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Against The Norm: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Norman Calvo
It’s all about creating a thrilling, adventurous and extraordinarily healthy life as we continue to age. Most importantly, it is about living life to the fullest—daring to go against the grain of average and ‘what is expected’. Instead, to bravely go against the norm to lead an incredibly exciting life.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 weeks ago50 min
He Lost 14 Years. Then He Found the Punchline.
Dave Mowry never expected to become a stand-up comedian. After a psychotic break in 1996, Dave spent years struggling with bipolar disorder, severe depression, anxiety, and the devastating financial and personal consequences that followed. For nearly 14 years, simply functioning in everyday life could be a challenge. Then, at 59, something completely unexpected happened: Dave took a stand-up comedy class for people living with mental illness. And he discovered he was funny. Really funny. In t...
- 3 weeks ago50 min
What Haven't You Done Yet? — Tom Cladis on Adventure, Fear & Staying Curious.
What happens when you stop asking, “Am I too old for this?” and start asking, “Why not me?” At 70, Tom Cladis has spent a lifetime refusing to let fear—or other people's expectations—decide what he's capable of doing. He's wrestled alligators, jumped out of airplanes, done handstands on the edges of cliffs, learned gymnastics in his 40s, worked as a flight attendant and financial planner, spent nearly two decades as a youth pastor, and reinvented himself again as an author. But this conversat...
- Jul 29, 202641 min
Adventure, Courage, and Starting Again with Belinda Corker
What if retirement wasn't about slowing down—but finally becoming the person you've always wanted to be? This week on “Against the Norm” I sit down with adventurer, writer, and long-distance hiker Belinda Corker, whose life changed dramatically after one simple realization: despite a successful corporate career, something essential was missing. Belinda shares how she traded comfort for challenge, rediscovered her adventurous spirit through hiking, and ultimately transformed not only her healt...
- Jul 21, 202633 min
He Lost 190 Pounds and Kept It Off for 17 Years. Here's How.
At age 49, Stanley Bronstein weighed 367 pounds and was headed down a dangerous path. He had tried diets, quick fixes, and temporary solutions for years. Nothing lasted. Then everything changed. Today, more than 17 years later, Stanley has lost nearly 190 pounds and kept it off—without surgery, without weight-loss drugs, and without the shortcuts that so many people rely on today. In this candid conversation, Stanley shares the mindset shifts that finally worked, why most people regain the we...
- Jul 1, 20261h 7m
The Courage to Stay Curious with Richard Sparks
A retired schoolteacher becomes a fantasy hero. A television comedy writer discovers online gaming. A lifelong creator refuses to slow down at 75. Meet Richard Sparks—Oxford graduate, television writer, novelist, and author of the “New Rock” series. Richard shares stories from a remarkable career that includes writing comedy, working alongside some of Britain's most influential creative talents, and eventually finding inspiration in an unexpected place: online gaming. But this conversat...
- Jun 11, 202648 min
Doctors Said “Let Him Go.” Instead, He Built an Extraordinary Life | Ken Kunken
At age 20, Ken Kunken broke his neck making a routine tackle during a Cornell football game. Doctors told his family he probably wouldn’t survive the week — and if he did, he would spend the rest of his life in a nursing home.They even said: “If he were my son, I’d let him go.”But Ken refused to let that prediction define him. In this deeply moving episode of Against the Norm, Ken shares how he returned to Cornell University just months after becoming paralyzed, eventually became a successfu...
- May 16, 20261h 2m
Reinventing a Life in Paris--American Runaway by Audrey Edwards
What happens when you reach retirement age… and realize you’re not ready to simply “settle down”? In this fascinating and deeply personal conversation, journalist and author, Audrey Edwards, shares the emotional story behind her decision to leave America after the 2016 election and begin a completely different life in Paris at nearly 70 years old. But this episode is about far more than politics. Audrey opens up about fear, reinvention, aging, risk-taking, identity, race, retirement, loneline...
- May 13, 202649 min
His Life Fell Apart… So He Walked Away for 14 Years
What would you do if your entire life collapsed all at once? When Ray Martin’s marriage ended, his business unraveled, and his father died within the same period of time, he found himself emotionally shattered and completely lost. What was supposed to be a six-month sabbatical turned into a 14-year journey across Asia, Europe, and deep into himself. In this fascinating conversation, Ray shares how a successful CEO with all the “right” badges of success slowly realized he was living a life bui...
About Against The Norm
It’s all about creating a thrilling, adventurous and extraordinarily healthy life as we continue to age. Most importantly, it is about living life to the fullest—daring to go against the grain of average and ‘what is expected’. Instead, to bravely go against the norm to lead an incredibly exciting life.
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