In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, dive deep with Captain Alfred McLaren, U.S. Navy (Ret.), a Cold War submarine commander, Arctic explorer, and author of Emergency Deep: Cold War Missions of a Submarine Commander.

Captain McLaren reflects on his decades of leadership beneath the sea — from navigating Soviet waters during the height of the Cold War to charting the uncharted Siberian shelf beneath the Arctic ice. He shares extraordinary stories of stealth missions, surviving a seven-hour Soviet depth charge attack, and commanding submarines in some of the world’s most hostile environments.

The conversation explores leadership under pressure, the psychology of command, and the razor-thin line between exploration and survival. McLaren also reveals the realities of life aboard a submarine — the claustrophobia, discipline, and absolute trust that bond a crew together thousands of feet below the surface.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese talks with mountaineer, investor, and philanthropist Bo Parfet — one of the few to summit the highest peak on all seven continents.

From struggling with dyslexia as a child to surviving near-death experiences on Denali, Everest, and K2, Bo’s story is one of grit, growth, and perspective. He shares how he turned failure into strength, found his own learning style, and used adversity to fuel both exploration and purpose.

The two revisit their near-fatal canoe race in Belize, the lessons learned from tragedy on Everest, and how Bo’s drive to conquer mountains evolved into his mission to lift others through Denali Venture Philanthropy, which has already helped over 50,000 people rise out of poverty.

Bo’s reflections on fatherhood, failure, and fulfillment make this a deeply personal and inspiring episode — reminding listeners that sometimes, the hardest mountain to climb is yourself.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese meets with Dr. Laurie Marker, world-renowned cheetah conservationist and founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Dr. Marker shares her remarkable journey—from her early work in Oregon to establishing a pioneering conservation program in Namibia, where she has spent decades building trust with farmers and saving the world’s fastest land animal. She discusses the innovative use of livestock guardian dogs, her efforts to rewild orphaned cheetahs, and international projects like India’s ambitious plan to reintroduce cheetahs after decades of extinction.

Listeners will hear about the resilience of nature, the importance of human collaboration, and the optimism required to face global wildlife challenges. With fewer than 7,500 cheetahs left, Marker emphasizes why conservation must extend beyond one species to entire landscapes.

“If we don’t take care of it, it’s going to go away.” Join us as Dr. Marker explains how saving cheetahs means changing the world.

Learn more and support: cheetah.org

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, our host Richard Wiese speaks with polar explorer and educator Geoff Green, founder of the internationally acclaimed "Students on Ice" program. Geoff has led more than 120 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, bringing together students, scientists, artists, and world leaders to foster a deeper understanding of the planet.

Geoff reflects on the early days of Students on Ice, when mentors encouraged him to take teenagers to the polar regions. Two decades later, the program has grown into a global community of over 4,000 alumni in 52 countries. He explains why polar expeditions create such transformative experiences, how he keeps youth engaged and inspired, and why building fun, teamwork, and mentorship into every journey matters.

From sharing stories of Shackleton to describing his own first expedition to Ellesmere Island, Geoff discusses why protecting the poles is critical to addressing climate change. He highlights the urgent changes visible in the Arctic and Antarctic, the importance of youth action, and his belief that “protect the poles, protect the planet” isn’t just a motto—it’s a necessity.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with Elodie Freymann, a primatologist, botanist, and naturalist whose work blends science, storytelling, and exploration. From her New York roots to her time studying chimpanzees in the forests of Uganda, Elodie’s journey is anything but conventional.

She shares how a chance discovery of javelin in high school led her to Brown University, where she pursued anthropology and ethnobotany. After a stint in documentary filmmaking, Elodie turned toward science, fascinated by chimpanzees’ use of medicinal plants. Her PhD research in Uganda revealed profound connections between human and chimpanzee healing practices, while also exposing the challenges of field science—from isolation to unexpected adventures with termites and army ants.

Elodie discusses the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, the power of community in sustaining scientists, and how storytelling bridges the gap between research and impact. She opens up about imposter syndrome, why young people shouldn’t be discouraged by struggles in math, and her drive to keep expanding into new frontiers, including projects in the Amazon.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

In this episode of Life’s Tough: Explorers Are Tougher, host Richard Wiese sits down with marine biologist and shark conservationist Dr. Rachel Graham. A true global citizen, Rachel’s upbringing in Tunisia and North Africa shaped her fearless approach to science, community engagement, and wildlife protection. Today, she leads MarAlliance, a nonprofit focused on marine conservation, especially sharks and rays.

Rachel reflects on the profound influence of her mother’s development work, how early exposure to different cultures led to a unique connection with people in the field, and what it means to build science that actually serves communities. She discusses the deep intelligence and misunderstood nature of sharks, the importance of local ecological knowledge, and why conservation needs empathy as much as data.

If you’ve ever wondered how science, storytelling, and compassion can reshape our relationship with the sea, this is the episode for you.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with legendary explorer Mikael Strandberg, whose journeys span deserts, ice, jungles, and cities—but who calls parenting his toughest and most rewarding expedition.

Strandberg recounts cycling 1,600 kilometers with his two daughters, teaching them independence through trial and error, and embracing the chaos of raising kids in outdoor settings. He contrasts his Siberian journeys, where -50°C tested survival, with his time in Greenland, where isolation, personal challenges, and his daughter’s sudden diagnosis with uveitis reshaped his understanding of endurance.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.

In this episode of Life’s Tough, Explorers are Tougher, host Richard Wiese speaks with geoscientist Andrés Ruzo, the first to scientifically study the Boiling River in the Peruvian Amazon.

Ruzo recounts how childhood legends of a river that boiled—passed down by his grandfather—evolved into a scientific quest. Initially dismissed by colleagues, he persisted, guided by family stories and indigenous knowledge, until he found himself face-to-face with one of the Amazon’s most extraordinary natural wonders.

He shares the journey into the jungle, the breathtaking first sight of the steaming turquoise waters, and the cultural protocols of working alongside shamans who guard the site. Ruzo bridges science and spirituality, explaining how myths hold kernels of truth and how gratitude and respect for nature are as vital as data collection.

This conversation goes beyond discovery—it’s about redefining the sacred, living with intention, and remembering that what gives life deserves reverence.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.