In this episode of Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ (founder of http://www.lawayra.com) has a conversation with Dan Cleland. Dan is a Canadian entrepreneur, author, and former CEO and co-founder of Soltara Healing Center in Costa Rica. Blending plant medicine, mindset mastery, and social entrepreneurship, he is the author of The Pulse of the Jungle and 12 Laws of the Jungle.

  • 00:00 – 01:05: Introduction to Dan Cleland, his background in heavy metal, and his path as a square peg in the retreat space

  • 01:06 – 05:22: Building Pulse Adventure Tours, Arcana Spiritual Center in Peru, and founding Soltara Healing Center in Costa Rica

  • 05:23 – 09:51: Dan’s early life struggles, lost direction in his 20s, and a life-altering fall off a 20-meter cliff in Australia

  • 09:52 – 14:34: Recovering from severe physical trauma, discovering Ayahuasca, and setting off on a journey to Peru

  • 14:35 – 18:00: Getting robbed in Cusco, suffering food poisoning, and finding his first Ayahuasca ceremony in New Mexico

  • 18:01 – 22:30: Experiencing retreats at Chimbre, writing his early blogs, and building early adventure-based retreat tours

  • 22:31 – 26:40: Working with the Shipibo lineage in Iquitos, launching Pulse Tours, and acquiring land with local community support

  • 26:41 – 30:02: The forging process of Ayahuasca and the resilience needed to run a complex plant medicine center

  • 30:03 – 34:52: Navigating operational chaos, guest safety, facilitator challenges, and supply chain realities in Latin America

  • 34:53 – 38:20: The transformational ripple effect of plant medicine on thousands of retreat guests and local communities

  • 38:21 – 42:17: Balancing the beauty of life-changing transformations with the messy business mechanics of retreat centers

  • 42:18 – 47:08: Raising capital for Soltara, navigating border closures and zero revenue during the pandemic, and scaling back up

  • 47:09 – 49:52: Facing market saturation in Costa Rica, shifting industry dynamics, and deciding to transition out of Soltara

  • 49:53 – 54:25: The difficulty of scaling retreat models, personal founder touches, and Dan’s book 12 Laws of the Jungle

  • 54:26 – 1:00:18: Key principles from 12 Laws of the Jungle: “The jungle doesn’t care,” gladiator mindsets, and hunting for deals

  • 1:00:19 – 1:04:03: The Cashflow Quadrant framework, shifting from employee to business owner, and life post-exit

  • 1:04:04 – 1:08:18: Staying active through new ventures, documentaries (Drinking the Jungle), and closing advice

If you would like to attend one of our Ayahuasca retreats go to http://www.lawayra.com.

Find more about Dan Cleland at Daniel Cleland’s Website or on Instagram @danielccleland.