The Rich Roll Podcast

Dubbed one of the “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time” by Rolling Stone, Travis Barker rose from blue collar roots to become one of the world's most talented, prolific and hard working rock stars — a multi-hyphenate musician-producer-entrepreneur who initially made his mark as the drummer for Blink-182, the influential, multi-platinum punk-rock band that earned it's very first Grammy nomination this week for it's latest release, California.

Today, Travis is celebrated for his unique percussive acumen; a rare ability to collaborate with a diversity of musical giants — people like Eminem, Lil Wayne, Slash, Mary J. Blige, RZA, Tom Morello and Steve Aoki — across a swath of genres that reach past rock to country, jazz, hip hop and everything in between.

Extending his entrepreneurial flair beyond music, Travis is also the founder of accessory/apparel company Famous Stars and Straps as well as LaSalle Records and is an investor in a variety of ventures including Crossroads Kitchen – one of Los Angeles' best restaurants and perhaps the most acclaimed vegan restaurant in the world.

Travis bares his soul in Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums* — a deeply personal and brutally honest memoir chronicling the highlights and lowlights of the renowned drummer’s art and life, including the harrowing plane crash that nearly killed him and his traumatic road to recovery. Ultimately, it's a book about personal survival. Constant reinvention. Musical salvation. And fatherhood.

Travis Barker is a great rock star. But behind the tattoos, sold out arenas and dope rides lives a quiet, soulful artist with a prodigious work ethic. A sober consciousness birthed from pain. Etched from hardship, Travis Barker has survived some serious shit. But it's our wounds that make us human. And it's that humanity that interests me the most.

This is a conversation about a remarkable life. The pivotal moments that forged it. The premonitions that foretold it. The intuitions that directed it. The humanity behind it. And the heart that animates it.

Open, humble and present, I absolutely loved spending time with Travis. I sincerely hope you enjoy the first of what I hope will be many future exchanges.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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What's it like to traipse the far outreaches of the globe in search of the the world’s greatest edible food sources for optimal health?

Meet the Indiana Jones of Superfoods.

One of the most popular guests of 2015, this week my friend Darin Olien (@superlifeliving) returns to the podcast to delve deep on the next level nutrition insights he's gleaned from his extraordinary adventure-based experiences as a widely recognized exotic superfoods hunter, wellness advocate, supplement formulator & environmental activist.

Over the last twenty plus years, Darin has explored every imaginable port of call across the developing world questing for better, more natural pathways to ultimate wellness. Communing with thousands of rural farmers, growers and manufacturers in remote communities across Peru, Bhutan, the Amazon, the Himalayas, the South Pacific, Latin America and Asia, Darin now shepherds exotic, high-quality, fair-trade superfoods and indigenous herbal commodities to market.

Perhaps best known for his work with fitness company Beachbody, Darin was instrumental in the development and ongoing formulation of the wildly successful whole-food supplement, Shakeology. He chronicles his experience and expertise in Superlife: The 5 Simple Fixes That Will Make You Healthy, Fit & Eternally Awesome* (just released in paperback), as well as on his website Superlife.com, where he demystifies health, fitness, nutrition, and longevity into simple daily actions designed to promote life-long wellness.

Plant-based, ripped, and bearing more than a passing resemblance to his workout buddy Laird Hamilton, what is most intriguing to me about Darin isn't just that he is a respected authority on the healing potential of food. And it isn't just that he has been instrumental in introducing these so called superfoods to western consumers. What is most interesting is his commitment to do it right. A deep rooted responsibility to fairly, sustainably and transparently support the long-term interests of indigenous grower communities against the industrialized threat posed by the well-funded, politically powerful agricultural interests responsible for decimating the planet's precious rainforests at an unfathomable rate.

An inspiration to me personally, this is a guy who walks his talk. From the foods he consumes to the lifestyle habits he practices, Darin is the thriving embodiment of what it means to truly own and take responsibility for your health, your life and the planet we collectively enjoy.

But what exactly is a superfood? Are these foods truly “super” or is it all just exaggerated marketing hype?

Our first conversation tracked Darin’s life story. Packed with takeaways, today's exchange deep dives into the efficacy of exotic fruits, herbs, adaptogens and mushrooms. Parsing fact from hyperbole, it's a conversation about the most important superfoods you should be incorporating into your daily routine and why. It's a mind-blowing discourse on the importance of water quality and next-level hydration. It's an exploration of Darin’s pre-workout routine and nutrition essentials.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Inspiration. We crave it. We need it. We love it.

But inspiration alone is a salve that does not cure. Because it rarely translates into positive lifestyle adaptations sustained over time.

For that you need something called purpose.

Purpose derives from a keen awareness of self. An awareness that cannot be found in externalities but instead emanates from the deep recesses of your soul — a place far removed from the dopamine-inducing inspiration hits we restlessly seek outside ourselves.

Indeed, purpose is an inside job.

So this week, we turn inward. A conversation designed to cultivate that awareness, amplify intuition, and enliven the soul so that we can more deeply connect with our unique purpose and awaken to our highest, most authentic selves.

I can think of no better steward to ignite this process than master spiritual teacher and celebrated Kundalini yoga wizard Guru Singh (@gurusinghyogi).

Imagine a modern-day rock star Gandalf dropping mad guitar licks between pearls of timeless wisdom that beautifully fuse of Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism and you start to get the picture.

Named “Best Guru in LA” by Los Angeles magazine, for the last 40 years Guru Singh has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga – a 5,000 year old ancient science and school of yoga focused on awakening the primal energy known as shakti for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment. He is the author of several books (enumerated below) and a powerful lecturer uplifting thousands worldwide. An extraordinary teacher, he also serves as a behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, artists and even Tony Robbins.

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

Simply put, Guru Singh is one of the coolest people I have ever met — a huge, beautiful consciousness I'm proud to call friend.

It's an honor to share his story and wisdom with you today.

My hope is that that this conversation will catalyze your desire to peer more deeply inward. That it will spark a yearning to more thoroughly cultivate your latent intuition. And ultimately that it helps set a trajectory for your journey towards the ultimate superpower — unlimited awareness.

To rise up, you gotta lay down. It is there that you will find purpose.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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“When you think you're done, you're only at 40% of your total potential.”

David Goggins

This week's guest is incontrovertibly the most inspirational person I have ever met — a man that will catapult you into 2017 with the inspiration and tools to chase huge dreams, shatter limits, and actualize your best, most authentic self.

Often referred to as the toughest athlete on the planet, David Goggins (@davidgoggins) is the only member of the US Armed Forces to complete SEAL training (including THREE Hell Weeks), the U.S. Army Ranger School (where he graduated as Enlisted Honor Man) and Air Force tactical air controller training.

But David is perhaps best known for his superhuman feats of strength and ultra-endurance.

After several of his friends died in a 2005 helicopter crash while deployed in Afghanistan, David honored their memory by tackling the 10 most difficult endurance challenges on Earth to raise funds and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which provides college scholarships and grants to the children of fallen special ops soldiers.

Hence began a most unexpected yet remarkably storied athletic career as one of the world's most accomplished endurance athletes. Highlights include:

* 2013: world record for most pullups in a 24 hour period (4,030);

* 2007: 3rd place — Badwater 135 – a 135 mile ultramarathon across Death Valley widely considered to be the world’s most difficult foot race;

* 2006: 2nd place — Ultraman World Championships, a double-ironman distance race widely considered to be the world's most difficult triathlon;

* 2007: 1st place — 48-Hour National Championship endurance foot race, where he ran 203.5 miles, beating the previous record by 20 miles; and

* 2007 – 2016 — additional top finishes at dozens of the world's most grueling endurance races, including The HURT 100, Leadville 100, Western States & more.

But perhaps David’s greatest accomplishment is that throughout his life, he has faced and overcome a concatenation of seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become the man he is today – obstacles like asthma, sickle cell anemia, psychological and physical abuse, obesity, academic struggles, and even a congenital heart defect that often left him competing — and winning — on a mere fraction of his actual physical capabilities.

In addition to being one of the most remarkable people I have ever met, David has had a profound impact on me personally. It was his singular example that ignited my passion for ultra-endurance and fueled the self-belief required to pursue a new life. In truth, I’m not sure I would have achieved my athletic and life goals had he not blazed the path before me. I simply cannot ever repay the debt of gratitude I have for this man.

One of the most powerful podcasts I have ever produced, this a conversation about the primacy of purpose to cultivate your inner voice. It's about passion and self-accountability. It's about the limiting beliefs that hold us back and the importance of mindset to overcome them. And it's about the embrace of suffering as a crucible for growth and self-knowledge.

But ultimately, this is a conversation about what it means to be truly alive.

Welcome to 2017 people. It's time to check your excuses at the door. It's time to stop talking yourselves out of being great. It's time to get comfortable being uncomfortable. It's time to wake up. Because your life is not some future event. Your life is now.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Welcome to Part II of our fourth annual Best of the RRP Anthology series. If you haven’t already, I suggest listening to The Best of 2016 — Part I first.

This is a compendium of excerpts from some of my favorite conversations of 2016. It's our way of saying thanks, giving back, expressing gratitude and catapulting you into the new year with the information and inspiration required to make 2017 your best year yet.

I appreciate you. Here’s to an absolutely extraordinary 2017. Enjoy the listen.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

* RRP #242: Neal Barnard, M.D. On The Power Of Nutrition To Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease, Diabetes & Alzheimer’s

* RRP #248: From Crack Addict To Running The Sahara To Prison Hero — Charlie Engle’s Third Act

* RRP #252: Dr. Michael Gervais On Elite Performance & The Psychology Of Self-Mastery

* RRP #262: Kerri Walsh Jennings: Lessons On Mindset From One Of The Most Dominant Olympic Athletes Of All Time

* RRP #256: Chris Hauth: Building Better Athletes, Training For Optimal Performance & Achieving Fitness For Life

* RRP #254: Julie Piatt On How To Build An Authentic Brand

* RRP #223: John Joseph Wants You To Wake The F*ck Up

* RRP #217: Gary Vaynerchuk Works Harder Than You Do

* RRP #209: Rhonda Patrick On Longevity, Epigenetics & Microbiome Health

* RRP #243: Coach George Raveling Is The Mentor You Wish You Had

* RRP #226: Moby On Transforming Electronic Music, Elevating Consciousness & Saving The Planet

* RRP #236: Andrew Morgan On The True Cost Of Fast Fashion: The Ethical & Environmental Price Of Clothing

* RRP #244: Alexis Fox & Micah Risk Are Igniting A Social Movement To Help The World Eat Better

* RRP #253: How To Be A Minimalist: Joshua Fields Millburn On The Power Of Living Deliberately

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This is the time of year to pause. It's the time of year for reflection. For gratitude. And for giving back.

So let's do all those things. Welcome to the fourth annual Best of the RRP Anthology — our way of taking a moment to reflect on the year, express gratitude and give thanks for taking this journey with us.

I pride myself on bringing a wide variety of personalities, opinions and attitudes to the show. When I look back over 2016, it's amazing how many incredibly dynamic conversations and perspectives I was honored to share. Second listens brought new insights. Another reminder that this show is a gift that just keeps giving.

For long-time listeners, this two-part episode is intended to inform and inspire your new year's trajectory. If you're new to the show, my hope is that this anthology will stir you to peruse the back catalog and/or check out episodes you may have missed.

Links to the full episodes excerpted in this anthology are enumerated below.

What a stunning year. Thank you. I appreciate you. Here's to an extraordinary 2017 — the year we manifest our greatest dreams into reality. Join me, and let's do this thing together.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This week's guest is a straight up hero.

One of the most courageous and committed animal rights activists I have ever met, Marc Ching (@animalhopeandwellness) is the founder of Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, a non-profit devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of dogs abused and often tortured at the hands of the Asian dog meat trade.

A family man, successful small business owner and animal lover who has been treating dogs (and humans) for years as a holistic nutritionist, in 2011 Marc began using his skills to rescue and rehabilitate abused dogs in need and place them into homes — work he does primarily in and around his home in Los Angeles.

But Marc's evolution into an ardent animal rights activist didn't begin until 2015, when he heard about something called the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China.

He understood that dog meat is simply part of the regional cuisine across many parts of Asia. What he didn't understand were the reports of mistreatment and abuse. So he decided to infiltrate the festival to learn more.

What Marc discovered was an utterly horrific, systemic practice of torture far more pervasive than anything he could have previously imagined.

Life for Marc would never be the same again.

According to the Humane Society, 30 million dogs are slaughtered every year across Asia with an estimated 10 million per year in China alone. A significant portion of these animals are brutally tortured — often burned and boiled alive prior to death — a practice attributable to the bizarre and misguided belief that tortured dog meat tastes better and provides enhanced health benefits.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Attending Yulin transformed Marc from an essentially normal, suburban family man into a man obsessed. Over the last two years, Marc has devoted all his free time and resources to combating the Asian dog meat trade. Posing undercover as as a wealthy dog meat buyer, he has traveled extensively across China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea and Indonesia to document and expose the inhuman practices of this barbaric industry.

This is dangerous work. Marc has been chased, harassed, beat up and even shot. But to date, he has saved over 1,000 dogs, many on his own dime. More importantly, his work has been essential in catalyzing global awareness of dog meat trade practices, which in turn has led to legislative and regulatory reform.

There is something undoubtedly heroic about Marc. But it's a heroism that comes at a cost. This work has traumatized him. Perhaps even permanently damaged him. He's made peace with the trade-off. Maybe that makes him even more heroic. I don't know.

Mark's work has been extensively profiled in outlets that include the New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Hollywood Reporter, The Telegraph, The Independent, Buzzfeed, and even Breitbart.

It's an honor to celebrate the difficult work that Marc does. My hope is that this conversation will raise additional awareness around wrongs we must collectively work to correct.

NOTE: The subject matter of today's conversation is disturbing. It's an emotional conversation that traverses sensitive issues. That said, I believe it's an important conversation to have as conscious, global citizens. A conversation I don’t think we can or should shy away from.

Enjoy!

Rich

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The most decorated beach volleyball player in history and one of the most consistently dominant Olympic athletes of all time, Kerri Walsh Jennings (@kerrileewalsh) needs no introduction. But for those few off-grid souls who somehow avoided the last five Olympiads, here's but a taste of what this week's guest has accomplished:

* she has competed in the last five consecutive Olympiads;

* she is a 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist & 1-time Olympic Bronze medalist in beach volleyball (2016);

* along with teammate Misty May-Treanor, she has been named the greatest beach volleyball team of all time;

* during their 11-year run together, Walsh Jennings & May-Treanor won 21 consecutive Olympic matches and only lost one set

This is a unique and extraordinary exploration of the habits, practices and mindset behind one of the greatest athletes on the planet.

It’s a conversation about the mentality required to be the world's best. It's an exchange about the crucial role effective communication plays in both sport and relationships. And it's about the power and responsibility of being a positive role model.

But ultimately, this is a conversation about pursuing what you love, loving what you pursue, and taking a stand for what you believe in.

I cannot overstate my respect for Kerri, her athletic achievements, and how this delightful, spirited, beautiful and tenacious human lives her life on a daily basis. I adore this conversation and am thrilled to share it with you today.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Welcome to a special mid-week episode of the podcast.

During our most recent Plantpower Italia retreat, we hosted a panel discussion on the subject of holistic health and alternative healing modalities. I'm glad we decided to record it, and I'm excited to share it with you today.

The three-person panel is comprised of:

* Angela Bäuml-Nicolas – Osteopath & physiotherapist practicing in southern Germany;

* Jennifer Ayres – Ayurvedic Health Practitioner and teacher certified by the internationally known Ayurvedic doctor, writer, and teacher Dr. Vasant Lad; and

* Colin Hudon – Physician of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and founder of Living Tea, which imports some of the finest living teas in the world from Taiwan and China.

In addition to covering the panelists' various areas of practice, this is a super engaging round table conversation designed to get you thinking pro-actively about long-term health, disease prevention and the power we all hold and exert over the quality of our well-being.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Beyond the chiseled arms and imposing six-foot six physique, the thing you notice most about this week's guest is his smile — a smile the size of Texas that only hints at the even bigger heart within.

But John Lewis wasn't always the exemplary model of health and advocacy he is today. Tipping the scales at 315 pounds by his freshman year in high school, things could have easily gone sideways for this young man growing up in Ferguson, Missouri.

But instead of drugs and gangs, he turned to sports, finding solace and refuge in basketball and football. Honing his skills in both high school and college helped him ditch his fat kid image and triggered his life-long love for healthy living.

Nonetheless, John began experiencing some serious, negative health issues despite maintaining an athletic nature post-college. He sought medical advice and was informed that excessive animal protein consumption just might be the culprit. That advice, combined with his mother's colon cancer diagnosis, catalyzed an experiment with vegetarianism. Little did he know, that experiment would change his life.

In short shrift, ditching meat resolved his health issues. More importantly, the lifestyle aligned with his values. So it wasn't long before John jettisoned all animal products from his plate and went entirely vegan.

Needless to say, this was an unlikely move for a football loving gym rat. His friends were not amused.

But John never felt better. The lights went on, opening him to an entirely new way of living and being that brought his life path into focus.

Today, John is an in-demand public speaker, personal trainer, and entrepreneur tirelessly spreading his his broad smile as the Bad Ass Vegan — busting traditional stereotypes as an entirely new breed of vegan evangelist with a unique ability to communicate and positively impact a wide diversity of people.

He has appeared on multiple television shows and been profiled in several magazines, including Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Fitness, Fitness Rx, Vegan Health & Fitness, Thrive, Origin, Maxim and even Sports Illustrated. You might have seen him flexing in all those P90X television ads that were ubiquitous a few years back.

Beyond the nickname, Bad Ass Vegan is also John's apparel and lifestyle brand — a health and nutrition company striving to upend traditional notions that surround what it means — and what it looks like — to be vegan by educating individuals on plant-based nutrition and more conscious living.

I first met John a couple years ago and always enjoy spending time with him at various lifestyle events — his energy is beyond infectious. So I'm proud to share his powerful, super uplifting message with you today.

This is a conversation about taking personal responsibility for ourselves, our well being, and our life paths. It’s about the impact of mindset on personal destiny. It's about the power of community. And it’s a conversation about the power we all possess to positively transform ourselves and make a real difference in those we touch.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Picking up where we left off exactly two years ago, today's podcast marks the return of ultramarathon legend Dean Karnazes.

For the select few unfamiliar with a man whose name has become synonymous with running, let's break it down:

Hailed by TIME as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World, Dean is a New York Times bestselling author of several books and perhaps Earth’s most recognized ultra-distance running specialist – a global ambassador of sport who has pushed his body, mind and spirit beyond places most people simply cannot fathom.

Dean's mind-bending feats of two-legged prowess include:

* Running 350 miles in under 81 hours, foregoing sleep for 3 days;

* Running 50 marathons in each of the 50 states in 50 consecutive days;

* Winning the prestigious 4 Desert Race Series in 2008, traversing the Gobi, Antacara, Sahara and Antarctica;

* Competing in the Badwater 135 10 times, including victory in 2004;

* Running 148 miles on a treadmill in 24 hours; and

* Running 3000 miles across the US from Disneyland to NYC in 75 days

I met Dean back in 2011 and we’ve been friends ever since. In 2013, I even helped crew him to his 10th Badwater 135 finish. Today we reunite to pickup where we left off in RRP 115 — one of my most popular podcasts to date — to discuss life, running, his latest adventures, and his brand new book, The Road To Sparta: Reliving the Ancient Battle and Epic Run That Inspired the World's Greatest Footrace*.

This is the book Dean was born to write.

It’s the story of Dean’s ancestral heritage and his deeply personal, genetically hardwired connection to the intrepid ancient Greek ultrarunners known as hemerodromes.

It’s also the incredibly well researched historical account of Pheidippides — perhaps the greatest and most heroic hemerodrome of all time — and the crucial role he played in helping Athens defeat Persia in the Battle of Marathon that took place 2,500 years ago. Pheidippides' 153-mile, 36 hour run from Athens to Sparta in 490 B.C. wasn't just critical to Greek victory, it's fair to say it spared Western Civilization and preserved the democratic institutions we so value today.

Finally, the book is a deeply engaging, first-hand account of Dean’s attempt to honor his lauded hemerodrome ancestor by replicating Pheidippides' ancient and historic 153-mile run, training and racing on only the few foods actually available to Pheidippides at the time.

Beyond fascinating tales from the new book, this is a conversation about curiosity, consistency, and drive. It’s about out-of-body experiences that occur when you are stripped to your very core. It’s about what motivates him to continue pushing the boundaries of human capabilities well into his 50's and how his training, racing and nutrition have evolved to meet that challenge.

But most of all, this is a conversation about what it means to be truly alive – and the beautiful embrace of discomfort required to explore the outer limits of performance, potential, and human experience.

I consider Dean a role model. In addition to being one of the great athletes of our time and an inspiration to millions worldwide, Dean is someone I am lucky to call friend and mentor. I’m thrilled to further share his life, wisdom and experience with you today.

Enjoy!

Rich

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One of the great privileges of hosting this podcast is the occasional opportunity it presents to shift focus from conversations with globally prominent thought leaders to shine a bright spotlight on the struggles and triumphs of the everyman.

Folks living average, relatable lives. Anonymous individuals dealing with issues all too many of us confront and combat — obesity, depression, disease, addiction and/or a sense of general dissatisfaction with their current life status. Authentic souls who reach the limit of their pain threshold and cross that tipping point to finally proclaim,

enough is enough.

On a personal note, nothing gives me more satisfaction than celebrating those who courageously challenge their life paradigm, step outside the cozy comfort zone, and attempt the extraordinary — all in the interest of gaining control of their well being and seizing the reigns of their life path.

Folks like Josh LaJaunie, who lost over 200 pounds to conquer ultramarathons and even grace the cover of this month's Runners World magazine. Or Brett & David Wilcox – the father-son duo who ran across the USA to raise GMO awareness. Luke Tyburski fits the bill — a guy who overcame depression to conquer The Ultimate Triathlon. And I'd add Adam Sud to that list — a young guy who kicked adderal, reversed his diabetes and found a life.

Sharing these experiences is what makes this podcast different from the others — meaningful and special in a very unique way.

So if you enjoy the uplifting everyman story, then you are in for a treat today.

About a year ago, Andrew Taylor stepped onto the scale — 334 pounds. The Aussie didn't like what he saw. He didn't like how he felt. Clinically depressed, medicated and hopelessly addicted to unhealthy foods, his elevator was going down — fast.

Fed up and sick & tired of being sick & tired, he drew a line in the sand and decided to step over it.

It was time to finally wake up and seize the reigns of his physical, mental and emotional health and well being. To once and for all reclaim the life he felt quickly slipping away.

Blessed with self-awareness, he saw his path to freedom would lay not in balance but rather in what most would consider drastic and extreme measures.

Andrew decided that he would eat nothing but potatoes for an entire year.

Nothing. But. Potatoes. For an entire year.

On January 2, 2016, all 334 depressed pounds of Andrew popped open his phone, clicked record, and announced his quest on YouTube — to a subscriber base of exactly zero.

The single video soon morphed into a daily vlog, a raw, personal and authentic look into the highs, lows, how to's and whatnots of a potato-fueled journey Andrew dubbed Spud Fit.

He presumed nobody would care. This was for him. Surprisingly, the world took notice. It wasn't long before the global media picked up Andrew's personal interest story and before he could even blink, his wild adventure was foisted into the white hot spotlight.

Enjoy!

Rich

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I have endeavored to keep politics out of this podcast. A podcast proudly built on radical inclusivity that transcends political ideology and affiliation.

That said, in the wake of last week, many have solicited my perspective on what I think we can all agree is a historic election — perhaps the most jolting and important political event of our lifetimes.

So today, I officially go on record.

I'm nervous. Because my truth may not be your truth. But know that I welcome our differences.

I do this because I stand for fidelity to authenticity. And authenticity requires I give voice to my truth.

I do this with eyes wide open. I understand and accept that I very well may be committing social media suicide.

I do this because I am dismayed by the extent to which we are divided as a people.

I do this because fear runs rampant. Because discord rules the conversation. Because facts have been rendered irrelevant. Because fundamental rights are being threatened. Because dignity is being trampled. Because science is under siege. And because precious environmental protections are imperiled.

I do this to provide counsel for those suffering.

I do this to build a bridge to those celebrating.

I do this from a desire to better understand.

I do this from a place of love.

So let's have a conversation about it. About all of it. A real conversation.

Today I convene with Julie Piatt and activist filmmaker Darly Wein for a raw and candid roundtable discourse on how to best process, move forward and come together in this most divisive, uncertain time.

The answer to what ails us transcends politics. It lives beyond our respective idealogical bubbles. It's an answer that will only be found in the desire to better understand ourselves and each other. In the search for unity. In self-governance and taking responsibility for our actions, our words, and our behavior. Beyond the fear that blinds us, it will be discovered only when we learn to walk with integrity, stop fighting and listen — really listen — with compassion. With empathy. And love.

Always love.

I sincerely hope you find this conversation helpful. Should you choose to pass on this episode (I get it), regular programming will resume on Monday.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This week marks the highly anticipated return of Chris Hauth to 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 expertly coaches a wide spectrum of amateur and elite professional athletes across a variety of disciplines, including Ironman and Western States top finishers, Ultraman winners and myriad swimmers towards age group nationals and Olympic Trials.

My relationship with Chris began in 2008. A coach/athlete mentorship turned friendship that profoundly and forever altered the trajectory of my life. Brilliantly guiding me through three Ultraman World Championships ('08, '09 & '11) as well as EPIC5 in 2010, my debt of gratitude for Chris' tutelage cannot be overstated. Simply put, I could have never achieved the level of athletic success I have enjoyed without his deft counsel, which has been instrumental in maximizing my potential as an athlete and bettering me as a human being.

Today I am pleased to share his wisdom with you.

This is a general conversation about Chris' evolving philosophy on training, racing and life. It's also a granular and technical masterclass on optimal training protocols, the common mistakes most athletes make, the approach and mindset required to break the glass ceiling on potential, and how to effectively balance performance goals against general health and well-being.

But at it's core, this is a conversation about multi-sport as a crucible for self-awareness and growth.

Endurance sports as metaphor for life. 

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, including:

* Chris’ training & racing philosophy

* aerobic vs. anaerobic training

* the benefits of calculated progression

* pros & cons of external monitors/trackers

* race plan execution

* prioritizing core strength

* strategies for optimizing recovery 

* the facts on fad dieting and fitness nutrition

* striking the proper balance between performance & general health

* overcoming adversity through mental & physical fitness, and

* the imperative of fitness for life

I have an inkling this episode will leave you wanting to hear more about Chris' story and philosophy. If so, check out RRP #21 — our first podcast exchange back in the early days of the program. Then check out his website AIMPCoaching and let him know what you think on Twitter at @AIMPCoach. Still have questions for Chris? Shoot him an e-mail at chris@aimpcoaching.com (Chris – you might regret sharing your e-mail here!)

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Imagine co-creating a tool so powerful, it literally changes the world.

Biz Stone is one such man.

Most people know Biz as one of the co-founders of Twitter. Together @biz@jack and @ev created the social media behemoth that seismically impacted how we connect with the world, share information, exchange opinions, consume news, and participate in the daily global conversation.

Ironically, Biz never aspired to become successful in business. A most unlikely entrepreneur, he spent his early years as an artist, crafting book covers for a Boston publishing house.

Biz’s initial interest in Silicon Valley was sparked not by the potential for riches but rather by idealism – technology as potential energy to greater unite the human experience. Bring people closer. And cultivate global cooperation.

An early evangelist of blogging as a vehicle to serve his romantic vision, Biz jumped when Ev Williams invited him to join Blogger, the networked blogging platform Ev had built and sold to Google.

Ultimately, Biz walked away from Google. Leaving millions on the table, he leaped into the treacherous unknown of start ups, following Ev to podcast precursor Odeo. In one of the greatest pivots in Silicon Valley lore, Odeo would morph into Twitter. Twitter would permanently change culture. And along with Ev, Biz would later advance to co-found Medium, the über-popular, user-friendly blogging platform of the moment.

Today brings us to Jelly, a new kind of multi-platform search engine Biz recently launched that allows you to ask questions and get timely, helpful answers (as opposed to an index of websites) from the people most well suited to intelligently respond. It's fun and surprisingly effective. Give it a try by downloading the iOS app, visiting askjelly.com/richroll, or just add #askjelly to your Twitter questions.

Among his accolades, INC. Magazine named Biz Entrepreneur of the Decade. TIME listed him as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, GQ named him Nerd of the Year, and he’s one of Vanity Fair's Top Ten Most Influential People of the Information Age. Despite never graduating college, today Biz serves up Visiting and Executive Fellow duties at both Oxford and Berkeley respectively and authored the humorous memoir, Things A Little Bird Told Me.

Beyond the narrative of inhabiting rare entrepreneurial air, what’s most personally interesting about Biz is that at his core, he really is an artist. A true artist. Not one for the sexy stories of Silicon Valley board room intrigue, what excites Biz most is leveraging his fertile, creative mind to serve humanity. To make the world better. More connected. More empathetic.

This is a fun, jocular conversation about conscious capitalism, the future of tech and artificial intelligence. It’s about living in alignment with one’s values. It’s about the future of one man’s dedication to cultivating greater human cooperation. And it’s a conversation about what it takes to change the world. Like, indubitably.

Oh yeah – he’s also super funny.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation. Give Biz a shout on Twitter at @biz and let him know what you think.

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 answer listener questions and go deep on specific topics.

Today we recap Plantpower Italia, our second retreat in Italy, before exploring the subject of building a brand that is truly authentic to who you are.

Disclaimer: The answers might surprise you.

Enjoy the show!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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I thought it would make me happy.

So, I studied hard. Nailed the grades & aced my college applications — 7 for 7. Even Harvard gave me the green light. I snagged a degree from Stanford, eked my way through Cornell Law School, bagged the fancy job, worked ridiculous hours in overpriced suits and rode the elevator all the way up the corporate ladder, hammering impressive paychecks along the way.

Prosperity? I guess. Security? Maybe. Personal satisfaction?

Not so much.

Don't get me wrong. The American Dream is a beautiful ideal. An egalitarian proposition I bought into wholesale, forging a life trajectory premised upon material well being. But the dream is not without it's fissures. Nowhere does it promise personal well being. Nowhere does it promise meaning. Nowhere does it promise happiness.

But this is on me. Because at no point did I take action on anything of personal importance. What do I want? Who do I want to be? 

At 30, I lacked the maturity and self-awareness to honestly answer these questions. But let's face it — I didn't even ask.

At first, my dissatisfaction was barely noticeable. But as my disquieting malaise progressively escalated, I compensated with all manner of unhealthy habits. Blackout binges that landed me in jail. Horrendously noxious food that left me atrociously unhealthy. Spending sprees that escalated my debt to almost un-fixable levels.

Nothing worked. So I drank more, ate more, spent more, consumed more. Yet no matter how overindulgent my insalubrious habits, how desperate my accelerating efforts to medicate my discomforting dis-ease of self became, that hole in my spirit just grew. Deeper. Wider. Darker. Until it's sheer vastness swallowed me whole, leaving me lost, despondent and utterly alone.

Hoping to die and unable to live, all that remained was the realm of the hungry ghost.

I honestly don't know how or why I survived. But I do know my rebirth was not by my hand. My divine moment was just that – divine. A faint whisper from the dark recesses of my rootless, discomposed consciousness:

You don't have to live this way anymore.

This week's guest knows a thing or two about what I'm talking about. Because not that many years ago, Joshua Fields Milburn was blazing a similar trajectory. Mired in the corporate grind, he chased the American Dream banking six figures managing 150 telecom retail stores, expiating for the satisfaction his career failed to provide by doing what we do — accumulating. And when that didn't work, he accumulated more.

In fact — much like me — the more Joshua measured self-worth via the barometer of externalities like job titles, condos, and big screen tv's, the more his hole darkened, dilating in depth, width and scope.

Joshua's divine moment was delivered in the sudden passing of his mother, followed quickly by the dissolution of his marriage. A devastating succession of events that forced him to take a long look in the mirror. Despondent with the guy being reflected back to him, a whisper began to echo:

You don't have to live this way anymore.

Hence was born Joshua's search for a more fulfilling and personally satisfying way of living and being. A search that ultimately illuminated a beacon in the darkest of nights.

Minimalism.

It began with unshackling his relationship to material things. But it culminated in something far more profound: freedom.

In Joshua's words, freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.

Enjoy!

Rich

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At the highest echelon of elite performance, all the athletes possess otherworldly talent. Their thirst for glory is equally preternatural. All of them train to the outer limits of physical possibility. And they are all extraordinarily adroit at focusing on almost inhuman, impossible goals.

So what accounts for the distance between the Olympic gold medalist standing proudly atop the podium and the athlete watching the games on television at home?

Is it luck? Talent? Support? Resources? Of course every result is significantly influenced by some combination of these important variables. But all things being equal, the difference between the champion and the also ran boils down to one distinct variable:

The mind.

Once the embarrassing last stop on a flailing athlete’s career, the world's top sports psychologists now enjoys a highly influential and respected role proactively honing the mental and emotional edge of today's most successful athletes, CEOs and creatives looking to elevate peak performance beyond the imaginable.

Enter Dr. Michael Gervais — the go to high performance psychologist everyone is talking about.

A key member of the Red Bull High Performance Program, Michael works in the trenches of high-stakes environments with some of the world's most prolific Olympic and professional athletes — rare air where there is no luxury for mistakes, hesitation, or failure to respond.

Dr. Gervais' results are beyond impressive. If you follow the NFL, then you might recall Michael as the guy Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll credits as integral in their 2014 Super Bowl win for the meditation, mindfulness and other crucial team building techniques he helped foster and instill into the fabric of the Seahawks organization and team culture that paved the team’s path towards incredible success.

You might also remember that Felix Baumgartner’s now-infamous Red Bull Stratos jump from an altitude of 128,000 feet almost never was simply because Felix simply could not overcome the high level of anxiety and claustrophobia he experienced every time he donned the jump suit. It was none other than Gervais who helped Baumagartner resolve the issue and get Stratos back on track. No Gervais, no history making jump.

And more recently, Michael is the man behind Luke Aikins, who astonished the world this past July by becoming the first skydiver to jump from a plane at 25,000 feet without a parachute or wingsuit and live to tell the story.

Dr. Gervais has also worked intimately with US Olympic Team members like beach volleyball superstar Kerry Walsh Jennings, as well as swimmers, snowboarders, golfers, basketball players, track and field athletes, an impressive array of top collegiate programs, and professional sports organizations including the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and UFC. In addition, his work has played an integral role in the US Military, as well as several collegiate and high school programs.

While Dr. Gervais’ roster includes some of the sports world’s most elite, this isn’t just about high performance athletes.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Religion was never for me. Despite many a youthful hour spent kneeling on hardwood church pews, it just never connected.

What do all those stained glass windows, depressing organ dirges, and uptight people have to do with art and beauty and meaning and love and purpose and mystery and ultimately what it means to be human?

Nothing as far as I could tell. So I searched for answers elsewhere. In the bottom of a bottle. Prowling underground after parties in lower Manhattan. In a mental institution called rehab. In midnight conversations with skid row junkies. In the sound of my breath, lost on a mountain trail run at dawn. During afternoons spent undulating with dolphins in Hawaii. In the overwhelming love I feel simply watching my children sleep.

My search didn't lead back to religion. But it did lead to faith. A deep faith of my own design. Faith in an undefined, unlimited power greater than myself. A faith that quite literally saved my life when I was utterly lost, completely broken and unconditionally beyond repair. A faith that has since infused my journey with meaning, purpose and satisfaction beyond my wildest imagination.

Some call my version of faith God. Call it whatever you like. I don't care.

What I do care about is what it really means to be a spiritual being having a human experience.

This week's guest has a few thoughts on the subject — an anti-establishment pastor provocateur making an indelible cultural impact on how we think and practice divinity, faith, and religion in the modern world.

Named one of 2011's 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine, Rob Bell has presided over mega congregations, toured with Oprah and been profiled in The New Yorker. iTunes named his podcast, The RobCast, one of the Best of 2015 and he has penned more than a handful of New York Times bestsellers, including Love Wins, the Oprah book of the month What We Talk About When We Talk about God*, and his most recent book, How To Be Here: A Guide to Creating a Life Worth Living*.

To me, what makes Rob so undeniably captivating is his independent-minded, radically inclusive — almost punk rock — perspective on faith. Breaking ranks with entrenched, pedantic notions of antiquated Christian church doctrine, his message upends the divisive aspects of religious ideology, recontextualizing the canon as a highly relatable, welcome pallium for all — a comprehensive fiat that boils down to one central premise:

Love wins. Always.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Some people exude a calm, confident quietude. Others exuberantly burst with exciting ideas. But it's the rare individual that combines understated self-assurance with a spark so powerful, it incites lasting positive change in all who enter his orbit.

Jonathan Fields is one such human.

His mission? To humanize and empower the process of creation. To help people and organizations conceive and build better, more conscious businesses, art, and lives in less time, with more joy and less effort.

On a personal level, Jonathan is guy I can deeply relate to – a dad and husband who (like me) decided to leave the gilded, protective hallways of mega-law firm life and risk everything in search of a life path of greater meaning for himself and others.

Reinventing himself as a socially conscious, serial entrepreneur and mindful innovation strategist, today Jonathan is an A-list blogger, award-winning author, speaker, and founder of Good Life Project –empowering people to live more engaged and connected lives via a global education and multi-media venture that encompasses video projects, his wildly popular podcast and super cool events like Camp GLP, his annual 3 1/2- day retreat that blends friendship, adventure and deep-learning with strategies and tools for accelerated personal and business growth.

Beneath it all, Jonathan is a teacher. Brimming with empowering wisdom, I love his focus on process over results. His emphasis on the journey over the destination. His deep understanding that authenticity is everything. And that mindfulness lays forth the path. This powerful ethos is reflected in everything Jonathan does, from his writing and advocacy to most importantly, how he conducts his life down to the smallest details.

Jonathan has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, FastCompany, Inc., Entrepreneur, Forbes, USA Today, CNBC, CNN.com, PBS Nightly Report, Elle, Self, Fitness, Vogue, O, People and thousands of other websites that sound cool, but (in Jonathan's words) don't impress his daughter all that much.

His first book, Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love*, was named a Top 10 Small Business Book by Small Business Trends and a Top 5 Summer Read by MSNBC. Fields’ second book, Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance*, was lauded as the #1 Personal Development book of 2011 by 800-CEO-READ.

This week marks the release of Jonathan's highly anticipated new book, How to Live a Good Life: Soulful Stories, Surprising Science, and Practical Wisdom*. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy (one of the perks of hosting a podcast) and ...

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Two British ex-pats walk into a room. One, a writer and filmmaker. The other, a global adventurer and environmentalist. Upon cursory glance, it's an odd pairing — two exceedingly talented and accomplished yet very different people with little in common beyond their homeland of origin.

But peer just beneath the surface and you'll quickly discover certain common passions unite them. A zeal for chasing dreams. An appreciation for cultivating imagination. And a deep understanding that a story well told holds the potential energy to change the world.

My very good friend for over 16 years, Sacha Gervasi is the hyper-charismatic screenwriter behind the Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks vehicle The Terminal and the director of 2012's Academy Award nominated Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren and Scarlett Johannson.

But Sacha is perhaps best known for Anvil! The Story of Anvil — his critically acclaimed rockumentary about an also-ran Canadian heavy metal band. A true-to-life Spinal Tap the London Times dubbed possibly the greatest film ever made about rock and roll, it took independent cinema by storm at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008 and would go on to win both an Emmy and Independent Spirit Award. But behind the film's can you believe this is actually real? narrative and comedically endearing head-banger protagonists is a powerful, indelible dissection of what it truly means to never give up on your dream.

Equally charismatic is Sacha's brother-in-law, David de Rothschild. A world adventurer, passionate environmentalist, entrepreneur and provocative storyteller, David spearheads more conscious causes, mind-boggling expeditions and well deserving non-profits than you can possibly count.

In between writing books and graphic novels, David has traipsed the Arctic from Russia to Canada, is one of only 14 people to have traversed the continent of Antarctica and was part of the team that broke the world record for the fastest-ever crossing of the Greenland ice cap.

Named an Emerging Explorer by National Geographic, a Climate Hero by the United Nations and Man of the Year by GQ Magazine, David is perhaps best known for sailing from San Francisco to Sydney in a 60-foot catamaran forged from 125,000 intact, reclaimed plastic bottles. Dubbed Plastiki — an homage to Kon-Tiki, legendary explorer Thor Heyerdal's epic 4,300-mile crossing of the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947 — the hair-raising odyssey was a successful effort to captivate awareness around the 73.9 million pounds of plastic currently floating in our oceans.

David's latest obsession? The Lost Explorer — his recently launched line of stylish, sustainably sourced and manufactured garments, grooming products and travel accessories.

The three of us convened in David's spectacular, airy Venice live-work loft for a proper chat and spot of tea. Between witty barbs, this conversation pivots on a central theme: the power of storytelling to lift the human spirit, speak truth to power, incite positive change and elicit indelible, eternal verities about who we are. And how, together, we can leverage imagination to cultivate a better relationship with nature and a brighter future for ourselves, our children and the planet at large.

Enjoy!

Rich

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There is extreme. Then there's Charlie Engle – a man who has run across deserts, summited ice-covered volcanoes, swam with crocodiles, overcome crack addiction and survived a stint in federal prison.

The story goes like this: after a hair-curling, decade-long love affair with booze and crack cocaine that culminated in a near-fatal six-day binge and a hail of bullets, Charlie finally gets sober. For solace, he turns to running, which becomes his lifeline, his pastime, and his salvation. He begins with marathons, but it wasn't enough. Ultramarathons soon became the focus of his affection, a new love affair that takes him to stunning heights and accolades.

During this second act, Charlie would clock a handful of impressive top-10 finishes at prestigious races like Badwater, a 135-mile jaunt across Death Valley widely considered to be the toughest footrace on Earth. But his athletic zenith is an unprecedented, absolutely astonishing 111-day, 4,500-mile run across the Sahara Desert — a feat chronicled in the Matt Damon narrated documentary entitled Running the Sahara.

Life was pretty good.

Then came quite possibly the most bizarre and improbable challenge Charlie could ever imagine facing. A bad B-movie narrative that involved an obsessed IRS agent with an axe to grind. Wire taps and garbage probes. Even the requisite wily enchantress dispatched to entrap. A saga that culminates in an unjust conviction for mortgage fraud.

A poster child for everything awry with the mortgage-backed security crisis, Charlie serves 16 months in a West Virginia federal prison – what Charlie jocularly refers to as his federal holiday.

He could have played the victim. Instead, he spends his days pounding the small prison track, running endlessly in circles. Soon his fellow inmates were joining him, struggling to keep their spirits up in dehumanizing circumstances.

A prison hero by the time his sentence concludes, Charlie now embraces his third act as a more fully actualized version of his pre-shackled self — armed with newfound perspective and a grateful appreciation for what matters most in life.

Charlie is one-of-a-kind. A world class talker and master storyteller, I knew Charlie's new memoir would be a page-turner. But I didn't expect the book to be so well written. Running Man: A Memoir* is every bit the gripping, raw, honest, funny, emotional, at times cringe-inducing, but ultimately inspiring story I hoped it would be – and then some.

I'm thrilled to bring you my second conversation with Charlie. Picking up where episode 67 leaves off, (a must listen if you're new to the show), this is an intimate discourse about high highs and low lows. It's about addiction, sobriety, service and spirit. It's about perspective. Nine lives and third acts. What it means to touch the threshold of human endurance.

And then transcend it.

Enjoy!

Rich

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In the mid-1800's, this radical dude living alone in the woods famously wrote, the mass of men lead lives of quite desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.

As set forth in the enduring Walden, the words of Henry David Thoreau were revelatory for the time. But it's an idea that more than holds up. Not only do I consider it daily, I would contend it perfectly encapsulates what has become the unfortunate, yet defining affliction of modern man.

This week's guest has devoted his life to helping others avoid Thoreau's foreboding lament – a self-experiment in purposeful living he calls The Art of Non-Conformity.

Ripe with wanderlust after a 4-year stint as a NGO volunteer executive in West Africa, Chris Guillebeau embarked on a multi-year quest to travel to every country in the world, all 193, before his 35th birthday. Along the way, he decided to share his adventures on a newly hatched blog. But what began as a rather ignored and somewhat turgid travelogue soon morphed into a globally revered portal chronicling the personal experience, lessons and wisdom earned and learned not just by Chris, but by a dynamic multitude of unconventional people overcoming conventional social mores around work, life and travel to achieve personal goals and greater life satisfaction.

The blog exploded, capturing the intrigue, trust and fascination of people all across the world thirsty for the brass tacks steps and inspiration required to pursue more adventurous and personally fulfilling means of working and living outside traditional paradigms.

With the success of the blog, it's not surprising that books soon followed. The Art of Non-Conformity* was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, The $100 Startup*, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, selling more than 500,000 copies worldwide. His third book, The Happiness of Pursuit*, was also a New York Times bestseller. His most recent book, Born for This*, will help you find the work you were meant to do.

When he's not writing bestselling books or traveling to parts unknown, you're likely to find Chris diligently working on his World Domination Summit — an annual gathering he founded six years ago that brings thousands of creative, remarkable people together.

Everybody loves a good travel hack. The basic steps to launch a new business. Or the path to overnight success. If you're looking for Chris' answers to those questions, you're in the wrong place.

I'm more interested in the man behind the work. What makes Chris tick. How he sees himself in the world.

Enjoy!

Rich

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There are people that run.

There are others who run fast.

But few people on Earth run like the remarkable Shalane Flanagan. 

Over the course of her distinguished 16-year professional career, Shalane has made 4 consecutive Olympic teams, won an Olympic medal and set a variety of American records across a wide array of distances on both the track and the road.

To put her excellence in perspective, consider this: in 2010, she finished second at the prestigious New York City marathon — her very first 26.2 ever — clocking the best finish by an American female at that race in 20 years. She's also run the fastest time ever by an American woman at the Boston Marathon and in 2014 set her personal best in Berlin with a blazing 2:21.14, the second-fastest time ever by an American woman.

But what’s truly unique about this assassin in compression socks is the extraordinary extent to which Shalane has distinguished herself across a multitude of distances & disciplines. On dirt, she's won collegiate national championships in cross-country. On the track, she's set American records at both the 3000 & 5000 meter distances. And on the road she's broken American records in both 10K & 15K and achieved two Olympic marathon berths, including her recent 6th place showing in Rio.

Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments and amidst all her obligations as the world's greatest running polymorph, Shalane finds herself today embarking on a new chapter — as a foster parent to twin teenage girls along with her husband Steve Edwards (a badass runner in his own right). And yet somehow, she still mustered the time to write a cookbook with her lifelong friend Elyse Kopecky – a former college cross-country teammate who left a career in digital marketing at Nike to become a chef, food writer, nutrition educator, and mom after studying culinary arts in New York and abroad.

The result of Shalane and Elyse's beautiful collaborative partnership is the newly minted New York Times' bestselling Run Fast Eat Slow*. Part culinary primer and part lifestyle manifesto, it's a beautiful whole foods, flavor-forward cookbook packed with nourishing and delicious recipes, nutritional wisdom and inspiring stories from two accomplished women you can't help but love. Women who believe and prove that you can be healthy and perform at your peak without counting calories, obsessing over protein, or restricting yourself to diets that do more harm than good.

As a quick aside to all my fellow passionate vegan friends (I love you), a disclaimer: Run Fast Eat Slow is not a 100% plant-based cookbook. Notwithstanding, the cookbook does contain plenty of great plant-based dishes as well as heaps of wisdom relative to cultivating a more conscious and deliberate relationship with the food we source, prepare and consume — subjects I think we can all get behind, irrespective of specific dietary preferences.

In this conversation, Shalane and Elyse impart loads of practical, experience-based advice, including: Shalane’s specific training protocols, race day rituals, fueling strategies (her take on supplements might surprise you), recovery routines, mindset tactics and some of the common mistakes most runners make.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Humans love duality. But there is great beauty in the grey that lives between the lines.

Black and white. Good and bad. Evolution and regression. We are hard wired to categorize. To pick a team and stick with it. It’s our way of making sense of the world. But too often this inclination to self-identify only serves to isolate and divide — working at cross-purposes with our competing desire to more deeply connect with our fellow humans.

So what happens when we resist the urge to judge another? This week on the podcast Julie and I peer beyond dogma, belief systems and categories to embrace the grey.

Consider it a thought experiment in forsaking judgment for empathy as a path to better understand others and the environments we co-inhabit.

Specific topics include:

* creating and cultivating community

* the difference between discernment and judgment

* enhancing sustainability in consumer choice

* finding your authentic voice

We end the episode with a rendition of the Hedy West song 500 Miles by Julie (aka SriMati) and our boys' band Ana Leimma.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Today finds us mired in an unprecedented health and environmental crisis of cataclysmic proportions. Heart disease, America's #1 killer, currently claims one out of every three lives. 70% of Americans are obese or overweight. By 2030, experts indicate that 30% of Americans will be diabetic or pre-diabetic.

The heartbreaking culprit? SAD.

But the Standard American Diet isn't just killing people, it's annihilating the planet. In fact, our system of industrialized animal agriculture is the #1 culprit when it comes to almost every single man made environmental ill on the planet. From mass species extinction to disappearing rainforests to giant algal ocean blooms, it's an indefensible and unsustainable modality wrecking unrivaled havoc on our oceans, rivers, streams, soil and animals.

Meet Alexis Fox and Micah Risk — two entrepreneurs leveraging cutting edge technology to turn our epidemic of SAD into an outbreak of happy, healthy and sustainable for people and the planet alike.

Their solution has a name. It's called Lighter.

A powerful new online platform fueled by the latest in modern machine learning, Lighter aims to help the world eat better by leveraging the collective wisdom and experience of leading health gurus, athletes, super parents, and awe-inspiring world changers to provide everyday consumers across the globe with customized, convenient and insanely useful grocery lists, flexible weekly menus and soon even grocery delivery.

It's an ambitious goal. But not only are Alexis and Micah are up to the task, they just might be badass enough to pull it off.

An accomplished athlete and mom rocking some pretty awesome tattoos, Micah is a graduate of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts with a background working with the World Health Organization. When she isn't training with The November Project in Boston, kicking ass in marathons and ultras, or gracing the cover of Runners World magazine (she actually appeared on the RW cover an unprecedented two times in one year), she's helping everyday people adopt sustainable healthy lifestyle solutions.

Alexis is the yin to Micah’s yang. A former debate champion, improv comedian, attorney and college professor, Alexis is the former Massachusetts state director for the Humane Society. After losing 45 pounds incident to adopting a plant-based diet, she was inspired to start Lighter by her life partner Josh Balk, the co-founder of Hampton Creek — the company behind Just Mayo that is taking healthy plant-based foods to the masses.

The history between this dynamic duo is fascinating. Although both of them have dedicated their entire lives to helping fix our broken food system, neither of them ever imagined that they would be running a tech company.

And yet here they are — two powerful women leaders kicking ass and taking names.

This is an enlightening and informative conversation about food policy and politics.

It's a comprehensive redress of our broken food system and a positive, solution-based discourse on how we can fix it.

It’s a conversation about what commonly holds people back. And the vital importance of building consensus with a focus on fostering community-based support systems in the interest of helping people eat and live better.

It's conversation about female empowerment.

And it’s a master class on how to ignite a social movement.

Enjoy!

Rich

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One of the most respected and revered figures in sport, George Raveling is basketball — and so much more than basketball.

The current Director of International Basketball for Nike, he was the first African American basketball coach at Villanova, University of Maryland, Washington State and University of Iowa before closing out a storied career at USC.

He is an inductee into several halls of fame, including the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

He is a civil rights activist, outspoken on a wide array of social issues at the intersection of race, education and athletics.

A world-class educator, he is a moulder of boys into men, and men into better men.

Bottom line? George Raveling is the mentor you wish you had.

But you can just call him Coach.

This week I sit down with a truly remarkable man. A 79-year old with the vibrancy and energy of a college student, I was immediately struck by George's insatiable thirst for learning. His passion for ideas. And his devotion to people, human potential & personal development.

Coach has lived life. And he's got stories to prove it. Inspirational stories about breaking racial barriers during the era of segregation. Instructive accounts of owning your destiny. And of course there's the legendary saga of how a young George came to stand alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington as Dr. King delivered his historic I Have A Dream speech.

There's so much more to this incredible story — and to George — but I'm not going to spoil it here. I'll let Coach tell it in his own words.

This is a phenomenal conversation about breaking barriers. It's about self-governance, self-belief and self-responsibility. It’s about literacy, civil rights and humanity.

And it's about the importance of being a positive difference maker in the world.

An absolute gem of a human being, George is a national treasure. I loved every second of my time with him and something tells me you will too.

So take a knee and huddle up, because Coach has a message for you.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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There's nothing I can do — it's genetic.

Without a doubt, many of us have predispositions to developing certain diseases.

But predisposition is a far cry from predetermination.

In fact, you might be surprised to learn the vast extent to which we can control the expression of genetic inclinations when it comes to so many of the chronic illnesses that are unnecessarily killing millions of people annually — including modern-day plagues like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

This week I'm thrilled to sit down for a long overdue conversation with my friend Neal Barnard, MD to discuss the innate, incredible power we all possess to prevent and even reverse the onset of these illnesses through implementation of fairly simple simple diet and lifestyle alternations.

A pre-eminent authority on the impact of diet & nutrition on atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s, Dr. Barnard is an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences as well as the founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, where he leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in medical and scientific research.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, and chronic pain. He’s authored over 70 scientific publications as well as 17 books, including the New York Times best-sellers Power Foods for the Brain ,21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart*, and the USA Today best-seller Dr. Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes*.

If that's not enough, Dr. Barnard recently christened the Barnard Medical Center, a brand new, 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.

Chock-a-block with life-altering information, this is a profound conversation about food as medicine.

It's about the impact and importance of self-sovereignty — prioritizing personal responsibility for what we put in our mouths, how we move our bodies and advocate for change.

And it's about the incredible power of nutrition to heal ourselves.

One of the most intelligent, articulate, tireless and well-respected voices on the subject of optimal wellness and disease prevention, it's an honor and privilege to share my friend's abundant wisdom and practical experience with you today.

So break out the notepad and enjoy this powerful exchange.

Enjoy!

Rich

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It's hard to imagine, but in 1985 — the year this week's guest co-founded America Online — only 3% of Americans were connected to the internet, online for an average of a measly one hour per week.

It took a decade, many near-death experiences and back to the wall pivots, but under the leadership of Steve Case, AOL would go on to become the world’s largest and most valuable internet company, driving worldwide adoption of the medium that has literally transformed every aspect of modern day life.

The story is legend. After AOL became the first internet company to go public, Bill Gates gave Steve a choice — sell his upstart to behemoth Microsoft or get crushed. Believing in himself, his team and the renegade idea of community over content, Steve decided to take his chances. David against Goliath, the odds were not in his favor. But not only did AOL survive, it went on to become the top performing stock of the 1990s. At its peak, nearly half the users in the United States used AOL to access the internet. When AOL's valuation escalated to $163 billion in 2000, Steve negotiated a $350 billion merger of AOL and Time Warner, the largest merger in business history, and served as chairman of the media and communication colossus until 2003.

It all looked great on paper. But paper isn't reality. Cultures clashed. The stock price plummeted. With his own take on why the historic merger faltered, Steve lives to fight another day.

Today Steve is chairman and CEO of Revolution, DC-based investment firm, and the Case Foundation, a philanthropic effort that invests in hundreds of organizations with an entrepreneurial approach to strengthening the social sector.

The epitome of the American Entrepreneur and a true maverick of the digital age, this week I sit down with Steve to discuss his incredible story, the current state of entrepreneurship in America, and his new book highlighting an emerging new phase of the internet. Part memoir, part business playbook, and part manifesto, The Third Wave, An Entrepreneur's Vision of The Future* bears witness to the fascinating machinations behind crafting the early stages of the internet we currently enjoy and provides an astute forecast for successfully stewarding pioneering tech entrepreneurship in the coming decades.

I only had a very strict 45 minute window with Steve, so this is a pretty tightly focused discussion. It's a conversation about the internet's incipient Third Wave and the focus on partnerships, policy and persistence that will be required to tackle and transform hulking, real world sectors like health, transportation, education, energy, and food.

It's about something Steve calls impact investing — fostering the nascent emergence of entrepreneurship in outlier locales beyond the typical tech hotbeds of Silicon Valley, Silicon Alley and Silicon Beach.

It's a conversation about why the most valuable currency of the future is ideas.

And it's about why the killer app is, and will always be, people.

Steve Case has impacted our world more than anyone I have ever met. It was an honor to converse with him, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Why do we love dogs, but eat cows?

Cooking up your golden retriever would be an unthinkable abomination. But barbecued beef? That's about as normal as it gets.

It's just the way things are. 

But why? The logic and social mechanisms behind why we eat some animals and not others is a behavioral inconsistency unexamined to the point of absurdity — both psychologically complex and strange — very strange indeed.

Many guests on this podcast have elaborated on why we shouldn't eat meat. This week I sit down with Melanie Joy, Ph.D, Ed.M to explain why we do eat meat.

An idea she coined carnism, Dr. Joy's work centers around the psychology of eating meat, what is known as the “meat paradox” – our irrational, inconsistent and species specific attitudes toward various animals – why we express affection towards certain animals while eating others – and the cognitive dissonance this entails.

A Harvard-educated social psychologist, Dr. Joy is a celebrated speaker, organizational consultant, author of the award-winning book, Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows*, and eighth recipient of the Institute of Jainology's Ahimsa Award, which was previously awarded to Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Her work has been featured by numerous national and international media outlets, including the BBC, NPR, and the New York Times. And she is the founder of the non-profit Beyond Carnism, which challenges dominant ideologies around food choice and systems and promotes a more mindful approach to our consumer choices.

I came across Dr. Joy’s work via her popular TEDx Talk, Toward Rational, Authentic Food Choices — a very intelligent and cogent exploration of our normative cultural behaviors and attitudes around the food we eat and why — and have wanted to get her on the podcast ever since.

I only had a tight hour with Dr. Joy, so this is a very focused discourse on speciesism and the psychological defense mechanisms we employ to rationalize our food choices. It's a conversation about the psychology of social change, and it's about how to employ psychologically optimal strategies in the advocacy of positive cultural change.

Specific topics explored include:

* the concept of carnism

* psychological defense mechanisms to eating animals

* speciesism

* carnistic justifications and “humane meat”

* the rise of meat & dairy alternatives

* the psychology of social change

* the impact of the locavore movement

* masculinity of meat & gender stereotypes

* how to effectively advocate for veganism

Whip smart, Dr. Joy peels back the fallacious facade of logic and exposes the denial that surrounds these cultural mores with keen intellect and grace. Irrespective of your dietary proclivities, my hope is that this provocative conversation will challenge assumptions and inspire you to make more informed consumer choices that more adeptly align with your core values as an empathetic and compassionate citizen.

It was a pleasure to talk with Dr. Joy and I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Ask today's guest and he'll tell you our culture is currently mired in an unprecedented epidemic of ego — a societal blight of apocalyptic proportions precipitated by the advent of selfie-crazed social media, self-esteem parenting and spurious self-help gurus fomenting an illusory sense of entitlement.

The result is a woefully misplaced celebration of ubiquity over meaningfulness: Of endless distractions over devotion to work ethic. Of self-congratulatory passion over fidelity to process. Of unbridled hubris over humility. And of rampant self-seeking over service.

We often equate ego with confidence, self-assuredness and ultimately success. The domain of the great visionary. 

But what if this notion is utterly false? A personality trait that, at every turn, thoroughly undermines that which we seek?

And what if modesty, humility and self-honesty are not actual weaknesses but in fact our greatest asset?

This week Ryan Holiday graces the podcast to explain.

An autodidact of astute intellect that belies his 29 years, Ryan is many things — a voracious reader, prolific writer, shrewd observer of culture, media strategist and the author of four acclaimed bestselling books.

Dropping out of college at 19, Ryan began his multi-faceted career as an apprentice under Robert Greene, the acclaimed author of The 48 Laws of Power*. He went on to amplify the work of several New York Times bestselling authors before serving as the director of marketing for American Apparel – a job he held at the ripe age of 22.

When he’s not penning books or thought pieces for The Observer or Thought Catalog, Ryan oversees Brass Check– a consultancy firm he founded that advises New York Times bestselling authors like James Altucher, Arianna Huffington and even Tony Robbins, as well as corporate clients that include Google, Casey Neistat’s video sharing app Beme, Creative Live, Complex and Refinery 29.

About a year ago, Ryan and I went deep on his life and his heralded book, The Obstacle Is The Way*– a primer on the functional applicability of stoic philosophy for turning modern-day obstacles into opportunities and adversity to advantage. Now translated into 17 languages, it's a read that achieved cult status among some of the world’s most successful CEOs, political leaders, world class athletes and NFL coaches. One of my most popular episodes, I highly suggest you check out RRP 168 if you missed it the first time around.

Today, Ryan drops in to talk about his new book, Ego Is The Enemy*.

Enjoy!

Rich

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What do you get when you combine Underdog with the spinach-chomping Popeye The Sailor Man?

Griff Whalen.

Currently serving up wide receiver and punt return duties for the Miami Dolphins, today’s guest is the only (to my knowledge) 100% plant-based athlete currently active in the National Football League.

But Griff's unique nutritional protocol is only a part of a larger, more compelling narrative. An inspirational tale of determination, tenacity and self-belief.

The story begins with a scrappy kid from Ohio with an insane dream — to one day play professional football.

But at 5’11” and 190 pounds, Griff doesn’t strike the typical NFL pose. He's quiet, studious and understated in a culture of brash egos. Undersized on a field of gargantuan colossuses. Merely fast on a field of lightning-footed Greek gods.

Griff, be serious. It's just not going to happen.

Although a standout high school player, the phone wasn't exactly ringing off the hook with scholarship offers to the big NCAA Division I programs. Undeterred, Griff enrolls at Stanford and joins the squad as a non-scholarship walk-on.

Expectations were low.

Nonetheless, Griff persists. Flouting his God-given limitations, he out-trains his teammates and competitors. He studies the game like his life depends upon it. And, most interestingly, he plies his erudite, scholarly nature to the white space — overlooked aspects of mental, emotional and physical self-development to gain that extra edge to enhance his performance both on and off the field.

It works. Defying the odds (a consistent theme with Griff), he makes the Stanford roster as one of only 8 true freshman to see action in 2008. Improving year by year, Griff closed out a very successful collegiate career as a starting wide receiver alongside storied quarterback Andrew Luck — his roommate and best friend to this day.

The 2012 NFL Draft comes and goes. Griff's phone doesn't ring.

But because luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, he nonetheless gets picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts.

The dream becomes reality.

But before he can even celebrate his most implausible life-long goal finally realized — just four months after being signed, Griff breaks his foot and gets placed on injured reserve. A crushing setback that would end the career of most, Griff doubles down, using the off-time to his advantage.

Understanding that his career depended upon him identifying every conceivable means to overcome his injury and talent deficit, he turns his attention to nutrition and begins to keenly study optimal methods to enhance his body's ability to recover from exercise-induced stress. It's an inquest that ultimately lead him to adopt a plant-based diet — a radical vegan experiment he now credits as central to bouncing back in 2013 — shredded, stronger and faster — to make the Colts' starting lineup alongside long-time pal Andrew Luck, the NFL's $140 million man.

Currently in his 4th year with the NFL, today Griff finds himself heading into the 2016-17 season in a brand new city playing with a brand new team – the Miami Dolphins.

Exploring the hows and whys of Griff’s plant-based protocol, a big part of today's discussion centers on dispelling nutritional myths related to athletic performance. But at its core, this is a conversation about conviction and resilience. It's about the importance of coaches and mentors. It's about managing time and setting goals. It's about refusing to give up. It's about going the extra mile to find that that performance edge.

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Imagine winning an Olympic gold medal in swimming at age 19 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. A feat never-before achieved by a swimmer of African-American descent, the frenzied media swarms. The only problem? You’re only half-black. You definitely don’t look black. And you know nothing about what it’s like to be part of the black experience.

The unrelenting crush of public expectation to fulfill a role at odds with your private sense of self becomes so intense, you retreat from your Olympic experience not with any lasting sense of happiness, satisfaction and pride, but rather a numb confusion.

This isn’t anything like I thought it would be…

Over time, the confusion metastasizes into disillusionment. And it’s not long before depression sets in.

Lost and lacking the tools to cope, life begins to pivot away from the dreaded black line at the bottom of the pool and towards a dreadlocked blur of rock ‘n roll, boozy, drug-fueled binges, rampant womanizing, cigarette haze, and death-defying motorcycle crashes.

Nonetheless, over the next three years you continue to do the one thing you know how to do: swim. Not only do you continue to win, in 2001 you’re crowned the world champion in two events. But these results only magnify what is quickly becoming a profound crisis of identity.

Who am I? Why am I doing this? What does it all mean?

The answers continue to elude you until you find yourself so despondent, so desperate for relief, that you down a handful of tranquilizers. But the suicide attempt fails, fueling a sense of invincibility that only hastens the onset of an even more profound darkness.

So, at the young age of 22, at the peak of his abilities, Anthony Ervin does what he has to — he walks away from the thing he used to love. The thing that gave him everything. The thing that made him a star. The thing that betrayed it’s promise of making him whole.

In a Hail Mary attempt to discover and re-create his life, Anthony travels the world. He meditates at a Buddhist temple. He studies philosophy with a Sufi mystic. He reclaims his body with tattoos. He enrolls in graduate school but spends summers in Brooklyn, where he immerses himself in books, writes poetry, and even occasionally cross-dresses at parties.

The denouement? Hawking his Olympic gold medal on eBay and donating the proceeds to the UNICEF tsunami relief fund.

The only thing Anthony Ervin didn’t do during this time? Swim.

Not one stroke.

The next eight years marked a complete divorce from anything and everything swimming. In fact, not one of Anthony’s new friends during this time had any idea he was even an athlete, let alone an Olympic champion. He was just another tattooed, guitar-playing Brooklynite seeking answers to the Universe in music, meditation, books and partying.

But with funds dwindling, Anthony offhandedly takes a gig teaching New York kids how to swim. The experience of service begins to erode his jaded shell and ignites an unexpected spark of appreciation for his former life. A new sense of self worth begins to emerge, informing the why in Anthony’s quest for spiritual self-actualization. Suddenly, love for the sport he so thoroughly placed in his rearview begins to rekindle.

In 2011, Anthony returns to the water. And almost overnight, the impossible occurs.

Twelve years after Sydney, Anthony qualifies for the 2012 London Olympics — his second U.S. Olympic team. Despite his 31 years of age (ancient in the world of swi...

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When I was a kid, shopping for new clothes was a treat. A special, infrequent occasion. Why? because even inexpensive garments challenged our middle-class family budget. By comparison, the mega-conglomerate retailers of today — Target, H&M, Gap, fill in the blank — allow the average, penny-pinching consumer to fill a closet for a $100 or less.

How and when did clothing become an essentially disposable product? What exactly is going on?

The answers to these questions will shock you.

Andrew Morgan is the young, talented filmmaker behind the beautiful and heartbreaking documentary The True Cost. Premiering at last year's Cannes Film Festival, it's a movie about the untold story of fashion. It's about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the garment industry is having on the world we share.

The film centers around the human rights and environmental implications of fast fashion — a term used to describe the increasingly rapid pace at which fashion houses push new trends at deflated prices made possible by global market ascendency and the comprehensive export of almost all manufacturing to the developing world. As a result, designer lines and trends once seasonal now move from factory to store shelves in a matter of mere weeks at a fraction of historical prices.

It goes like this: prime the latent pump of consumer desire with hypnotic marketing campaigns featuring lithe models draped in the latest and greatist. Throw kerosene on the addictive must-have impulse with impossibly low prices. Obscure production transparency by shipping manufacturing to a far corner of the world. Then, before anyone discovers the product's troubling genesis and poor quality, light a match, sit back and watch the shopping frenzy ensue. Repeat to the tune of $3 trillion annually.

There's only one problem — cheap is actually expensive. Because we're ignoring the true cost.

Any accurate accounting of fast fashion must include the priceless expense of systemic and severe worker exploitation rife across the developing world. It must take into consideration the incalculable environmental damage caused by its very processes of manufacturing. And it must contemplate the mistreatment and slaughter of billions of animals.

Without a doubt, fast fashion is an extremely expensive, unmitigated free market failure. But Andrew isn't interested in the good-guy-bad-guy narrative. He sees no purpose in shaming anyone nor pointing fingers.

Andrew's wish for us is simple: Ask better questions. Demand better solutions.

Do I really need this? Who made this and how? What exactly went into this getting from wherever to here?

In other words, what is the true cost of our daily and often subconsciously or unconsciously motivated consumer choices?

I was quite impacted by Andrew's stirring film; moved by this wise and thoughtful young man's commitment to positively impacting the world. As such, it is my honor to share his important message with you today.

This is a conversation about the inextricable connectivity that unites us all. It's about our collective responsibility to be informed and to act. It's about conscious capitalism over mindless consumption. And it's about how every single day, every single one of us can make a tangible, positive difference in the world.

Because in the words of Andrew, the greatest lie of all is that you can't contribute.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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In documented history, only 44 people have successfully completed the extraordinary feat of adventure athleticism known as the Explorers Grand Slam — a challenge that encompasses scaling the highest mountain on each of the seven continents and treks to both the North and South Poles. Of these 44, only 2 have done it under a year.

Not only is today's guest the youngest person to conquer this most prestigious undertaking, Colin O'Brady absolutely smashed the world record by an incredible 53-day margin, completing the EGS in a mere 139 days. Along the way, he simultaneously broke the 7 Summits world record by two days.

A Yale grad turned professional triathlete and Olympic hopeful, Colin is one very impressive young man. But perhaps more admirable than his mind boggling achievements is Colin's commitment to service by way of his non-profit organization Beyond 7/2 – a directed mission to combat childhood obesity by raising $1 million on behalf of the Alliance For A Healthier Generation, a non-profit founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation dedicated to helping kids to develop healthy habits.

If you are relatively new to the podcast, it's worth noting that Colin and I sat down this past December on the eve of his world record attempt. In case you missed it, RRP 207 is great conversation about his unique upbringing on a commune, his experiences swimming for Yale, how he survived an almost lethal burn accident that left him unlikely to walk again, his phoenix like transformation into a professional ITU triathlete and Olympic hopeful, and how he morphed into a mountaineer with the audacity to attempt such an incomprehensible feat of adventure athleticism.

Picking up where we left off, this conversation recounts the highs and lows of Colin's extraordinary accomplishment. It's a conversation about the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fortitude required to push beyond the ceiling of perceived ability. It's a conversation about facing and overcoming obstacles. It’s about life and death decisions. Risk. Limits. Fear. It’s about the indomitable nature of the human spirit to overcome and persevere. And its about the importance of giving back.

Specific topics include:

* completing The Explorer's Grand Slam in world-record time

* conquering Everest after the North Pole

* sharing Colin’s experiences through social media

* severe frostbite and the risks of amputation

* attempting fastest ascent of the 7 Summits

* rational fatalism & objectivity

* 10,000 hours of deliberate practice

* navigating risk & fear

It was an honor to spend a couple hours with this extraordinary human. My hope is that this conversation will help you question your own internal limiters and confront you with the very real truth that we are all capable of so much more than we allow ourselves to believe.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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We’re back with what I like to call a mini-sode.

Last week I posted a long-awaited installment of Ask Me Anything — RRP 232. That episode is about an hour in length, but the last several minutes were pretty great — pure gold.

I realize not everyone has time to digest all the content I produce. So, in case you skipped it or didn't make it to the end — and because I didn’t want you to miss the best part — I thought I'd make it easy by excerpting the most impactful 7 minutes out of that conversation and repurposing it here as a brief mini-sode experiment.

It's all about waking up, getting real and taking responsibility for your path, growth and evolution. It's about resolving imbalance so that you can fulfill your mission. And it's about devoting yourself to something greater than you — because we're not in kindergarten anymore.

It's time to up your game.

Enjoy the listen.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Prepare yourself for a supernova blast of pure energy, unbridled positivity and infectious enthusiasm certain to inspire you to next level wellness.

David & Stephen Flynn are the joined-at-the-hip identical twin brothers behind The Happy Pear. What is the Happy Pear you ask? Take a 30-minute drive south from Dublin to Greystones, a picturesque seaside town nestled along the Irish coast and you'll stumble upon an impossible-to-miss family run natural food store overflowing with local, organic and seasonal produce. It’s also two whole food cafés as well as evening restaurant, where the brothers conduct wildly popular health education courses for the community.

But venture beyond the welcoming Happy Pear storefront and you'll quickly discover this isn't just a veg shop — it's an empire in the making. A vast and growing enterprise that encompasses a superfood sprout farm and a 14,000 sq. ft. facility aptly called Pearville where the twins' team of 100 craft and distribute a prodigious line of organic, locally harvested plant-based products like granola, jam, hummus, pesto, fair trade coffees, smoothies, sprouted foods and even kombucha. To put it in perspective, I believe they are currently shipping about 30,000 healthy superfood bars a month.

Relentless, selfless servants at the very center of Ireland’s healthy living movement, David & Stephen have synergistically authored two incredible cookbooks – The Happy Pear* (of course) and the recently released World of the Happy Pear*, which is already a runaway, smash bestseller across Ireland the UK. And when the super fit dads aren't making pre-school breakfast picnics on the beach, engaging in impromptu handstand competitions, traveling extensively for public speaking or serving up kitchen duties on Jamie Oliver’s Family Food Tube (the largest foodie community in Europe), they enthusiastically guide a vast and devoted audience of wellness warriors across every social media platform from YouTube to Instagram to Snapchat with an endless stream of highly entertaining, quality nutrition and fitness tips, recipes, and daily slice-of-life vlogs with inspiration for miles.

After our Italy retreat, Julie, Trapper & I spent an amazing few days with these boys. We got a spirited peek into their lives and advocacy. I even gave an evening talk at the restaurant, followed by an impromptu 5 am plunge in the chilly Irish Sea that drew over 100 keen participants (many of whom drove hours to attend), which speaks volumes about the brothers' appeal and popularity.

Not only are the inseparable David and Stephen Flynn positively the most charismatic and enthusiastic advocates for healthy living I have ever met, they are two guys who have cultivated incredible community and positivity and excitement around their powerful ideas related to living a healthy happy life.

So what is The Happy Pear? 

The Happy Pear is David & Stephen. It's everything they do and are. But fundamentally, The Happy Pear is a movement.

Enjoy!

Rich

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We’re back with another long-awaited installment of Ask Me Anything — a twist on my normal format where we answer questions submitted by you, the listener. However, today is a twist on the twist. Instead of listener submitted questions we focused on one core inquiry — how to reach escape velocity on your life to step into your most actualized self.

At the outset, Julie and I spend some time recapping Plantpower Italia– our first retreat in Italy — as well as our experience spending time in Ireland with David & Stephen Flynn of The Happy Pear.

Then the discussion turns to address the process required to live fully expressed. For me, this journey boils down to one precept:

Mastery is the ultimate growth hack.

Enjoy the show!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Today's guest will challenge everything you thought you knew about human potential and leave you with one indelible, ineradicable truth:

We are all sitting atop vast reservoirs of untapped, almost superhuman capabilities.

Meet Wim Hof, aka The Iceman.

A Dutch-born world record holder, adventurer, daredevil and human guinea pig, The Iceman is best known for his preternatural ability to withstand extreme cold. Perhaps more significant and compelling is his experimentation and experience with specific and teachable breathing techniques. Rooted in the ancient yogic tradition of pranayama and canonized for a modern audience as The Wim Hof Method, Wim asserts that he can “turn his own thermostat up” and consciously activate his sympathetic nervous system by using his mind through yoga.

This may sound far-fetched. But get a grip on some of the crazy things this holder of more than 20 world records has accomplished:

* shirtless adorned in nothing but shorts, Wim scaled above death zone altitude (22,000 ft) on Mount Everest;

* barefoot, shirtless and again in nothing but shorts, Wim completed a full marathon above the polar circle in Finland;

* he summited Kilimanjaro in less than 2 days, again in nothing but shorts;

* above the polar circle, he swam a world record 66 meters under a meter of ice;

* he can sit in an ice bath for almost 2 hours; and

* in 2011, he ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without water

But there's more.

Under doctor supervision, In 2011 Wim voluntarily allowed himself to be injected with a poisonous E. coli endotoxin certain to make any human being very ill. The idea was to demonstrate that by using his meditation and breathing techniques he could effectively control his autonomic immune system response and nullify any deleterious health implications.

Wim did not get sick.

Beyond his countless feats of incredulity, he’s a long-time vegetarian who — for the last 30+ years — has refrained from eating any food before 6pm.

All of this is seemingly insane. But Wim is hardly a carnival sideshow act — the physical stunts merely a means of attracting scientific community attention for purposes of study and documentation.

Ask Wim and he will tell you that he is nothing special. He declares his feats replicable and his methods teachable — a curriculum that holds the potential to unlock a battery of human superpowers that extend well beyond extreme temperature tolerance to include control over a wide array of sympathetic nervous system and metabolic ‘reptilian brain' functions previously thought to be beyond conscious manipulation.

Case in point? After a mere 4 days of instruction, Wim led a group of brave, volunteering students through his endotoxin exposure experiment (again, under doctor supervision and scientific observation). Not one of them got sick. And he now routinely takes groups of students – most of which you would characterize as non-athletes — up Kilamanjaro. In nothing but shorts of course.

An absolutely fascinating guy with charm and charisma for miles, my conversation with Wim is less about human biology than it is about belief systems. It's an exploration of dormant biological and mental potential. It's about yoga, grief, depression, change and the nature of consciousness. And it's about the ever expanding event horizon of human potential that should push and challenge and nudge you out of your comfort zone to call into question the unnecessary limits we self-impose upon ourselves daily.

Enjoy!

Rich

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It's not that powerful female role models don't exist. They do. They're everywhere.

We just don't do a good enough job celebrating them.

So this week, I'm pleased to shine a bright spotlight on one of my favorite examples of female self-empowerment.

Meet Robin Arzón.

At the height of her corporate law career, Robin fearlessly left it all behind to embark on new adventures in the health and wellness space. She soon discovered her passion for coaching athletes, bridge running New York City, tackling ultra-marathons (she just completed her first 100-mile run and once ran five marathons in five days across Utah) and hosting wildly popular indoor cycling experiences that bear more resemblance to after-party raves than your typical spin class.

But it's not what she does that makes Robin special. It's who she is.

There was the time she was kidnapped and held at gunpoint. Then there's the recent Type 1 diabetes diagnosis that persistently threatens to sideline her active lifestyle. But Robin isn't interested in playing the victim. She's interested in telling a different story. A story writ large that involves constant reinvention and tenacious commitment to personal growth. A narrative that aims to redefine, reform, and rethink possibility through movement.

Human performance art in motion, Robin is a powerhouse of positive vibes. Confident, colorful and courageous with a no bullshit attitude and NYC street cred for days, she is inspiration personified. And she's got a message for you:

sweat transforms lives.

Now Robin can add author to her resume, because her incredible new book Shut Up and Run: How to Get Up, Lace Up and Sweat with Swagger* hits bookstores everywhere June 21.

Exploding with color, attitude and practical advice, Shut Up and Run is the ultimate embodiment of everything Robin. Equal parts fitness manual, self-help empowerment and coffee table photography book, it perfectly captures Robin's ethos and aesthetic. Overflowing with tips, tricks, and most notably her welcome inviting hand, Shut Up and Run is an utterly unique breath of fresh air in a world of drab running manuals. A book screaming with attitude that beckons you to join her.

I love Robin. She's just an awesome person. And I really love her new book. So I was delighted to sit down with her once again and delve deeper into her fascinating life. Subjects explored include:

* inclusivity & exclusivity within sports

* commercialization of running

* the evolution of social marketing

* the courage to take the leap

* trusting the journey

* sacrifice & personal development

* becoming the most authentic version of yourself

* being yourself despite societal pressures

* managing Type I Diabetes

* Robin’s daily routine

* Robin’s new book

If you are a long-time listener, then you remember well her previous powerhouse appearances on the show — How To Undo Ordinary (RRP 99) & Do Epic Sh*t (RRP 137). If you happened to miss these conversations, I highly suggest checking them out.

I think you're going to like this one. Enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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You've probably heard of GMOs. You might even have an opinion on the subject of genetically modified food. But I think it's fair to say most of us are woefully under-informed when it comes to truly understanding and fully appreciating the vast extent to which this rapidly evolving science impacts all of us on a daily basis.

54% of all Americans polled know little to nothing about GMOs despite the fact that 80% of all processed foods currently contain GMO.

Those statistics shock me. Even worse? To date there exists no long-term studies on the impact of GMO on human and environmental health.

I'm no expert on the issue. But I do know we need to talk more about GMO. Because they were so great on their first appearance on the podcast ( RRP 191 ), I invited Daryl Wein & Zoe Lister-Jones to return to the show to bring us up to speed on the latest scientific and political developments in this incredibly important and rapidly evolving world.

In case you missed our first conversation, Daryl and Zoe are the filmmaking dynamic duo behind Consumed, a dramatic thriller in the vein of Erin Brockovich and Traffic set in the incendiary world of genetically engineered food. You may also know Zoe from her prime time CBS comedy sit com Life In Pieces or her appearance in Confirmation, the new HBO drama about the Anita Hill scandal.

Daryl and Zoe are not scientists and they don't play ones on film or television. They are artists. That said, they are passionate and incredibly informed when it comes to the broader, long-term implications of toying with the genetic material that forms our biosphere.

Few issues are as delicate, controversial or emotionally charged as GMO. It takes courage to tackle the subject on film. I applaud that.

Today we pick up where RRP 191 left off and get granular, diving much deeper into what in my opinion qualifies as one of the most important subjects of our time. Specific topics explored include:

* what are GMOs?

* the conundrum of labeling

* the need for long-term scientific study

* factory farming awareness

* the power of the people & affected change

* widespread use of glyphosate in our food supply

* industrialized agriculture & controlling the food source

* consolidated capitalism

* genetically engineered animals

Also, Consumed was just released on demand. It's available in certain territories on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play, but the best place to find it, stream it, download it, watch it and learn more is consumedthemovie.com.

The film is really well done — impactful, earnest, thoughtful and entertaining. But it’s not a documentary. It doesn’t presuppose to answer questions, only ask them.

As for questions, I've got a few of my own. So let’s get to the asking.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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This week we shift gears.

I admit it. Having famous celebrity guests on the podcast is fun. If you had told me three years ago that people like Moby, Arianna Huffington and Russell Simmons would actually reach out to me to sit down for a long conversation, I would have said you were insane.

More gratifying is introducing you to important people from my personal life. Anonymous and relatable everyday men and women who also happen to be extraordinary.

I believe these people form the heart and soul of the RRP. It's what truly distinguishes this show from the others.

Chris Davis is one of those guys.

He isn’t famous. He hasn’t written a book. He’s just a guy. A husband, father and worker among workers doing his best to navigate this messy labyrinth we call life just like the rest of us.

But dig deeper and you'll find an extraordinary man with an astonishing story.

Because Chris Davis should be dead.

From alcohol-fueled blackouts in Germany to crack-induced psychosis in Long Beach, Chris Davis was a lost cause drug addict / alcoholic on a crash course with jails, institutions and ultimately death. Miraculously, he recovered from what by all accounts was a hopeless and incomprehensible state of desperation and demoralization.

His reward? A beautiful life. A family. The gift of helping countless achieve and maintain sobriety.

Then liver cancer.

The prognosis? 14 months. Get your affairs in order.

But Chris had his own plan.

This is a story about survival. It's about the insanity of addiction and the miraculous mysteries of sobriety. It's about human will, courage, faith and surrender.

The story of Chris Davis is a hero's journey worthy of Joseph Campbell himself.

It's a privilege to have this man in my life. It’s a privilege to call him friend. And it’s a privilege to share his story with you today.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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He's set his head on fire, backflipped off buildings, snorted wasabi and leaped off a bridge from a moving car. He even stuck a fish hook through his cheek and put fireworks where they should never go. Don't get me started on what he's done with a stapler.

Ever since he snatched a video camera from his father's closet at age 15, Steve-O has lived for attention. And the Jackass star learned early and often that public adulation escalated in lock step with the outrageousness of his behavior.

The equation was simple: the further he pushed the envelope, the more America's favorite prankster felt loved and alive.

Insanity ensues.

Still, it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. An insatiable hunger for wholeness that could never be sated. A spiritual hole he almost died trying to fill — first through external validation, then through substances. As insanely dangerous as his stunts had become, it was drugs and alcohol that ultimately brought Steve to his knees. To the brink of death. To the psych ward. To sobriety.

It was March of 2008. A moment that broke him. A moment that saved him.

Let's back up.

Steve-O knows how to play the idiot.

But Stephen Glover is no moron.

Growing up in five countries fluently speaking three languages, Steve has maintained household name status for almost two decades in an industry famous for it's flash in the pans and also rans. He's starred in a variety of television shows and movies, including (of course) three global blockbuster installments of Jackass. Sober since 2008, he wrote the New York Times bestselling memoir Professional Idiot*, then reinvented himself as a successful stand-up comedian. On the heels of his recently released Showtime special Guilty As Charged, Steve has taken his unique blend of comedy, stunts, stories and performance art on the road, selling out venues across across the globe.

I've known Steve for over seven years. When the camera is off, he's far more grounded than you might imagine. Surprisingly self-aware, present, generous and contemplative are just a few descriptors that spring to mind.

That's the Steve I'm interested in.

So this week we go beyond Steve-O to meet Stephen Glover — the human being behind the clown, comedian, stunt man and provocateur.

The best part? We're joined by Steve's dad. Not only was this Ted Glover's first podcast, I believe it's the first time Steve and Ted have ever been interviewed together (at least on audio).

The result is glorious.

This is a conversation about health, environmentalism and ethics. It's about the damage inflicted by addiction on loved ones. It's about recovery, forgiveness and spiritual evolution. It's about what used to drive Steve and what drives him now.

But most of all it's about the love between a father and son.

This one's special. Yeah Dude!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Most know Moby as the eclectic and introspective DJ / musician behind Play — an album that sold over 12 million copies and elevated dance electronica from the clubs of lower Manhattan into a full-blown mainstream phenomenon.

Far more interesting is the story of Moby himself.

Reared in suburban poverty by a single mom, Moby was an awkward, alienated kid who turned early and often to music for comfort. Classical guitar and music theory morphed into high school punk efforts like the Vatican Commandoes and post college dropout stints DJ'ing at local Connecticut nightclubs. But traction eluded him.

So in 1989, this poor, white, skinny, Christian, vegan teetotaler pilgrimaged south to lower Manhattan, thrusting his frail, wide-eyed self into the beautiful, hedonistic, harrowing life of art, music & impoverished squalor that defined the drug-fueled dance music scene of downtown New York City in the 1990's.

Cribbing from the flap copy of Porcelain*, Moby's arresting, magnificent new memoir hitting bookstores next week, “[h]e would learn what it was to be spat on, to live on almost nothing. But it was perhaps the last good time for an artist to live on nothing in New York City: the age of AIDS and crack but also of a defiantly festive cultural underworld. Not without drama, he found his way. But success was not uncomplicated; it led to wretched, if in hindsight sometimes hilarious, excess and proved all too fleeting. And so by the end of the decade, Moby contemplated an end in his career and elsewhere in his life, and put that emotion into what he assumed would be his swan song, his good-bye to all that, the album that would in fact be the beginning of an astonishing new phase: the multimillion-selling Play.”

Not only was Play a multi-platinum smash success, it would soon become the soundtrack to our lives — a record that would shift culture and cement Moby as one of the most interesting and iconic musicians of our time.

Wealth and fame arrived. Obsession followed. And Moby embraced it all. Mansions, lofts and country manors. Debauchery, blowouts and binges. Whatever, whenever. Anytime, all the time. It was always too much. It was never enough.

And this is where things get really interesting.

The story of Moby is one of fidelity to authenticity. It’s about a life defined by survival, perseverance and self-belief. It's about losing one’s self to surrender to the higher self within. It's about discovering what is most important in life. And the beautiful trudge towards clarity, purpose, satisfaction and service.

Today we explore the remarkable life of a most extraordinary artist — a man as introspective as he is self-deprecating; and as serious as he is deadpan droll.

I absolutely love this exchange. So press Play and enjoy.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Who am I to disagree with a guy who has sold 500 million books?

That is not hyperbole.

Not only has Jack Canfield — the personal growth & self-improvement author behind The Success Principles* and the wildly popular Chicken Soup For The Soul* series — actually sold that many copies of his many books, a full 47 of them have graced the New York Times bestseller list. In fact, Jack holds a Guinness World Record for having 7 books on the NYT list at the same time.

I don't know how that's even possible. I do know he's recently pulled focus on alcoholism, tackling addiction in his most recent offering, The 30-Day Sobriety Solution: How to Cut Back or Quit Drinking in the Privacy of Your Own Home*.

I almost backed out of doing this interview. You may think I'm a New Age California hippie, but I'm actually a relatively skeptical guy. I'm not easily romanced by the latest in self-help. I can be stubborn and my perspective on long-held beliefs can be difficult to shake.

I'm also someone with extremely strong, experience-based opinions about sobriety — not only what's required to achieve it, but more importantly what's essential to properly maintain it.

To be frank, part of me feels it's somewhat ostentatious for Jack — not himself a recovering alcoholic — to publish a book that purports to resolve alcoholism by virtue of a 30-day program. In my experience, sobriety just doesn't work that way. Moreover, I'm far from convinced that you can successfully combat addiction from the privacy of your own home. Let me rephrase — I couldn't do that. Thus my conscience struggles to ratify or validate an author who supports such a methodology.

I’m a 12-step guy through and through – I can say without reservation or exaggeration that it saved my life. My participation and service in recovery is and remains my #1 priority. But as they say in the rooms, contempt prior to investigation keeps a man in everlasting ignorance. So in good faith, I read Jack's new book with an open mind. I can't say I agree with everything it proposes. But I can say it does contain more than a few valuable insights — more than enough to merit a spirited exchange with it's acclaimed author.

Moreover, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to tackle this conversation. It's not everyday you get invited up to Santa Barbara to visit the home of a man revered for a life devoted to serving the personal growth of others.

So needless to say, here we are. I haven’t listened to any other interviews with Jack, but I think its fair to say – and by Jack’s own admission — this conversation is not your normal fare.

I'm not saying it was contentious (it wasn't at all). Jack was a great sport and I think my dubiousness made for a fun and engaging meeting of the minds.

Enjoy!

Rich

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Arianna Huffington is more productive than you are.

In addition to co-founding The Huffington Post in 2005 (which famously sold to AOL in 2011 for $315 million), she has dominated television news for decades as a globally recognized political pundit; authored 15 books; built multiple profitable businesses; pioneered online journalism; and even ran for Governor of California as an independent in 2003.

Under Arianna's stewardship, in 2012 HuffPo won a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, representing a seismic shift in journalism from traditional print prominence to online, cementing digital media's permanence, force, and legitimacy. Not enough? Arianna has been named to the Time 100 list of most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list.

So what's her secret?

The answer might surprise you:

a great night of sleep.

A devoted mom of two college-aged girls, Arianna learned the value of sleep the hard way. A burnout episode several years ago left her chronically exhausted, priming an exploration to redefine what it means to live well — beyond business and financial success. Her NY Times bestselling smash hit Thrive* established her authority on well-being and today she is pioneering a movement — make that a revolution — that debunks the false bravado and cultural, mythical pride associated with burning the midnight oil to instead champion sleep as the key to unlock maximum potential. The tip of Arianna's latest campaign of insurrection is her new book, The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night At A Time*.

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Arianna at the LA Book Fair to learn more. Arriving replete with full entourage in tow, I admit to being a little intimidated. But with grace and presence, she quickly put me at ease.

In a perfect world, I would have loved the time and bandwidth to delve deeply into Arianna's upbringing, her political evolution from conservative to liberal, her authorship and her spiritual perspective on the important matters of life. However, I only had a tight hour, so this exchange is focused predominantly on sleep and provides a nice complement to my recent podcast, How To Sleep Smarter With Shawn Stevenson.

Specific topics include:

* the cultural devaluation of sleep in the Industrial Revolution

* Arianna’s ‘wake-up' call after collapse from exhaustion

* the cutting-edge science behind sleep

* Arianna's “Third Metric”

* sleep as athletic recovery enhancement

* the foundation of sleep deprivation in colleges

* persistent use of sleep aids & links to Alzheimer’s

* simple transition to sleep & removal of stimuli

* the power of taking naps

* workaholic ethos & the cost of burnout

* finding optimum balance to improve relationships

* segmented sleep & other sleep conventions

Arianna was absolutely delightful. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Back by popular demand, John Joseph — legendary New York hardcore punk icon and Cro-Mags’ frontman — returns for a 4th appearance on the RRP to do what he does best: incite, provoke, educate and entertain.

If you're a longtime listener of the show, Johnny Bloodclot needs no introduction — he's my most popular guest to date.

For the uninitiated, John is a true 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 to make his way in the world. It's a path that predictably led to violence, crime, addiction and incarceration. His teen years spent as a drug mule, he graduated from foster care to 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. — a devotee of Rastafari — John began to explore not just his musicianship, but his spirituality as well. It's a journey that birthed the Cro-Mags– one of the era's most iconic and influential hardcore punk bands — and later led to life in a Hare Krishna monastery, where he found his spiritual salvation and developed a life-long love of meditation, yoga, the vegan lifestyle, racing Ironman triathlons, and most importantly, his profound devotion to service.

This guys walks his talk.

I urge the newcomer to check out John's first appearance on the show. One of the most powerful podcasts I have ever published, RRP 41 is a beautiful documentation of an incredible life. When you're done with that, dial up RRP 66 & RRP 95. Then turn your attention to Meat Is For Pussies*. I'm proud of the foreword I wrote for John's book and it's a fun, easy read — especially for the skeptical male who continues to harbor the misinformed idea that giving up animal products equates to an abandonment of masculine identity.

Today's conversation picks up where we last left off. Specific topics include:

* recapping John's background

* his transition to a vegan lifestyle

* his punk rock detox

* the evolution of a storyteller

* the explosion of art & culture in 1970's NYC

* the ironman bug

* helping at-risk kids through education & mentorship

* the power of PMA (positive mental attitude)

* the Big Pharma domino effect

* combating vegan elitism

Enjoy!

Rich

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The facts of our experiences are different. But so many of the emotions we experience along our journeys are remarkably similar.

Meet Jasmin Singer.

As a kid, Jasmin was an outcast. Fat and persistently bullied, she was hopelessly drawn to foods that only fueled the depression and confused disposition incited by her chaotic upbringing.

Encouraged by her gorgeous mother to trade in her Oreos for pre-packaged Weight Watchers brownies resulted in an endless rotation of Nutri-System appointments and Jenny Craig weigh-ins that ultimately did little to rectify her love of cheddar, resolve her body image issues or soothe the pain of childhood trauma.

The grub always won. Because food offered Jasmin something she found nowhere else. She basked in the safe reassurance of mealtimes, in the calm friendship she shared with snacks. She lived for the sweet tingling of a vanilla shake as it slid down her throat, filling up her stomach and, more importantly, her heart.

This is a long way of saying that Jasmin was, in fact, addicted to food – physically and emotionally. And no wonder. The foods she regularly ate growing up – Cheez-Its, Lunchables, Twinkies, Big Macs – were literally designed to activate the pleasure centers in her brain, making her want more and more and more.

A growing awareness of the horrors of industrialized animal agriculture led to Jasmin's emerging sense of just how profoundly her culinary proclivities had betrayed her. So at 19, she became a vegetarian. Later, she went entirely vegan, stepping into a lifelong passion for animal rights advocacy. Nonetheless, the skinny vegan trope eluded her. Instead, she continued to gain weight due to her continuing love affair with greasy rich foods.

Just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's healthy.

In the firm grips of her hopeless addiction, Jamin became resigned to the deep sense of shame that accompanied her every minute of every day, further isolating her in a bottomless pit of desperation and loneliness that drove an isolating wedge between her and the world.

From the extra pounds and unrelenting bullies that left her eating lunch alone in a bathroom stall at school to the low self-esteem that rendered her physically and emotionally vulnerable to abuse, her struggle with weight came to define every aspect of her life.

And then one day, she decided to make a change…

By committing to monthly juice fasts and a plant-based diet comprised of whole, unprocessed foods, Jasmin lost almost a hundred pounds, gained an understanding of her destructive relationship with food, and finally realized what it means to be truly full.

Today, Jasmin is the co-founder and executive director of Our Hen House, a nonprofit multimedia hub working to change the world for animals. She also serves up co-host duties on the popular Our Hen House Podcast, produces an online magazine and video content and travels extensively to publicly speak on the subjects of veganism and social justice.

As laid bare in her brave and intensely vivid coming-of-age memoir, Always Too Much And Never Enough*, it's a story you might be surprised to learn really isn't about weight loss.

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When I was a kid, I loved The Jetsons. I was convinced that by 2000 life would be all jetpacks, flying cars, sky trams and robot housekeepers.

My timeline was overly optimistic, but we're nonetheless surrounded by evidence of this inevitability. From the advent of virtual reality to self-driving cars, drone delivery and beyond, even Elon Musk's idea of colonizing Mars now seems plausible.

This week ushered in the future of kitchen appliances. Meet Juicero– a complete re-imagination of cold press juice for the home and office that even George Jetson would envy. I know it sounds weird. It's hard to explain. So I'm not going to try. Watch this cool video instead:

Juicero is the brainchild of my friend Doug Evans. An idea so big it captured the hearts and minds of Silicon Valley, attracting $120 million in financing from technology's most high-powered VC's, including Kleiner Perkins and Google Ventures.

I started hearing rumors about Doug and Juicero about a year ago. Then last month, Doug invited me to visit his 100,000 square foot Los Angeles distribution center. I was excited to finally see what all the fuss was about. But in all honesty, I was skeptical.

$120 million for a new-fangled juice machine?

I don't get it.

He gave me a tour. I met the team and tested the goods. Not only was it the best juice I had ever tasted, I realized there is much more going on at Juicero than meets the eye.

A marvel of advanced technology, the future-forward wifi-enabled Juicero exerts 8,000 pounds of pressure to cold-press the freshest juice possible from QR-coded organic produce packs (soon to be 100% compostable) that contain detailed information on nutrition, the farm of origin and the date of harvest (never to exceed 5 days).

None of the nutrient degrading pasteurization mandatory in all store bought juice. No more old or non-organic produce typical of most juice bars. And of course, zero home cleanup.

The space-age functionality and highly complex machinery are housed in cutting edge design courtesy of legendary product designer Yves Béhar that expertly merges aesthetics with simplicity and user friendliness. Comparisons to Apple are inevitable. And rumor has it even Jony Ive had a behind-the-scenes hand in guiding Juicero's product design.

But the gadget is just part of the story.

Perhaps more fascinating is the personal journey of Juicero's steward, a most unlikely entrepreneur. A graffiti artist reared on the streets of New York City, Doug Evans traded the classroom for tagging subway trains and hanging out in clubs with the likes of Basquait, Warhol and Haring before finding his calling as a graphic artist under the mentorship of the great Paul Rand.

A confluence of tragic events around Doug's 30th birthday would permanently alter the trajectory of his life and career. In 1994, his mother died of cancer. Shortly thereafter, his father died of heart disease. Meanwhile, Doug's brother developed type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and had the first of two strokes.

Terrified by the prospect that he was genetically pre-disposed to early mortality, Doug turned to the raw vegan lifestyle, igniting a passion for the connection between lifestyle and health that boils down to one simple, yet powerful edict:

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He's written twelve cookbooks. He's opened dozens of restaurants. And he's teaching a new generation of culinary talent across the globe. But Matthew Kenney isn't just another celebrity chef. Matthew Kenney is crafting the future of food.

Beyond the kitchen, Matthew is a public speaker, educator, and entrepreneur specializing in plant-based food. He has authored 12 cookbooks and is the founder of Matthew Kenney Cuisine, an integrated lifestyle company as well as the Matthew Kenney Culinary Academy, a series of state-of-the-art education centers offering vegan culinary courses both online and in person that emphasize the use of whole, organic, unprocessed, plant-based foods to achieve healthy, aesthetically refined and flavorful cuisine.

Over the years, Matthew has launched a panoply of eating establishments ranging from the hautest of haute cuisine to take-out casual — everything from Santa Monica's M.A.K.E. and New York's Pure Food & Wine (both now closed), to Plant Food & Wine in both Venice and Miami,Make Out in Culver City, California and the recently opened and utterly amazing 00 + Co. plant-based pizzeria in New York City's East Village. When in Belfast, Maine visit The Gothic.Plant Café is coming to Bahrain this fall and Matthew has something brewing for summer in Montecito, California.

It's one thing to cook great food. It's another thing to cook great plant-based food. But it's astonishing to please the masses with incredibly delicious and nutritious plant-based meals without cooking anything at all. However, what most impresses me most about Matthew is not his culinary talent. It's his commitment to changing the cultural conversation around food. And in turn, change the world.

Today I sit down with Matthew in the wine room behind Plant Food & Wine Venice to get to the bottom of everything except the wine (don't worry I didn't drink any). Specific topics explored include:

* misconceptions of the raw food lifestyle

* the benefits of the raw food lifestyle

* Matthew's journey to embracing the raw food lifestyle

* what Matthew learned working in NYC's best kitchens

* the challenge of preparing raw cuisine for modern clientele

* the practicality of eating raw; and 

* how to increase plant-based awareness through better education

But at its core, this is a conversation about the future of food — and the incredible influence a high profile chef has on forging public opinion and taste when it comes to cuisine, culture and health.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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