance music was and from there House Music grew…it all grew from there. You were also a break dancer and graffiti artist…and I think you had something to do with history? Well, y’know it’s interesting, “I grew up in an era where that kind of creativity was really prevalent in New York, so being part of the graffiti scene and the breakdancing scene in high school, led me naturally to DJing and into music.” Tell us about your last release: your remix of “Remember” which is a huge success. It’s on your own label, Stealth Records. Yes, I have been focusing on my S Man releases for the last year and a half, so I wanted to begin bringing out more Roger

Sanchez soundtracks this year. For me it was the right way to start it off again.

“My priority was to make more time for family this year.”

That remix is hugely popular, but then so also are your other previous remixes, which you made with international artists such as Michael Jackson, Police, Diana Ross, Jamiroquai and Maroon 5. What’s it like to work with such artists? Usually what I get sent is the stems, vocals and parts. I don’t always get to meet the other artists, but when I’ve had the chance to it’s been really cool. They are fully supportive and if they are fans, they are usually the ones requesting the remix.

You spend a lot of time in London. Do you have a production studio there? My production studio is based in New York. I have another one in Ibiza. I’ve been doing a lot of collaborations with a lot of different people in London. It’s really cool…when I go there, I meet up with people like Huxley, Beurer Bontan and Steve Mac from the Rhythm Masters… there are a lot of UK collaborations going on.

You have been kept really busy this year, you played Starlite in Marbella for the first time and Italy, Bosnia and Dubai to name a few others… you didn’t play Ibiza this year? This year I decided to take the season off from Ibiza, to spend some more time with my family. So I really focused my touring into three weeks in July and a week in August.

Would you like to leave a message for your fans on BeachGrooves and FtC? I just want to say a big thanks to all of you who listen to my shows…keep the House nation alive!

ymore info:

rogersanchez.com facebook: rogersanchezfanpage soundcloud.com/rogersanchez www.facethecurrent.com

FtC music

The Iberican Brotherhood 48

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Undoubtedly, Chus & Ceballos are the most solid, professional pair of DJs/ producers from Spain. Hailed worldwide for their excellent production works, including official remixes for worldrenowned artists like Madonna, Rihanna, Jlo and Shakira an important saga for artists and producers, who, they display a remarkable versatility, enabling them to play everywhere from small clubs to lifesize festivals. Their marathon DJ sets capture their Iberican character, while their blend of styles between House and Techno lie in perfect harmony, accentuating the unmistakeable beat of the percussions.

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Chus & Ceballos represent an invaluable legacy of sound, with their quality blend of signature styles.

Chus & Ceballos are the founders of Stereo Productions: one of the most productive Spanish electronic music labels over the past decade and creators and pioneers of the underground movement known as “Iberican Sound”. This resulted in the prologue to an important sage for artists and producers, who have chosen this style as their way of life. Their evolution over the past couple of years has led them to the pinnacle of the global music scene. All the years of work, absolute dedication, undisputed professionalism and a constant evolution in sounds, have led this infallible duo to the summit of success, securing them residencies at the best clubs around the globe: Space and Blue Marlin in Ibiza, Output and Pacha in New York, Space Miami, Stereo Montreal, Sound in LA and Ageha Tokyo to name a few. Stereo Productions Podcast is a weekly radio show where Chus & Ceballos present their unique and global vision of Electronic music. Every week you can delight your ears with their live sets from all around the world: listen in to InStereo on www.beachgrooves.com every Sunday from 2-3:00 am.

ymore info: www.chusceballos.com www.facebook.com/chusceballos soundcloud.com/chusceballos www.facethecurrent.com

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TRAVEL

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KoMODO - ISLANDS OF AWE THE UNIQUE RETREAT AMAZING DINNING EXPERIENCES 11 OF THE MOST WONDERFUL BEACHES

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FtC travel

KOMODO Islands of Awe By Oliver Jarvis, Travel Writer & Photographer

He’s barefooted, scampering up the cliff-face of one of Komodo’s many islands. A top photographer and avid-climber, Justin is all about putting himself in difficult positions. And from down below – as I’m tying our small boat that we rowed out in to this empty island – I can see him getting higher and higher. He’s now around six metres high and is struggling to pull himself up onto a mini-ledge. For a moment his feet are dangling in mid-air, but he manages to find a hold and continues the climb. If he falls now, it’s a sharp drop onto untamed rock and help is way out of view.

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Every move he makes kicks up dust. But dust is everywhere, in the breeze, in your eyes - each piece of land that surrounds us is dry and cut into small islands by the most brilliantly-blue and fast-flowing ocean. There are a myriad of rocky deserts dotted all over the area, uninhabitable for humans. Justin’s too high now and I think even he knows it, but he doesn’t want to turn back. To him, comprehending this wild world of Komodo, means conquering this one cliff-face. Reaching a viewpoint that nobody before him has ever seen. He jumps for a higher rock. The rock comes out. He loses grip and I turn away from the falling rubble and hear the sound of him landing heavily on the sea-shaped rocks. We were there to document one of the last untamed wonders of IndonesiaKomodo. A region that has averted any threat of over-tourism and held onto its principals. It’s run by nature: Journey west and you’re into the land of dragons, journey below and it’s a world of large pelagics. Our first stop off the island boat was onto Rinca Island, an island that was held by over 1000 dragons.

There be Dragons “Active in the morning, asleep in the afternoon sun.” Our guide kept reminding us, as he loosely held onto a thin bamboo cane for protection – a thin bamboo cane as protection from one of the most eminent predators on the planet. Komodo dragons aren’t like other predators. They hunt larger prey in a way that is both chilling and fascinating. Preying on unaware buffalo that drink from the mini-pools that are rare on this desert island - the dragons remain out of sight, yet always closing in. It takes a weak bite on the buffalo’s leg and the game is over – but not right there and then. The buffalo carries on living for a few days, gradually growing weaker and weaker. As the fated beast stumbles and loses all sense of direction, the patient Komodo dragons slither-walk in to claim their prey. As we were being told this, a dragon dragged itself into my sight. Fat, leatherlike and the colour of the dirt ground, the dragon pulled itself through my line-of-sight. It was trying to get out of the sun, trying to seek shade from this

hot afternoon. As it walked, it left a trail of torn-up goat fur behind it. Finally, it pushed itself under a local’s house-onstilts and remained there for some time. The dragons and those who have chosen to live there, have learned to accept one another – aside from a few unfortunate encounters, they’ve co-existed quite peacefully. The locals know to tread with caution in the cooler hours. The guide tells us of his own experience while using an outside toilet. He became trapped by the dragons and had to hold the door shut against snarl and thud as the world’s largest reptile tried to hammer its way in. “If it wasn’t for the ranger that night,” the guide stated. “I wouldn’t be here.” We cautiously watch the near-sleeping dragon a little longer from a distance. It’s huge; over two metres long. As I creep in closer to shoot a picture, the dragon’s eyes open and it cocks up his head. In that moment, I am face to face with this prehistoric beast, looking into the wild eyes of a dragon.

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The Manta Challenge Komodo isn’t only famous for its topside topography and notable predator. The underwater world has been an undeniable mecca for drift-divers since it was first dived by Jacques Cousteau. We dived into this vivid underwater land, where huge schools of fish swayed and danced over colourful corals. The tropics are full of colourful coral reefs, but Komodo’s coral was different. It wasn’t just the colour that caught your eye, but the disorderly organisation of the reef, with thousands of tiny fish in psychedelic coloured patterns arbitrarily picking and choosing their routes. If it wasn’t so beautifully disorganised, then it would just be chaos – but Nature always has a way of working out the seemingly unorganisable. When you rolled over, you saw the true beauty of the reef, the reef sharks, the wide-open blue and out of nowhere, dolphins. They whistled and trilled and dived down to nudge coral or squeeze

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through the schools of fish, it was the perfect addition to the underwater scene. But Komodo always finds a way to surprise you and the next dive started with shouts of “Manta Manta!”. We entered the colourless, empty world of Manta Point. Famous for its strong currents, we had to push through and descend to the seabed (around 15 metres) to avoid the strength of the flow. Even at the bottom, you could feel the powerful surge. It was humbling to know that if we lost our hold, we could be swept deeper into the ocean and lost. But our minds were only on one thing – crawling to those coral cleaning stations that promised a chance to encounter a manta ray. The seabed was mainly covered in rounded pebbles and large boulders – with an abundance of sea urchins that we had to be careful of touching – with corals forming the cleaning stations. Fighting the current was near impossible and so we drifted on the current en route to the first station. It was to be my first encounter with manta ray and I didn’t know what to expect. You can watch as many YouTube clips of manta experiences, or read as much dive

literature on how it feels to glide with one, but you never truly understand what it really feels like, until you’re slowly crawling in harsh currents behind a boulder, to then come upon this hauntingly beautiful “thing”. There I was, blown away by both the moment and the current. Grappling onto boulders until I could fasten my reef hook to hold onto my position. The manta, just there, hovering or gliding seemingly unfazed by the Indian Ocean current hammering us landsmen. The manta took off along the coral runway to soar with the down-current, out into the open blue and watching it fade away, gently beating its wings was unforgettable.

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Komodo’s coral was different. It wasn’t just the colour that caught your eye, but the disorderly organisation of the reef, with thousands of tiny fish in psychedelic coloured patterns arbitrarily picking and choosing their routes.

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It was these experiences and Komodo, that made us want to push harder and see the “wild world” for ourselves. Justin groaned as he tried to sit up from his fall and I understood what had driven him to attempt to reach that peak. This world seemed to be running out of those unexplored locations and unique moments and reaching the top was his opportunity to make contact with the previously untouched. In the desert world of dry-season Komodo, he wanted to become a part of the untamed scene and the look of achievement of that primal connection on his face, said the fall had just about been worth it!

ymore info: Website: oliverwjarvis.com Instagram: @oliverwjarvis www.facethecurrent.com

FtC travel

The Unique Retreat The Place to Simply BE

by Naia Reid - Photography courtesy of Giles Bracher and Dennis Claessens

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here are certain places that just seem to have a tangible, all-embracing magic which acts like a balm for the soul. The Unique Retreat is one of those gems. It is an absolutely gorgeous, lovinglyrestored 400 year old Spanish farmhouse set in 17 hectares of almond and olive groves and wilderness which is part of the Montes de Malaga National Park in southern Spain. This eco-friendly farm also has its own vineyard (Shiraz grapes mainly) and is totally organic. It is set amongst breathtaking countryside, has a salt water swimming pool and beautiful, fullyrestored bedrooms and is full of atmosphere and charm.

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wall-hangings, Asian Buddhist antiques and Balinese touches. The Unique Retreat attracts guests from all corners of the globe – from Tasmania to Ireland. Guests tend to be very well-travelled and open minded - wanting to experience “the real Andalusia”. Almost without exception when people arrive for the first time, their countenance shifts and changes, their faces soften, external worries melt into perspective, as they begin to really feel thedeep sense of peacefulness here.

It is a nourishing space for all to have their own very unique experience. There is a Spanish saying that “Each of us is ‘unico e irrepetible’ “ - ‘unique and unrepeatable’ and that is just what their experience will be. We offer a totally personalised service because we believe each guest, their needs and wants depend on their unique personality, background and situation when they arrive. We believe in catering to them with creativity and flexibility.

It is a nourishing space for all to have their own very unique experience. There is a Spanish saying that “Each of us is ‘unico e irrepetible’ “ ‘unique and unrepeatable’ and that is just what their experience will be.

We offer a totally personalised service because we believe each guest, their needs and wants depend on their unique personality, background and situation when they arrive. We believe in catering to them with creativity and flexibility.” The Unique Retreat has an engaging, rustic charm and the farmhouse has a very palpable “soul” which exudes well-being and positivity.

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Guests can also spend some timelessness in a luxurious, hand-crafted, eco-friendly Mongolian yurt surrounded by lush almond groves and beautiful valleys.

The land itself nurtures inner peace and according to a geomancer who was enthralled with her stay, has a deeply feminine energy. The surrounding mountains bring to mind the concept of “the architecture of silence”. The rich quietude of the surroundings, where often birdsong and the tinkling of a wind chime is all you can hear, which combined with spectacular views, allows the mind to relax deeply and gives people time to process or reflect in a way that often is not so possible in our busy, day-to-day lives.

This is a place most appreciated by lovers of nature, authenticity, soulful living and literature. Many books are read and many instruments are played here. Recipes, music and experiences are shared. The usual constricts of time seem to melt away. With its 400 years of folk living out their lives on the land, far from hustle and bustle, it invites deep contemplation. There is an attention to detail in the eclectic mix of the decoration, Spanish ‘mudejar’- the remnants of Andalucia’s glorious Moorish heritage, as well as colourful Bolivian

After countless requests from their guests, Nacho and Marina published the highly recommended “Cooking from the Heart, the Best of Andaluz Hospitality” several years ago which can be ordered directly from them. It is filled with stunning photography; not only of 25 of their guests’ favourite recipes and the farm but also of the beautiful countryside of Andalusia.

The Unique Retreat hosts yoga and Mindfulness retreats, A Course in Miracles retreats, Flower Essence retreats, and Spanish language learning retreats as well as English for Spaniards. You can even learn flamenco dancing in the village! Guests of all creeds are welcome, as are honeymooners, families, people recovering from serious illness or trauma and adventurers as well as musicians, artists and writers. A recent guest, Eamon Quinlan wrote in a review, “Marina and Nacho have

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You are practically guaranteed a great, safe, enriching and enlivening trip. We will welcome you into our home and Spanish culture with open arms and hearts

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created a kind of oasis in a rural and local setting. …perfect for brushing off the stresses of a busy modern life. We were pleasantly surprised with just how much there was to do and how beautiful and varied the landscape is. We thought this would be more of a slow retreat which it certainly can be, but actually we discovered a sense of adventure that we didn’t know we had! It’s an amazing part of the world and we’ve already been talking about going back!”

During Your Stay: The ancient and spectacular city of Granada is just an hour and a quarter away with the Alhambra, the exquisite palace complex of the Moors being the most loved and visited site in Spain. The Caminito del Rey; a stunning and exhilarating walk along the side of a deep gorge set in spectacular scenery with freshwater lakes nearby for natural swimming; recently described by “The Guardian” newspaper in Great Britain as “One of the Top Ten Things To Do Before You Die” has just recently been reopened and is just under an hour away. El Torcal de Antequera is an extraordinary and magical real-life Jurassic Park created from limestone karst and fossils and vaguely resembling sites in Arizona, is another relatively unknown site that guests marvel at. Malaga, only 40 minutes way, is a laidback, charming Mediteranean city which is now rapidly becoming a new cultural mecca for travellers. Picasso’s birthplace, it now boasts an impressive Museum of Russian Art, a new Pompidou centre, a fantastic Contemporary Art Museum as well as The Carmen Tyssen Museum filled with impressionaist paintings and more. There are also wine museums, vintage glass museums and one of Local Traditions and Customs. There are also loads of great places to eat out and friendly bars with great vibes. www.facethecurrent.com

Ronda, with its breath-taking views and architecture, is an hour and a half away and is Trip Advisor’s favourite town to visit in Spain. “You are practically guaranteed a great, safe, enriching and enlivening trip. We will welcome you into our home and Spanish culture with open arms and hearts.”

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ymore info: if you are interested in staying at the Unique Retreat or purchasing “Cooking From the Heart”, please visit their website at www.theuniqueretreat.com or contact Marina directly at marina.curtisevans@gmail.com or get in touch by phone on (00 34) 952 11 12 94 or on (00 34) 686 156912. www.facethecurrent.com

FtC travel

Amazing Dining Experiences

Around the World

The experience of dining out with loved ones and friends in a great restaurant can be an enriching experience. For those who love to “do it a little differently” or take it to another level, there are some fascinating options to be enjoyed around the world…all you need are your plane tickets!

Dinner in the Sky

Now available in 45 countries, from Australia to the Ukraine; dining as you dangle 150ft above the ground. It may not be everyone’s idea of an ideal dinner date, but if you can handle the vertigo and the sky high prices, then the views and excitement may offer one of those unforgettable experiences for a special date, party or alternative business dinner!

Monkey Restaurant, Japan

Possibly the only place on the planet where punters pay to enjoy dirty tables, slow orders and quite possibly some messy spillages courtesy of the waiters. Yat-chan and Fukuchan are two macaque monkeys who decided to offer their skills to the public and have become quite the attraction. They work 2 hours a day taking orders and bringing drinks and appear to love the attention.

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Restaurant near Sanyou Cave above the Chang Jiang river, Hanging Restaurant. Hubei, China

Adrenaline junkies will get a kick out of dining in this cave restaurant that hangs hundreds of meters over the Yangtze river flowing below. The 30m long narrow bridge to reach it is a challenge in itself, but if you’re still up for more after dessert, you can pop to the bungee platform next door

Mazoch café, Lviv, Ukraine

Named after masochist and writer Leopold von SacherMasoch, this famous restaurant is for adventurous adults only. The provocative décor and seductive lighting comes complete with a naughty waitress who has handcuffs and whips at the ready should you be naughty. You could just behave and try the bull’s fried testicles!

Dining In the Dark, Kuala Lumpar

This novel eatery is all about heightening the senses in an alternative way. Diners are taken on a “gourmet safari” and eat in complete darkness. Although the smart dress code suggests a somber atmosphere, giggles are inevitably on the menu.

Robot Restaurant in Harbin, China

Waterfall Restaurant, Quezon province, Philippines

A.I. is becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives and at one of the most popular restaurants in Harbin, China, you can expect precision service from the team of 20 robots that cook, serve meals and wait tables.

Perfect for water signs or water babies. The Waterfall Restaurant at the Villa Escudero Resort in the city of San Pablo offers patrons the chance to sample the local Philippine food buffet whilst dabbling their feet in the cascades of a waterfall, from bamboo tables that blend into the beautiful natural surroundings. www.facethecurrent.com

FtC travel

11 of The World’s Most Unique Beaches Hyams Beach

Jervis Bay, Australia has made its mark in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the whitest sand in the world. There is something to be said for experiencing something seemingly so pristine, and of all the colours of sand on beaches around the world, this stark white fluffy sand feels and looks like pure bliss.

Gulpiyuri Beach

is accessible from Naves village in the northern coast of Spain. It is an inland beach with golden sand and crystal clear tidal waters created by a flooded sinkhole that spans 40 metres and which is located in middle of a meadow. Natural tunnels created by the sea make their way to this beach and create the small waves from the tides.

Vik Beach

is a black volcanic sand & pebble beach in Iceland. It’s not exactly an ideal spot for sun bathing, as it is considered to be one of the wettest places on earth. However, it was nominated one of most beautiful beaches in 1991 and has many beautiful perks, such as columnar basalt rock and other huge rock formations, hidden caves, the neighbouring Katla Volcano, and a large population of puffin birds.

Hot Water Beach- New Zealand

Lençóis Coastal Dunes- Brazil

These parabolic or blowout coastal dune formations span more than 64 km in length, cover an total area of 300 square kms and invade the continent up to 50 km inland from the coast. During Brazil’s summer months, innumerable pockets of warm blue lagoons interlace with bright-white sands, creating a striking illusion of scattered oases near the Amazon Basin. Here you can try out a favourite local sport of sandboarding which actually originated in Brazil in the southern state capital of Florianópolis in 1986.

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Barking sound beach-Polihale State Park, Hawaii The phenomenon of barking sand at this beach is caused by dry granules of sand that have microscopic holes and champers, and when rubbed together they create resonating vibrations that resemble barking. In addition to the Dzbarkingdz sand, this beach is located on a 140-acre state park; considered one of Hawaii’s most majestic beaches and boasts sand dunes up to 30 meters tall

Shell Beach- Sharks Bay, Australia

is one of only 2 shell beaches in the world. This beach is covered up to 9 meters deep by billions of tiny white coquina bivalve shells. The Cardiid Cockle clam, a mollusc species, fares well in this location due to the hyper-salinated water that other species and natural predators don’t cope well with. This has allowed them to proliferate in huge numbers for thousands of years, dying off naturally and then being washed ashore to accumulate and create this ornate beach

San Alfonso del Mar- Algarrobo, Chile.

This private resort has a beach nestled between the world’s largest swimming pool and the ocean. The pool is larger than 20 Olympic sized pools, holds 250 million litres of seawater, made the Guinness Book of World Records for being the deepest man made pool with its deep end reaching 35 meters. The nearly 20-acre pool uses water directly from the sea using computer controlled suction and filtration systems. The sun warms the water to 26°C- nine degrees warmer than the adjoining sea.

Papakolea a.k.a. Green Sand Beach- Big Island of Hawaii. The green colour comes from the semi- precious gem crystals of olivine that formed from lava cooling in the sea. The density of the olivine crystals prevents them from being washed out by the sea. It’s one of only 4 beaches in the world with whole- coloured sand.

Maldives bioluminescent beaches.

Maldives bioluminescent beaches- Microscopic phytoplankton give off light that is said to be brighter than the Milky Way. Such bioluminescence is rarely seen close to land, but in the Maldives this surreal scene comes to life when these microorganisms are agitated by water crashing onto the shore, when someone steps on the wet sand, or when a paddle hits or surfboard shreds the waves. The bioluminescence can occur throughout the country’s 26 atolls, but some of the most spectacular sights are claimed to exist on the grouping’s eastern islands, such as Mudhdhoo, Vaadhoo, and Rangali

Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach)- Marieta Islands, Mexico

This former Mexican government bomb site was probably never anticipated in the early 1900’s to turn into the hidden oasis it has become today. Now a popular site travelled to by tourists, this beach and cave system is only accessible by swimming, scuba diving, or paddle boarding during low tide, through a tunnel with only 6 feet of air space between the water and rock ceiling above. www.facethecurrent.com

FtC fAce the current

sports & FITNESS

68 JETMAN 78 IF AT FIRST YOU DONT SUCCEED 82 3 BEST PRACTICES TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR FITNESS WORKOUTS 84 BODY & FITNESS MIND WITH INGO 86 LIFTSTRONG

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FtC sports

Vincent ‘Vince’ Reffet

Jetman

Smashing the Boundaries of Human Flight Vincent ‘Vince’ Reffet and his skydiving Maestro Fréd Fugen have spearheaded the world of skydiving for over a decade. They hold World Championship titles in FreeFlying and are masters of BASE-Jumping, canopy piloting, extreme landings, wind tunnel skydiving, wingsuit flying, and speed riding. Vince has been Yves Rossy’s protégé since 2009 and earned the distinction of being the second person in the world to fly the Jetwing after 4 years of training. Together they completed the first 2-way Jetwing formation flight over the skies of Dubai in May 2015 and the sensational formation flight with the Emirates A380 the following November. Millions watched these exhilarating flights featuring the two jetmen, not encased in a flying machine as many have experienced, but in a rather more bird-like fashion, attached to an insanely-maneuverable, human-sized set of rocket powered wings. They have quickly become a global phenomenon. 68

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Photo Credit: Jetman.com

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Sasha: What inspired you to take to the sky? Vince: The sky for me is freedom. There is no limit in the sky. I also come from a family of skydivers. I remember very well my first jump - at the age of 15. As the plane’s door opened I was actually freaking out but the moment I stepped out and experienced that feeling of being held in the air… Oh, it was so incredible! I haven’t stopped dreaming about flying ever since. And free-flying is the skydiving discipline I love most. Do you think anybody can truly understand the feeling of it without having experienced it personally? V: It might be difficult to understand if you’ve never even tried a tandem skydive. Many people feel sceptical about the experience of jumping out of an airplane or jumping from a cliff. After all, humans were not meant to fly. But if you push yourself a little bit and try a skydive, you will realize that it’s so beautiful and you’ll easily understand why we’re so addicted to that feeling. I haven’t met anyone that landed from a

jump and told me: “I didn’t like it.” They might say: “It’s not for me” and will add: “… but it was still amazing!” I can imagine that it could become really addictive. I don’t know personally if I could get myself to jump… V: You should push yourself and try! As a kid, even though I was coming from a family of skydivers, I didn’t want to jump. I didn’t even like roller coasters! When I became old enough to skydive, my dad never forced me but I eventually decided I should give it a go and try to jump once at least, even though I wasn’t into it. Well, look where I am now, living my dream and making a living from my passion. If I hadn’t tried, I would have never known. You should do a tandem skydive and then give me call in a few months – I think you would be completely addicted to it! Then you’ll strap some jets on me and really send me flying! V: Flying the Jetwing is different from skydiving. It’s still flying, but with one million percent of the pleasure, because you get to stay longer in the air and fly up.

The Jetwing becomes an extension of your body and the feeling of freedom is pure. You’re often referred to as a Soul Flyer. How do you define what a “soul flyer” is? V: The person who originally started the Soul Flyers team was Loïc Jean-Albert. He is one of the pioneers in skydiving and wingsuit flying and among the very first professional proximity flyers. Fred Fugen and I joined the team in 2010 and it was just the perfect fit for us: we belong to the sky. In another life I would have probably been a Condor - a big bird that doesn’t touch the ground for years :) What kind of crazy commentary do you get from people who may look at what you’re doing as purely dangerous and perhaps even stupid because of the insanely high risk factor on your life? How do you respond? V: My teammates and I never do anything reckless, or without training beforehand. We always have a Plan B, and a Plan C too. We repeat the emergency procedures several times before take-off, and keep

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The sky for me is freedom. There is no limit in the sky. I also come from a family of skydivers.

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Photo Credit: Jetman.com www.facethecurrent.com

Photo Credit: Jetman.com being fully focused throughout the flight, so that we’re able to respond fast in case something goes wrong. I’m not a big fan of taking high risks. I love life. For sure in our sport there are many people who perform aerial stunts without training, but that’s not the way I learned the discipline and it’s not the way we want to represent what we are doing. Our mentor and team leader, Yves Rossy, has also contributed to instill in us the respect for a safe progression, in line with the most authentic aviation codes. Down here on Earth it’s so easy for us to get caught up in our little bubbles and sweat the small stuff in life. What is it like to experience how expansive life really is? V: When I’m on the ground I get caught up in my own thoughts about life, like everybody. But when I’m in the air, I forget everything. It’s like entering a different dimension that I get to share with my friends and family. It’s so nice to be able

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to disconnect, especially from social media. You see so many people spending so much time with their smartphone on Facebook - not even looking at each other or talking to each other. When you’re up in the sky, it’s just you, your feelings, and your friends. I’m thankful for that. Do you do any particular training to prepare yourself mentally for wing suit flight? V: My teammate Fred and I have taken part in many competitions - and won several times. When you have to prepare a skydiving jump, you visualize what you will have to do, what’s going to happen in the air, what might go wrong, etc. So when you get in the sky, it becomes more of an instinct. Sometimes though I just go up in the sky for fun and in that case I don’t have to think about it, it becomes pure improvisation. Often times fear shuts people down. What’s your method for shutting

down fear and ploughing forward? V: It’s good to have fear in a way, especially in our sport. You just have to recognize what kind of fear it is and work with it. When I’m on top of a mountain, just a few seconds before BASE jumping, my heart is beating really fast. But that proves that I’m alive. The emotions could easily take over, but instead I transform the fear into good energy and strength to make me succeed in what I have to do. Sometimes though, I have another kind of fear, a gut feeling that tells me it’s not safe; in that case I stop and decide not to jump. It’s important to listen to your instinct when it tells you that something can go wrong. What are the physical sensations, the sounds, and the emotions like at peak speed with the jets? V: When I am flying the Jetwing my whole body is completely straight and tense. Any movement would completely affect my trajectory; for example, turning my head

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When I’m on top of a mountain, just a few seconds before BASE jumping, my heart is beating really fast. But that proves that I’m alive. The emotions could easily take over, but instead I transform the fear into good energy and strength to make me succeed in what I have to do.

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Photo Credit: DomDaher/Red Bull Content Pool www.facethecurrent.com

a little bit would make my whole body move. We’re wearing helmets with headsets that enable us to talk to each other, so most of the sounds during flight are cancelled. However, when I am accelerating or decelerating, the noise of the engines pretty much tells me how fast I’m going. Feeling the pressure of the air on my whole body, especially during turns, is something insane! How much control of movement and manoeuvrability do you have? Is it like flying like a bird or riding the nose of a bullet? V: I would say flying like a bird, but at the speed of a bullet! (laughs)

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BASE jumping makes me feel like a bird too: I step off the mountain, spread my wingsuit and fly, but I’m only going down. The Jetwing allows me to explore multiple flight directions. And while on the ground it is very heavy and uncomfortable to carry, in the air the Jetwing becomes an extension of my body. The small turbines give amazing thrust and enable me to fly upward and do different manoeuvres. What maximum altitudes do you jump from and what speeds can you reach? V: We’ve recently broken our flight altitude record by climbing up to 5,200 meters (17,000 feet). This altitude was reached from 1,300 meters (4,000 ft) in

5 and ½ minutes at a speed of 200 km/h (110 kts). The average Jetwing flight speed is 220 km/h. We can reach 350 km/h on descent and 200km/h at ascent. Your Mont Blanc jump took place 10km above ground- nearly at the barrier where pressurized suits would have been required to execute the jump… What was going through your mind during that “flight” (free fall)? V: I needed pure concentration and visualization of what I had to do, which was jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 m, flying over the top of Mont Blanc and then down that beautiful region, to finally

Photo Credit: Jetman.com

land on grass at 600 meters. I could have a bad day, but when the action is coming, you switch off everything and clear your mind. If you cannot do that, emotions can take over and you’re likely to make mistakes. Any reflections on that experience once you were back on the ground? V: At first I was really happy for achieving the performance and that it all happened safely. Afterwards, I started to analyse what happened. For example, on that flight, we encountered some turbulence and my teammate’s canopy started to collapse. On those moments you cannot tell yourself “Oh s*#! Something went wrong!!” No. The problem happened. You

focus on solving it and then continue, fully focused on what you have to do. If you live by a motto such as “defy your limits” and you’ve pushed beyond limits most will never get close to- how do you redefine what boundaries and limits mean? V: I don’t really set limits for myself other than what my instinct tells me. I believe we are personally responsible for creating our own limits and boundaries. If someone doesn’t want to do something, it’s usually because he tells himself that he doesn’t want to do it. But if you convince yourself to just try, then anything can be possible.

Does this spill into normal life and how you view and take it on? V: Absolutely. I always say that nothing is impossible, and I will always push myself into giving it a go before I say no to something new. If I don’t like it, then I don’t like it, but at least I can say I tried. I would like to inspire people and kids especially, in opening their minds and their hearts. No matter what your dreams are, you must chase them! For admirers eager to take flight and follow your path, what do you recommend as the best entry into the field? V: The best way to start is to go to the closest skydiving centre and do a tandem www.facethecurrent.com

Photo Credit: DomDaher/Red Bull Content Pool

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jump from an airplane. After that, it’s all inside of you. If you really want to pursue it and you work hard, it will happen. I believe that if you are really motivated, pretty much nothing can stop you. Next to your Emirates flights and Mont Blanc jump, what do you consider to be one of your most epic jumps or flights? V: It’s really hard to say which one was better. To be flying in formation with Yves Rossy next to a giant Emirates A380 was a dream come true! But jumping from the top of the Mont Blanc was another dream as well. It was pure free flying. As a skydiver you fall like a rock but with the wingsuit you get to stay longer in the air. Flying from the top of the Mont Blanc at 10,000m was fantastic as we had a good, long free fall and then a nice time under the canopy. Flying the jetwing with the possibility of an even more extended flight, is an evolution of free flying, and every time it is so incredible! Did you have to do any background study of piloting for flying Jetman? V: No. That’s the funny thing about it. When I met Yves Rossy in 2009 he wanted to find out if other people

could fly the wing, without engines. I had no background of piloting, but I had already several Freefly world championship medals under my belt. I found the very first flight with the rigid wing to be not too hard. The profile was designed to be an extension of your body. And if you know how to fly your body, then it becomes a super-power suit! I now have about 300 flights with the Jetwing, which is approximately 35-40 hours of flight, but I have zero hours piloting. I very much look forward to getting my pilot license to see if everything is linked. Yves, as former fighter pilot with an aviation background and myself as professional skydiver and BASE jumper, bring two areas of flight together, approaching human flight with this beautiful Jetwing. So you would want to fly a fighter jet? V: Oh yeah, for sure! As a kid I’ve always dreamed of being a fighter pilot. When I fly the Jetwing, sometimes it feels quite like I’m piloting a fighter jet but I’m actually outside the plane, and there are hardly any words to describe that! That’s actually the reason why Yves started this project: as a pilot he always felt inside “the box” and wanted to create a system that would allow him to be in the element of air.

As one of the pioneers of human flight, where do you hope to take it? Any current or future projects in the works? V: I don’t consider myself a pioneer of human flight. My mentor, Yves Rossy, certainly is! He became the first man in history to fly a jet-powered wing he personally designed and engineered. I just use his machine to the best of my ability with the intention of exploring its possibilities. We have a lot of projects ahead and we just concluded one. The future goals are to reach stratospheric heights and also being completely autonomous, without any airplane or helicopter’s support to reach the right altitude for take-off. One of the dreams would be having the capabilities of Ironman where you put the suit on, start the engines and take off from the ground. We are quite far from this to happen, but there are some solutions that we are working on. The future is full of possibilities and we just need to keep exploring them.

ymore info: www.jetman.com Social Media: @vincereffet www.soulflyers.com

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We have a lot of projects ahead and we just concluded one. The future goals are to reach stratospheric heights and also being completely autonomous, without any airplane or helicopter’s support to reach the right altitude for take-off.

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FtC sports

If at First you don’t Succeed

By Olympic Athlete, Antoine Adams A.K.A. “The Fastest Producer” At some point in our lives, we all wished that every thing we ever wanted out of life could happen instantly. I have personally dreamt about this happening many times.

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ruth is... Nothing every really happens overnight or instantly and the few times that it may, the effects are never long term. It may take you weeks, months or even years to accomplish something and reach that major goal.

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There WILL be many times you get hit, bruised and knocked down, but you have to get up and keep going. There is no shortcut to success.

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Ever since I could remember walking, I was running fast. I would win all my sports day runs in primary school up until high school. I had the raw talent but never really trained seriously to develop. After all I was always told to just have fun since I was young and not take it too serious. Once I got to about 9th grade, I realized that the guys I was running against had been training all year around and I was not. I lost many races and felt like an underachiever. After high school I took some time off from the sport.

and 200 times. When I was fast enough I would contact coaches from different universities. Long story short, I continuously kept getting injured during the track season. Between 2006 - 2009 I was plagued with injuries. I would start out the season good and then just start going downhill. It was very discouraging and in 2009 I wanted to quit. My dad was the only person who could get me to push on at that point in time. For some reason, he always says the right things to keep me motivated. He has a strong faith in God and always reminded me to never question his work. His favorite quote is “Everything happens for a reason”. It took me a while to start believing this but eventually this helped me to keep pushing through knowing that my time and moment would come.

In October, 2006 while sitting on a step of my community college in Saint Kitts and Nevis, I felt like there was a gap in my life that I needed to fill. I felt like I needed to accomplish more as an athlete. Firstly, I wanted to get an education using my talent. I saw that it was possible as there were many opportunities for athletes with potential to get scholarships to universities in the United States. I had always dream of going to a university overseas and being the first in my family to do so. However, I had not gotten my sprint times fast enough to get any decent scholarship offers. My grades were good but there had to be a balance of good grades and fast tracks times. I made a promise to myself that I would dedicate and commit to training and dropping my 100 www.facethecurrent.com

In 2010 I was finally having a good year. One of the things affecting my speed was my weight. I was not heavy enough. I needed more muscle mass to be able to generate the force into the ground. Power equals speed. I took my diet more seriously and focused on keeping my system really clean. I started doing everything like a professional.

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Before you become what you want to become, you have to tell yourself “I am already [ that thing]” and act upon it.

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I was now fast enough to get a scholarship. However, the rules had changed and I would only have 1 year of eligibility left to attend college. I would have been accepted into Kansas University but things just did not work out due to the rule change. I had a choice to continue on with little to no financial support and try to become a professional or get a 9 to 5 job. I decided to push on and see how far I could get. To get to the professional level, I was going to have to run much faster than I had in 2010. I decided to move to Houston and give it one last shot. This move was probably the best thing I could have done for my career. I honestly had no idea I was going to meet my current coach. It was no 80

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coincidence though. I stayed by family for a bit and eventually moved in with my coach. In 2011, I won a World Championship medal with my teammates in the men’s relay. By 2016 I had competed in the Olympics twice. I am also now signed to Adidas Running and have a pretty impressive resume.

Never give up on your dreams... ymore info: follow Antoine Adams on social media @fastestproducer

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I had a choice to continue on with little to no financial support and try to become a professional or get a 9 to 5 job. I decided to push on and see how far I could get.

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FtC sports

3 Best Practices to Get the Most from your

CrossFit Workouts

You finally took the advice from “that one friend” who talks about nothing other than their workouts at their CrossFit gym (there’s one in every circle of friends). They pushed you for months to give it a try...or you just had to know what the “crazy fitness people” in your work parking lot were actually doing. Maybe you were flipping channels on TV and caught a glimpse of the Reebok CrossFit Games on ESPN and then remembered there’s a CrossFit in your neighbourhood. Whichever the case may be, you decided to give CrossFit a chance and now you’re hooked on it! This is best time to lock in on some key practices to get the most out of your newfound fitness addiction.

By Eamon Sylvester

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Eamon Sylvester is a former CrossFit coach at CrossFit RXD in Anaheim, California since 2010. He holds certifications in CrossFit Level 1, Endurance, Rowing and Football. He’s also a staff member at Power Monkey Fitness Camp staff and entertainment contractor for The CrossFit Games, Reebok and Progenex.

Set time for mobility/foam rolling before and after class. Most people have basic mobility limitations due to the demands of their job life, i.e. sitting at a desk for long hours/driving etc. As a result of this, the hips and shoulders become tight and start to lack full range of motion. Spending 15-30 minutes of mobilizing them before and after class can significantly improve your posture for the physical demands of a CrossFit class.

Focus more on developing technique in the most basic of movements. With the vast diversity of CrossFit movements, it’s easy to want to gravitate toward learning the complex skills like “Muscle-Ups,” “Snatches,” “Rope Climbs,” “Butterfly Pull-ups.” But these skills are best learned having already conquered their foundational counterparts: “The Air Squat,” “The Kipping Pull-up” and “The Deadlift.” Having better form and technique in the basic foundational movements will get you to the advanced skills a lot faster. As CrossFit founder Greg Glassman said “Stick to the basics and when you you’ve mastered them it’s time to start over again, this time paying closer attention.”

Keep a record of your workout times/scores. With CrossFit’s constantly varied workouts, it can be weeks/months before you repeat the same workout or movement pattern. Having a written or digital journal record of every workout performance in your CrossFit class can be one of the measures of your fitness successes. It’s a great feeling when you’ve realized that you beat your previous time/result in a workout or set a new personal record in a lift or distance time.

ymore info: Instagram: @djsly1 FB: @esylvester www.facethecurrent.com

FtC sports

BODY & MIND FITNESS with

Ingo

Ingo Snorrason is a professional Athletic Developer, Personal Trainer, Seminar Speaker, NLP Specialist and a Counselor for various professional athletes and teams. He travels Europe working with people in sports ranging from Handball and Football to Horse Riders and Martial Artists.

reate Confidence with Meditation. Don´t you want to be the one person that keeps their cool no matter what? Self-confidence is to maintain a desired mental state in different situations and confidence is deeply affected by meditation. Modern living is madness! Endless bits of information rush through our senses, hammer our mind and take away from us the freedom to be in “the here and now”. In short, a body under stress is like a break dancing elephant, no balance at all.

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With stress, the Cortisol spikes and along with it the rest of the hormones crumble, resulting in a short breath and a decreased function of the cardiovascular system, aiding increased weight, worse and less sleep and a lower quality of life altogether.

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Let´s just look into few points- With stress, the Cortisol spikes and along with it the rest of the hormones crumble, resulting in a short breath and a decreased function of the cardiovascular system, aiding increased weight, worse and less sleep and a lower quality of life altogether. Now, let´s get real about meditation, it isn´t only for those fabulous monks, all dressed in orange, living high in the mountains of Tibet. Studies upon studies show that doing as little as 10 minutes of meditation daily reduces stress, relieves chronic pain significantly, hits anxiety right in the face, lowers blood pressure and improves the quality of sleep. The simple reason for all the benefits- with meditation we allow ourselves to regulate our mind and body from within, we clear our head and our body follows. Remember that your body is an instrument and who do you think conducts the music? That´s right; your own mind.

out. The fast and furious approachSit down in a chair, place your hands on your thighs, back straight, close your eyes and: • Relax the shoulders and take a few seconds and notice your surroundings; the sound, the brightness, the temperature, if there is something moving around you, the colors, if you are inside or outside. •Then move your attention inwards; if you are warm or cold, if you are relaxed, if you feel pain anywhere, if you breathe freely, etc. • Now let your mind go and clear your head, only noticing your slow breathing. Use the breathing to relax you, even more, each time you breathe

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Congratulations, you just experienced “the here and now“ and that is exactly what mindfulness is. If any thought comes into your mind, while meditating, don´t try to stop it, rather just let it flow by like a boat floating on a river. You don´t have to stop the boat and jump on board, rather just observe it passing, it just takes a few seconds for it to sail into eternity. And another thing! Don´t tell yourself that you don´t have time, if that is your belief then you probably need the meditation more than you might suspect. You know what; higher energy level

gives you more output, more chances, better results, stronger mind. But it has to come from within, that´s really all you can contribute. Focus on yourself and reap the benefits. You know what I mean? Taking charge of your selfdevelopment can start right here! Don’t miss Ingos’s next feature on core-training with the fittest woman on the planet- World Crossfit Champion Katrín Tanja.

ymore info: email ingo@ingo.is

with meditation we allow ourselves to regulate our mind and body from within, we clear our head and our body follows. Remember that your body is an instrument and who do you think conducts the music? That´s right; your own mind

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FtC sports

LIFTSTRONG BY

David Ryan Fitness

High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, seems to be coming to the foreground in popularity recently. But is this just another fitness fad that will come and go like many others before …..or is it the “Real Deal?”

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...4 minutes of HIIT at maximum intensity produces better anaerobic and aerobic improvement than 60 minutes of cardio!

n my opinion, HIIT is one of the most effective ways to improve your fitness and can transform your body if done properly. With HIIT you use short and intense bursts of work followed by short periods of rest. By utilizing certain strength-training movements with sufficient intensity, you can increase your metabolic rate, achieve optimal muscle building and muscle retention while burning fat, and increase calorie burn during and after workouts.

Mobility WarmUp - Perform 10 Slow Reps before Workout Exhale Down Inhale Crouch Exhale Reach

Inhale Stand

Studies show that 4 minutes of HIIT at maximum intensity produces better anaerobic and aerobic improvement than 60 minutes of cardio! Other research is showing that as little as 3 minutes of HIIT one time per week can improve your health. The power of High Intensity Interval Training is simply remarkable – the question is, have you tried it yet? Please note: A medium level of fitness is required before undertaking this kind of physically demanding exercise. A proper muscle warm up should be undertaken before starting the exercise. Here’s a simple bodyweight HIIT routine I’ve developed and often use with clients to get them in top shape.

HIIT Push - Round :20 Work :20 Rest - x4

Push-ups

Perform each exercise for 20 seconds followed by a 20 second rest. You’ll do this for a total of 4 times per exercise making each “round” less than 3 minutes. Round 1 - Push-ups Round 2 - Squats Round 3 - Burpees Round 4 - Mountain Climbers Each of these movements would be considered a “push” movement. By doing a “push” movement every round, you will exhaust those particular muscle groups more than if you simply picked 4 random exercises. Remember, you get out of it what you put into it - the benefits are dependent upon the effort you put in. So go as hard as you can during each round and if you reach muscle failure, great! Take a break or modify the movement. When you keep in mind how short the workouts are, it’s easy to commit to them - you may never workout the same again!

Squats

Burpees

David Ryan is a celebrity trainer in Los Angeles, California and creator of LIFTSTRONG Max Intensity Interval Training.

yYou can get your own personalized HIIT program at www.DavidRyanFitness.com Instagram: DavidRyanFitness YouTube: LIFTSTRONG

Mountain Climbers

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with circle (lens) + text

Jamie Sterling

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BE THE ACTION ™

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6-in-1 assembly

360° Interchangeable Swivel Head & Articulating Joint

MT-PRO KIT 6-in-1 assembly “LIMITED EDITION” The MT-Pro Series Kit easily transforms into six different mounts by simply by reconfiguring its modular components. Included is the MT-7, the most versatile handheld on the market. For capturing POV and 3rd person perspectives. Ideal and super easy to use with most any camera, action cam and smartphone. Perfect for the traveling athlete or adventure photographer who requires streamlined equipment options.

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MT-PRO KIT

6 Mounting Options: Handhelds; MT-1 or MT-7, Flat & Curved Adhesive Mounts; MT-SB or MT-SBX & MT-HM or MT-HMX.

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FtC fAce the current

HEALTH & WELLBEING 92 98

THE TRUE PATH TO HEALTH AND LONGEVITY MEDICINAL HERBS TO HAVE ON HAND FOR THE COLD AND FLU SEASON

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FtC health

The True Path to Health and Longevity

Debunking the myths

Part 1

FtC’s Sasha Frate and Dr. James Bentz recently met with global leader in the health and wellness industry, Dr. Daniel Pompa during his Mastermind Summit event in Park City, Utah. Together they discussed Dr. Pompa’s methodology, which seeks the root cause of illness and removes it so the body can execute the healing- a method that runs counter to mainstream tactics, which focus on suppressing symptoms. Dr. Pompa, D.PSc. is an educator for practitioners and the public on the root causes of inflammation driven diseases such as Weight Loss Resistance, Hypothyroid, Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,Autoimmune Disorders and other chronic conditions.

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Fatigue became anxiety, then insomnia, and then every food I ate I reacted to. I thought it was my thyroid because my body temperature was low, my hair was thinning, my adrenals were shot and I couldn’t adapt to stress anymore. Every time I would address either of those, some things would get better, but some things would get worse. This put me on the path that I’m on today

teaching doctors what I learned in that battle. Dr. Pompa:. Most people with illnesses have been told “that’s just your genes; you got cancer because it runs in your family.” There’s no doubt that we all have susceptibilities, there’s even pure genetic conditions- but they are very few. Now we know that these genes are susceptibilities that get

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Right now there’s a gap between what’s happening in science and what’s happening in the treatment world. We know how to turn these genes off, and that’s the exciting news for people.

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Dr. Pompa: When I started this path, I was a practicing Chiropractor with a desire to make a difference and change lives. I saw a bigger purpose, but I didn’t know what it was. I found it the hard way. I was an athlete training for upcoming bike races. I got very sick, so I backed up on training, like most athletes would, but it didn’t go away.

Dr. Pompa: Bruce Lipton wrote “The Biology of Belief,” and he is an amazing world leader in stem cell biology. He was one of the first to say that even our thoughts can change our DNA. Dr. Bentz: Remember when they came out and talked about “junk DNA,” that more than ninety percent of our DNA was “junk.” They didn’t know what it did! Now we know that it controls the other 7-8%. I think you’re one of the only people I know that is addressing this in a practical way.

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Reprogramming Cells for Healthy Genetics

Glyphosate

Dr. Pompa: There are studies where they give toxins to animals and watch the genes turn on. What’s not talked about is the fact that we know how to turn them off. Diet plays a major role. Certain things that people are lacking today, like methylation. Methylation gets depleted with chemical stress, emotional, or physical. Athletes get depleted in it, and now genes can be turned on because methylation protects our genes. If we can upregulate this simple cellular pathway, we can turn off genes.

Dr. Pompa: Stephanie Seneff is the Senior Scientist at MIT and her studies are showing that there’s a chemical called Glyphosate, which is pretty much in all food if it’s not 100% organic food. Our generation didn’t experience it as much, but this young generation is being bombarded with this chemical. It’s in everything they’re eating. Studies show it’s putting holes in the guts of our children. An estimated 95% of America has “leaky gut.” If you haven’t heard that word, you will. It means you have food allergies, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune; it leads to all of it.

“We know even times like fasting and moving in and out of certain fasts and changing diet can turn off genes. So this is an exciting time.” My passion is bringing this message to more practitioners and therefore to the people that are out there going “I’m doing everything, but I still don’t feel well.” “I still don’t have energy.” “I have brain fog.” “My hormones aren’t right.” If I didn’t live it myself, I wouldn’t be out there leading this mission. Sasha: This is truly adding a whole new meaning to “You are what you eat…”

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Gluten when we were growing up wasn’t the same as gluten today- it’s been denatured and changed. The point is, is it gluten, or is it this chemical Glyphosate? Seneff ’s research, and now others’, has shown that this Glyphosate chemical is causing holes in the gut and disrupting our good bacteria, which is making people more susceptible to not just gluten but other toxins.

“As a matter of fact, some of her research even shows that this chemical allows heavy metals and other toxins to cross into the brain. Conditions like autism, diabetes, thyroid and even obesity are correlated to high levels of Glyphosate.” Researcher Nancy Swanson puts together these correlation studies looking at Glyphosate levels in different conditions and science shows that this is no doubt a poison being put in our food. Yet the company behind it has so much political power that we are one of the only countries in the world that hasn’t banned this stuff. Dr. Bentz: And that’s just one of how many toxins that we’re exposed to?! Dr. Pompa: My parents didn’t start getting sick until their 60s. That’s when inflammation conditions started. And they did a lot of bad things; that was the smoking generation, so it’s not like they were innocent. But my generation started getting sick in their 30s and 40s, and today it’s teenagers.

“Whether it’s cancer, diabetes… the generation of 2000 are the first generation to not out live their parents. One in three will be projected to have diabetes and by 2032 they are estimating one out of every two kids will fall into the autism spectrum, which includes ADD. We have to ask ourselves why.” Dr. Bentz and I grew up in the led and mercury generation and now we add this new Glyphosate to it. I believe it’s like a primordial soup of neurotoxins. If we don’t get to the cause, then we’re never going to fix the problem, ever. It’s not about another pill, I promise you. Sasha: As far as diet and taking control of your genetic expression, let’s talk about sugar. Dr. Mercola noted that “Your genes remember a hit of sugar for two weeks, switching off genetic controls that normally protect from diabetes & heart disease.” What is the amount of time one can expect it to take to change his or her genetic expression from triggering “bad genes” to triggering the “good” ones?

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Sugar V Grains- the Impact Dr. Pompa: When most people change their diet they don’t feel good at first because their body will actually start a detox process. It is typically a couple weeks before they actually do feel better. People don’t want to hear the old message of “change your diet” or “Eat more fruits and vegetables,” don’t we all know that? It’s a deeper issue.

“Growing up kids were thin, and it wasn’t a perfect diet of fruits and vegetables. What changed? I believe it’s the type of toxin and how they are playing a big role at the cellular level.” A saying that I’ve become known for is “You won’t get well until you fix the cell.” A dietary change is valid and a simple changes people can make is take out sugar. Dr. Bentz in your practice what have you found to have the greatest impact for your patients, taking out sugar or grains? Dr. Bentz: By far grains. My son in law is a good example. He struggled with weight for a long time, and the guy loves his bread and pasta. He finally got a big scare with his blood pressure elevating and the doctor wanted him to go on statins. He asked me what to do and I told him to cut the grains out. He called me up ten days later asking if it was possible that his joint pain could be better and I said “absolutely.”

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Dr. Pompa: Reducing pain and brain fog is more noticeable when you remove grains… even more than sugar. Grains have become the hidden sugar. Bill Davis wrote a book called “Wheat Belly,” and he points out in his book that 2 slices of whole grain bread is equal to drinking a 12 oz. soda in how it raises blood sugar. People are like “What?!” Because they wake up in the morning and have their whole wheat bagel thinking “it’s got to be good for me.” I didn’t eat grains for four years when I was getting my health back, but once you’re healthy, you can eat healthy ancient grains that haven’t been altered or denatured. Look at the amount of carbohydrates humans are eating today- genetically we are all different, but we weren’t designed to be consuming this amount of carbohydrates. If you want to age slower than anybody in your neighbourhood: control glucose and insulin. Even from a disease perspective. A lot of people say they don’t eat a lot of sugar, but when you analyze their diet, it’s grain after grain…or fruit juice- which raises glucose more than table sugar. It’s these hidden things that are really killing people today.

“Raising glucose and insulin is the fastest way to age. When you look at the amount of toxins, it is really the main culprit why people don’t feel well and can’t lose weight today. It’s affecting the cell and that’s why it’s affecting so many aspects of health.” Sasha: A lot of people are tired of hearing about “gluten-free,” and many are just plain not willing to give up their bread. What do you recommend as a great compromise-adjustment for those who just aren’t willing to go 100% gluten free? Dr. Pompa: First of all, it depends on where their health is. I would not have gotten well if I had kept grains in my diet. When you have glucose and insulin spikes, it drives inflammation and when you’re already challenged at a toxic level like I was- you can’t immediately take all of the toxins out of the body that drive cellular inflammation. This is where glucose control is important. Therefore when you take grains out and now you’re focused more on vegetables as your #1 carbohydrate source it really is a game changer controlling inflammation by controlling glucose.

The Fats Myth Dr. Pompa: You mention Dr. Mercola who talks about the dangers of over consuming protein. We’ve talked about bad carbohydrates, too much carbohydrates. Carbs are good, fat is amazing, protein is good; we need it all, but we’re eating too many carbohydrates and we can end up ingesting too much protein. I think the very thing that we fear the most today is fat, and it’s probably the most important of all of them for our brain and our cells and yet we’ve been told a lie that fat makes you fat, that it’s bad for you and will cause disease. I will make an argument of certain fats, but there are a lot of lies there as well, as far as which fats are the bad fats. If I asked the audience which fats they thought were bad they would almost all say saturated fat and cholesterol. Dr. Bentz and I would make the argument that those are two of the fats that we see lacking the most in people. In fact studies are showing that these fats are probably the most important and what humans are really craving today, probably because we’ve run away from them.

“Cholesterol is the main fat for making hormones and brain function. Saturated fat and cholesterol are integral

from people loading up on in how our cell membranes dominance fish oil supplements. When people first start taking this omega-3 supplement they work, which is very are often so overbalanced in omega-6, which you get from corn and vegetable important to how you feel oils, that they start to feel better. Then they keep taking fish oil and now we are and how everything works seeing the imbalance that can occur with in your body. So saturated overconsumption of omega-3. There is a balance omega-3 and omega-6 in nature. fat and cholesterol are not Eating clean, good fish is very important the villains that they’ve been and grass fed meat. made out to be. I call these Don’t miss Part 2 in next months’ edition, where our team will continue to explain things 180 degree solutions, the benefits of Fasting, Mitochondrial Health, the impact of GMO toxins, meaning it’s 180 degrees Hormones, and natural, effective anti-aging. opposite of what we’ve been ymore info: taught.” Sasha: Two things fairly critical with healthy fat consumption are their ability to help satiate and reducing sugar intake and cravings, and the other being the importance of understanding the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in our diet.

For more information, go to www.drpompa.com and www.fidalgoislandhealthcenter.com

Dr. Pompa: I say 180-degree solutioneveryone is taking fish oil to get these healthy omega-3 fats, but now for the first time in years we’re seeing omega-3

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FtC health

medicinal herbs to have on hand for the cold and flu season The Autumnal flux in temperatures can be the advent of recurring sniffles and coughs. Nature offers many powerful and effective remedies that can stave off or cure these annoying symptoms without the need for synthetic treatments, so before you dash to the doctor’s, check out these useful-toknow preventative and curative medicinal plants and herbs.

stimulating diaphoretics

are indicated when an individual feels cold, is shivering, and has a weak pulse. These herbs provide support as they enter the bloodstream and are being eliminated through sudoriferous glands where they stimulate the surrounding nerves and consequently stimulate perspiration. Stimulating diaphoretics include sage, sarsaparilla, thyme, ginger, horseradish, and bee balm. Thyme is a great stimulating diaphoretic that can be used for fevers and it is a great culinary herb that can be incorporated into a hot soup to help support and nourish the body. In a soup thyme could be combined with ginger, another stimulating diaphoretic and garlic for antiviral and additional immune support. Thyme can also be taken as a hot infusion and it is often recommended to combine it with demulcent herbs such as flaxseed or marshmallow to help soothe and alleviate coughs that may accompany a fever.

thym

relaxing diaphoretics

help open up the pores through their influence on the periphery sensory nerves causing relaxation and dilating of the superficial capillaries and vessels. Blood flow is increased and results in increased perspiration. Some of the relaxing diaphoretic herbs can also offer pain relief that is often associated with fevers. Relaxing diaphoretics include yarrow, meadowsweet, elder flower, chamomile, willow, hyssop, boneset, and linden. Yarrow is used medicinally to help raise the body’s temperature when taken as a hot infusion. It helps to open the pores of the skin and promote perspiration. Yarrow is also a favorite diaphoretic herb choice for remedying fevers by many people for its combined antiviral action.

diaphoretic herbs

are associated with the immune system, and they influence circulation and elimination through perspiration. Diaphoretics are broadly used to fight fevers; helping to induce or promote perspiration while supporting the body’s natural immune response of a raised temperature. These types of herbs can be supportive and used in either a relaxing or stimulating manner.

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expectorant herbs

Inula helenium (elecampane) is a nauseating expectorant that is indicated for wet coughs and also acts as an effective antiseptic. Nauseating expectorants can be used in small amounts and with repeated doses to avoid vomiting, while reaping the medicinal benefits of stimulating osmosis from inflamed mucus membranes to aid in drying excess mucus. Several lactones in the essential oil in elecampane root contain antiseptic properties. Not only is elecampane effective for chronic respiratory tract issues, but it is also specific for the digestive system in treating digestive complaints. It can be prepared as a decoction, fluid extract, or tincture for medicinal uses in treating asthma, bronchitis, coughs, and general lung complaints. Elecampane is an herb that combines well with other expectorants and demulcents. Specifically, combining Echinacea angustifolia (Echinacea) with elecampane results in an increase in the antiseptic action. Echinacea is also a diaphoretic, immuno-modulator, and immunostimulator, which are actions that combine well with an expectorant herb to help support the immune system and protect against infection. Hyssopus officinalis (L.), otherwise known as Hyssop has cough relieving, expectorant, diaphoretic, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory therapeutic actions. Hyssop is also said to have anti-spasmodic action of the respiratory system. The medicinal uses for hyssop are: asthma, bronchitis, bruises, catarrh, chickenpox, colds, coughs, fevers, indigestion, skin problems, and sore throat. Hyssop’s suggested use is an infusion three times a day, or taking two capsules three times a day. Allium sativum (L.), otherwise known as garlic has such profound therapeutic actions that when “used daily, garlic aids and supports the body in ways that no other herb can match” (Hoffman, 2003, p. 526). Some of its actions include expectorant, diaphoretic, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and hematoprotective. Garlic’s medicinal uses are also quite profound, having earned the name “cure-all” and being a blood purifier. It is used as an antiseptic against many strains of drug-resistant bacteria, it lowers high blood pressure, absorbs fatty deposits from arterial walls helping to prevent atherosclerosis and toning the cardiovascular system. In addition to cleansing excess mucus and catarrh from the body as an effective expectorant, garlic also helps with diabetes Type II, rids the body of worms and parasites, and inhibits growth of tumors.

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Wondering where to purchase quality sourced herbs for medicinal use? The American College of Healthcare Sciences’ Apothecary Shoppe carries Organic Therapeutic Grade herbs available for purchase online at: http://www.apothecary-shoppe.com www.facethecurrent.com

FtC fAce the current

BUSINESS 102 106 110 114 118

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I AM SIRI IT’S TIME TO MONETIZE YOUR BUSINESS 5 WAYS LIVING WALL AND GREEN ROOF SYSTEMS ARE CHANGING YOUR WORLD WORLD FAMILY IBIZA Influencer Marketing Done Right (And Wrong)

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i am siri by sasha frate

Meeting the World’s Most In-Demand Personal Assistant Siri is best known as “the personal assistant that helps you get things done.” She has an answer for pretty much anything. Many think of her as an intelligent entity, some believe she is alive and has her own personality and others go as far as falling in love with her. FtC spoke with

Susan Bennett

the human behind the original Siri voice, bringing the marvels of this much loved technology to light and laying some myths to rest.

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What is the selection process for some of the more humorous answers? That’s all done by the programmers. We just read all kinds of phrases and sentences and then technicians and computers go in and extract sound clips from these recordings to form new sentences and phrases; which are what end up on the devices. It’s all up to the programmers. What amuses you most about how people interact with Siri? Well…I do find it amazing that some people have established relationships with the App (laughs) That’s pretty amazing! What would you say to the people out there asking for advice or favours…all the things that Siri is not intended to answer? I think that because of the amazing technology that we have in this lifetime alongside all the technological advances we are witnessing, people confuse the App for a real person as a result. I think that’s a little bit dangerous… we are losing our humanity. It’s like people forget that our own personal computers are between our ears…there for us to use! Because information is so readily available anywhere, on all our devices, whether you are pressing a button or using voice activation “Information is now instantaneous. That’s something that’s relatively new to humans. In the past if we wanted to find out an answer, we had to research it. We had

to go through a process in which we actually used our own brain to figure out an answer to a question or to resolve something. Now we are generally sidestepping that process.” In many cases it’s wonderful to have this information at our fingertips…but I think there’s a danger to relying on it completely. What was it like interviewing yourself (Siri) for CNN? I did that as a demo. My husband and I put it together….and it was a great, really fun project.

“

Information is now instantaneous. That’s something that’s relatively new to humans. In the past if we wanted to find out an answer, we had to research it. We had to go through a process in which we actually used our own brain to figure out an answer to a question or to resolve something. Now we are generally sidestepping that process.

“

What’s the story behind becoming the voice the world knows as Siri? The story remains a bit of a mystery. I guess the folks at Apple know all the details, but…(laughs). We did the recordings for a company called Nuance, which was a text to speech company and they provide voices for GPSs and all kinds of things. Apple came in as a third party and got our voices from Nuance, so that’s why we didn’t really know that we were the voices of Siri until she appeared in 2011. Amazingly, Apple did not create Siri – it was 3 engineers who created her and Apple bought the App from them and developed it further. We don’t know if we were chosen by the creators, Apple, or Steve Jobs personally – we have no idea… so it still remains a mystery.

Recording voices for Siri took 4 1/2hrs a day for one entire month. Do you know approximately how many words/phrases were recorded in all? It was 4 hours a day, 5 days a week for the month of July and then I did updates for 4 months in 2011 and 2012. It was a lot of information…I wouldn’t be able to say exactly…but thousands! Most people probably don’t recognise you on the streets. What’s it like hearing someone use Siri when you are right there, thinking “that’s me!” They have changed all the original Siri voices with the OS7 system, so if you have

an iPhone6, it’s no longer me. We think the reason that Apple did that is because they have a big deal about secrecy. We didn’t have non-disclosure agreements with Apple, so we were all promoting ourselves. They didn’t want the general public to know who the voice was. During the time I was the voice, only one person at any time, anywhere, recognised me… the banker at my bank. I told him “wow, you’re in the wrong field – you’ve got really good ears, you should be in the audio business!” What’s one of your favourite scenarios that you have overheard while someone was using Siri? I have to say that I’m not as enthralled with Siri as the rest of the world seems to be. For me there’s definitely a disconnection there. I don’t really use voice activation, unless perhaps if I get lost. Maybe it’s because I spent so many years as a voice actor…I’d just rather do it the old fashioned way and type it out! I didn’t like using the App when it was my own voice, because it was just too weird. I was used to hearing my own voice on TV and radio commercials…but to have my own voice coming out of this tiny miniaturized phone computer was just too weird! It’s very popular amongst kids. A lot of them talk to her like she is a real person. “I think that with technology, we’re kind of missing a part of human interaction. I notice it a lot in people now…how you don’t get that sense of courtesy from people. People don’t seem to use “excuse me”, “sorry”, “please” or “thank you” anymore…and to me, these are the lubricants of life.” I think we are really missing out on that. Teach your children to be polite (laughs.) Yes definitely, the connection has changed through generations for sure. It has to do with the speed of things. Everyone’s got ADD now; they expect answers, and they expect complete answers immediately. People get frustrated with Siri; that maybe she doesn’t understand them all the time- meanwhile, they might have a very pronounced accent…and yet still wonder why www.facethecurrent.com

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“

I think that with technology, we’re kind of missing a part of human interaction. I notice it a lot in people now…how you don’t get that sense of courtesy from people. People don’t seem to use “excuse me”, “sorry”, “please” or “thank you” anymore…and to me, these are the lubricants of life

“

she can’t understand them. If they stopped for a minute to realise and appreciate the incredible technology, the research and all of the work behind the scenes that went into creating this App…but people no longer stop and take these things into consideration. “Siri is an amazing accomplishment, but people just take it for granted. It comes in this beautiful, incredible package but no one seems to take into consideration what an amazing feat it is!” Do you have a useful tip for Siri users that many people may not be aware of? I’m not really a tech-y person, which is kind of ironic. There are a couple of funny ones in there. Steve Jobs was very involved in the development of Siri and he had some of the humour and comedy that he liked embedded in there. There’s a comedy group called The Firesign Theatre, that started off in the 70’s. They were

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really amazing at predicting how we would live and what technology we would have. They had this character named Clem who was a computer hacker. He was going to go to the fair of the future to hack into the main computer there. As he arrived, this hologram rushes up to him and asks him his name. He was so startled, he said “Um..Clem.” For some reason, he also always referred to himself as “Worker.” So if you say “Hi Siri, Worker here” Siri will say, “Hello Um..Clem. What function may I perform for you?” There are all kinds of things like that embedded in Siri. With all the advancements in AI technology, in what ways do you think Siri’s personality and answering skills would evolve in the future? I think technology is improving and advancing at lightening speed and if you listen to Siri now, compared to 5 years ago (she was 5 years old in October) the voice sounds less bumpy and less robotic. I don’t know if they will ever be able to mimic a true human voice and the intonations of

human speech…but they are definitely trying. She will also have more and more answers as they will keep improving that. What are some of the other places people might recognise your voice? A lot of work that I do isn’t really featured. I’m one of the voices at Delta Airlines gates worldwide. My voice is on a lot of GPS systems- I don’t even know all of them. As far as commercials, one of the most recent ones is an AT&T commercial. Other than that, I do a lot of narrations, phone messaging and that kind of thing. You could well have heard my voice without realising it! How would you advise people to limit the use of technology and maintain connection without relying on technology sources so heavily? I think we are past that. I think everyone relies on them completely and utterly. “You need to give it a rest every day. Put it down and go outside. Maintain your humanity and your body…it’s something

“

Siri is an amazing accomplishment, but people just take it for granted. It comes in this beautiful, incredible package but no one seems to take into consideration what an amazing feat it is!

“

many people have to work on, because the alternative is so easy. I do it myself. You start looking at something on Facebook… and 20mins later, you’re still sitting there. You do yourself a favour not having that energy around you all day long.” I charge it away from where I am sleeping. As a courteous gesture, if you go out to talk and relate to people, leave your mobile in your bag or car…actually talk to people!!

“

You need to give it a rest every day. Put it down and go outside. Maintain your humanity and your body…it’s something many people have to work on, because the alternative is so easy. I do it myself. You start looking at something on Facebook…and 20mins later, you’re still sitting there. You do yourself a favour not having that energy around you all day long.

“ “

ymore info: susancbennett.com Twitter @SiriouslySusan www.facethecurrent.com

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It’s Time To Monetize Your Business by David Asarnow, Founder of Business Oxygen

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Have you ever met someone who just always seems lucky? The person who blinks or snaps his fingers and miraculously has everything he wants in his life and business.You know, the person that just seems to have it ALL? Yes, that one, the person who just flashed in your mind.That’s whom we are talking about.

So what does this person do that enables him to achieve their goals and create a life that 98% of the world can only dream of? There is a secret. Well, actually it’s not really a secret at all. People who live the life of their dreams just followed the stepby-step proven formula for success that works. They harness the power within all of us that remains dormant in most others. Yes, if you haven’t guessed it yet, they harness the power of their mind. When I was younger, I enjoyed running track. Sometimes I would win, sometimes I would lose and I started to wonder, “What is the key to winning?” So one day, I decided to go to the library and read more about top athletes to discover the secret to their success. I picked up a book that talked about Eastern European

athletes. It explained how they used the power of visualization to achieve greater results.

I was fascinated and intrigued. How could someone “train” to win by simply thinking about it? I devoured several books on the subject and started to test it out for myself. I began visualizing my own races. In my mind, I ran and re-ran the race the night before and again on race day. It was so real! I could hear the gunfire, the out of

the blocks running down the track. I could see the seconds tick off the stopwatch. I saw ahead every hurdle as it approached and then easily cleared the hurdles and perfected my form, shaving precious fractions of a second off the clock as my mind raced through the event--feeling, seeing, and experiencing every nuance of the race as if it was actually occurring. So what was the result of all this mind training? It was amazing! I would finish every race within fractions of a second of what I had visualized and mentally recorded in my pre-race rehearsals. What does this show? The mind is a powerful tool – more powerful than most of us give it credit. Are you using this most powerful tool to your advantage?

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Are you ‘training’ in your mind to win every day or are you one of the many people who actually prepare themselves by programming their mind to fail? Harnessing your mind for success is the first step on the path to extreme success and monetizing your business in the new economy. Over the coming months, I will be discussing simple and easy to implement strategies that can radically shift your business, however unless your head is in the right pace, you have belief in your success, you won’t successfully implement one single proven strategy that we talk about.

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BusinessOxyg

w your and let me kno ess greatest busin ill use challenges. I w es as your challeng r an inspiration fo cle. upcoming arti

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Does this sound a bit harsh? Good! Which do you prefer? An easy mentor who sugarcoats things and brings you to a land of milk and honey that will quickly disappear? Or would you prefer a mentor that sits you down for a delicious seven course meal of proven strategies that will have you bursting at the seams with ready-tobuy customers and profits, as well as the added benefit of showing you how to digest and implement all of the strategies? Here’s the bottom line: No matter how great marketing strategies are, you will not see profits unless you are ready, willing, and able to get your head in the game and take the direct, committed and consistent efforts that

only the most successful take. You must be prepared to do what the 1% uber-successful entrepreneurs do. The kind of success we are talking about requires guts, boldness, the ability to move rapidly and the willingness to change your approach so that you create a tsunami of clients and prospects that want to do business with you.

ymore info: www.BusinessOxygen.net www.HowToMonetize.net davidasarnow.com

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FtC business

5 Ways Living Walls and Green Roof Systems Are Changing YOUR World by sasha frate

As one of the largest installers of solar energy systems, living walls, and green roofs in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S., SolTerra’s business model incorporates an in-house operation as a sustainable building firm that results in maximum efficiency in product, build, and design. What began as a solar installation business quickly grew to offer additional eco-efficient systems, connecting us even closer with nature. SolTerra has now taken their vision beyond building development, expressing their plan to reinvent the way entire cities operate. They have set out to make their forward thinking approach to green living and business common knowledge, proving that sustainable living and its far-reaching benefits are within reach for everyone. Sasha Frate recently met with SolTerra’s living walls expert Angela Jones to learn more about their concept and share how these sustainable systems can make their impact in your life.

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Angela, tell me how Solterra is at the leading edge in eco-design and why your company is self-acclaimed as disruptive & adventurous? Solterra connects people to nature in the city by building super green apartment buildings, commercial spaces, and homes. We do this with our installation of living walls, green roofs, and solar panels. Solterra is adventurous because we are doing things that no one has done before, such as with our Vera living wall patented system that has been developed over many years. The Vera Wall is a modular system, meaning that it’s panels that connect in order to fit any kind of design. It’s integrated, so the roots of the plants can travel feet rather than staying within a small pocket like other systems. We’re disruptive, because we have figured out how to build green efficiently. We are vertically integrated with in house developers, designers, architects, builders, engineers, and therefore we are able to work together to create the building efficiently versus having to sub-contract out; and that’s disrupting the typical system. We are proving that living sustainability is within reach for everyone. What is the basis for selecting plant varieties for living walls?

The plant selection for living walls is actually quite thorough. The first basis for selecting plant varieties is choosing plants that are going to be suited for the local environment; plants that typically grow natively in the area or are well-adapted. We then start with the aspect of the building, so if the wall is facing south or west, we’re going to choose plants that can tolerate high temperatures and full sun condition. Whereas if the wall is facing north or east we’re going to choose plants

that handle a shady environment. Interior walls can be installed anywhere, but they do require artificial light to thrive. Are living walls adaptable to any space or do they have certain requirements to thrive? Especially for outdoor walls we select hardy plants, or plants from the local region that have a seasonal interest as well as our year round Evergreen. We also look for attributes that can produce berries and nectar sources for birds, amphibians and other fauna. We like to consider client’s

design intent as well, whether there’s a specific color they’re looking for or a specific purpose. We also consider the specific conditions on the wall; for the tops of the wall we’re going to look for plants that can handle a dryer environment, whereas in the bottoms of the walls we look for plants that can handle moist conditions. At one of our apartment buildings called The Woodlawn, we have one of the largest living walls on the West Coast, and it boasts about 50% native plants. Right after planting we saw about 4 varieties of birds move in and actually nest in that environment. Solterra does a lot along the West Coast and Pacific Northwest regions of the U.S. Are you able to work with other climates as well, and other countries? We would be very interested in working with other parts of the world. We would love to collaborate with local horticulturists and designers to make sure that we’re using plant specific conditions and the wall with definitely thrive. The idea of an edible vertical garden built into a kitchen sounds amazing! What are some options for edible vertical gardens?

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The easiest plants would probably be working with herbs for your edible vertical wall. The second would be working with lettuce greens or salads. Anything that’s quick and easy to grow in your garden could probably translate very well to a living wall. Things that would be harder to grow would be root crops or large nutrient craving plants such as corn, squash, and larger plants. How does the re-growth work if you are consuming from the edible living wall? Re-growth can really work if you have the right conditions such as proper drainage and lighting for the wall. It also may not look perfect year round if you’ve cut them down, but the greens will re-sprout and you could probably get a few turns off one planting before you’d have to start over again.

wall as well as your salad bowl. Things like Nasturtiums and Violas would grow very wall in a wall.

You’ve mentioned flowers before, being incorporated in the living walls. Is that something that’s possible for the edible living walls as well? Sure, there’s actually quite a few edible flowers that I think would really enhance the

What kind of maintenance is involved with living walls? You want to scale the size of the wall to what your means are and how much time you have to care for the garden, because it is a garden; it’s not just an art piece. You do need to interact with it and care for it on a regular basis. They do require regular maintenance, and the best method is preventative maintenance, which is checking the wall about once every other week. Other maintenance includes pruning and fertilizing on a regular basis, ensure that the irrigation system is working correctly… All living walls should have an irrigation system, and we don’t recommend hand watering just for the sake of consistency and the health of the wall. Again, you’re pretty much treating it like a garden, it’s just on a vertical surface. Can it be cost effective? Yes, it can be cost effective to have a living wall. One of the things you should consider is access;

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making sure the wall is very easy to access and the type of equipment that you’re going to use to access the wall. To ensure that the wall is cost effective, you want to scale it within in your means. You want make sure it’s accessible, easy to maintain, and that the equipment needed to maintain the wall is not out of the realm of possibility. It should also be professionally installed with proper water-proofing, irrigation, drainage, and correct lighting. There’s definitely an aesthetic factor to living walls, but what is the REAL impact? I believe the greatest impact living walls can make is in the urban environment. As cities become increasingly denser, there’s less square footage for trees to grow; trees providing one of the greatest environmental benefits. Livings walls are incredible at absorbing carbon monoxide and contributing oxygen to the environment. One could argue that living walls require more infrastructure; but the infrastructure is already there so we’re just asking the infrastructure to be more efficient in creating positive impacts. Humans have a natural instinct to be close to living things. This is called biophilia, and it seems to be a growing trend in popularity that plants and people need to be closer together to create a healthy environment. Biophilia is a feeling that people get when they are close to living

things. A lot of receptionists say that living walls placed in the waiting areas help the patients relax before their appointments. There are also some current studies with kids that have attention disorders, and they experience a more relaxed and stress-free environment when there are plants in the near neighborhood. We’ve also noticed that when there are toys and a living wall in a room, kids immediately go to the living wall over the toys. We all know that urban environments have historically not been healthy environments for people, and it’s a great benefit that living walls can be incorporated virtually anywhere; from a narrow corridor to indoors. Whereas trees are not able to have that square footage anymore, plus it takes trees years to grow to a size that can contribute with a beneficial impact. As soon as a living wall is built and developed, it can immediately contribute to the environment. How does it reduce noise pollution? Living walls disrupt the sound waves that occur in noise pollution. They basically just create a barrier that prevents the sound from bouncing back off a solid wall. Why would integration of green living systems actually increase property value? We see living walls as part of the home’s personality, and therefore it’s just making the home more attractive in brining in nature as part of it. We think that it’s capitalizing on existing infrastructure by utilizing what’s already there, such as the structure, water, and the landscape that already exists. For instance at the

Woodlawn Apartments, we collect the rainwater off of the green roof; then use this water to irrigate the living wall; then the water that drains off the living wall is used into the ground landscape. So we’re taking a building and this system, and we’re using the water three times before it’s drained into the ground. Very practical, functional, efficient, and there’s a “feelgood” to know that you’re maximizing a resource and not just using it once. Green spaces are growing in popularity around the globe, and they can now be seen in new eco-design architecture in a lot of places. Where do you see the future of green spaces and living walls going... Do you see potential for vertical agriculture for example? Yes I do believe there’s potential for vertical agriculture, just like there is an agricultural boom in doing it on rooftops as well. When we’re working with these denser urban environments and higher density populations it just makes sense to increase their productivity in a square footage, whether it’s on rooftops, on walls; we all know the traditional ground type of landscaping and agriculture is becoming more and more limited, and therefore utilizing other infrastructures to create the benefits that we see from ground landscaping can only be a good thing.

ymore info: www.solterra.com @SolTerraLiving www.facethecurrent.com

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FtC

World Family business

Ibizaé

for the love of life

by Naia Reid

It’s hard to believe that one of the world’s most loved Bohemian-look fashion designers, began creating beside the humble fire of a teepee. Before starting her family and incredible designing career, Dutch born Merel Krielaart of World Family Ibiza, lived with her partner Alok in a hand made home, selling handmade fashion items at the local market in Ibiza. She had left a life of luxury…to look for a deeper purpose. Once they settled together in Ibiza, Merel discovered that the energy of the land and people there opened up a boundless flow of creativity for her. From the hippy market to the world’s most upmarket fashion outlets, World Family grew and began a family-run, colourful, adventure-filled legacy that is loved and worn all over the globe.

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Hi Merel! Thank you so much for taking the time out during your busiest season to talk to FtC. Tell us a little about the concepts and inspiration behind this gorgeous collection. This year’s collection is partly inspired by the ceremonies we do with tribal people from different parts of the world and their different traditions and customs. There is a lot of symbolism; like the wheel of the four races, feathers, drawings of birds used by different tribes and later we made embroideries out of them that you can find in our tunics, blouses, men’s shirts and dresses. Another part of the collection has a rock ‘n roll touch to it; where we used blacks, reds and combined them with metal studs that were handmade for us in Afghanistan. Then there is a third part that consists of dresses and kaftans made of stamped silk materials and beadwork. All this can be combined together, which means that the collection with different elements becomes a whole…it becomes one. Your collections are deeply infused with culture and creative expression. During your travels, what country left the biggest impression on you and why? Out of all the countries we have been to, I can say that the two countries that inspire us most are India and Mexico. India; because of the unbelievable colours and the endless creativity… which I adore. Because of the great contrast that you can find in this country, between beauty and ugliness, wonderful smells and bad smells, between rich and poor, yet the wonderful artwork comes from the humble people. Mexico is one of those amazing colourful countries, where you can still find many men and women dressed in their traditional clothes and where the way of embroidering changes from region to region. In both countries handwork, music and religion are tidily woven together. Tell us the story behind some of the special pieces/ items you collect during your travels, which you then incorporate into your collections. After all these years of travelling, we have of course our special addresses where we buy. One time we were in India at the house of a collector of www.facethecurrent.com

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embroideries. It is a family that goes all over the country from house to house collecting embroideries. They keep their special pieces under the bed! They invited us for dinner and after dinner we started to go through the wonderful embroideries. It was 1.30 in the morning when we finished! There were no taxis available, but the father found us a rickshaw. It was winter and very cold. The rickshaw had no lights. We went on the highway and from everywhere the trucks zoomed up out of the thick mist. That was very scary and we were freezing.

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The driver got lost and drove us into an area were people were living in slums. There were people gathered around fires in metal barrels and dogs started barking at us. The driver entered in a little muddy street between the shack houses. We told him to turn around but he didn’t listen and the situation became more and more awkward. My mom and children were somewhere in Delhi in a hotel sleeping and the only thing we wanted was to arrive safely and quickly back to them. At the end of street, three men were sitting on a bench and the street was getting more and more narrow. The men looked up, the rickshaw stopped. Our

hearts were pounding like crazy. Alok stood up and said very firmly to turn around. I don’t know why but the guy listened and did so. We felt we had escaped something very unpleasant. The trip to come home took us one and a half hours. I remember saying to Alok, “My god, people should know what we have to go through before the bag hangs in the shop!” What is your family secret to love, success, happiness and creative flow? I think to be grateful in a conscious way for everything that we have… and have love and family as a priority, above all other

things. Money is needed but it’s not what drives us, that’s love. We try to be open to everything and live life as an adventure, that’s why there is always space for new things like experiences and creation to come in. What is the vision for World Family Ibiza for the future? For the past 18 years we have organized a party called “Namaste”. Our main base is in Las Dalias, but we also do parties in other places. It is a party where all ages and people from all walks of life are welcome. More and more, World Family Ibiza and Namaste are becoming one; where love, music, fashion and vision flows into one.

We hope to be able to create in many forms and ways for many more years and share that with other people. We are expecting our first grandchild in 6 weeks, which opens a whole new dimension to the family!! It has been a real pleasure to encounter such authentic and inspiring radiance Merel. FtC and our readers wish you and the growing family, much love and continued success. You can tantalize your senses at the World Family Ibiza outlets

in Barcelona and Ibiza or simply go to their online shop www. worldfamilyibiza.com.

ymore info: facebook: worldfamilyibiza www.worldfamilyibiza.com www.facethecurrent.com

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FtC business

Influencer Marketing

Done Right (And Wrong)

How to produce a successful marketing campaign, generate ridiculous return on investment, and grow your business. And what to avoid so you can save a tremendous amount of time, money, energy and brand equity. by Jesse Weinberg

lobal Yodel Media Group, have a global influencer network with a social reach of 200,000,000. An effective influencer network has the ability to promote and sell products or services through strategic customized campaigns leveraging influencers who

hen things don’t work (usually because brands and their agencies are going about things totally wrong), ridiculous amounts of money are wasted on doomed campaigns. Global Yodel recently worked with two directly competing Fortune 500 brands in the same industry that shared similarities in their goals, budgets and overall capabilities while they differed in their values, missions and ways of doing business.

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founder of Global Yodel Media Group

have the capacity to have an effect on the character of a brand. Global Yodel Media Group works with fortune 500 brands as well as small local businesses on digital marketing and influencer marketing programs to achieve specific sales, marketing, branding and growth goals.

Through the years of producing countless social media, content marketing and influencer marketing campaigns they have seen a lot of different approaches. They know what works, what doesn’t – and why.

rand 1 came out victorious generating almost unheard of results and return on investment. Brand 2 saw some decent results but left a lot of opportunity on the table because of mismanagement and misunderstanding of the influencer marketing space, despite receiving top suggestions and coaching strategies. Each brand took a drastically different approach to a somewhat similar influencer marketing campaign. Each had similar goals to: generate millions of organically distributed branded impressions, gain many thousands of new followers on social media, create greater discussion around the brand, build brand equity, reach a younger millennial audience and ultimately sell more of their product. Here’s an outline of how the above brands (who shall remain nameless for confidentiality reasons) took different approaches and got varying results

TERMS OF AGREEMENT

hen producing any type of marketing campaign or any program with many moving pieces it is very important to create clear and concise guiding documents for all facets of the program. It sounds like a lot of work but being organized from the beginning will

Brand 1

actually save you lots of time and energy and help you and your team to avoid mistakes, misunderstandings and budget overages. Some important documents to be used in every campaign are a Statement of Work outlining simply what each party involved will do, by when and how. Another important document is

Brand 1 understood the risk of competitors stealing their influencers and the unique concept of their campaign. So, instead of focusing on thick contractual limitations and unfair noncompete clauses, they focused on fostering real relationships with the influencers that would last beyond the campaign. With our coaching they scheduled personalized phone calls with the individuals participating, produced unique one-of-a-kind experiences, provided gifts, stayed in great communication and offered them value beyond a paycheck. They took their relationship with their contractors from corporate to personal.

Takeaway:

rovide crystal clear production documents and legal contracts but make sure they are fair for all parties. With any business agreement you should operate using legal contracts that protect you, the brands you work with and the contractors you work with. Make sure the contracts cover

the Creative Brief that gives the creative contractors (photographers, writers, videographers, influencers) the information and clear simple direction they need to be successful and execute per expectation. Another important element is to generate legal documents that protect everyone involved.

Brand 2

In the planning phases Brand 2 was very worried about their competitors stealing the influencers they selected and the concept for their campaign. A competitor had done this once before and Brand 2 was going to try everything in their power to make this legally impossible. They created incredibly thick contracts with complex non-compete language that prohibited the influencers they hired from working with their competitors for a certain amount of time. They spent valuable time, resources and energy creating these legal documents that were unfair to the contractors for the scope of work and somewhat unrealistic.

important topics such as usage rights, terms/termination, applicable laws, etc. Consult a lawyer who understands the space or work with an influencer agency that has established legal documents and contracts. And don’t just expect that any marketing or influencer agency has the proper legal contracts. Make sure to review the agreements they use with their network and brands as well. Also, request some real life case studies before agreeing

to work with them. Focus on building a true relationship and partnership with the influencer. Think long term. Remember you can’t own your relationship with your influencer (or anyone else for that matter). You need to earn it and build trust. You want this person to become a friend and brand ambassador for life, not just for the week of your engagement. www.facethecurrent.com

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Campaign Management & Creative License.

ffective campaign management is a key component to the success of any campaign. It is a crucial component that decides the success (or failure) of a campaign and frequently gets overlooked. Successful campaign management requires the person in charge to be incredibly

Brand 1

organized and a clear, effective and honest communicator. When something goes wrong, brands often blame the creatives or the contractor for campaign failure when in fact mismanagement from a project manager is more often to blame. Why do people hire creatives in the first

Brand 1 provided a clear vision of the campaign in a detailed creative brief, required @ and # tag requirements but left the outcome, approval process and exact copy up to the influencer. This allowed for a live posting, which was timely (live) and allowed the audience to actually feel like they were there experiencing the branded event and participating along with the influencer. This allowed Brand 1 to capitalize on the influencers’ genuine excitement about the awesome event that they were participating in on behalf of the brand. That excitement showed through and the influencers’ community responded. It allowed the influencers’ audiences (millions of people) to virtually attend that event and feel the excitement and energy. There was incredible engagement on behalf of the branded post that generated beautiful organic brand equity, lots of new fans and new customers that day. Brand 1’s ROI was through the roof and hit levels that any traditional digital program couldn’t even come close to.

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place? Because they are creative and make cool stuff. Remember this when managing a campaign. Be sure to provide clear and simple guidelines but don’t make them so strict that you stifle the creative ability of your contractors. Remember, this is the reason you hired them in the first place – let them do their job.

Brand 2

During the production of the campaign, Brand 2 had a very clear vision of what they wanted, which isn’t a bad thing in itself. Unfortunately, they were so specific in their vision that it spilled over into their campaign management and the project managers forced the highly creative influencers to produce creative assets under very strict and limiting guidelines. There was a strict photo approval process that required the influencer to submit a photo before posting it on behalf of the brand. The photos needed to get approval from a whole team of people across different corporate departments, which took at least 24 hours. The guidelines for the copy in the comments section of their sponsored social posts were equally as strict. There was some heavy corporate language and slogans that the brand required to be said by the influencers. The final content looked and felt very forced; like a crappy ad. The content was about an event that happened the week before and the language used obviously didn’t come from the influencer but from stiff corporate brand messaging.

Takeaway:

rovide crystal clear creative direction. Creativity is subjective. Everyone has their own idea about what is ‘good’ when it comes to photography, video and design. Because of this you need to be very clear with your influencers on what it is that you are trying to achieve and how you are trying to achieve it. If you need to provide guidelines do so visually as opposed to with words. (This is a picture we love and why, this is a picture we don’t love and why). You know your business better than anyone so if things need to look and feel a certain way be sure to outline that in a creative brief.

Don’t put words in your influencers’ mouths. Nothing is more transparent than a social influencer campaign that has been overly micromanaged and has a lot of required text. Don’t require influencers to post a specific part of your mission statement in their branded social media posts. Provide clear direction on @ and # tags required and the overall sentiment that you are trying to achieve (make a positive statement about the hotel stay we provided you, say something positive that you enjoyed about the experience we provided you, etc.) This will not only make your influencers happy, it will come across as more genuine to the audience.

With so many influencer marketing campaigns and native marketing campaigns out there people quickly and easily can sniff out a stiff corporate marketing campaign. But if you create something that adds a ton of value and inspiration and brand it, you get to take all the credit and the audience will applaud you for it. Influencers are influencers for a reason. They understand how to create content that gets talked about, how to build a community of followers and how to inspire those people. That is why you are hiring them. Provide clear guidelines and inspiration and then step back and let them do what they do best!

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Partners vs Employees: he importance of building relationships can’t be overstated. As a brand you want to think about how you can add value to

Brand 1

your influencers (think beyond money) for a lifetime. You want your influencers to genuinely love your brand so much that after the paid engagement they continue

A pre-engagement conference call between the brand and the influencer to go over all the specifics, deliverables and creative direction was scheduled to make sure everyone was on the same page. With Brand 1, the tone was always professional but positive and fun. The calls surprisingly ran quite long. Brand 1 took advantage of the opportunity to start building a relationship with their influencers. The specifics of the campaign, the requirements and things to avoid were discussed but the call also took things a step further. A genuine conversation that went beyond the specifics of the campaign was had. Brand 1 showed genuine interest in the influencers’ work and with kindness and excitement set the stage for a great campaign. It impressed the participating influencers so much that many continued to post about the brand months after the engagement (for free). One influencer still will only stay at this specific hotel brand when traveling. The Brand 1 even gave them some free hotel stays. The relationship Brand 1 created with their influencers made them brand ambassadors for life.

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to buy your products or services and even better that they continue to share your product or services with their friends and followers.

Brand 2

The conference calls with Brand 2 and the influencers had a much different and less memorable vibe. The tone of the initial conference call with Brand 2 was stiff and cold. It was apparent the team representing the Brand 2 wanted to be at lunch as opposed to discussing the details of the campaign. While they did come around and provide clear direction, spelling out the deliverables by stating what was and was not allowed, it was done in a way that left everyone feeling a bit unimportant and the campaign feeling like another puzzle piece in a bigger more important program. The influencers were sent off to shoot their photos, create their branded posts and that was that. It’s pretty certain that after these creatives were paid for their work they didn’t mention the brand again via social media.

Takeaway:

reat your influencers like partners as opposed to employees. Think long term and think of creating a partnership with your influencers. The ROI of creating a brand ambassador for life is enormous when compared to the peanuts you are spending on the influencer campaign. Don’t view your

freelance influencer as mere commodified labor; see them as a part of your brand’s family tree. In summary, Brand 2 had a decent campaign. They generated decent ROI and still produced a campaign that traditional digital marketing couldn’t match but they

left a lot on the table. Brand 1 was the big winner here. With just a little extra effort, a personal touch, some kindness and excitement, Brand 1 received remarkable ROI and are still benefiting from their campaign and blissed-out influencers over a year later.

Take these points into consideration before planning and launching your next influencer marketing program so your brand will see all the achievable benefits. Visit Global Yodel Media Group to learn more about creating a successful influencer marketing program to grow your brand and business.

ymore info: Visit Global Yodel Media Group to learn more about creating a successful influencer marketing program to grow your brand and business. www.globalyodelmediagroup.com www.facethecurrent.com

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