Why are you a better version of yourself on vacation — and what does an 80s outdoor movie have to do with family, dopamine, intentional living, and personal growth? In this episode of Life Off the Map, we unpack how a classic comedy about a chaotic lake vacation reveals deeper truths about identity, distraction, and becoming the version of yourself you actually want to bring home.

More patient. More playful. More present. And then Monday hits… and that version fades.

Chad uses a nostalgic 80s outdoor movie as a mirror — not a review, but a lens into identity, family rhythms, social media distraction, and the difference between "Vacation You" and "Work You."

Beneath the lake chaos, bear encounters, and steak-eating bravado is a deeper question: Why does it take a trip to become someone your family actually loves being around?

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why adventure isn't escape — it's a healthy interruption

• What vacations reveal about control, stress, and distraction

• How dopamine and social media may be shaping who you're becoming

• The difference between "Vacation You" and "Work You"

• One practical way to plan meaningful time instead of hoping it happens

It's nostalgic. It's funny. It's honest. And it might help you rediscover the version of yourself you actually want to be. Because maybe you don't need a new life. Maybe you just need to bring the right version of you home.

To grab the Trail Notes and stay connected, head to lifeoffthemapshow.com.

What if the reason you feel stuck isn't that you're doing life wrong—but that you've lost your bearings?

In this Crew Convo, Chad sits down with Erin Engelke, CEO of ReMerge, to talk about values as a compass, releasing control, and how clarity often comes not from thinking harder—but from getting back in alignment with who you really are.

Erin shares her story of loss, leadership, and big transitions—and why adventure, service, and small acts of courage can help you find your way forward again.

If your life looks fine on the outside but feels off on the inside, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to use your values as a compass when you feel unclear or restless
• Why holding on too tightly can quietly drain your joy
• How adventure and service help you get unstuck without a perfect plan
• What to do when you're doing "everything right" but still feel off-trail

Follow the show and get weekly Trail Notes—weekly tools, reflections, and resources connected to each episode—at lifeoffthemapshow.com.

Connect with Erin on Instragram: @erinengelke

Connect with Erin on LinkedIn: Erin Engelke

Blog: BeautyIntheBusyness.com

Most people don't have a clarity problem — they have a state problem.

When life feels off, we tend to sit longer, think harder, and analyze more, hoping clarity will eventually click. But what if the fog isn't in your thinking at all? What if it's your body asking to be let back into the conversation?

In this episode of Life Off the Map, Chad explores why movement — especially getting outside — often brings clarity faster than effort, discipline, or overthinking ever does. This isn't about fitness, hustle, or optimizing your life. It's about shifting your state so clarity has somewhere to land.

Through personal stories, neuroscience, and spiritual reflection, Chad introduces a simple guiding phrase that's reshaping how he makes decisions:

Move first. Think second. Decide last.

• Why overthinking is often a nervous system issue — not a motivation or discipline problem

• How movement helps regulate your body and allows clarity to return naturally

• Why ancient spiritual formation happened on the move, not just in stillness

• A simple, practical way to get unstuck when you feel foggy, restless, or off-pace

If you've been doing all the right things but still feel unclear or disconnected, this episode will help you come back into your body, settle your system, and hear yourself think again.

👉 Learn more, explore past episodes, and sign up for weekly Trail Notes at lifeoffthemapshow.com.

What do you do when life doesn't fall apart—but it also just doesn't feel right anymore?

In this Crew Convo, Chad sits down with longtime leader and mentor Kevin Penry to talk about the "In-Between" —the moment when the old path no longer fits, the next one isn't clear yet, and success starts to feel strangely empty. In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why predictable lives quietly drain us—and why we're wired for surprise anbd adventure.
• How "the tension you can't avoid" becomes the doorway to growth (Kevin calls it optimal conflict)
• What to do when you're between what was and what's next (without forcing clarity)
• Why trying to control the outcome can keep you from the life you're actually meant to live, one with deep joy and meaning.

If you've been feeling restless, off-track, or unsure why the life you worked for doesn't feel as satisfying as you expected, this conversation will help you slow down, re-center, and trust what's taking shape off the map.

Follow the show, share it with a friend, and get the Sunday Trail Notes at lifeoffthemapshow.com.

You know the feeling. Everything looks perfect on paper—and then, almost immediately, things start to unravel. Your body doesn't cooperate. Boom. The plan breaks. The day goes sideways. Something unexpected blocks the trail.

In this Off The Map episode, Chad shares a real story from a Saturday morning run that didn't go as planned—and reflects on what he's learned about responding when challenges show up that you didn't choose. Along the way, he names what he calls the Trail Reset—a simple way of pausing, reorienting, and choosing your next step when things fall apart.

This episode isn't about avoiding hard things. We actually need chosen challenges to grow. It's about the moments you didn't sign up for—the interruptions, the setbacks, the surprises—and how to respond with clarity instead of frustration, self-pity, or shutdown.

If you're facing something physical, relational, financial, or internal, this episode is a reminder that detours don't mean you're failing—and that being "off the map" might be exactly where awareness, courage, and growth begin.

Who knows, you might even find the unexpected gift.

Follow the show, share it with a friend, and join the journey at lifeoffthemapshow.com.

Feeling stuck lately? Jill Donovan (Rustic Cuff founder) will get you moving again.

In this crew convo, Jill (CEO of Rustic Cuff: 300+ retail partners in the U.S.) gives you a simple, practical way to get out of a rut and into momentum—without waiting for motivation, confidence, or the perfect plan.

You'll hear why motion creates options, how to start with small steps (even 10 minutes a day), and why curiosity + joy might be the most underrated fuel you've got when life feels heavy.

In this episode:

• How to move before you "feel ready" — and why waiting on motivation keeps you stuck
• Why comparison kills momentum — the "chapter one vs chapter twenty" line you'll want to steal
• A simple way to build traction when you're tired — one small step that actually sticks

If you're ready to step off the normal route and take the next step, this one's for you.

Follow Life Off the Map for more honest conversations and stories about choosing the best path in life: your own.

Emplore more, get our weekly Trail Note reflections at https://lifeoffthemapshow.com

Links:

Jill Donovan (official) - https://jilldonovan.com/

Rustic Cuff: https://www.rusticcuff.com/

What if the pressure you've been carrying—the constant feeling of being behind, not enough, or falling short—is all based on a scoreboard that doesn't even exist?

In this episode, Chad shares a story from a Tuesday morning entrepreneur group that completely flipped his perspective. One sentence from a friend changed everything. (You'll want to hear this one.)

This episode is for the high-achiever who's never satisfied. The parent convinced they're screwing it all up. The leader white-knuckling their way through success. The entrepreneur who's crushing it on the outside, but numb on the inside.

You'll hear:

• Why your internal critic is louder than reality (and what to do about it)

• 5 practical ways to start living like You've Already Won

• Why "failure" is something that happened, not something you are

• What Billy Beane and the 2002 Oakland A's can teach us about winning we didn't see coming

• How to stop narrating your life like a tragedy and start writing a better story

If you've ever felt stuck, behind, or like you're not measuring up—this one's for you.

Follow Life Off the Map for more honest conversations about choosing your own path.

Explore more get our weekly Trail Note reflections at lifeoffthemapshow.com.

What if the reason you feel stuck isn't discipline or clarity—but the fact that you've been following the wrong path?

Recorded live with five friends from the trail in Zion National Park, Chad explores what happens when you stop chasing someone else's definition of success and start listening for your own direction. No script. No studio. Just honest reflection about movement, uncertainty, and choosing your own way before the path is clear.

In this episode:

• Why comparison slowly pulls you off course

• What the trail reveals when the map runs out

• The quiet moment when you realize it's time to choose your own path

Follow Life Off the Map for more honest conversations about choosing your own path.

Explore more at lifeoffthemapshow.com