Michael Berner

Last night in the Galapagos. This place exceeded every possible expectation. The land that rationale biological evolution forgot. I’ll never again step into a place where the animals are so dismissive of your presence you might as well not be there. From their epic proportions to their sheer numbers to the unbelievable diversity, this place is checked off the list with a strong to quite strong asterisk.

*must return at San Cristobal – Read on Path.

Social hack with the @offmap team – at d.b.a. – See on Path.

“Bring a raincoat …you’re gonna need it!”

“If the manager isn’t nice, what does that say about the business you’re running …and the people in it!”

Inspiring what these guys have accomplished in a few years.  Truly taking digital and making a difference

Rachel Beckwith’s Mom Visits Ethiopia. from charity: water on Vimeo.

Falling down the rabbit hole can take you to many different places; most leading nowhere in particular.  But this past Saturday, we serendipitously were tipped off to Retro Stefson playing at Faktory in Reykjavik, Iceland. Having been there a few nights earlier for a pretty amazing DJ set, we happily dropped 1,500 Kr to check it out.

Thus the start of the rabbit hole.  After killing a 2 hour set to a packed house, I promptly stumbled through the interwebs in search of more info on the band.  It didn’t take long. Turns out they’re pretty well established for being in their early 20’s.

For what its worth, I recommend checking them out.  A little alt rock meets indie/afro pop done mostly in Icelandic, it should do the trick of getting you on your feet.  At least it did for us.

Ps. If anyone feels like intro’ing me to the Keytarist Þorbjörg Roach Gunnarsdóttir, I’d be much obliged! 

Arguably their biggest single

If Vincent Moon films you, odds are you’re making it

For a taste of the live set, this is our vid. Wait for :20s

The past week in Iceland served a lot of purposes: satisfy my #wanderlust, get back in the great outdoors, knock a country off the list, refresh, relax and rock the land of great Sagas.  But above and beyond the obvious, it was a great way to deep dive with @blakesamic on all things disruptive in business.

Countless convo’s solidified why I love to do what I do. And it was a quote read at the end of a yoga class today that pretty much sums up the sentiment.  Worth the 30 second read for sure and hope it inspires you as it has me.

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery—isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you’re going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.” 

Charles Bukowski, Factotum