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Episode 309: Vitaliy Raskalov – Urban Explorer & Photographer, On The Roofs Founder

Warning: the activities discussed in this episode are extremely dangerous. Vitaliy Raskalov, the Urban Explorer, Photographer, and Founder of On The Roofs, joins the show to share his journey from climbing trees as a kid to scaling the tallest skyscrapers in the world. Hear how he pulled off his most famous climbs, how to find your courage, how to be strategic with your social media content, whether he ever gets afraid of heights, and Wild tales from his motorcycle adventures across Asia. This episode covers everything from skyscrapers to YouTube. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• When was the first time Vitaliy wanted to climb a skyscraper
• What height in the air is the scariest
• How did the Shanghai Tower climb come about
• What trouble do you get into with security
• How does Vitaliy prepare for the legal ramifications of a climb
• What are the pros & cons of social media
• “New York High Times”
• How much of the world is abandoned

Connect with Vitaliy on Instagram @Raskalov and YouTube @OnTheRoofs.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Climbing
  • [0:27] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:36] Connect with Vitaliy on Instagram @Raskalov and YouTube @OnTheRoofs
  • [1:32] Warning: the activities discussed in this episode are extremely dangerous
  • [2:59] Congrats, Vitaliy!
  • [3:12] When was the first time he wanted to climb a skyscraper
  • [4:09] What inspired him as a kid to climb
  • [4:48] What was the first photograph he got paid for
  • [5:32] What is LiveJournal
  • [5:41] When did Vitaliy start taking pictures while climbing
  • [6:11] Is he scared of heights
  • [7:08] What height in the air is the scariest

• Urban Exploration
  • [8:05] How did the Shanghai Tower climb come about
  • [9:09] What trouble do you get into with security
  • [9:21] How did Vitaliy get to the top of the Shanghai Tower
  • [9:48] Ding!
  • [10:09] How high up was Vitaliy sleeping in the Shanghai Tower
  • [10:22] How do you take pictures and stay safe while climbing
  • [11:08] How do you find your courage
  • [11:16] Burning Man
  • [12:04] Vadim Makhorov
  • [13:03] How does Vitaliy prepare for the legal ramifications of a climb
  • [13:40] Social Engineering
  • [17:49] How far in advance does Vitaliy start planning a climb
  • [17:52] James Bond
  • [18:55] How did Vitaliy create On The Roofs @OnTheRoofs
  • [20:48] EM1T @em.1t
  • [21:29] What has urban exploration meant to Vitaliy
  • [22:10] YouTube
  • [22:31] TikTok
  • [23:08] Instagram
  • [24:02] What are the pros & cons of social media
  • [24:48] Do people get starstruck when they see Vitaliy
  • [25:58] Influencers
  • [26:03] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Vitaliy
  • [26:05] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [26:06] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23

• Photography & Videography
  • [26:12] “New York High Times“
  • [26:35] How do you create high-quality drone videos
  • [26:56] GoPro, DJI, Mini Drones, 4K
  • [27:18] What’s the view look like from up there to the naked eye
  • [27:38] Shoutout, Tyrek!
  • [28:26] What’s Vitaliy’s favorite type of picture to take
  • [29:25] How do you know which posts will perform well
  • [29:41] How was Vitaliy’s motorcycle adventure around India
  • [31:18] Food Poisoning
  • [31:28] How do you stay curious
  • [32:38] How do you go on a long-distance motorcycle trip
  • [33:22] Gobi Desert
  • [34:08] Satellite Phone
  • [34:41] AirTag
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [35:39] When was Vitaliy most scared for his life
  • [37:12] How did he break his collarbone on a motorcycle
  • [39:00] How painful is a broken collarbone (clavicle fracture)
  • [39:52] Metro-2
  • [40:45] How much of the world is abandoned
  • [41:29] What is Vitaliy’s favorite memory from Burning Man
  • [42:46] Connect with Vitaliy on Instagram @Raskalov and YouTube @OnTheRoofs
  • [43:08] What are Vitaliy’s Final Thoughts
  • [43:28] Follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [43:37] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Vitaliy
  • [43:41] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [43:42] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [43:44] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [43:48] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding and professional-looking podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Vitaliy Raskalov on the Wild Business Growth podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about it. And watch Vitaliy’s videos with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!