Episode 128 - Diabetics Doing Things FOUNDERS - Christel Oerum - Diabetes Strong

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We are continuing to highlight founders with Diabetes on the podcast. The newest founder is Christel Oerum, who has appeared on the podcast twice! Once in episode 94 and again in episode 007 of Tools of Type 1s.

Christel is the co-Founder of DiabetesStrong.com along with her husband Tobias. She joins the pod to talk about how she balances life with Diabetes with a career in Diabetes, and how she stays motivated along the way. She is also accepting applications to the 4th annual Fit with Diabetes Challenge! Start 2020 strong by joining thousands of other people living with diabetes in the Fit With Diabetes Challenge on January 3!

This is the 4th year Christel hosts this free 3-week challenge on Diabetes Strong. Their team of top diabetes experts and I will take you through some of the most important things to know about diabetes and exercise, healthy nutrition, weight management, and diabetes mental health. They’ll help you reach your health and fitness goals, whatever they might be.

You can sign up for free and get ready as we kick off the Fit With Diabetes Challenge on January 3.

Christel and I also talk in-depth about Companion Medical and the In-Pen. She is currently utilizing the Companion Medical app to get insulin on board and carb ratios for her multiple daily injections. Be sure to check out Christel on Instagram and check out the amazing content on DiabetesStrong.com.

This episode is sponsored by Companion Medical. If you are on multiple daily injections, but want the data and analytics pump users have available to them, then you need the In-Pen by Companion Medical. Learn more at Companion Medical’s website!

Episode 127 - Diabetics Doing Things FOUNDERS - Dan Katzki - Frio Cooling Case

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In our first episode in our Diabetics Doing Things Founders series, Dan Katzki, COO of Ready Care, makers of Frio Cooling Case joins the pod to talk about the journey he and his wife and co-founder Lisa took on with Frio.

It’s an awesome story of the importance of proof of concept, and includes an incredible tale of how Dan and Lisa were able to work to supply over 2500 FRIO cases to victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017 so they could keep their insulin cold without electricity.

Frio is also sponsoring this podcast, and listeners of Diabetics Doing Things can get 10% off their order from FrioCoolingCase.com by using code DDT at checkout. Dan and Lisa are also generously sponsoring Erik Douds and Annalisa Van Den Bergh on their next Miles of Portraits trip to India next year, so keep an eye out for that!

Episode 126 - Diabetics Doing Aviation Reform with Jeremy Robertson

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Last week, Oren Liebermann broke a story for CNN that the FAA is set to allow pilots with Diabetes to fly commercial jets so I asked my friend Jeremy Robertson, former commercial pilot and Av Med Doctor to come explain what it means for pilots with T1D around the world.

It’s just the beginning, but Jeremy believes this ruling by the FAA will set the standard for other aviation associations across the world. Check out the interview for more!!

This episode is sponsored by Companion Medical. If you are on multiple daily injections, but want the data and analytics pump users have available to them, then you need the In-Pen by Companion Medical. Learn more at Companion Medical’s website!

Episode 125 - Diabetics Doing Miles of Portraits part 2 with Annalisa Van Den Bergh and Erik Douds

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Annalisa Van Den Bergh and Erik Douds (@milesofportraits on Instagram) join the podcast to tell us about their next adventure: Miles of Portraits across India!

Visit the link above to learn how you can help support their trip to document people on the road across India and listen to the episode to learn about the questions they get along the way, how their trip to Alaska and across the United States over the last year has gone and what keeps them going on their long trips around the world.

I’m so grateful to be able to share the stories of two internet strangers that have become my good friends, and I hope you enjoy a look behind the scenes of the duo behind Miles of Portraits.

#ToolsofType1s - 029 - Taja Cato

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Name: Taja Cato

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Date of Diagnosis: 7/11/1999

Tool: How to achieve sustainable weight loss with Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes Devices/Treatment Methods: Dexcom G6 & Tandem T-Slim

This episode is sponsored by Companion Medical. If you are on multiple daily injections, but want the data and analytics pump users have available to them, then you need the In-Pen by Companion Medical. Learn more at Companion Medical’s website!

Episode 124 - Diabetics Doing YouTube and T1D with Andrew Slyfox

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Andrew Slyfox (@andrewslyfox on Instagram) joins the podcast in yet another live interview (noticing a trend here?) from Los Angeles California.

Andrew has been T1D for 21 years, and is the father of the Slyfox Family, whose adventures you can follow on their incredible family YouTube channel. Andrew’s story takes us from diagnosis, to meeting his wife Hannah and how he didn’t reveal he had T1D until after they were engaged!

We also talk about what it’s like to be a full-time YouTuber, and how comments from people on the internet can really affect us negatively if we let them. But we also talk about his new YouTube channel Andrew Slyfox, which has a much more prominent focus on Andrew’s life with T1D, and what inspired him to start sharing that part of his life.

Andrew and I also filmed a video for his vlog, which you can check out HERE!

Be sure to give him a shoutout on social media with your favorite sound bytes!

This episode is sponsored by Companion Medical. If you are on multiple daily injections, but want the data and analytics pump users have available to them, then you need the In-Pen by Companion Medical. Learn more at Companion Medical’s website!

Episode 123 - Diabetics Doing Podcasts and Parenting with Stacey Simms

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Stacey Simms, (@staceysimms on Instagram) host of Diabetes Connections and mother to a T1D joins the show for an in-depth discussion on what’s it’s like as a parent to a T1D as well as how Diabetes affects the lives of Parents, especially in the early days.

We discuss how to take power back from Diabetes through laughter, and I dig deep into how I believe Diabetes makes you better at handling failure. From there, Stacey takes us through her “diagnosis journey” as a parent of a T1D. Believe it or not, even before she was a Diabetes Mom, Stacey had been involved with JDRF through her job.

Stacey is a frequent speaker on the JDRF Summit circuit, and she has turned her talk “The World’s Worst Diabetes Mom" into a book which launches November 1. You can pre-order the book at this link . Stacey gave me an advanced copy, and I really enjoyed the tactics and learnings that she shares. I’d highly recommend the book for parents of a T1D.

How do you like the parenting pods? I’m interested in digging into some conversations with non-T1D parents perspective.

Episode 122 - Diabetics Doing Stoicism Part 2 with Chris Ruden

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Chris Ruden (@chrisruden on Instagram) returns to the podcast for his second interview from the floor of the AADE Conference in Houston. Even though we planned on covering other topics, Chris and I are who we are so we dive back into Stoic Philosophy as it relates to social media and external perceptions of success.

If you haven’t heard Chris’ first interview on Diabetics Doing Things from March 2019, I highly recommend you check it out.

Chris flips the script on me a bit in this interview and puts me on the hot seat, asking me questions like “What’s your biggest struggle?” and “What’s the most painful thing you’ve ever experienced?” and I discuss 3 things I’ve never really discussed publicly. Chris and I then shift over to the topic of authenticity and vulnerability in the age of social media and Chris tells us a story he’s never told publicly before. You DO NOT want to miss this interview and if you somehow have not come across Chris Ruden to this point you are missing out. Chris is the truest example of “Don’t judge a book by its cover” that I’ve come across in my life, and I’m grateful for his time and contributions to Diabetics Doing Things.

Quick reminder, Chris also appeared on the JDRF Dallas Panel in 2019 which was our first live podcast, so while you’re looking for more Chris Ruden content to binge, check it out.

Episode 121 - Diabetics Doing Conferences with Austin Fuerst

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Austin Fuerst (@everyday_T1D on Instagram) and I sat down for a chat on the event floor of the American Association of Diabetes Educators 2019 conference in Houston Texas.

Austin has been T1D for 21 years, and has been sharing his Diabetes journey through Instagram since 2016. He and I both live in Dallas Texas and have been side by side at many events in Dallas over the years. I give him a hard time, but I really see him as a little brother, a very kind, thoughtful young man with a heart for helping people with Diabetes.

In this interview we dig in to what it’s like to be behind the scenes at large events like this, and goals Austin has for the Diabetes community and share some funny stories along the way. Be sure to give him a follow on Instagram.

This episode is sponsored by Skin Grip. Visit www.theskingrip.com and use code DDT at checkout to save 15% on Skin Grip adhesives! Support T1D founders, and support companies who support T1D Initiatives. I love Skin Grip so if you try it, let me know what you think!

Episode 120 - Diabetics Doing GlucoseZone with Charlie O'Connell

Charlie O’Connell (@Type1CEO on Instagram) is the CEO and founder of GlucoseZone, the first exercise program designed for people living with Diabetes.

Charlie takes us through his life as an athlete, both before and after he was diagnosed. He takes us through what it was like going through his first college football season at the University of Pennsylvania, because it was also his first season with Type-1 Diabetes.

Charlie and I share war stories about being athletes, and share many philosophies on competition, preparation, etc., but what’s most interesting to me is Charlie’s story as a Type 1 Diabetic entrepreneur.

After leaving his job, Charlie went to Africa on a mission to “find himself” he had no way of knowing it would lead him to his true purpose, to help people with Diabetes find success in exercise and fitness.

That led Charlie on a wild journey to found Fitscript, which has evolved into GlucoseZone. Check out Charlie’s story and let us know what you think!

GlucoseZone has sponsored this podcast, and is offering listeners a 7-day Free Trial of the entire GlucoseZone platform when you use code: ROBHOWE. Check them out!

Episode 119 - Diabetics Doing Stoicism with Chris Ruden

Chris Ruden (@ChrisRuden on Instagram) joins the podcast for his first solo interview, and he and Rob discuss their approaches to life, Diabetes, comparison, and social media as it relates to stoicism and stoic philosophy.

Chris Ruden is a public speaker, fitness coach, holds National and State Records for powerlifting, has lived with Diabetes for 9 years, and was born with a disability which up until recently, he hid from the world. He discusses how his life has changed over the years and how stoicism, vulnerability and mindset allowed him to make the changes that powered him to where he is today.

Chris was recently on season 1 of Dwayne The Rock Johnson’s TV series “The Titan Games,” and his video on The Rock’s Instagram has been viewed over 5.4 million times. He’s a super inspiring guy and I hope you enjoy my great conversation about stoicism and life with Chris Ruden.