Like Jared Watson from the Dirty Heads says "Ay, ay, ayy I'm on vacation, Every single day 'cause I love my occupation. Ay, ay, ayy, I'm on vacation, If you don't like your life, then, You should go and change it". Swimming With Narwhals is a podcast where I, Dave Matyas your host, interview people who are doing exactly that. They are the few who took the risk and are living their dream life. I want to find out how they did it. They are all passionate about what they do and love to talk about it. I'm on a mission to uncover their stories, whether that is running a small business, success in life or being an influencer online, I want to share their stories with the world.
15. Supporting Dreams Through Education In Syria, Founder Takayuki Nakano and Volunteer Akiko Izumi, Piece of Syria
What happened the first time you noticed people in need? From a young age, Takayuki Nakano knew that he needed to do something to help those people, he just wasn't sure what. He built his educational foundation to put himself in a place to help. From there it was his experience through work and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) that he knew he wanted to provide education to children in need in Syria. He set up an NGO called Piece of Syria to make this idea a reality. He needed help, and one of those people who wanted to help was my friend, Akiko Izumi. On this episode we discuss Taka and Akikos journey to create and help run Piece of Syria.
Instagram - @piece.of.syria / @piece.of.syria.ngo
E-mail - contact@piece-of-syria.org
Piece of Syria Websites:
https://piece-of-syria.org/ (https://piece-of-syria.org/)
https://piece-of-syria.org/news/info/english.html (https://piece-of-syria.org/news/info/english.html)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575556774318 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575556774318)
https://www.facebook.com/piece.of.syria (https://www.facebook.com/piece.of.syria)
https://readyfor.jp/projects/syria2026/announcements/434937 (https://readyfor.jp/projects/syria2026/announcements/434937)
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/building-syrias-future-preschool-education-for-c/ (https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/building-syrias-future-preschool-education-for-c/)
1 Jul 2026
14. Escaped From The War In Laos and The In Between, To Living The American Dream, Dr. Ia Kue, Author and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
The first years of Dr. Ia Kues life was surrounded by war and poverty in Laos. With the leadership of her father, he took the family, by foot, out of Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand. From there the family got the call to immigrate to the United States of America, where she found out about and pursued the American Dream. On this episode I sit down with Dr. Ia Kue to discuss her book, Secret Paths Revealed: A Hmong Woman's Journey from Escaping a Secret War to Becoming a Physician - A Memoir, and her life as a Physician. She proves that it doesn't matter where you come from, if you are determined and have a dream, the sky is the limit. I hope you come away from this episode motivated to make your dream a reality because, dreamers are going to dream, and it's time to go and make your dream a reality, just like she did.
Email: iaykue04@gmail.com (mailto:iaykue04@gmail.com)
Instagram: @secretpathsrevealed25
Link to her book: a.co/d/0eL3Ysn5 (https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fa.co%2Fd%2F0eL3Ysn5%3Futm_source%3Dig%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_content%3Dlink_in_bio%26fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGncIdebwStxrBjWRPg1c7g_BTMQj8s0qS258CzeU7wOE0ar8NRqlLWBN2F458_aem_vk1zYByY8wIFwLVEKHq7qg&e=AUAx-ucL3uJsuGNVU_M4sfBAx4JhkZER2zbBIMKZdzrrQ0n4HCXF5k0F_Se8S1LdWUEdfsuHKIddm-7NkI-mcaZdul_1Eymd8KBThUHyik01wg3HMUIHXWwHQLqpkynmbY8v0IwRdW2DNUOCry_7HEM)
Meet Dr. Ia Kue : https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=1062231690624760&rdid=Z0TMDltF2BLBH5TF (https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=1062231690624760&rdid=Z0TMDltF2BLBH5TF)
3 Jun 2026
13. Spreading Kindness And Joy Through Art, Arianna McAniff, Ariannamation
Have you ever thought what would happen if you started giving away things for free, with no strings attached? Well that is exactly what Arianna decided to do by going door to door trying to give away chalk drawings for free. She records the process and then posts it on her social media accounts. On todays episode I sit down and talk to her about how she started this project and where its headed. She talks about spreading joy, love and kindness and how it all relates to her artwork. It was an absolute blast digging into her background and finding out why she does what she does. Listen to this episode to hear our full conversation.
How to get in touch with Arianna:
Chalk Skool - https://www.skool.com/chalk-skool-6387/about?ref=325728b8292c414191de40df2bee19b2 (https://www.skool.com/chalk-skool-6387/about?ref=325728b8292c414191de40df2bee19b2)
Inquiries for interactive chalk drawings or custom commissions: - Ariannamation@gmail.com (mailto:Ariannamation@gmail.com)
Instagram - @ariannamation
Tik Tok - ariannamation
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/1GEW7diQ8F/?mibextid=wwXIfr (https://www.facebook.com/share/1GEW7diQ8F/?mibextid=wwXIfr)
Youtube - https://youtube.com/@ariannamation?si=IFWV1RomFo-NpQRh (https://youtube.com/@ariannamation?si=IFWV1RomFo-NpQRh)
Amazon Storefront - https://a.co/d/0fA5k7fi (https://a.co/d/0fA5k7fi)
Amazon Wishlist - https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1FI7S8GNII75R?ref_=wl_share (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1FI7S8GNII75R?ref_=wl_share)
1 Apr 2026
12. Not Just A Tattoo, But An Experience, Kho Lor, Resident Artist At Blvcksheep Culture
Getting your first tattoo can be an intimidating and scary experience. What if there is an artist out there who wants to go above and beyond to create a fun and very positive experience that makes you want to come back and get more? On todays episode I sit down with Kho Lor, who is a tattoo artist at Blvcksheep Culture aiming to do exactly this. We also cover how she got into the tattoo industry, becoming confident in ones work, overcoming an injury that could have ended her career and many other things. Come and see how she does it all and if you don't have a tattoo yet, maybe this episode will inspire you to take that leap to get some ink!
Blvcksheep Culture Website - https://www.bsctattoocollective.com/ (https://www.bsctattoocollective.com/)
Instagram - @Kolorinks
11 Feb 2026
11. Four Years as a Badger Athlete, #18 Brooke Kuffel, UW Womens Softball
Have you ever wondered what it takes to make it as a Division 1 athlete? Today I sit down with Brooke Kuffel, who played four years on the University of Wisconsin Womens Softball team, to discuss her journey from T-ball to playing in stadiums across the country as a Badger athlete. She shares how she dealt with the pressure to perform and how she balanced being a student athlete, emphasis on student, and everything in-between. It was really fun to look at all of her highlights, which included talking about home runs, impressive defensive plays, learning time management skills and giving back to her community with volunteer opportunities. If you dream of one day playing softball at any collegiate level, this episode is for you!
Instagram - brookekuffel
Graduation Speech to UW Athletes - https://youtu.be/o_gsmakH2Ik?si=jjvrMPI4KlQvlBBW (https://youtu.be/o_gsmakH2Ik?si=jjvrMPI4KlQvlBBW)
28 Jan 2026
10. One Of The Hardest Working Bands - Keep Flying
Do you want to know what it takes to be one of the hardest working and highest energy bands? If so, join me as I interview Dave, John, Pete and Rick of the band Keep Flying. From their origin story, to how they record a banger and, of course, discussing their live show. They are great dudes, with an amazing story and a hell of a lot of fun. They care immensely about their passionate fans and welcome all who will embrace them on their journey, so please, jump on and enjoy the ride.
https://keepflying.band/ (https://keepflying.band/)
Instagram - keepflyingband
Rainy Warped Tour - https://youtube.com/shorts/KElH96IIdYk?si=XWGdpndOWb6tmYsQ (https://youtube.com/shorts/KElH96IIdYk?si=XWGdpndOWb6tmYsQ)
7 Jan 2026
9. Your Honey-Do List Expert - Terry Brust AKA Poppa B - Poppa B Handyman Service
What are you going to do when you retire? Relax, sit back and enjoy the little things in life? Well if that's what you are looking for, you came to the wrong place. On todays episode I sit down with Poppa B who decided to start a business and new career when he retired from the automotive business. Buckle up because Poppa B is going to share the wealth of knowledge he's learned throughout his years and how he became your honey-do list expert. It's a good thing too, because Poppa B cannot just sit down. Why you ask? In the words of his grandfather, Poppa B "would rather wear out than rot out"
Instagram - @poppab_handyman
https://poppabhandyman.com/ (https://poppabhandyman.com/)
email - poppabhandyman@gmail.com (mailto:poppabhandyman@gmail.com)
8 Oct 2025
From the Trading Floor to Behind the Mic, Dave Matyas, Host of Swimming With Narwhals Podcast
We flipped the script on this episode. From the Trading Floor, to the Ironman course and ultimately to the microphone, Guest host Nathan Hart sits down with Dave Matyas to discuss his journey. Early career success in the hedge fund industry to the mental challenges of trying to overcome an unknown injury from his triathlon racing. Attempting to crack the code of professional success by building a side hustle, owning a business and creating this podcast Swimming With Narwhals.
23 Jul 2025
7. Telling A Story With Music - Vicente Herrera - DJ/Producer
Vicente Herrera explains how he tells a story with music. He breaks down how he got into DJing and producing. How that is always evolving, whether that is through creating his own music, or a set list to get people moving on the dance floor. If you ever wondered what life is like as a DJ/Producer, this interview is for you.
16 Jul 2025
6. Starting a Podcast With The Gavel & Gossip Girls - Kristan and Leslie
Want to hear how two besties decided to start a podcast and how their first couple of months went? Well we have the episode for you! I sit down with Kristan and Leslie from the Gavel & Gossip Podcast. We talk about the struggles, stress, laughter, fun and everything in between. Come for the story, leave laughing and hopefully a new podcast you can start binging on.
Instagram- @gavel_and_gossip
Tik Tok - @gavel.and.gossip
gavelandgossip@yahoo.com (mailto:gavelandgossip@yahoo.com)
Kristan's Instagram: @krush18
Leslie's Instagram: @lesliecaesq
Patreon - well...... about that...... coming soon
9 Jul 2025
5. When Passion Isn't Enough, The Bumpy Road to Success and Freedom - Krystelle Carroll - The CoHosts
Kicked out of High School to obtaining a 4.0 in college. Making the decision to leave a job she loved to move up the proverbial latter, only to find out she hated it. Making the decision to invest in her first business, only to have to shut it down and admit failure after a couple years. Krystelle shares the long bumpy road that she experienced on her way to creating The Cohosts and the success that comes with finally making it!
https://www.thecohosts.com/ (https://www.thecohosts.com/)
Krystelle@thecohosts.com
Instagram: @themothahustle
25 Jun 2025
4. Turning Good Vibes Into a Career as a Tattoo Artist - Kayla Hang - Blvcksheep Culture
Tattoo artist Kayla Hang shares her journey of turning good vibes into a career, discussing her path from apprentice to mentor and offering insights into choosing an artist in this interview.
18 Jun 2025
3. There's No Winning in Therapy - Cassandra Sloane - Inner Glow Counseling and Wellness
Cassandra Sloane from Inner Glow Counseling and Wellness explores the raw and complex therapist-client relationship, revealing insights into running a solo practice in this interview.
11 Jun 2025
2. Dreamer to Doer - Dana Brandt - Tampa Wedding Network
Dana Brandt shares her journey from volunteer wedding photographer to venue management, highlighting the power of connections and cross-promotion in building a successful career, in this interview.
4 Jun 2025
1. Salsa Side Hustle to Full Time Job - Chris Koncki - Mama's Boy Salsa
Chris Koncki shares his entrepreneurial journey with the host, detailing how he transformed his salsa side hustle into a thriving full-time business, highlighting the challenges and support systems involved in small business success in this interview.
3 Jun 2025
Introducing: Swimming With Narwhals
The host introduces the Swimming With Narwhals podcast, which explores the journeys of successful individuals, examining both their triumphs and challenges.
Who has been a guest on Swimming With Narwhals
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Kayla Hang
Cassandra Sloane
Dana Brandt
Chris Koncki
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
3.7 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
20
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
31
Contact Swimming With Narwhals
Guest appearances
Books guests
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