Walking Mentorship in Portugal and a Transformational Travel Experience on the Fisherman’s Trail

Portugal’s Vicentina Coast. A river crossing. And the kind of mentoring you can only hear when you slow down and walk.

Have you ever had a mentor? Or heard about mentorship programs at work? Now imagine mentorship that happens while walking in nature, day after day, in a place powerful enough to quiet your mind and tell you the truth.

In this episode, Karen Cleveland sits down with Dana and João, the founder of Walking Mentorship, to explore a transformational travel experience on Portugal’s Vicentina Coast, along the Fisherman’s Trail. Dana, a mom, athlete, educator, philanthropist, and cancer research advocate, shares how her “say yes” approach led her into a week of walking, journaling, reflection, and community.

João explains the method behind Walking Mentorship. Slow down, reconnect, gain perspective, and take action. Then they bring it to life through the episode’s signature story. A river crossing that became both epic and harmonizing, a vivid metaphor for moving from vision into real, embodied change.

Guest Bio

Dana Smith

Dana is a mom, athlete, educator, philanthropist, advocate for cancer research, and travel enthusiast. Her current travel motto is simple and brave. Say yes to new experiences that promote self-growth, excitement, and discovery. In 2025, one of her favorite experiences was joining Walking Mentorship on Portugal’s Vicentina Coast, where a powerful river crossing became a defining moment of accomplishment, teamwork, and joy.

João Perre Viana

João is the Founder and pioneer of Walking Mentorship, an approach that combines walking in nature with individual and group mentoring to inspire personal change and strengthen organizations from within. Born in Portugal, João finished high school in the U.S. and completed his MBA in Belgium, then built a senior management career across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa.

With 15+ years of international mentoring experience, João focuses on change management, business transformation, and personal development. He launched Walking Mentorship in 2015, an innovative project decades in the making. João is also a guest lecturer and an active member of multiple mentoring and governance organizations, including the Transformational Travel Council and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

Host Bio

Karen Cleveland is the creator and host of Travel That Touches Your Soul. She is a safari host, spiritual teacher, and animal communicator devoted to helping people reconnect with what matters most through meaningful travel. Her work centers on connection with nature, culture, and inner truth, and the quiet courage it takes to step forward when you do not know exactly how the path will unfold.

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Episode Topics and Timestamps

• What is a “walking mentorship”. And why it changes the mentoring dynamic (00:00)

• Meet Dana and João. Why Dana said yes, and why João designed this work (00:34)

• Walking Mentorship explained. Slow down, reconnect, gain perspective, take action (01:28)

• Portugal’s Fisherman’s Trail. The Vicentina Coast and the rhythm of a week-long walk (03:49)

• The river crossing story begins. Watching tides, preparing to cross, choosing courage (04:44)

• Step by step in the water. Packs overhead, steady footing, senses waking up (08:00)

• How João evaluates safety. Current, timing, and using a drone to scout conditions (10:28)

• The metaphor. Making your ideal future real, then walking into it anyway (12:00)

• Joy on the other side. Playfulness, celebration, and group energy spreading outward (16:41)

• When the walk gets hard. Injury, support, and someone carrying your backpack (26:26)

• Walking Mentorship formats. Immersive walks, corporate programs, and one-to-one journeys (20:55)

• Travel as a force for peace. The Russian and...