The Rich Roll Podcast

A perfect companion piece to my recent conversation with Lauren Fleshman -- and in furtherance of better understanding the issues that swirl around gender, sport and fairness -- today I sit down with an investigative journalist breaking some of the biggest stories in women's sports.

Meet Lindsay Crouse.

A graduate of Harvard University, where she competed in both cross country and track and field, Lindsay is a senior staff editor and senior OpDocs producer at The New York Times. If you’ve been paying any attention to running news (or just big headlines in general) then you are already familiar with Lindsay’s work. At the epicenter of the conversation that surrounds sports and power, Lindsay is behind some of the biggest sports stories and opinion pieces in recent memory, with a particular focus on the role and state of women's distance running.

Some of Lindsay's most popular pieces include How The 'Shalane Flanagan Effect' Works, which examined the former podcast guest and New York City Marathon victor's elevating impact on other women; she broke the story on Nike's refusal to guarantee female athletes' salaries during or immediately post-pregnancy; and she produced the piece in which Allyson Felix told her story around Nike and pregnancy.

Lindsay also worked with last week’s guest Lauren Fleshman on her powerful November Op-Ed, I Changed My Body For My Sport. No Girl Should and is responsible for the bombshell opinion piece about the emotional abuse suffered by Mary Cain under her former coach, Alberto Salazar. I Was The Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike created such a stir, it went on to become the 42nd most read New York Times piece for all of 2019.

I first came across Lindsay by way of her recurring cameos in my friend (and RRP guest from episodes 73, 144, & 174) Casey Neistat's wildly popular vlog. So in 2015, I began following Lindsay's career. As I watched her work mature and profile grow, I eagerly awaited each new article -- and anticipated an opportunity to share her experience and insight on the podcast.

Today is that day. And it's everything I hoped it would be. 

The ongoing impact of Lindsay's journalism is immeasurable. So it was an absolute honor and a delight to sit down with her.

Note: Because this conversation transpired at the New York Times offices (as opposed to my studio), we did not film the conversation. In addition, it was recorded in mid-October and thus not current with the immediate news cycle.

I can't say enough good things about Lindsay and the work she is doing to advance the role and voice of women in sports. I love this conversation. I sincerely hope you do as well.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Meet Lauren Fleshman.

One of the greatest middle-distance runners in American history, Lauren has a storied history of breaking both records and paradigms. After collecting state championships as a standout high school runner, she matriculated to Stanford, where she garnered 5 NCAA titles, 15 All-American honors, and a spot in the Hall of Fame.

As a professional, her accolades include two USA Championships and five World Championship berths for Team USA.

Nonetheless, Lauren’s career was also marked with devastating setbacks. She holds the painful distinction of most likely being the best American distance runner never to make an Olympic team, her competitive career repeatedly impaired by injuries that had her on crutches at the wrong four-year intervals.

It's the hows and whys behind Lauren's hard knocks that interest me the most. Because it's these very misfortunes that underscore her philosophic perspective on running. Her take on human potential. Her belief in transformation. And, perhaps most poignant, her passion for advancing the power and prominence of women in sport.

Now retired from professional competition, Lauren wears many hats. A prolific and talented writer, she is co-author of the Believe Training Journal series and shares her perspectives on her wildly popular Ask Lauren Fleshman blog -- plus a book in the works.

As an entrepreneur, Lauren hosts the Wilder Running & Writing Retreats. She's the co-founder of performance nutrition company Picky Bars alongside her professional triathlete husband Jesse Thomas, who graced episode 442 of the podcast. And together they host the Work, Play, Love Podcast.

In addition, Lauren serves up coaching duties to the elite women runners of Oiselle’s Littlewing Athletics. And she is the very definition of an active mom of two.

Most compelling is Lauren's committed, stalwart advocacy for female equality, empowerment and advancement in sport.

Today we cover it all. From the doping scandals swirling around the Nike Oregon Project to revelations about the mental and physical health of female athletes under pressure, we explore how Lauren's successes and failures fuel her as a coach, parent, businessperson and role model.

But more than anything, this is about fairness in sport. Advancing the role of women in athletics to forge parity. Creating an equitable financial ecosystem for NCAA and Olympic athletes. And how we can better calibrate the complicated balance between human rights and equity with respect to transgender and intersex athletes.

Perhaps most importantly, this is a conversation about the unique pressures and body image issues so many girls and women face in competitive sports. It's about fostering healthier coaching dynamics. More supportive athletic environments -- and ultimately more successful careers.

In companionship with our exchange, I urge all of you to read Lauren's moving New York Times OpEd, “I Changed My Body For My Sport. No Girl Should” -- a powerful piece she penned subsequent to our conversation.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the conversation streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This one left an impact on me. I hope it does for you as well.

Rich

A predominant theme of this podcast is the profound impact of nutrition on long-term well-being.

Less discussed is the importance of hormonal health. Most would be surprised to learn that certain maladies -- including infertility, menstrual cramps, weight gain, hair loss, breast and prostate cancer, hot flashes, and many others -- have one thing in common: they are fueled or influenced by hormones hiding in everyday foods.

The good (and surprising) news is that proper nutrition can also help restore endocrine balance, often with benefits that rival popular medications.

To provide insight on how hormones wreak havoc on the body, and how specific diet and lifestyle changes can help alleviate years of stress, pain and illness, I'm joined today by my friend Neal Barnard, MD.

Making this third appearance on the podcast (check episodes #242 / #296), Dr. Barnard is a pre-eminent authority on diet, nutrition and its impact on illnesses such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s. In addition, he is the founder & president of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), where he leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research.

Dr. Barnard is also an adjunct associate professor of medicine at George Washington University and has authored over 70 scientific publications as well as 18 books, including Power Foods for the Brain, 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart, Dr. Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes and The Cheese Trap.

Hitting bookstores February 4 and currently available for pre-order, Dr. Barnard's latest offering -- and the focus of today's discussion -- is entitled, Your Body in Balance: The New Science of Food, Hormones, and Health. A powerful step-by-step guide to better understand what you can do to feel better fast, it covers the important hows and whys of striking hormonal balance for optimal wellness.

Today we dive deep to better understand the mechanisms of optimizing hormonal health.

We begin with a deconstruction of recent science on the implications of eating meat on human health.

We then turn to a wide-ranging discussion on the endocrine system. The impact of testosterone levels in men. And how diet and lifestyle impact fertility and menstruation in women.

We examine how left unchecked, hormone imbalances can lead to everything from autoimmune diseases, hyperthyroidism, adrenal fatigue, depression and anxiety. And we conclude with the many simple things you can do to prevent such imbalances and thrive.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the conversation streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

I love this man. This is a fascinating discourse. And I sincerely hope you enjoy our exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

We equate the new year with potential energy. It's an opportunity to re-evaluate one's trajectory. A permission grant to chart a new course of self-discovery.

In truth, every moment presents a window for reinvention. But January always provides heightened urgency to inventory how we spend our precious time, focus our intention and deploy our energy.

Extrapolating on themes explored with Chadd Wright, today we balance out the warrior alpha-male vibe with some feminine wisdom, courtesy of Kelly McGonigal, PhD.

A health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who specializes in understanding the mind-body connection, Kelly is a pioneer in the field of 'science-help,' translating insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and community connection.

There’s a decent chance you caught her amazing 2013 TED Talk, How To Make Stress Your Friend. A viral hit with over 21 million views, Kelly makes the case that social connection is both a natural instinct and a source of resilience in times of stress.

Or perhaps you’ve read one of her many amazing books, The Upside of Stress, The Willpower Instinct, or The Science of Compassion -- all of which are based on classes Kelly has previously taught at Stanford.

Fresh off the press and the framework for today’s conversation is her latest work, The Joy of Movement. A love letter to physicality (motivated in part by the dance, yoga, and group exercise classes she has been teaching for two decades), it's an evidence-based primer on how movement can serve as an antidote to depression, anxiety, and loneliness -- the modern epidemics of our time.

Although we touch a bit on willpower and stress (the subjects explored in her previous books), this conversation focuses on what exactly happens when we move our bodies.

But movement isn't just about fitness. It's not about the treadmill or StairMaster. And it has nothing to do with weight loss or six-pack abs.

Instead, movement is about something far more important. It's fundamental to being human. And a powerful path to that which we seek most -- happiness, hope, connection, and courage.

Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, today we discuss why movement need not be a chore, but rather a source of joy. A source of self-expression. A vehicle for cooperation and social connection. A tool for mastery. And for some, even an instrument for self-transcendence.

Whether you're an experienced ultra marathon runner, a CrossFit enthusiast or a couch potato with a new year's resolution to finally get your heart rate up, Kelly is here to help deepen our collective understanding of how movement can create more meaning, pleasure, positivity and intimacy in our daily lives.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube.

Kelly is fantastic. And this conversation is a perfect way to embrace the new year enthusiastic about the body's potential to quite literally change everything about how we experience ourselves and our communities. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange as much as I enjoyed having it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Meet Chadd Wright.

Reared in the mountains of rural northwest Georgia, Chadd grew up obsessed with becoming a SEAL. But when the Navy discovered a rare but asymptomatic cyst on his heart, he was disqualified from entering BUDS. Undaunted, Chadd refused to give up, ultimately tracking down a surgeon willing to perform a procedure deemed too risky by every cardiologist he previously petitioned.

Cyst successfully removed, Chadd went on to realize his SEAL dream, serving over the next decade as a Team Leader on multiple deployments to conflict zones across the world.

He became a SEAL instructor. A Master Training Specialist. Chadd even served a stint as President Obama’s bodyguard. Along the way, he battled PTSD and traumatic brain injury. He faced his wife’s substance abuse issues. And he found God -- a faith in part born from a paranormal experience he shares in riveting detail today.

Now retired from the military, Chadd has found new life as an elite ultramarathoner -- a spiritual quest for self-knowledge and mind-body mastery that has compelled him to tackle some of the world’s most insane endurance slogs like The Revenant -- a 118-mile footrace across south New Zealand with over 52,000 feet of elevation gain that not one person has ever successfully completed.

This conversation begins with Chad's unique upbringing. His SEAL dream. And the heart condition that nearly derailed it.

We discuss the day-to-day reality of the elite warrior. The supernatural experience and visions that embolden his faith. And the role Christianity plays in his spiritual equation.

We talk about the perils of civilian re-entry. The allure of ultrarunning. His training regimen. The mental strategies deployed to venture beyond his limits. And a project he launched with his brother called 3-of-7.

Chadd shares his perspective on the importance of breaking down big goals into bite size chunks. Why some people quit their dreams. Why others don’t. And what exactly separates the two.

Finally, we talk about why the “stay hard’ mantra isn’t a sustainable life philosophy. The incredible power of spoken word. Disengaging from negativity. And the importance of channeling our limited energy into that which we love.

Chadd's mantra is simple:

Never give pain a voice. And never, ever die in the chair.

As a hardened warrior turned ultra-athlete, Chadd exudes a familiar energy I'd characterize as Goggins-adjacent. But Chadd is anything but a Goggins stand-in. He's warmer. A bit more inviting. Perhaps it's his personable, laconic southern drawl. Or maybe it's his grounded faith in Christ. If Goggins and Josh LaJaunie had a son, his name just might be Chadd Wright.

One thing is for certain -- this guy is extremely authentic. Deeply soulful. And wise well beyond his 31 years.

Packed with mindset tactics, powerful takeaways and inspiration for miles, Chadd's tale of toil, perseverance and redemption will leave you riveted. Rethinking the ceiling on your own perceived limits. And prepared to tackle any dream you've set for the new year ahead.

You can also watch it all go down on YouTube. 

I fell in love with this man. And this conversation has stayed with me. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Welcome to Part II of our 7th annual Best of the RRP Anthology — our way of taking a moment to reflect on the past twelve months by revisiting the year's most compelling podcast guests.

It's been an honor to engage with so many extraordinary people over the course of 2019. Reviewing the year in conversation brought powerful new insights -- a reminder that these evergreen exchanges continue to inspire and inform.

For long-time listeners, my intention is to launch you into 2020 with renewed vigor. If you're new to the show, my hope is that this anthology will stir you to peruse the back catalog and check out episodes you may have missed.

Links to the full episodes excerpted in this anthology are listed in the below show notes.

Thank you for taking this journey with me. I appreciate you. I love you.

You can also watch it all go down on YouTube. 

Here's to an extraordinary 2020. Join me, and let's do this thing together.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Welcome to the 7th annual Best of the RRP Anthology — our way of taking a moment to reflect on the year, express gratitude and give thanks for taking this journey with us.

To be honest, I didn’t think we could top 2018 -- but we did. It’s been an incredible year. I'm deeply indebted to all my extraordinary guests. And unbelievably proud of the library we dedicated ourselves to creating over the last twelve months.

To prepare for the year ahead, it’s critical to pause. To reflect back. Celebrate the victories. Take inventory of the missteps. And visualize the goals you wish to self-actualize in the months ahead. I believe in this process. And I feel strongly that 2020 holds the potential energy manifest your aspirations.

It is in this spirit that we created a tradition of closing each year with a look in the rear view with a 2-episode compilation of clips excerpted from many of year's best guests.

Consider these next two shows as a love letter. My way of saying thank you. I see you. I believe in you. And I believe in the power we all have to do, be and live better. To step into our best, most authentic selves. And in turn, share freely what we have learned in service of others.

For long-time listeners, the next two episodes are intended to launch you into 2020 with renewed vigor and intention. Lean in to the wisdom. Leverage it to clarify your 2020 goals.

If you're newer to the show, my hope is that this anthology will prime you to peruse the back catalog and check out episodes you may have missed.

Links to the full episodes excerpted in this anthology can be found in the below show notes.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube (with the exception of the Gemma Newman, Jack Dorsey and Kevin Smith excerpts, episodes that we did not film)

Here's to an extraordinary 2020. Join me, and let's make it the best year ever -- together.

Enjoy!

Rich

Growing up in the late 1970's there was no conversation around gender identity. You were either male or female. Period, end of discussion.

Times have changed. The way we currently think about gender has evolved. Each day brings greater mainstream awareness to its non-binary nature -- and the innate fluidity of gender roles and identity.

Take a moment to imagine the experience of being intersex -- a condition in which an individual is born with genetic variations on conventional sex characteristics.

Now imagine trying to navigate the world from this non-binary biological disposition.

This is the story of Kendra Little.

Raised as a girl, at age 12 Kendra learned that she was born with something called androgen insensitivity syndrome, a variation of intersex that affects between 2 to 5 out of 100,000 people. The news prompted Kendra to isolate. Adopting a hormone protocol on the advice of her doctors, she remained a ‘girl’, proceeded to never discuss her condition with anybody and dove headlong into sports -- a place where she excelled and felt at home.

But eventually the emotional dissonance between her true self and that which she held out to the world became too much to bear, prompting her to walk away from a promising career as a professional golfer. But that disconnect ultimately catalyzed an amazing journey of self-discovery -- and eventually wholeness.

Now able to fully embrace her own unique identity (very recently I might add), Kendra is publicly sharing her story -- with both courage and pride. The intention isn't self-serving, but motivated by a genuine desire to change the way we think about non-binary gender constructs. To bring comfort to those ashamed of how they were born. And to openly permit sharing the many forms of loneliness, pain and shame so many of us keep hidden.

This past July, Kendra tweeted me a video entitled Becoming More -- her story in mini-doc form created by Uninterrupted, LeBron James’ production company.

I click play. Instantly, I’m captivated by Kendra’s appearance. Her facial features present as simultaneously male and female. She's both, but also neither. Kendra is truly her own unique form of humanity. But her appearance is quickly eclipsed by her strength and vulnerability -- and the compelling narrative that unfolds.

I knew immediately this was a special person I wanted to know better. A fascinating story I wanted to help tell. And quite honestly, a subject matter of social importance and cultural relevance I wanted to better understand.

So here we are. Kendra, I honor you for your courage in trusting me with this conversation, a privilege I don't take lightly.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube (seeing Kendra helps contextualize the exchange).

This one is special. May it be as enjoyable and enlightening as it was for me.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Today we’re going to talk about stress.

In proper doses it’s actually beneficial, promoting resilience -- both physical and mental.

This week’s guest has seen the perils of chronic stress first hand. A UK-based medical doctor, he found himself increasingly treating patients suffering from the downstream implications of living with this malevolence. It prompted him to ask, why is this happening?

His name is Rangan Chatterjee, MD. He decided to find answers to this question -- and do something about it.

If that name sounds familiar, perhaps it’s because you caught him on the BBC, starring in Doctor in the House. Perhaps you read his bestselling book, The Four Pillar Plan, released in the United States under the title How To Make Disease Disappear. Or maybe, just maybe, you caught RRP 376, our popular first conversation from July of 2018 that launched our friendship.

For those unfamiliar, Dr. Chatterjee is a pioneer in the field of progressive, functional medicine. Widely regarded as one of the most influential doctors in the UK, he is double board certified in internal medicine and family medicine and holds an honors degree in immunology. An in-demand lecturer, he created the very first “Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine” course accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners in London.

In addition, he hosts the popular Feel Better, Live More podcast (which I’ve appeared on twice) and has been widely featured on an array of prominent media outlets like the The New York Times, BBC, Forbes, The Guardian, The Financial Times, and many others.

The focus of today’s conversation is also the subject of Rangan’s latest book, The Stress Solution -- an important primer on how chronic stress can lead to disease, along with strategies, tools and lifestyle changes proven to protect against and reverse its toxic effects.

This is a conversation about the very nature of stress. What creates it. The health implications it produces. The many simple things you can do to alleviate it -- and it's varied ill effects.

More specifically, we discuss Rangan’s direct experience fielding patients with chronic stress -- and the science-based strategies he deployed to ameliorate the condition and reverse it’s negative consequences.

We talk about the critical role sleep, meditation and mindfulness practices play in combating stress. And how human touch, intimacy and connecting with nature can assuage it's impact.

We cover breathing techniques. Disconnecting from our devices. Carving out “me time”. The importance of finding passion -- and infusing your life with purpose.

Lastly, we dig into Rangan’s new found love for Swimrun (I’m taking a wee bit of credit for that one Dr. C!).

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. 

I think we can all benefit from de-stressing ourselves this holiday season. Both fun and important, my hope is that you listen keenly -- and put Dr. Chatterjee's prescription into action.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Welcome to the latest installment in my ongoing series of mind melds with my wife and in-house spiritual guru, the wise and ethereal Julie Piatt, aka SriMati.

Longtime listeners are well acquainted with my better half. For those newer to the show, Julie is very good at many things. In addition to being an accomplished yogi, healer, musician, and mom to four children, she's also the bestselling author of three vegan cookbooks. She hosts the For The Life of Me podcast. She lords over Water Tiger, her online spiritual community. And she's the founder and 'Mother Arc' of SriMu, her recently launched plant-based cheese start-up.

This conversation opens with an update on SriMu. How Julie manifested her vision to create the absolute best artisanal vegan cheese on the market. Start-up founder life behind-the scenes. The values she is building into her food and work culture. And the broader mission she holds for the future.

We discuss the hows and whys behind my decision to take my first ever extended work sabbatical (don't worry the podcast will continue as scheduled).

And we explore strategies for navigating the perilous emotional and financial land mines that accompany the holiday season.

Finally, we close with thoughts on weathering the judgment of others. Maintaining a growth mindset. Approaching others with humility. And the benefits of choosing to see the divinity in all things.

The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the divine offering.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

For the vast majority of us, besting our 26.2 personal record by 3+ minutes would be considered fine. Something to be celebrated, but hardly a mind-bending breakthrough.

At the highest level of distance running however, the distinction is vast. It's the canyon that separates a very good marathon runner from the greats.

This is the story of Scott Fauble.

Historically a very accomplished cross country & 10K runner (at the 2016 Olympic Trials he finished 4th in the 10,000 meters), Scott was unproven at the marathon. That is, until he ran 2:12 in Frankfurt in 2017 and matched that time the following year in New York.

These performances certainly established Scott as a very good marathoner. But nobody, aside from Scott himself and perhaps his coach and close circle, was prepared for his stunning performance at the 2019 Boston Marathon. Not only did he surprise the world by leading the race for extended stretches, he accomplished what is almost unheard of at his level -- besting his marathon PR by almost 3 and a half minutes to complete the course in 2:09:09 as the top American and 7th overall.

It was a performance that foisted him into the mainstream spotlight. Anointed him as the leading American going into the 2020 Olympic men's marathon. And established him as one of the world’s very best at the 26.2 discipline.

Just as interesting are Faub's pursuits when the running shoes come off. Alongside coach Ben Rosario he penned Inside a Marathon: An All-Access Pass to a Top-10 Finish at NYC. Documenting the entire four-month journey to Scott’s 7th place finish at the 2018 New York City Marathon, it's a rare, candid (and very funny at times) behind-the-scenes look at the life of a professional marathoner. A chronicle of grit and mental fortitude, it's a must read book for anyone committed to mastery.

This conversation runs the gamut. We begin with Scott's young running career. Track his evolution to Boston. And his maturation into Olympic contender.

We discuss life in Flagstaff, AZ. What he has learned under coach Ben Rosario and training alongside teammates on the HOKA Northern Arizona Elite Team.

We talk about the coach-athlete relationship as partnership. We go deep into his breakthrough Boston performance. The strategies and techniques that produced that amazing result. And Scott's mindset as he approaches Olympic Trials at the end of February.

In addition, we explore his off-road pursuits. The intention behind writing a book. The why behind his podcast. And his deep love for burritos -- all interests I can certainly relate to.

In closing, we review the mistakes he sees many amateurs runners make -- and how best to correct them.

For Scott, it's about process over results. Passion over podiums. And why 'fast' doesn't always equate to 'good'.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube.

Humble and jocular, Scott is a natural conversationalist -- one of the good guys you just want to see win. So let's put some wind in his sail for Olympic Trials.

I really enjoyed this one and sincerely hope you do as well.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Last week we explored the world of regenerative farming, soil health and biodiversity as critical levers to improve human health. Consolidate food security. Drawdown carbon. And backpedal climate change.

Today we expound on that theme with entrepreneur, restauranteur and social activist Ryland Engelhart.

Ryland is the ‘Mission Fulfillment Officer' and co-owner of Café Gratitude and Gracias Madre, a family owned group of legendary plant-based restaurants. The epicenter of California vegan cuisine & culture, it's a platform he uses to not only feed people amazing food but to cultivate community — and most importantly, inspire more gratitude into our lives and culture.

In addition, Ryland is a speaker and passionate advocate for sacred commerce, community building and regenerative farming principles, which he supports as co-founder of Kiss The Ground, a non-profit that provides education regarding the connection between soil, human, and planetary health. Among its board of advisors are former podcast guests Paul Hawken, Dr. Zach Bush and David Bronner.

If you enjoyed those conversations, or last week's exchange with John & Molly Chester, then you're in for a treat with Ryland.

This is a conversation about the importance of soil regeneration and its impact on everything from food security and climate change reversal to improving human health.

We open with Ryland’s hippie upbringing. How he learned early the philosophy of using business as a force for good — something he calls sacred commerce.

We discuss how doing good — adding value to people’s lives — is not only always the right thing to do, but also the best long-term path to profits.

We explore the origins, trajectory and intentionality behind his family's incredible group of restaurants — Cafe Gratitude, Gracias Madre and his sister’s Sage Plant-Based Bistros — which together form the cornerstone of plant-based dining in Los Angeles and beyond.

Then we dive into the principles of conscious capitalism, the importance of regenerative farming, and the reasons why soil health is such a crucial component in the holistic equation of sustainable human, animal and planetary health.

Finally we discuss his various film projects, including his documentaries May I Be Frank* and Kiss The Ground — a must see you might have heard Woody Harrelson recently raving about on Marc Maron’s podcast.

But more than anything, this is a conversation about love, awareness, and the power of gratitude as a living, breathing philosophy of life.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube....

Enjoy!

Rich

Biodiversity. Regenerative agriculture. Ecological sustainability. Carbon drawdown. Climate change reversal.

These are popular themes that recur regularly on this show. But in practical terms, what do they actually mean?

I wanted to better understand these subjects. Not from the perspective of an academic, scientific researcher or political pundit but rather from the direct experience of actual practitioners — people who live and practice it every single day — farmers.

Nine years ago, personal chef Molly Chester and her filmmaker husband John Chester traded their life in urban Santa Monica for 200 acres of infertile land nestled in the foothills of Ventura County — an arid and desolate plot called Apricot Lane Farms.

Hence began a journey to build a new life from scratch. The vision? An organic, biodiverse farm based upon regenerative principles, thriving in harmony with nature. It began with repairing the draught-laden, nutrient deplete soil, followed by planting 10,000 orchard trees. Rooting over 200 crops. Introducing a myriad of animals. Managing the chaos that ensued. And patiently stewarding the farm from inert to irascible and ultimately into what it is today — an awe-inspiring symphonic ecosystem in vibrant, sustainable co-existence with nature’s rhythms.

Along the way, John chronicled every daunting, obstacle-fraught step, plying his storytelling skills and masterful wildlife cinematography to produce The Biggest Little Farm — an extraordinary documentary that evidences the planet's innate power to heal itself in synchronous partnership with humans devoted to restoring its precious biodiversity. Uplifting and wildly entertaining, it dispenses with the dystopia common among ecological fare, instead leaving audiences uplifted — and in love with the hard-earned possibility of positive change.

I was quite moved by this film. Compelled to know more, me and my team spent a day touring Apricot Lane — an educational and eye-opening experience that left me with a deep appreciation for the Chester’s achievement — and the nuanced complexity of their mission.

In the wake of my visit to Apricot Lane, I posted images from the experience on Instagram, accompanied by an expression of gratitude and respect for manifesting what environmentalists unanimously urge mandatory to repair the rapidly vanishing biodiversity of our precious soil (literally the planet's microbiome). To sequester carbon and create sustainable food security. And to serve as a viable model for the future of farming.

John and Molly didn't just protest climate change. They got to work, taking an action-based stand against the glyphosate-laden, chemical-based industrial, conglomerate owned, seed-controlled, GMO-infused, animal intensive CAFO factory farms that monopolize our current food system to the great demise of human, animal and ecological health.

More than anything, Apricot Lane proves that regenerative farming isn't just possible, but profitable. And that it doesn't just work, but exceeds conventional methods by yield volume and nutritional density metrics. Meanwhile, it controverts planetary warming by drawing down carbon and building long-term, natural resilience against pestilence, drought and soil erosion without the products and practices ‘BigAg' wants you to believe are mandatory. ...

Enjoy!

Rich

Making his 9th appearance on the podcast, today marks another mind-bending deep dive into the multiverse with Guru Singh, my treasured friend and favorite wizard of all things mystical.

For those newer to the show, imagine a modern-day Gandalf who rocks like Hendrix while dropping pearls of wisdom that beautifully fuse Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism.

A celebrated third-generation Sikh yogi, master spiritual teacher, author, and family man, for the past 40 years Guru Singh has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga. He is the author of several books, a powerful lecturer, and behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, and artists.

Guru Singh is also a talented musician who rocked alongside Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead in the 1960s. When he isn’t recording tracks with people like Seal, he’s bringing down the house on the daily at Yoga West, his Los Angeles home base.

The focus of today's discourse? Awareness.

We talk about the importance of self care, crucial as we near the pressures that accompany the holiday season.

We discuss cancel culture. The critical distinction between awareness and judgment. And empathy versus endorsement.

And we dive into the incredible power of awareness to cultivate an objectivity about ourselves, others and the world we inhabit.

As always, Guru Singh takes us out with a song, so make sure to stick around to the end.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. 

Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Imagine running an ultramarathon. It’s a huge undertaking for anyone. And a bucket list dream for many.

Now imagine running an ultramarathon every day. A minimum of 40 miles, 75 days in a row. Starting in Los Angeles. Finishing in New York. A 3,200 mile transcontinental run.

This is the story of Robbie Balenger.

Just 6 years ago, Robbie laced up his first pair of running shoes to alleviate the stress he was experiencing managing a restaurant. A small act, that first run set in motion a chain of events that led to a passion for running long distances, followed by a purpose-driven mission promote a message — the power of a plant-based diet to fuel athletic performance. Prevent and reverse certain lifestyle maladies. Ameliorate suffering. And redress climate change.

What Robbie didn't expect? The many extraordinary ways running creates community. Unites people across the economic divide. And bridges the political differences that drive us apart.

I was unfamiliar with Robbie until an e-mail hit my inbox courtesy of my friend and former podcast guest, Olympic cyclist Dotsie Bausch (RRP 355). Her non-profit Switch4Good was sponsoring Robbie's attempt to cross the United States by foot. Would I be interested in helping to support their efforts? I jumped at the opportunity.

On March 16, I showed up at dawn in Huntington Beach to meet Robbie for the first time and help kick off his momentous attempt.

Running the first several miles alongside Robbie and a small crew of supporters, I immediately took to his earnest yet humble disposition. His passion for promoting the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. And his determination to reach New York a mere 75 days later.

We struck up a friendship that day. I kept keen tabs on his progress over the following months. And made him a promise:

Finish the run and you earn a seat at the podcast table.

All heart, he indeed finished it. Today I honor that promise. And it’s a great story, well told.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. 

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange as much as I relished having it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

One of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, today Edward Norton graces the podcast to discuss his fascinating life and perspective on filmmaking, culture, politics and the nature of power.

Over the course of his extraordinary career, Edward has reaped 3 Academy Award nominations starring in some of the greatest films of our era — Primal Fear, American History X, Fight Club, Birdman, and 25th Hour among them.

The occasion for this conversation is Motherless Brooklyn — a long-gestating passion project Edward wrote, directed, produced and headlines. A period crime noir that confronts the shadowy malevolence of power in 1950's New York City, Edward stars as a twitchy tourettic detective determined to find his boss' killer. Evocative of Chinatown, it’s a towering achievement and terrific watch I implore all of you to immediately see in the theatre.

Unfamiliar to most are Edward’s many off-screen interests and achievements as an entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist and environmentalist.

In 2010, he co-founded CrowdRise, a crowdfunding platform which has raised over $500M for non-profits which later sold to GoFundMe. He is the co-founder of an advanced data science company called EDO which provides audience analytics to media companies. In addition, Edward is an avid pilot and founding board president of the Masai Wilderness Conservation Trust, a Kenyan conservation and community development organization. To raise awareness for the organization, in 2009 he ran the New York Marathon alongside a group of Masai, completing the race in 3:28.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this hyper-intelligent polymath.

A famously private person, Edward has been uncharacteristically public as of late — making the mainstream media and podcast rounds to promote Motherless Brooklyn.

If you caught his appearance on Marc Maron, Ezra Klein, Preet Bharara, Joe Rogan, Dax Shepard or Alec Baldwin’s respective podcasts (all great in their own right) — this conversation is a bit different.

Today we dive into the role of ego in his profession. We dissect disenfranchisement and the implications of weaponized social media in our politically divided culture. And we talk about the state of environmental activism.

On the subject of creativity, we explore the importance of gestation — distancing yourself from the noise to reboot artistic originality. We discuss balancing art against other life priorities. And how his deep interest in the nature of power underscores his latest work.

Motherless Brooklyn is now playing in theaters nationwide. If you enjoy this conversation, desire to support Edward — and dig smart, mature, entertaining cinema — please make a priority of seeing this movie in the cinema pronto.

They say never meet your heroes. I disagree. A pinch me moment, it was an absolute pleasure and honor to talk with a man I respect and admire tremendously.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. 

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Gracing us with his beautiful presence for a third appearance on the show, my guest today is none other than the legendary ultra-marathon man himself.

For those who missed RRP 115 and/or RRP 259, Dean Karnazes is an internationally recognized endurance athlete, New York Times bestselling author, and philanthropist globally lauded for his preternatural ability to push his body and mind to limits inconceivable to mere mortals.

Among his many palmerès, Dean has:

* Run 135 miles across Death Valley in 120+ degree temperatures several times;

* Run for 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights;

* Run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees.

* Run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve — on ten different occasions; and

* Run 50 marathons, in all 50 U.S. states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the New York City Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat

In addition to his many feats of mind-bending athletic prowess, Dean's first book, Ultramarathon Man not only personally inspired my path, it put the previously sequestered subculture of ultrarunning on the map, laying the foundation for the sport’s explosion in popularity over the last decade.

In recognition of Dean's accomplishments, Time magazine named Dean one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World.” Men's Fitness hailed him as one of the fittest men on the planet. And Dean has been profiled in virtually every major publication, including features on 60 Minutes, The David Letterman Show, CBS News, CNN, BBC, ESPN, The Howard Stern Show, NPR's Morning Edition, and many others.

Most importantly, Dean is an overall stellar human, leveraging his copious talents for good.

Picking up where we left off three years ago, this conversation focuses on Dean's latest book, Running for Good: 101 Stories for Runners & Walkers to Get You Moving. An inspirational collection of personal anecdotes, it chronicles the physical and mental health benefits of hitting the road or the trail. More importantly, these stories demonstrate the power of running to catalyze a better world for all.

In addition, we discuss how his Greek heritage informs his running. His experience running the Silk Road. How he perceives his role in the global growth of ultrarunning. The power of embracing discomfort. And many other topics of interest.

A dear friend and mentor, I'm delighted to once again share Dean's grace, wisdom and experience with you today.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

It’s one thing to be an artist. But to become a successful creative — revered for your art — is quite another thing altogether.

Even more rare are the few who deftly navigate the vicissitudes of an acclaimed artistic career (or any career for that matter), with a highly conscious, devotional approach.

Musicians Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero – popularly known as the Mexican acoustic rock guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela — are not only incredible masters of their craft, they fully embody this ethos. It's a sensibility that has carried them from obscurity in Mexico. To busking on Grafton Street in Dublin. And ultimately to playing premier sold out venues all across the globe.

Along the way, Rod & Gab have performed at the White House for the Obamas. They've collaborated on film scores with world renowned composers like Hans Zimmer. And lent their talents to television shows like Breaking Bad — all while staying true to themselves and their utterly unique Metallica meets Flamenco artistic sensibility.

For those unfamiliar with this dynamic duo, prepare to be amazed.

I had the good fortune to witness them perform live at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles the night before this conversation. Unlike anything I had previously seen or heard, it was a transcendent experience that defies attempts to adequately describe.

Fortunately, I don't have to. Today, in addition to the quality conversations you've come to expect with this show, we expand the format to weave a mini-concert into the experience — a rare treat certain to delight.

Beyond the acoustic wall of sound, this is a conversation about a creative spark that began with heavy metal roots in Mexico City. It's about how busking on the streets of Dublin led to a huge break. And the extraordinary career that followed.

We discuss the influences and evolution of Rod and Gab's unique style. The importance of mastery in their musicianship and personal lives. And we explore the role meditation, spirituality and veganism has played in their self and career development.

Gab and Rod call it Mettavolution.

Intercut with live performance, along the way they share amazing stories. What it was like playing Letterman. Performing for the Obamas. And working on big Hollywood films like Pirates of the Caribbean.

Lastly, this is an episode you're going to want to watch on YouTube. It's one thing to hear Rod & Gab perform. But it's another thing altogether to observe their mastery in motion. To bear witness, visit bit.ly/rodrigoygabriela477

I’m in love with these two. I'm super excited to share their unique gifts with you today. And I sincerely hope you enjoy this experimental twist on my typical format.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

One day not long ago, I awoke to a bright orange book ubiquitously displayed everywhere I looked.

Provocatively titled The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, today's guest birthed a publishing sensation, custom tailored for click-bait embrace.

The title also made the book easy to dismiss. In fact, freely admit to downright refusing to read it. But it just would not go away. Not only did it top the New York Times bestseller list, the book stayed there. 6 million plus copies later, it still rests at #4 — a full 149 weeks since its publication.

So who is this Mark Manson guy?

Realizing that my reflexive reaction was perhaps misplaced, I finally relented. And was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered.

To be sure, the book is both contrarian and confrontational. Chock-a-block with f-bombs. But it's also surprisingly refreshing, upending the tired tropes of self-help with an intractable glee. Grappling with real issues, I relished Mark's unique voice — depth meets grit with an infectious philosophical sensibility.

Before he became a publishing juggernaut (his influence launching countless profanely titled copycat books), Mark began his writing career as a blogger. Sharing personal development advice that ‘doesn’t suck' (his words), he has amassed a devoted audience of 2 million monthly readers.

Dissecting our dysfunctional cultural relationship with money, entertainment and the internet, Mark's latest chart-topper, Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope is an equally compelling yet more mature follow up that deftly explores the perils of distraction, comfort and success.

This is a conversation about what happens when you exceed your every ambition. What then?

Today we explore the high-altitude, existential crisis visited upon a young man who eclipsed his wildest dreams by age 32.

More specifically, we cover Mark’s backstory as a blogger. We dissect the method to his various forms of madness. We discuss the enormous unexpected success of his first book. And the pressures that accompanied his skyward trajectory.

Ultimately, this is a dialog about our increasingly distracted world. It's about the soul erosion precipitated by too much comfort. And it's a sounding call to restore the foundation of human dignity.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube.

I really enjoyed my time with Mark — and left this conversation with great respect for his profoundly curious mind and finely honed insights on the human condition.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Today's guest is lauded for her grit. And a preternatural ability to suffer.

Her name is Amelia Boone. And she is the most dominant & decorated female in the history of OCR (obstacle course racing).

Over the course of her storied athletic career, Amelia has amassed over 50 podiums and 30 victories. She is a Spartan Race World Champion and 3-time World's Toughest Mudder Champion. The ultimate weekend warrior, she’s done all of this while balancing a full time career as a corporate attorney — first at the prestigious Skadden Arps law firm in Chicago and currently at Apple in Silicon Valley.

Dubbed ‘The Queen of Pain', it’s a career that’s landed her magazine covers, major publication features, national television gigs, and a legion of adoring fans across the world.

But it's also a career that came with pressures that drained the fun out of competition. And a mask that obscured a deeper dysfunction lurking beneath the surface.

Amidst the celebration of Amelia as an unbreakable champion, prodded for her daily habits, morning routine and training regimen, she privately battled an obstacle more daunting than any race she’d endured: an eating disorder she kept hidden for the better part of two decades.

Today we celebrate Amelia not for her accolades, but for a different kind of courage — the vulnerability to face her disorder. Forge a path to wholeness. And change the way we talk about about a condition that debilitates millions.

I first met Amelia a couple years ago. I freely admit my projection of her steely disposition intimidated me. But slowly she began sharing more openly and about her struggles, culminating in a vulnerable blog post that laid bare her protracted struggle. Her guilt. Her shame. Her honesty. Her courage.

The facade gone, I fell for the human. I wanted to help amplify her powerful message. Today I have that honor.

This is a conversation about the perniciousness and pervasiveness of eating disorders. And the path towards healing.

More specifically, we discuss the difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating. The distinction between anorexia and bulemia. And how Amelia's particular strain of this condition, known as ‘relative energy deficiency in sport' (red-s), led to the many bone injuries that sidelined her athletic trajectory skyward.

We dive into the relationship between childhood trauma and eating disorders. The psychological consequences of starving one's self. The ‘shame spiral' that perpetuates the condition. The denial she compartmentalized with Pop-Tarts. The clarity and courage required to seek treatment. What is required to build a strong foundation for long-term recovery. And advice for those who currently suffer.

A companion piece to my conversation with Dotsie Bausch (RRP 355), my hope is that this conversation — a must listen for anyone caught in the grips of this disorder — provides the necessary nuance and clarity to better understand an affliction that impacts over 30 million people in the US alone.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube.

Enjoy!

Rich

By now, most of you have heard about the Impossible Burger.

I imagine many of you have tried it. Arguably the ‘beefiest' plant-based patty, even the most attuned palate has trouble believing it isn't real meat. Now ubiquitous at fine dining establishments and fast food franchises alike, it's a global phenomenon.

Today we explore the mission behind the burger with Impossible Foods founder & CEO Pat Brown, the man responsible for upending everything you thought you knew about plant-based meat, on a mission to forge a better environmental future for all.

A world-renowned geneticist, Pat is a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry at Stanford University. He is also a founder of Lyrical Foods, maker of Kite Hill artisanal nut milk-based cheeses and a founder of the Public Library of Science (PLOS), a nonprofit publisher that pioneered the open-access business model. Pat was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2002, and is a member of the Institute of Medicine. His numerous accolades include the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor, and the NAS Award in Molecular Biology.

Moved to action by the urgent need to redress global climate change, Pat founded Impossible Foods with one clear goal: to eliminate animal agriculture — inarguably one of the biggest contributors to planetary warming — by providing delicious, nutritious, and environmentally friendly alternatives to meat and dairy directly from plants.

The mission statement is ambitious, some would even say audacious. But his impact is already undeniable — and he’s just getting started.

Today he shares his story.

This is a broad and far-reaching conversation that covers Pat's background and the impetus behind Impossible Foods.

We cover the company's initial success in converting high-end chefs, the subsequent penetration of the fast food industrial complex, and the entrepreneurial difficulties of rapid growth and meeting demand at scale.

We then turn attention to Pat's mission to redress climate change. The important need to replace food from livestock with more environmental friendly alternatives. And what is required to achieve that, while meeting the finicky palate requirements of the average consumer.

Irrespective of your opinion on plant-based meat analogues, the deleterious environmental impact of intensive animal agriculture is irrefutable. Seismic changes to our food systems are mandatory if we want to responsibly redress global climate change. And each of us has the power to promote these changes, beginning with our daily food choices.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube.

I really enjoyed this exchange. A compelling companion piece to last week's conversation with Paul Hawken, my sit down with Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown and my episodes with Good Food Institute founder Bruce Friedrich (RRP 286 & 402), I encourage all of you to listen with an open and appreciative mind.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

I'm ecstatic to share my first live podcast event, recorded at the Los Angeles Wilshire Ebell Theatre on September 27, 2019.

For all of us, this podcast is an abstraction. The motivation behind the event was to create a tactile, analog experience for 1,100 people to gather around shared purpose and passion. An opportunity to cultivate community. Raise consciousness. Elevate intimacy. Deepen personal connectivity around our collective humanity — and the important ideas of our time.

An unforgettable lifetime moment, the resulting impact exceeded my wildest expectations. I'm still basing in the glow. And deeply grateful for an experience that left me feeling more intimately connected with all of you — and optimistic about the future of our planet.

The program opens with the poetic spoken word genius of my friend and two-time podcast guest IN-Q (check out RRP 81 & RRP 118).

Named to Oprah Winfrey's SuperSoul 100 list of the world's most influential thought leaders, IN-Q is a National Poetry Slam Champion, multi-platinum songwriter, and world-renowned keynote speaker. His groundbreaking performances include selling out one of the largest one-man poetry shows in US history, being the first spoken word artist to perform with Cirque Du Soleil, and being featured on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and A&E’s Look Closer campaign, which debuted during the Emmys. He has been featured in major media ranging from Forbes to AdWeek and several of his recent videos have gone viral with over 60 million combined views.

I then take the stage to share some thoughts, including a powerful listener e-mail, before settling into a fascinating conversation with Paul Hawken — one of the world's pre-eminent authorities on global climate change and a man who has indelibly shaped my personal perspective on ecological responsibility.

A pioneering environmentalist, activist, entrepreneur, architect of corporate reform, and multiple New York Times bestselling author, Paul has dedicated his life to environmental sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. His work includes founding successful ecologically conscious businesses (including the natural foods market Erewhon), writing about the impacts of commerce on living systems and consulting with heads of state and CEOs on economic development, industrial ecology and environmental policy. In addition to penning countless op-eds and peer reviewed articles, Paul has written 8 books, including Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. Paul is also the Founder and Founding Executive Director of Project Drawdown, an extraordinary non-profit dedicated to researching and implementing solutions for reversing global warming

Paul has lectured everywhere, including Harvard, Stanford and Wharton. He has given commencement addresses at Yale and Berkeley. He has appeared on Bill Maher, Charlie Rose, Larry King and countless other media outlets. And his new book, Regeneration: Ending The Climate Crisis In One Generation, hits bookstores in 2020.

Enjoy!

Rich

Conventional wisdom frames creativity as the purview of a certain select few — a rare gift that eludes us mere mortals.

This is a lie. We are all born creative. More birthright than blessing, creativity is a practice. A habit not unlike any other skill or discipline. A muscle that can be built and flexed.

This week's guest takes the notion one step further, asserting creativity as a biological necessity — a transformative force that resides within us all that when unleashed delivers vitality to everything we do.

Chase Jarvis is many things. One of the most influential and award-winning photographers of the last decade, he is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades. Dubbed by Forbes as ‘the photographer everyone wants to work with', Chase has created hundreds of campaigns and commercials for the likes of Nike, Apple, Samsung, Google, and Red Bull.

As a photojournalist, Chase contributed to the Pulitzer-Prize winning New York Times story Snow Fall and earned an Emmy nomination for Portrait of a City, his documentary chronicling the legendary Seattle music scene.

As an entrepreneur, Chase is the Founder and CEO of two influential companies. His iPhone app Best Camera earned ‘App of the Year' accolades in 2009 from Wired, the New York Times, and Macworld. The first app that allowed users to share images direct to social networks, it is widely credited with kicking off the multi-billion dollar, global photo-sharing craze. CreativeLive, Chase’s second (and current) company, is the world’s largest live-streaming education company featuring the top experts in photography, design, music and entrepreneurship.

In addition to being an in demand public speaker, Chase hosts the wildly popular YouTube series and podcast The Chase Jarvis LIVE Show and has authored 2 best-selling photography books.

The focus of today's exchange is Chase's latest literary offering, Creative Calling. A fantastic primer on the power of developing your innate creativity to infuse your life with greater meaning, purpose and fulfillment, I can't recommend it more highly — a book that earns it's place alongside my personal favorite practice guides, The Artist's Way and The War of Art.

A long-time fan, I have been an avid consumer of Chase's high quality content dating back to the early days of the internet. A kindred spirit of sorts, I had always wanted to meet him. Today's encounter exceeds my expectations.

Enjoy!

Rich

Addiction is tenacious. We're all craven animals, vulnerable to habits that don't serve us. Whether it’s a constantly checking social media, binge eating, smoking, excessive drinking, most of us fall prey to compulsions we feel powerless to arrest.

Why is this? And what can neuroscience teach us about the nature of cravings and how to overcome them?

Dr. Jud Brewer has devoted his career to answering these questions. His discoveries just might change your life.

A psychiatrist, neuroscientist, thought leader and scientific researcher in the field of habit change and the “science of self-mastery”, Dr. Brewer is the founder of MindSciences and Director of Research and Innovation at the Brown University Mindfulness Center. Formerly, he served as an associate professor in Medicine and Psychiatry at UMass Medical School, an adjunct faculty member at Yale University, and a research affiliate at MIT.

Dr. Brewer has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He has trained U.S.A. Olympic coaches. His work has been featured on 60 Minutes, Time magazine, Forbes, BBC, NPR, Businessweek and many other prominent media outlets. And his TED Talk, A Simple Way To Break A Bad Habit, is the 4th most viewed TED talk of 2016 with over 13 million views to date.

As a long-time recovering alcoholic prone to a myriad of compulsive behaviors, it's fair to say that habit change is an obsession. Always on the hunt to extend my sobriety routine beyond 12-step, I came across Dr. Brewer's book, The Craving Mind. A scientific primer on the mechanisms of habit and addiction formation, it makes the case for how mindfulness can help us transcend cravings, reduce stress, and ultimately live a fuller life.

I was compelled by Dr. Brewer's findings. I needed to know more. And so here we are.

This is a powerful and potentially life altering conversation about the psychiatric and neurological nature of addiction. It's a deep dive into the science of habit change. And it's a master class on how meditation and mindfulness can help us finally overcome the unhealthy patterns that live between our reality and the best version of ourselves lurking within.

Note: As a special thanks for listening, Dr. Brewer was gracious enough to offer my listeners a special discount on his evidence based habit change programs specifically designed to overcome anxiety and cravings. Visit drjud/richroll and enter code RICHROLL2019 and you will receive 20% off a subscription to any of his three apps for Android or iPhone (Unwinding Anxiety, Eat Right Now and Craving to Quit). As a disclaimer, I am not an affiliate and have no financial interest or otherwise with these programs – just sharing the good doctor's kind offer.

The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube. 

A companion piece to my recent podcast with Atomic Habits author James Clear, my hope is that this solution-based exchange assists you in overcoming the compulsions that don't serve you

On a personal level, I learned a ton — and have already experienced positive results.

Enjoy!

Rich

He's best known for popularizing Stoicism — an ancient philosophical yet highly practical operating system he pioneered to mainstream, modern adoption.

In his latest turn, Ryan Holiday expands his lens East.

In pursuit of shared wisdom across ancient Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Hebrew, Greek, Christian and Epicurean traditions, he discovered one essential truth — that inner peace is essential to a life of purpose, meaning and fulfillment.

Ryan calls it stillness — to be steady while the world spins around you.

A crucial characteristic of all great leaders, thinkers, artists, athletes and visionaries, it's a practice to transcend the stress of everyday life. An antidote to the distractions of our fast-paced world. And the ultimate path to meaning, contentment, and excellence in a world that needs more of it than ever.

For those unfamiliar, Ryan is an autodidact who dropped out of college at 19, maturing into one of the most important thinkers of his generation. Now 32, he is a media strategist, prolific writer and public speaker with six perennial bestselling books to his name, including Ego Is The Enemy,The Obstacle Is The Way, and Conspiracy. 

Making the digestible case for why slowing down is the secret weapon for charging ahead, Ryan's latest release — aptly titled Stillness Is The Key (hitting bookstores everywhere this week) — is your next must read and read again primer on living your best life.

Returning for this third appearance on the podcast (check out RRP #168 and #239), today we explore the essential elements of stillness — and its limitless applications for profound personal self-improvement.

Want to avoid distractions? Develop greater insight? Unlock creativity? Improve your decision making? Better your parenting skills? Enhance athletic performance?

The incredible power and practicality of cultivating placidity in our increasingly turbulent, tumultuous, reactive, distraction monopolized lives simply cannot be overstated.

Stillness is the key.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. 

I have great fondness for this human. I absolutely love this exchange. And sincerely hope you do as well.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

How do you find your path in the vast shadow cast by one of history's most accomplished and beloved humans?

For Laila Ali, the daughter of late global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali (the 8th of his 9 children), it wasn't easy. It wasn't always pretty. But over time, she found her voice. Staked her claim in very the ring that propelled her father to god-like status. And transcended that shadow as a multi-faceted talent that honors her father and yet is hers alone.

Although she was never an athlete growing up — and didn't take to the pugilistic arts until she was 18 — Laila would become the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing. A 4-time undefeated world champion, she racked up 24 wins, 21 knockouts and zero losses over the course of her storied career.

Retirement was just the beginning. Today the mother of two is a fitness & wellness advocate, TV host, home chef, cookbook author, and founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand.

A cultural icon in her own right, Laila currently hosts the Emmy Award Winning show Home Made Simple (which airs every Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network) and has appeared on everything from Celebrity Apprentice to Dancing With The Stars as well as Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America and many other national media outlets.

This is a conversation about the interior experience of growing up as a daughter of ‘The Greatest' — and the pressures and expectations that held.

It's about growing up in a broken household. The troubled youth that followed. Getting arrested. Meeting her bottom in a juvenile detention home. And the journey that followed to recreate herself.

It's about her often misunderstood career as a professional boxer. The entrepreneurism that propels her success. And the legacy she is dedicated to emulating.

But more than anything, this is a conversation about mindset. The cultivation of self-belief required to become a champion. Letting go of other's expectations. Developing the courage to fail. And the tools required to make your unique impact on the world.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. 

I had a ton of fun with Laila. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Newly rebranded from Guru Corner to Guru Multiverse — because after all the infinite has no sharp edges — today marks yet another deep dive with Guru Singh, my treasured friend and favorite wizard of all things mystical.

For those newer to the show, imagine a modern-day Gandalf who rocks like Hendrix while dropping pearls of wisdom that beautifully fuse Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism.

A celebrated third-generation Sikh yogi, master spiritual teacher, author, and family man, for the past 40 years Guru Singh has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga. He is the author of several books, a powerful lecturer, and behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, and artists.

A peer of rock legends like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, Guru Singh is also a talented musician who began his recording career on Warner Bros’ Reprise label in the 1960s. When he isn’t recording tracks with people like Seal, he’s bringing down the house on the daily at Yoga West, his Los Angeles home base.

Marking his 7th appearance on the show, today’s discourse is an adventure into the very nature of consciousness. It’s vast potential. And the potency it contains to both create and destroy.

Because everything that exists in the physical realm is but a manifestation of consciousness, it is this unseen force that is the truth of reality itself. Born as a seed, with the same potential to flower and proliferate.

Serving as an ethereal bookend to my recent and more scientific exploration of this subject with Annaka Harris (RRP #460), this discussion explores the spiritual nature, limitless mystery and interconnected design of that which defines everything. Consciousness — human, botanical, animal, elemental and universal. But more than anything, infinite.

In addition, we take the liberty of pulling on a few tangential threads, including the power of journaling, the explosion of cancel culture, the importance of maintaining a strong center point, and the transformative power of focusing on human commonalities over the differences that divide us.

As always, Guru Singh takes us out with a song, so make sure to stick around to the end.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube. Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Love. Connection. Pain.

Finding the universal in the specific. And beauty in the mundane.

This is but a few of the themes explored today with the woman dubbed ‘the voice of her generation' by Oprah magazine and ‘the poet laureate of the ordinary' by HuffPost.

Meet Kelly Corrigan.

Best known for her insightful, candid takes on the too-often overlooked moments that define our lives, Kelly's writing spills over with warmth, courage, vulnerability and humor — rendering her many books beloved by millions.

A Today Show regular, Kelly has authored a stack of New York Times bestsellers including, The Middle Place,Lift, and Glitter and Glue.Tell Me More, her most recent offering, is a deeply personal and very funny story-driven collection of essays on the twelve powerful phrases we use to sustain our relationships and make love and connection possible.

Named one of the best books of 2019 by Real Simple and Bustle, Tell Me More is both a high-recommend and the backdrop for today's dive into how we can cultivate more meaningful connection and deeper understanding with the people in our lives.

I met Kelly exactly a year ago at The Nantucket Project. In addition to being an extraordinary writer, she serves as the creative director of TNP — the right hand to organization founder Tom Scott, who shared his story on the podcast in April, 2018 (episode #360).

The latest in my series of guests sourced from this extraordinary event, I was immediately taken by her fun and fearless stage presence. Her curiosity. Her unique insights. And her unmistakeable charm. I knew she would make an amazing guest for the show. Today she delivers.

We begin by traversing Kelly's arc as a writer — how she developed her voice — and her role in shaping TNP.

Then we broaden the aperture, exploring her observations and insights into how we relate to the people in our lives — from our loved ones and children, to co-workers and strangers.

This is about finding beauty and poetry in the simple things. And why saying things like, ‘I don't know' or ‘I was wrong' or ‘tell me more' can provide a bedrock for the emotional experiences we seek most, yet too often elude us.

Better understanding. Greater empathy. Deeper intimacy. True connection.

You can watch it all go down on YouTube.

Enjoy!

Rich

Conventional wisdom dictates that mastery demands an early start. Relentless focus at the exclusion of other pursuits. And as many hours of deliberate practice as humanly possible.

Be it violin, painting, basketball or boat building, there’s simply no substitute for a life wholly devoted to developing that narrowly defined skill.

Hence the “10,000 hour rule” zeitgeist embrace — an edict divined by psychologist Anders Ericcson and made famous by Malcolm Gladwell.

But is this actually true?

Today’s guest put this theory to the test, researching the world’s top performers across a wide variety of disciplines to discover a most counter-intuitive truth — that early specialization is actually the exception to the rule. It turns out that the most successful among us are those who developed broad interests and skills while everyone else was rushing to specialize.

Today we explore why breadth is the ally of depth – not the opposite. And why generalists are the ones most primed to excel.

Enter journalist and multiple New York Times bestselling author, David Epstein.

In addition to being an exceptional runner (he set the Columbia University record for 800 meters), David is a former investigative reporter for both ProPublica and Sports Illustrated with master's degrees in environmental science and journalism. Three of his stories have been optioned for films. And his TED Talk, Are Athletes Really Getting Better, Faster, Stronger? has been viewed over 8 million times (and even shared by Bill Gates).

David is currently best known for his two smash-hit bestsellers, The Sports Gene: Inside The Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance and Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. A #1 New York Times bestseller, Range is arguably the must-read breakout hit of 2019 — a book as much about parenting as it is about performance.

This is an insanely informative and engrossing conversation about the benefits of being a generalist — in career, sports, science, art, and life.

In a world that heavily favors early specialization, we discuss why it’s often the late bloomers who prevail. Why it's the jacks-of-all-traders rather than the nose-to-the-grindstoners who ultimately blaze a path to greater success, happiness and fulfillment in both career and life.

We discuss David's infamous debate with Malcolm Gladwell that changed the famous thinker's mind — and spawned David’s groundbreaking books.

We talk about the benefits of inefficiency. Why frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. And why failing isn’t just good, but the best way to learn.

Our greatest masters — professional athletes, Nobel laureates, musicians, inventors, and scientists — all resist siloing themselves in a single field. Instead they think broadly. Embrace diverse experiences. And constantly cultivate new interests.

My hope is that David’s message will inspire you to do the same.

And if you’re a late bloomer like myself, this exchange is certain to reassure and delight.

Enjoy!

Rich

Has it really been a full year since Julie appeared on the podcast?

Well that's just not right.

So today marks the latest installment in my ongoing series of ponderous mind melds with my wife and in-house spiritual guru, the wise and ethereal Julie Piatt, aka SriMati.

Longtime listeners are well acquainted with my better half. For those newer to the show, Julie is many things — the bestselling author of three vegan cookbooks. An accomplished yogi, healer, musician, and mom to four children. The host of the For The Life of Me podcast. And the master of Water Tiger, her online spiritual community where she muses on all matters metaphysical.

Julie has a lot to say. And this time it's personal.

This conversation opens with a wide-ranging discussion wherein we take stock of our marriage. Discuss the next evolution of our two-decade relationship. And share our collective experiences to explore relationship fulfillment in general.

We talk about low moments – my relapse (almost 8 years ago), grief, rebirth, and divorce. We discuss creativity and taking responsibility for our personal connections. We recap our recent retreat in Italy. And we conclude by diving into Julie’s current obsessions — her For The Life of Me podcast and quickly growing online spiritual community, Water Tiger.

And we conclude with a very big announcement.

Let me set the stage. As many of you know, Julie spent years devoted to mastering the art of plant-based cheese. That journey birthed This Cheese Is Nuts, her groundbreaking cookbook primer on all things non-dairy. In the years since that book's publication, she continued to iterate on her recipes, taking her creations next level.

The privileged few who have tested her achievements know very well just how insanely delicious it is. People literally freak out. Chances are you've even heard a few on mic raves from many a former podcast guest — Julie's favorite taste testers.

The response has been so unanimously positive, she spent the last year assembling the pieces to create her very own direct-to-consumer artisanal plant-based cheese line.

It's called SriMu. It's launching in mid-November 2019. And she is proud to announce that she is currently taking pre-orders.

Unlike anything else in the current marketplace, SriMu artisanal “not cheese” is the next evolution of non-dairy delights. Vegan, paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free and made with mostly organic ingredients, it's a super-charged, divine offering beautifully packaged in a subscription box. When you sign up, you’ll get three different tiers of extraordinary, next-level plant-based cheese delivered directly to your home on a monthly basis.

I am super proud of Julie's manifestation. It's going to be huge. I know you're going to love it. And I wanted my podcast tribe to have the very first opportunity to try what I've been (semi-secretly) enjoying for the last year.

To learn more and place your order, visit SriMu.com.

Now, on to the podcast. The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Let's talk about talking to someone.

Personally, I've been in and out of therapy for more than two decades. Over the last couple years, I've been deeply immersed in a weekly therapist-led men's group — intimate game-changing sessions that have helped me work through deep-seated stuff that lives and breathes beyond 12-step.

We're only as sick as our secrets. The path to healing and personal growth requires openly sharing our hidden struggles. Bearing our vulnerabilities. And allowing others to identify the blind spots that elude us.

My point is that we all need help. And as today's guest will openly admit, even therapists benefit from therapy.

A Los Angeles-based psychotherapist, journalist and author, Lori Gottlieb writes the weekly ‘Dear Therapist’ column for The Atlantic. She contributes to several prominent publications including The New York Times. And she recurs as a mental health expert on a variety of national television and radio outlets including, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, Dr. Phil, CNN, and NPR’s ‘Fresh Air.'

In addition, Lori is the author of three books: Marry Him,Stick Figure and her latest, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, a fun and highly relatable romp behind the scenes of a therapist’s world. What it’s like to be a therapist. And what it’s like to be a therapist in therapy.

A hit that spent many weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, the book was listed as People magazine’s ‘Book of the Week.' O magazine named it one of the ‘Best Nonfiction Books of 2019.' And it's currently being developed into a TV series with Eva Longoria.

This is a conversation about what happens when a therapist — someone specifically trained to understand what makes people do what they do — experiences her own personal crisis.

But it’s also a broader conversation about mental well-being in general. About the benefits of therapy. And why we can all better ourselves by talking to a professional.

In addition, we discuss the psychological impact of comparing ourselves to others. Healthy and unhealthy parenting practices. Repairing ruptured relationships. And many other topics.

I should note that I did my very best to resist making this a personal therapy session (not easy!).

As a final thought: if you are struggling in the darkness, don't wait to talk to someone. If you're afraid to shed light on that thing — whether it be anger, shame, addiction, resentment, depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts — don't wait to talk to someone. Don't wait until it's a crisis. Find the courage. Reach out. raise your hand. Help awaits you.

You can watch our entire conversation on YouTube.

Enjoy!

Rich

Screens and cubicles. Shoes and chairs. Fluorescent lights and air conditioned offices. Processed foods. Netflix and chill.

Disconnecting us from our essential human nature, modern living isn't making us happier. Ironically, it's driving an existential crisis of unprecedented proportions — rendering us more sick, immobile, lonely, depressed, and unfulfilled than ever.

It's time to stop. It's time we reconnect with that which is most essential.

Nature. Movement. Community. Love.

To do that, we must adopt a more naturalistic approach to lifestyle.

This week's guest calls it rewilding.

Meet Tony Riddle – a natural lifestyle coach and barefoot running enthusiast who has devoted his life to studying what makes us human and how to live naturally in the modern world. Through the adoption of simple practices — many of which defined humanity for millennia — he aids people in living healthier and more connected lives by changing our relationship to ourselves, to others and our personal environments.

Putting his life philosophy into action, Tony is attempting to run the entire length of Great Britain, barefoot. Beginning September 1 at Land’s End, he will run 900 miles — 30 miles a day for 30 consecutive days — until he reaches John O'Groats, convening with sustainability experts along the way. To learn more, join him for a segment or otherwise get involved, visit tonyriddle.com.

I was initially introduced to Tony through The Happy Pear twins. Enamored with his instructional Instagram tutorials on natural lifestyle practices, I knew he’d make for a fun and highly instructive podcast.

My day with Tony began with a running technique tutorial, followed by a trail run (which Tony did barefoot of course, to my amazement given the sharp rocky terrain), and culminated in this conversation.

As an aside, please check out the fun and informative video we created from my run with Tony. It's called You've Been Running Wrong. Shout out to Ali Rogers for a bang up job directing and editing

This is a conversation about the importance of getting back to what works best for our bodies by deepening our natural and ancient connection to ourselves, to others and our environments. It begins with getting outdoors. But it extends from there — to movement, to food (of course), sleep, digestion, parenting, play, and even the re-configuration of our homes and workplaces.

Tony's Tutorials: As a gesture of thanks for listening, Tony set up a special discount on his squat and running video tutorials. Visit vimeo.com/thenaturallifestylist and use the discount code: RICHROLL50. As a disclaimer, I am not an affiliate and have no financial interest. I'm just sharing information I think you will find helpful.

In addition to the vlog, you can watch our entire conversation on YouTube. And the episode is of course available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

May Tony's wisdom and experience leave you inspired to live more naturally and mindfully. Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

How does a relatively conservative, risk averse person evolve into an unbreakable champion? Someone confident enough to put everything on the line for an audacious dream?

This is the story of Gwen Jorgensen — an accountant turned ‘Queen of Triathlon' who walked away from swim-bike-run at the peak of her powers to ply her skills in an entirely new discipline: the marathon.

Gwen’s athletic career began as a swimmer, competing at the University of Wisconsin as a walk on before making the switch to track & field, maturing into an NCAA standout and Big 10 Champion. But the end of college marked the end of her athletic ambitions. Declining a professional running career, she opted for civilian life, joining Ernst & Young as a CPA.

Eventually, USA Triathlon lured Gwen back to athletics. Within two years, Gwen made her first Olympic team and matured into the sport's dominant force, accumulating 2 Triathlon World Champion titles and 17 ITU World Triathlon Series wins, culminating in gold at the 2016 Games in Rio.

After a year off racing to give birth to her son Stanley, Gwen announced her retirement from triathlon, along with a brazen new goal: to win marathon gold in Tokyo.

It's a feat no American woman has accomplished since Joan Benoit Samuelson broke the tape at the inaugural women's marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad.

A few weeks ago I was invited by Jaybird Sport to join a group of adventure-seeking endurance junkies in Montana's Glacier National Park. The official occasion was to celebrate the launch of Jaybird's new Vista wireless earbuds (which I'm loving by the way). The unofficial occasion was to retreat and connect — old-school, analog campfire style — with like-minded, high vibration humans. It's a group that included Gwen and husband Patrick Lemieux, as well as a few former podcast guests like Knox Robinson (RRP #394), Timothy Olson (RRP #78), and Sanjay Rawal (RRP #389).

This podcast is a product of that uniquely beautiful experience — a great conversation and audience Q&A conducted outdoors with my fellow Jaybird retreat attendees.

It's about Gwen's career. Her philosophy on training and racing. Overcoming injury. And the why behind her decision to pursue the marathon.

It's about how her ambitious dream was received by the running community, and what she has learned training alongside legends like Shalane Flanagan at the Bowerman Track Club.

It's about her ‘Champion Only' mindset. The nature of her motivation. The importance of agency — the freedom to forge her own unique path. And why this power is so crucial to Gwen's success and happiness.

Finally, we explore how she balances her career as a full-time professional athlete against marriage, family and motherhood — and the crucial role Gwen's husband Patrick (who makes a cameo appearance) plays in her success equation.

But most of all, this is an exploration of the tension between risk and certainty. The rare courage required to walk away from success.

Enjoy!

Rich

We craft our identity around story. And that story is comprised of beliefs. But you are not your beliefs. And that story isn't just incomplete, it's generally wrong.

The path to self-actualization requires deconstructing that story. And disentangling your beliefs from the truth of your highest self.

To do this we must unlearn much of what we reflexively accept as truth. And open ourselves to a more expansive perspective.

My guest for this exploration is the Toronto-based, rapper, author and spoken word artist, Kanwer Singh, known broadly as Humble The Poet.

Covered in tattoos, a thick beard, and Sikh head wrap, Humble commands attention with his silly smile and warm, inviting presence. A former school teacher turned artist, he challenges conventional wisdom with dynamic live sets that simultaneously entertain while questioning the status quo.

Humble shares his distinctive style and point of view on his wildly popular blog. He's been featured on a multitude of media outlets, including CBC's Canada Reads, as well as on Apple's first Canadian ad spot for their #ShotOnIphone campaign. He's the author of Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths for A Better Life* and the upcoming book, Things No One Else Can Teach Us*, hitting bookstores everywhere October 15, 2019 and available for pre-order now.

Flipping the script for happiness, Humble's point is simple — our hardest moments are our greatest teachers, because they invite us to change our perspectives. We can't control the setbacks in life but we do have the power to control how we react to them.

It's a process that begins with unlearning what we think we know. And being open to a new story — about ourselves, others and the world we share.

This is a fun and wide-ranging conversation about that very shift. Sharing raw and honest stories from his own life — from his rocky start to becoming a rapper to nearly going broke to his worst breakups — it's an exploration of how a change in mindset can radically alter our outlook.

It's about arresting our negative impulses to see the positive opportunity in everything.

It's about the power of gratitude and mindfulness.

It's about art, creativity, and authenticity.

It's about the difference between paying attention and getting attention.

But mostly, it's about the power of story. How you are not your beliefs. What we all may need to unlearn. And how a change in perspective about one's own story can transform everything.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/humblethepoet461 (please subscribe!) 

Humble brings great energy. I loved learning about his life and experience. And I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist?

We take ‘experience' for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?

Our guide for today's philosophic and scientific exploration of these mysteries is Annaka Harris.

An editor and consultant for science writers specializing in neuroscience and physics, Annaka is the author of the children's book I Wonder, a collaborator on the Mindful Games Activity Cards, by Susan Kaiser Greenland, and a volunteer mindfulness teacher for the Inner Kids organization.

Annaka's work has appeared in The New York Times and all of her guided meditations and lessons for children are available on the Waking Up app, the digital meditation platform created by her husband Sam Harris — the renown author, public intellectual, blogger, and podcast host.

Annaka’s latest book — which recently hit the New York Times bestseller list and provides the focus for today’s conversation — is entitled, Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind. A must-read for any and all curious about one of the Universe's great mysteries, it's a brief yet mind-bending read that challenges our assumptions about the nature, origin and purpose of consciousness.

Equal parts nerdy and fun, this is a deeply profound conversation that tackles the very nature of consciousness itself — and what it means to be a living being having ‘an experience'.

We discuss how Annaka became interested in this field and the path undertaken to writing this book.

Parsing instinct from scientific fact, we deconstruct our assumptions about consciousness and grapple with its essential nature — what is consciousness exactly? And where does it physically reside?

We discuss meditation and artificial intelligence. We dive into plant consciousness. We explore panpsychism (a theory I quite fancy). And we muse about the role of spirituality in scientific inquiry.

All told, this tackles the current limits of science and human understanding and leaves us wondering, is it possible to truly understand everything?

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/annakaharris460 (please subscribe!)

An intellectual delight from start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Annaka and I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Today's guest is many things. A fiercely independent singer, songwriter and musician. A bestselling author and blogger. A playwright and director. A riveting speaker and a viral TED Talk-er. A crowdfunding mom. An ardent feminist. And a fearless activist.

Living and breathing at the cutting edge of expression in all forms, Amanda Palmer is an iconic, bold and sui generis performer constantly innovating what it means to be an artist in the modern age.

Getting her start as a busking eight-foot bride statue in Harvard Square, she would go on to form one-half of the inventive, punk cabaret act The Dresden Dolls before launching one of the most successful crowd-funded solo careers in music history.

Leaning into her devoted audience to support her seemingly endless fount of creativity, Amanda helped resuscitate the ancient art of artistic patronage, giving us all permission to ask. And more importantly perhaps, the encouragement to receive.

Further to this idea, The Art of Asking, Amanda's sensational 2013 TED Talk, would go on to be viewed over 20 million times and led to her New York Times bestselling memoir, The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help*.

Leveraging her legion of 15,000 Patreon supporters, Amanda’s career is wholly devoted to her adoring fans eager to support her creations. Her latest offering, There Will Be No Intermission, is a beautiful, haunting and powerful solo album and world tour that grapples with the very personal and social emotional landscape of abortion, miscarriage and death.

This past May I had the good fortune to witness Amanda's epic 4 1/2 hour show at the Ace Theatre here in LA. I was extremely moved by it. And even more privileged to host this conversation with her the following day.

This is a conversation about what it means to be radically compassionate — open-hearted to even those we deem undeserving — and why humanity depends on empathy for its survival.

It's about the strength that can be gathered when we're courageous enough to be truly vulnerable.

It's about the perniciousness of perfectionism — the true enemy of creative expression.

Why asking help is so hard, but crucial — also welcome.

And some uncomfortable truths about my hero Henry David Thoreau. Hint: it involves donuts.

In the spirit of vulnerability, I'll freely admit I was a bit nervous and intimidated — I mean who wouldn't be?

Nonetheless, it was an honor to spend an hour with one of the great creative voices of our time. I'm delighted to share the experience with you today.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/amandapalmer459 (please subscribe!)

Enjoy!

Rich

Tattoos. High intensity sound. Stage diving. For the unfamiliar, it's chaos. Scary. Violent, even. But to today's guest, being hardcore straight edge is magical — a grassroots community dedicated to art, not anarchy. Celebrating life. And making the world a better place.

Best known around the world as the charismatic, energetic and always smiling front man for hardcore punk band H2O, Toby Morse was raised by a single mom in Massachusetts before moving to New York City in 1988 with a dream of becoming a musician. Immersing himself in the burgeoning punk rock scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side, he worked odd jobs. He was a roadie. And in 1994, inspired by Bad Brains, he formed a band that would ultimately become synonymous with the Straight Edge and Positive Mental Attitude (‘PMA”) movements.

Their self-titled debut album came out in 1996. Over the years, H2O has played alongside acts like No Doubt and Misfits. In 1998 and 1999 they joined the Warped Tour. Still together, the band continues to pack venues the world over, including a recent European tour that featured Toby's teenage son Max on drums.

A dedicated vegan who has never himself touched drugs or alcohol, Toby is also a family man, self-professed “Emo Dad” and the founder of One Life One Chance — a non-profit dedicated to inspiring elementary, middle and high school students to make healthy choices and live a drug-free life. Through public speaking engagements, Toby informs kids how possible it is to maintain PMA, break stereotypes, be a leader, and maintain self-respect.

Toby first came on my radar a couple years ago by way of podcast favorite, Cro-Mags frontman and fellow hardcore PMA warrior John Joseph. A friend of JJ's is a friend of mine, so I got hip to Toby's Instagram and quickly fell in love with his consistent flow of uplifting posts. His family-centric high vibe. The gentle, beautiful and uncompromising way he celebrates individuality, honoring the misfits and uplifting the weirdos. And his unwavering commitment to serving kids with his enthusiastic message of hope and positivity.

I needed to know more.

So here we are.

Of course, this is a conversation about Toby's life. Being raised by older brothers who taught him to skate, introduced him to the music that would define his life and scared him straight. It's about what he learned about life from Bad Brains, Cro-Mags and Napoleon Hill. It's about veganism. Parenting. Art. And, of course, PMA.

But most of all, this is a conversation about honoring non-conformity — exalting what makes you uniquely you. It's about the importance of community and family. And it's about the courage to blaze your own path.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/tobymorse458 (please subscribe!)

One thing is for sure — I've found a new friend in Toby. I'm inspired by his wisdom and example. And I'm honored to share his extraordinary life with you today.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Hey it's that guy. You know the guy, right?

The guy with the crazy moustache in that Ben Affleck movie? The Man In Black from Lost? The Irish gangster in Sons of Anarchy?

Oh, right. THAT GUY.

Titus Welliver has one of the longest lists of working actor credits in Hollywood. Nonetheless, this über-talented veteran of stage and screen spent most of his storied career slightly outside Tinsletown's white hot spotlight.

But that changed with the 2014 premier of Amazon's Original Series Bosch. A hardboiled noir crime procedural based on a series of Michael Connelly novels, the show caught fire and is currently in production on its sixth season. Suffice it to say, Titus' heavily lauded portrayal of  L.A.P.D. detective Harry Bosch landed him center on the zeitgeist stage.

But this man is much more than an amazing actor finally enjoying his moment. He is a friend. And a true artist.

Raised by a fashion illustrator mom and celebrated landscape painter Neil Welliver, Titus spent his formative years surrounded by a community of influential poets, writers, photographers and fine artists. Initially a painter himself, his father taught young Titus early and often that creative mastery required discipline. Patience. And a work ethic as rugged as New England winters.

Perhaps an artist’s life was pre-destined for Titus. But his early passion for painting would eventually be displaced by a love of theater.

It's a career that would eventually put him on a trajectory to work alongside some of the most brilliant minds in storytelling. People like David Milch, the creator of NYPD Blue, Deadwood and John From Cincinatti, who would become a father figure to Titus. Steven Bochco, producer of Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law. And Ben Affleck, who has cast Titus in all of his movies: Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo.

In fact, it's been said that Titus has appeared in literally everything.

This is a conversation about what it means to live a creative life. What is required to succeed an artist. And what it's like to devote your life to mastering a craft.

We talk about how personal loss and fatherhood informs his process. Why gratitude and humility attract opportunity. And the importance of self-confidence, belief and personal drive in the artistic success equation.

While art is subjective, not all art warrants merit. Bad art exists. And there is indeed an objective truth to good art.

Titus is dedicated to this ethos. Today he shares his story.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/TitusWelliver457 (please subscribe!)

I love this man. And it's a privilege to share his wisdom and experience with you today. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

He’s back! One of the most fascinating and popular guests to grace this platform, Today Zach Bush, MD returns for a third mind-altering bend around the multiverse.

For the uninitiated, Zach's varied interests belie attempts to properly define him — but I'll give it a try. One of the few triple board certified physicians in America with expertise in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Hospice/Palliative care, he is the founder and director of M Clinic integrative health center in Virginia.

In addition to his experience in functional medicine, longevity, autism, gut health, cancer, and many other areas of medicine, he is an avid environmentalist and activist involved in a multitude of projects that focus on ecology, regenerative agriculture, farmer well-being and spirituality.

To advocate for soil health & food independence, Zach is also the creator of Farmer's Footprint. Seen through the lens of farmers and their communities, it's a documentary series & grassroots movement that evaluates the impact of monocrop farming and pesticide reliance on chronic disease and planetary health — while simultaneously exploring evidence-based solutions to rebuild living biodiversity and ultimately reverse climate change.

But more than anything, Zach is a healer. A master consciousness. A gift to humanity. And someone I am very proud to call friend.

Zach's initial appearance on the podcast (RRP 353) blew minds across the world. Our second conversation (RRP 414) was one of the most moving conversations of my life. So it just seemed right to invite Zach and his holistic health coach, consultant and yoga teacher wife Jenn Perell Bush to join us on our recent retreat in Italy.

If you listened to either of our previous conversations, it would be reasonable to expect this discussion to further explore the impact of industrialized food systems on human and ecological health. However, that assumption would be wrong.

Instead, we delve inside to explore our individual and collective experience with pain, both psychic and physical.

We deconstruct our unhealthy obsession with comfort.

We stress test the stories we craft that form our identity, stunt our evolution, and ultimately hold us hostage.

And we explore a new path to freedom — liberation from that which ails us so that we can self-actualize, and together embrace our inherent divinity.

Akin to the recent episode with Gemma Newman, MD (RRP 449), this exchange was recorded before a live audience of retreat attendees in Italy (thus audio only) and concludes with Zach leading a meditation, edited down for time and the sake of the listener.

In closing, I want to express gratitude for our extraordinary Plantpower Italia community, who were collectively moved to donate $81,000 towards Zach’s Farmer’s Footprint organization and docu-series. On behalf of Zach, Jenn and the organization, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

What is the secret to running impossibly fast? Or distances longer than previously imagined?

Beginning in the 1960's, an unknown farm boy turned coach named Bob Larsen launched a decades-long quest to find the ‘secret sauce' of speed and endurance that would eventually revolutionize the sport and catapult American running onto the national stage.

This is the story of how Larsen took turned a rag-tag group of also-ran junior college athletes called the Jamul Toads into cult-favorite national champions. Later, he would apply his secret training regimen to athletes like Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor to create victories at the New York and Boston Marathons as well as the Olympics.

To unpack this incredible yarn, today I sit down with New York Times Deputy Sports Editor Matthew Futterman.

A graduate of Union College and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Matthew has previously worked for The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Star-Ledger of New Jersey, where he was a part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News in 2005.

An avid marathoner, Matthew became obsessed with the history of American distance running and the training innovations that create champions. The result of this quest is his new book, Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed. Part Bob Larsen biography and part autobiography, it's a fascinating account of how one maverick coach discovered and developed the unorthodox paradigm that would launch American runners to unprecedented breakthroughs and ultimately inform the protocols of some of today’s most fleet of foot.

From Bob Bowerman and Steve Prefontaine to the quest to break the 2-hour marathon, today's exploration focuses on the science behind running performance. The ongoing quest to find the secret sauce of speed and endurance. And the evolving crusade to run faster and farther than ever before.

It’s about what can be learned from Bob Larsen's example, and the methods he pioneered that led to his stature as one of the greatest running coaches of all time.

And it’s about our shared love for the sport of running.

Even if running isn't your thing, I think you will find this conversation compelling. The stories are legend. And the life lessons applicable across disciplines.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/matthewfutterman455 (please subscribe!)

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

To be totally honest, I don't follow the pugilistic arts all that closely. But professional boxer barely describes this week's guest — a man who has faced stacked odds and overcome career-ending setbacks to meet the biggest moment of his life.

Ask him how he did it, and Mike Lee answers with conviction: it's all about mindset.

A professional light heavyweight boxer currently 21 – 0 with 11 knockouts, this Saturday, July 20th Mike will be fighting for his first world title against Caleb Plant — the current Undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion. It’s Mike’s first fight in 13 months. On the other hand, Plant (18-0 with 10 knockouts) is fresh off his biggest victory. Suffice it to say, it’s shaping up to be quite the bout. And it's all going down live on Fox PBC, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Hardly your average fighter, what compels me about Mike is the unique path he's blazed to arrive at this place. This is a guy who studied business at Notre Dame, where he relaxed by reading The Wall Street Journal and watching CNBC. When he graduated in 2009 with a 3.8 GPA in finance, he was welcomed with lucrative opportunities on Wall Street. But then he takes the road less traveled, turning every job offer down to pursue a lifelong dream: winning Chicago’s Golden Gloves.

He did just that. The following year, he went pro, winning his first two professional fights. The national spotlight shone bright. Endorsement contracts followed. The boxing world, it appeared, was his oyster.

You might say the rest is history. But that belies the severity of his next bout — a fight for his life that blindsided him outside the ring.

At the peak of his career, after knocking out Tyler Seever in 2012, Mike fell prey to a mysterious health condition that would bench him for over two years. Experiencing great pain in his joints, severe headaches and debilitating chronic fatigue, doctors struggled to determine the cause. Some believed it was psychological. Others prescribed a multitude of drugs, none of which resolved his underlying predicament. But all of them told him he would never fight again. The hospital bed had become home. His identity challenged, he suddenly felt worthless, succumbing to a deep depression.

Nonetheless, Mike never gave up hope. He committed to seeking alternative and non-traditional solutions, which culminated in a diagnosis: an auto-immune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis. A version of arthritis, AS can be devastating both physically and mentally for anyone, let alone a professional athlete who pushes his body to the limit every day.

The path forward hasn't been easy. Mike wakes up in pain every day. But he's gone all in on this comeback. And that's something worth all of us getting behind.

Layered with life lessons and formative takeaways, this is a conversation about the value of perseverance. It's about deploying a potent mindset to keep your dream live, no matter the circumstances. It's about visualizing success. And it's about the importance of always giving back.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/mikelee454 (please subscribe!)

An exemplary ambassador of sport, I really enjoyed Mike. I think you will too.

Enjoy!

Rich

Why is great food important? How and why did restaurants become culturally significant? And what life lessons can be gleaned from the world's greatest chef?

There is no more enthusiastic ringmaster for this exploration than the merry man of food himself, Jeff Gordinier.

A writer, journalist and author who sits at the converging junction of food and culture, Jeff is a frequent contributor to the New York Times and currently serves as the Food and Drinks editor at Esquire Magazine.

A graduate of Princeton University where he studied writing and poetry, Jeff is a former writer and editor for Entertainment Weekly, editor at large for Details magazine and over the years has written about music and culture for a multitude of national publications, including Travel + Leisure, GQ, Elle, Creative Nonfiction, Spin, Poetry Foundation, Fortune, and many others.

The occasion for today’s conversation is Jeff’s new book, Hungry: Eating, Road-Tripping, and Risking It All with the Greatest Chef in the World*. Equal parts mid-life crisis autobiography, adventure travelogue and biography, it chronicles the four years Jeff spent traveling with René Redzepi, the renowned chef of Copenhagen's Noma — recently fêted as the #2 best restaurant in the world — in search of the most tantalizing flavors the world has to offer. And yet, the book really isn't about food. A meditation on risk, re-invention, creative breakthroughs, and human connection, it sits atop my recommended summer reads.

I first met Jeff in 2015 when he visited our home for a New York Times feature he was penning on the rise of veganism. Dubbed Vegans Go Glam, the piece caught fire, including a day spent as the #1 most e-mailed story on the entire New York Times website. Suffice it say, this was an insanely big moment for us, and the plant-based movement at large.

In the aftermath of that experience, Jeff and I struck up a friendship He sent me an early copy of Hungry, which I devoured. It left me wanting to know more about Jeff. About food culture. About the mysterious René Redzepi. And what can be learned about life from this charismatic, cult-like genius redefining cutting-edge cuisine.

So here we are. This is a conversation about total commitment to mastery. It's about creative expression. It's about the cruciality of constant, fearless re-invention. It's about investing in experience. And it's about the importance of deep human connection — to others, oneself, and the environment we share.

As an anecdotal aside, it is this conversation that inspired my recent and uncharacteristically spontaneous decision to join Jeff and fellow food writer Adam Platt in Copenhagen a few weeks back. A once-in-a-lifetime, seat of our pants adventure I won't soon forget, we toured the city with René and his head fermentation wizard David Zilber (a seriously fascinating dude in his own right). We experienced the Noma phenomenon behind the scenes. And we enjoyed the premier of the restaurant's new forage-forward Plant Kingdom menu — a truly psychedelic experience incomparable to anything I have previously encountered.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

The tectonic plates of the workplace landscape are rapidly shifting. Gone are the days of multi-decade corporate allegiance, replaced with project-based careers. The rapid rise of the freelance economy. And a labor core increasingly distributed across the globe.

What are the economic and social implications of this trend? How can the traditional office be re-imagined to fit this escalating movement? And what role can architecture and design play to deepen community and foster personal happiness?

There is no better steward to explore these important questions than this week's guest, Miguel McKelvey.

A talented, multi-disciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Miguel is the Co-Founder of WeWork — the ubiquitous, communal co-working space company — where he currently serves as the Chief Culture Officer, directing construction, architecture and web design for the business.

Raised on a commune in Oregon, Miguel earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon, where he played on the Oregon Ducks basketball team for two years. Prior to WeWork, Miguel created the design framework and led the national retail roll-out for 170 American Apparel stores. Subsequently, he was involved in the early-stage development of several companies, including Green Desk, Barre3, Versation, and English, Baby!

Because Miguel shares responsibility for creating and leading one of the world's most successful companies, one might predictably suspect this is a conversation about business. It is not. To be sure, we track his entrepreneurial journey. But this man's success has less to do with commerce and more to do with purpose. A deep commitment to community. And an intentional life devoted to fostering meaningful human connection.

Over the course of two and a half hours, we explore how Miguel's unusual upbringing in a five-mother commune and his experience playing NCAA Division I basketball created the ‘Communitarian' philosophy that would later inform the cultural foundation for WeWork.

We discuss Miguel's love of architecture and the important role design plays in modeling our professional and personal lives. How growing up in the town that produced Nike inspired an entrepreneurial drive to create an aspirational brand. And what his career at American Apparel taught him about engaging consumer culture at scale.

But more than anything, this is a conversation with a remarkably humble man driven by gratitude and purpose to create new and original habitats that fuel a more connected world — and ultimately more fulfilling lives.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/miguelmckelvey452 (please subscribe!) 

Enjoy!

Rich

For reasons both obvious and perhaps less so, this week's episode holds a very special place in my heart.

There is something unique about sitting before a microphone that permits a species of conversation difficult to otherwise have. Done right, the inherent formality of putting it all on the record can countenance an experience of rare intimacy that scarcely transpires in the course of conventional human interaction.

From the very beginning of this podcast journey, I've longed to host my father on the show. To provide a ceremonial opportunity to probe his life, uninterrupted. To learn things about him I've always wanted to know — but for whatever reason just never found the right occasion to ask.

For years, I harbored the fear that if I didn't make such an experience a priority, it might never happen. And that would be something I would deeply regret for the rest of my days.

My drive was never to share such an experience with an audience. I wasn't convinced the conversation I yearned for would be appropriate for public consumption. It's always been about creating a moment just for us. A document I could privately keep for posterity. And for my children.

However, a compelling reason recently arose to transform this rumination into reality.

A gentleman and a scholar, Dave Roll has spent the better part of his life studying history. The apex of this passion is an incredible new book entitled, George Marshall: Defender of the Republic*. An enthralling and deeply thoughtful chronicle of America's most distinguished soldier since George Washington, it's also a deeply prescient and timely meditation on selflessness, leadership, and the momentous importance of moral character in political and social structures. The embodiment of these ideals, Marshall influenced the course of two world wars, and helped define the American century.

By way of background, my dad has enjoyed a very successful 35 year career as an accomplished attorney in the field of antitrust. Over the years, he successfully defended clients in investigations and enforcement actions brought by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. After government service at the FTC he matriculated to partner and ultimately managing partner of the prestigious Washington, D.C.- based international law firm Steptoe & Johnson. Later in his career, he founded the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, a non-profit, public interest organization that provides pro bono legal services to social entrepreneurs around the world.

Now in his third act, Dave is enjoying a successful career as an author. Also historical biographies, his previous titles include The Hopkins Touch: Harry Hopkins and the Forging of the Alliance to Defeat Hitler* and Louis Johnson and the Arming of America*, a biography of Harry Truman's defense secretary.

Enjoy!

Rich

This week I sit down with Rebecca Rusch – one of the world’s greatest adventure athletes.

Rebecca is a 7-time World Champion, best-selling author, activist, and Emmy winner. In addition to superhuman success on a mountain bike, she has performed at the elite level across a multitude of disciplines including rock climbing, white water rafting, and multi-day adventure events like Eco Challenge.

Still crushing it at 50, Rebecca is redefining human capability in real time.

Beyond athletics, Rebecca is a TEDx speaker, author of Rusch To Glory* and the founder of the Be Good Foundation. In addition, she is the event producer of Rebecca’s Private Idaho, a bike race in her hometown of Ketchum, and the protagonist in Blood Road, an extraordinary documentary that chronicles her 1,800 km mountain bike adventure along the Ho Chi Minh Trail to reach the site where her U.S. Air Force pilot father was shot down in Laos more than 40 years earlier during Vietnam.

Dubbed ‘The Queen of Pain' by Adventure Sports magazine, Rebecca was named #6 on Active.com’s list of the World's Top 100 Athletes, Singletrack.com’s Mountain Biker of the Year, Sports Illustrated Adventure Racing Team of the Year, and Outside magazine’s Top 20 Female Athletes of the Year.

Rebecca's accomplishments are beyond impressive. But today's conversation lives beyond elite performance to explore things like curiosity. The richness of adventure. Feeding the soul. Continuous personal growth. Redefining age. Contributing to the greater good. And giving back.

But most of all, this is about what can be gleaned by leaning into the unknown. And living outside the comfort zone. Because there is so much more to this incredible woman than athletic prowess.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Rebecca. My hope is that it leaves you re-evaluating your personal limits. And inspired to live more adventurously.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/rebeccarusch450 (please subscribe!)

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Recorded live during our recent Plantpower Italia retreat in Tuscany, I'm delighted to share a fun and highly informative conversation and audience Q&A with the delightful, whip-smart “Plant Power Doctor” herself.

Gemma Newman, MD has worked in medicine for 15 years, the last decade serving as Senior Partner at a family medical practice in the U.K.. She studied at the University of Wales College of Medicine and has worked in many specialities as a doctor including elderly care, endocrinology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, general surgery, urology, vascular surgery, rehabilitation medicine and General Practice.

In recent years she has developed a specialist interest in plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine, serving as a Jikiden Reiki practitioner and advisory board member of Plant Based Health Professionals UK. On the daily, she provides evidence based nutrition, mental and physical health modalities, energetic healing and lifestyle advice to her patients, who have gained tremendous results using the power of their plate.

As a broadcaster and writer she has been featured on numerous national press outlets including ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky News Sunrise. She is a regular contributor Glamour, Zest and Health magazines and has appeared in the feature film Vegan 2018.

Gemma's journey to plant-based advocacy isn't rooted in ideology or moral compunction, but rather on hard science matched with self-experimentation.

As a young doctor in a high-pressure environment, like many newly minted physicians she began neglecting her own health. Struggling with her weight, and having bought into the background hum of ‘cut the carbs', she adopted a low carb diet. Calorie counting ensued, combined with a modest daily exercise routine.

It worked. Sort of. Dropping from a size 18 to a size 8, she was feeling pretty good about herself. Then she checked her blood profile to discover an elevated lipid profile, markers suggesting a tendency to heart disease. She shrugged off to genetics. Both her father and grandfather died relatively young of atherosclerosis. It's just something I was born with. Something I just have to live with.

Nonetheless, she couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps there was something she could do to alter this seemingly immutable fate.

Meanwhile, Gemma's husband Richard picked up a little book called Finding Ultra while training for the London Marathon. He decided to give this plant-based diet thing a whirl. Being the skeptical doctor she is, Gemma was less than enthusiastic.

Where would he get his protein? Won’t there be nutritional deficiencies? We will never be invited to friend’s houses for dinner ever again! How would I feed my family? 

Undeterred, Richard completed that marathon, slicing an incredible one hour and ten minutes off his personal best.

This got Gemma's attention.

She had already been passionate about researching lifestyle medicine. How changes in stress, sleep, exercise and diet could improve health for a long time. But nothing was to prepare her for the powerful transformations that were possible when people embraced a whole-food plant-based diet.

Hence ensued a deep dive into medical literature, scientific research, and self-experimentation.

Today we explore the result of Gemma's journey. How it transformed her life and medical practice wholesale.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Every podcaster has their dream list — guests they fantasize interviewing. From day one, today's guest has occupied my top slot.

Officially, Russell Brand is one of the most recognizable and best-loved comedy performers in the world. He is also is also a phenomenally successful author, broadcaster, actor, columnist, political commentator and mental health & drug rehabilitation activist. His global bestselling books include Revolution*,Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions*, and his latest release, Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped*. Now a devoted dad and husband, when he isn't touring or performing he can be found hosting Under The Skin on Luminary, one of my very favorite podcasts.

Unofficially, Russell is iconic for his very public awakening. A recovering heroin addict, his struggles with drugs, sex, fame, money and power were custom tailored for tabloid fodder. And his satirical but always probing takes on politics, celebrity culture and religion often find him in the crosshairs of controversy.

I think of Russell as a hyper-intelligent master of modern discourse and disputation. Perpetually armed with a most delicious turn-of-phrase, he is a philosopher of the extreme. A man who has voyaged to the brink of overindulgence, he has returned to share the unique personal wisdom gleaned from such surfeit with razor-sharp musings on the broader humanity we collectively share — and have a laugh along the path.

With a sui generis brew of eccentric wit, subversive candor and extreme charm, Russell grapples fearlessly and out loud with that which lays beneath the surface. With the ideas that define our time. Of the history we are told. And the ulterior truth behind our constructed reality.

What is truly real? How can we craft a more fair and just society for all? How can we live a more intentional life of meaning? What does it mean be a spiritual being in a human existence?

Today we voyage beyond the walls of our constructed material world. We dive into The Matrix. And to coin Russell's phrase, lick the walls of the hologram.

I’m absolutely delighted by this magical, modern-day mystic.

Once a dream, this conversation is now a tangible reality. Or is it?

Either way, I sincerely hope you relish the conversation as much as I adored having it.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/russellbrand448 (please subscribe!) 

Peace + Plants,

Rich

It's become increasingly harder to just put the phone down. Because the latest apps and digital platforms are specifically designed to addict, we have become slaves to their irresistible allure.

Our precious attention is being hijacked. The ability to focus — to concentrate on that which is most meaningful — simply cannot compete with the magnetic pull of our Instagram feed. No longer need anyone ever be bored. Alone with one’s thoughts. Or simply present with one’s self. 

The result is a global epidemic of distraction. A fomenting of loneliness and isolation. And a degradation of our humanity.

The solution isn't Ludditism. Instead it's agency. We need not be victims of technology. We have the power to liberate ourselves from the tether of digital dependency. And the freedom it creates isn't just the salve to what ails us, it's the gateway to that which we seek most. Meaning. True human connection. And a reconnection with our innate humanity.

Indeed, there is no substitute for real relationships. Boredom is useful. And focus is the new superpower.

Cal Newport is someone who has spent a lot of time thinking deeply about these issues.

An associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, Cal is the author of six books, many of which focus on the impact of technology on society. The primary focus of today's conversation is rooted in his latest New York Times bestseller, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World*.

Cal’s work has been published in over 20 languages. He is a frequent guest on NPR and has been featured in many major publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Washington Post, and Economist.

Regular listeners know I have a penchant for dropping Cal's name with regularity. I became acquainted with his work in early 2016 by way of his seminal book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in A Distracted World* — pages that profoundly impacted how I think about and apply my attention. We struck up an e-mail friendship. And I’ve been trying to track him down for the podcast ever since.

People often ask me which books have influenced me the most. The aforementioned two rank close to the top — manifestos of great practical import for our modern age. Similarly, I estimate that this episode rates among the most consequential conversations I've had in the 6+ year history of this podcast. Packed with practical, actionable steps, Cal's message will empower you to free up precious time. Declutter your mind. Connect you more deeply to the work and relationships you care most about. And profoundly improve the quality of your professional and personal lives.

It was an absolute pleasure to spend time with Cal. I sincerely hope you not only enjoy the listen, but heed his message, and put his advice into action.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/calnewport447 (please subscribe!)

Peace + Plants,

Rich

“Human existence is but the blink of an eye. It doesn’t take much research to think about how we evolved and why we evolve the way that we do.”

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Western medicine is extraordinary. Over the last several decades, scientific advances in the diagnosis and treatment of previously thought incurable diseases has utterly transformed how we live.

But with these breakthroughs comes an arrogance — a hubris that modalities outside the very narrow rubric of our dominant paradigm are without value — archaic, outdated legacies of less developed cultures.

But is this always the case? Or do lessons remain to be learned by taking a critical but objective look at how other societies approach health and well-being?

This question nagged at Sanjay Gupta, MD. So he decided to find answers for himself.

For those unfamiliar, Sanjay is the associate chief of neurosurgery at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine. But most people know him as the multiple Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN. In his tenure as a journalist he has spent decades covering everything from the 2003 invasion of Iraq to the Haiti earthquake in 2010, where he performed surgery on a 12-year-old girl earthquake victim along with Henri Ford and two U.S. Navy doctors.

If that's not enough, this dad, husband, and novelist was named among “The Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine and in 2009 was selected for the position of Surgeon General by President Barack Obama — a job he declined.

To answer the aforementioned question, Sanjay spent the last year traveling the world, finding where people live longer, happier and more functional lives than anywhere else on the planet. The result of his quest is the recently-aired CNN Original Series Chasing Life — must-see TV if you haven't caught it already.

Today we cover his origin story and incredible career. We discuss the responsibility of journalism in the era of alternative facts — and the role storytelling has played in his personal brand of reporting.

We talk about his time in the White House, what it's like covering overseas conflict zones overseas, and how he manages his work- life balance.

In addition, we canvass the current state of health care in America, what he learned about health, happiness and longevity in the course of producing Chasing Life, and the not to be overstated incredible impact Sanjay has had on my own life.

Over the years Sanjay has become a good friend, as well as a mentor to me. He is someone I have wanted to get on the show from day one. I love this guy, and I’m delighted to help share his story with you today.

The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/sanjaygupta446 (please subscribe!) 

Peace + Plants,

Rich

“We are, by definition, an ecosystem. The microbiome reveals a more connected biology, radically transforming our approach to medicine, hygiene, diet, and living.”

Ara Katz & Raja Dhir

Our bodies are comprised of about ten trillion cells. But our microbiome — all the bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in or on our bodies – outnumber human cells by a factor of 10.

Indeed, we are far more microorganism than human.

Moreover, rapidly developing science reveals the vast extent to which the nature of our personal microbiome drives not only our propensity for disease and digestive health, but also, quite surprisingly, can dictate our mental disposition, cognitive function, and even our specific food cravings.

Today we take a magnifying glass to the mind-blowing netherworld of microbiota to illuminate their implications not just on human health, but the well-being of planet Earth at large.

Our stewards for this fantastic voyage are Ara Katz and Raja Dhir, the co-founders of Seed, a venture backed microbiome company at the pioneering edge of bacteria science.

Ara is a serial entrepreneur and fellow at the MIT Media Lab’s Center for Future Storytelling and CCA’s DesignMBA program. She was named one of the “50 Most Influential Women in America” by Marie Claire, listed on Business Insider’s “Silicon Alley Top 100” and “36 Rockstar Women in NYC Tech”, and was recently included in Create + Cultivate’s 100 List for STEM.

One of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met when it comes to our rapidly evolving understanding of the microbiome, Raja is a life sciences entrepreneur and a member of the Microbiome Think Tank at Mass General Hospital. He sits on the editorial board for the scientific journal Microbiome as well as the advisory committee for the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. In addition, he is a director and co-chair of the scientific advisory board for Micropia, a $20MM microbial ecology and education platform as well as the world’s first museum dedicated to microbes.

Today we cover it all.

First, we define the microbiome. We discuss the difference between prebiotics and probiotics. And to cut through the consumer confusion fomented by gut health commodification, we separate fact from fiction by examining the difference between an effective priobiotic and the countless food and supplement products simply marketed as such.

Most importantly, we explore what the latest science tells us about the power of microbes to heal our bodies, positively impact childhood development, reinvigorate the quality of our soil and improve the overall ecology of Planet Earth — including some amazing work Ara & Raja are doing with bee populations.

Seed Offer: As a simple thanks for listening, Ara & Raja have a gift for you. Go to: seed.com/richroll to learn more.

Disclosure: In my opinion, Seed's Daily Synbiotic it is the highest quality probiotic I have tested (which is one of the reasons I wanted to have them on the show). Rigorously evidence-based, I’ve been using this product for the last several months to great effect. However, I have zero financial involvement with the company. Seed is not a show sponsor. Ara & Raja did not pay me to appear on the podcast. (I have never accepted money for a guest to appear on the show and never will). Nor am I an affiliate of Seed. In other words, I get a big zero from you using the above-mentioned discount code other than the satisfaction of sharing a product I myself enjoy.

Peace + Plants,

Rich