Throttle Therapy with Karl Allen-Muncey: Chasing Curiosity and Sharing Boundless Insights from Ideas that Matter
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Today we talk to Karl Allen-Muncey - a tech innovator, motorcycle enthusiast and now a real-life Instagram influencer.
When I originally talked to Karl about being on the podcast, I wasn’t sure what we’d talk about. He’s a motorcycle guy who talks about throttle therapy and the mental health benefits of riding. I’ve never been on a motorcycle. I was always scared, I was never that cool.
But it turns out this conversation isn’t really about motorcycles at all. Karl was a big success in every way - fancy job working with huge companies, big house - he had it all. Then during the pandemic, all that fell apart. His marriage, his job - and with it, everything he thought he knew about himself.
So he started over. He did what so many of us long to do at some point in our lives. He took all his unique superpowers he’s amassed over his career, and point them in a new direction, something he really cares about. If you think this sounds like a fairy tale, it’s not. Karl is very honest about how painful this has been. He talks about his life being in pieces, and having to decide which parts to pick up and which ones to leave behind.
Now he’s an Instagram influencer - a middle-aged motorcycle dude in black leather, gray beard, baring his soul and being vulnerable about his mental health. And yeah, his audience is exploding.
So sure, if you like riding, you're going to love this. But maybe you're like me and you've never been on a bike. Maybe you think reinventing yourself is something only other people do.
This conversation will change that.
Please enjoy Karl Allen-Muncey.
Every other week, join your host Bob Mathers, keynote speaker for conversations designed to push you out of your comfort zone. Each episode delivers boundless insights and ideas that matter by inspiring you to get off autopilot and keep chasing curiosity.
Key Takeaways:
- From Breakdown to Breakthrough: Karl shares how the pandemic stripped away his career, marriage, and identity, forcing him into a profound personal transformation—and eventually leading him to a more intentional life.
- Motorcycles as Mental Health Tools: Riding became Karl’s way to quiet his mind and reconnect with himself. What started as escape turned into healing, clarity, and a whole new community.
- The Power of Admitting Defeat: One of Karl’s biggest lessons was learning to admit when something is truly over—and how doing so created space to rebuild on his own terms.
- Therapy, Ego, and Growth: Karl reflects on how therapy helped him confront the version of himself he had been hiding behind, and why losing the ego was the beginning of real self-awareness.
- The Unexpected Gift of Instagram: What began as an anonymous place to share moody moto-camping photos became a growing platform for connection, vulnerability, and ultimately, business.
- Parenting with Presence: Karl talks candidly about how his growth journey has made him a better father—and why being “Dad” is the most important title he’ll ever hold.
- Innovation, Burnout, and Reinvention: Karl’s background building innovation labs gives insight into how great ideas get stuck—and what it takes to actually create change inside large organizations.
- Finding Authentic Connection: Whether through motorcycles, social media, or programs like Vienna Waits, Karl has found that the best relationships are built on honesty, not image.
Links and Resources
Karl on Instagram
Karl on LinkedIn
Connect with Bob Mathers
39 episodes