Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josh Sedgwick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Josh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
For a long time I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career. It wasn’t until I became a young adult that I realized I wanted to pursue Podcasting. But to backtrack, it was sometime during my freshman year of high school that I suddenly grew an obsession with reading and self-education. Just on a random day, for some reason, it felt like something was telling me I’m meant for something more; that I need to read and consume as much information as possible. It was overwhelming, but it lit a fire under me to set 2 personal life goals. First, is to learn everything… literally… Second was to be remembered in history as someone who changed the world. All of sudden, the very moment I made those goals, I felt a fire light up within me; a kind of hunger and drive that still to this day gives me goosebumps. Suddenly I dove deep into reading everything; psychology, history, philosophy, politics, science and more. I quickly amassed a large collection of books, and down the road over two dozen textbooks. Now, for a solid 5 years I really didn’t know where these goals would take me, or what I wanted to do with my life, especially career wise. I just knew I was meant for something big and I had to keep pushing myself. Fast forward to around 20-21 years of age I finally realized I wanted to start a Podcast. It was the perfect way to blend my two goals together and to focus it in on something. I felt, and still feel, I have the capacity to make great change in the world. I feel I offer a voice and a way of thought that can really help people. I also wrote quite a bit of literature and poetry as child and I’ve always felt I’ve just had a way with words; the ability to articulate and express such complex emotions and thoughts in a way that captivated people. So… I decided to focus this on one single objective for my podcast: the ability to have honest and positive conversation on real world issues; the ability to disagree, but still reach across the isle and shake the other persons hand with respect. In this way I figured out how to combine my two life goals into something that truly made sense for me. Through the knowledge I’ve amassed, and that I still continue to grow, I’m able to channel it through my podcast and help be a voice that motivates, cheers up, and encourages people to embrace their potential and become the best version of themselves. Ultimately, what has driven me the most throughout all of this is my personal belief that if you truly feel you have the capacity and potential to do great things, and be a force for Good, then you have an innate obligation to do so. You not only owe it to yourself, but also to the world to unlock your greatest potential and to never give up.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I founded and host the Podcast “Josh Sed What.” I cover a large array of subjects and regularly have guests on ranging from professional athletes, political figures, college professors and business owners. What sets me apart from any other podcast is it’s purpose. My main objective is to provide a platform for constructive and positive dialogue on serious issues, current events, and healthy debates. Being adamant on self-education, I read books and study textbooks recreationally and use the knowledge I obtain as a means to have productive conversations with guests on these issues. One of my most notable interviews was with ASU Professor Craig Calhoun. We talked about his book “Neither Gods nor Emperors” and his time in Beijing, China during the Tiananmen Square Protests and Massacre of 1989. The biggest takeaway I always want listeners to get from my podcast is the feelings of being inspired, motivated, and hungry to discover how incredible they can become if they work hard enough and believe in themselves.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Oh yes there are several books that I highly recommend everyone to read:
– Body, Mind and Spirit (Peter Albright) This book taught me a lot about love and how it can heal others
– The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power (Vernon Howard) This book taught me how to take control of my emotions, my fears and self-doubts
– Man’s Unconquerable Mind (Gilbert Highet) This book taught me how to truly believe in my potential and ability to overcome any obstacles in life, no matter the difficulty
– Anthem (Ayn Rand) This taught me about the importance of balance between the individual and society
– Special Ethics (Joseph Sullivan) Gave me a profound perspective on the importance of living without regret and to embrace the beauties of life and all its wonders
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Recently, I published an interview with a MMA gym owner, based in Sydney, Australia. It was supposed to be published online early to mid November, however, where I live in particular… the internet is absolutely horrendous. My internet only gets 2 Mbps, vs other people getting dramatically more. Now keep in mind, this interview is 1 1/2 hours long and is 10+ GB. I spent 120 hours straight trying to upload this interview, only for it to fail at 88%. I wasted all those hours for nothing… I tried again and it still failed again. It got to the point I had to go around town to find businesses with better service I can use and wait there for several hours until it was done. It’s an issue that literally can’t be fixed, because there is no other internet services in the ENTIRE TOWN that services our area and so we’re force to use the worst provider in our entire state. With that being said, it kills the quality of virtual interviews, and it’s so bad that it takes a week on average to upload a single episode… Regardless of this massive hurdle, I still continue to travel all over town to businesses, friends houses, and anywhere else I can find with good service to upload my content. But no matter what, I still have to upload things at home when I’m gone and am stuck with the bad Wi-Fi. It also inhibits my consistency because of so much technical difficulties. But, no matter what, I still push myself constantly to work harder and get stuff done.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Joshsedwhat921
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshsedwhat921
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEsB3j0P02IL0TkDTRxOG8g
Image Credits
MMA Stalker & RUF Nation