Jodi Sagorin author of blog
Have you ever Googled a topic that interests you and found someone online that you’d like to connect with?
Well, here’s what happened to me yesterday morning. I Googled “Gutsy People” since I’m intrigued by risk-takers, and nineteen-year-old Jodi Sagorin, and her blog, “If you never did, you should,” popped up.
I was fascinated by this young woman and her passion for adventure, and risk-taking. Was she born with it? How did it develop? Did it come from her parents? And then I noticed an article in the Orange County newspaper, my local paper, “Irvine teen chooses India over prestigious University.” Jodi wanted to volunteer in India to empower women in poverty-stricken areas.
I sent Jodi an e-mail asking if I could interview her and if she was still in India. She wrote back, and she’s now in Orange County, only one town north of me, and is also a huge fan of Chris Guillebeau’s, “The Art on Non-Conformity.”
So why did Jodi start her blog?
“To show people that it’s possible to live a life of adventure. I traveled a lot with my parents as a child. My dad’s the gutsy one! He’s a skydiver, heli-boarder, surfer, snowboarder, skater, anything and everything.”
How did you become Gutsy? What influenced you? Is it something you’re born with or you develop?
I was definitely born gutsy and I have the battle scars to prove it. My parents had their hands full with me, constantly yanking me out of trees, out of huge surf, you name it. The nurses in the broken bones department in the ER knew me by name. Although my gutsiness is inherent, I’m a firm believer that anyone can be gutsy if they make the decision to be. If you’re not born with it, work on it. Challenge yourself. Get out there. Dive in. Jump off. Launch. It’s so worth it.
What motivates you in life?
Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to live a full life. Full of adventure and full of experiences. I’m always dreaming, goal-writing, scheming, and sparking. I think that’s what it’s all about. I guess my motivation is the fear of conformity and mediocrity.
What would you like your life to be like at 25, 35, 45?
Toughie! My answers are the same for each one: I want to be running a few businesses I love, traveling the world, jamming and collaborating with awesome people, jumping off things, dreaming, doing, and staying enthusiastic about life in general. I guess you can throw in an awesome guy and possibly some spawn of my own, too.
What would you tell someone who’s afraid of change?
Get over it. Embrace it. Live a little. We’re all a little scared of getting out of our comfort zone, but once you realize that change is progress, life gets a whole lot more interesting. Make the decision to be remarkable.
Who do you admire?
I admire a lot of people and have tons of people I consider heroes. The ones that come to the top of my head are: Seth Godin, Chris Guillebeau, Danielle Laporte, Lachlan Cotter, and Jonathan Mead.
Chris Guillebeau
So tomorrow evening, I shall meet both Jodi and Chris Guillebeau at his Unconventional Book Tour in Los Angeles
at Book Soup (8818 Sunset Blvd.), Friday night at 7pm — hope to see you there!
at Book Soup (8818 Sunset Blvd.), Friday night at 7pm — hope to see you there!
Do you have any stories to share about people you admire?
Sounds like a wonderful person. And what a great night it will be tomorrow…
This may sound trite but when I try to think of the person I most admire I come back to my wife, Nancy.
I have never knowing anyone who lived their life with such devotion to personal integrity, humility and humanity. She sometimes jokingly refers to herself as the "social worker" for her family – in truth, she is. She has no sense of self which does not include empathy for others both known and unknown.
She is intelligent but not an intellectual. She is giving and kind, but not to a fault. She is slow to anger but strong in conviction when, and only when, the need arises.
My life has been infinitely changed by having her a part of it. Her wisdom has comforted me, her energy has motivated me, her spirit has uplifted me. My life is comfortable and rich for her hand in it.
She overlooks my imperfections and loves me unquestionably . To her children she is their deepest and most caring advisor; to her grand children she is everything. I cannot imagine a day that does not begin and end with her at my side.
This is a wonderful post. Jodi sounds fun and interesting, so I'm going to wander over and take a look at her blog. Thanks, Sonia, for being adventurous and making this new connection.
She's half my age and so much wiser than me.
What a coincidence! Sounds like a fascinating woman. Enjoy your meeting.
@ladyfi
Look forward to it.
@Robert
I hope you show what you wrote to Nancy. She must be one happy lady.
@Patricia
Thanks for your continuous support.
@Rayna
I was going to talk about her wisdom too. Glad you brought it up.
@25BAR
Glad you liked it.
@Louise
Yes it is a coincidence.
What an inspiration. Wish I had seen this yesterday, the book signing sounds like a lot of fun.
this was a great interview and i enjoyed reading it very much – what a fascinating young person and superb role model for not just young folks but those of all ages!
great job – thanks for doing this sonia!