Written by Oliver Wiedmaier - Battle Bars Investor & Entrepreneur 
When I was stationed in San Diego, I was ready to purchase my first home, but since the cost of living is sky-high, I had to find a home outside of the city. I found an amazing home that I could afford, however my round-trip commute of 150 miles was going to be tough. In the end, the sacrifice was worth it because my wife and I were ready to plant our roots and begin this new chapter of our lives.
The morning commute took about 1 and half hours, while the commute home was about 2 hours. I listened to music at first during my drive and then I quickly realized that music was not stimulating enough and often made me sleepy while I drove. I started looking into audio books as an alternative, though after some quick math and a determination that at the rate I would be going through at least two books per week (and spending a lot on these books as a result), I dove headfirst into podcasts.
Like many other new podcast listeners, I started with the well-known Joe Rogan Experience. His podcast episodes are usually over an hour long, which met my time requirement, but more importantly, his vastly diverse guests introduced me to things I otherwise would not have known about. I was fascinated with the sheer volume of free information that I was now being exposed to.
One of the first guests that really shook my world was Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a Biomedical Scientist that was explaining her research on the positive effects of saunas, gut health and other complex science and medical problems we face. I was blown away with sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker, a British scientist and professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkely. His episode dove deep into the impact sleep has on human health and disease. The episode that changed my perspective of food was with Dr. Shawn Baker, a carnivore diet advocate who has only eaten animal products for the last 2+ years. I dove deeper into their individual research by way of their respective platforms.
I also became a fan of the leading entrepreneur and business podcast, “Entrepreneur on Fire” by John Lee Dumas, since I’ve always felt that I have the entrepreneurial spirit and associated tendencies. One of the early examples of this began in in high school, when I began to buy blank skateboards wholesale, and would stencil my own branding on them and sell them. At the time, I had no idea that this was the just the beginning of my journey of entrepreneurship. Learning business and mindset tools from some of the most influential entrepreneurs such as Dean Graziosi, Gary Vee, and Tony Robbins transformed my life and the way I look at business and personal branding.
During this time, I likewise began to cultivate an interest in investing, though I never had the financial literacy or confidence to start responsibly. “Money Savage” by George Grombacher is a podcast that features financial professionals and subject matter experts, and this had an impact in changing the way I thought about money. I learned to use money, not spend money, and that has made a huge difference in how I approach my current and future ventures.
After 1,000’s of hours of learning from some of the leaders in health, fitness, business, and mental health experts, I have become a better person. I have taken great leaps in my personal and professional development without even intending on it. I am so thankful that instead of being bitter about my long commute, I was able to transform it into an environment for education and growth. I challenge and encourage you to fill any dead time throughout your day with personal devolvement. Whether it is on your drive to and from work, at the gym or replacing late night television, I encourage you to seek out information that will advance you personally and professionally.
