Pack Set Go

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the V Spot. I am super excited and grateful to have Greg of the Lifestyle Brothers and host of the Pack Set Go podcast here with us today. So Greg, welcome. Thank you for accepting the invitation to be here in the V Spot. How you doing?

I'm excited, I'm excited, I'm ready, I'm ready to share. I want to share. I'm a sharer.

You are a sharer. Well, let me, let me first spotlight this because I was thinking about you as we were preparing to get together today, and I was thinking about this fact that like Waldo has nothing on you, right? Oh, nothing on you. So let's first begin by, you know, spotlighting where in the world are you at this particular time?

I'm currently in New York City for now. I just got back to New York, but I won't be here in 10 more days. So if you blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, I'll be gone.

All right, so New York City, close, in proximity for right now. 10 more days and you are out. Where are you going next?

I'm going back to Bali. Back to Bali? Yes. I need to just do a mental, spiritual detox. just, you know, because my charging station, like my little adapter, see, I got like the iPhone, my plug only works in Bali and in Thailand. That's where I go to recharge and to reset myself. There's no outlet for me in New York or even in New York, even in the 50 states. I can't find a plug to charge myself. I have to go back to Bali or Thailand to get my, you know, my thing in order, my juice.

My Jesus, I love, I love that. And to that note, um, what would you say, how did you discover that it, it is in those two locations that you are able to recharge the metaphoric battery? Um, what was that like for you, that this process of discovery?

Um, one thing I've really had to really learn and grasp growing up in New York City is you cannot heal in the same place you were hurt in. I, I tried that for years, decades. I tried that for decades and it didn't work. So I went on a trip to Thailand in 2017. It's a little rough time in my life, you know, I was going through a lot of stuff, um, um, financially, spiritually, relationship-wise, job-wise. And I went there, regular trip, normal, had packed my bags and go, packs that go, similar trip, you know, and going on excursions and doing tours. And as soon as I landed in Phuket, Thailand, people bowed to me. Like strangers at the airport were bowing to me, and I'm like, like, who do they think I am? I'm, you know, I'm regular. I'm nobody in my neighborhood. So who do you think I look like so I could be like, okay, I'm him, you know what I'm saying? Like, but that's their custom. Their custom in Thailand is to treat everybody like a king and queen. Everybody, every single person, they bow to you and say sawadee ka. It's like such a humble place to be. They will make you feel so good about having nothing.

Wow.

I came from a place where I needed everything to a country that had nothing, and I felt like I had more than them.

Wow.

So it really stuck with me, you know.

That's so powerful because as you're sharing, I'm thinking about this idea that here in New York it could be this narrative of not enough.

Right?

And living in that and what that feels like to be in that space, that like scarcity space, and then actually go to a country where by standards it could be, right, not having enough, but there's this experience of abundance and, you know, all of the things that accompany that. That's— yeah, that's profound. So it was a moment that you realized like, oh, this is where I need to be.

It took me like probably by day 2 of the trip I realized, okay, they're not bowing to me because I'm somebody famous. They're bowing to me. That's how they show respect for everybody. And it wasn't just me. It was everybody in my party. They were bowing to it. And it's like every single day, they didn't miss a beat. You know, one thing I learned about life is you have to be consistent. And if you do a lot of stuff good, you'll be great. In Thailand, they do everything great because they do everything good each day. You know, it's amazing. It's so, so simple, you know what I'm trying to say? So I was looking for a reason to be like, nah, this is not real, this place does not exist. Like, why am I finding it now? Like, like, it's, it's just, it's just the culture, the lifestyle. And they really, really teach everybody in Thailand you could do so much more with so less. You don't need what you think you need. And it's a lot goes about, um, wants versus needs. That's a big thing. You know, we want the Jordans and the new jacket and the new sneakers and the, and the cologne and all the stuff, but do we need those things? We don't really need things.

No. And speaking of that, it was not too long ago that I remember seeing you on social media. Um, I think— where were you? Were you in Africa someplace?

Yeah, Senegal. I was in Senegal, and there you are giving away, right, the design, all my clothes, all all of my clothes.

So you gave away everything?

Everything.

Wow.

I— about that. Okay, so when I travel to countries, a lot of times I'm 6'1", 225, so a lot of my clothes don't fit the place that I travel because they're usually small and petite countries I go to, like Vietnam and Laos and Myanmar and Singapore. They're usually smaller size people. So I got to go to, um, Senegal I know there they're more taller and then they're more, uh, my size of clothes will fit them. So I had bags of clothes I already took downstairs into the basement but never ever used anymore. So I packed them all away. So when I went to Senegal, I brought 75% of my wardrobe and gave it to them because I don't wear those clothes no more. It don't serve— it doesn't serve me no more, you know. So I realized that people that like me like me. Not for what I have on. So why am I trying to be somebody else when I'm good enough already? I have a whole country that bows to me. I don't need— I don't need nothing else, you know. Having a whole country every morning like serve you and you're not even in the government, you're not a politician, you're just a regular civilian. Every day they treat you like, like, good morning, Andre. Good morning, do you need anything? Juice? Orange? I'm like, I'm fine. It's just amazing how much I've learned that I get more blessings by giving. And I think where, where I'm from and where I live, we, we were trained to live in a rat race and always get something, hold it. Yeah, but I heard if you open your palms, you might get more. You can reach more with the open palm than a closed palm. So once I got that mindset in my brain that, Greg, open your hand out, give, reach more people, because here you get nothing. Here you get one, one person, one fist bump. But here I get high fives. I get high fives, baby. I get a lot of high fives. So once I really had to really understand my purpose in life and my journey, I said, you know what, Greg, You are who you say you are. I had to believe in myself first before I convinced people in, in social media world. I think so much nowadays it's backwards. Social media tries to convince you who you're supposed to be, and that's not who you are, and you have to keep it, keep it going. See, that's the part that gets you, gets you railroaded. I call it railroaded a little bit, but you know, you know, in the, in the, in the same rut or rat race.

Yeah. Totally. And I think that's— that speaks to the importance of getting to know self and doing, you know, self-discovery work and personal development work, because then you get to decide who you are and show up to social media and show up everywhere else, as opposed to those forums, right? Everywhere else, you who you are, and then conforming to sort of match that. But something you said that I jotted down and I want to go back to, um, to me what I hear is you having profound trust. Because in the process of going from, right, holding on to whatever the thing is, to that let go, there's a trust and a faith in that split second, if you will, that more, better, plenty will come to you, right? And I think that is something that, you know, with the work I do, I'll often talk to people and use this like metaphor or analogy. I don't know what the word is, if you, uh, the proper word. But imagine you're walking through a field with your hands full of gold, right? And that's what many of us have. We have good jobs, good things, good whatever, right? But there comes this opportunity. If you start to walk and see that there are diamonds on the floor, that there's an opportunity to set down what you have good, right, for the pursuit of great. And when I hear you speaking about doing that, right, like letting go of the things, the clothes, 75% of the personal, you know, whatever materialistic goods, there's that trust and belief that you'll have plenty. And I think that's so inspiring to everybody who's listening. Um, what was that process like? Because I can't imagine that that was just like, okay, this is the operating system. It sounds like there was a lot of unlearning and work that you had to do to arrive there.

Yeah, it took me about, I want to say, a good year to finally understand my purpose and to have repetition. The key— my key word now is being consistent in who I am. Yeah, I have setbacks and I have, you know, I go— I backslide a little bit, but the journey still goes forward. Whether it goes forward a mile a minute or 10 miles a minute, it has to move forward. So I try my best to stay on my path at my own pace. That's— I'm not trying to do her pace, his pace, their pace. I just do Greg's pace. And Greg sometimes makes mistakes, but he bounces back and he knows how to— he knows how to fix his wrongs. So for me, when I go to Thailand, it's like a reset button. Like, they just strip away everything that was wrong with me in a matter of days, and they just start back from ground zero. And they put back in 3 things. They strip you down and put back in me 3 things. Humbleness, appreciation, and gratitude. Those are the three things I must feel, see, and hear before I wake up. I do not leave my bed unless I feel those three things every day. It's a staple. It's— that's my mantra. So I will not go nowhere, I will not leave my house unless I have those three things inside of me Constant. So I can't even— I don't know how to go forward, how to open a laptop, how to go social media, how to do anything without having those three things in me immediately when my eyes open.

Wow.

There's no other way. And I've learned that through time and through, through living in Thailand, living abroad, and seeing places. So once you, once you see things, it makes you aware of other things. Because we're so blessed in America that we open our eyes, we see lights. Yeah, and, and in Senegal there was no lights, you know what I'm trying to say? Like, you know, these countries that go to— I go to countries that are very, very, very poor to our standards but rich in other standards, right? So having AC is a luxury there, but here it's a necessity.

Yeah.

Or is it? Or is it?

Right.

You know, so we put We put things in different perspectives of, of our lives, but outside the world that we live in, other things have way more value than what we have value for. And I've seen that. So that's why I decided to just change my structure and my journey of my life to a proper, um, life of just giving. I love to give. I'm a giver. I'm a giver.

Yeah, well, you started this by saying, you know, I want to share, I want to share, I want to share.

Oh yeah, I did, right? I'm a sharer and a giver.

So I know, I know about you that you are surely, um, a sharer and giver, and now hearing this. So humility, appreciation, and gratitude is something that you require for self on a daily basis?

Every morning I wake up.

Okay. And so is your process of going back and charging your battery, um, a process of refilling yourself with those and then that sustains for a while, or is this a daily— you have to get into it every single day to restore?

That's a, that's a, a great question, and I'm gonna give you an answer in real time. So let me give you— I'm gonna give you the pre-pandemic answer and the post-pandemic answer because it's two different answers. Okay, the pre-pandemic answer would have been I could make it without recharging. I could wing it. I could wing it. When you're— when you— when your eyes have seen something and you can't see it no more, you miss it. You like— and now you want it more. So during the pandemic, I was stuck in New York. I was on empty. Every week I would watch the mayor and the governor do these news conferences. Yeah, we'll be fine, we'll be fine, we'll be fine, right? To appease the public, to trick them, you know. But I knew we weren't fine because the airports were closed. I couldn't get back to my charging port, so I had to find so many creative ways to keep myself going. Daily mantras, uh, listening to quotes, reading different books. I read so many books, I'm a bookworm now, to keep me— just to keep the light, the light on. You know how the light, light on, that little light, and you can't see— you— I couldn't see the light. I'm not gonna lie to you, I could not see the light, but I knew it was there. I didn't have a month, I didn't have a day. No one had a day, no one had a month. And I found another way to survive. I wasn't living, I was surviving. When I finally got back to Thailand and I was there for us, I think I stayed about 2 months. I bought a one-way ticket and I stayed 2 months the first time I went back after, after, after pandemic. And, and honey, I recharged. Oh my goodness, do you see my cheekbones? You see how I'm supposed to smile right now? Do you see the glow? No, do you see the glow? This is like— oh, I see, you see the glow, right? This is how I look in Thailand. Like, you, you will glow. It will change your whole view on life.. And it's an automatic glow for every person that comes, not just me. It's every single person that visits Thailand will get this glow. It's just guaranteed. And it changes you. Like, you know, it makes you realize that you are enough, number one. Everything you're looking for is already inside you. There's no magic. There's no magic pill. There's no magic button, you know. But having stuff around you or people around you that believe in you and believe in your vision without even seeing or knowing who you are is— it speaks volumes. There's people right now in my circle that are with me every day that don't believe me, but I hop on a plane, go to Thailand, I tell somebody most of my story, and they, they're in it all the way, 100%, without even knowing who I am. It's just a different type of trust they have, you know. It's a different type of trust. It's a different type of, of loyalty and love. Yeah, it's a good one. Love. I would say love. Once you have self-love, it's, it's contagious, you know. It's very contagious.

I think it's so profound that you're experiencing yourself as enough by way of visiting a particular location and the way in which the lifestyle, right, pun intended, has impact on you. So, um, for anybody who's listening, I mean, you convinced me to add Thailand to the bucket list. Um, in a brief conversation, I think that that is an epic, uh, call to action to everybody because, you know, this idea that you can visit someplace and experience and really connect to the fact that everything you need is already within. Yes, the journey that people, you know, embark on, no location attached. But now imagine being able to, number one, see the beauty, number two, experience all these things in self and provide self with these fundamentals, right? Maybe it'll be different for somebody in terms of humility, appreciation, gratitude, but be able to walk away with these fundamentals that go different direction. I love that. I think that that's, um, all right, the bucket list just got, just got a—

yeah, you have to add it, you have to add it longer. You'll find your own 3 things too. Those are my 3 things. You're right, you'll find your own 3, or maybe 2, or maybe 1. You'll find something. For me, it was 3. Some people are 5, but my 3, those are my 3 that, that they've given me for me to keep it going.

Yeah, that's so, so good. Um, I'm thinking about— I love what you say on like your social media account says that you, in terms of the Lifestyle Brothers, we inspire unlikely travelers to see the world. So tell us more about that mission and why it is so important to you.

Okay, growing up, I lived near an airport, LaGuardia Airport, all my life. Every single day, going to school, going to the mall, going to the practice fields of basketball, going to even— even going just a walk to the park, you see planes flying over my head every day. And I was like, where are they going? Why are they coming here? It's boring where I live, you know, not realizing they're going beyond my block because all I see is my neighborhood. I didn't get to see the other side of the highway or next town over. All you see is your neighborhood and your block. So I was always curious, like, what's it like to go live with MacGyver? You know, like, I watched The A-Team. You know, these shows I watched growing up. I'm like, wow, this is so cool. Like, yeah, like, like, just like, you know, just seeing like even Knight Rider being in Hawaii with KITT. It's like— I'm sorry, Magnum P.I. Magnificent P.I. was in Hawaii, right? Magnificent P.I. Night Rider was somewhere in the streets. Yeah, Magnificent P.I. So it's like, wow. And saying to myself, it's not real. I don't believe it's not real. It's Hollywood. It's all made up. It's not real. Then going on my first plane ride to like, they went to LA and then seeing LA like, wow, this is nice here. It's the middle of January and I have on a t-shirt and shorts like How is this possible? I wore a winter jacket every January for 30 years, and now I'm wearing shorts.

How old were you when you took that first trip?

I think I was like 29, 30. I was almost in my 30s. Yeah, I was like, yeah, I think 29, 30 I was. And being able to go to LA and just experience the sun and, and the— that they have these— I've never been to LA, but LA is probably easy now, but they have these tall palm trees. Like, all you see is just like, like behind you, see how it is? Like, like all you see is the is the long palm tree and the top is the, is the leaves. You don't have that in New York City. We have like different types, one tree, no leaf, a squirrel that's really a rat. It looks crazy. There's no— there's nothing about New York City makes you say, I want to come here. There's nothing. There's nothing here for me, right? I mean, people come every day, people come every day for the tourist side, but on my block there's nothing like really like Central Park. Like, wow, we didn't have no real nature. Yeah, like, we— it's called the concrete jungle.

Yeah, exactly.

So, you know, so if you're not outside seeing life, you just stuck there. And mind you, I go to school in a concrete building, I live in a concrete building, yeah, the street is concrete. So there's nowhere to grow. So how can you really grow when you're overpopulated? The parks are crowded, the school's crowded, the train's crowded. How could you really stand out? We have no land to stand out. Yeah, but once I started traveling— did you know the world is so big, has so much land? I never seen so much empty spaces. Wow. You can't find a vacant lot in New York City, a vacant block. There's no— there's no— there's nowhere to go. But if you go to Thailand, uh, okay, Bali, Senegal, China, Russia, anywhere you go to, you're gonna see land, you're gonna see access. You're going to see live, you see life, you see life, you're going to see real life. And I don't think growing up where I lived in Queens, I never saw real life until I got on a plane.

And so 29 years old, you're watching, you're out near LaGuardia Airport for your whole younger life. You watch the planes come in, go out, wondering where's everybody going? Why come here when they're actually coming? Finally get on a plane at about 29, go to LA. Experience, I would say, what I'm hearing you describe as nature in a different way that you never had access to. Never. That time that you realize this is the way in which I get to grow as a person.

And so I— yes, I want to see more. I got, I got hooked. I got hooked. And I was on the plane for the first time, maybe in all my life. I can't remember I was on a plane before that. And they gave me free, like, a free can of soda and free chips and free food. I'm like This is what they do on planes. I've been traveling a long time to go buy free food. Now stop. Now stop. Now. But before, they gave you a whole entire meal. Yeah, they made you— they made you very comfortable. And I was in coach. I had a great time. So it's just expo— it's really about exposure. Yeah.

And so I want to really have you share, because I don't know if the people who are listening have been able to tap into your work yet, or if they follow you. And I'll give you that share that at the end where folks could find you. But just to really create, like, shed light on this, this journey for you, you go on the plane, you gain access to this, you realize, I want more. How many countries— paint a picture for the people— how many countries to date have you visited? Because when you say more and you have the t-shirt like hanging behind you, see, it was last year. I want folks to really get an understanding of— you're 29 years old about when you take your first flight. And to date, how many places have you visited?

Okay. Today, as of today, I've been to 77 countries. 77. It's not a lot, though. My goal, my goal and my, my mission is to go to every country in the world. There's 196 countries. So I figure I'm going to say by next year I'll be half the world done. So I have 21 countries to go. I'll be at 90, about like 99, 98, and I'll be half the world done. Then my goal is to finish the other half shortly after that, and then hopefully call up Elon, call up Jeff, you know, those two guys, and take a flight to the moon. Why not? Like, hey, I want to go to the moon next. Like, Greg, come on, it's about time you can try.

You're like, I said I saw everything on land.

On land, yeah, starting at Earth. Let's go to a different planet and let me go there first. That would be a good— that would be a good dream come true. And I think if I keep on doing what I got to do, it'll be done before I turn 59, before I get my AARP card.

You know, they will be sending you the card. Yes. So, all right, so this is incredible because it's, you know, it's one thing we start out talking and it's like, oh yeah, I see one place and I get inspired and I travel, but it's another to actually share how many countries that you've already visited and what you are looking to accomplish, right, in terms of visiting all the countries. And this aspect of inspiring unlikely travelers, is it safe to say that at one point you considered yourself unlikely to see the world and now you want to really inspire and encourage folks to get out there and do it?

Nail on the head, 100%. I was that one kid that was saying, no, I don't want to go nowhere, I'm fine where I'm at. I'm comfortable because it's all I seen. So I never knew there was a world beyond my block. Imagine writing a book. You know about the book, you know, you know about the infamous book. So I'm writing a book, it's called Pax Yego: Beyond Your Neighborhood. Because if I never saw what was in LA, I won't be curious to know what's in Senegal. Yeah, you know, 77 countries later, I'm like, my curiosity still is amazing how much I get to see and witness life, you know. So I think for me Growing up, I was in a bubble. Like, I was in my own permanent mental bubble. Not really, not in a real bubble, but, you know, we're molded by our friends and our environment. Somebody said one day, I think recently I heard, you are who you are by your zip code. I think I heard somebody say that, like, you are who you are by your zip code. So your zip code tells you what you're going to be. I think that was, um, Steve Novogratz. I think I heard him say that. I think so. He said that. Yeah. So you are who you are by your zip code, but you could change your zip code. You can move. If you choose to. And I think, I think the world is my zip code now. I think I'm really a global citizen, you know. So I've expanded my reach from, you know, Queens, New York to Queens, Queensland, you know, Queensland, Australia, or Queensland, England, you know. So many different Queensland, you'd be surprised. So, you know, there's like a lot of places that I've been to that, that showed me you know, wow, you, you came here. Like, you came here. And if I could do it, so can you. I'm not a special person. There is nothing special about me. I have two legs, two feet, regular like everybody else who's functioning. Put my shoes on, the same thing. I've done nothing in my life great, but I do a lot of good things extraordinary. I feel I don't do nothing great, but I do a lot of good things extraordinary. And I think one thing about that is just being who you are. And I think once you tap into yourself and realize why are you here, and life would be so much easier once you figure that out. It'll be like the life is— and it took me almost 40 years to realize why am I here. To me, at least 40 years to realize, but I learned through trial and error. Yeah, I thought I was somebody else and I thought somebody else and I thought somebody else. Movie star, actor, NFL player, NBA player, rapper. I thought, I thought everybody. Until I found out that I was Greg. But I've been Greg all my life, so I know him. I know Greg.

But I love this trial and error piece that you spotlight, because I think oftentimes, especially when it's as important as a conversation of who am I, why am I here, I think that folks could get caught up— and I experienced this for myself— in a pattern of trying to figure that out by way of thinking. And I love that you spotlight this piece of trial and error, right? Because You could sit forever in a space of like, hmm, what's my purpose? Why am I here? It's entirely different when you get out there and do something and then you're like, this isn't it. Oh wait, this is it, right? So I really like— I heard that in your share and I want to spotlight to everybody that's listening because I know there's so many people that come to me that feel so frustrated that they haven't identified their purpose. Yeah, right. And it's like, don't sit in your house trying to figure it out. Like this is a call to action, like straight from you, that there's this opportunity to try things and then, right? And so you have two trials in, in place, and now you are clear as to the path. And I think that that's so significant, and it sort of leads to the next question, is you could elaborate a little bit. There's a quote that I heard by David Mitchell that says, travel far enough, you meet yourself. And so I'm curious if you could share one or two ways that you have met yourself as a result of your travels. 77 countries. Travel far enough, you meet yourself.

What could you say about that? I could say that that is true. What, what, what, what me and my brother do when we travel, we try to highlight places that we will go if we were living where we live. So we don't necessarily go to the top 3 places to visit according to travel advisors and Expedia. We find our own 3 places to visit and then we make that the place to go visit. And every time I go to a different country, I always find a younger Greg. Every time. I found 77 younger Gregs. And I think for me, if I had that type of person in my life, at that age, I would have been different. Now, maybe further along, who knows, but I would have been more, more aware of who I was and who I wanted to be. Just having— just meeting my younger self. I meet, I meet younger Greg every time I go to a different country. I met 3 younger Gregs when I was in, um, Senegal, and probably 4 more next week when I go to Bali. And they're just looking for that one, that one little word, or, or that little that little phrase or that quote to get them, to get them over, you know, over the top. And I would say that it's in there already. You don't need to hear it from me. You don't need to have me to validate who you are and what your story is. You already know your story because you're you. Only you know what you want to do. Fear may stop you, time may stop you, finance may stop you. There'll always be a stopping point if you wait, if you look for it. It'll always come. It'll always come. So if you start where you are and keep going, eventually you look back and realize, wow, I came this far. I didn't have a t-shirt when I first started, you know. I was wearing other people's clothes. Now I have my own clothing line. So it just shows you the progressions of what you can do according— like, if you see something and you go further, you know, you have to see it to believe it. But sometimes people don't want to believe because they don't see it. And that brings you back to the whole circle of the rat race. And it just, it just sucks.

Or you don't— you see it, but it's not happening fast enough, right? Or you see it and other people like, no, come this way, right? Or you see it, you want to go out and do the thing on the weekend, and then you— it gets taken away, you like, from your process. So I think that it's— I love what you spotlight in terms of to one step in front of the other and make progress and then be sure to look back. But also what you said earlier, which is like at your own pace. Yeah, look at what you've created and what you've done at your own pace. And what you just described is that there's so much more to come, right? There's so much that has already, you know, so I think that that's, that's so profound. I love that. And I love this idea of meeting versions of yourself. And there'll be an opportunity later to kind of circle back to that. Um, well, I know that you just attended Invest Fest, right? And, uh, did you have fun?

Oh, I had a great time.

It looked like you had a really good time.

I had a great time.

Um, I'm definitely a believer that we are our best investments. And so, um, what are your thoughts on investing in stuff versus investing in self and experiences? Because I know you are a believer in investing in experiences.

Yeah, I'm learning to invest more. I believe if you invest in people, people invest back in you. Um, to me, investing in stuff is very, is very, um, short-term. Yeah, I believe in humans. I believe in, in, in, in people will, will get it right when, you know, eventually. And I believe, I believe in the journey, so I will always invest in, in someone's dreams, somebody's inspirations, more than invest in stuff and things. Because those stuff could change. And I believe sometimes people are allowed to change their minds. People out there are allowed to change their minds. It takes time to figure out what you want to do. I didn't know what I wanted to do. It took me 40 years to realize what I wanted to do. I didn't get it in the first try, you know. So I just want to take the pressure off of people, if they're listening, that it's okay. It's, it's okay. You don't have to know what you want to do at 21, at 19. Who said that? Who made, who made that rule? Sorry, quick question. I know you don't know the answer, but who made that rule, right, that told you that you have to figure it out by 18?

Who? Yeah. And then not only that, but figure it out and be willing to have that be the one thing you do forever and ever, right? Because I think we are a society of like, you better figure it out. No, you're gonna do it for the rest of your life. Like, we don't teach that there's this ability to change your mind, change your path, change your career.

So yeah, it's, it's, it's so scary. Like, I don't know who said that. Was it my mother? Was it my mother's mother? I don't know who, who made you feel that you had to get out the house, get married, have a kid, get a house with a white picket fence, get a dog, get a 401k, get stocks, get bonds, all of this by the time you turn 21, 25, 30. There's, there's no, there's no time on life. There's no time on life. You can figure out when you're 50. There's no— there's no— but as long as you're doing what you love, it won't— it won't bother you. You know, for me, I think what I've gotten that actual conference I went to is that I met people that actually I inspired them. And I, I'm like, I don't know how I inspired you because I'm doing stuff that, that works for me. It may not work for you, but just seeing that I could do it and you could touch me and you could actually feel me then you could do it because you're in the same space as I am. I think that's the real reason I like to go to countries that aren't that, that popular, or go to places that aren't, you know, that fancy with fancy hot water and, you know, lights and AC, you know, because, because I get people— I give people hope. I want to be the person that gives, um, people hope, because when I was growing up, I didn't have hope. I didn't have hope. I had everything else. I had cable TV, I had Jordans, I had new jacket, I had a roof over my head, and mother say I had 3 meals a day, but I didn't have hope. Wow. I didn't have no hope because what I wanted to be, I didn't know. And I was guided to a direction or a journey of what they wanted me to be, not who I wanted to be. And I had to fight. I had to really fight to be, to be free, you know, to be, to be free and to figure it out 20 years later. That's the real problem that people have nowadays. They want it now, but now it's not available. You know what I'm trying to say? It's not available right now.

Yeah. Well, I think that speaks to the undeniable process of things, right? And I don't know for whoever is listening, will it be 20 years? Maybe it'll be 10. Maybe it'll be 6. But there is an undeniable process that I think as humans, we're conditioned that when we discover that we want something, we want it now. And it's like, ah. So then we are willing to basically throw the towel in in the name of like, frustration and giving up, not recognizing that time is going to be passing anyway, right? So if there's this, of course, um, we can't necessarily acquire certain things without going on the journey through and to. And so I, I hear you speaking of that loud and clear. And so for anybody who's listening, just a reminder, you know, that you are not late, right? You are not behind, that there's an undeniable process that you are on, you know, and, um, stay with it because clearly it leads to the life that you desire, right? And, um, learning yourself in ways that you couldn't possibly without going on the journey. Um, and it's funny because I hear people often speak about travel in terms of discovery and sort of like going outside of themselves to have a particular experience. It sounds like for you travel is actually a way back home to self?

Yes, you see it, right? It's a recharge, it's a reconnect. It's all re— everything re— reconnect, recharge, rebirth, regift, relife. It's all re— it's like they give me what I need. I don't give them nothing but just a face and a shell. They pump everything back into me. And you know, it's— all my trips are the same way. Nothing changed. It's been 77 countries in I got 77 different rebirths. It's amazing. It's like, I can't even share a negative story of a trip that happened one time in 2000. It never happened. It never happened. And it's so hard to be like, oh, you sure? Like, I'm very sure. Every country treats me like I'm the prime minister. I don't know what— maybe it's my hat, my eyebrows. I don't know what it is. I don't know. But it's just— and I know what— I know what it is. It's me. I'm gonna declare it. It's me. It's just me. It's just me.

I'm glad you get it.

I'm glad you know. It's been me since 1974. It's always been me. It's always been me. So, so now I think now when I travel, I go, I go there to show them that it's still me and I'm here. You know, I'm not looking no more because I believe in myself. And I think it took me a long time, took me a lot of years, a lot of nights. Trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Like, why? Why? My, my brother's winning, my uncle's winning, my sister's winning, but I'm not winning. You know, until I got on the plane and realized, oh my God, yeah, I am winning. Maybe not in the way that they're winning, but I'm winning tremendously. And I didn't realize it. And I think when you go to these countries, especially Thailand, put on your map, you will definitely understand your purpose. There's a book, remember that book, um, Eat, Love, Pray? I think she went to India though, but you know, it's the exact same concept. It's the exact same concept. She had to go to a different country to find herself, but she was who she was regardless. She already knew what she had to do, you know.

That, and I also want to circle back to what you said because you spotlighted, you know, I go there and I don't give them anything. And it's my hope in this moment that you actually see that it's quite the opposite.

Yes, yes. Yeah, now I see it. Now I see it.

To give, to share of self in that way. And that's not even capturing, like, in, in the last trip, you gave away 75% of your belongings. Yeah, I'm sure that that has happened over and over again, if I were to guess. But yeah, there's— is that giving plenty, you know? And I think that that's profound. I love that. And I hope everybody who's listening, it's, it's really an opportunity, whether you are experiencing like a desire to tap into a version of yourself that you haven't met yet, whether you are looking to leave hometown, right, and be able to gain access to a world that really puts things into perspective, as you described, whatever it is for people, I hope that you are inspired. And I know I hear often, and even for myself, I struggled with panic disorder for many years and traveling wasn't a thing. You know, I was super uncomfortable. I didn't want to, set out and take the risk, right? But in staying close, there was also risk, right? Because there was not living. And so there's an opportunity, you know, for folks who are listening to, um, hear what Greg is sharing and really look within to see where this can work for you so that you can go on what we might consider the greatest adventure of all, which is being able to connect with self. And whatever the backdrop is, you know, Highlands, whether it's Senegal, whether it's wherever, right? Um, there's an opportunity here to really, um, pack, set, and go. Yes. You know, I like that name. Yeah, right? Um, and you know, Greg, in May of 2024— so I just shared history of panic disorder, struggled for a while, didn't travel. Um, Intentional Healing and Wellness I launched in 2020, and now I'm like on my journey. And I decided that in 2024 I'm partnering with a travel group and I am hosting my travel experience. Um, so intentional healing and wellness is, um, going to Iceland. Nice. Unforgettable. We're calling it Unforgettable Iceland, and it's a journey of adventure, self-discovery. So I'm wondering, is Iceland one of your 77?

Yes, I've been. That was like number 22, 23. Yeah, Reykjavik. Reykjavik and Kev— and Kev— and Kev— Kevlavik. Yeah, you fly into, um, Kevlavik, and you— and the local town is called Reykjavik.

Rakevich, right? Right. Yeah, I hear it said differently every time.

Yeah, it's cold. Are you going there in May? You said May, right? Don't wear a jacket.

Yeah, totally, total jacket. Um, but anything that you— you know, I'll tell you why I chose it because it also connects back to something that you said earlier. When you go to LA, you see the trees and you experience nature in a way where it really gives you access to your own growth. And so I was thinking, I often encourage people and I believe that healing takes place in nature with ease. You know, I think Mother Nature has a beautiful way of supporting our healing process. And when I thought about where I wanted to go for an adventure, I couldn't think of a better place to begin because of the epic, you know, experience of nature. Anything that you can share, you know, share in terms of your experience or anything that you want to say to anybody who's listening that's thinking, should I go on this trip with Andrea? To Iceland. What are your thoughts?

Number one, you picked the best month to go. The best. I went in January. Bad idea. And I went in July. I went to come a couple of times. So May is perfect because it's just when spring's starting to start, starting to get a little bit warm. We need a jacket at night and you get to see the Northern Lights as well.

Wow. Yeah, I hear that they can't guarantee.

You can't guarantee. No, no, there's no guarantee you'll see it. But, but if they go with you, you'll see it. And that view is like, it's indescribable to see it with your own eyes. I missed it twice, so I missed it. I overslept and then I overslept because it's at nighttime. It's like 2 AM. You got to be really pitch black, pitch dark, pitch black dark to really see it. And in Iceland, there's like no smog, there's no pollution, so it's clear. The actual water that you could drink You take the bottle of water, empty bottle of water, put it to a creek in Iceland and drink it. It's much more pure than Poland Springs in the store you get here in New York. It's that pure. So when you go to Iceland, you're seeing nature at its purest form. And the time you're going is good so you can enjoy the daytime and dip back in the hotel room when it gets late at night because it will get a little chilly. So you're getting the best of both worlds. And did you know, um, in July in Iceland, the sun never sets? I heard that. So 2 AM and 2 PM look the exact same. You can't tell the difference.

That's wild.

I know. So you— so you picked a good time to go because July, you'd be like, hold up, what time is it? Why is it 2 AM in the morning and the sun is right here? Like, I don't understand. Like, it's like— it's amazing. The sun doesn't— it doesn't— it goes down a little bit but doesn't— it never sets. So you need to put shades on your, on your, on your hotel room to go to sleep because it's that bright at 2 a.m. So May is a good, a good sweet spot. It's a very good— and are you going to do— are you going around like different places? Are you just staying in?

Yeah, we will be flying in the first night. We'll be at the Blue Lagoon to do that experience. Yes. Be traveling into the countryside to spend 3 nights And with that, we will hike a glacier and visit the waterfalls and do a secret—

yes, go for it.

Yeah, yeah. And then go for 2 nights in the city.

So yes, I've been saying perfect itinerary, perfect, perfect itinerary. Blue Lagoon, first stop, is a must because that sets the whole tone. Their mud, their, their mud is like so— it's so many minerals to put in your face and you feel like a brand new baby. I don't know what it is about their mud. It's called Icelandic mud. And the Blue Lagoon is heated by, um, hot springs by the Earth's crust. I don't know how they do it. It's in the middle of nowhere. When you drive in there, you be like, where we going? And then you drive over a hill and then a valley and then an empty field, and suddenly in the middle of the empty field is a sign that says Blue Lagoon. And you're like, this can't be it. It's surreal. But you see, like I said, like there's no concrete, there's no— it's like this is all land. And it's nothing but glaciers and ice to the left and to the right, and then you have a road and then you go to the Blue Lagoon. So your, so your map and your itinerary looks good already. It looks exciting. Like, I could be a tour guide, right?

Exactly. I'm really excited. And I know that you are also a believer and supporter of healing work and development, personal development work. Do you think that I picked a good location for the backdrop of the first international, uh, experience.

Yes, yes. And I think you picked a great spot. Number one, you picked a great location, a great, a great month, because the month is the key. Because May is like start of summer for people in, in the States, but in different countries it could be rainy season. Yeah, it could be, you know, a different type of climate. So Iceland was a good country, very good pick. And I like the dates. The key thing about these trips is how you structure your days. Yeah, because you know you have to start off action-packed, and that Blue Lagoon is an icebreaker because you're gonna be in a, in a pool full of people that you don't even know. You don't even know, with mud on your faces, so they can't even know who you are. And you're gonna be just embraced with the whole entire culture, and in the water it's 85 degrees hot. When you go up 55 degrees, it's like, it's an amazing feeling. So I, I think you chose the right place, the right time. And I'm not sure whether you have like a group session at nighttime, like a little bonfire where you guys share stories. That would be great too. That'll be an amazing, epic, epic visual, you know, a round table with the fire pits. And they have that in Iceland with the fire pits, you know, you put the little fire there, you get a little stick and you had little s'mores and you talking. They have that there. So like, I, I, I see your vision.

Thank you, thank you. And I trust your opinion, so I appreciate you giving me the, uh, info and the insight. Thank you.

Question for you, question for you, because since you're the master motivator/healer/um teacher, do you think, in your opinion, can someone see what I just said without visiting Iceland and sharing with passion? From my perspective. I want to know how you— how do you answer that for me? I'm just curious.

So can someone see the vision in terms of me crafting this experience, if you will, uh, without having visited? Is that, that the thing?

Yes, yes.

So I, I'm hopeful and optimistic that the answer to that question is yes. Um, I personally believe— so I haven't been there, right? So I'm picking, and I have the vision. So I'm believing that if I am gifted with this vision to be with folks on a journey and really purposefully turn inward, you know, to— for adventure, fulfillment, fun, discovery. And I'm painting this picture of Mother Nature, you know, and the wild sort of, I would say, untraditional backdrop, right, of Iceland that people will be able to the right people who are meant to actually join will. Yeah, too. I don't think everybody's gonna see it, you know. Gotcha. Like, those will be the nos. Um, but I think that the right people who feel guided, feel called, know that there's something about themselves that's happening in Iceland that time, they have to be there. They will see it. They will be there. So that's my, that's my hope, my trust, my belief. Um, and I will keep you posted on how, how it all goes.

Um, well said.

Look, I'm looking forward to it, and, and thank you for, for asking that. Um, all right, we're gonna move to a speed round, and then from folks in terms of— well, you could share with everybody where they could find you. Okay. All right, so the first question, let me preface this by saying there is no right or wrong answer. Um, just go with the first thing that comes to your mind. And, um, the first question actually has two parts to it. Okay. You ready to go?

I'm ready.

Okay, I'm ready. Uh, part A, if you will. If you can only return to one place that you have visited so far, where would it be? I give you the face like, are you kidding me? Thailand. All right, Thailand. Um, and in terms of one destination that you have not visited yet but can't wait to, what would you say that is?

Tahiti. Tahiti and slash Papua New Guinea. It's a tie.

It's a tie.

Okay.

All right, we have to say— we have to stay tuned for the pictures of, of when you go. Um, all right, number 2: what would you offer to anyone who is listening to this episode of the V Spot thinking, I want to travel but I'm too afraid to?

I would say The best way to get out of your fear is to try and start. Just start. Take a trip around the block, go to a different coffee shop, go to a different barbershop. You know, it's not about the trip that's really making you afraid. It's really you. It's not the trip because it could be moving. The plane is not— it's not the problem. It's really within you. That'll be my answer.

Oh, so to that note, folks, I also hear a call to action to go on a journey of self-discovery, right? What is it? And do it scared, right? Just, yes, do it scared. Um, and, well, I guess I, I'm feeling guided to ask a part B here. What do you offer to anyone who's listening to this episode and thinking, I want to travel but I don't have the money to?

Perfect, perfect. There's a thing called time and savings, and you don't have to travel every month. You travel once a year or once every 18 months. You don't have to go away as much as I do. This is my journey, but I do implore you to see something, see something new, new restaurant. And what I do too, I like to try different cuisines in my city, then go to that country. So you don't have to go to Thailand to feel the Thai love. Just go to a Thai restaurant and they'll make you want to go. You're like, wow, this food tastes really good, you know, and just experience something new. So traveling could be international, it could be domestic too, you know, like taking a trip to state museum or state or state fair where you get to see different cultures in one place. That's a good tip to places that have multiple cultural things going on in the same area. So you kill 10 birds with one stone.

That's so good. And I love this idea of starting local if need be and then prioritizing, right? And really placing value on the savings and the process connected to that. I love that. Okay, well, I think it's fair to say that as a people, right, we've been through a lot over the last couple of years. What is your call to action to the collective at this current time?

Well, for me, since I'm a giver, it has to be giving because I don't want to change my speech and, and who I am. Um, I believe that everybody could use something, and we have a lot to give. If we look within ourselves. We have so much more to give. Like, we— I think when you give 10%, if I put a number on it, probably less than 10, we could give 90% of our time, our energy, our phone calls, our, our emails, our thoughts. You know, I feel like we're so distracted about living life and being busy that we're really not that busy. We have plenty of free time to give and help. Like, I— and when I say help, I don't mean helping someone across, across the seas, you know, going all the way to like Zimbabwe or somewhere far, or helping— you can help somebody right in your neighborhood, you know. Like, there's so many people that need help right on your block, down the road, make a left at the light, you know. You know, you don't have to go on a plane ride to help somebody. And I think once you help somebody and, and you hear their story, you have a different appreciation for people. Like, one of my goals, honestly, when I started traveling was to go to enough countries that I could speak at a retirement home and keep them awake. Just keep them talking. Like, hey Greg, pick this country. Oh, I've been there. Show them a picture and talk about that country. So I want to go to every country in the world. So if I ever go to a retirement home and they ask me, have you been to Luxembourg? Oh yeah, I've been there. Talk about it and keep it going. That's my goal, to always keep the conversation going about traveling and just promoting what I love to do, and I feel by me doing this, I will help others. Just put a smile on their face, like, wow. Like, I remember growing up as a kid— I want to share this one thing— when I was a kid, we never had enough money to buy the whole encyclopedia. Remember the books? I would have A and C but don't have D and E. Like, I knew every state bird in A, you know, Alaska, you know, I knew everything with A. I didn't have M, I didn't have N, I didn't have P. I had to get A, I had K, and I think I had T. So I knew everything about A, K, and T. So I knew everything about A, K, and T, you know. So, but now as I'm older, I think I almost got A to Z, almost, you know. I know a lot of places because I've seen it, and I think that really sparked my interest in traveling, having that, that big book with no TV really, you know, and just going to the book every day looking at Alaska you know, area, you know, everything with everything with an A, I knew, you know, it was like, yeah.

So that's, that's so, that's so profound. And, you know, to everybody listening, this piece around two things are coming up for me. Number one, I just want to spotlight again what you said about giving, right? And, and yeah, I have to go far to do it. We can literally just walk outside the house, um, and sometimes in the house, right? In the house, um, this idea of giving, but your desire and purpose to continuously see the world. But what I also was thinking about as you said that, why I hear it to be so important, and I want to encourage everybody who's listening, those that travel, those that don't, to follow you, because there's an opportunity for us to see the world through your eyes. And that's huge, you know, and that's a gift that for many people, for whatever the reason, if there's not an ability to actually explore in their own, you know, way, they get to by way of you. And you are, you know, I'm just going to spotlight social media for a moment. Your social media is an account that really allows for that to happen. It's fun. It's easy. Share. And so, um, you know, in a minute I'm going to ask you to share with folks how they can find you. But I love this. And anybody who's listening, if you're saving, if you haven't just like moved through the fear yet, if you are prioritizing, if you're not sure where to go, if, you know, you're about to book a flight, in the interim, I want to encourage you to see the world through Greg's eyes. I think that that's a very powerful, um, a powerful piece. And so, okay, one last question. And you— I was originally going to ask the question in terms of What words do you want to offer to the man in the mirror? But I'm going to remix it for a minute. Okay. I heard you describe that in each country that you've been through, been to, you have met little Greg. And so I want to actually modify, remix the question and ask, what words can you offer in this moment to little Greg that will allow for you to continue the mission that you are here to?

Serve. 5 words: stop, breathe, it'll be okay. Stop, breathe, it will be okay. That's it. I already knew it, right? I already knew it. Because when you see little Greg, he wants to figure it out why he's not where he's supposed to be, but he's too young to realize where he's supposed to be, you know? Like, stop, breathe, it'll be okay. Like, trust me, have fun. You know, go to the movies, play around, enjoy life.

Don't stop. Yeah, no, that's so good. And do you feel that those 5 words serve the man in the mirror today?

It does now. Stop, breathe, it'll be okay. Like, I'm, I'm him. Like, stop— I stopped worrying about what people say about me. I stopped worrying about if I fit the perfect mold. I stopped worrying about if my Instagram is censored and it's okay for your eyes.

Breathe.

Yeah, breathe. Just breathe. Breathe. Appreciate you have this, this gift to breathe. Breathe. You're here. You're still here creating content. You're here traveling. You're still on your journey. That's part of breathing, right? Right. It'll be okay. It'll be okay. Like, like, you have to believe that too. It'll— it will be okay. You know, a lot of people will say it to you, but they don't believe it themselves, you know. So you have to show them it'll be okay. And, you know, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. That's it.

Remember, I'm here counting. So it's 6 words.

Yeah, well, I put no, I put okay, one word. Okay, okay.

It'll be— it will—

I'm like, uh, okay, so every time you stop, breathe, it will be okay. Okay, it's 6.

Sussex. All right, so tell the people, um, tell the people where to find you. You recently wrote a book. You have happening that folks can tune in.

So for your, for your, um, family and for your entire viewers and listeners, I'm gonna give you guys a free travel ebook for free. Wow. Listen to the V Spot for free.

I love that.

Very— only for you guys, okay? So this is what I'm gonna do. If you log on or go to the website www.thelifestylebrothers— that's T-H-E, thelifestylebrothers.com. A link will pop up, put in your email address, and I'm going to give you guys a free promo code as well. It'll be called the V Spot, so you get 20% off anything you want in the merch shop. Anything you want. The free book is free anyway. Yeah, and the code will be V Spot. And you get any t-shirt. I got t-shirts like this. See my new t-shirts? Travel Stars, the one back here. My new hat will be coming out September, September, September, maybe September 5th. I'm hoping manufacturing— little, you know how this manufacturing is. So, so that'll be all out on the, on the, on the site for you to buy. And the code we use is going to be The V Spot.

Amazing. Thank you. So everybody who's listening, go get your free book, your ebook, and use the code The V Spot.

The V Spot. And, and I'm on every platform. The Life— The Lifestyle Brothers on every platform the same. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. The Lifestyle Brothers or The Lifestyle Brothers. It's all the same word and it's pretty easy. And you'll see just— you'll see traveling. Like, all we do is travel. So if you're looking for cookbooks, not here. Yeah, if you're looking for how to fix a flat, not here.

Not here. No, exactly.

Only if it's a plane, it's a plane tire, yes. But anything else, no. It's only, only if you have to be travel and inspired about seeing the world. That's all we do.

I love it. Thank you, first of all, for blessing the V Spot and the community. It's my hope that everybody who tunes in heads over, you know, gets the e-book, uses the code, get yourself some dope merchandise. I love the hat. I'm looking forward to one up travel crew. I would, I would encourage everybody to follow, you know, on all the social media platforms. See the world through Greg's eyes. Greg, I will stay tuned for all things, you know, pack, set, go. I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures, the reels, all of the things. Thank you. Because I know that, like I said, I started by saying, where in the world are you? I know it's hard to, you know, get you. Yeah. So I'm grateful for the time. Thanks for blessing the V Spot. Yeah, I'm looking forward. And to everybody else, thanks for tuning in. To be continued.