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Ready to embark on a transformative quest of self-discovery WITHOUT leaving your living room ?

Live virtual journeys (workshops) that will leave you more self-aware, focused on fulfillment, and aligned with your authentic life.

The next journey starts soon...

The Autumn "Mod Od" guided, live, virtual group self-discovery course runs from October 1st to November 19th. Apply below to secure your spot (the last cohort filled up quickly).

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This is about Us.

You and Me

Hi 👋, I'm Ryan, a life-long explorer of what makes a well-lived life.

I'm not a billionaire business man or an ex-pro-athlete or a renowned psychologist.

(Are they the paradigm for your well-lived life?)

I have lived among some of the happiest people on earth (in remote villages). I wrote a best-selling memoir. I've studied and published as a researcher (PhD) in a variety of fields from botany, anthropology, chemistry, neuroscience, and clinical trials and apply the same critical analysis to what makes a well-lived life.

I've spent thousands of hours over multiple decades studying, discussing, and embracing the exploration of life.

I'm extremely fortunate and grateful for those lessons.

It would be disgraceful not to share them.

WILD Venn

I care deeply about helping others cultivate their own unique inward journey to enduring authentic contentment and greater fulfillment.

This is my invitation for you to join me on that odyssey. 

No passport or tent required.

Discover your authentic, unique path for a BETTER life.

I call it WILD.

Willful Independence, Live Deliberately.

"The Modern Odyssey program helped me to find balance in life and reprioritize what is truly important. I highly recommend the program to anyone who is ready to nudge your inner spirit for expansive growth".

- Liz B.

Mod Od Alumni

Is this course for you?

We've found the most successful explorers (students) are professionals and creatives who feel like something better is just out of reach and are committed to becoming "unstuck".

- Do you keep reaching goals but aren't experiencing deeper fulfillment or contentment?

- Are you feeling overwhelmed by life's tasks, tedium and doom and ready to quiet the noise by focusing on the BIG picture?

- Do you feel like you have much more to give to this life but can't figure out how?

But mainly: Are you exhausted with the endless books, videos, and posts offering advice and willing to ask for some help? 

“The WILD program allowed me to take a new look on life, and not stress about things I can't control and the mundane. In doing so, I think I became more relaxed, which opened me up personally and allowed me to be more creative and productive at work.

- John-Michael S.

Mod Od Alumni

CONCEPTS AND EXPLORATIONS

The Curriculum

Each module includes a Core Session in the first week and a Discussion Session in the second.

  • Contemporary Rites of Passage - the lost art of self-discovery
  • The Narrow Lens - acknowledging our limited perspective and diagnosing the harmful influences
  • The Triad of Discontent - how materialism, individualism, and exceptionalism drive discontent
  • Defining Contentment - the overlap of living aligned with our values (fulfillment), accomplishing important, challenging tasks (satisfaction), and living focused on the present but in balance with the past and the future (engagement)
  • The Explorer Mindset - embracing discovery over achievement
  • The Coconut and the Tree - the two fundamental elements of life to simplify it all
  • The Caveman Brain - fighting our neurological wiring
  • Maslow's Unfortunate Accident - how the hierarchy of needs works against us
  • The Stone atop the Pile - finding what matters most
  • Delusion of Greatness - our mistaken relationship with achievement
  • The Grant Study - what the world's longest study on happiness confirms about village life in Papua New Guinea 
  • The Wantok Path - a culture of contentment
  • An Alternative Hierarchy - leveraging what matters most
  • 7 Modern Sins - the most critical hurdles to a well-lived life
  • Land of the Unexpected - learning to embrace uncertainty
  • Authenticity & Fulfillment - walking the walk
  • Rewriting the American Dream - reevaluating a broken paradigm
  • Redefining Work - a platform to convert expertise and energy for experience and economic gain
  • The Identity Ruse - refining our relationship with work and setting boundaries
  • The Motivation/Momentum Cycle - leveraging the upward spiral
  • Work/Life Balance - updating an archaic framework to the benefit of employees and employers
  • Crises of Purpose - mid-life or existential, why they happen and how we can minimize them
  • The Burnout Cycle - breaking the downward spiral
  • The Bucket and the Cups - a confidence model for enduring contentment
  • Selfish Selflessness - finding your well-lived life
  • Indigenous Wisdom - what they know and what we've forgotten
  • The Caveman Brain Reprise - the upside of our neurological wiring
  • Emotional Plasticity - cultivating optimism, empathy, and gratitude
  • The 3-Box Model - improving resilience with a focus on what we can control
  • Continuing your journey!

“One of the biggest benefits I gained from Modern Odyssey is a much greater awareness of how I spend my free time, and how this impacts my levels of happiness. That awareness led to me changing my behavior in seemingly small ways, but they led to significant improvements in my wellbeing. Ryan’s personal insights and engaging storytelling made the entire program fascinating and I found myself excited for the next session”

- Alan P.

Mod Od Alumni

Modern Odyssey Program Costs

In addition to the dollars, the cost of the Modern Odyssey is the work to invest in yourself and your future. It's estimated to include at least 1 hour a week for the exercises.

Popular
$
795

The complete Modern Odyssey Program

Full Course

8 Weekly Live Virtual Sessions
15+ Exercises to improve your self-awareness and align with your authentic life
Intimate Group (8 or less) of like-minded explorers looking for deeper fulfillment
Signed hardback copy of Wild Happy
Directly working with me to hone your self-exploration skills
Limited space
$
1195.00

The Modern Odyssey with your personal sherpa.

Premium Odyssey

Everything that's included in the Full Modern Odyssey program
+
Personal guidance sessions over the 8 weeks to support your personal discovery
1 month follow-up session to keep you on track

 

The next journey starts soon...

The Autumn "Mod Od" guided, live, virtual group self-discovery course runs from October 1st to November 19th. Apply below to secure your spot (the last cohort filled up quickly).

Some questions you may still have...

Great question! I didn't (and anyone who tells you they have has ulterior motives and is probably trying to sell you a fantasy). I've discovered that I love the discovery process for myself and for others. It never ends and you never know what you're going to find. It's a journey I'd love for you to join me on.

I've learned a lot along the way including there is no "meaning of life" and that's a beautiful thing. Finding something meaningful and enjoyable to spend your time and energy on is a good start. If you don't know what that is, I hope you feel empowered to do the work exploring for it.

There isn't one.

I'm a huge advocate for autonomy, but the truth is HUMANS NEED HELP. Modern Odyssey isn't about creating a passive income stream. It's about truly helping people get out of the distressful quicksand of our modern world. 

The truth is very few people complete asynchronous courses. Since I want to help make real change, that means we need accountability, urgency, and commitment. That led to the live virtual cohort format for Modern Odyssey - small groups working together with a sherpa to help set up camp and guide the way (metaphorically speaking).

I'll be the sherpa for your Modern Odyssey - no bait and switch here. This is a labor of love for me so pawning you off on some other leaders would rob me of the reason I developed the program. My collaborators help out on the stuff I don't like doing, not the stuff I love doing 😊

I love travel and physically getting out of my bubble to inspire mentally and psychologically getting out of my bubble. But many people aren't able to do so.

Ultimately, it's the inward journey that is most impactful. The goal of Modern Odyssey is to capture the essence of that inward journey with challenges & exercises to go beyond our comfort zone, to question our assumptions, and to invest in our perspective, independent of our location. 

I'd love to combine these lessons with a physical trip some day, but for now the Modern part of Modern Odyssey is that it can be done virtually.

 

I believe EVERYONE is a leader. We place so much emphasis on senior leaders in the workplace that it's easy to forget that people are leaders in their communities, in their families, and in their own lives. 

I'm looking to help everyday people live more fulfilling lives, not helping companies squeeze out another million of profit next quarter.

Truthfully, happier people make better, more reliable, more productive, more creative employees1-3 but that takes a special company or team leader to appreciate and invest in their people that way.

Not quite ready to apply?

It's understandable. We want to know what we're getting into before we embark on a big adventure (even if it's from our laptop).

Let's chat!

Schedule a Discovery Call with me.

Let's talk about where you are, where you hope to be someday and, most importantly, why.

Ready to put in the work, but not sure about the $$?

Maybe your job will cover the costs?

Many managers/teams have development budgets for programs just like this. Download a draft letter to your manager swap out some details and see if they'll support you on your Modern Odyssey.

Wondering where to start?

Hip young couple going for a bike ride on a sunny day in the city

We’re on a mission to engage people in living their better life.

Because better lives make a better world.
Because not living better lives has led to historically low levels of happiness, reduced civility, records levels of depression and anxiety, as well as workplace side-effects such as high turnover, low engagement, burnout, ‘quiet-quitting’, and reduced productivity.

There is a ton of great, inspiring advice out there with opinions on how to live a well-lived life... philosophy, psychology, neuroscience... books, videos, video courses...

But inspiration and advice can only take you so far.

Distilling the lessons and applying them to you life is HARD.

yak porter everest

The good news

You're not alone and you don't have to take this journey alone.

Humans need help (it can just be really hard to ask for it.)
We don't have the answers, but we can help carry the load and get camp set up for you (metaphorically speaking) while you focus on your inward journey of self-discovery.
Imagine how much easier that would make the Pacific Crest, Inca, Camino de Santiago, or Appalachian Trails?

If you can't drop everything to head out into the wild world for an adventure of self-discovery, Modern Odyssey will bring the lessons, challenges, and experiences to you... at home.

On your Modern Odyssey, you'll...

Focus on What Matters

Exercises to enhance deep introspection and critical analysis lead us to the values, actions, and emotions that define your unique authentic path through life.

Refine your Perspective

Recognizing the influencers of our life (good and bad) is essential to grounding our independence for decision making.

Elevate Life/Work Harmony

Embracing and refining the blurred lines between life and work for greater harmony and fulfillment.

 

No prior experience or mosquito net needed. 

Or passport, or backpack, or malaria meds, or hiking boots, or rain poncho, or need to quit your job, or to find a pet-sitter, or...  you get the idea.

 

 

The Autumn "Mod Od" guided, live, virtual group self-discovery course runs from October 1st to November 19th. Apply below to secure your spot (the last cohort filled up quickly).

Are you part of an organization that believes in engaged, fulfilled, productive people?

Are you a leader who believes that living a deliberate life of fulfillment (both in and out of work) is a catalyst for inspiring engagement, diminishing burnout, improving creativity and productivity, and igniting loyalty?

Ready to start treating your team members like the indispensable family they are?

See how the Modern Odyssey can invigorate your team.

Customized Programs fit the needs of your organization

  • Flexible Duration
  • Group & 1:1 Coaching
  • Minimal time requirements
  • Virtual or in-person
  • Tailored to your challenges

Have you ever noticed...

If you’re looking to improve your health or your finances, there are hundreds of programs and tools. And there are personal trainers, nutritionists, and financial planners.
But if you’re looking to discover a life full of contentment, there was only advice (LOTS of advice...books, videos, posts, articles). But who is there if you want some guidance and support?

Modern Odyssey is changing that.

Tired female student at the library looking very frustrated
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Save 40% to kick off Spring!

We're offering an incredible 40% off all live and virtual programs to teams that signup before summer takes over.

You've made it this far so I might as well share the secret...

Enough with the books and the videos and all the talking about HAPPINESS!

The secret...

The mystical, magical secret to happiness... *drumroll* ...is to enjoy it when you're feeling it.

Because happiness is superficial, fleeting, and fickle (what brings happiness today may not bring happiness tomorrow).

Happiness is like a butterfly flitting around.

Contentment is the giant oak tree.

Enjoy the butterfly but nuture the oak.

Enough with eating the marshmallows, we're in this for the long term. Let's focus on a foundation of fulfillment, satisfaction, and engagement. 

Let's focus on that moment when you're laying in bed at the end of the day and instead of stressing about all the "what ifs" and the to-do list, we close our eyes, relax, and smile, confident of our place in the world.

So, yeah, forget happy.

You're still here??

Stop scrolling!

Life is moving forward whether you're onboard or not.

The next journey starts soon...

The Autumn "Mod Od" guided, live, virtual group self-discovery course runs from October 1st to November 19th. Apply below to secure your spot (the last cohort filled up quickly).