Matt Kepnes is known to much of the world as Nomadic Matt.

He lives a semi-nomadic life traveling the world and writing about his experiences.

We first met while both speaking at TBEX last year and quickly discovered that not only did we both love to travel, but we were both New England guys so we made a point to sit down during the holidays and talk about his journey from a regular 9-to-5 worker into one of the top travel bloggers in the world.

Matt has a new book out called How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter (affiliate link) and it is full of practical advice on how to cut down your expenses when traveling.

He has just launched a new travel planning service to help anyone travel better. If you are thinking about a big trip and need a little advice or someone to do all the planning for you, Matt wants to help.

I’m so glad that we could actually sit down and have this conversation. He isn’t always the easiest person to connect with in the same time zone. *grin*

Safe travels Matt!

Jennifer Iannolo is the Founder and CEO of Zenfully Delicious and the co-founder of The Gilded Fork.

She is a lover of food, sensuality and living a good life.

When a chronic illness changed her life, she found herself with the choice of letting it consume her or inspire her to greatness. She chose the second path.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jennifer for several years now and we’ve shared some great times together. Her passion for food is contagious and we haven’t shared nearly enough meals together yet.

Zenfully Delicious is making sure that women of all ages are empowered to live a more successful and fulfilling life. She recently launched a new personal development initiative she is calling being your Fairy GodMoFo™ that I can’t wait to watch take off.

On top of all this she is an advisor to Know My World and works with organizations of all sizes. If you are looking for a knowledgeable woman speaker for your next event, you should get in touch with her.

Jennifer is building her business one day at a time and as you’ll hear in the interview, she isn’t looking back.

It is always fun to meet someone who has been a fan of yours for years and you didn’t know it.

That is what happened with Jody Koehler when he dropped me a note about coming over to The Netherlands for an event they wanted to call An Evening With C.C. Chapman. How could I say no to that?

Jody is one of the founders of one of Holland’s top public relations firms Coopr.

I sat down with him to discuss why he was so passionate about running an agency and how he balances being a business owner with a young child at home. We had a great conversation and quickly became friends.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to return to The Netherlands and see him and his team again soon. They are a great group of individuals, that together make an amazing team.

I don’t remember the first time I met Steve Garfield, but it was years ago and since then we’ve become very good friends.

If you’ve ever wondered about online video or how to start a video blog, you’ve probably found your way over to SteveGarfield.com or read his awesome book Get Seen. If you haven’t done either, please fix that immediately and follow the links.

In 2004, Steve decided that he wanted to bring video to the web. He quickly discovered other people who wanted to do the same thing and video blogging was born and soon YouTube would arrive and take it to a whole new level.

What I love about Steve is that he is always doing what he loves. I’ve never heard him complain about working on something he hated, because he choses to focus his time and energy on the projects that excite and intrigue him. Not everyone can say that, but he lives it.

On the original list of people I wanted to get on this show, Steve was there. He doesn’t get put in front of the camera and have other people ask him questions nearly enough and there was no way I was going to miss sharing his unique journey to becoming “Steve Garfield from Steve Garfield dot com.”

A die hard Boston fan, drinker of quality beer and button collector are just some of the phrases you could use to describe Steve Garfield. He is also one of the most helpful people on the Internet who if he doesn’t know the answer to your problems, will make sure he finds the answer for you. If you or your company need someone to produce videos for you, I can’t think of anyone better to point you too.

And a little “secret.” If you really want to meet Steve, the first Sunday morning of every month you can find him at Doyle’s Cafe for the monthly Boston Media Makers that he is the founder of. Always a great group of people and the coffee is free.

Thank you Steve for being a good friend and a constant source of inspiration.

Erik Proulx is a life long creative, who finds happiness in creatively telling other’s stories on film.

He first got on my radar when I heard about the release of Lemonade. It is the story of people who had been laid off from the advertising industry and how that sour moment turned into one of the sweetest transformations of their lives. It is an extremely motivating movie that showcases how being let go from a job is sometimes the best thing in the world to force people to chase what they are truly passionate about.

Erik’s latest project is Lemonade: Detroit.

It takes the same theme of turning lemons into lemonade, but this time focusing on the city of Detroit and the people who are determined to bring the city back to the glory it once had. Anyone can become a producer of the film through his  innovate buy a frame sponsorship. I’m proud to say I’m a producer of the film and even though Erik wants to make it much bigger, you can watch the current 18 minute cut of the film below. It is beautiful and inspiring.

Somehow when we were both in Boston we could never find the time to sit down and share a meal. So earlier this year when I was in Austin for SXSW, we grabbed breakfast and then sat down to do this interview.

If you, your event or your company need a professional and creative video shot for any reason, Erik is the man to call.

Last year during the book tour for Content Rules, Ann and I were invited to speak at the OTA Sessions.

This young conference held in South Dakota was one of my favorite stops on the tour and  I walked away with several new friends who have made my life better since that day. One of them, I get to introduce you to today is Ellen McGirt.

Ellen is a Senior Writer for Fast Company Magazine and has covered everyone from Matt Damon to President Obama. I’ve always been a big fan of the magazine and I always get a bit of a kick anytime I pick up an issue and see her name on an article.

But, her journey to where she is today is the story I really wanted to tell. Her passion for writing and sharing stories with others shines through. When I heard how 9-11 changed her life, I wanted the world to hear her story.

I think anyone who dreams of being a writer or who longs to become a Passion Hit will learn something from her advice. What she has to say about making sure you take care of your family and needs first is a vital step that I fear far too many people forget about and it is the most important.

Last year I was looking for a new bag to take with me on all the travels I set off on.

After a lot of searching, a passionate stranger suggested I check out a GORUCK GR1 and as I spent time on GORUCK.com I quickly realized that this was more than just another bag company.

Jason McCarthy finished his time in the US Special Forces and didn’t want to spend his time as a civilian being bored, so he decided to take his love of the military and United States manufacturing and started the GORUCK brand.

As they say on their site – GORUCK introduces military-grade gear tough enough for Special Forces to adventure seekers worldwide. All GORUCK gear is built in the USA and adheres to the highest standards of functionality, durability and style.

Having used my bag and bought several more items from them, I can without hesitation say that their gear lives up to everything they say it will.

You’ll learn how he took a simple sketch on a napkin and turned it in to the growing brand that is GORUCK. When the bags were not selling as well as he wanted he came up with the unique idea of starting the GORUCK Challenge to put the bags on the backs of the men and women that he hoped would turn into passionate fans of them. If you are looking for the best living in ultimate fitness, you should consider signing up for the next challenge that is happening in your area.

He currently lives on the road and is never far from his best friend Java, who you’ll also get to meet in this video. You can follow along with his latest adventures on the GORUCK Blog.

Thanks to Jason for the Shake Shack burgers and sharing his story. I can’t wait till our paths cross again.

I’m not sure where I first met Renee Blodgett, but I know my world has been a lot more fun since it happened.

Renee is a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to share it with anyone. She has a passion to experience everything life can offer her. I wish I saw her face-to-face more, but she always seems to be on a plane to a new beautiful location to shoot photos, attend a conference or both.

I’m excited that I could get her on Passion Hit TV because her story is one that I think many can relate to. During our chat she discusses how much she hates the word “safe” and how sometimes just saying you do something makes the universe step up and helps make it happen.

Renee is the founder of We Blog the World, which is an amazing site that shares stories and photos from around the world. Whenever I’m traveling someplace new I always swing by to get advice since they seem to have been everywhere. She herself has already lived in ten countries and explored over seventy.

Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies. I truly hope that they run another trip some day and that I can come along for the ride.

As if all this wasn’t enough, Renee is also the CEO of Magic Sauce Media, and writes a more personal blog about technology and culture called Down the Avenue.

But, if there is one link of hers that you check out, my personal favorite is Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her storytelling. She has an amazing eye and has shot photos in many places I hope to some day visit.

Baratunde Thurston is a comedian, author, web celebrity and lover of whisky.

His official bio describes him as a politically-active, technology-loving comedian from the future. He co-founded the black political blog, Jack & Jill Politics, serves as Director of Digital for The Onion and is a regular guest on Leo Laporte’s TWiT.

In the very early days of podcasting I looked for anyone creating them in the Boston area and I found one by him recorded while driving around Boston. He was lost, frustrated and I instantly connected with his honesty and humor. Years later we’d meet for the first time and when I asked him why he had stopped recording we shared a moment of laughter as he recovered from the shock that I was one of the few people who had ever heard that, let alone remember it.

I’m excited because in February 2012 his first book, How To Be Black, will hit store shelves and I can’t wait to read it.

If you’ve never seen him on stage, I suggest you start with his talk There’s a #Hashtag For That from 2009. I was in the audience watching this and now keep a copy of it on my ipad for whenever I need a great laugh.

Baratunde is a Passion Hit because he has taken his love for entertaining and enlightening others and made it life. He speaks around the globe and is involved in a variety of projects. He is one of the most down to earth and funny people you’ll ever meet. I know his story will inspire you.

I’m psyched that you’ve found your way to PassionHit.tv

A big theme of my next book is around the people, companies and events who have taken something they loved doing and turned it into the cornerstone of their lives. I call them Passion Hits.

I promised myself that as I profiled these people for the book, I’d sit down with as many of them as possible and have them tell their stories on camera. Sure, I could do it via Skype or iChat, but there is something so much more powerful about doing it face to face.

In the coming weeks, you’ll be able to watch intimate conversations with people who have achieved their dreams and are doing what they love for a living. You’ll hear about their journey along the way, hear what advice their mentors gave them and laugh as they tell a funny story or too.

My hope is that their stories will inspire you to chase your dreams and make amazing things happen.

Stay tuned for our first interview shortly!