Enter The Unknown

Enter The Unknown with Hayden Thomas explores the raw edge of uncertainty where true aliveness begins. From extreme pursuits and creative mastery to entrepreneurship and expanded awareness, the show dives into flow states, risk, and the pure stoke that fuels peak performance and deep presence. It’s about choosing courage over comfort, embracing the unknown, and chasing what truly sets your soul on fire.

Enter The Unknown is a business podcast hosted by Hayden Thomas, with 20 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Hayden Thomas hosts Enter The Unknown, a business show with 20 episodes published.

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  Enter The Unknown

  #20 From Bank Mortgages to Flying Off Mt. Kilimanjaro with Chris Hunlow

  Jul 16, 202656 min

  What happens when you walk away from a successful corporate career, sell everything you own, pack your family of five into a disaster-survival tent, and eventually build a beachfront paragliding hotel in South America? In this episode of Enter the Unknown , host Hayden Thomas sits down with Chris Hunlow , a Utah real estate agent, mortgage strategist, and "adventure entrepreneur" who built a life of radical freedom. From his early days as a mortgage strategist to his escape to Nepal to paraglide full-time, Chris has lived a life of constant pivots. The duo dives deep into the realities of balancing high-consequence risk with family life, the historic flight off the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, and how Chris is transitioning into an empty-nest beach lifestyle at his beachfront property, the Coconut Beach Hotel in Canoa, Ecuador. MAIN TOPICS COVERED: The Corporate Escape & Nepal: How having a baby forced Chris into a mortgage job at a bank, and why he ultimately sold everything to move his family to Nepal to fly gliders. The Maui Tent Experiment: Surviving monsoon season living in a heavy-duty survival tent with three kids under ten on Hayden's organic farm. The Coconut Beach Hotel: The story of how a late-night poker game in Canoa led to Chris buying and restoring a rundown beachfront paradise. Wings Over Kilimanjaro: Summiting the 19,341-foot peak and watching his 18-year-old son launch a solo glider into the clouds. Real Estate & Lifestyle Investing: How Chris now blends his real estate and lending background to help others design lives with more freedom. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Action Over Perfection: You will never be 100% prepared; the real secret to adventure is staying ready to pivot when opportunity strikes. The Power of Partnership: Chris attributes his wild journey to his wife, Trista, who said "yes" to every crazy adventure. Hosting the Dance: Moving from being the "performance monkey" to creating the perfect beach environment for others to experience true freedom. CONNECT WITH CHRIS HUNLOW: Instagram: @contodo.canoa Hotel Website: Coconut Beach Hotel Real Estate Website: Hunlow Homes CONNECT WITH HAYDEN: Instagram: @entertheunknown.hayden TikTok: @entertheunknown1 X: @ETUwithHaydenT YouTube: Enter The Unknown Channel Spotify: Show Link Stokes Picks: Stokes Picks Website (Use promo code Entertheunknown for 20% off!) If this episode inspired you to unplug and find your own flow, please follow, rate, and share Enter The Unknown on your favorite platform!

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  Enter The Unknown

  #19 The Chase, The Conservation, and The Pure Heart of The Pursuit Hunt

  Jul 10, 202652 min

  What happens when you trade modern chaos for the silent discipline of the woods? Host Hayden Thomas sits down lakeside with Maine filmmaker, guide trainee, and creator of The Pursuit Hunt , Jake Haskell . From his content creation at Origin USA to introducing youth to the outdoors, Jake has built a brand on one mantra: the pursuit never ends. The duo breaks down marathon training, the editing flow state, and the deep conservation and spiritual side of free flight and backcountry hunting. MAIN TOPICS: • The Pursuit Hunt: Jake's shift from a basic camcorder to a prominent outdoor lifestyle brand. • Origin USA: Fast-tracking filmmaking and media skills alongside Jocko Fuel. • Heater Hunts vs. Backcountry: Why tracking wilderness animals on foot beats driving logging roads. • Mother's Day Turkey Hunt: A beautiful morning frost story where a clean miss was still a total victory. • True Conservation: The biological necessity of hunting and population dynamics for herd health. • 52-Inch Moose: Quartering a massive bull tag harvest in freezing rain with ten headlamps. • The Pain Cave: How training for the Sugarloaf Marathon builds elite mental clarity and discipline. KEY TAKEAWAYS: • The Journey Wins: Magic lies in hours of silent focus, presence, and self-reflection, not just the harvest. • Food Connection: Cultivating and sharing wild game repairs our disconnect with where meat originates. • The Woods as Church: Deep wilderness provides a grounded, systemic connection to a higher power. • Value in Failure: Cold mornings and clean misses are what give final success its ultimate transformation. CONNECT WITH JAKE HASKELL: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepursuithunt/ • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepursuithunt • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepursuithunt/ • Website: https://thepursuithunt.com/ CONNECT WITH HAYDEN: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entertheunknown.hayden/ • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entertheunknown1 • X: https://x.com/ETUwithHaydenT • YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@EnterTheUnknownwithHT • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Bjw9Hp4ouw3w6Hqqfbyoz • Stokes Picks: https://stokespicks.com/ (Code: Entertheunknown for 20% off!) Please follow, rate, and share Enter The Unknown on your favorite platform!

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  Enter The Unknown

  #18 Weekends Live at Morningside with Randall Sanderson, Angus Reid & Judy Eloe: Chasing Flow State

  Jul 2, 202654 min

  Welcome to an open, free-form edition of Weekends Live at Morningside! In this episode of Enter the Unknown, host Hayden Thomas sits down with student pilots Randall Sanderson and Angus (Gus) Reid, along with Morningside assistant manager Judy Eloe. Together, they dive into the pure essence of freeflight, the mechanics of fluid dynamics, and what it truly feels like to chase the elusive flow state. The conversation covers the stark contrast between commercial aviation and the pure, unadulterated nature of freeflight. From Gus's early days flying a DHV 2 Freaks Flare glider in 97 Scotland to Judy's epic three and a half hour top-landing flight at the Point of the Mountain in Draper, Utah, this episode breaks down what happens to the human mind once you leave the ground. The crew also shares wild stories of survival, including a high-stakes free diving incident on the Great Barrier Reef and the breathtaking multi-ecosystem experience of paragliding from the 10,000 foot summit of Haleakala in Maui down to the ocean. Main Topics Covered The Poetry of Soaring: Unpacking the beauty behind the idea that if flight is a language, then soaring is its poetry. Gus's Journey Across Aviation: From pulling handles on sailplanes, ultralights, and Cessnas to his early paragliding days in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Flow State Across Disciplines: Parallels between the high-stakes presence required in urban cycling, extreme big wall rock climbing, mathematics, and aircraft execution. Judy's 3-Hour Marathon Flight: A deep dive into an unforgettable ridge soaring day in Utah, battling numb legs, warm winters, and the triumph of a first top-landing. Visualizing the Invisible: The art of reading fluid dynamics in the atmosphere, tracking micro-thermals, and hunting down cloud streets at high altitudes. The High Altitude Sandbox: Managing oxygen systems when flying above 14,000 feet in places like Colorado and the extreme bivouac flights in the Karakoram range. The Scuba to Sky Hazard: Explaining the severe physiological dangers and pressure changes associated with mixing deep scuba diving and high-altitude paragliding. Key Takeaways The Sunk Cost of the Cockpit: Why general aviation and big steel boxes can sometimes feel like driving a truck, while freeflight offers an unmatched sensory connection to nature. Microcosms in the Air: Understanding that springtime thermals can be sharp, steep laser beams narrower than the wing itself, demanding quick execution. A Transformed Worldview: How becoming a pilot permanently shifts your perception of the landscape, turning everyday mountains and circling birds into dynamic thermal triggers. Ending on a High Note: The golden rule of flight training, choosing to pack up after a perfect landing rather than letting ego push for one risky flight too many. Connect with Hayden Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entertheunknown.hayden/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@entertheunknown1 X: https://x.com/ETUwithHaydenT YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@EnterTheUnknownwithHT Spotify: Enter the Unknown with Hayden Thomas Get Stokes Picks! Premium flavored nicotine toothpicks: https://stokespicks.com/ Use promo code: Entertheunknown for a 20% discount! If this conversation helped you visualize the invisible or inspired you to check your ego at the launch site, please follow, like, and share Enter The Unknown on your favorite platform!

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  Enter The Unknown

  #17 Weekends Live at Morningside: Doug Dillon on Alpine SIVs, Mac Para Prototypes, and High-Stakes Hike-and-Fly

  Jun 11, 202615 min

  What drives a pilot to leave the city pavement behind and push the absolute limits of mountain flight? In this episode of Weekends Live at Morningside , host Hayden Thomas catches up with Doug Dillon , a Brooklyn-based pilot who began his journey right at Morningside Flight Park. Doug has experienced an exceptionally rapid evolution in the freeflight community, ascending from a new student to the 2024 Tater Hill Open Champion. Fresh off an intensive training trip to Annecy, France—a mecca of the paragliding world—Doug breaks down his progression, testing uncertified lightweight wing prototypes, and an unexpected late-afternoon cross-country (XC) sprint that took him right to the edge of the Chamonix Valley with breathtaking views of Mont Blanc. Driven by an obsession with "type 2 fun" and earning his flights through movement and exploration, Doug opens up about his growing collaboration with Czech manufacturer Mac Para. He also discusses his preparation for the upcoming 2026 X-Lost and X-Red Rocks hike-and-fly competitions, and how a serious accident following his Tater Hill victory completely reshaped his perspective on flight safety. Whether you are an advanced pilot chasing lines through the Alps or a student refining your wing control, Doug’s insights offer a masterclass in modern paragliding. Main Topics Covered The Meccas of Freeflight: Deep-diving into Annecy, France, and undertaking SIV safety training in rowdy Alpine conditions over the lake with flight instructor Fabian. Mac Para Prototype Testing: Flight-testing an uncertified, high-aspect-ratio ($>7$), 3.2 kg lightweight wing prototype before its load certification in Italy. The "Coyote in the Sky": Family dynamics in the air, coaching a fearless brother (Ben), and how a 34m² solo wing accommodates their father's 120 kg flying weight. The Chamonix Sprint: A breakdown of a late-April evening flight from Plaine Joux, catching an 1,800m climb to cloud base (2,700m), and navigating past the Teeth of Lanfon to Passy, France. From Winner to the Deck: Winning the 2024 Tater Hill Open on a Triple Seven Rook 4, followed by a humbling misjudged glide in 2025 resulting in mild spinal compression fractures. Absorbing the Literature: How studying elite pilots via Gavin McClurg's Cloudbase Mayhem podcast and Advanced Paragliding book paved the path to competitive hike-and-fly events. Key Takeaways A Timid Pilot is a Dangerous Pilot: Peak safety requires a strict mental architecture; every single flight demands predefined choices and a coherent routing strategy. The Evolution of the "Two-Liner": Navigating performance jumps safely—Doug skipped EN-C gliders entirely, transitioning quickly from high-end B wings to two-liner EN-D class wings. Springtime Alpine Rowdiness: Flying in the Alps during April means navigating active, thermal-packed systems over frozen terrain, where 4m/s climbs fire as late as 6:30 PM. The Humbling Nature of Flight: Paragliding offers an instant reality check; a pilot can be at the top of their game and still get caught by a basic environmental misreading. Optional Launch, Mandatory Landing: Recognizing that every choice to set foot in the sky can be delayed if local cycles look sketchy or pilots are getting unexpectedly plucked at launch. Connect with the Guest Douglas Dillon: Hike-and-fly and cross-country paraglider pilot. Instagram: @dougydillon Connect with Hayden Instagram: @entertheunknown.hayden TikTok: @entertheunknown1 X: @ETUwithHaydenT YouTube: @EnterTheUnknownwithHT Spotify: Enter the Unknown with Hayden Thomas Nicotine Toothpicks: Stokes Picks (Use code Entertheunknown for 20% off!) If this episode inspired you, please follow, like, and share Enter The Unknown on your favorite platform!

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  Enter The Unknown

  #16 - David Jones - The "Fight Like Hell" Campaign: Freedom, Opportunity, and the Future of Maine

  Jun 2, 202643 minS0

  <p>In an era of political apathy and shifting goalposts, what does it take to step into the arena of "blood sport" politics? In this episode, Hayden Thomas sits down with David Jones, a long-time real estate executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate for the great state of Maine. David shares his journey from a 2005 primary run to founding the first-ever presidential Super PAC in Maine’s history. This conversation cuts through the noise, tackling the tough issues facing Mainers today: skyrocketing electric bills, property tax burdens on primary residences, and the ideological shifts in the public school system. Whether you ar...

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