What happens when success, security, and achievement stop answering the deeper questions you’re asking about your life?

In this episode, Stephen Skwierczynski shares his journey from physiotherapy to high-performing software sales - and ultimately working alongside an indigenous community in Colombia to help build the first indigenous-owned stingless beekeeping school in the Sierra Nevada.

After years of suppressing his curiosity and intuition in favour of validation, money, and achievement, Stephen began to experience anxiety, physical illness, and a growing sense of disconnection. What followed was a series of experiences - silent retreats, darkness retreats, vision quests, and time in nature - that helped him step out of the system and reimagine what leadership, impact, and success could look like.

The conversation explores curiosity as a compass, the cost of ignoring your body’s signals, and how creating space - not answers - can radically change the direction of your life. Stephen reflects on identity, masculinity, vulnerability, and why reciprocity, not extraction, now sits at the centre of his work.

This is an honest, grounded discussion for anyone questioning the path they’re on - especially high achievers who sense there must be a way to build success without sacrificing meaning, health, or integrity.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it feels like to succeed on paper but feel disconnected inside
• Suppressing intuition - and how the body eventually pushes back
• From physiotherapy to software sales - and falling into “the system”
• Validation, achievement, and the hidden cost of high performance
• Creating space through silence, retreats, and time in nature
• Why curiosity matters more than having a ten-year plan
• Masculinity, vulnerability, and redefining strength
• Indigenous wisdom, reciprocity, and working with nature - not against it
• Building a regenerative education project with an indigenous community in Colombia
• How small, grounded choices can lead to unexpected life shifts

Who this episode is for:

• Professionals questioning whether their career still fits
• High achievers experiencing burnout, anxiety, or numbness
• People curious about alternative paths to leadership and impact
• Anyone feeling trapped by success they once wanted
• Listeners interested in purpose, nature, and regenerative models of work

About the guest:

Stephen Skwierczynski is a former physiotherapist and software sales leader turned impact-driven entrepreneur and facilitator. After nearly a decade in the corporate world, Stephen stepped away to explore leadership, psychology, and human connection through retreats, coaching, and work with indigenous communities.

He is currently working alongside the Arawak people in Colombia to help build the first indigenous-owned stingless beekeeping school in the Sierra Nevada - a project focused on education, ecological regeneration, and reciprocity between people and land. Donate to support Stephen's work here.

Connect with Stephen:

https://instagram.com/stephen_wayfinder

https://instagram.com/guardians_laangelita

https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresilienceproject

https://www.laangelita.org

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/guardians-of-la-a

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What happens when you follow the plan, build the career, tick the boxes - and still feel quietly misaligned?

In this episode, Julette Alon shares her journey from high-performing corporate life in Singapore and Bangkok to stepping away from everything she was “supposed” to want. Despite career success, financial stability, and global travel, something inside kept calling her toward a different way of living.

The conversation explores burnout, intuition, identity shifts, and the uncomfortable moment when success stops feeling successful. Jules reflects on redundancy, expat life, nervous system regulation, and why she ultimately chose to leave corporate life to build a sound healing and energy work practice from scratch.

This is an honest, grounded conversation for anyone who feels stuck between comfort and calling - especially high achievers who sense that the life they built no longer fits who they’re becoming.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it feels like when the plan works - but fulfilment doesn’t
• Burnout, anxiety, and the hidden cost of high performance
• Living as an expat and constantly starting over
• The role intuition plays in major life decisions
• Why many people ignore the signs for years
• Mini leaps vs big jumps when changing direction
• Sound healing, nervous system regulation, and modern wellness
• Rebuilding identity after leaving corporate success behind

Who this episode is for:

• Professionals questioning their career path
• High achievers feeling burned out or disconnected
• Anyone curious about intuition-led decisions
• People navigating identity shifts, pivots, or reinvention
• Listeners interested in wellness beyond hustle culture

About the guest:

Julette Alon is a former corporate leader turned sound healer and energy practitioner, now based in Bangkok. After more than two decades in corporate life across Asia, she chose to step away from the version of success she’d outgrown - and build something more aligned, meaningful, and sustainable.

Connect with Julette - https://linktr.ee/anahata_energy_alchemist

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I launched Rethink Travel about 4 years ago! And I love every single one of the conversations I had with the amazing guests on my first 7 episodes.

They are pioneers in sustainable travel, visionaries and people I admire so much. I am so grateful they trusted me to tell their stories.

Now, as my life evolved, and my journey into being a human exploring sustainability, kindness, unconventional lives, or self development, I feel like sharing people's stories beyond travel and beyond sustainability.

I am someone who listens to a LOT of podcasts, and in the last years, I feel like there are about 20 people who keep interviewing each other and live in a silo.

There are SO MANY interesting people out there, with amazing stories that no one's ever heard. And I want to put a spotlight on them.

Also, I think most people who listening to podcasts and trying to change the perspective on their own lives, I believe, feel incredibly intimidated by all the podcasters who are multi millionaires and just say "change your mindset".

Ok, but how? what are the steps? how does someone with a job and who's never left their small hometown actually manages to dream different? Notice I said "dream different", not necessarily big.

How can people Rethink their OWN lives? How do people figure out what steps to take? How can people relate to people who look like them? or come from a similar background? What are all the other ways of living life? What is normal? What is abnormal?

These are some of the questions I cannot wait to explore.

Stay tuned, I'm dropping 5 episodes in November 2025!

with love and gratitude, Nat

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Rethink Travel highlights the stories of the best people around the world in or around the travel industry dedicated to better tourism around the world.

Powered by The Rethink Hub, where I share inspiring stories of individuals who have dared to rethink and reshape their lives, habits, systems and communities. Join me as we dive into conversations that motivate you to live a more fulfilling and impactful life. Whether it's rethinking a career, lifestyle, or daily routines, our guests provide insights and experiences that inspire you to make positive changes in your own life.

With Rethink Travel, I aim to make it easier for people to understand what sustainability means in the travel industry and its importance in the space.
#sustainability #sustainablehotels #sustainabletravel

EDUCATION IS KEY IN ORDER TO MOVE INTO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD - Rethink Travel's Mission is to empower people to make conscious travel and living the only choice so we created a space for people - travelers - to learn about sustainable and regenerative travel.

Find me on social media under @therethinkhub or @nat_therethinkhub

And subscribe to my Newsletter, The Rethink Journal here https://rethink-hub.com/therethinkjournal/

____________

Beks Ndlovu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africanbushcamps/

Beks Ndlovu started his journey as a professional safari guide working for safari companies in Zimbabwe. However, he felt that the safaris being offered were sometimes too structured and stiff, not giving you the flexibility to venture out and explore the wonders of the African wilderness in different ways.

He branched off to start his own camp, a place where guides could be creative and imaginative. Somalisa Camp was born from this dream, the now award-winning camp started as a humble dream to bring guides together to teach guests about Africa.

The safari bug bit Beks and he decided this vision was bigger than just him, he gathered people with the same values to create something incredible. African Bush Camps, aims to be experts in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia.

Support the show

Rethink Travel highlights the stories of the best people around the world in or around the travel industry dedicated to better tourism around the world.

Powered by The Rethink Hub, where I share inspiring stories of individuals who have dared to rethink and reshape their lives, habits, systems and communities. Join me as we dive into conversations that motivate you to live a more fulfilling and impactful life. Whether it's rethinking a career, lifestyle, or daily routines, our guests provide insights and experiences that inspire you to make positive changes in your own life.

With Rethink Travel, I aim to make it easier for people to understand what sustainability means in the travel industry and its importance in the space.
#sustainability #sustainablehotels #sustainabletravel

EDUCATION IS KEY IN ORDER TO MOVE INTO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD - Rethink Travel's Mission is to empower people to make conscious travel and living the only choice so we created a space for people - travelers - to learn about sustainable and regenerative travel.

Find me on social media under @therethinkhub or @nat_therethinkhub

And subscribe to my Newsletter, The Rethink Journal here https://rethink-hub.com/therethinkjournal/

____________

Chef Luis Ronzón – Executive Chef
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luisronzon/

Luis Ronzón is a public accountant by profession, however, he soon changed numbers for stoves. As a disciple of chef Yuri de Gortari discovered the passion for traditional Mexican food. Since then, it has sought multiple courses to extend and perfect his gastronomic practice, taught by famous schools in Mexico and abroad. His excellent performance opened the doors of the best restaurants in the world.

Despite his young age, Luis Ronzón has traveled through internationally renowned cuisines, including innovative restaurants in Denmark and Peru. These experiences have penetrated in the gastronomic experimentation, the local production of inputs and the cultivation of native produce.

Recently, the close collaboration with Chef Jorge Vallejo, in the award-winning Quintonil as Sous Chef for 3 years, which is ranked as one of The World's 50 best Restaurants, consecrated him as one of the great exponents of the Mexican contemporary cuisine. In 2016, he has served as chef instructor of Mexican contemporary cuisine at the Ambrosia Culinary Center. And in this same year he started as Executive Chef of Chable Yucatan named in 2017 Best Hotel in the World receiving the coveted "Prix de Versailles” Award and in 2018, Luis took Ixi’im, Chable Yucatan’s fine dining restaurant to obtain the award of Best Restaurant in Latin America by the same organization.

Support the show

Rethink Travel highlights the stories of the best people around the world in or around the travel industry dedicated to better tourism around the world.

Powered by The Rethink Hub, where I share inspiring stories of individuals who have dared to rethink and reshape their lives, habits, systems and communities. Join me as we dive into conversations that motivate you to live a more fulfilling and impactful life. Whether it's rethinking a career, lifestyle, or daily routines, our guests provide insights and experiences that inspire you to make positive changes in your own life.

With Rethink Travel, I aim to make it easier for people to understand what sustainability means in the travel industry and its importance in the space.
#sustainability #sustainablehotels #sustainabletravel

EDUCATION IS KEY IN ORDER TO MOVE INTO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD - Rethink Travel's Mission is to empower people to make conscious travel and living the only choice so we created a space for people - travelers - to learn about sustainable and regenerative travel.

Find me on social media under @therethinkhub or @nat_therethinkhub

And subscribe to my Newsletter, The Rethink Journal here https://rethink-hub.com/therethinkjournal/

____________

Be Better Founder and CEO Illana is a sustainable development thought leader, keynote speaker and connector. She believes that the way we speak about sustainability will change dramatically over the next few years so she is committed to pushing the needle on sustainability awareness for C-Suite, community and beyond. Identifying some 20 years ago a gap in genuine knowledge around sustainability she devoted her time to acquiring a deep understanding of the global issues and nuances. She now couples her 30 years in luxury niche marketing with her science knowledge to focus on the paradigm shift in behaviour required for our sustainable future.

Illana created Be Better to bridge the gap between science, business, communities and individuals. The biggest choke point in the adoption of sustainable practices is a lack of access to clear information. Be Better therefore provides fact based, open sourced, cited, content to inspire change. Under that umbrella, Be Better Business is an independent 3rd party agency that specialises in helping organisations to navigate the complexity in the various frameworks for sustainability reporting. Frameworks such as; ESG, SDG’s, GRI, BCorp, GRI and ISO. Working with future thinking organisations they build bespoke roadmaps with an eye on the future to change the narrative and define what best practice looks like (versus greenwashing). Be Better Business can design, write and sign off on 3rd party Sustainability Reports or execute any of the above mentioned frameworks.

www.bebetter.at

Support the show

Rethink Travel highlights the stories of the best people around the world in or around the travel industry dedicated to better tourism around the world.

Powered by The Rethink Hub, where I share inspiring stories of individuals who have dared to rethink and reshape their lives, habits, systems and communities. Join me as we dive into conversations that motivate you to live a more fulfilling and impactful life. Whether it's rethinking a career, lifestyle, or daily routines, our guests provide insights and experiences that inspire you to make positive changes in your own life.

With Rethink Travel, I aim to make it easier for people to understand what sustainability means in the travel industry and its importance in the space.
#sustainability #sustainablehotels #sustainabletravel

EDUCATION IS KEY IN ORDER TO MOVE INTO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD - Rethink Travel's Mission is to empower people to make conscious travel and living the only choice so we created a space for people - travelers - to learn about sustainable and regenerative travel.

Find me on social media under @therethinkhub or @nat_therethinkhub

And subscribe to my Newsletter, The Rethink Journal here https://rethink-hub.com/therethinkjournal/

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sean Nino has a passion to continuously learn from others and enjoys working around the topics of energy, water, and waste and within the field of sustainable building and development. Currently, he is focused on growing and expanding the Mantra team and their environmental engineering capabilities and raising private investment for material and waste management infrastructure.

Matra offers a wide range of services, these are made available for companies and leaders at any stage of their sustainability journey. Whether they’re simply looking to develop sustainable goals and practices or are planning to build a fully environmentally-friendly destination, Mantra's sustainability consulting, design and engineering expertise will help realise their vision.

www.eco-mantra.com
Instagram

Support the show

Rethink Travel highlights the stories of the best people around the world in or around the travel industry dedicated to better tourism around the world.

Powered by The Rethink Hub, where I share inspiring stories of individuals who have dared to rethink and reshape their lives, habits, systems and communities. Join me as we dive into conversations that motivate you to live a more fulfilling and impactful life. Whether it's rethinking a career, lifestyle, or daily routines, our guests provide insights and experiences that inspire you to make positive changes in your own life.

With Rethink Travel, I aim to make it easier for people to understand what sustainability means in the travel industry and its importance in the space.
#sustainability #sustainablehotels #sustainabletravel

EDUCATION IS KEY IN ORDER TO MOVE INTO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD - Rethink Travel's Mission is to empower people to make conscious travel and living the only choice so we created a space for people - travelers - to learn about sustainable and regenerative travel.

Find me on social media under @therethinkhub or @nat_therethinkhub

And subscribe to my Newsletter, The Rethink Journal here https://rethink-hub.com/therethinkjournal/

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Phinias Mushayi is an entrepreneur who empowers the people in all areas of Zimbabwe to create local economies that work with the travel industry. From food sourcing to protecting crops or working against poachers, rural communities have an important role to play to sustain the economy and tourism.

You can find his journey and work as Ecotourism Africa and on instagram: @phiniasmushayi

Support the show