The Rich Roll Podcast

We tend to think of mushrooms as a pizza topping. Something we toss in a salad. Or a psychedelic to alter consciousness. But that's pretty much where the inquiry ends.

However, mushrooms are so much more. In fact, they comprise an entire kingdom. Invisibly surrounding us, they underpin the very foundation of our ecology, impacting us in ways far beyond our appreciation.

It may surprise you to learn that mushrooms account for an astonishing 25% of the Earth's total biomass. 92% of all plants are dependent upon mushrooms for their survival. 40% of all pharmaceuticals contain some form of mushroom. And, quite incredibly, 85% of human RNA and 50% of human DNA is shared with fungi.

Mushrooms are also woefully under-appreciated when it comes to promoting health, fighting illness, buttressing longevity, enhancing memory and even boosting libido. Indeed, when properly understood and utilized, mushrooms hold the capacity to change your life in an immediate, powerful, and exponentially beneficial manner.

To walk us through the magical and mysterious world of mushrooms, I sat down with my long-time friend Tero Isokauppila, the original fun-guy himself.

(behind the scenes of my podcast with Tero)

A life-long student of nutrition and expert on natural health hailing from Finland, Tero is the co-founder, president and marketing director of Four Sigmatic, the company behind a wide variety of very popular (and globally available) medicinal mushroom coffees, hot cacaos and elixir products that has successfully begun to introduce the health-promoting benefits of mushrooms to the mainstream.

I’m not talking about mind-bending psychedelics. And I’m not talking about garden variety portobellos or even gourmet truffles. I’m talking about adaptogenic, superfood varieties most people have never previously heard of or know little to nothing about. I'm talking about less-understood immunity, longevity, and energy boosting fungi like reishi, chaga, lion’s mane, and my all-time favorite, cordyceps.

Tero has been a featured speaker at events like Summit Series and Wanderlust, was chosen as one of the world's Top 50 Food Activists by the Academy of Culinary Nutrition and both he and the work of Four Sigmatic have been profiled everywhere, including Vogue, Time, Forbes, W Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, BuzzFeed, Bon Appétit, Goop, Well+Good, and MindBodyGreen.

In addition, Tero is also the author of Healing Mushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Adaptogenic Mushrooms For Whole Body Health*, which hits bookstores everywhere Oct. 10. If today's conversation sparks deeper interest, I highly suggest picking it up. Not only is it highly instructive, it include 50+ recipes sure to expand your culinary horizon.

This is a phenomenal conversation that tracks Tero's unique path from a kid foraging mushrooms in a 13th generation Finnish farming family to the entrepreneurial success he is today.

It’s also fascinating deep dive into this mysterious mushroom kingdom and how these fungi can support human health. More specifically, we get granular on the individual adaptogenic properties of the most prominent superfood varieties and how incorporating them into your daily routine can take your health, longevity and performance to the next level.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Man is a microcosm of the macrocosm. The nature that exists outside of us also lives within us. Separation is an illusion.

Indeed, we are all intrinsically connected — to each other and the world that surrounds us. Embracing this fundamental truth lies at the core of ultimate well-being. Because true health doesn't stop at the kale salad — it requires fidelity to our natural rhythms and a comprehensive, holistic devotion to bettering and balancing not just our physical bodies, but our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves as well.

Returning to the podcast to walk us through this powerful law of nature is Colin Hudon.

A gifted healer, physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist Arts, Colin is also an herbalist, acupuncturist, tea master, and founder of Living Tea, an enterprise that finds Colin traveling across China, Taiwan, and Malaysia multiple times a year to source and import the finest and rarest old-growth teas and teaware in the world, sharing his expertise and wares in group tea ceremonies, with an eye on opening a tea house in Colorado in 2018.

On point and remarkably instructive, this episode is lifted from Colin's open dissertation conducted during our Plantpower Ireland retreat this past July.

Most of us live lost in our heads. A predisposition that leaves us disconnected from ourselves, others, and the world. This is about transcending our addiction to thought and information, and how to leverage mindfulness and awareness to live healthier and more fully actualized.

Colin also delivers an amazing primer on what we can glean from Traditional Chinese methods of medicine and healing. A perspective that begins with embracing seasonal rhythms to live in better alignment with the laws of nature.

In addition, it's also about tea. How tea, and the traditional ceremony around its enjoyment can serve as a powerful, moving meditation — an expression of living art that soothes the soul and enhances vitality.

In anticipation of this episode, Colin was cool enough to create a special offer for listeners to purchase his amazing Living Tea (the only tea I drink) at reduced prices, including an awesome new subscription service called Tea Club, which takes the guesswork out of differentiating his exotic teas. When you sign up, Colin will send you the best seasonably appropriate, rare, old-growth teas (3-4 teas per season) quarterly, plus a bundle of extras, including information on the tea’s origin, optimal brewing techniques and Chinese medical philosophy on how to live a healthy, longevity focused life, including food suggestions and more. When you add the promo code RICHROLL at checkout listeners will get 12% off on your first season. In addition, if you follow Colin on Instagram (@livingtea) and click through the link in his bio to purchase you will also get 15% off on everything he has in stock.

To learn more go to livingtea.net and click on Tea Club and sign up for his newsletter to be first in on future offerings and rebates. And should you happen to find yourself in the Denver area, I highly suggest you schedule a tea ceremony with Colin — as someone who has sat for tea with Colin many times, I can tell you it's a transcendent experience.

This is not an ad: I do not have any financial or professional association with Colin...

Enjoy!

Rich

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Maybe you love your job. Perhaps you don't.

Either way, there's wisdom in cultivating a side hustle — not a second job, but a self-styled income-generating project you cultivate in your free time.

Why do I need this? Ask Choose Yourself! author (and podcast guest) James Altucher and he'll wax rhapsodic about the precarious nature of conventional career paths and the misplaced trust we invest in their long-term security. Invest in ownership. For some, the thought of quitting their day job to pursue the entrepreneurial life is exhilarating. For most, however, this is a terrifying prospect. And not everyone has the means or the desire to take on the risks and responsibilities of working for themselves.

But Chris Guillebeau contends it's not an either or scenario. Not only can you have both, you should. As traditional career trajectories give way to the rise of our freelance economy, it's wise to diversify your income stream. But creating something on the side entirely your own isn't just about extra cash. And it's not really about becoming an entrepreneur (because most people aren't). It's also about cultivating purpose. It's about elevating your sense of direction. And imbuing your path with greater personal meaning.

A master of unconventional, purposeful living, Chris is a widely acclaimed author, blogger, entrepreneur and modern-day adventurer. Ripe with wanderlust after a 4-year stint as a NGO volunteer executive in West Africa, he embarked on a multi-year quest to travel to every country in the world, all 193, before his 35th birthday. Along the way, Chris began sharing his adventures on a newly hatched blog. What began as a rather ignored and somewhat turgid travelogue soon morphed into The Art of Non-Conformity, a globally revered portal that chronicles Chris' personal experiences and the wisdom of a dynamic multitude of unconventional people overcoming conventional social mores around work, life and travel to achieve personal goals and greater life satisfaction outside traditional paradigms.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Today I sit down with New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin to find out what happened when she asked a large number of people one singular question: how do you respond to expectations?

The answers led Gretchen to an epiphany — that four distinct human tendencies intrinsically underlie how each and every one of us approach our interior and exterior lives. Understanding your tendency changes how you perceive yourself and others. It informs better communication. It provides the structure to create better habits. And ultimately it serves to support the purposeful pursuit of the personal and professional life experience you most seek.

This is the terrain of today's exploration.

A member of Oprah’s Super Soul 100 who was named one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, Gretchen is an über-author who has sold over 3 million books on the subject of habits, happiness and human nature. You may know Gretchen from her wildly popular blog, her runaway bestseller The Happiness Project*, or from one of her other many titles such as Happiness At Home* and Better Than Before*. An exploration of the aforementioned architecture of human motivation, Gretchen's new book is entitled The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How To Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)*.

When she isn't writing, Gretchen hosts the wildly popular Happier With Gretchen Rubin podcast (along with her sister, TV writer Elizabeth Craft), awarded “Best Podcasts of 2015” honors by iTunes and named one of the “Best Podcasts of 2016″ by the Academy of Podcasters (I didn't even know podcasting had an academy, but there ya go).

In addition, Gretchen is the creator of Better, a free mobile app that connects you with others to harness the Four Tendencies and create a better life.

This conversation is jam packed with super helpful amazing takeaways.

A former editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, we track Gretchen's leap from high-powered lawyer to pursue a career in writing.

We talk about how her revelation about “expectations” led to The Four Tendencies, then unpack the specifics, tracking how these core archetypes can better inform our habits, our understanding of others and how we structure our professional and personal lives.

I learned a lot about myself in this one.

Enjoy!

Rich

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An open panel discussion on non-traditional healing modalities and how we conceptualize balance in the construct of our lives, this episode is lifted from a session that Julie Piatt and I conducted during our Plantpower Ireland retreat this past July.

It features our long-time friend Colin Hudon, a physician of Traditional Chinese Medicine who is also the founder of Living Tea, which imports the finest living teas sourced from ancient tea trees across both China and Taiwan.

Topics discussed include:

* Colin & Julie's personal struggles and experiences with self-healing;

* Broadening our concept of healing beyond traditional Western modalities;

* The idea of “healing by subtraction”; and

* A lengthy discussion about how we conceptualize and apply the idea of “balance” in our lives.

Plus, we take some great questions and comments from our Plantpower tribe!

This one veers towards the more esoteric, so please approach with an open mind. You might be surprised by the self-reflection it stimulates.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Let's talk about doping.

Throw cycling into the conversation and emotions are sure to run hot. It's an emotional subject for reasons both obvious and obscure. A flashpoint that divides loyalties, pitting our innate sense of fairness against our natural impulse to forgive.

I have opinions on the matter. But my perspective is far from set in cement. Because I am aware that it's formed from the sidelines, as an observer of a very insular subculture beyond my direct experience, and to which I am not privy. Unless you were actually there — in the unfortunate and precarious position so many athletes across so many sports abruptly find themselves — my opinion is that we should not be so quick to judge.

Everybody thinks they would make the right choice. I certainly do. But that's just projection. The truth is that you don't actually know what you would do. Connecting with this impulse helps me empathize with those who went astray. Is that a good thing? I honestly don't know.

Phil Gaimon did make the right choice. A somewhat polarizing figure in the cycling community, today he tells the tale.

Overcoming childhood obesity to achieve his dream of riding professionally, over the course of his professional cycling career Phil competed on several established domestic teams like Jelly Belly, Bissel and Optum-Kelly Benefit as well as high profile, international UCI teams like Garmin Sharp in 2014 and Cannondale–Drapac in 2016 before hanging up his bib shorts at the end of last year. Well, not exactly, but I'll get to that part in a minute.

Along the way he has raced and trained with the best. Now he writes about his experiences, coming clean on what transpired behind cycling's shrouded curtain with wit and a healthy dose of comedic self-deprecation. He is the author of Pro Cycling On $10 A Day* and Ask a Pro*. His newest tome, Draft Animals: Living The Pro Cycling Dream (Once In A While) — an entertaining memoir about achieving his childhood dream of riding pro on the World Tour and what happened to him when he achieved it — hits bookstores October 10, 2017.

When he's not writing books, Phil is an active blogger and contributor to various cycling publications like Velo News. He also hosts The Peloton Brief Podcast and is the founder of Phil’s Cookie Fondo – a series of cycling adventures between 32 and 113 miles taking place October 15 that showcases Malibu’s great climbs (and apparently involves a lot of cookies).

Back to the bib shorts. He didn't exactly hang them up. In fact, Phil has spent the better part of the last year pursuing what he calls The Worst Retirement Ever — an endeavor in which he is attempting to clock the fastest-ever...

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What do you become when your mom is the CEO of a prestigious fashion empire and your dad is a musician accompanying notorious acts like Billy Idol and the art punk group Suicide?

You alchemize that business savvy with artistry. And pivot.

Such is the tale of plant alchemist and holistic heroine Amanda Chantal Bacon – a wellness entrepreneur committed to the idea that food is equal parts art and medicine; as much about pleasure as healing; and that creativity and sustenance can be one and the same.

A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute and former Food & Wine Editor at the LA Times, Amanda served apprentice duties under Suzanne Goin, the James Beard Award winning chef at the famous Luques Restaurant, who served as her mentor and inspiration behind Moon Juice, an online holistic apothecary and chain of elegant community-centric juice shops with three locations across Los Angeles that Amanda founded in 2012.

Amanda is also the author of the exquisite Moon Juice Cookbook, and has been profiled extensively in the most prestigious publications in the world, including the New York Times Sunday Magazine, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, InStyle, and The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition, Amanda is no stranger to controversy. Last year found her square in the Internet's vicious, vitriolic crosshairs — an experience we explore at length.

This is a conversation about Amanda's eclectic upbringing and unique entrepreneurial path. It's about taking control of your education and your path. It's a conversation about self-care habits, and the power of plants to heal. And it's about food not just as nourishment, but as an experience.

Spending time with Amanda was soothing and delightful.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Today I am joined by my friend, coach and teammate Chris Hauth for a special edition of Coach’s Corner – a spin on my typical podcast format — to recap our breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime adventure competing in the Ötillö Swimrun World Championships in Sweden.

A sub-9 hour Ironman, Chris (@AIMPCoach) is a former professional triathlete, two-time Olympic Swimmer and one of the world’s most respected endurance coaches. In 2006, Chris won the Ironman Coeur D’Alene and went on to be the first American amateur & 4th overall American at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

When he’s not training and racing, Chris runs AIMP Coaching, mentoring a wide spectrum of athletes ranging from elite professionals — including Ironman and Western States top finishers, Ultraman winners and Olympic Trials qualifiers — to first time half-marathoners. Under Chris’ tutelage since 2008, he deftly guided me through three Ultraman World Championships,EPIC5. and now Ötillö.

This past Monday, Chris and I joined 300 athletes from 24 countries to race Ötillö as a two-man team, traversing 26 islands spread across the outer-reaches of the Swedish archipelago on foot and by sea. All told, 40 miles of running and 6 miles of swimming.

It was a truly extraordinary experience. Punishing. Humbling. Brutal, beautiful and beyond extreme.

Along the way we met gale force winds. Sideways rain. Bone-chilling Baltic waters. And six-foot swells. We were on our hands and knees, scaling vertical granite slippery as ice. We trudged through bogs in knee-deep mud. Loose rocks left us flat on our backs. We bushwhacked terrain so difficult, so impossibly technical, it all feels now like an impossible dream.

Today we share the incredible story.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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I don't consider myself religious.

But I am spiritually curious; deeply interested in faith.

From Sikh kundalini master Guru Singh and Buddhist monk / tea master WuDe to iconoclast Christian pastor Rob Bell, the exploration of faith in its varying incarnations has been a fascinating, recurring theme of this show.

Today, I continue the tradition with Dr. Drew Sams, senior pastor and head of staff at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.

Hardly conventional, Drew is many things. Life-long surfer. Avid ultra-runner. Passionate environmentalist. Devoted family man deeply interested in social justice, nutrition, and wellness. And a progressive doctor of divinity with a take on the Christian faith that is inspiring audiences in Los Angeles and across the world.

I think Jesus was an extraordinary guy. But I freely admit that conversations on the subject of organized religion can leave me queasy. Perhaps it's my personal baggage. I don't know. But I do know I really enjoyed this particular exchange — grounded and relatable, Drew made it fun.

Today I unpack this pastor's personal journey to faith. It's a conversation about Drew's evolving perspective on God and Christianity.

It's about the distinction between literal, allegorical and personal interpretations of the Bible.

It's about the relationship between faith, consumerism and environmentalism.

It’s a conversation about masculinity — cultural ideation around what a man “should be” versus the strength that can be mined through compassion & emotional vulnerability.

But mostly it’s an engaging exchange about our collective moral responsibility to ourselves, our fellow humans, and the planet at large.

Drew was great.

So let's talk to a pastor!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Imagine running a 250 kilometer ultramarathon across the Atacama desert — one of the driest places on Earth — when your only legit running experience is a single ill-fated marathon attempt that left you humbly walking the last eight miles.

That same calendar year, you race three more 250km ultramarathons to become the first female and youngest person to ever run and complete the 4 Desert Race Series Grand Slam, one of the world’s toughest and most prestigious endurance achievements imaginable.

This is inspiring story of Samantha Gash – ultra-athlete extraordinaire, roll model, humanitarian, and just a really cool person.

Discovering a previously unbeknownst acumen for endurance and a disposition for suffering unlocked a certain joy in Samantha, as well as a thirst for more. So the year following her 4 Deserts achievement, she conquered a 222km non-stop foot race across the Himalayas at 6,000 meters above sea level — an event that had only been completed previously by one man.

That experience triggered a deep desire to leverage her running for humanitarian causes. So she got to work, running and raising money for causes she believed in. Among her accomplishments:

* A 379km non-stop run across Australia’s Simpson Desert on behalf of Save the Children Australia;

* A community run & fundraising event on behalf of podcast fave Turia Pitt and Kate Sanderson, victims of the Kimberley ultramarathon bushfire – a race in which Samantha also competed;

* A 32-day, 1968km run across South Africa's Freedom Trail, also on behalf of Save The Children Australia; and

* A 76-day, 3253 run across India from from Jaislamer, Rajasthan to Shillong, Meghalaya on behalf of World Vision

Amidst the insanity of it all, she somehow managed to raise over $203,000 and counting for the aforementioned causes.

Today we unpack Samantha's extraordinary, inspiring journey, blisters and all.

This is a phenomenal conversation about Samantha’s transformation from someone with no athletic background into the inspiring ultra-athlete humanitarian she is today. From all the hardships and seemingly insurmountable setbacks and obstacles to the rare air she occupies today, it's a story about self-belief, purpose, perseverance and the call to service.

But the core theme of today's conversation is the close kinship that exists between passion and suffering. And the magic that transpires when you have the willingness to entertain the impossible, step outside your comfort zone and courageously leap through fear into the abyss.

Sam is an absolute delight. It was a privilege to spend a few hours with her and boyfriend Mark Wales, a badass Australian Special Ops Commander she met when they were both contestants on Australian Survivor.

You're gonna love this one. Promise.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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It's never too late to transform your life.

I didn't find my place in the world until my mid-40's.

Similarly, this week's guest risked his successful but deeply unfulfilling business to pursue his truth as a speaker and author.

I'm glad I took that leap of faith. In truth, I can't imagine my life otherwise.

Jon Gordon not only feels the same, he believes everyone holds the power to transcend their circumstances and blaze a purposeful life of meaning.

This week I sit down the celebrated bestselling author and prolific keynote speaker to discuss what it takes to cultivate that vision and the commitment required to manifest untapped reservoirs of human potential. What holds most people back. And the specific steps required to break the glass ceiling on performance and potential in career, sport and life.

A graduate of Cornell University with a masters in teaching from Emory, Jon Gordon has inspired millions of readers and audiences around the world with highly instructive teachings on the themes of leadership, human potential, teamwork and positivity – principles that have been beneficial to many a Fortune 500 company — such as GE, Wells Fargo, State Farm, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, and Southwest Airlines — and a litany of professional and collegiate sports teams, including The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, Clemson Football and more. Jon also impacts thousands of teachers and students each year through his work with schools, universities like West Point, hospitals and non-profit organizations.

Jon has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends, in numerous magazines and newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and he is the author of an astounding 17 books, including 5 bestsellers: The Energy Bus*,The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First and The Power of Positive Leadership. 

This isn't just a conversation about success — it's about finding fulfillment and purpose in every hour of every day.

It’s about how he cultivates, nurtures and practices the prolific creativity required to write 17 books.

It’s about the core leadership and teamwork principles he teaches that have positively impacted a litany of professional athletes, coaches, organizations, students, teachers, schools, corporations, and non-profits.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Today I am joined by Olympians Chris Hauth and Caroline Burckle for another edition of Coach's Corner – a spin on my typical podcast format where I go deep and get granular on the physical, mental and emotional aspects of sport, fitness, training and lifestyle.

A sub-9 hour Ironman, Chris (@AIMPCoach) is the current Age Group Ironman World Champion, a former Olympic Swimmer and one of the world's most respected endurance coaches. In 2006, Chris won the Ironman Coeur D’Alene and went on to be the first American amateur & 4th overall American at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

When he's not training and racing, Chris runs AIMP Coaching, mentoring a wide spectrum of athletes ranging from elite professionals — including Ironman and Western States top finishers, Ultraman winners and Olympic Trials qualifiers — to first time half-marathoners.

Whether you are an elite or just starting out, Chris knows how to get the best out of athletes the right way. A friend and mentor as much as a coach, I have been under Chris' tutelage since 2008, during which time he deftly guided me through three Ultraman World Championships ('08, '09 & '11), EPIC5 in 2010 and is currently preparing me for the impending Ötillö Swimrun World Championships in Sweden this September, an event we will race together — literally tethered to each other — as a team.

Also joining us today (albeit briefly) is my friend Caroline Burkle (@caroburckle). One of the funnest people you will ever meet, Burks is a former Olympic medalist in swimming from the University of Florida, where she was a 23-time All American swimmer, won 2 individual NCAA titles (200 free & 500 free) and was named 2008 NCAA Female Swimmer of the Year. In addition to breaking the oldest then standing women’s NCAA record in the 500 free (with a blazing 4:33), she earned a Bronze medal in the 4×200 free relay at the 2008 Olympics.

Caroline has a Masters of Science in Sports Psychology & Motor Behavior from the University of Tennessee and when she’s not training like crazy, she works with young athletes under RISE Elite Athletes, a company she founded that pairs Olympic athletes with young athletes for mentorship and guidance.

Today we sit down for a brief (by the standards of this podcast) check in from Lake Tahoe — site of our recent high altitude training camp — for a state-of-the-union on our preparation for the Ötillö Swimrun World Championsips, just 18 days from the date of this posting.

Within the frame of this conversation you also will find a number of helpful fitness, training and general wellness takeaways germane to the listener — whether you are an elite athlete, a weekend warrior or just looking for that nudge to get off the couch.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Experimentalist. Unconventional fitness junkie. Entrepreneur. Human optimizer. Psychonaut.

This week's guest defies any singular title. But the underlying ethos that defines Aubrey Marcus is best captured in one brief phrase:

Warrior Poet.

On the business front, Aubrey is the CEO of Onnit -- an optimal human performance company he founded just six years ago that has grown to one of the INC 500 top 500 fastest growing companies in America. Offering a wide array of products, Onnit produces supplements for cognition, mood, bone and joint function; fitness equipment such as kettle bells and jump ropes; personal care products; and foods that range from Himalayan salt to coffee. Online, the Onnit Academy boasts copious helpful information on all things human optimization. And if you visit Onnit HQ in Austin (where we recorded this conversation), you'll find a cutting edge training center & ju jitsu studio that many an elite athlete call home, including Super Bowl champion football players, Stanley Cup winning hockey players, Olympic gold medalists, and mixed martial arts champions.

On top of being a very active CEO, Aubrey hosts both the Total Human Optimization Podcast as well as The Aubrey Marcus Podcast, both dedicated to exploring and expanding human happiness and consciousness.

The accomplishments are impressive. But what truly interests me about Aubrey is his uniquely mystical path to success. His philosophical perspective on the human experiment. His uncommon devotion to continued expansion of consciousness. And his unusual blend of alpha male masculinity with esoteric spirituality.

This is a conversation that examines the metaphysical intangibles that catalyzed Aubrey’s unusual path. It’s about self-worth, self-love and self-discovery — and why outward success is always an inside job.

But mostly this is a conversation about what it means to be human. To live meaningfully. And with purpose.

I think it's safe to say that Aubrey and I are very different people. But I think that makes this conversation special.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Imagine being the very best in your sport. Undefeated, the future is bright indeed. But deep down the zero sum game of competition just doesn't sit right. Because for you, sport isn't about winners and losers. It's about play. It's about freedom. It's about love.

But mostly it's about artistic self-expression.

This is the story of Lynsey Dyer.

One of the best big mountain skiers on the planet, Lynsey is an extraordinary and most unexpected athletic talent who walked away from competition at the peak of her potential to courageously blaze her own path. A unique path that has helped refine what it means to pursue sport professionally. A path based not on podiums but on adventure. Seeking joy. Empowering others. And expressing one's unique voice.

Over the course of a decade long career, Lynsey has won every big mountain competition that she entered. She has also won several freesking competitions and awards including the 2004 International Free Skiers Association North American tour champion. In 2010, Powder Magazine awarded her Best Female Performance for her role in Magic Moments. She has been awarded Female Skier of the year by Powder Magazine, was the first female to be on the cover of Freeskier Magazine and has starred in too many ski films to mention, including projects from legendary filmmaker Warren Miller.

Lynsey has starred in or hosted television shows for NBC, ESPN, Bravo, The Ski Channel, Mountainfilm and Outside Television, has appeared on Good Morning America and even produced, directed and starred in her own film, the widely acclaimed Pretty Faces — an all female ski film featuring the best athletes from around the world that beautifully celebrates female empowerment and the transformative power of play. When she isn't crushing powder, Lynsey can be found running her non-profit SheJumps.org, which encourages girls and women to participate in the outdoors through mentorship, and her movie production and apparel company Unicorn Picnic.

An unconventional badass, Lynsey is the personification of strength in femininity. A role model for young women across the world with an ethos I'd like my own daughters to emulate.

This is a conversation about Lynsey's remarkable life. It's about female impact on a male dominated subculture. It's about courage in defying external expectations to follow your own unique path. It's about the joy and freedom that come from blazing a life of adventure.

Simply put, it's a conversation about what it means to pursue sport as art.

It was a pleasure connecting with Lynsey. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Excerpted from the first day of our recent Plantpower Ireland retreat, this special mid-week episode of the podcast is a dynamic Q&A session focused on the process of self-inquiry necessary to objectively asses your life — a condition precedent to birthing expression to an authentic, purpose-fueled path premised on the values you hold most dear.

To place this conversation in proper context, the Q&A was preceded by a lengthy discussion (which I decided to not include so as not to overwhelm) on three fundamental questions specifically intended to help frame the assessment process:

* Who am I?

* If I had just 4 months to live, how would I spend that time?

* What would I like to have contributed when life my life is complete?

Journaling on the aforementioned is a powerful, highly recommended exercise for anyone seeking greater self-actualization. And this Q&A is an interactive discussion about the hows and whys that underpin these queries. Specific sub-topics include

* the power of self-forgiveness

* learning to love your faults

* how to better align your actions with your values; and

* the process of discovering and expressing your authentic voice

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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From the outside looking in, he was living the dream.

Killer SoHo loft. Private jets to exotic locales. Rolex, cover model girlfriend and cash. Plenty of cash.

But ten years living decadently and extravagantly as a nightclub promoter in New York City took it's toll.

By 28, Scott Harrison had become the worst person he knew.

Utterly lost, mired in a crisis of conscience and desperate to rediscover his sense of purpose, Scott decided it was time for a drastic change. So he left NYC to spend a year volunteering as a photojournalist aboard a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, West Africa.

During this time, Harrison witnessed and photographed levels of poverty and illness he never knew existed. As one year turned into two, he came to understand that many of the infections and diseases their group treated were waterborne, and could have been prevented if people had access to clean drinking water.

Scott couldn't understand why nobody seemed to be focusing on solving this important problem at scale. So he decided to tackle it himself.

Upon returning to NYC in 2006, Scott turned his full attention to the global water crisis and the (then) 1.1 billion people living without access to clean water. The manifestation of that commitment is charity:water — a revolutionary for-purpose endeavor that to date has raised over $210 million to fund an astounding 20,000+ water projects that deliver clean water to more than 6.3 million people all across the world.

Equally impressive is the extent to which Scott has quite literally reinvented and re-energized how we give and how we think about giving. He did it by creating an aspirational brand. He did it by restoring public trust in charity. And he did it by leveraging technology to deeply connect each and every giver with the gift's specific result and impact.

Simply put, Scott Harrison is one of the most impressive people I have ever met. His inspiring story from lost to found is legend.

I'm thrilled to share it with you today.

My hope is that this conversation inspires action. Because each and every one of us holds the power to positively impact the life of another. And because life is more fulfilling, meaningful and rewarding when we are persistently engaged in the pursuit of service and giving.

My call to action? The Spring — charity: water's monthly subscription service. I signed up. And you should too. 100% of all Spring donations go directly to the field to bring clean water to those in need, and Spring members will get updates of the impact their donations have.

Let's all pitch in together. As a community. Because even a simple $30 gift can provide one person with clean water. And because it's just cool and awesome to do generously for others.

For more information and to sign up, visit our special url cwtr.org/richrollspring or click the banner ad below.

This is a special one for me. I hope it is for you too.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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When did we decide it's “manly” to repress our emotions, oppress the weak and deny our shared humanity?

Somewhere along the way the aspirational qualities of masculinity have been denuded by a cultural perversion of the gender norm.

Because caring and compassion should not be gender specific.

This week on the podcast I sit down with my friend Dominick Thompson to reclaim the best of what it means to be truly masculine. Because there is nothing more manly than demonstrating compassion over dominance. Protection over prey. Restraint over force. Understanding over judgment. And love over bigotry.

A leading voice in the vegan & plant-based athlete communities, Domz is an athlete, activist, and the founder of NYC-based start up Crazies and Weirdos — hip, sustainable and eco-friendly clothing made from recycled and organic materials. He is also the founder of Iron Brukal, a sports and fitness brand dedicated to the working professional, with plans to open training facilities in 2019.

Prior to becoming a social entrepreneur and activist, Dominick was a healthcare executive responsible for the business development and management of hospital systems and other providers across the eastern region of the United States. A working athlete, Dominick's intense training schedule includes cycling, swimming, running, calisthenics, boxing, cross-fit, cross-training, weight and power-lifting. He competes in 10-12 endurance races per year, including marathons, triathlons, and ultra-races.

Dominick has been recognized for his activism across a variety of major news outlets, including NPR News, ABC News, Men’s Muscle and Fitness Magazine, Esquire, Thrive Magazine, Origin Magazine, PETA.com and more. Online, Dominick activates his 159,000+ Instagram followers with a pull-no-punches mix of brutal truth education with relatable, uplifting inspiration

Behind the social media and accolades, there is far more to Dominick Thompson than meets the eye. A potent, at times harrowing tale, Domz's narrative is one of unfortunate circumstance. scarring incarceration and a most unlikely redemption.

It's also a story never previously told.

Until now.

I appreciate Dom's trust and the opportunity to help share his life account. A powerful, must listen episode, this is a conversation about hope and belief. It's about a healthy conceptualization of masculinity and the responsibilities that role entails. It's about the resolve required to transcend the victimhood of circumstance. And it's about rebirth into a purposeful life of meaning and service.

Survivor. Role model. Hero. Awesome human being. Good friend. Domz is the genuine article. And today he delivers the goods.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this powerful, much-anticipated exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This mid-week episode of the podcast is a fun, dynamic Q&A session from our Plantpower Australia event in Melbourne, Australia, recorded March 2017.

Big gratitude to everyone who helped produce and support our Australia events, including Mel Nahas, Andrew & Claire Davies of New Normal Project, Claire Jennifer and Gary Gorrow of Conscious Club, Mark Maloney and Luke Baylis of Sumo Salad, Lucy Stegley of Raw Events Australia, Andrew “SpudFit” Taylor, photographer / musician Maclay Heriot, Remedy Kombucha, Loving Earth, photographers Nathan Dunn, Noah Hannibal and Lauren Gray and of course the unnamed dozens who volunteered. These events would not have been possible without all of your hard work and support

In further celebration of the 300 episode milestone, I am giving away 9 #BuildTheHouse t-shirts (I only have men's size large unfortunately). To be eligible to win, simply take a screen shot of your favorite RRP episode and share it on social media with a brief explanation of why you found that particular episode meaningful. Tag your post with #RRPFAVE and we will select the winners one week from today (July 26, 2017). Just a small way for me to say thank you — because without you, this beautiful thing would not exist.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Addiction doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care how smart you are or how much money you have. Left unchecked, it will destroy your career, decimate your relationships, asphyxiate your aspirations and ultimately bankrupt your soul until you are but a shell of a human being — totally lost, devoid of hope and utterly alone.

I've been there. Tommy Rosen has been there too.

By the grace of a power greater than ourselves, both Tommy and I found a way out. A solution for sobriety that slowly pieced us back together, made us whole and gave our lives purpose.

That solution is the focus of today's conversation.

With over twenty-four years of continuous sobriety, Tommy is an addiction recovery expert who has spent the last two decades immersed in yoga, recovery and wellness.

He is the author of Recovery 2.0: Move Beyond Addiction and Upgrade Your Life*, and the founder and host of the Recovery 2.0: Beyond Addiction Online Conference. In addition, he holds certifications in both Kundalini and Hatha Yoga and leads Recovery 2.0 retreats and workshops internationally and presents regularly at yoga conferences and festivals.

This is a conversation about Tommy's remarkable path to recovery.

It's an intense and at times profound discourse on the ravages of addiction and alcoholism.

And it's a master class on the healing journey to becoming whole through the lens of Tommy's expertise, which is utilizing yoga and meditation to empower people to free themselves from the prison of addiction and ultimately build purposeful, fulfilling lives.

If you are suffering from some form of addiction, this episode is a must listen. Even if you're not an addict, I encourage you to embrace this conversation as a means to better understand the affliction, as chances are you probably know someone in need of help,

I sincerely hope you enjoy this powerful exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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If you want provoke change — real change – it's imperative to take a stand outside the echo chamber of the converted.

That's the ethos of professional race car driver and environmental activist Leilani Münter.

Named one of the top ten female race car drivers in the world by Sports Illustrated, Leilani races in NASCAR's ARCA Series and is the fourth woman in history to race in the Indy Pro Series (the development league of IndyCar). She has logged impressive performances at both Daytona and Talladega and set the record for the highest finish for a female driver in the history of the Texas Motor Speedway when she finished fourth in 2006.

But what’s most intriguing about Leilani — beyond the inherent intrigue of being one of the only female drivers in her sport — is her singular commitment to leveraging her profile to educate, inspire and raise awareness around environmental issues.

Winning isn't everything. Change is the goal.

Putting her money where her mouth is, Leilani has foregone traditional sponsorship opportunities to race cars draped in oversized logos promoting the documentaries The Cove and Blackfish. At Daytona in February 2017, she raced a car displaying Vegan Powered bills across the hood and sides. And since 2007, she adopts one acre of rainforest for every race she runs.

Leilani has presented before the UN in Geneva in 2015 and has appeared on Capitol Hill to speak on behalf of clean energy legislation. In addition, she was one of the first activists to arrive at the 2010 Gulf oil disaster and traveled to Taiji, Japan three times to document the dolphin slaughter depicted in the Academy Award winning documentary The Cove. She sits on board of the Oceanic Preservation Society and on the advisory board of The Solutions Project, a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

Leilani appears in the 2015 documentary Racing Extinction and her accomplishments have been profiled in USA Today, Italian Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, Esquire, and Newsweek. Discovery’s Planet Green named Münter the No. 1 eco-athlete in the world, she is a recipient of ELLE Magazine's 2012 Genius
Award, and Glamour Magazine named her an “Eco Hero.”

This conversation explores Leilani's upbringing, what motivated her to become a race car driver, and what its like to be one of the only females in her male dominated sport.

It's a discussion about the intersection of activism and sport — how Leilani infuses performance with her strident commitment to principles.

But mostly this is a conversation about the why behind Leilani's drive. A strong, powerful female role model committed to positively impacting culture, shifting consumer habits and catalyzing beneficial environmental policy change, I aspire to her level of dedication to a better world.

As Leilani is fond of saying, never underestimate a vegan hippie chick with a race car.

After this conversation, you won't either.

I love this exchange and sincerely hope you do too.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Four and a half years ago, I hit record and spoke my first words on this podcast from a cavernous warehouse on Kauai's North Shore. An experiment without much forethought, it was at best a simple creative outlet. Without attachment or any expectations whatsoever, I wasn't sure there would even be an episode 2.

Today I celebrate 300 episodes. About 500 hours spent going deep with the most compelling minds I could find. It's a catalog I am extremely proud of. A catalog I wish I had access to guide my younger years. A catalog I hope has brought you guidance, perspective, inspiration and education to inform your journey we call life.

Today I celebrate by taking a moment to reflect back on the journey with my audio producer Jason Camiolo.

Then we launch into a Q&A that was recorded before a small live audience on July 14, 2017 at Sacred Space in Miami at Julie's This Cheese Is Nuts! book launch event.

In recognition of the 300 episode milestone and to honor you, the listener, I am giving away 10 signed copies of Finding Ultra as well as a handful of #BuildTheHouse t-shirts. To be eligible to win, simply take a screen shot of your favorite RRP episode and share it on social media with a brief explanation of why you found that particular episode meaningful. Tag your post with #RRP300 and we will select the winners one week from today (July 14, 2017). Just a small way for me to say thank you — because without you, this beautiful thing would not exist.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Imagine yourself growing up around the wrong people. Because it's easy, you fall into the wrong crowd. Blink, and you’re in. Deep. A victim of impossible circumstances, it’s not long before you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the reflexive moment — impulsively and without thought – you do the wrong thing. A thing so terrible, it forever alters the trajectory of your life. A thing so unimaginably horrible, you dedicate the rest of your life in service to atonement.

This is the story of Shaka Senghor. At the age of 19, Shaka shot and killed a man. Convicted of second-degree murder, Shaka would spend the next 19 years in different prisons, seven of which were spent in solitary confinement.

While inside, Shaka made a decision. A decision to fully own his circumstances. A decision to transcend victimhood, understand his past, free his mind and expand his thinking. When he wasn't voraciously reading, he wrote. And it was through this relentless commitment to knowledge, self-understanding and compassion that he ultimately pulled himself out of the anger that led to his incarceration and prevented him from reaching his full potential.

Released in 2010, Shaka did not return to a life of violence. Instead, he committed himself to one singular idea: that our worst deeds don’t define who we are, nor do they prohibit our contribution to a better world. 

Fidelity to this ideal transformed Shaka's utterly broken life into one of meaning, purpose and advocacy. Now a leading voice in prison reform, he is a powerful public speaker, a Senior Fellow with the Dream Corps, a 2014 TED Prize finalist, a former MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, a former University of Michigan lecturer, a current Fellow in the inaugural class of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network and the founder of The Atonement Project. In addition, he recently launched Mind Blown Media, a new media company that aims to create high-impact content focused on the criminal justice system and mass incarceration.

Shaka’s memoir, Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death and Redemption in an American Prison* debuted on The New York Times Best Seller List as well as The Washington Post Best Seller List. He has been interviewed by Oprah and his TED Talk, which received a standing ovation, has been viewed more than 1.4 million times and was featured by TED as one of the most powerful TED Talks of 2014. Shaka has appeared on CNN, CBS This Morning, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Good Day New York, and he has been a guest on numerous radio programs, including NPR’s All Things Considered. And if all that isn't impressive enough, Shaka is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2016 EBONY Power100, the 2016 Ford Man of Courage, the 2016 NAACP Great Expectations Award, the 2015 Manchester University Innovator of the Year, and the 2012 Black Male Engagement Leadership Award.

I’m honored to share Shaka’s powerful story with you today.

Enjoy!

Rich

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We all yearn for connection, yet often feel trapped by our sense of isolation, anger, or envy. But there is a key that can free us from this prison of despair.

Love.

The problem? Love is just hard to talk about. Harder to understand. And perhaps even harder to practice.

How we get it? How we give it? How do we attract it? How do we cultivate it?

To answer these questions, first we have to define it.

What is love, exactly? 

Ask Sharon Salzberg and she'll tell you that it's not an emotion we should be trying to extract from another. In fact, don't even think about love as a feeling at all. Instead, consider it as an ability. An aptness or facility that resides within all of us that can be cultivated to create real, profound connections with others, with all, and most importantly ourselves. And it is that connection that will nourish the very sustenance of life itself and ultimately set you free.

Today I sit down with Sharon to redefine our limited interpretation of love. To dispel the misunderstandings that confine and circumscribe it. To plumb the eternal truths within it — love based on direct interactions rather than preconceptions. And to explore how we can better cultivate and expand our experience of real love in our daily lives.

For the uninitiated, Sharon Salzberg is a towering figure in the field of meditation. A world-renowned teacher and multiple New York Times' bestselling author, she has played a central, crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the West and into mainstream culture dating back to 1974 when she first began teaching. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and the author of ten books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness*, her seminal work, Lovingkindness* and her newest release, Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection* (the focus of today's conversation). Sharon is also a regular columnist for On Being, a contributor to Huffington Post, and the host of her own podcast, The Metta Hour.

One of the many striking things about Sharon is that she's just cool. Like, really f*$king cool. Despite her undisputed luminary status in the meditation space, conspicuously absent is any hint of pretense or artifice. Down-to-earth and fun to be with, her approach to Buddhist teachings is modern, secular, and accessible, rendering the wisdom and it's practical applications relatable to all.

This conversation is a deep dive into Sharon's extraordinary life.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Today I am joined by Chris Hauth for round two of my new and novel Coach's Corner edition of the podcast.

A sub-9 hour Ironman, Chris (@AIMPCoach) is the current Age Group Ironman World Champion, a former Olympic Swimmer and one of the world's most respected endurance coaches. In 2006, Chris won the Ironman Coeur D’Alene and went on to be the first American amateur & 4th overall American at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

When he's not training and racing, Chris coaches a wide spectrum of athletes ranging from elite professionals — including Ironman and Western States top finishers, Ultraman winners and Olympic Trials qualifiers — to first time half-marathoners.

A friend and mentor as much as a coach, Chris has deftly guided me through three Ultraman World Championships ('08, '09 & '11), EPIC5 in 2010 and is currently preparing me for the impending Ötillö Swimrun World Championships in Sweden this September, an event we will race together — literally tethered to each other — as a team.

Today we sit down for a brief (by the standards of this podcast) state-of-the-union on our training at 11 weeks out from Ötillö, then shift focus to a number of fitness, training and overall wellness subjects germane to the listener — whether you are an elite athlete, a weekend warrior or just looking for that nudge to get off the couch.

Specific subjects discussed include:

* Chris & Rich's preparation for Ötillö

* Getting Rich ‘race fit' at 50 after a 5-year break

* Training into your 50's & 60's

* Chris’ training & racing philosophy

* Pros & cons of external monitors/trackers

* Fitness versus racing

* Chris' three pillars for peak performance

* Training smart vs. training hard

* The primacy of process over results & enjoyment over obsession

* Strategies for optimizing recovery 

I could have never achieved the level of athletic success I have enjoyed without Chris' deft counsel, so it is with pleasure that I share his wisdom with you today.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Last week we discussed the how behind ditching dairy. This week we discuss the why.

Right now the average American eats more than 33 pounds of cheese a year. Packed with calories, loaded with saturated fat and teeming in highly addictive casomorphins, it's a habit that's intimately linked to obesity and a litany of chronic illnesses, including heart disease and type-2 diabetes. It's a habit that wrecks significant havoc on the environment, polluting our skies and poisoning our water table. And it's a habit that perpetuates unspeakable cruelty on the sentient animals it relies upon to serve its unabating appetite.

Nonetheless, the U.S. continues to produce more cheese and dairy products than any other country in the world. Relentless, well-funded dairy industry lobbying efforts have entrenched government subsidies that not only incentivize production but even quietly fund corporate product development and marketing efforts, such as Pizza Hut's infamous grilled cheese stuffed crust pizza, McDonald's McCafé products and even Starbucks smoothies — all products specifically produced, developed and marketed to increase consumer dairy consumption courtesy of the federal funded and USDA regulated dairy checkoff program.

It's time to stop the insanity.

So let's talk about it. I can think of no better steward to facilitate a conversation on this subject than my good friend Neal Barnard, M.D.

A pre-eminent authority on diet and nutrition and its impact on illnesses such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, Neal 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, and the Barnard Medical Center, a ground-breaking non-profit primary care medical practice where board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners, and registered dietitians help patients prevent and reverse serious health problems, leveraging a holistic approach that involves tackling the actual causes of illness, with extra attention on nutrition.

Neal 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 the New York Times best-sellers Power Foods for the Brain*,21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart*, the USA Today best-seller Dr. Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes* and the subject of today’s conversation...

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“I would totally go vegan but there’s no way I can give up cheese.”

If this is you, then today's episode is required listening.

This week my wife and creative partner Julie Piatt returns to the podcast to discuss the hows and whys of ditching dairy in celebration of her brand new book, This Cheese Is Nuts! Delicious Vegan Cheese At Home, hitting bookstores everywhere Tuesday, June 13.

Equal parts mother, author, yogi, musician, and doyenne of vegan cuisine, Julie spent the last two years ensconced in her kitchen lab, dutifully pushing plant-based culinary boundaries to create an extraordinary new work to empower each and all with the required tools and techniques to prepare over 75 facile vegan cheese recipes for home and family.

Introducing Cheese 2.0. As her taste-tester in chief, take it from me — it doesn't mimic dairy cheese. It's better. Way better – for you, your family, the planet and of course the animals.

If you loved The Plantpower Way, then you're going to flip for This Cheese Is Nuts — a next level nutritional primer designed not just for vegans but for everyone and anyone looking to live better and more sustainably. So whether you are paleo, lactose intolerant, plant-curious or just looking for healthier options for your kids, this book is a must for your and loved ones.

This week I sit down with Julie to talk about why she wrote this book and what she hopes it will accomplish.

This is a conversation about creative exploration, the power of self-expression and the hidden strengths of naiveté. It's about why and how you should finally ditch dairy. And it's about food choice as a powerful political act to improve personal health and sustainably preserve our collective ecological resources for future generations and our animal friends alike.

I'm so proud of Julie and I couldn't be more excited about the impact her new book will no doubt have on positively transforming countless lives in the years to come. The recipes forever changed our lives and I promise they will change yours too. So pick it up for yourself. Pick it up for a loved one. Pick it up for the animals. Pick it up for the planet. Because time is running out. Because good food truly is the first portal to self-actualization. And more than ever, we need everybody to be who they really are.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the discussion. This Cheese Is Nuts!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Back by popular demand, my good friend, podcast favorite and provacateur-at-large John Joseph returns for an unprecedented 5th appearance on the show to share more of his extraordinary story. A story that lays bare the indelible power of the human spirit to face and transcend unimaginable, seemingly insurmountable obstacles and ultimately transform one's life wholesale.

If you're a longtime listener, Johnny Bloodclot needs no introduction. For the uninitiated, John is a sui generis American original. The very definition of hardcore. A survivor. A spiritual warrior spouting straight talk directly from the streets of the Lower East Side with one singular, driving purpose:

getting people to wake the f&*k up.

Conceived and raised in abuse, deprived of opportunity and left to his own devices, John turned to violence and drugs on the rough and tumble streets of New York's Lower East Side in the 1970’s. It's a path that predictably led to violence, crime, addiction and incarceration. Spending his teens as a drug mule led to a series of unsavory foster care homes, culminating in unimaginably horrific stints in juvenile detention.

Then things went downhill.

To avoid long-term incarceration, he enlisted in the Navy, only to go AWOL after a fight. Fleeing the law and rudderless, John found redemption in the hardcore punk rock scene flourishing on Manhattan's Lower East Side in the early 1980's. Taken in by the Bad Brains' frontman H.R., John began to explore not just his musicianship, but his spirituality. It's a journey that birthed the Cro-Mags – one of the era's most iconic and influential hardcore punk bands. Later, he found his spiritual salvation living in a Hare Krishna monastery, birthing a life-long love of meditation, yoga, the vegan lifestyle, racing Ironman triathlons, and most importantly, his profound devotion to service.

Renown for his straight talk, no BS approach to living and the power of PMA — positive mental attitude — John continues to tour as frontman for both Cro-Mags and his new band Bloodclot. He also just released a 2nd edition of his memoir Evolution of a Cro-Magnon* and is the author of nutrition primer Meat Is For Pussies*, with a foreword by yours truly.

A man who truly walks his talk, every conversation with John leaves me better than before. Today's conversation proves that just when I think we’ve covered it all, new layers emerge. So even if you've enjoyed all of John's previous appearances on the podcast, this episode will find you riveted by a stream of mind-blowing, never previously told stories that are certain to incite, provoke, educate and inspire.

LANGUAGE ADVISORY: John drops more f-bombs in this conversation than I could count. John is John, and editing was out of the question. So if you're queasy about foul language, consider yourself warned and make sure the kiddos are out of earshot.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Plenty has been written about achieving peak performance in sport, career and life. But there is a black hole in the literature when it comes to the tools and practices required to consistently perform at your absolute best over the course of an athletic season, a long professional career and ultimately an entire lifetime.

Until now.

This week I convene with Brad Stulberg (@BStulberg) and Steve Magness (@stevemagness), two high performers who both quested for greatness but fell short, succumbing to the paralyzing burnout that all too often destroys the hopes and dreams of even the most talented, determined and capable.

Once a rising star at McKinsey & Co. with a stint consulting on health care at The White House, Brad was a golden boy determined to maximize his seemingly unlimited career potential. Instead, he worked himself right out the door of his chosen profession. Reinventing himself as a writer and author, today Brad specializes in the health and the science of human performance, known for his ability to merge the latest science with compelling personal stories to offer readers practical insights that they can apply in their own lives. Currently a columnist for Outside Magazine and New York Magazine, Brad has also written for Forbes, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, Runner’s World, and The Huffington Post. And because Brad's insights are generally so awesome, they often find their way into my weekly Roll Call newsletter.

An elite track & field athlete with very realistic Olympic dreams, Steve clocked an extraordinary 4:01 mile in high school. As a collegiate, he would spend the next several years chasing the elusive sub-4 minute barrier, unable to best what he accomplished as a teen. Steve reinvented himself as one of the most accomplished, respected and in demand track & field and cross country coaches in the world. In addition to serving up duties at the University of Houston, he is the personal coach to some of the most accomplished professional and Olympic runners on the planet.

In the wake of their respective course corrections, both Brad and Steve wondered: what could we have done differently? And more importantly, what can be learned from the latest science, our experience and that of others to save people from suffering our fate?

The product of that inquiry is Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout and Thrive with the New Science of Success*. Based on science and insight derived from some of the world's most accomplished athletes, artists, and intellectuals, it's a must-read primer on the common principles that drive and ultimately sustain performance, regardless if you're trying to qualify for the Olympics, break ground in mathematical theory, craft an artistic masterpiece or just become a better weekend warrior, parent or professional.

Today, I sit down with Brad and Steve to unpack the aforementioned common principles. Chockablock with life-enhancing treasures, this is a great conversation.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Creating a huge business is one thing. Building it on principles of conscious awareness? Another thing altogether.

This week I sit down with John Mackey, the father of conscious capitalism and the unlikely entrepreneur behind a $16 billion grocery behemoth that ushered in a global organic food movement and permanently changed the way we eat, live and think about business.

The Bill Gates of organic food, John is the original, current and sole CEO of Whole Foods Markets, which he founded in 1980 and has parented to Fortune 500 status, employing over 90,000 people across 450+ stores in the United States, Canada and the UK.

A strong believer in free market principles, Mackey is the co-founder of the Conscious Capitalism Movement and co-authored the New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller Conscious Capitalism, which encourages business grounded in principles of ethical consciousness.

Consistent with this ethos, John has birthed a myriad of philanthropic efforts, including the Whole Planet Foundation to help end poverty in developing nations, the Local Producer Loan Program to help local food producers expand their businesses, The Global Animal Partnership’s rating scale for humane farm animal treatment, and the Health Starts Here initiative to promote health and wellness.

Mackey has been recognized as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Winner for the United States, Institutional Investor’s Best CEO in America, Barron’s World’s Best CEO, MarketWatch’s CEO of the Year, FORTUNE’s Businessperson of the Year, and Esquire’s Most Inspiring CEO.

Aligning his actions with his values, John embraces an extremely grounded lifestyle in stark contrast to his means. This is a guy who in 2006 cut his annual pay to $1, donates all his stock options to charity, walks to work, cooks his own meals and meditates daily.

A vegan for many years, John recently released The Whole Foods Diet*. Co-authored by Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman of Forks Over Knives, it's a powerful primer that unequivocally establishes a whole foods, plant-based diet as the optimum protocol for health, disease prevention and longevity based on the huge body of science, research, and advice that is available today.

Enjoy!

Rich

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In all honesty, I don't put that much thought into how I communicate. Jordan Harbinger thinks that's a mistake. Because the signals all of us routinely emit — verbally, physically and often quite subtly — have a profound impact on how we feel about ourselves, how we are perceived by others, and how we navigate the world.

Indeed, the social cues most employ by habit, and without conscious awareness, fundamentally forge our entire human experience, more often than not leading us astray from the relationships, career, goals, and reality we desire.

The good news? Social acumen is entirely teachable. To be sure, it's an inside job. And that job is hard. But by committing to that work and embracing certain scientifically proven practices and strategies, we can indeed dramatically improve our communication skills and thus positively impact our ability to relate to and with others. Over time, the result is enhanced connection, self-esteem, empathy, authenticity and influence, all of which translate into an enhanced quality of life and an expanded sense of personal fulfillment.

Today Jordan joins the podcast to share his experience. A former Wall Street lawyer turned entrepreneur, public speaker and expert in social dynamics, Jordan is the creator and host of the popular Art of Charm podcast. Celebrating its 10th year with over 600 episodes, Art of Charm has been rated one of the top 50 podcast on iTunes and currently receives an amazing 2.5 million downloads per month.

Jordan is also the co-founder and owner of a coaching and consulting firm of the same name. Through his Art of Charm bootcamps and training programs, Jordan and his team counsel executives, employees, athletes, soldiers and every day people on the social, psychological, scientific and philosophical skills required to positively transform your career and life.

A bit of a disclaimer: despite very much enjoying my experience guesting on Jordan's show back in 2015, I wasn't sure Jordan was the best fit for this show. The idea of exploring how to teach charm just didn't sit all that well with me. It doesn't feel authentic. But in fairness to Jordan, I think his website, podcast and services are inaccurately named.

In truth, Jordan's message is much more about the human psychology behind what holds us back — and the journey required to overcome the habits that block us from becoming the best versions of who we really are.

And that, my friends, is a subject I deem worthy of exploring.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Goals are great. Audacious goals? Even better.

But what happens when that quest to touch the outermost edge of your capabilities tips into maddening obsession?

David Clark has been there. And this week he returns to the podcast to tell us all about it.

Longtime listeners will remember well our first conversation — one of my most popular episodes to date — in which David vividly recalled his extraordinary journey from morbidly obese, full-blown alcoholic into sober, vegan, ultra-running warrior.

Not too long ago, David tipped the scales at 320 pounds. Fueled on a steady, death-defying diet of booze, pills and fast food, he was a man hell-bent on wrecking havoc, destruction and woe in the lives of loved ones and anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path,

He wasn't just unhealthy. He was broken.

Ultimately Dave met his breaking point. Understanding that if he didn't change he would surely die, he summoned the will to finally face and overcome his demons, transform his life wholesale and ultimately accomplish feats most sane people would deem impossible.

As told in his memoir Out There*, David didn’t just drop 150 pounds on a plant-based diet. He didn’t just complete a half-marathon. He didn’t just complete a marathon. And he didn’t just finish the Badwater 135, but went on to crush an impressive list of ultra-marathons, including a run across the entire United States (along with podcast fave Charlie Engle) and the Quad Boston, in which he ran the Boston marathon course four times without stopping.

Along the way, he repaired his broken self, emerging healthy.

Mission accomplished. Or so he thought.

No matter how far David continued to push the envelope, a void nonetheless remained. A hole in his soul he simply could not fill. So he continued to push, convinced that the answer he sought would surely be found in going further. Farther. Longer. Harder.

What had begun as a laudable journey to wholeness had fractured, leading him away from the light — and into darkness.

And yet once again, David found his way out.

This is a conversation about that journey.

It's about what happens when goals devolve into addictions — an escape from what is most real and important.

It's about the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, and the impact of those stories on our beliefs.

And it's about constant, continual fidelity to growth and re-invention.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this powerful, contemplative exchange with the inspiring David Clark.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Twenty years ago I was a hope to die alcoholic — lost and alone.

Despite achieving sobriety, ten years ago I remained lost — overweight, depressed and utterly rudderless.

Five years ago this week, I published a book about how I found my way out. A spiritual journey that entailed extreme faith and relentless persistence called Finding Ultra. 

Today I celebrate the journey of my rebirth — and pause to honor this five year landmark — by taking a look back.

Because the growth I have been blessed to experience isn't mine to covet. It's a choice available to all.

So today, Julie asks the questions. And I answer them.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Despite our cultural obsession with weight loss, we've never been fatter.

Right now, one out of every three U.S. adults are obese. Another third are overweight. Even worse? 18% of our children are morbidly obese with rates continuing to soar. In lockstep with our obesity epidemic is a shocking escalation of chronic lifestyle illness, including high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and stroke. One out of every three Americans will die of heart disease. Close to 30% of the adult population is diabetic or pre-diabetic. The problem is so bad, 75% of all U.S. healthcare costs are attributable to these conditions — illnesses that quite ironically are avoidable and often reversible through some fairly simple diet and lifestyle changes.

So why can't we lose the weight and keep it off?

This is the question JD Roth has devoted his life to answering.

The man behind a television empire built on the shoulders of a prime-time juggernaut called The Biggest Loser — which aired for an astonishing 17 seasons — JD is the award-winning producer and reality-TV pioneer behind some of the most successful and prolific television programs of our era. More than a decade ago, JD first introduced viewers to the weight-loss TV arena with The Biggest Loser on NBC – now a worldwide, half-billion-dollar brand – and expanded upon it with Extreme Weight Loss on ABC, which ran for five seasons and airs as Obese in more than 130 countries.

JD is also author of Big Fat Truth*, and a brand-new television series of the same name (premiering June 11 at 8pm ET/PT on Z Living), which challenges and guides groups of participants unhappy with their weight and health (including some former Biggest Loser contestants who regained their weight), providing them the tools to uncover and tackle the real issues behind the weight while encouraging them to adopt a whole food, plant-based diet over a three month period of mental, emotional and practical mentorship by JD and a panel of experts that include none other than podcast favorite Michael Greger, MD (and a brief appearance by yours truly).

Never before has a show advanced plant-based eating as a central conceit. A first in the history of television, I cannot overstate how excited this is for the movement and the world.

Today I sit down with the blockbuster producer to unpack it all — including the whirl of controversy that surrounds the successful shows he created.

This is a conversation about the cultural phenomenon of weight loss television that JD originated, framed and fashioned. It's about the overlooked mental and emotional barriers that prevent too many from achieving and maintaining optimal weight and health. And it's a conversation about his passion for the plant-based lifestyle, as well as the hows and whys behind his book and new television show that advance this lifestyle as the model way to not only lose weight, but keep it off for good.

Irrespective of your opinion on JD's former shows, I can honestly say that JD is truly passionate about helping people — I've seen it first hand, up close and personal. So I urge you to set aside any pre-conceived notions you may have and enjoy!

Rich

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Close your eyes and imagine yourself running a trail ultramarathon in the beautiful Australian outback. You're enjoying the experience when suddenly you find yourself trapped in a gorge, surrounded by a raging brushfire.

The flames quickly close in until you're surrounded on all sides.

No escape.

This is how it ends, you think.

Then darkness.

Against all odds, death is averted. Instead, you lie comatose. Months pass in dormancy. Finally your eyes open, awakening to discover you're miraculously alive, yet somehow less than whole. A glance at your left hand reveals several fingers missing. On the right? No thumb. And the reason you can't move? 65% of your body is covered in life threatening burns. Overwhelmed, you allow your eyes once again close, welcoming the comfort of darkness.

200 operations follow. Over the next two years, you will die three times during surgery.

Miraculously, you somehow survive. Not as a victim, but as a hero.

This is the powerful story of Turia Pitt – humanitarian, athlete, and beacon of inspiration and female empowerment to millions across the world.

One of Australia’s most admired and widely recognized people, Turia has been profiled everywhere from 60 Minutes to Women's Weekly. She has scaled the Great Wall of China, competed in the Ironman World Championships and walked the Kokoda Track. A sought-after public speaker, Turia has mentored thousands through her online programs, raised funds and awareness for a variety of philanthropic concerns and authored two books — the recently released Unmasked* (available in the US in audiobook format* only) and Everything To Live For*.

This is a conversation about turning tragedy into opportunity. Adversity into advocacy. And experience into service. It's a conversation about the importance of putting others before yourself and serving those less fortunate.

But most of all, this is a powerful conversation about facing life head on — about taking risks, facing your fears and believing in yourself.

It was an honor to spend a couple hours with Turia and her fiancé Michael during my recent visit to Sydney. My hope is that our exchange will leave you feeling inspired, empowered and grateful.

Or as Turia says, no whinging!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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7.5 billion people currently share this spinning blue planet we call Earth. By 2050, that number will escalate to 9.7 billion. By 2100? 11 billion.

How can we possibly feed 11 billion people sustainably?

To answer that question we must turn our gaze to the industrialization of animal agriculture. On the surface, what we commonly call factory farming appears incredibly efficient, creating massive economies of scale. But peer just below the surface and you'll discover a vast operation of mass suffering that is irreparably polluting the environment, eviscerating our dwindling natural resources and destroying human health to boot.

Beyond wasteful. Utterly unsustainable. Indefensibly cruel.

Ladies and gentlemen, our food system is in dire need of innovation.

So let's talk about it. This week I sit down with Bruce Friedrich, a man who has devoted his life to reforming animal agriculture and innovating the future of food and food systems.

Bruce is the executive director of The Good Food Institute and founding partner of New Crop Capital, organizations focused on replacing animal products with plant and culture-based alternatives. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College, holds additional degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the London School of Economics and was inducted into the United States Animal Rights Hall of Fame in 2004.

A popular speaker on college campuses — including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT — Bruce has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Court TV.

As compelling as it gets, this is an extraordinary conversation about animal agriculture, planetary health and human well being. It's about the politics of agriculture and the subsidies, corporations, representatives and lobbyists that support it.

But mostly, this is an optimistic forecast of food system innovation — how technology, urgency and popular demand are rapidly converging to create healthy, sustainable and compassionate solutions to help solve our current food, health and environmental crises.

Incredibly intelligent, considerate and measured, it was an honor to sit down with Bruce. May our exchange leave you inspired to invest more deeply in where your food comes from and how it impacts the precious world we share.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Ever wonder what it would be like to get paid to travel the world, jetting from one exotic port of call to the next in search of adventure?

Now imagine sharing these experiences with millions of people all over the world on the daily.

Few could pull this off. But if you feel the allure, then you're in for a treat with this week's guest — because Louis Cole is the master.

With almost 2 million subscribers on his Fun For Louis YouTube channel (plus 1.5 million on Instagram), this British-born dreadlocked globetrotter was one of the first (if not the very first) daily travel vloggers to break out — an internet personality so sensational, YouTube crown prince Casey Neistat (RRP 73, 144 & 174) dubbed Louis the godfather of daily vlogging.

Louis has crossed India on a rickshaw and skydived high above Dubai. He has skateboarded along Sydney Harbor and sailed a hot air balloon in Kenya. From kayaking in New Zealand to salsa dancing in Cuba, it's just another day of fun for Louis — a guy committed to sucking the marrow out of life.

But the true allure of Louis isn't travel. And it isn't vlogging.

No, Louis' greatest talent is his ability to inspire wonder. Imbued with a rare enthusiasm for embracing all that life delivers, he has an infectious touch when it comes to encouraging his followers to pursue big dreams while he enjoys his own.

After a brief training progress report with my coach Chris Hauth, this week I sit down with Louis to find out exactly how he created such an extraordinary life.

This is a conversation about cultivating imagination, then translating that imagination into reality. It's about the mindset, tools and practices required to craft the trajectory of your wildest dreams. And to embrace the life you deserve.

An old soul with a big heart, Louis is a truly beautiful guy. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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As longtime listeners know well, minimalism, mindfulness & sustainable living are favorite recurring themes of this show. Guests like Andrew Morgan and Joshua Katcher have elucidated our our cultural addiction to fast fashion. Andy Puddicombe, Jason Garner,Light Watkins,Dan Harris,Charlie Knoles,Guru Singh,WuDe and others have espoused the benefits of meditation. And people like Joshua Fields Milburn have shared the strategies and value of learning to live better with less.

Perhaps you even watched Joshua and Ryan Nicodemus' documentary, Minimalism*. If you did, you may recall seeing Leo Babauta featured. A husband and father of six, Leo is the creator of Zen Habits, one of the largest single-author blogs in the world with a fanatic global fanbase in the millions. Named one of TIME magazine’s Top 10 blogs, Leo was indisputably one of the first prominent voices on the internet advocating the power and beauty of embracing simplicity and mindfulness to transcend the chaos of our daily existence. Through his writing, he has taught millions how to clear mental, emotional, financial and physical clutter so we can focus on what’s most important, create something amazing, and find contentment, purpose and meaning in our lives. Count me a fan.

Today finds Leo with a new goal: to end human struggle.

Audacious? Sure. Naively optimistic? Maybe. But Leo is no ordinary human. Uniquely extraordinary, he might just have what it tales to help birth a new age of consciousness.

Despite the fact that we had never met in person prior to this podcast, I can't overstate the extent to which Leo's work positively influenced my personal transformation and continues to this day to inspire my path. An authentic example of the powerful ideals he espouses, it was a personal thrill to finally meet him.

More importantly, our exchange exceeded all expectations.

This is a conversation about how to create healthy, personal boundaries. It's about the distinction between greed and ambition. It's about combating our consumerist programming through meditation, yoga, and mindfulness practices. And it's a conversation about his vegan lifestyle and why he unschools his children.

But overall, this is a potent conversation about the path to self-mastery. It's about how to let go of negative habits and adopt positive practices with staying power in service to your highest, most authentic self.

Because if you ask Leo, life is for living, not for productivity.

Present, gracious and wise beyond measure, Leo is a rare voice worth heeding. And this is a podcast you're going to want to listen to more than once.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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From fire walks to ice baths and juice cleanses to intermittent fasting, silent retreats, talk therapy and everything in between, the world of personal development is limitless. And that's not counting all the podcasts, audiobooks, online courses, weekend seminars, weeklong symposiums, webinar tutorials and mastermind intensives that can occupy a well-intentioned seeker dawn to dusk for the next 10,000 years.

Beyond the overwhelm, the self-help universe is fraught with snake oil slinging charlatans obfuscating truth from fiction — and all too often salvation from predation.

Efforts to divine truth from bullshit render imperfect results. Anxiety ensues. To cope, we double down on improving upon our self-improvement until we wake up one day and realize what began as a laudable quest for growth has suddenly become an obsessive malignancy — a sort of spiritual eating disorder gnawing away on our very soul.

Danielle LaPorte has been there. And she's got a message for you:

You're the answer to your question.

Named to Oprah’s inaugural SuperSoul 100, Entrepreneur magazine calls Danielle equal parts poet and entrepreneurial badass. I call her a powerful force of nature — a teacher, a leader and a mom who also happens to be a lauded public speaker, multiple bestselling author and doyenne of blogging for millions at DanielleLaPorte.com, which Forbes calls the best place online for kickass spirituality.

Honest, accessible and authentic to the core, Danielle's books include The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms* and The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul*. Her newest book, which hits shelves everywhere May 16 and is available for pre-order now, is entitled White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping It Real on Your Spiritual Path from One Seeker to Another*. A high recommend, it's a fun and accessible rollercoaster ride through the machinations of personal growth, the pitfalls of spiritual glamour and the self-criticism that too often accompanies self-help to deliver a powerful edict: you are your own guru.

A beacon of compassion, Danielle is an extraordinary human. A woman devoted to helping people transcend their limitations, access their potential, and truly self-actualize. It was an honor to finally sit down with her and talk it all out.

This is a fun, deep and deeply fun dive into Danielle’s divine path. It's an exploration of self-help adventures gone wrong and the breakthroughs that make it all worth it. It's about what happens when spirituality becomes a to do list. And why sometimes we have to fall for lies in order to discover our truth.

Ultimately, it's not how you seek spiritual growth, it's why you seek it. Answer this, and you are on the path to becoming your own guru.

Enjoy!

Rich

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We all want what's best for our kids.

So we roll up our sleeves and insert ourselves in their education, pitching in on homework and managing school projects. We stimulate them with an endless revolving door of activities. We do what we can to foster good grades, college application-worthy experiences and self-esteem. Along the way, we celebrate victories as if they were our own. And swoop in to protect when things go south.

The instinct is laudable: set up our children for success, by any means necessary.

But what if we have it all wrong? What if all this hyper-competitive, overly-protective micro-management is doing more harm than good?

As a parent of young girls, I desperately want to do everything I can to serve their long-term interests. To learn more, I sat down with educator, writer and speaker Jessica Lahey (@jesslahey). A graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a J.D. concentrating on juvenile and education law from the University of North Carolina School of Law, Jessica is an an English and writing teacher, correspondent for the Atlantic, commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and writes the “Parent-Teacher Conference” column for the New York Times.

She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed* (highly recommend for parents) and if that's not enough, she also explores writing and creativity on #AmWriting, a podcast she co-hosts with KJ Dell'Antonia, a columnist and contributing editor for the New York Times' Well Family.

Specific topics discussed include:

* the critical difference between grades and learning

* differentiating between confidence vs. competence

* the perils of “fixed mindsets”

* the nature of what motivates true learning

* the negative implications of over-parenting, rescuing, enmeshment & hovering; and

* effective strategies to cultivate your child's long-term interests

* ultimately its about how to best parent your child to maximize their learning and set them up for long term success.

If you are a parent, this episode is a must listen. If you don't have kids, you will nonetheless find Jessica's powerful insights on the psychology of motivation and the mechanisms that promote learning absolutely invaluable and applicable to each and every one of us.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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It’s no secret that aspects of our current education system are at best antiquated, at worst broken. Whether it's quality education in the developing world, properly training people to meet our rapidly changing workforce needs or the crippling student loan debt that onerously burdens millions of young people, we're long overdue for some systemic upgrades.

This week's guest has devoted his life to tackling these problems.

A young man with a bright future, Adam Braun graduated from Brown and threw himself headfirst into a burgeoning career in finance when an extended backpacking trip across the developing world forever changed his perspective. Inspired by a sense of purpose and a call to service, in 2008 Adam walked away from Wall Street to launch Pencils of Promise – a for purpose philanthropic endeavor with the mission of building schools in countries across the world. A massive success, Pencils of Promise is responsible for over 400 new schools to date, distinguishing itself as one of a handful of charitable organizations that has fundamentally changed how we think about and practice philanthropy and giving.

Named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 List, Business Insider's 40 Under 40 List, and Wired's Smart List of 50 People Changing the World, Adam chronicles his remarkable journey in The Promise of a Pencil*, a powerful story of awakening and action that demonstrates how one person can make a huge difference in a short period of time. Debuting at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list and going on to becoming a #1 national bestseller, it's a favored read among business leaders and can even be found on many a college syllabus.

Today finds Adam embarking a new chapter, taking on higher education with an ambitious new start up called MissionU – a for-profit for purpose, venture-backed organization that presents a compelling alternative to traditional college by sending students into the workforce debt-free.

This is a great conversation about Adam’s journey to entrepreneurial success. It's about the current state of education, the business of education, and the innovative path forward. It’s a conversation about self-awareness, integrity and lightning moments. But mostly, this is a conversation about the transformative power of leading a meaningful life of service fueled by purpose.

I applaud Adam's commitment to dream big and solve huge problems. A special human, I promise you will be captivated by the extraordinary story behind it all.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This mid-week episode of the podcast is a fun, dynamic Q&A session from our recent Plantpower Way event at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney, Australia.

Some of the topics covered include:

* raising vegan kids

* incorporating podcast guest wisdom into your life

* becoming your own self-sustaining ecosystem

* carving a career out of your passion

* pushing through when discipline wavers

* the benefits of mutual partner support

* effective advocacy methods

I hope you enjoy the offering. #StayJedi!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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I know what you’re thinking. It's rather convenient for any Olympic athlete to say that hard work trumps talent.

For perspective, take a glance at the palmarès of this week's guest:

* 2012 London Olympics: Gold in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay

* 2016 Rio Olympics: Gold in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay

* 2016 Rio Olympics: Bronze in the 200 meter freestyle

In total, Conor Dwyer has won seventeen medals in major international swimming competitions: nine gold, six silver, and two bronze. I could geek out on his statistics forever but you get the picture. The dude is super fast in the pool; one of the fastest swimmers of all time.

An extraordinary athlete, Conor is obviously immensely talented. So this idea that hard work beats talent can't possibly apply to him, right?

Not so fast. Conor was the furthest thing from a natural talent right out of the gate. His performances out of high school were so mediocre in fact, he couldn't even get the attention of college coaches let alone a swimming scholarship. I simply cannot overstate how rare it is in competitive swimming that an athlete of his current caliber had yet to distinguish himself by 18. It just doesn't happen.

But Conor refused to give up. Through persistence and a robust work ethic relentlessly applied, a series of circumstances slowly aligned. A believing coach appeared to mentor him, followed by training partners to push him to new levels of possibility and further fuel his self-belief in potential. Over time, all the important ingredients alchemized to bake the cake that is the superstar athlete we know today as Conor Dwyer.

This week Conor shares his extraordinary story from bench warmer to Olympic champion. A story that lays bare a simple core truth I have experienced myself:

when the heart is pure and fueled by self-belief, extreme faith, unwavering patience and an unabating work ethic, the universe conspires to support the dream.

One of the good guys, Conor lives it with every breath. A recipe for success that has fueled his accomplishments and will support anyone — irrespective of talent level — in the pursuit of an audacious dream.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Imagine four commercial airliners crashing every single hour of every single day of every single year.

It's unfathomable. And yet that is how many Americans die from heart disease annually. In fact, an unbelievable 1 out of every 3 people in the U.S. will perish from this one disease.

Meanwhile, 70% of Americans are obese or overweight. In the coming decade, 50% of Americans will be diagnosed diabetic or pre-diabetic. An economic disaster, 75% of all health care costs in America are attributable to these and a few other chronic lifestyle illnesses.

It's devastating. And yet the most heartbreaking aspect of this crisis is that 80-90% of these illnesses are very easily preventable and often entirely reversible via some rather simple diet and lifestyle alternations.

It's the food, stupid.

This week I'm joined by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn, the filmmaking dynamic duo behind the groundbreaking documentary Cowspiracy, to talk about their brand new follow up. Equally groundbreaking, What The Health explores the relationship between our food systems and big business, exposing the collusion and corruption that is making us sick, keeping us sick and costing us trillions in healthcare dollars.

Whereas Cowspiracy explores the impact of animal agriculture on environmental health, What The Health focuses on human health. Perhaps the most important documentary you will ever see, it's a film about the power of special interest groups to drive unhealthy consumer spending habits. It's about environmental racism and the impact of animal agriculture on community health. And it's about why you need to rethink for yourself everything you've ever been told about the relationship between business and food, the impact of food choice on personal health, and your body's incredible, innate power to prevent, fight and even reverse the chronic lifestyle illnesses that are unnecessarily killing people by the millions.

Starting March 16, the film will be available to watch worldwide at whatthehealthfilm.com – where you can also pre-order the DVD and cookbook as well as set up a screening in your town (I'm hosting one on March 29). In addition, for the first four days of the film's release (between March 16 – 20), Keegan and Kip will be donating half of all proceeds to Food Not Bombs – an amazing, for-purpose organization that feeds thousands of people free vegan meals across North America and the world.

Kip and Keegan are truly breaking paradigms. Making the world a better place. And changing lives with what I think is the most important film of the year. A film that just might save your life or that of a loved one. I aspire to their level of courage and advocacy. And I sincerely hope you enjoy this exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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There are leaders and then there are followers. The best leaders engender devotion to a big, new idea. But only a few successfully grow their conceit into a thriving a enterprise that withstands the test of time. Fewer still scale to mainstream cultural impact.

Then there are the charmed select who simply see the world differently. Not how it is, but how it could be. How it should be. The rare figure who infuses his or her vision with a contagion of enthusiasm and connectivity so infectious and powerful, it ignites a revolution – catalyzing a movement that penetrates the mainstream, hypnotizes the masses and forever alters the perspective and behavior of all who fall under its spell.

This is the story of Brogan Graham — an irreverent, way-outside-the-box fitness fanatic who, along with partner-in-crime Bojan Mandaric decided to flip the fitness industry on its head and make the world a better place with a creation dubbed November Project. No gyms or machines. No fees or dues. Just two dudes, wide open public space and a fervent, gung-ho tribe of thousands taking over not just urban landscapes but the world, one city at a time.

If you’re into fitness and live in a metropolis, chances are you've already caught wind of NP. Maybe you've even attended one of their infamous morning workouts.

But for those unfamiliar, November Project started as a simple month-long workout pact between Brogan and Bojan, two former rowers who wanted to stay fit through the cold New England months. One by one, a burgeoning community of fitness freaks joined the party. And before long, the few morphed into a fanatical multitude, bonding around NP's free, open-to-anyone, frentic sweat revivals – the more ice, sleet, snow, and rain the better.

Dubbed “the ‘Fight Club' of running clubs”, November Project has matured into a flashmob fitness revolution that now dominates the pre-dawn urban landscape of cities all across North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and even parts of Asia. Thoroughly grassroots and populist to the core, it's a category-defying movement that is redefining how we think about and practice fitness by leveraging community, a simple sense of accountability and open public spaces to motivate and encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and levels — welcoming everyone from Olympic medalists and professional athletes all the way to complete fitness rookies and recent couch potatoes.

The idea: use movement to turn strangers into friends and connect everyone to the city in which they live.

The goal: world domination.

This week I sit down Brogan — one-half of the beautiful high-energy, charismatic superhero duo that birthed it all — to find out how he did it, and why.

I was super stoked to meet up with Brogan. From the minute he pulled into my driveway and gave me a bear hug (he's a big dude), I knew it was a bromance in the making. I have a strong feeling this is but the first of many future collaborations.

This is an amazing conversation about the power of community and storytelling to drive positive cultural change. It's about the audacity to dream big, think different, and act outside the box. It's about the freedom and power of being you. And it's a conversation about unlocking untapped reservoirs of human potential to step into your best, most fully actualized self.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Julie Piatt joins me for another mid-week installment of the podcast — a twist on my normal format where we go deep on a specific topic.

This is a conversation about how to best bridge the emotional landmines of our expanding cultural divide. It's about how to be insistent rather than resistant. It's about the power of devotion over emotion. And it's about inner strength and the importance of cultivating your inner Jedi warrior.

I hope you enjoy the offering. #StayJedi!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Close your eyes and imagine yourself 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco, swimming in the freezing cold, shark-infested waters famously dubbed the Red Triangle. No wetsuit. In the middle of the night.

Most would call this lunacy.

Kimberley Chambers calls this home.

This week's guest is one of the most accomplished record-setting marathon open water swimmers in the world. Her story is incredibly inspiring, but not for the reasons you might imagine. Her story is inspiring because just nine years ago, Kim was not a swimmer at all, suffering a life-threatening accident that nearly claimed her leg and her overall enthusiasm for life.

The morning started out like every other morning. The New Zealand born former ballerina and rower turned software executive left her San Francisco apartment and accidentally tripped, toppling down a treacherous flight of stairs.

We saved your leg. But it’s unlikely you will walk again.

The doctor's verdict presented Kim with a choice: accept permanent disability. Or prove them wrong.

Needless to say, she chose the latter.

After countless surgeries and an excruciatingly prolonged rehabilitation, a friend encouraged her to try swimming. Although foreign to the water, she immediately took to it. A ticket to freedom. But the real turning point came the moment she first jumped into the frigid San Francisco Bay. In an instant, she had found sanctuary. To this day, it's a love affair with cold water and the tight-knit community of like-minded souls who embrace it that changed everything about her life and how she lives it.

An inner fire ignited, Kim began to channel her newfound passion into a series of death-defying, envelope-pushing open-water marathon challenges that have redefined the limits of human potential and transformed her into the elite athlete she is today.

Among Kim's many accomplishments:

* In 2014, she became the 6th person (and 3rd woman) in history to complete the Oceans Seven – the marathon swimming equivalent of the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge, with each of the 7 swims chosen for their treacherous water conditions and potential wildlife risks;

* In 2015, she set a new world record becoming the first woman to swim 30 miles from the shark-infested Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco;

* In September 2016, Kim attempted a non-stop 93 mile swim from Sacramento to Tiburon. However after swimming over 24 hours and 54 miles, sustained 30 knot winds rendered it unsafe for her to continue;

* And just two months later, Kim led an international team of swimmers to complete an unprecedented historic swim across the Dead Sea to raise global awareness around the environmental deterioration of that critical body of water.

This is a conversation about the boundaries of human potential. It's about the capacity to turn tremendous adversity into boundless opportunity. It's about finding joy and adventure outside the comfort zone. It's a conversation about reframing identity to step into and own — really own — our most authentic, fully actualized selves.

And I suppose it's about how to not get eaten by a shark.

Delightfully engaging, ever humble, and beautifully human, Kim embodies everything you seek in a modern day female super hero.

It was a pleasure to spend time with her and it is my hope that our conversation will leave you deeply reconsidering the limits of your own potential.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have both survived more than fifty years of exile. Both have endured the soul-crushing violence of oppression. And yet despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet.

How is this possible? And what can we learn from their example to cultivate more joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering?

To answer this question, in 2015 Douglas Abrams united the two spiritual giants in Dharamsala, India on the occasion of the Dalai Lama's 80th birthday. During the course of what became a rare, five-day conversation on the nature of human happiness and suffering, the two Nobel Peace Prize recipients traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy.

A beautiful synthesis of this transcendent union, it's no surprise that Abrams' The Book of Joy* became an instant New York Times bestseller. It's a book that deeply humanizes an Archbishop who has never claimed sainthood and a Dalai Lama who considers himself a simple monk. It's a book that transports you deep within the intimate friendship that binds these two incredible souls. And it's a book that vividly probes the very nature of joy itself — the illusions that eclipse it, the obstacles that obscure it, the practices that cultivate it, and the pillars that sustain it.

In addition to being a celebrated author, editor and literary agent, Doug is the founder and president of the creative book and media agency Idea Architects, where he works with true visionaries to create a wiser, healthier, and more just world. He is also the co-founder with Pam Omidyar and Bishop Desmond Tutu of HumanJourney.com, a public benefit company working to share life-changing and world-changing ideas. Doug has worked with Desmond Tutu as his co-writer and editor for over a decade, and before founding his own literary agency, he was a senior editor at HarperCollins and also served for nine years as the religion editor at the University of California Press.

I wanted to know more about what my Stanford classmate learned spending so much intimate time with two of the planet's most conscious and revered spiritual leaders. What was his biggest takeaway? How did he synthesize their wisdom into such an extraordinary book? And what impact has the experience had on how he lives his life today?

This conversation is the result. It's everything I was hoping for, and then some.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Between 1982 and 1988, Mark Allen launched six attempts to claim the title of Ironman World Champion.

Each year he was squarely defeated by his arch rival, the legendary Dave Scott.

In 1989, the two titans of triathlon once again descended upon the white hot lava fields of Hawaii to reprise their annual duel in a spectacular showdown that would make history as the greatest race Ironman had ever seen. Dubbed The Iron War, Allen & Scott raced neck and neck at blistering speeds for 8 hours and would cross the finish line less than one minute apart — decimating the previous world record and redefining the limits of human endurance in the process.

When the dust settled, Mark Allen finally emerged victorious. And over the next several years the man they call The Grip would become arguably the most successful triathlete in the sport's history with six Hawaii Ironman World Championship titles, 10 Nice International Triathlon titles and countless other victories across distances, terrains and fields of every variety.

So how did Mark Allen go from perennial also-ran to an athlete ESPN dubbed “The Greatest Endurance Athlete of All Time”? 

The answer might surprise you. Because it has nothing to do with fitness, nutrition or gear.

Instead, it has everything to do with spirituality.

Without a doubt, Mark's embrace of shamanism unlocked hidden reservoirs of human potential. It's a devotion that broke the glass ceiling on his mindset and plateaued career and ultimately propelled him to staggering heights of athletic success.

But how? And what does it all means to him now?

I needed to know. So I jumped in my truck, drove to his house Santa Cruz and put a microphone in front of him.

This conversation is the result. It's a conversation about Mark's remarkable life and his ongoing quest for expansion. It's about the importance of aligning yourself with nature's rhythms. It's about investing in yourself, cultivating self-understanding and honing a positive mindset. And it's about the crucial role humility — detaching from ego — plays in manifesting personal potential.

Bottom line? If you really want to soar, look within. Deep within.

It was an absolute honor to speak with Mark. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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We are all innately gifted with something called body intelligence — an intuitive sense of what best serves our mental, physical and emotional well-being.

However, most of us disconnect from our bodies' persistent efforts to communicate, muting it out to favor the breakneck pace of our modern lives. Left unchecked, this leaves us at serious risk of what this week's guest calls chronic body depletion – a crisis of mind, body and spirit that can lead to everything from weight gain and chronic pain to high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, autoimmune disease and more.

This week Rachel Carlton Abrams, MD, MHS, ABIHM joins the podcast to help us better cultivate our body intelligence, so that we can begin to properly treat the cause of what ails us and set a better trajectory for optimum healing and lifelong health.

Dr. Abrams is a board-certified primary care, family practice physician, integrative health expert and author with over two decades of experience in preventive and comprehensive care medicine. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, received her medical degree from UC San Francisco, earned her master’s degree in Holistic Health and Medical Sciences from UC Berkeley, and has been voted the “Best Doctor” in Santa Cruz County every year from 2010 to 2016.

In the scope of her dynamic practice, she works with many of the world’s most influential people, from CEOs to billionaire entrepreneurs to Nobel Peace laureates, and has spent countless hours addressing everyday patients with chronic health conditions.

The author of several books on holistic health, relationships and sexuality, her latest offering, BodyWise: Discovering Your Body’s Intelligence for Lifelong Health and Healing*, skillfully and accessibly guides the reader on a journey of discovery towards creating the vibrant, balanced, healthy life you have always deserved.

This is a fun and super informative conversation packed with knowledge nuggets and practical wisdom takeaways all designed to cultivate your own body intelligence. An intelligence that will help you take better responsibility for yourself, your environment, your behaviors, your relationships, and your health so that you can fuel your body’s natural predisposition to heal and thrive.

Specific topics covered include:

* the concept of chronic body depletion

* reconnecting with our bodies/nature

* mind, body & spirit connection

* taking responsibility for yourself

* the business of healthcare

* sense, feel & discernment

* the body’s natural predisposition to heal

* the benefits of integrative medicine

* link inflammation and disease

* the importance of positive feedback loops

* adaptogenic herbs & essential oils

It was an absolute joy talking to Dr. Abrams and I'm delighted to bring you our conversation. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This is a special mid-week episode of the podcast featuring a panel discussion that took place at the Miami Seed Food and Wine Festival in November 2016 between me and Marco Borges, the CEO of 22 Days Nutrition – a plant-based nutrition products and meal delivery service he founded in partnership with Jay-Z and Beyonce.

If you are new to the podcast, I implore you to check out my first conversation with Marco, RRP #195 — it's great.

Since that day Marco and I have become very close. The real deal with a huge heart, he's a man truly committed to educating people about health and fitness, while providing them with the best possible organic, plant-based meal service and nutritional supplements.

This a loose, fun, unmoderated off-the-cuff conversation about many things, with a focus on nutrition, fitness and effective strategies for being the best living advocate of a thriving, vibrant lifestyle. Specific topics include:

* practicing non-judgment & the vegan lifestyle

* striving for growth & expansion

* managing perfectionism in business

* the power of conscious consumerism

* living in alignment with your core values

* to compromise or not to compromise

* plant-based at your own pace

NOTE: The audio is wonky (and I'm being kind). Apologies in advance, but this recording was captured on less than stellar audio equipment before a live audience. Nonetheless, I thought it valuable enough to share.

I love this guy and I hope you enjoy our lively banter!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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