You will notice some changes around the podcast-which are all part of the organic growth process! I am experimenting with a new logo, some new music and a new show format. Let me know how you like it by leaving a review on iTunes and in the comments below!

Here is what happened: basically when I created this diabetes podcast, it was the “LivingVertical Diabeticast” which I couldn’t quite fall in love with as I went on. I felt like the focus shouldn’t be on the “Diabetes” part of the name but rather on the “LivingVertical” part. At the end of the day I don’t set goals based on what my pancreas can’t ever do again. That seems like it would be silly. My focal point is, literally, Living truthfully deliberately and fully in the Vertical world, hence the name of this website. I decided that the name of this podcast should simply reflect that.

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I wrote a blog about a week ago about the meaning of compliance-and while lots of people have feelings about the clinical meaning and use of that label for people with diabetes, I have been thinking more about what it means for LivingVertical. This episode explores the next project that I will be doing-and how it’s not like other projects because it’s a little more focused on what inspires me rather than what might fit into a potential sponsors marketing plan or what will be the next ice bucket challenge.

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A lot has happened since the last time I sat down to record a podcast. If you’re reading this on the new website-well, that’s one of them-and there’s more! In this episode we discuss ideas for upcoming climbing projects, the effect of the CGM on my training and nutrition, and we are officially welcoming Blake McCord to the LivingVertical team as our visual director!
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This is part two of my interview with my wife Stefanie about the Project365 documentary. Enjoy-and thank you for your continued support. We are getting back on the road for the beginning of a new project-details, photos and podcasts will be forthcoming in several weeks. Until then…

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Many people know LivingVertical through my writing and photos. It’s no secret that I am the face of this mission, but there’s a lot more to it than that. In this episode of the diabeticast, I actually interview Stefanie and get her thoughts on what it felt like to embark on a seemingly Quixotic quest-in a supporting role that asked a lot and often gave little in return. There’s no question in my mind that this entire effort took a huge personal toll on us-as individuals and the relationship we shared-and that didn’t really make it into the film, although many people who are intuitive enough to know have asked privately about the impact it had.

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Part 2 of our audience questions: this episode covers some interesting terrain-what did Stefanie and I do before Project365, did we leave jobs for the project, who was the film aimed at and what was the main message?

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“Sentiment without action is the death of the soul” -Edward Abbey

What constitutes diabetes advocacy? Where is the line between advocacy and just “talking”? Action is the value that I keep returning to when I turn the lens of self reflection on my work. It’s the gold standard that I strive to achieve-to do more than just make noise and instead, make change. It’s not easy, obviously-and getting action to happen often requires some talking in the process!

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Welcome to the first episode of 2015!

We have a lot of exciting things coming your way this year; new climbing projects, new films, old(er) films that will be released for the first time and of course more discussion and engagement of LIFE with diabetes from an empowering standpoint.

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If you have followed LivingVertical for a while you will probably know that I have had a fairly strained relationship with diabetes research over the years. At best I’ve been pretty ambivalent about it-and other times I’ve been downright frustrated with promises of “pie in the sky”. Now, I have taken a job working at a research non-profit startup and it’s really changed my view and given me hope.

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