Chasing Common Ground: Lifestyle Conversations with Chris Liddle

About Chasing Common Ground: Lifestyle Conversations with Chris Liddle

Formerly known as "The Lifestyle Chase", Chasing Common Ground is a purpose-driven podcast that doesn't fit into one box or category. The mission is to help listeners find common ground with a variety of guests and solo topics and progress in life year over year rather than simply staying the same. chrisliddle.substack.com (https://chrisliddle.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Chris Liddle

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

5 Sept 2018

Latest episode

26 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 326 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   26 Aug 2026

   Five-Mile Famous: Why Community Beats Chasing Followers | Ann Chisholm

   There is a version of entrepreneurship that tells you the goal is always bigger. More followers. More reach. More impressions. More people knowing your name. Ann Chisholm offers a useful counterpoint. She’d rather be five-mile famous. Ann runs Fettle + Food and co-owns Tropos Fitness Club in Victoria, British Columbia. More than anything, though, she’s a community builder. Her businesses have grown largely through the people directly around her — clients, coaches, local businesses, running communities, friends, collaborators and the people willing to show up for one another. That’s what interested me about having her on Chasing Common Ground. We talked about practicing rejection and becoming comfortable asking for opportunities. We talked about hiring people based not only on credentials, but on how they behave when nobody is telling them what to do. We talked about the uncomfortable transition from doing everything yourself to realizing that holding onto every task is eventually the thing preventing your business from growing. We talked about failure. Ann shared the story of a protein-ball company that eventually had her spending Sundays producing hundreds of products and driving around Victoria delivering them while already working every other day of the week. She shut it down. Later, she learned another expensive lesson after making a hiring decision from a place of urgency rather than confidence. Both experiences changed how she operates. Today, much of her leadership philosophy comes back to relationships, systems, patience and creating enough space to make good decisions. But perhaps my favourite part of the conversation was how Ann connects fitness with experience. Instead of training simply to shrink a waistline or add weight to a deadlift, members of her community train for backpacking trips, trail races and international adventures. One client who had lost around 80 pounds found himself hiking with equipment he’d once put into storage because he thought he’d never be able to use it again. That’s a very different way of measuring progress. Fitness gave him access to his life again. Toward the end of our conversation, we moved away from business altogether and talked about the people who change our trajectory. Mentors. Coaches. Friends. People willing to tell us something uncomfortable because they care enough to sit beside us while we process it. Ann calls some of those people her personal board of directors. And when I asked her the question I’ve been asking guests since the early days of this podcast — how someone can live their life as fully and authentically as possible — her answer came back to knowing yourself. Figure out what fills your cup. Understand how you operate. Find people who are living parts of the life you want and spend time around them. Ask questions. Listen. Shoot your shot. Maybe the goal isn’t for everybody to know who you are. Maybe it’s to build something meaningful enough that the people who do know you are genuinely glad they do.Chasing Common Ground Chasing Common Ground is a podcast about curiosity, long-term thinking and conversations that leave room for people to learn, grow and change their minds. This isn’t about being right. It’s about seeing clearly and being willing to change your mind when it matters. Support the Show Invigorate Training Store The Invigorate Training store is another way to support the work behind Chasing Common Ground and stay connected to the community. store.invigoratetraining.com Podcast Course If you’re thinking about starting a podcast — or already have one and want it to feel simpler, more intentional and more sustainable — check out: christianliddle.com/podcastcourse Chasing Common Ground listeners can save $50 using code: COMMONGROUND Pricing is in Canadian dollars. Get full access to Insight by Chris Liddle at chrisliddle.substack.com/subscribe (https://chrisliddle.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   29 May 2026

   How To De-Escalate Conflict In A Polarized World | Randy King

   Randy King returns to Chasing Common Ground for a conversation about conflict, communication, fear, social media, and what modern self-defense actually looks like. In a world that feels increasingly polarized, Randy breaks down why de-escalation is one of the most underdeveloped skills people have — and why learning to de-escalate yourself might be the most important place to start. We discuss: * How algorithms reward negativity and outrage * Why social media hygiene matters for mental health * The role of media bias, soundbites, and attention economics * De-escalation strategies for real life conflict * Situational awareness without living in fear * Why many viral safety myths don’t hold up to scrutiny * Humility, travel, mentorship, and learning through discomfort * Seasons of life, ambition, and preparing for the next level * How Randy processes ideas, builds seminars, and writes books * What authentic living actually looks like This episode blends self-defense, psychology, communication, travel, growth, and critical thinking into a conversation that feels incredibly relevant to modern life. Connect With Randy King Website: https://randykinglive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randykinglive/ (https://www.instagram.com/randykinglive/) Book information, events, workshops, and resources available through Randy’s website. Work With Me + Explore More Podcast: https://podcast.invigoratetraining.com Training: https://invigoratetraining.com Media Consulting: https://christianliddle.com Podcast Course: https://portal.christianliddle.com/courses/offers/8151e768-82e3-4800-aa7b-0f718de40144 (https://portal.christianliddle.com/courses/offers/8151e768-82e3-4800-aa7b-0f718de40144)Store: https://store.invigoratetraining.com ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why most people don’t change00:52 Podcast welcome back02:01 Polarization and common ground03:06 De-escalation basics03:59 Algorithms and negativity07:14 Social media hygiene08:52 De-escalate yourself first12:28 Merch store break14:18 Media bias and soundbites18:18 Food, travel, and human connection18:54 Mentor meals and memorable conversations22:31 Travel humility lessons25:24 Why you must humble yourself to learn28:18 Being humbled by new modalities31:57 Seasons of life and changing priorities33:37 Ambition and chasing the next level37:33 Preparation rituals, mentors, and processing change40:15 Randy’s whiteboard thinking method42:06 Debunking viral safety myths46:23 Situational awareness without fear49:38 How to buy the book51:48 Advice for authentic living Get full access to Insight by Chris Liddle at chrisliddle.substack.com/subscribe (https://chrisliddle.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   28 Apr 2026

   He Visited Every Country Without Flying | Thor Pedersen’s Impossible Journey

   Most people will never visit every country in the world. Thor Pedersen did it.Without flying. In this episode, I sit down with Thor to talk about what it actually took to complete one of the most ambitious journeys ever attempted. We get into: * What 10 years of global travel really feels like * The mental toll of chasing a massive goal * Why the world is better than the media makes it seem * The countries that are most misunderstood * What ambition gives you… and what it takes away * How to find meaning after completing something enormous Thor brings a perspective very few people on earth have — and it challenges a lot of what we think we know. Connect with Thor Pedersen https://thorpedersen.dk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onceuponasaga/ (https://www.instagram.com/onceuponasaga/) Work With Me and Explore More Podcast: https://podcast.invigoratetraining.com Training: https://invigoratetraining.com/ Media Consulting: https://christianliddle.com/ Podcast Course: https://portal.christianliddle.com/courses/offers/8151e768-82e3-4800-aa7b-0f718de40144 (https://portal.christianliddle.com/courses/offers/8151e768-82e3-4800-aa7b-0f718de40144)Store: https://store.invigoratetraining.com ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why most people don’t change01:00 Thor returns to the podcast02:00 Life after completing the journey03:00 Film festival experience04:00 Building the documentary05:00 The story behind the book06:00 The hero’s journey explained07:00 Honest vs typical travel stories08:00 Why the journey was harder than expected09:00 Feedback from readers10:00 Why struggle mattered11:00 The emotional toll of long-term goals12:00 The documentary process13:00 Meeting world-class filmmakers14:00 What happened at the film festival15:00 When things go wrong in real time16:00 Lessons from imperfect outcomes17:00 Most misunderstood countries18:00 Pakistan and global perception19:00 Iran and media narratives20:00 Seeing the world beyond headlines21:00 People vs governments22:00 Travel perspectives vs online narratives23:00 The impact of social media24:00 Why negativity spreads faster25:00 What people actually respond to26:00 Progress, love, and struggle27:00 Building real community28:00 Life back in Denmark29:00 Cultural changes over time30:00 Technology and lifestyle shifts31:00 Reintegrating into normal life32:00 The challenge of slowing down33:00 Global heaviness and division34:00 Why the world feels more divided35:00 Social media and polarization36:00 Bots and online narratives37:00 What the world is really like38:00 How to build real connection39:00 Life without constant phone use40:00 Being present in real life41:00 Mental health while traveling42:00 Recognizing stress patterns43:00 The “three problems” rule44:00 Why challenge is necessary45:00 Ambition and its downside46:00 When is enough actually enough47:00 Family, purpose, and grounding48:00 What really creates happiness49:00 Speaking around the world50:00 Emotional moments on stage51:00 Cultural differences in audiences52:00 Advice for living fully53:00 Taking chances in life54:00 The power of connection55:00 Why helping others matters56:00 Final thoughts on humanity Get full access to Insight by Chris Liddle at chrisliddle.substack.com/subscribe (https://chrisliddle.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

95

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85

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