Sailing With Phoenix: “I Quit My Job To Sail The World & Discovered My Purpose” - Here’s The Secret To Finding Yours

went to the doctor and they took some x-rays and the doctor's, she was like, your spine is like somebody who's over 120 years old.

After the diagnosis, I spiraled completely and then I finally one day I was like, my name is Oliver.

I work a corporate job at a tire shop.

I absolutely hate this life.

Yeah, I'm going to buy a sailboat and I'm going to sail around the world.

That's Oliver Widger, who quit his job after he posted that video, liquidated liquidated his 401k, bought a sailboat, and started learning how to sail.

Our guest for you guys today is the one and only Oliver Widger.

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the point of no return and then

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So I'm so excited, man, because I've been watching your journey over the last few days.

My friend Tim, who's here, showed me your videos.

And since three or four days ago, when I started watching you, I think your audience has exponentially grown.

And

I love seeing what you're doing.

And so we have, if you can, share your full name because on Instagram, you're sailing with Phoenix and you are changing.

and inspiring the world in a massive way.

So if you can, share with your full name to the audience who's watching.

Yeah, my name is Oliver widger and

yeah and so so you have this video of you working a corporate job and essentially hating your life and at

one point you decide because you have uh test results at the hospital right that uh yeah

that something is something's off in your body is that correct yeah well so like i i had neck pain for a really long time like for a long time but like i don't like going to the doctor so i just

you know, put it off, and then it just got started to get really, really bad.

And so, yeah, I went to, I finally, I went to like, I almost got, because I can't go to a chiropractor, and I started out going to a chiropractor, and like, yeah, hindsight is they could have like immediately paralyzed me, and uh, I just got lucky that didn't happen, and um, none of that worked until I finally, I finally, like, called my doc, or I finally like

called a doctor and I was like I need to I need to see like a doctor doctor I need to figure this out because it's insane and yeah I went to the doctor and they took some x-rays and then I

you know they didn't think anything of it you know

I don't know but and then I was at work like the next day and they called me when I was at at work and the the doctor's she was like what are you doing right now And I was like, I'm at work.

She's like, you need to come in right now.

And I was like, okay.

So I go in and she like, she was like freaking out.

Like, she didn't handle it very well.

Cause like she, she was a,

she was an orthopedic specialist.

So she wasn't like a neurologist.

But yeah, she like was like, I don't know how you're here right now talking to me and not in excruciating pain.

I was like, well, I am in a bit of pain.

And that's why I am here.

And she was like, your spine is like, I've never, I've done this for 20 years.

I've never seen anything like this.

Your spine is like somebody who's over 120 years old.

And

I

and then I went through this phase, you know, I had to wait.

It's a long story.

I don't want to like just be all long-winded and stuff, but I went went through, I had to see like four neurologists.

Wow.

And all of it was really.

really bad and uh

yeah so i i basically just stopped going to the doctor

and and

then I went through this,

just like this, like, I don't know, like a crisis of some sort,

you know, where my mortality was kind of like hitting me in the face.

And I was realizing that I'm spending my, like, because right now I am physically capable of doing anything I want, really, as far as

I can't do anything that, like, I can't do anything that involves any sort of impact.

But, um,

but I was, you know, physically, I can, I, you know, I've got all my limbs, you know,

and

wasting it at work.

How old?

29.

29.

Yeah.

So you're getting, you're getting all these doctors saying that you got a spine of 120 year old.

Yeah.

You were working a job that you didn't really fully love, that you were just doing it because you thought you were supposed to do it, I guess.

Or you just

like,

I jumped into it and I didn't have any, like, I barely graduated high school.

And it's a good, it was a good, as far as like the money goes, it was a good job.

Like it, you know, there's a lot of like potential for money within the job.

So I was like, all right, this is it.

This is, I'm going to be able to do the buy the house and have the, you know, the fence and kids and whatever.

And, uh, and then that immediately after the diagnosis, I just started to question all of that.

And I was like, I don't really want to do any of that.

Like, this, this actually sucks.

And,

um,

uh, yeah.

And it was like three years.

I went through after the diagnosis, it was like a three-year battle of like, literally, I completely lost myself.

And I went down this crazy rabbit hole too of like just like partying on the weekends to try and like feel alive and like just party, doing all the bad things.

And

this is after you knew about this is after you knew about the condition?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then, of course, that just dug the mental hole deeper, you know, living like that.

And

then,

yeah, it just,

I spiraled completely.

And then I finally one day I was like,

like I had, I uh,

so that video that I posted that you probably saw where I'm in that shirt, you're like my work shirt, and you're like, I did it.

Well, before like the original post where I'm in that, the uniform, and I'm like, I absolutely hate this life.

So, that full version of that is like two minutes and 35 seconds long, and it's it's just

it's wild to watch.

It is at the bottom of my TikTok.

I'm I've never taken it down, um, but I said my brother, I decided I I found a purpose.

I decided I wanted to sail around the world.

And my brother convinced me to start documenting it.

And so that was the very first video I've ever taken ever of myself.

And I sit there and I record myself and I say all those things.

And

my plan was to at some point,

like just document everything and at some point post it all.

And I never used TikTok before.

I didn't know how social media worked.

So

it was on TikTok and I put it in as a draft because I thought I could put it in as a draft.

And

you posted it on accident.

Yeah, I ended up posting it on accident.

And then it went to, so I didn't know that also TikTok syncs with everybody in your contacts.

So it went to all of my bosses and it went to everybody.

And so, yeah, just this crazy, you know, rant.

Went to every single one of my bosses.

I show up to work the next day, totally oblivious to what's going on.

And then one of the like the technicians comes up to me.

He's like, hey, man, what are are you gonna buy that boat?

And I was like, What in the world are you talking about?

And he's like, The boat, man.

And then I made the realization.

And so, how I left that video,

that video is everything.

That video is absolutely changed because who knows if I would have had the courage to leave?

Who knows to leave without that video?

Because that video is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened.

And I was there for 11 years, and it went to everybody that I know, you know, and it was shared within the company.

And

when did that video

first, when did that video first get leaked to everyone in your context?

Was this a year ago, two years ago?

When was it?

This was a year ago.

It was a dick, but

so you put, you filmed this video, which I'll put up on YouTube as well.

You filmed this video of you and your car saying, I hate my life.

My life's miserable.

I've been working this job for whatever, eight or 10 years.

I've got this spine condition.

I'm not happy.

I've been working hard.

I've been doing all the right things, but I still don't feel good.

I just still don't feel fulfilled and happy.

Is that right?

Yeah.

And pretty much.

Yeah.

Then you're doing it for yourself without the intention of putting it out.

And then you put it out to your bosses, right?

They all see it on accident.

Had you not done that, you would not be on this boat right now.

Yeah, I don't know.

I don't think so.

I mean, who knows?

I knew I was going to quit, but it's one of those things where it's like, I don't know.

You know, I don't know if I would have had actually, when it came down to it, had the courage to quit.

But that video is what went viral.

That's crazy.

That video is everything.

That video is everything.

It's everything.

And it's

all because my brother, my brother told me to start recording myself.

Wow, man.

And so you went, and so you went from Oregon going on a sailboat that you've never been in the ocean before, only in a river.

Yeah.

And you're going on a sailboat from Oregon to Hawaii and you're 12 days in.

Is that right?

Yeah, 12 days in.

Yeah.

So I'm like almost a thousand miles away from

I'm basically closer to

the people on the space station than I am to anybody on land.

Dude, I love seeing the comments of everyone in here saying you're one of the most inspiring people in the world right now.

Everyone's following your journey.

They're rooting for you.

They're cheering for you.

My favorite part is the shirt of Phoenix.

You know, whenever you wear the shirt with Phoenix, the cat.

And I just think what you're doing, 99.9% of the world will never do what you're doing because most people lack the courage.

It's so safe.

It's so comfortable.

Even if they're miserable, they'd rather stay safe and miserable than actually go for it.

Yeah, I figured I was

when I, when I quit my job abruptly like that, I had like,

I don't know, $10,000 in debt or something.

And with no plan, with a $2,600 rent due.

And I just was like, dude, all I know is I'm buying a boat and I'm sailing around the world.

And then a week after quitting my job, I had the brilliant idea of liquidating my 401k.

And

so I liquidated my 401k, sold my cars.

I sold literally everything without even, like, my apartment was empty without even knowing what boat I was going to buy or before, or how I was going to buy a boat.

And

I spent the following month just like searching for a boat.

And I just got really really lucky that I got a good, uh, you know, a capable boat because I could have, that could have gone so wrong as well.

Um, and it didn't.

And uh,

uh, yeah, and then I just dived into it with no and nothing.

So, how did you, I mean, how did you learn how to sail a boat, though?

Like, how did you know which boat to buy, how to sail?

You've never sailed before.

Yeah, everything was like basically YouTube.

And uh, I just like, I just like, uh, as far as learning how to sail, so I, I, uh

uh i got the boat i literally want i didn't even watch that many like youtube videos i just i bought the boat and i just i took it out and uh i made incredible mistakes i'm lucky to still have the boat like it's so many things have like worked out where where there's just like really high risk and uh i just it paid off it worked out

and i just went through it let me ask you oliver you you bought the boat and then you just got the keys to the boat and you just said all right i'm just gonna push it off the dock and just see what happens.

Yeah, so like a month after it was about a month after because I had to replace some of the lines and stuff on the boat because the lines were all like 15 years old and cake-through.

So I and I replaced also all of the like rubber components, and then yeah, I took it out.

Um,

I

love this for you.

I don't know why, because I'm I love that you're documenting this and you're able to share it in such an authentic way.

Again, you've got almost a million followers in like 10 days or something.

How does it feel to know that putting out a few pieces of content and actually chasing your dreams is inspiring millions of people around the world?

How does that feel for you?

I haven't really even fully processed it.

Like, it's insane.

Like, it's, it is, it's, dude, like, the

experience of, I feel like the experience of like, because I went viral on the day that I left.

And I'm also crossing an ocean.

You know what I mean?

So these two,

two insane things that I'm like, that are like, you know, competing with.

I was literally fighting for my life the other day while I'm going viral.

You know what I mean?

Like,

it's just been so weird.

And there's not a lot of time to like, because I'm still, I'm, you know, obviously making the content take a lot of time.

And then the rest of my time goes towards like managing the boat.

So there's not a lot of time.

Staying alive.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Not a small thing.

You know.

Yeah.

And

it's been so, it's been so cool, too.

Like, the I that I don't know, I've some of the comments that I've read and stuff that, like,

you know, it's like somehow, some way it's like bringing people together.

That's the coolest thing in the world that it is, man.

I'm reading, I'm reading some of the comments here where one mom said, My son and all of his friends are glued to their phone waiting for your next video, and they're all inspired.

So, again, you're helping kids, you're helping adults.

Again, there's the compilation video you made, I guess, from all the either TikToks or the Instagram videos of people watching your journey.

That is inspiring because so many people from all walks of life, different backgrounds, different races, different economic classes, all feel the pain of

not pursuing something that they know they should be pursuing.

Or they're stuck in a relationship that they know they need to get out of, but they're afraid.

They're stuck of the job.

They want to launch something on the side, even just for fun.

It's not always about like leaving your job and the relationship, but it's like maybe they just had a dream that they want to pursue on the side that they're afraid of.

You just got to jump.

Like, that is the hardest part.

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How did you overcome the fear of being worried about what everyone thinks about you by doing something

crazy idea?

That was the biggest thing that held me back because, like, I was super worried about, like, you know, literally what solved all of my problems was, like,

there's a few things that solve all of my problems, but one of them was

like, I literally completely came to terms with

possibly being

broke for the rest of my life until i die like being just poor and dying poor i could i absolutely

became like completely content with that idea and once i became content with that idea i it was freedom you know what i mean i had freedom and um

uh that's what it came down to because that was my fears it's like i i'm gonna be poor no one's gonna you know i'm how who's gonna want to be with like a poor i'm gonna be single forever like all that stuff was the things running through my head you know who's gonna want to date a guy on a bum on a boat and uh all that stuff you know i you and you just all of it is nonsense all of it is noise

and um

you just gotta i don't know you just gotta go for it i guess oliver what about your parents are your parents still around do you have siblings yeah most of my mom and brother live in the uk

um and my yeah my dad is is in the us

and they're they're proud what did they say originally when you were like i'm gonna quit my job i'm gonna liquidate all my assets and i'm gonna essentially buy buy a boat and do something I've never done to go around the world by myself and my cat.

What do they say?

I think they saw how miserable I was.

And I'd been, you know, it was like three solid years of being like at the lowest low and they could see it.

So I think they were probably like,

you know, they were probably like, I mean, anything better, you know?

And so,

but they've all, they've always been really, my brother's been like incredibly supportive.

Like, I remember like at being at work and I'm like, dude, everybody knows.

I texted my brother and he like replies.

He's like, now's the time.

And I was like, all right.

And it's now.

How did they know?

I'm like, just go then.

Who cares?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

This is incredible, man.

What is the, you wrote about 15, 20 days away from Hawaii.

Do you know which island you're turning on?

12 days of Oahu.

You go to Oahu.

Yeah.

Do you know, Have you been to Hawaii before?

I've been to Maui before.

Yeah.

I've got one of my other brothers is on Maui.

Can I land in Maui?

No, I originally I wanted to go to Maui because he's there.

But I

decided to go to Oahu because

in Maui, I would need a car to drive around.

And so Oahu,

I uh there's a marine store there too, like a West Marine that's there.

It's within walking distance and everything's within walking distance so it just made more like legislative sense i want i want like thousands of people to be there when you arrive and just yeah i want the world to give you a big group hug and just congratulate you on taking the leap and taking the the chance and going on the journey because most people in life will never take the leap and go for it and

and it doesn't matter if like people succeed or fail it's really not about it's about going on the journey and seeing what you're made of.

And so I'm curious, what's the biggest lesson about yourself you've learned in the first 12 days of traveling from Oregon to Hawaii on a sailboat alone with your cat?

What's the biggest lesson you've learned about you?

I don't know.

I learned a lot about me on the process over the last year.

Like I am a different person over this last year.

And

I just like,

I've learned that I'm, I, I, you you know, I've always had really, really, really intense, like, I'm like my hardest critic to the most intense level.

And

I

just learned that I can do anything.

Like, I've done the impossible.

Like, I've done everything I've done, I thought was impossible.

So, yeah.

Dude,

what's your greatest fear?

Falling off the boat.

You jumped

off the boat already, right?

Yeah, but it was completely becalmed.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Falling off the boat, but you got a life jacket.

Are you tying yourself up?

Are you taking like there's no life jacket?

Um, just because if you fall in, a life jacket just prolongs the inevitable.

So,

you know, but as he for a harness,

there's no point wearing a life jacket.

There's nothing around here.

If I fell in the water, the life jacket would just prolong the end.

Wouldn't it help you swim back to your boat or something?

The boat sails itself.

Like, I'm going, it's going like right now,

well, unless it stopped and you had the sails down and you fell off like you did, then it's fine.

But if you fall off when it's going, you can't get it.

I fell off.

Yeah, you're not getting back on.

Oh, snap.

Yeah.

So that's where I remember that harness.

Yeah, I wear a harness.

So every time I go out in the cockpit, I clip in.

And anytime I move forward, I'm clipped into the boat.

So if I do lose my footing or something, the harness will catch me before I fall off.

I love one of the videos you posted where you said, you know, I can't remember your exact words, I'm paraphrasing, but you're like, I'm an average guy, I'm below average, and if I can do this, you all can do it.

I'm, I'm not like, I can't stress that.

I am as below, I'll do, I was in, I wasn't, I haven't told anyone this, but I was in special ed

from

first grade to senior in high school.

Like, I couldn't do school at all.

And

I can't write.

I've got every single like learning disability.

Like this is this is how I organize my notes.

You know what I mean?

This is a piece of paper.

I can't even read it.

It's not even right.

Yeah.

So like I can't stress that enough is like all the only thing I can do.

There's only there's one thing in my life that I could do well.

And that is I can grind.

I can work so hard.

And that's the only thing.

If I lean into that, I can do, I can anything.

So that's what it's come down to, and that's what I've done.

What is here's a question for you.

Maybe you've never been asked this:

when do you feel the most loved in your life?

When do I feel the most loved?

Uh,

right now, I feel pretty loved,

but uh, I don't know.

It's when do I feel the most loved?

Um,

I don't know, or like when I, when I

when I talk to like my mom and brother, I guess.

I don't know.

Because they, you know, they, they love me unconditionally.

They've loved me.

They, you know, they love, and my dad, they love me like through and through.

It doesn't really matter what frame of mind, what, where I'm at in life.

They've just, you know, what me.

What is it about your relationship with your family that you appreciate so much?

They just, you know, they just

my parents are separate and don't talk, so it's like a weird, different dynamic, but like

they just,

you know, they've seen me go through some weird stuff, you know what I mean?

And they've never, they've just, you know, they've just, the love is there, always.

You know what I mean?

If that makes sense, they've always unconditionally loved me.

It doesn't matter where, what's, what's, where I am in life.

They just have.

that's beautiful man again oliver you're one of the most inspiring people on the internet right now and people are watching your journey and i was like i got to reach out to this guy because i just want to know what's more on your heart and hear more of your story because i think people are fascinated by your story and they want you to win they want you to succeed they want you to thrive and i think you being so unapologetically you and authentic to who you are while you're sharing these stories uh these videos is really inspiring and i'm curious if you could go back uh you said you're 29 is that right oliver yeah if you could go back uh to your 21 year old self knowing everything you've been through in the last almost decade

what advice would you give

literally i tell people this that are young all the time that like message because you know i get messages and stuff i tell them dude if i could go back in time and i was 18 or 20 or whatever because you know you see these guys they're getting into the job I was 18 when I got into my job, and like I thought this is what I needed to do.

And like,

I would literally get a globe and I would spin the globe and then I would stop the globe with my finger.

And I would have a, you know, buy a plane ticket, a one-way plane ticket, and go there and sit with, you know, no money and figure it out.

And go, that's what I would have done.

And I would have done that for as long as I could.

That's what I, that's what I recommend people do:

spin the globe, point, and go.

You know, go see the world.

I'm curious, if you could go into the future and you're 40, you know, 11 years in the future and you're 40, what do you think your 40-year-old self would be saying to you now?

Hell yeah.

Sweet.

Oh, man.

What about all the people, you know, again, 12 days ago, no one knew who you were.

And now you've got a million followers and again people are invested in your journey in your life they want to see you win because you're bringing so much hope and inspiration to the world what is it like going from you know

nothing

12 days ago and having a dream and starting in the ocean to having a million followers in under two weeks and people

so invested in your story how does that feel

uh

i don't know i haven't been able to process it like it's it's it's it feels unreal it feels not real like it's it's it doesn't i'm literally sitting here watching these absolutely absurd sunsets with dolphins jumping and then you know with these insane sunsets and then uh and then i'm also viral at the same time and inspiring all these people it's these all these things that are like not real.

You know what I mean?

It's great.

It's like everything's a bit of a fog.

It's a bit of a dream.

It's, I don't feel like it'll be real until I put my feet on Hawaii.

And then I'll probably feel the feel the

how real it really is.

So it's, I mean, it feels unreal.

It feels, it's absolutely insane.

Like

it's just that it, that it, it worked.

All of it worked because social media, I've been, I didn't know anything about social media or how to edit videos, anything.

I spent, I would spend like six hours a day editing, six, six, seven hours a day, editing videos and just figuring, making the craziest videos and just figuring it out.

And then also, I would spend literally the rest of my waking moments working on the boat and learning how to sail.

And I did that for a year straight, completely isolated, completely locked from the outside world.

Did it for a year straight.

And

it's just so crazy that like the

the it all came, you know, it all blew up together at the same exact time, you know, where I left and I went viral.

You know, I don't know.

It's crazy.

When you were, when you were, you know, for the last year buying the boat and learning how to sail and doing all these things and learning how to edit videos, were you posting any of these videos?

Or were you just

all of it?

It's all documented.

Were you posting these on my TikTok or something?

Or were you posting these other videos last year?

Oh, so most of the videos are on TikTok.

Gotcha.

And then right around when I got the boat,

a little after I got the boat, I started posting on Instagram.

So if you go to the bottom of my TikTok, you'll see a crazy evolution.

Okay, I got you.

Now, I gotta ask you because again, I'm seeing so many comments coming here.

People say they come and check on you every day just to see how you're doing.

I gotta ask, How's Phoenix?

Can we see Phoenix as well?

Yeah, let's see her.

You gotta bring, you gotta figure out.

You have another question, Tim.

I'm gonna ask one.

You want to come on and ask?

You want to come on and ask?

Here she is, saying, It's kitty.

Oh, Phoenix.

Oh, man.

We need to make Phoenix shirts and just sell them online for you.

You know, that's what we have to do.

Yeah, I'm working on it.

That's amazing, man.

And also, for people that are out, a lot of people are commenting how they've been waiting for you to go live.

They've been waiting for you to share more.

So maybe you got to go live on your own at some point once a day so people can be checked in on what you're up to.

I've been trying on TikTok.

It's just obviously I am in an ocean.

So so I do have to like, you know, do things.

And for those, again, for those that don't know who you are, I want people to click on below.

I've got you pinned on there in the comments.

If you click on Oliver's page, it's sailing with Phoenix.

You also have a GoFundMe where people can donate to support you on this journey.

I'm going to make a donation right after this.

And I want people to go there.

I want people to go there and donate and support you.

You can give a dollar if you want to, $5.

But if you've ever, for anyone watching this, and we're going to post this on YouTube and the audio later, but for anyone watching or listening, if you've ever had a dream that you've been afraid to take on, if you've ever had something like in your heart or your mind or your soul that you're like, I really want to do that, but you've been afraid or you've been scared or you're worried about what your family or friends are going to think about you, you have to watch

Oliver.

You have to watch this journey because again, I cannot reiterate this enough, Oliver, that you speak about having learning disabilities your entire life, you know, working a job that wasn't enjoyable for you.

Maybe it was paying the bills and it wasn't affordable, but it was not feeding your soul.

And you took a risk.

You sold everything.

You took out all your investment money.

And you're on this journey for the last 12 days from Oregon to Hawaii, sailing by yourself with a cat.

And from the looks of it, you look happier, healthier, and freer than you've ever been in your life.

Is that correct?

100%.

Yeah, I like literally feel healthier.

Like, it's crazy.

You feel physically.

Not only do I feel healthier, but my lifestyle because of the financial side of things has been.

I've had eaten terribly, you know what I mean?

But I feel so much, it's amazing.

Like, I feel so much better even then.

Stopped working out because I had to use all that time to work on the boat.

And

I feel better.

And I guess if I wanted to, I did give, you know, if there's somebody that is looking to chase their dreams, like something that I've, I realized is like,

I guess my recommendation would be to like

find

the point of no return and then cross that point.

As soon as you cross that point, that's the hardest part.

As soon as you cross that line, it's, it's, you're all in.

You go for it.

I mean, it's the fear that'll drive you.

You're all in at that point.

And, uh, and I went all in.

Like, I, when I left Hawaii, and I've, I appreciate the, I also do want to say thank you to everyone for like the, the GoFundMe.

I've never

advertised or talked about the GoFundMe because I think it's weird.

And, uh, but I did just put it up

and I,

uh, you know, a bunch of people have obviously donated it.

And it's, well, so I only put $10,000 in there because that's I, but when I left Oregon, I was $10,000 in debt.

I've gone all in on everything this entire time.

I've just been,

you know, and

now I'm not in debt.

And it's gone over that.

So I just wanted to say thank you to everybody for that.

Maine, where life the way it should be transforms all who encounter its spectacular landscapes.

Rugged coastlines, pine-scented trails, trails, sandy beaches, sparkling lakes, and tranquil forests inspire you to reflect and make meaningful moments.

They offer endless opportunities for adventure and exploration.

Whether pedaling or paddling, hiking or biking, Maine has more than enough outdoor spaces to make the most of long summer days.

Relish in exquisite flavors harvested from the ocean and the rich soils of orchards and fields.

Maine's makers are rooted in its heritage while boldly branching into new ways of thinking, doing, and being.

Connect with its people in warm and authentic towns, which beckon you to stroll art galleries and locally owned shops, where generations of artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and craftspeople see the world anew.

It's tempting to do it all when you visit, but take a beat and a breath.

Get a feel for the time and tempo of Maine.

Simple pleasures, scenic adventures, where every route is the scenic one.

Discover more at visitmaine.com.

You've probably heard me say this before, but taking care of your health should be your number one priority.

What you put in your body directly impacts how you think, how you feel, and how you show up in the world.

And whether you're training for a marathon, you're running a business, or just trying to get through a busy day with energy and clarity, nutrition is fundamental.

And when I feel my body right, I perform better.

period and that's why i'm a big fan of rx bar rx bar is all about simple ingredients and honest nutrition they lead with transparency just look at their packaging says no BS, just real ingredients like egg whites for protein, dates to bind, and nuts for texture.

Whether you're on the go or in between meetings, they've got something that fits.

The original 12-gram protein bar, the nut, butter, and oat bar, soft, crispy, and packed with 10 grams of protein, or the mini, just 100 calories with six grams of protein.

RXBar is the proud sponsor of No BS, and they want you to say no to what's holding you back and yes to what fuels your greatness.

Use code Greatness on rxbar.com for 25 off rxbar proud sponsor of no bs subject to full terms and conditions and to change valid until september 30th 2025 and may not be combined with other offers see rxbar.com for full details and limitations

oh man yeah again for people that are you know just afraid to go for their dream it's just inspiring to watch and you talked about like it's really that point of no return this This may be the wrong analogy, but it's, you know, the analogy of burning the boats.

When you get on new land and you kind of like burn your boats.

Wrong analogy if you're on a boat.

Yeah.

Where you can't go back.

You can't go back to like safe land.

You have to like take on the new journey, conquer the new journey, move forward, even though it's uncertain, it's unknown.

Yeah.

And

you're doing that.

I mean, you're sailing in the ocean.

Yeah.

And believe you can do, because the whole time I had this incredible self-doubt the whole time of going through the process all of it is noise it's all it's all bullshit yeah it's all noise you quiet the critic or the doubt in your mind as as a person that's the you know struggled in school didn't have the job that you wanted you know had back pain for the last 10 years how did you overcome the self-critic and the doubt i just

there was no option like i didn't have an option but to succeed Like, my, my hopes, yeah, I just didn't have an option to succeed.

I, I just kept going.

I just, it, one thing that I would do a lot.

So, I've tried to do this once before, a few, two years ago, like right after the diagnosis.

But what I did was I, I thought about everything way too far ahead.

And I would, I discourage my, I would think about, you know, I'll fall and hit the boat wrong and I'll go paralyzed or I'll, I'm not going to know how to work on a boat.

I'm not going to, I don't know anything about, about, I've done, I've become an electrician, a diesel mechanic.

I've become a plumber.

I've literally,

I've adopted a sailor, all of these trades and

within a year.

But I would, my point is I would discourage myself.

I discouraged myself and then I couldn't even, I was like, you know, I couldn't even get past the bridge of what boat to buy.

I guess the solution to that was literally what is the what is the problem that is directly in front of you and solve solve that problem?

So

if you don't have a boat,

don't think about anything.

Get the boat.

You don't have a boat.

That's your problem.

Don't think five years and ahead of like, when I get the boat and what if I fall in the middle of the ocean and what happens then?

How do I save my life just one step at a time?

Yeah.

And so that's what I did.

I like, whatever the problem was in front of me, I did that.

So I got the boat.

Okay.

Well, I don't know how to sail.

All right.

Well, it starts failing.

And then it started staying.

Okay.

Well, I don't have any of the right equipment on the boat to cross the ocean.

All right, well, install the right equipment, you know.

You know, I don't have any money.

All right, so social media was like, I've always planned social media was my, that's

this all only will all work if social media came together because that's that could fund my expedition around the world.

And so, my plan was always that social media was going to work.

It's always a plan, and I was going to keep going until it worked.

I've posted every single day, terrible posts, good posts, but i've done it every single day for a year and uh and i with with the intention of going for ever you know what i mean and not stopping like i've just going forever and um and it worked it worked

did someone give you the

the blueprint of like, okay, if you're going to do this, you got to get the boat and you have to go on Instagram or TikTok every day and document this or this just not.

This is all on my mind.

This is all my mind.

But you weren't really, you weren't on social media before this, were you?

No.

Before

a year ago, no.

So you're just like,

I'm going to figure out social media.

You weren't on there.

Maybe you're on there.

If you go to the bottom of my TikTok, you'll see it's a disaster.

It's like as cringy as it gets.

It's terrible.

But I was like, and it's only only people that are seeing it are people that I know.

You know what I mean?

So everybody thought I was unhinged.

Everyone.

People were calling calling me be like dude are you okay like dude I'm just trying to figure this out you know what I mean like and everyone thought I was insane everybody and it's so weird now because they're all now messaging me and going I always believed in you

then you didn't you had this the whole time I believed in you yeah

wow man yeah and uh I just I just kept going through all that and uh you know there's times where I thought I was insane myself and uh I just kept going.

And what do you want people to know about the way you think, the way you feel, the way you act that maybe they don't know about yet?

What's if you could share a little bit more about how you think about this process or what's going through your head?

Again, it's probably lonely out there, even though you have tons of comments and people loving on you on social media.

You're alone in the middle of the ocean with a cat.

Do you feel lonely or do you feel like, how do you put yourself to sleep calmly and feel safe?

All that stuff.

I knew knew i was gonna be fine with the isolation on this passage because i'm not kidding the past five months so i i spent i learned how to sail for the first like six months

and uh that's when i taught myself how to sail and then the last five months i didn't sail at all and i spent every single day 10 hours a day working on the boat in complete isolation i didn't speak to another soul ever like i literally just uh the only people i spoke to were the people at the marine store really And that was it.

And so, I've been completely isolated for,

by the time I get to Hawaii, it'll be like six months.

Um, other than I did a send-off thing right before I left, so I did have some people come to the boat, but aside from that, I've been in complete isolation.

And

I'm comfortable with my own thoughts alone, you know what I mean?

So, I'm fine, and uh, I do well.

I'm not a, it's it's weird because like I'm on social media, but I'm not, I'm a keep to myself person.

I'm I am awkward.

And I'm, if somebody, you know, comes say, says something, says hello to me in person and stuff, I'm totally weird.

So

I don't remember what the question was, but.

No, it's good, man.

It's just more like, how do you think about it?

If you're being, if you're alone in the ocean for all this time, like, is your mind okay?

Do you feel like safe emotionally?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I feel good.

I feel, I trust myself and I trust my, the work I've put into the boat and I trust my ability to solve pretty much every problem that can come up because when crossing an ocean, it's not like

what will break or it's not like if something will break, it's what will break and being able to being able to have the resources on board and the

kind of the skills to solve the issue.

Like I, I,

the worst thing, like the worst thing that could break is literally like the rudder is one of the worst things and it broke.

And on day like six or something, at the worst time it was at the height of the storm that I was in so the waves I was like looking up at these waves come on and then you're yeah and you're not supposed to the boat isn't the camera doesn't do waves any justice it's the sailors it's the sailors worst curse is that the camera doesn't do waves any justice and um so yeah my rudder broke and it it it locked in the starboard position

And it which you're not supposed to go

to the waves on the side, on the side, and it positioned the boat to the waves on the side.

So I was literally like the way it was the worst, absolute worst case scenario as far as when that was going to happen.

And then so the boat like literally was would go from this all the way to this within like three seconds.

And it was just going like this.

Like parallel.

And because that's

wow.

Yeah.

Scareboats cap signs.

It was like that for like three or four hours while I was trying to solve it.

And I jumped into the engine room

and I'm in the engine room.

And I see the cable came off the quadrant.

And I'm literally getting thrown from one side to the other while I'm trying to fix this cable on the quadrant and not let the, because as soon as you put the cable back on it, it'll, you know,

the rudder will like slam back.

And, you know, I was trying to not to like lose my fingers.

So I got a screwdriver down in the back and I tried to just pry the cable back around the quadrant.

And it was crazy, man.

That was the scariest moment of my entire life.

Hands down.

Wow.

But yeah.

So what about Phoenix during that time?

Is she like Phoenix?

At that point, she was already like well adjusted to the boat.

So I'm sure she get motion sickness too or no?

Only once when I first took the boat out like a year ago.

She's an actual full-blown boat cat now.

It's crazy.

Like watching her, like she walks, she gets around better than I do.

And she like walks around like a like a gimbal like she it's like she anticipates the wave so well she's like a gimbal cat that's amazing yeah and it's what i mean do you have her harnessed up also if she's out on the deck or would she fall i i'm the kind of guy that would absolutely walk my cat so i spent like when i she's seven years old now and she was a feral cat when i got her and um she uh I've spent like three years trying to walk my cat.

It just isn't impossible.

It is an impossible task.

So I can't get a harness on her.

But is she not

on the deck?

You do?

No, I don't let her out there unless it's like really calm and she doesn't leave the cockpit area and I'm, she's my, my attention.

You know what I mean?

So that's the only time when I'm on shore.

Oh, yeah, she can go.

Sure, sure.

Sure.

Dude, this is crazy, man.

I got a few, I got a few final questions, a few minutes left for you, if that's okay.

A lot of people are asking.

you know, if you, if people go to your Instagram right now, do you have the location where you are like live on yeah on the map that's on my highlight okay so if you go if you click on my highlight to that and you and and man is this starlink that you're using on the boat yeah it's working out really well there's like no lag it's yeah i didn't know if it was gonna work so like i had to like literally because i did have some followers i had like 60 000 followers before i left and so i had to uh like literally just tell them like hey look i'm you know you may not hear no idea if it's gonna work yeah i don't know if it's gonna work and uh i'll see you guys probably in 30 days.

But it's, dude, it's, it's works really well this whole time.

And what's your, what's your,

what's your day look like then?

Are you sleeping a lot or is it like a couple hours of sleep at a time?

Or do you try to sleep six to eight hours a week?

Depends on like the weather.

Like there's no sleep schedule, really.

It's just you sleep when you can.

Like if I, after this call, if I get a...

a wave of tiredness, I'm going to take advantage of that.

Cause right now the boat's balanced, the boat's good.

So I'm going to take advantage of that.

I'm going to go to sleep for a couple hours.

And then,

so yeah, and it depends on the weather.

So like last night, I stayed up till like 3 a.m.

Because through the night, the winds got all weird and shifty.

So I had to like, you know, be there to adjust the boat.

So yeah.

But I get plenty of sleep.

Like one of like the greatest, I once fell through a tree, a full tree coming through my apartment.

it came through the roof of my apartment i slept through the whole thing and i don't know if you ever heard a tree fall because the next the following day, I was outside and a tree fell.

And it sounds like a freaking grenade goes off, like it's insane.

And so I could sleep through anything, which is like a blessing and a curse.

Cause if something happens, I'll probably sleep through it.

But I think the thing that's where sailors meet their demise is because of sleep deprivation.

We'll not have that problem.

Your problem will be you won't wake up.

Crash.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

You got to, you got to share one more time.

You got to show the cat, Phoenix, the cat, one more time.

Everyone who came on late is asking, where's Phoenix?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Here she is.

Oh,

such a sweetie.

Does she sleep next to you also or no?

Yeah.

She sleeps next to me.

And

yeah.

We're she like

she sleeps right here.

I sleep right here.

Oh man, you're living the dream, man.

Yeah, um, yeah, all of our again, I wanna, I wanna, I know you got a lot of activities you got to do on the boat, but I'm glad we got connected.

And I want to, I wanted to share your message with my audience.

And I'm going to make this out there on my podcast, but I wanted to just one more time say that it's really inspiring what you're doing.

And again,

for those that are just tuning in, Oliver's from Oregon.

He had a diagnosis about his back that was not good from the doctors

and

wasn't living the life that he envisioned.

You weren't living that beautiful, healthy, rich life internally and externally.

And he decided to quit his job because he wasn't fulfilled at the job he was at and really pursue the dream of traveling around the world on a sailboat and experiencing life to the fullest based on your dreams.

Maybe it's not, I wouldn't want to do that, but your dream was to do that.

and you sold everything you liquidated your your your funds all your savings to buy a boat and for a year you were taught yourself how to sail a boat and you went you're now 12 days in the middle of the ocean on your way to hawaii and uh it's an amazing journey man i'm so happy that you're documenting this i'm so glad that you're taking the leap and you had the courage to actually do it because again 99 of people won't go after the big scary dream that that they have because they're too afraid to fail or what if, or what if I go broke, or what if I don't have any money, or what if everyone laughs at me?

And so what?

You know, if they do, okay.

Well, at least you won't regret it.

Maine, where life the way it should be, transforms all who encounter its spectacular landscapes.

Rugged coastlines, pine-scented trails, sandy beaches, sparkling lakes, and tranquil forests inspire you to reflect and make meaningful moments.

They offer endless opportunities for adventure and exploration.

Whether pedaling or paddling, hiking or biking, Maine has more than enough outdoor spaces to make the most of long summer days.

Relish and exquisite flavors harvested from the ocean and the rich soils of orchards and fields.

Maine's makers are rooted in its heritage while boldly branching into new ways of thinking, doing, and being.

Connect with its people in warm and authentic towns, which beckon you to stroll art galleries and locally owned shops where generations of artists writers entrepreneurs and craftspeople see the world anew it's tempting to do it all when you visit but take a beat and a breath get a feel for the time and tempo of maine simple pleasures scenic adventures where every route is the scenic one discover more at visitmaine.com

You've probably heard me say this before, but taking care of your health should be your number one priority.

What you put in your body directly impacts how you you think, how you feel, and how you show up in the world.

And whether you're training for a marathon, you're running a business, or just trying to get through a busy day with energy and clarity, nutrition is fundamental.

And when I feel my body right, I perform better, period.

And that's why I'm a big fan of RX Bar.

RX Bar is all about simple ingredients and honest nutrition.

They lead with transparency.

Just look at their packaging.

It says no BS, just real ingredients like egg whites for protein, dates to bind, and nuts for texture.

Whether you're on the go or in between meetings, they've got something that fits.

The original 12-gram protein bar, the nut, butter, and oat bar, soft, crispy, and packed with 10 grams of protein, or the mini, just 100 calories with 6 grams of protein.

RXBar is the proud sponsor of No BS, and they want you to say no to what's holding you back and yes to what fuels your greatness.

Use code GREATESS on rxbar.com for 25% off.

RXBar, proud sponsor of No BS, subject to full terms and conditions and to change.

Valid until September 30th, 2025, and may not be combined with other offers.

See rxbar.com for full details and limitations.

And you're happier and healthier than you've ever been in your life right now.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And that's amazing.

I feel like all those things are a guarantee is people laughing at you, going broke, and all that stuff.

Because all that happened.

Yeah.

But it works.

What's one?

What's, I mean, people are going to be watching your journey every single day.

And I can't wait to, and I can't wait to celebrate you and, you know, send you a FaceTime or a text when you land in Hawaii.

But what's one final message for this conversation that you'd love to send to people if they're struggling in a relationship where they feel like they know they've got to get out of, if they've got this artistic dream or music dream or something they want to pursue, but they've been too afraid of what people are going to think about them.

What's one final piece of advice or wisdom you would share based based on your journey?

You know, you know the answers.

You know the answers.

You know the answers.

And if, if, if you're, if you're questioning the relationship or the job and you've been questioning the relationship, the job, that is the answer.

Like, you've got the answers.

It's that simple.

You've got the answers

for a better life.

You just got to do it.

And

that will solve that problem.

You know?

So, like, I had, you know, I don't know.

You have the answers.

I guess the hard hard thing for me

because at the beginning of the spine thing,

at the very beginning, I and before that, too, I didn't know, like, I didn't have like a, it was really hard for me to find like a purpose.

You know what I mean?

Because I think a lot of people are a lot like, they think that's really cool and stuff, what I'm doing, and all that, but they

don't know how to find their purpose or they don't know what the thing is.

They want to.

They want to do all the things, but they don't know what it is, what their purpose is.

And that, I think a lot of people get trapped in that, and um, it's hard to find your purpose.

But in hindsight, it's easy, you know what I mean?

Like, it's like, what do you, what's the ridiculous thing you want to do?

Like,

sailing around the world on a boat with my cat is ridiculous, you know what I mean?

It's ridiculous, but it's that's like a ridiculous dream that I had, and so

why don't I just make that my purpose?

It's it is simple, you know what I mean?

Like, if what is it you want to do, do that, yeah, and uh, just

go for it.

So

I love that, man.

We are, it is Mother's Day today while we're recording this live.

I'm curious.

What's your mom after this?

What's your, what's your message to your mom and the greatest lesson your mom's taught you?

Oh, my mom is my biggest fan.

She is my biggest fan.

She loves me through and through.

And she, she's from the beginning, she's liked every single video.

She's, she even, my mom doesn't have like a lot of money at all.

And she like, she goes, she goes and I'm like, go fund me and donate.

She'll donate like 25 bucks, 50 bucks.

And I literally have to be like, mom, stop.

Stop doing that.

And

yeah, she's the greatest.

She just is the greatest.

And

yeah.

I can't remember the rest of the questions, but yeah.

Your mom, though, that's great.

That she supported you on this whole journey, doing some crazy hearing.

That's amazing.

Final question for you, Oliver, because I want you to go call your mom.

And I know you got a lot to do on the boat.

I asked this at the end of all my interviews: uh, what is your definition of greatness?

Um,

uh, my definition of greatness is just

being humble, like a humble person, you know, regardless of what they're if they're worth millions of dollars or they're living a

life well below their means.

But, like, I just think somebody who's just kind and like humble and like

just

just overall

you know the people that you meet and they're just like

just really you could just tell they're really good people like that's that's greatness

oliver you're a really good person we appreciate you a lot of your fans and followers here are loving the journey and they're grateful you're going live so i want to acknowledge you for taking the lead man it's a it's a scary dream that you had and you're doing it and you're showing the world that people's dreams matter because they matter so we're grateful for you oliver we appreciate you've been cheering you on if you need any support feel free to message me anytime and i can't wait to continue to watch the journey man yeah i appreciate it man thank you very much for having me that's cool man we'll stay in touch man and i can't wait to watch the next content we'll see you brother all right man thanks thank you i have a brand new book called make money easy and if you are looking to create more financial freedom in your life, you want abundance in your life, and you want to stop making money hard in your life, but you want to make it easier, you want to make it flow, you want to feel abundant, then make sure to go to make moneyeasybook.com right now and get yourself a copy.

I really think this is going to help you transform your relationship with money this moment moving forward.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness.

Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links.

And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally, as well as ad-free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our Greatness Plus channel exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts as well.

Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review.

I really love hearing feedback from you and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward.

And I want to remind you of no one has told you lately that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter.

And now it's time to go out there and do something

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You know who's surprisingly good with money?

Greenlight kids.

The other day, mine stopped to think about the ROI on a bag of chips.

Seriously, from getting paid for doing chores around the house to saving up for concerts, Greenlight's teaching my kids how to handle their money.

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