EP 67: The Art of Competing to your old self ft. Adam Strong

Adam Strong is an Ultra-High Personal Productivity Authority, Business Strategist, Author, Public Speaker and the Founder of the Game Changers Experience.

Adam was a former elite athlete in distance running (current world and Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah was his former training partner) and teaches the same success principals creating high energy and fast growing companies.

A

Ari Gronich

0:03

Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of create a new tomorrow I am your host, Ari Gonich. And today I have with me Adam strong. Met with him a little bit ago while he was in Cyprus, now he's in Scandinavia, he's been doing amazing things to solve the world's plastic pollution problem, as well as having been a ultra-marathoner, I believe, or an extreme athlete, he's worked with Olympics, and so on. So why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and what makes you tick, but also, why plastic?

AS

Adam Strong

0:39

That's why there's about two or three questions there. So what I'll do is I'll try to break them down into many segments, if that's okay Ari. So first of all, thanks very much for letting me on the show. You know, I'm a big fan of the show. It's a great show. And, and I love it that the fact that you've got, you know, some great guests as well. So thanks very much, really appreciate that. So, my background, as you know, I'm just for the listeners, for the point of the listeners is my background is I actually got into elite athletics at the age of 11. So when I grew up, things were quite tough, right? So I suffered from a condition called alopecia. As you can see, I have no hair and haven't had hair since the age of 10. And so did it bother me back? When it when I was younger, I was I went through a transitional period. Like when I first lost my hair, it really did affect my self-esteem and self-confidence, right as it would do with any kind of young child and whatever it might be. But it really affected me. And so I was so ashamed about the way that I looked. And I was so conscious about what people were thinking about me, obviously, you know, judgments and stuff like that, and so forth. And so I was I when I, when I went through school, like through high school and stuff, I wore a sports cap, because I just felt so kind of ashamed about the way I looked out. Even if you look through my school photos, Ari right. I was the only kid that was allowed to wear a skullcap with my like blazer and stuff like that. Right? It was crazy. So anyway, cut long story short, at the age of 11. I, my father at the time, he said to me, because he knew I was going through some tough times. And he took up some long, long distance running at the time, he was like, hey, Son, why don't you get into long distance running? I'm like, Well, you know, I, it's a bit difficult that because I'm an asthma sufferer, you know? And, you know, and, and he was like, Well, why don't you just try it? And I'm like, Okay, well, I'll go try it. Well, what have I got ahead? What have I got to lose? Right? So I remember going down to the athletics track, I went down there on my own, because my mother and father was separated the time. So I was living with my mother. So I walked out, I goes down to the athletics track, which is at least 30 minutes from my house, and I go there on my own. And the reason I was there on my own is pure, because I didn't have the mentors and sort of the coaches and the support that I had when I was a kid. You know, everything that I did was literally off my own back. So when down to down to the athletics track, and I remember Ari turning off the app on the athletics track, and where the counter was, the counter would just appear to be about 10 foot high. And so I was this kid trying to look up and I was like, hey, Is anybody there? Hello. And so there was this lady that kind of looked over and she's like, Hey, I didn't see you there. And so I'm just like, Hey, can I How can I help? And I'm like, What? I'm interested in joining your running club. And I was like, Okay, cool. So, so what's your experience was like, I don't really have an experience. And she's like, no worries, well, what are you interested in? I was like, I'm interested in distance running. My dad's been doing it for a little while. And he's seems to think that might help with my self-esteem and self-confidence. He says, Okay, cool. So she walks me down to the athletics track. And all I see Ari are all these athletes, right. field athletes, track athletes. And I'm like, Whoa, this is way out of my league. Like, seriously, this is way out of my league, and I'm getting uncomfortable. I'm already thinking, I'm already thinking I'm no good for this, right. I'm not, I'm never gonna be any better than these guys on so I'm already comparing myself to these strangers, right. And I'm on and you know, it's not my fault. And so I'm already thinking I'm going to give up before I've even started anyway, cut a long story short. She says, I'm going to introduce you to one of my coaches. I was like, great, fantastic. And he takes like the long distance to middle distance group. And so and then obviously, I told her about my asthma and she went, Oh, okay, no worries. And so I kind of it really was really tough for me Ari when I first started getting started because as being an asthma sufferer, and I don't know if you're an asthma sufferer yourself, but when you're an asthma sufferer. You know doing long distance running is it. It's a bit different, right. So I first started off, I couldn't even run 100 meters. That's how difficult it was for me. 100 meters was real tough for me. And so over a period of time, I just thought to myself after my first session, right, I was like, Okay, I'm going to go back and see if I can try to improve myself, right. I'm going to see if I can improve myself. And just through persistence, and developing tenacity, I started to get better and better, better. Within six months, my asthma had completely disappeared. You know, six months Ari, that's crazy. And you're probably thinking, Wow, that's amazing.

AG

Ari Gronich

5:40

It's amazing. You know, because I had what they called exercise induced or allergy induced asthma, either one, so and I was a long distance cycler growing up, so I would do your 250 mile rides, from my town in Santa Clarita Valley, all the way over the mountain to Malibu, or Santa Monica, so we'd go and we'd swim around, and we'd hang out and then we'd come back, but I was always the last guy, I would do it, I would do it. But I was always the last guy, because I couldn't really get the breath to flow within, you know, a good athletes cadence. Right? So..

AS

Adam Strong

6:27

100% Yeah, it's tough. I mean, literally, I completely 100% know where you're coming from on that one. And it's interesting. So I got introduced my coach, and when he got to the so you have the winter season in the summer season. So when the winter season kicks in, things get really tough because, you know, you go down to minus temperatures. And this is where I started. This is where I actually met my training partner, who was the current world and Olympic world champion in five and 10,000 meters, we, and we really didn't have That's it, we were quite similar in our own ways. He came from Somalia, originally say was an immigrant originally came to the UK and live with his with his own to get away from the war and famine in Somalia. And so he also was similar to myself, he was bullied, you know, didn't particularly have a lot of friends kind of introverted, very similar. And so what we did is we actually used our, I suppose, not really weaknesses, but I suppose, are our state of mind to really kind of bounce off each other. So as we start a training round the dark field at the back of the running track, because no one else would ever go there without any floodlights. We would kind of like, encourage each other to push harder and go harder and, and try to beat our times. And so we would use that. It's a bit like going to the gym every right. If you go to the gym, you're gonna work harder with a training buddy. Right? It's exactly the same thing. And so we did it. And we made it fun for ourselves. And I think that's probably one of the reasons why I just consistently just kept on going back because I just, I just love that age, I just developed this appetite of competition. And I love that I've, you know, I'd never had that before. But that's how I developed it. I just wanted to, I wanted to win, you know.

AG

Ari Gronich

8:19

So, here's the thing that you and I talked about, I think a little bit, but you wanted to win. But you weren't really racing against the other people. We talked about this a little bit you were wanting to win against the previous version of yourself. That's something that I always would teach to the athletes that I was training, is you're not in competition with the guy next to you. If you get into competition with the guy next to you, that's when you miss the gun, so to speak, when you know, your false starts and you get nervous and you don't have everything else in alignment when you work on yourself is when you're in competition with yourself is when you're like you're in that ultra-focused state of flow

AS

Adam Strong

9:03

100% I literally, within sort of a year or so I learned a lot of the skills that are a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners really seek but it takes habit. It takes years of practice and tenacity to really master those skills, you know, that you mentioned focus. So for me, my Yes, I was competing against myself. But my real big thing that I really wanted to do was always try to beat my time. That was my competitor that was my competition to try to beat my previous time all the time. And that motivated me so much that I just wanted to keep going back to try to beat it beat it over and over and over and again, and within a short period of time, literally I was absolutely crushing it. So you know, and I think it was just kind of that development really over a set period of time. 

AG

Ari Gronich

9:55

Awesome. Now back to the plastics because completely separate topics, right? Completely or so you'd think. 

AS

Adam Strong

10:06

Absolutely. Yes or no? So being in, sort of in the Western world, you know, I mean, you're in the United States, I'm in kind of Europe. So I always grew up, you know, in an environment where, you know, recycling was important, save the planet sustainability, things like that. Right. And so, you know, it was ingrained into our culture to look after the planet, because, hey, you only get one planet, right, you know? Right. So I, as you know, Ari I was living in, I just came back from Cyprus, and I was living there for about seven months. The reason I was there is purely because they wanted to get away from the darkness. And somewhere, go somewhere, which is a little bit more paradise, and warmer. But anyway, cut long story short, as I went, I was as I was there. I don't know if any of you listeners have been to Cyprus, but it's bit like going back in a time warp by about 25 years, I kid you not. And so one of the things which, which I, which was shocking. So one of my regular routines was in the morning was to walk down to the beach. And it's kind of my form of meditation, Ari, right, you know, like the fresh air blue skies, you know, you go for a walk along the beach, and that kind of stuff. And so every time I took a walk, I wouldn't see all this plastic being washed up from the sea. And it wasn't just necessarily washed up by the sea, but it was just like dumped, or there was just this sheer lack of love and appreciation. And so I would take my trash bags down there, and I would bring up back at least two bags of plastic trash, you know, every time I'd walk down there, and I just thought to myself, hey, this is really annoying. Like this is really to the point where it's pissing me off, excuse my French, but it really is annoying me. And, and the thing is, it really developed into this kind of anger, and a sense that I was doing something for the planet, but no one really cared. And to me it really. And so, as I develop this anger, I started to create this visionary. And this vision was is that hang on a second, you know, I'm pretty successful in what I do in what I do as an entrepreneur. But that's what entrepreneurs do is they come up with these new visions. And so I create this new, this new vision just came into my head. And now we're in the process of, you know, creating, we're going to be raising investment soon, we're going to be building up massive brand awareness. And we're going to be fixing some of those challenges, especially. And I mean, that the world is, shall I say, it's 70% ocean anyway. So I've managed to create a piece of technology, what it's not just a piece of technology, it's, gonna be an app, it's gonna be a movement more than anything else. So I'm excited about that more than anything else. Because it's, for me, it's not about this isn't about me, like business is never about me. It's always about what can I do for others? or How can I serve others? Do you not? I mean,

AG

Ari Gronich

13:08

Yeah, you know, it's interesting, because when you spend time in nature, you end up taking a look at it and becoming aware. And it's really hard to not see the things that you see when you're aware of them. So here's one of my questions to you is you've developed, you are out there on a regular basis and develop that awareness. Others have an awareness that something's going on. Let's just say, we'll put their recycle in the recycle bin, and think that it's being recycled, but they'll never know that 99% of what you put in the recycle bin is not going to be recycled. Right? There's, there's so much that we are told, do this, but it's not being effective. So how do people understand that they've been told for 25, 30, 40 years now, reuse, recycle, right. But the things that they're doing aren't being effective. So how do we get to a place where the people are doing the things that they're told, and it's being effective? Because those systems are in place to make it effective?

AS

Adam Strong

14:28

Yeah, it's an interesting question. But I think it's, I think the word that comes to my mind is all about education. You know, it's about education, not just like, and I said to you, I, you know, I came back from Cyprus is like, you know, living in back in sort of the 1990s. And so we live in the 21st century now, right? And so, it's about the challenges is that you've got different cultures. So Western world culture is very different from say Africa. It's very different from Mediterranean life. And, and so it's about educating and going into schools and educating the children. And that's where it's really good to start. From my perspective..

AG

Ari Gronich

15:12

Okay. So that it to me that feels like that's what's been done. So like, I was in elementary school, and I'm old now. And I was an elementary schooler listening about recycling. And so I guess my point is, I no longer feel like, it is the people like it's like, same thing with food and obesity, right. People are eating nonfat; they're eating sugar free. They're eating. Oh, wait, now I'm now the fat, you know, the results are completely the opposite of what they say we're doing. So the education, yes, is important. But it has to be correct information. Number one, are education. But number two, it's like you're creating a technology, right? There's so many technologies out there to help clean things that are not being used. So I guess the question is, how do we get the public educated enough to where they become activated. To force change to happen? versus just going, Oh, well, you know, I see plastic everywhere, and I'm completely unable to change it.

AS

Adam Strong

16:26

You know, that's a million-dollar question. And, and, and that's a very good point. I think, from my perspective, that leadership starts from the top. And so really, what has to happen really, is that you have to start getting in front of governments, world leaders, disruptors, influences, you know, and create documentaries. I mean, one of my role models, Ari, one of my role models is Sir David Attenborough. I don't know if you have known as David Attenborough, but he is, is a British chap, he's in his 90s. And literally, he does documentaries for the BBC, mainly. And so all of these things is all around educating, going to the UN and, and talking to world leaders about the fact that, you know, if you continue to abuse the planet, the way it is, then it's gonna, there’s be repercussions off the back of that, right? You know, your children and your children's children, they're not going to enjoy the way that we enjoy his life. So, you know, and then things get extinct and so forth. So, if we're wrong with answers to your question, it really has to start with the top. And, you know, and sure, there's, only the little man, which is kind of me as such, right? But effectively, if you're gonna become, if you really gonna want to create a ripple, if you like, and become like kind of the face of, then the face of a particular movement, or whatever it is, then you've really got to start by getting some big support from some of the influences and thought leaders that are out there.

AG

Ari Gronich

18:00

Gotcha. So I guess I go back, you know, I asked tougher questions than most, I guess, on this show. And, and I guess what I'm what I'm looking at is see you're doing something actively to solve a problem, to create a different result. And my question, I guess, goes back to what do we need to do not to educate the government, because they're educated, they already have all the scientists telling them all the facts, they haven't done anything about it, right. So if I'm like, I'm a performance therapist, I'm all about results, getting results, if I have an athlete who's injured, and they need to go get a gold medal, and we don't get them the results, then they lose millions of dollars. And, you know, there's all kinds of things that stay with not getting your balls, you had 50 years of not getting results. So my questions become like, activate you're going to be a leader, you're going to be moving, create, you know, creating a movement for plastic, right? How many of the people who are creating the movement for plastic Have you already connected with right and, and said, Okay, I see what you're doing, here's what I'm doing. Can we make this more effective? And then do that with the government as well? I mean, that's just my, my 10 cents on it. But I if I'm looking at, I want results, and I know you're going to be somebody who's going to be producing results, then I want to know, as an audience has as a person, like, how do I connect with you? How do I get results to so that I don't have to live with plastic on my beaches?

AS

Adam Strong

19:43

Sure. Well, I think everyone plays it plays an important role in in everything right? But I think what's what the key word that comes to my mind is collaboration. No one man no one woman, no one piece of technology software, whatever it might be. No creative invention is going to fix one huge, massive thing. The end of the day, it starts through collaboration, it starts by working together. That's the big thing. It can't be done otherwise, because there's only so much I can do with the world. And there's only so much you can do in the world. But ultimately, we all have to collaborate, and synergize. I mean, listen, at the end of the day, we've seen, especially over the last 18 months, where there's a big reset of the world. And you're seeing like habitats flourish, evolution new species coming in, because there's no humans about you know what I mean. And so it's kind of interesting, there was this great documentary, again by Sir David Attenborough. And he was just talking about the fact that cities were deserted. And, and now we've got all these new ecosystems and habitats that are being created. But ultimately, it is all around, building working together in unity and synergy. and collaborating working towards one movement. So I have a particular vision. But in order to have that vision, really kind of, I suppose, really take its toll and really kind of get the desired results is for everyone to really jump on board, if you like, and really kind of understand the real purpose and the real, why as to why we're doing it.

AG

Ari Gronich

21:26

So, what is what is like, the thing that you say to somebody who I don't believe in climate change, or, you know, what I'm doing as part on the planet is not going to affect the planet, it's stronger than I am, you know, like, there's so many arguments that people are making conspiracy theories that people are making. And so I like to, like cut all of that shit out. As if, if there is no conspiracy theory, if, if there is no climate change, the only thing we're doing is looking down the road and seeing a whole bunch of crap on the road that, you know, looks like it should be clean. Isn't that enough? To get somebody to clean up? Well, obviously not. But you know, this is where I where I like to take, take it is What's so difficult about the concept get rid of all the morality theory, you know. 

AS

Adam Strong

22:26

Because not everyone believes what you believe. And it's all about belief systems, right? So what my opinion and my belief systems about how I see the world and how I see perspective of the environment, and the plastic is very different from the way you see it the way the guy in Manhattan sees it. At the end of the day, it's all very subjective. So the idea really is like for my, and I hope that I'm kind of singing off the same hymn note here is that there's no point in forcing someone to really understand, you know, like, if I if someone kind of questioned me and said, Well, why are you doing that? Why are you doing that? Well, what are you doing type of thing, right? There's no right or wrong. It's very opinionated, and very subjective. At the end of the day, it's about, like, for me, the environment is like the environment and the ocean. The reason why it's so important to me is because number one, I enjoy watersports, scuba diving, snorkeling, all of those things I enjoy doing. So why would I want to, you know, swim with all that plastic rather than swim with the fish? Right? That just, that's just stupid, right? But listen, know what. We're all different. We all have our different opinions, different value, core values, but at the end of the day, you've got to do what you feel was right. You know, that's kind of from my perspective, it answers the question

AG

Ari Gronich

23:55

That would be that would be good on a micro level of individual. Right. So then I go to the next level, which is technology. So there are companies that have the technology to clean up stuff that aren't there's systems in place and government in place incentives in place to pollute rather than to not pollute. And so that next question becomes, how do we regulate again, or systemize in the government, good behavior of the corporations and the people who are actually affecting massive audience or macro, you know, environment versus just those micro?

AS

Adam Strong

24:36

Yeah, it's, it's a it's another good question. And what I would say is, from my perspective, plastic pollution is it's vast, like, people really don't understand how such big a problem it is. But it is so enormous it's unreal, it's probably unthinkable. Why would I go and tackle something as huge as that right. That's probably what some of your listeners are probably thinking. But the question is, is, why not? And why? Why not me? You know that. And so why should I? At the end of the day? Yes, you're right there is technology out there. But I think if you provide, if you provide the decision makers with the right data, and what I mean by the right data, let me let me give an example. Right. So if I was to collect data using AI, between, say, I was surveying, say, the Mediterranean Sea, right. And I was also surveying, say, I don't know the English Channel, I just use that as an example, right? Through AI, I can then pick up, you know, and monitor to see if there's, you know, a lot of plastic in that particular area, that's then going to be able to help us focus on specific areas of the world where we can say, Okay, well, there are shipping lanes, which go across it. And all of the cargo ships are dumping that shit into the sea. And so what are we going to do about that, right? That means that we're going to then send out our drones, we're going to then provide proof, we can then prosecute, we can do whatever it is, and therefore, we can then do something about it. Because at the end of the day, because plastic pollution is such a big problem. And yes, we all know about, you know, the need to clean up and the benefits and the reasons why. But if you've got hard core facts about where to focus, what to do, and who to go after, then it becomes a different ballgame.

AG

Ari Gronich

26:34

Gotcha. I like that measure first in functional medicine with no clinical diagnosis. It's always test, test, test, test, measure, get the numbers, right, if you get the numbers, right, you're golden. Here's the crux of it, though, some of those numbers aren't going to matter to people. So when I'm looking at something like this, right, the plastic not, it's not just plastic pollution, harming environment, it's the plastic estrogen as harming our own bodies, that's causing kids to go through puberty at five and six years old, and that of at, you know, normal age, it's all of the illnesses and the diseases, it's all those other things, right. And so I guess, where I want so much, you know, I want so much, I should on people a lot, right? I should on people a lot. And here's my thing about incentives about the world in an environment, there's so many reasons that we haven't even thought of that would be a good idea to take care of certain problems like plastic, like any of the pollution. But I then go back to I remember growing up in my hometown, and you couldn't see the mountain in front of you. It was smoggy there. And when California said, No companies, you have to have regulation that's going to control this smog. All of a sudden, that smog lifted, and you could see blue again. And it was like years since I had seen blue. So, you know, I go Okay, well, even if I have conspiracy theories, even if I think capitalism is awesome, and we should be able to do anything we want. As a human being I sit in the world going, this, I don't like how I feel I don't like what I see. And so I want to make a change. And I know that not everybody does that. But there are ways I think that can make it easier for them. If the systems are designed, like when they go take their there's recycling their cans and bottles out to recycle. And making sure that the companies are recycling that stuff. We have the technology, it's kind of funny, I watched a documentary on this recently, we have the technology to do it. But they haven't implemented or set up the technology at most of the communities, cities states, because of money. And yet, so you're so as the audience member here, you're putting your stuff in the plastic bin. And it's going with everything else. Yep. And that to me is like how do we get that? To shift? How do we get these companies to be good actors instead of bad actors? How do we and then make awareness so that people will hold them accountable since the government's obviously not doing it?

AS

Adam Strong

29:40

Absolutely. 100%. And a good example of this is, I remember actually, so here's a really good example of for me, when I was over in Cyprus, and he used to do these, you know, I used to, as I said, as I described to you, I used to do, we me and my family used to do these plastic pickups on a daily basis, right? And so you'd get like these shipping bags. And on the shipping bags, it would even have the address of the person that actually decided to dump their shit in the sea. Right? How stupid is that? Right? It had China shipping and even had the address. And I'm like, Am I missing a trick here or something? So you know what I mean. Anyway, I just wanted to kind of say that, but that, you know, I just found that kind of, in a way. It's hilarious. But in another way, it's sad. You know, how, you know, people treat the world but you know, you're absolutely right. Companies need to be accounted for. And the only way that can be done is by saying, hey, Sonny, Jim, this is what you've done. Here's the proof. Now, you need to cough up.

AG

Ari Gronich

30:45

Yeah, exactly. So, you know, that's one of the places that I want people as they're listening to this kind of, you know, these shows, I want them to go, that's me. I'm a lawyer, I can do that. You know, that's me. I'm, I'm an environmentalist, I could do that part. This is me, I'm a, I can do this. That's what I want people to get when they listen to the shows. So what are some things that that you would think of are things that the audience members could say, Oh, yeah, I could do that.

AS

Adam Strong

31:22

Reframe the question for me again, I just have to think about that.

AG

Ari Gronich

31:25

Okay, So I want people when they're listening to the show, to have things that they can do that they'll say, Oh, yes, I can do that. And I can get started on that. Now, instead of what most people do, which is I like the idea. I don't know how to get started not going to do anything, not really inspired to do it. So, you know, this shows about activating your vision for a better world. It's about how do we actively do the things that we're talking about instead of just talking about them? So how do we, you know, what are some things that people can do? When they're listening to this? And say, I want I could do that I could get involved in this part. I could get involved in that.

AS

Adam Strong

32:09

Why I think it. So there's a number and I'll just tell you from personal experience, Ari, right, because I think that's probably best. Right? So number one is that you and I go back to core foundations, we all have different core values, go back to your core values. First of all, okay, what's important to you? That and if you know what's important to you, then you can then start to create, as you would say, at the beginning, how to then create a purpose and a vision, right? You've got to get, you've got to then be committed to that, right? What is it that you really want to do in life, right, and, and it doesn't have to be so extreme like I am, which is kind of solving the world's plastic pollution problem, it could be something really, really simple. It could be something like, I don't know, save the milkman in Manhattan, for example, I don't know, whatever, right? But you get my point, right? So that the thing is, number one, be committed to your vision, okay, that's the first thing. Secondly, ideas are shit without execution, right. You've got to act on what you do. If you're going to say you're going to do something, then you've got to be accountable for that at the end of the day. So make sure you've got a good, at least a good coach or a mentor to really kind of push you on, and to make you accountable for that that's extremely important. And also, I was gonna say, just, if you believe you've got to believe in it, whether it be a product or service, a moment, whatever it might be, you have to believe in it more than anybody else. Because if you don't believe in it, if you don't believe in yourself, if you don't believe in what you're doing, then guess what, it's not going to work. Because without belief systems, that's basically the core foundation of everything. And that's a knee, if you don't, you need to have those in place. Once you've got those things in place, then you can execute, then you can start to think about how you can build trust, how you can make collaborations and how you can then turn that into where depend on what is it that you want to do? Can it be monetized? Is it for charity, or whatever it is, but everything should be able to should be able to monetize things and whatever it is. So does that help?

AG

Ari Gronich

34:25

Yeah, absolutely. You know, and one of the things that I like is that you're, you're like me taking the passion and turning it into a career. Because what are you doing on this planet? If you're not enjoying your life, and if you're not doing the work of something that you enjoy, then you know, we're just living a dead life. It's kind of like the there's an old saying about, you know, people in cars on the freeways in LA, you know, driving around in their metal coffins and That's just the truth. And so I'm always about how do we lift people up out of the circumstances that they find themselves in, and reengage them, reintroduce them to their purpose to what it is that they really truly want. 

AS

Adam Strong

35:21

Was gonna say to you, actually, have you ever seen that film The Matrix? Oh, yeah. I mean, most people have seen the matrix. And it kind of reminds me like, what you're describing is a bit like people who live in the matrix, right? They just, they're just so blinkered, it's a bit like, Bill Murray's Groundhog Day, I'm sure you've seen that movie, where he just kind of the same thing over and over again, right? What does he do? He sleeps, he eats, and he goes to work. And those are the only three things that he does until he kind of creates this perceptional awareness about how to try to break the cycle do you know what I mean. 

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Ari Gronich

35:55

Yeah. We're doing that. All right. Now, you know. We're definitely on this pendulum of we did this. Now we're gonna go back here. Oh, wait, we did this already. Now we're gonna go back here. Wait, no.

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Ari Gronich

36:16

You know, it's funny to me. I was I was talking to somebody the other day about the Roman Empire. And just, you know, the, the collapse of the Roman Empire and what were the things that caused that lab, and we in the US, in the Western world, in general, have are, you know, have like, planned, so to speak, by not planning to go down by the way of the dodo, just like the Roman Empire. And I find it fascinating how we're not learning from our mistakes, or taking the opportunity to assess and reassess when we're not getting the results that we want. Right. So what are you doing within your initiative and within your technology to kind of address those things? With regards to, you know, check, looking at the impact the results, the you know, the forethought of what it is you're doing, the planning,

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Adam Strong

37:21

What am I doing in the planning stages?

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Ari Gronich

37:23

Yeah, what is the planning stages? And then what is that tech, I don't like to do this as a show that promotes, but I want to know what you're doing. So that if somebody wants to say, Oh, yeah, I like that I can get involved with doing that.

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Adam Strong

37:39

Well, listen, I can, I can describe because for me, I'm, at the end of the day, no one is going to be able to replicate my vision as such, right? We all have our own vision. So for me, I'm, we're actually designing at the moment where our models are, we're designing a unique boats or a new unique ship, which is essentially powered with zero fossil fuels. So it's powered through hydrogen, and solar panels, and also wind energy. So there'll be zero fossil fuels involved as part of that technology as well. So that's one technology as part of that. So energy saving technology. Secondly, what we're going to be doing is we're creating what they call a boom, and a boom will be as the boat is going along the boom will be like a bit like a kind of a half circle. circumference, which is kind of a there's got to be a net. It's kind of a net. And in between that the fish can obviously you know, they don't get trapped within that but it collects all the plastic is it kind of trundles along. On top of that. We also have. It's also powered through AI. AI is really, really up and coming at the moment. But everyone knows about boys, so boys are good for navigation and shipping and stuff like that. So along with that we have boys so if you can imagine, say for example, I'll just use this as an example say I focusing on the Hudson River, right. And so between the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York, right, and the same, just for just for the hell of air between the Hudson and say New York say it was the equivalent of say 12 football fields. Within 12 football fields, we would then mark up at each corner of the football field, we were placed what they call a boy within that boy, we also it will send out signals and pick up AI and by telling the boat to go to certain places so it can pick up the data. It's a bit like an electric lawnmower. Electric lawn mowers, which you know can be quite bulky, they go up to the other than the lawn and then they turn back or they go in a different direction is exactly the same. concept. This is just out in the in the rivers and the seas of the oceans, exactly the same concept. And so what it's doing is it's collecting all the data as it goes along. And it's, and it's trying to figure out what are the most polluted waters in the world? Where is this big focus, and where's the big scope? On top of that, there's also going to be drones. So they're gonna be sending out long distance drones. What are the drones ready to do with drones, what they do is number one, they help monitor the local area. So if there is a, I don't know, say, for example, when a specific area in the Hudson that was heavily polluted, and there was a ship passing by. And if you put two and two together, they found that the ship was dumping shit into the sea or into the Hudson, right, then the drones can then pick up that data. And then they can obviously put two and two together and report it back to the authorities. So you've got aerial views, you've got picking up AI, you've got picking up the plastic itself, but actually on the ship, we're actually going to be recycling the plastic as we go along, turning it into either fuel, or selling it to companies, which can be sold into recyclable products. So there's lots of great things that's going to be part of the part of the project.

AG

Ari Gronich

0:03

That sounds awesome.

How can people get ahold of you? If they're if they're interested in doing some playing with plastics?

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Adam Strong

0:09

Sure. Absolutely. That you're very welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm, I'm more active on LinkedIn, of course, Instagram, and you can also connect with me on my podcast, if you want to look at my podcast as well, the game changes experience as well. I'm happy to connect with you guys on there as well.

AG

Ari Gronich

0:28

One last, you know, deep question is about microplastics. Yes. And I just want you to talk a little bit about that. Because big plastic is very different, easier to collect. Micro plastic, obviously, is nanoparticles. And so what should people do about filtering their water at homes? What should people do to avoid the microplastics? And what is microplus? What is that? That as an issue?

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Adam Strong

0:57

Yeah, it's a good question. So So microplastics are generally normally fragmented pieces of plastic that's generally come off of a bigger piece of plastic, that's generally what micro plastics are. And they generally wash up our onto our beaches. So you'll see all those little tiny twigs and little microplastics, or whatever it might be. Yes, it, believe it or not, 70% of plastic is actually what they found through research is that 70% of plastic is actually comes from our rivers. So the rivers, when they wash down to the ocean, it gets them washed out into the ocean, that's how it affects marine life. So what was it gonna, what was gonna say? So the microplastic problem is really, really challenging. What we're doing with our ship is we're actually creating what we call a vacuum cleaner. So it's going to be picking up all this microplastic as we come along, and then it's going to bundle it up like a bit like a wet a dung beetle, collects all of its stuff when you're not I mean, so it will collect like a dombey, all type of thing, and four balls of these microplastics, or whatever it might be, but it's a real challenge, really big challenge. What can consumers do? Yes, of course, you mentioned filter water and things like that. 100%. But I think, you know, just do your bit for the planet. Really? That's kind of what I would say, from my perspective, which is probably not the answer that you're probably looking for right now. But it is new technology. And there's new things that we need to work on to make that work.

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Ari Gronich

2:33

Yeah, I just, I guess I tell people to do the water thing. I was selling water filters. When I was 18 years old. And we used to go into restaurants and so on, and we bring with us a portable water filter. Again, this is before Britta is before they were popular, And so we would go into the restaurants with TPM meters and add chlorine testers and stuff. And so we'd, oh, look how many parts per million are in here, you know, and how many? Like how much chlorine is in this, your pool should be here, this is here.

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Ari Gronich

3:13

And we would I was how we got business? Really. I mean, we literally go in there and people would look at us and go, Oh, that's in my water. You know, I can't unless somebody's showing them the proof right in front of them. It's really difficult, you know? There are so many reasons. And plastics are one of the main ones these days because they are estrogen producers. They're what's called xeno estrogens, that, yes, basically cause your body's hormonal system to deregulate and not function properly. And so that's part of why it's so important. So for if anybody is listening to this and go, Ah, that's not really for me. If you're drinking water, and breathing air, it's just for you. I just wanted to kind of, you know, get your take on that as well, because I think people don't realize how much of the world is affecting them. Because they just don't know about what it is that's happening to them.

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Adam Strong

4:17

Show. Absolutely. Well, some sometimes it can be a lack of awareness and lack of education, but sometimes it can also be ignorance. 

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Ari Gronich

4:30

This is true. And that ignorance that lack of that the willful ignorance I understand is kind of what you're saying is willful ignorance but willful ignorance is probably one of the most devastating things to our environment but also to our people will full environment it willful ignorance is what I you know, say is the reason why a bully can be a bully. You know, willful silence and ignorance of everybody else, so anything that you'd like to leave the audience with any gems, anything else? I mean, this has been a great interview so far. And I know I've challenged you a little bit more than most. So..

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Adam Strong

5:18

Well, listen, I like I first of all, I like the challenges. You know, I'm always fascinated by people ask really good questions. So I just want to say thank you for that. Really appreciate that. My last words of wisdom for your audience? Well, I think it depends on entirely where people are out, you know, so we're all at, we're all on different journeys, okay. And my thing is, is that, you know, don't mold yourself around what other people want you what you think that other people want you to be right? Don't I never give a shit about what other people's opinions and nor should you, at the end of the day, you got to do what you feel is going to be aligned to your core values. Number one, it creates happy it makes you happy and fulfilled. And Number three, like, for me, what makes me happy and fulfilled, like, when I get out of bed, Ari, it's not money that motivates me, okay, it's my higher calling my purpose, my biggest fear is to be is to leave this planet where I feel insignificant. That's my biggest fear. I guess my question to your audience is what is your biggest fear? What do you fear the most? And what is it that you if you were to leave this earth? If you were to leave this world? What is the biggest thing that you fear in your life? Mine is ignorant insignificance, right, whatever that looks like to you. It might be different to you, it might be that you don't feel fulfilled, you might not be happy, or whatever it is. But just focus on something that is true and is aligned to you. That's kind of what I wanted to say. 

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Ari Gronich

6:59

Awesome. Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it. And I know the audience has gotten a lot out of this. So this has been another episode of create a new tomorrow. I'm your host, Ari Gronich. Thank you so much for being here, where we're every day trying to create a new tomorrow and activate our vision for a better world. Thank you so much.