Meredith Shirk
MEREDITH SHIRK is the founder of Svelte, a multifaceted approach to attaining one’s optimal lifestyle. Shirk is passionate about achieving peak performance and has consulted for major fitness brands. She is currently developing a line of health food products. She holds a NASM Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist Certifications and is a former 3x All - America collegiate water polo player.
3 words to describe Nature?
Powerful. Unmoving. Serene
3 things Nature taught you?
Sufficiency. Patience. To Be humble
3 most treasured Nature spots?
7 Sisters, Baja Mexico. Open Ocean near West palm beach Florida. Under the ocean
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm. Reflective. Grateful
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Small. Appreciative. Awe struck
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Vulnerable. Curious. Amazed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy. Peaceful. Like time has stopped
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited. A bit scared. Intrigued
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Nostalgic. Restless. Like I need to nestle in
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
OCEAN ;)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
12
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I used to dive the reefs of west palm beach with my father and sisters. No matter what mood i was in every time i was submerged in the ocean water, everything was calm. One afternoon my dad took me to dive the "Breakers Reef" and I remember diving down to the bottom (maybe 10 feet), and just sitting there. I was just 13 or 14 years old, but I vividly remember seeing a large group of jacks swimming in front of me. They were HUGE fish, but just so graceful in the water... That moment has stuck with me as I just remember the feeling of being so small in something so vast and beautiful...
Cody Shirk
CODY SHIRK is an international investor who sources his deals by one simple method: exploring.
3 words to describe Nature?
Pure, vast, mystery
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility, joy, fear
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Channel Islands (off of California), Baja desert, Central America jungle
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Humbled
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Fearful
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Lucky
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Aware
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up in a rural area of Malibu, CA. I didn't have any friends that lived close by, so I'd spend most of my days hiking or surfing by myself. On the weekends, I'd often pack a small backpack with water and food. I'd just start walking into the hills, bushwhacking the coastal chaparral and avoiding cactus. I always wanted to know what was around the next corner, because I knew there was a good chance no one had ever walked the ground that I was on. I've always like that feeling. The feeling of mystery. Of curiosity. Of knowing that the next corner could be hiding an incredible secret. On one of these hikes, I had probably walked several miles into the hills. It had taken me hours of climbing over rocks, avoiding yucca bushes, and picking ticks off my arms. I was probably 12 years old at the time, so although I was adventurous, I still had that childhood fear of the unknown inside of me. I ended up hiking into a dried up creek bed with sheer stone walls on either side. After walking up the creek bed for a little while I came to a huge rock that was a waterfall during the rainy season. At the base of the waterfall was a small amount of water. I couldn't hike up the waterfall face and either side was impassible. It was a box canyon. What I didn't notice was that there was an enormous coyote drinking water from the tiny amount of left over water. It's grey coat perfectly blended in with the stone background. Frozen in fear, I just looked at the animal. I realized that I had completely blocked it's exit, and I knew that I was in an extremely vulnerable position. I though the coyote was going to eat me. I just stood there. The coyote finally walked towards me and passed by me within an arms length. It didn't run and it didn't avoid me. It just casually walked by while making perfect eye contact. Maybe some kind of mutual understanding.