Daylight Spotlight

About Daylight Spotlight

A companion to the Daylight Spotlight Blog at DaylightBrand.com, where we, Dayle and Aaron, take a break from our day-to-day to shine a light on what you love to do in the great outdoors. We interview people who have specific interests and let them rave about their inspirations, passion projects, and outdoor recreational hobbies in an effort to bring like-minded humans together. All artwork and music used in this podcast is the property of DaylightBrand LLC. Reproduction and use is forbidden without written authorization.

Publisher

DaylightBrand

Category

education · society & culture · sports

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

6 Jan 2024

Latest episode

13 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Apr 2026

   Climbing, Community, and Controlled Chaos with Ryan

   Shar sits down with my friend Ryan Borntrager — climber, community-builder, and the brain behind The Warehouse Climbing Co. in Goshen, IN. We catch up about the Annual House Party Competition on May 9th (aka the most joyful chaos you can legally host in a bouldering gym) and swap stories about what pulled us into climbing in the first place. Support this Podcast: Review the Daylight Spotlight podcast on Apple Podcasts to show us some love, or drop your feedback in the comments below!Mak...

2. 

   4 Mar 2026

   We're back, baby!

   The lights are back on, the mics are warm, and Daylight Spotlight is returning after a year away—grateful, grounded, and ready to reconnect. In this first episode of Season 2, we welcome listeners back into the circle and sit down with Shar, a mom, climber, rider, yoga instructor, and bringer of good vibes. We talk about growth, creativity, and what it means to return to the things that matter. And before the episode ends… there’s a little surprise waiting for you. It’s good to be back togeth...

3. 

   12 Jun 2024

   Staying Active with Lou Martinez

   Lou Martinez has been active most of his life — at least since his mom dropped him off at cross country practice in high school and sped off without him. Now with the desire and discipline to go after just about anything, he was one of the lucky few to get chosen to participate in the docuseries, From The Ground Up! In this episode of the Daylight Spotlight, we get to know Lou a little better before the fourth season of FTGU drops –  what keeps him interested in staying active, what it’s like transitioning from trail running to cycling, and his decision to stop waiting for a sign to get up and go. Oh, and bike love. It's a thing. Lou’s appreciation for things like nature (and his bike), is contagious. As he talks about times when he was less active, we see his gratitude for the life he is living, encouraging listeners to just GO. “We’re waiting for something special. We’re waiting for, like, this special notification that says, ‘TA-DAH! Here’s your wake-up call. Go do something,’ when in reality, put that sh*t down, go put your shoes on, go jump on your bike – go DO something.” We’re glad you’re here to listen in and get to know this super great guy so you can look forward to seeing Lou and his sweet jumps on season four of From The Ground Up! Did you run after high school? How is riding similar to trail running? Do you think that resetting and grounding yourself is essential for functioning healthily? What’s your preferred cycling discipline? Had you heard about gravel biking before being part of FTGU? What do you ride? What would you say to people who don’t have the opportunities that you have as part of the project? What’s your advice? Follow Lou on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/papi_lou_bear/) More about FTGU: FromFTheGroundUp.bike (https://www.fromthegroundup.bike/) FromTheGroundUpProject on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@FromTheGroundUpProject) FTGU Community Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/651348505581764/) Get your own FTGU Community t-shirt! DaylightBrand.com/ftgu (https://www.daylightbrand.com/ftgu/) Support this Podcast: Review the Daylight Spotlight podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daylight-spotlight/id1724521491) to show us some love, or drop your feedback in the comments below! Make a donation (https://tr.ee/IamyMhn-R6) to help sustain future episodes. Become a Daylight Hitchhiker on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/DaylightBrandHitchhikers) © Copyright 2024, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

4. 

   29 May 2024

   Taking Action: Sedona AZ MTB Coach, Joanna J Yates

   Who moves across the country to do the thing she loves to do? Joanna J. Yates does — that's who. Originally from West Virginia she and her husband fell in love with mountain biking to the point where they just wanted to do it year round. Thus began their journey to Sedona, where Joanna began her coaching career. Bettering her skills while learning how to coach others was a natural path. Understanding that it’s not “one-size-fits-all” in the biking industry, she’s here to help people gain confidence on the bike and to help them find ways to succeed that works for them. “It’s just so much more than just riding your bike. It is building this resilience all the time, because you’re doing that hard thing each time you get on the bike. It’s teaching you to show up for yourself.” Joanna advocates for showing up for yourself by setting an example of having a work-life balance that includes doing what you love. She teaches practical MTB skills using phones to record movement and progress, how to use your body weight to manipulate where the bike goes and what it does, and what skills you can practice even when you don’t have a trail. Was your move to Sedona because of the community there? Or was there not much of a mountain biking community in West Virginia? What are your dogs’ names? How did you get into coaching? Have you ever been to Iceman in Northern Michigan? Do you call mountain biking “cycling”? What do you think it is that makes women who mountain bike so inspiring? What percentage of coaching do you do in person versus remote? Do you have to deal with cacti? Is the terrain (in Sedona) mostly rock? Was there a mountain bike event in Sedona recently? What’s a tubeless tire? What has been the biggest hurdle for you in skill development? Why focus on a skill like a manual on flat ground? What makes a group ride fun? Do you coach through your own business? When do you take a break from practicing? What’s the limit, where’s the line, how do you know when to stop? How do you advise approaching an advanced skill like a jump? Want a good foundation but don’t know where to start? (We know a great coach.) Get all the info you need about Joanna’s coaching at Sedona Mountain Bike Coaching: https://sedonamtbcoaching.com/ (https://sedonamtbcoaching.com/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannajyates (https://www.instagram.com/joannajyates) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-pJ0H4qfLmvmN8LoYGTKNQ (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-pJ0H4qfLmvmN8LoYGTKNQ) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joannajyatesmtb (https://www.facebook.com/joannajyatesmtb) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannajyates/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannajyates/) Not sure where to begin, want to collab or share your win? Send Joanna a message at  joannajyatescoaching@gmail.com (mailto:joannajyatescoaching@gmail.com) If you're headed to Sedona, AZ: check out TrailLovers.com for more resources https://traillovers.com/ (https://traillovers.com/) Go to Thunder Mountain Bike https://thundermountainbikes.com/ (https://thundermountainbikes.com/) for the full Sedona MTB culture experience! Get professional coaching by Joanna herself at Sedona MTB Coaching https://sedonamtbcoaching.com/ (https://sedonamtbcoaching.com/) Support this Podcast: Review the Daylight Spotlight podcast on Ap (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daylight-spotlight/id1724521491) © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

5. 

   16 May 2024

   Friendship Miles with Sammie B!

   Any sport can be a bit daunting when you first start. Learning the skills can be hard enough, let alone dealing with the social pressures to perform our activities for social media or community members. Sammie Bennet talks about Friendship Miles, a nonprofit that has taken measures to make the running community more approachable for newcomers. She discusses her background in running, dealing with injury, and needing a safe space to run and connect with likeminded people — not necessarily to train, or for even for accountability to keep running.  Sammie wanted to run with friends, without competition and without expectation. Friendship miles touches so much more than social running and it's so much bigger than a local nonprofit.  Listen to find out how people can participate all around the world for free, helping communities improve through use and traffic, all while welcoming new friends to the running community. This is a great conversation to have and we're excited you're here for it! Be sure to head over to DaylightBrand.com and look through our kickstarter. We've got exclusive designs listed, unique packages for groups and as always, super comfy apparel.  Help us fund a trailer for this year so we strreamlne our bussiness © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

6. 

   25 Apr 2024

   Athletic Health Awareness & Community Support with The Bell Family, Part 2

   She shreds – both on the bike and on the bass guitar. By her active lifestyle, you’d never know that Sophia lives with the realities of spina bifida with tethered cord syndrome. She and Brenda talk about resources that have contributed to both of their health journeys, including meditation and physical therapy. The family’s perspective of prioritizing personal health over podium will encourage listeners to show up for themselves. Show Notes: The Bell family would like to share these resources and invite you to contribute to or benefit from the organizations that have been part of their lives. Adams Sports Medicine (https://adamssportsmedicine.com/) – Physical Therapy, Recovery, Sports Performance Make A Wish (https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/) Wish A Mile 7/26-7/28 Raise $ for kids with life-threatening illnesses 300 miles, 100/day team or individual more info (https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1008) Team Athletic Mentors (https://www.teamathleticmentors.com/)(TAMJD) Junior development team info (https://www.teamathleticmentors.com/about-am-jr-devo/)MISCA (https://www.miscabike.org/) © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

7. 

   14 Apr 2024

   Athletic Health Awareness & Community Support with The Bell Family, Part 1

   Part 1 – with Hunter Bell, joined by mom, Brenda Bell In this episode, we highlight the support of the cycling community, especially in the face of grief. We also discuss the importance of hydration and regular physical checkups. Brenda educates us about proper nutrition and the need to not just listening to your body, but responding to it. Hunter talks about his passion for riding, whole-health training choices, and his personal goals as he pursues a career in cycling. This is Part 1 of the Bell Family Series. Part 2 continues with Hunter's sister, Sophia Bell. Show Notes: The Bell family would like to share these resources and invite you to contribute to or benefit from the organizations that have been part of their lives. Make A Wish (https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/) Wish A Mile 7/26-7/28 Raise $ for kids with life-threatening illnesses 300 miles, 100/day team or individual more info (https://makeawishmichigan.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1008) Team Athletic Mentors (https://www.teamathleticmentors.com/)(TAMJD) Junior development team info (https://www.teamathleticmentors.com/about-am-jr-devo/)MISCA (https://www.miscabike.org/) Follow Hunter Bell on Instagram @HunterBell_MTB (https://www.instagram.com/hunterbell_mtb/) © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

8. 

   3 Apr 2024

   A chat with the MiSCA 2023 State Varsity Champ, Katja Opfer

   She's 15 but don't let her age fool you. This girl knows what she wants — your spot on the podium — and she'll put in the work to get it. Katja Opfer discusses her love for MTB, racing and competition.  Her family's life long love of cycling, as well as her early exposure to racing MTB from the age of 10  has led her to a place of high competition as well as first hand exposure to some of her MTB heroes on the trails.  Katja nerds out about seeing some of the women MTB legends that she's come across while we recognize that she's well on her way to legend status herself.  Definitely a talented, driven, up and coming individual to follow in pro MTB and GRVL racing. © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

9. 

   20 Mar 2024

   Breaking Down the Water, with Edie Wilkinson

   Maybe you didn’t know you could break down water, but that’s just one of the new things Edie Wilkinson has learned as a competitive angler. Bass kayak fishing wasn’t necessarily something Edie would have seen herself doing, but her open attitude toward trying something new has been an exciting challenge that grew into a central part of her life. In our conversation, she emphasizes how simple it is to get started fishing, telling us that if she can do it, anyone can. Her passion for getting kids and other women “outside and on the water” is a message echoing her own experience as she set out to find fish – and her independence – on her own. Be sure to check out and subscribe to Bass_Queen83 (https://www.instagram.com/bass_queen83/) on instagram to follow along on her adventures! © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

10. 

    6 Mar 2024

    Kandace Chapple cracking the code with "The Original Michigan Girl"

    The Original Michigan Girl, Kandace Chapple, joins us for a conversation about forming MiGirl; a group for women to do outdoor meetups and activities. A group that started as a group of a few friends, into an actively social group of over 2,000 women members over a few short years! We love that you don’t have to be a hardcore athlete or fit a certain stereotype to be a part of this group. Kandace talks about the age range of women in this group and asks, “who am I without external trappings and obligation? When our kids move away and business is over, who are we? And how do we find a way to connect?” MiGirl is about opportunities for fun and friendship, and maybe even the occasional drink in the woods! © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

11. 

    21 Feb 2024

    A Lesson in Well-Being with Dr. Jess Evans

    In today's episode we meet with Dr. Jess Evans, physical therapist, neurological clinical specialist, and owner of Headstrong Physical Therapy. She schools us in neuro-pathways, what types of pain are appropriate during physical activity, what to expect with physical therapy, and the connection between physical and mental health as well as some of her experience as a competitive weight lifter.  It's quite the comprehensive conversation. © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

12. 

    7 Feb 2024

    Fallon Rowe — Inspired by Rocks, Again.

    Fallon was our first ever interview for the blog way back in 2018.  We catch up with her 6 years later to see how she's doing, how her goals have changed or been reached, and what the sport of climbing (as well as the climbing community) means to her today. © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

13. 

    24 Jan 2024

    Holly Florian on Hiking and Showing Up for Yourself

    Holly Florian talks about her love of hiking, doing things intentionally, and seeking out other perspectives to better understand our place in the world, all while "nerding out" over trees. © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

14. 

    6 Jan 2024

    Alexey Vermeulen, on Building Community, From the Ground Up

    Alexey Vermeulen, pro cyclist and native michigander discusses his passion project "From the Ground Up" with Ryan Petry, signing up for MTB races, and the welcoming nature of the mountain biking community. © Copyright 2023, DaylightBrand LLC, All rights reserved.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Contact Daylight Spotlight

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.