Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eddie Zobel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Eddie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
What I wanted in life was very different from what was expected of me! While I had a foundation to start from, it was entirely up to me to make the hard choices to pursue the life I had always dreamed of living. The first challenges are the hardest. When you know you need to get somewhere or achieve something, but you do so with a leap of blind faith—a path that you need to find, a journey that only you can embark on. And suddenly, you land one of your first big achievements, like publishing your first feature article, getting awarded photo of the day globally, getting your dream girl to love you back, clearing your first big barrel surfing and getting a picture of it. This is what gives me my confidence and self-esteem. Putting enough meditation time in to have a clear head, to know what the right direction is, and going for it until you get it, no matter how many times you fail, or how many times you fall, you keep going until one day it all lines up and pays off. At this point, you have touched your dreams, and you begin to believe in your heart, in your intuition, and in the truth that we are capable of so much more than what we could have ever imagined.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am in a constant exploration of life, purpose, and my potential. These days, my focus is primarily on family, surfing, natural environments, music, and the creative arts. I graduated from university with a degree in design, specializing in journalism and big wave water photography, which was quite niche at the time. I figured if I couldn’t be in the water riding waves, I would document them. I needed to support the alternative lifestyle I had chosen, and being in the barrel with some of my best friends felt like a win.
I continued to explore creatively and professionally. I’ve worked as a muralist, DJ, interior designer, writer, and photographer. But I must admit, I still feel like I’m pursuing extended studies. I recently completed a significant portion of a circumnavigation of the globe in a sailboat, some of it solo, some with friends. I maintain my pilot’s license and land planes between Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines airbuses at international airports like Mactan-Cebu. I’m also very interested in applying my design degree to tropical and sustainable architecture. It is too late for me to become an architect but it would be fun to contribute to the design and creative process of the projects I am currently getting involved with.
All of this while continuing to grow my personal project, Kaikoa, which has received a lot of positive feedback. It’s been blissful seeing people I don’t know riding around Siargao with the Kaikoa surfboard bags I designed and manufactured.
Now, I’m a father. I’ve had to temper my experimental nature and secure my sons’ and my future, so I’ve ventured into real estate. But ultimately, I still dream of surfing my brains out, being a good father, designing and building my dream home, having an abundance of love, pursuing music, and making my own boards!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Grind animal style for those things you are passionate about! It’s a long journey, so the best way to start is literally to just get started. For me that initial movement was the hardest part. The organizational skills came later. It was more a question of engaging with what I knew to be the right thing to do.
Meditation! This is huge. Whether you achieve it through free diving, yoga, or simple breathing exercises, this is the secret ingredient of life. Being driven from a clear and clean source of intention is the most potent skill I believe a human can master. At this point it won’t matter if you need to fly a plane, ride a barrel, create beautiful artwork or write a book! You will have all the necessary inspiration, motivation and guidance to do so.
Humility is a huge skill to have. There has to be a huge amount of drive to get to the places we want to go, but for me being humble enough to know what a long path I had ahead of me was crucial, I still think like that. Being able to listen to wiser, more knowledgeable people that I look up to. It wasn’t always easy and they weren’t always right, but most of the time, I just simply had a lot to learn and a lot of hard work ahead of me.
Consistency! Choosing a path you love does not mean you are always going to be ready for it. Finding an extraordinary energy to just keep going is crucial. I define growth as the repetition of healthy patterns. Before you know it you will have mastered those skills that you dream of having.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The Alchemist! Following your inner light! Reading the craft of Coelho like this book, Maktub or Warrior of the Light is like being fed the essence of life! It’s purifying to the soul. I also loved Wade Davis’s, Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World and Tim Winton’s Breath!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.KAIKOA.com
- Instagram: kaikoa_official
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KAIKOA
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/kaikoa_official
Image Credits
All photos presented where taken by me
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
