Welcome to the TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE PODCAST: SEASON 2! With co-hosts Rachel Bellotti and Jenell Riesner, this is a gathering of un-sugar-coated conversations celebrating the untold stories of everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north. 

In our own search to discover and live from  our TRUE NORTH, we have met so many interesting, courageous people from all walks of life, doing all sorts of amazing things to live life in their own unique way. Stories from all over the world. Stories with heart. Stories with grit. Stories with plot twists. Stories going untold - until now. This season, we continue to connect with and celebrate these untold stories of everyday people who are fearlessly living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same.

Today, we talk with two of the ladies from our Ragnar Trail team. Jesse Gitter, our lovely minimalist from season 1 and Clare Geiger, a former co-worker, friend, and Paralegal, Director of Plan Development. We chat highs and lows from our recent Ragnar experience in Snowmass, CO, the wonderful world of hair removal, realities of socializing + drinking as an adult, being varying levels of introverts, making mistakes, figuring out how to live meaningful lives in our own unique ways.

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

**note: apologies in advance for Rachel’s LOUD-ass laughter 😉

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Sally Hansen Wax Strips
• Ragnar Trail Relay
• This Strange Rock
• The Barkley Marathon
• Hang boards
• Free Solo Documentary
• Meetups
• Music from: https://www.jukedeck.com/

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. If you haven’t yet, give team athletic events a try. They aren’t just a space for practicing being YOUR strongest/fastest/best, but actually they can be a beautiful space to get out of your comfort zone and find meaning, connection and deep adult relationships with really cool people who also want to challenge themselves and explore..
2. A whole life can open up for you if you invite yourself to replace even a few alcoholic drinks (or vices) and nights out at the bars. Redefining what fun, connection, and socializing can be for you can reduce FOMO so you aren’t lured back into a life that truly lacks new experiences and a level of depth that actually DOES exist in the world if you are open to it.
3. Allow yourself to meet the people that show up in your life and learn to love the community around you as it is, for what it is - this can give you a new appreciation for the similarities that actually exist between humans, the impact of almost anyone who crosses your path, and the depth of friendships that can grow and last a lifetime in the most unlikely places if we are open to who is there vs only seeking out what is familiar and comfortable. Friendships are the result of an openness to being curious to connect and that can happen with literally anyone at any time if you have the intention to do so.

TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [1:08] Waxing your own vagina
• [9:30] Introducing Jesse + Clare!
• [10:00] What is Ragnar Trail?
• [13:50] Connecting as the real reason for athletic experiences
• [17:00] We’re heading to West Virginia to run the Appalachians - lots of roots + rocks!
• [20:00] The black loop at Ragnar Trail
• [21:15] The Barkley Marathon + attempting high ropes courses
• [24:30] Growing your grip strength + Free Solo Documentary
• [32:00] Needing moments alone + being an introvert when being on a team of 8, living in super close quarters
• [38:40] Encouraging couples to have their own beds/rooms + the chaos that ensues from disrupting someone’s sleep
• [43:30] The downfall of relying solely on a partner for my social life + all the things you need
• [48:00] NOT relying on the drinking culture for social interactions
• [1:03:00] You can technically only maintain 7 deep friendships at a time…and you only have so much time…so who makes the cut?
• [1:12:30] Loving the people + community around you for who they are
• [1:15:30] Stop spending time on social media to truly let go
• [1:20:00] How do you live your true north?
• [1:22:00] Sometimes finding your true north can come through experiences that aren’t positive too