The Rich Roll Podcast

How do you find life purpose? How do you challenge self-limiting beliefs about identity and potential? Before you can answer these questions, you must first find your tribe.

Our instrument for this inward voyage is the voice and prophet of all things action sports, Selema Masekela.

For the uninitiated, Selema cannot be defined as any one thing. He’s a badass surfer, snowboarder and skater. He’s a beloved television commentator and journalist, best known as the face and voice of ESPN’s X-Games, a show he hosted for thirteen years. He’s a filmmaker and Emmy-nominated producer who has collaborated with many a media outlet, including E!, NBC, ABC, NatGeo, RedBull Media and VICE. And he’s a social activist, passionate philanthropist and accomplished musician.

But more than anything, Selema is a truly gifted storyteller. An extraordinary human with a truly unique and compelling backstory. And a relentlessly curious narrator of the human experience.

Today we break bread. And let’s just say you’re in for a ride.

This conversation recounts an extraordinary life well-lived.

It’s about the confluence and influence of music, art, water, creativity, and storytelling.

It’s about race and athletics. The progress many industries need to make to truly be accessible and equal to all. And how sport holds the power to break outdated paradigms.

It’s also about giving voice to passion. Amplifying narratives less well told. And a love affair that spans a diversity of interests—from late night Birdland jazz session to dawn patrol barrels.

But more than anything, this exchange is about carving out a life that aligns with your passion. It’s about community and the experiences shape who we become. And it’s about connection and the things that make us uniquely human.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll594

YouTube: bit.ly/selemamasekela594

Warning: Selema’s story is one for the ages.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

How do we equip kids with the tools they need to avoid substance abuse? How can we identify a teen who is at risk? And what can be done to prevent our young ones from developing dependency issues?

Every parent is haunted by these questions, myself included. To get answers, I did what you do when you host a podcast—I turn to the experts. 

Meet Jessica Lahey.

Returning for her second appearance on the show, Jess is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a J.D. concentrating on juvenile and education law from the University of North Carolina. She’s an English and writing teacher, a commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and writes about education, parenting, and child welfare for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. 

Best known as the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure—a non-negotiable must read for every parent and the focus of our first podcast (RRP #282)—Jess also co-hosts the popular #AmWriting podcast alongside fellow podcast alum KJ Dell’Antonia (RRP #396). 

But the primary focus of today’s discussion is her hot off the press second book, The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence.

This is a conversation about how to have those difficult conversations with your kids about alcoholism and drug addiction.

It’s about how to effectively guide our young ones through the perils of substance exploration, dependency, and abuse.

And most of all, it’s about arming parents with invaluable, evidence-based strategies and practical tools helpful in raising, supporting, and educating resilient, addiction-resistant children.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll593

YouTube: bit.ly/jessicalahey593

As someone who has done battle with the demons of alcoholism, and as a dad of four delicately parenting two teens, this terrain isn’t just a useful lens on developmental psychology, it’s of particular personal pertinence.

Whether or not you’re a parent, chances are there’s at least one young person in your life currently in jeopardy for substance dependence. It’s thus incumbent upon all of us to better understand the nature of that risk—and how to effectively guide the young ones among us towards safe harbor.

May this conversation serve that purpose—because Jess understands the delicate nature of this dynamic better than anyone I know.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

How do we end gun violence in America? What can we do to stop marine destruction? How do we untangle masculinity and meat-eating? Plus, we need to talk about that murder in Malibu Creek State Park, Rich’s backyard trail paradise.

Welcome to another edition of ‘Roll On’, wherein myself and the always congenial and ponderous Adam Skolnick chew on matters of the day in a manner that is instructive and possibly even entertaining. As always, we share good news and bad. We do a bit of show and tell. And we answer your questions.

Aside from serving as my bi-monthly sidecar hype-beast, Adam Skolnick is an activist and veteran journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. Adam writes about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently using the ‘new dad’ excuse to avoid working on his novel.

Topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• the nuances of Zone 2 training & weightlifting;
• an update on the Iron Cowboy’s ‘Conquer 100’ challenge;
• the beginning of the Derek Chauvin trial & how to change public safety;
• mass shootings & the repercussions of America’s gun obsession;
• the new documentary ‘Seaspiracy’;
• the new podcast ‘Lost Hills’; and
• Robbie Balanger’s Central Park Loop FKT.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you manage relationships when your values change?
• How do we break the stereotype that meat-eating is masculine?
• How can we deconstruct masculinity and see vulnerability as a strength?

Thank you to Kumaran from South Africa, Casey from Austin, and Cindy from New Hampshire for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll592

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon592

Peace + Plants,

Rich

With great adventure comes great responsibility. It’s not enough to simply appreciate our natural world—we must also protect it. Preserve it. Regenerate it. All of us. And with our full attention.

No one embodies this ethos quite like Alex Honnold.

Renowned adventurer and global icon of athletic mastery, Alex is widely recognized for his death-defying ropeless ascent of El Capitan—a 3,600-foot sheer vertical rock face he climbed without a harness or any protective gear whatsoever. It was a feat that stunned the world. Landed it’s cinematic document Free Solo an Oscar. And cemented this unique and compelling individual as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

While our conversation back in 2018 covered this incredible accomplishment, much has transpired in Alex’s life since the whole Free Solo affair. So this conversation takes a different tack, exploring a different side of Alex. We steer clear of the more well-trod terrain and topics he has exhaustively fielded at this point and instead venture into new life experiences and other interests post-Free Solo: Alex as storyteller, podcast host, climbing historian, environmentalist, activist, husband, and more.

The crux of today’s exchange is Alex’s environmental work with The Honnold Foundation.The impact he’s made thus far. He’s intentions for the future. And the steps he intends to pursue to help reverse environmental degradation: the greatest existential threat to life on Earth.

We talk about the challenges of combating the climate crisis and why his current passion is solar and renewable energy.

We also discuss his new turn as a podcaster, co-hosting the newly released Climbing Gold, a special miniseries of climbing-centric stories that explore the past, present, and future of the sport. In addition, Alex shares some insight into climbing’s debut at the Tokyo Olympics.

But overall, the most important lesson Alex imparts is the responsibility of the adventurer. To be a climber, skier, cyclist, runner, or outdoor enthusiast, you must also be an environmental steward—and take personal action to preserve and sustain nature’s finite offerings.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll591

YouTube: bit.ly/alexhonnold591

Alex is wise, remarkable, and someone I deeply admire. My hope is that this conversation will inspire you to think more deeply about how you can positively impact the world we all share.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

As a reminder that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, it’s time to reconnect with matters ethereal and divine.

Enter Julie Piatt, prophetess of all things metaphysical, returning for another swim in the holy tides of matters otherworldly.

Longtime listeners are well acquainted with the one who goes by SriMati—my in-house spiritual guru and better half. A human who is very good at many things, Julie is an accomplished yogi, healer, musician, chef, and mom to our four children. She’s also the bestselling author of three vegan cookbooks. She hosts the For The Life of Me podcast. She lords over Water Tiger, her online spiritual community. And she’s the CEO and ‘Mother Arc’ of SriMu, the best plant-based cheese in the known universe.

Over the years, Julie has been a recurring source of spiritual wisdom on the podcast, dropping many a pearl on everything from parenting and creativity, to navigating conflict, managing relationships, dealing with financial hardship, and many other subjects.

Today’s microphone communion with Julie is many things.

It’s a dissection of our relationship within a global pandemic—and the powerful lessons we’ve learned throughout the year.

And it holds exciting updates from SriMu and forthcoming offerings from Julie.

But most of all, this is a conversation about the importance of knowing thyself. The transformative power of owning and standing in your truth. The courage it takes to face what you’re hiding (or hiding from). Finding peace through meditation and ritual. And forming a sacred relationship with yourself — while holding vision and space for the best in others.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll590

YouTube: bit.ly/juliepiatt590B

Let’s take this wavelength higher, shall we?

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Alzheimer’s isn’t a genetic inevitability. A diagnosis need not come with a death sentence. In fact, many things can be done to prevent & ameliorate cognitive decline. So let’s talk about it.

Today we dive deep into brain health. More specifically, how you can maintain and optimize your cognitive functionality and take an insurance policy out against succumbing to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Our guides for this exploration are husband and wife neurology duo Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, returning for a second turn on the podcast (if you missed it, RRP #330 is a must-listen).

Affectionately known as Team Sherzai, Ayesha & Dean are the highly credentialed co-directors of the Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where they study all things brain health, with a particular focus on lifestyle interventions to prevent cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

Because Alzheimer’s currently afflicts over 40 million people worldwide, I’m willing to bet most of you are directly or indirectly impacted by this affliction.

The bad news is that there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s. And incidence is predicted to triple by 2050.

What most don’t realize, however, is that 90% of Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented.

In fact, through simple diet and lifestyle changes, the Sherzai’s have experienced remarkable success in both preventing and significantly reversing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, dementia and cognitive decline in many of their patients, adding vibrant years to their lives.

The science behind dementia, the non-interventional means to optimize brain health, and the many strategies to prevent cognitive decline are robustly explored in The Alzheimer’s Solution (the focus of our first podcast) and the Sherzai’s latest book, The 30-Day Alzheimer’s Solution.

The solution might surprise you. It’s not due to a breakthrough in surgical procedures. It’s not the result of new pharmaceutical trials. It’s about food. Exercise. Restorative sleep. Community. And maintaining a life of purpose.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll589

YouTube: bit.ly/teamsherzai589

Break out a pen and paper because this one is dense, in-depth and potentially life-altering.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Cryptocurrency. Blockchain. Digital trading cards. Burnt Bansky & NFTs. And of course, flying cats with pop tart bodies.

These are just a few of many internet developments dissected in today’s edition of ‘Roll On’, wherein Adam Skolnick and I usher you into the digital age with droll repartee, raillery, and shrewd observations on concepts, issues, and matters relevant and whimsical. We share good news and bad. We perform a bit of show and tell. We banter and blather. And as always, we answer your questions.

Aside from serving as my cogitative, neighborly, and magnanimous sidecar hype-beast, Adam Skolnick is an activist and veteran journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. Adam writes about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently using the ‘new dad’ excuse to avoid working on his novel.

Other topics we explore in today’s conversation include:

• Adam and Jason’s 4 x 4 x 48 Goggins’ challenge recap;
• an update on the Iron Cowboy’s ‘Conquer 100’ challenge;
• Rich’s new cold plunge routine;
• NFTs and the way the internet is upending finance;
• Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the future of digital assets; and
• the nuanced ways in which human beings are becoming human avatars.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you stay motivated in your fitness journey?
• How can you be a lighthouse of conscious living for your children?
• What are the best ways to prepare for high-altitude endurance races?

Thank you to Will from Portland, Oregon, Tanya from Lucerne, Switzerland, and Christopher from Boston, Massachusetts for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll588

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon588

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Artificial Intelligence isn’t an imagined future. It’s right here, right now. So what are the perils of society’s rapid pivot to automation? How do we avoid displacement and dehumanization? And, most pressing, how do we find meaning in a world driven by algorithms?

These are important questions we need to be asking. Today’s guest is the right guy to help answer them—one of my very favorite online follows for his insights on automation, online radicalization, cybersecurity, and digital wellness.

A bestselling author and award-winning technology columnist for The New York Times, Kevin Roose specializes in technology and its effects on society—an interest that culminated in the mind-melting, must-listen podcast series Rabbit Hole, a story that exposes the many ways the internet influences our beliefs and behavior, often for the worse.

A significant portion of today’s conversation focuses on artificial intelligence and the many ways in which our increasingly automated world impacts humanity. It’s also the subject of Kevin’s latest book, Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation. Part A.I. primer part self-help survival guide, it breaks down the tools we need to be happy, successful humans in a world increasingly built by and for machines.

As we usher in the age of artificial intelligence, more and more occupations are becoming automated. Social media algorithms not only frack our attention spans for clicks, but they have so thoroughly manipulated such that we now divest much of our decision-making and critical thinking skills (the things that literally makes us who we are) to technology.

This is an important, potentially life-altering breakdown of the many ways the internet and AI-based algorithms are degrading us, locking us into information silos, inciting emotion for profit, and threatening our inherent humanity.

It’s also a guide on surviving workplace automation, overcoming phone addiction, and protecting your time and attention.

In addition, Kevin provides his insider take on a variety of other notable technology curiosities from Clubhouse to NFTs, the future of podcasting, and many other subjects that I know will pique your interest.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll587

YouTube: bit.ly/kevinroose587

Our most powerful trait is our innate humanness. My hope is that this exchange will serve as a reminder.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a perilous global moment that has indelibly changed all our lives. As we approach the one-year anniversary of societal shut-down, I find it opportune to reflect on how we are reacting, responding and adapting to it—for better or worse.

In other words: How is your anxiety level? What habits, good or bad, have you formed in these past 12 months to cope with the insanity and uncertainty of having life upended and placed on indefinite hold? And most importantly—how are these habits serving or not serving you?

I posit these questions as context for today’s conversation with my friend Dr. Jud Brewer—a psychiatrist and neuroscientist specializing in habit change who has extensively studied anxiety, and what science tells us about how we can break the cycle of fear and worry that affect all of us to some degree or another.

Dr. Jud is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center, a research affiliate at MIT, and an associate professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry at the Schools of Public Health & Medicine at Brown University. You might have stumbled upon his TED talk, A simple way to break a bad habit (which has racked in 16+ millions of views) or caught him on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper. He’s also been featured in TIME magazine, NPR, Forbes and many other places.

Our previous conversation (RRP 471) focused on addiction and how mindfulness can help us break bad habits. Today we extend that exploration to Dr. Jud’s latest book Unwinding Anxiety—an evidence-backed primer on understanding what causes everything from mild unease to full-blown panic, the relationship between anxiety and addiction, and the many ways we can actually train our minds to feel, perform and live better.

This exchange provides actionable steps to help you uproot stress. Break habit loops. And end the cycle of fear-based decision-making. Most importantly perhaps, you will learn how to identify your triggers in order to respond mindfully rather than react impulsively.

Dr. Jud is among the very best and brightest at the intersection of neuroscience and habit change — and given that hundreds of millions of people suffer from anxiety, my hope and instinct is that you will find this conversation quite useful.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll586

YouTube: bit.ly/judbrewer586

May Dr. Jud’s words serve, soothe, and inspire.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

This is a story of spiritual swindlers. Sober living scammers. Underground insurance fraud. And widespread institutional neglect.

In today’s edition of ‘Roll On’, Adam Skolnick and I discuss the rampant corruption incident to unregulated addiction treatment centers—brutal truths brought to light by the new independent film Body Brokers. We share good news and bad. We perform a bit of show and tell. And as always, we answer listener questions.

For those new to the podcast, Adam Skolnick is an activist and veteran journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many other topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• an update on Adam’s preparation for the Goggins’ 4 x 4 x 48 challenge;
• the Iron Cowboy’s ‘Conquer 100’ challenge;
• gravel cycling & Rich’s Specialized ambassadorship;
• the new documentary ‘Diving Deep’ and the life of activist Mike deGruy;
• Barack Obama’s new podcast and the future of the podcasting;
• the recent rise in Asian hate crime; and
• Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s impact on free speech—and what it means today.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• If you could have a conversation with three luminaries living or dead, who would you choose?
• How do you make time to pursue ultra-running without disrupting work and family balance?
• What books, podcasts, and other types of media do you consume?

Thank you to Josh from North Carolina, Tara from Long Beach, and Emily from Minneapolis for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll585

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon585

Peace + Plants,

Rich

We all experience it. That invisible, self-sabotaging force that lives between you and your most expressed self. Today’s guest calls it ‘Resistance’. He’s cracked how to overcome it—and the process required to birth your best work.

Meet author Steven Pressfield—a man who has profoundly impacted my life and how I pursue creative expression.

A former Marine, Duke graduate, and journeyman of countless jobs, Steven had been writing in obscurity for three decades before his first published novel became a smash success. Molded on archetypes lifted from the Bhagavad Gita, The Legend of Bagger Vance made it’s way all the way to the big screen, starring Matt Damon and Will Smith.

Now revered for his creative prolificacy, Steven has 20 books to his name, including the military novels Tides of War and Gates of Fire, currently on the curriculum at the Naval War College and West Point.

More relevant to today’s discourse, Steven has authored some of the most impactful books ever written on the fundamentals of pursuing a creative life. Collectively, The War of Art, Do The Work, and Turning Pro are books I’ve read and make a point to re-read annually. Practical treatises on the human relationship with authentic expression, they provide a disciplined approach to birth the work we were born to create.

Steven’s latest offering, A Man At Arms, is a historical novel about the Roman Empire, a reluctant hero, and the rise of Christianity in First Century Jerusalem. Cinematic in it’s sweep, think Gladiator meets The Road Warrior.

A personal hero, meeting Steven has always been a dream. Today he shares his story. And it’s everything I hoped it would be.

Steven will tell you that creativity isn’t about talent. It’s about discipline. But it’s also about reverence for the mystical—courting The Muse to connect with that inimitable force that breathes beyond our conscious awareness.

However, The Muse only shows up when you respect the grind as sacred.

An excavation of this process, this conversation is an absolute masterclass on all things creativity, served up with a healthy dose of perseverance, persistence, patience, and the heavy lifting required to eliminate distraction and make manifest the dormant, authentic voice within.

It’s also about dispelling the myth that great art is the purview of the chosen few. Or that it comes easy to those so touched.

We all have something worthy to say. We can all benefit from learning how to better express our truth.

“Our job in this life is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”

The spirit of this exchange is to empower this ideal.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll584

YouTube: bit.ly/stevenpressfield584

Final note: Some unfortunate construction noise next door periodically invades the audio dojo. Apologies for the distraction.

I hold Steven and his work in the highest regard. My hope is that this conversation will leave you feeling the same.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Replace ego with the eternal. Trade selfishness for service—and self-absorption for unity. Together, let’s explore the spark of divinity that resides within us all.

Meet Raghunath Cappo.

Punk rock icon. Spiritual warrior. Bhakti yoga devotee.

A teen in search of meaning, Ray Cappo fled his suburban Connecticut enclave for New York City—and found community among the misfits of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He fell in love with punk rock, so he started a band and a record label. Success soon followed. By the late 1980’s, Youth of Today had thousands of fans, cementing Ray as a leading voice and trendsetter at the bullseye of hardcore culture.

However, a growing existential itch led Ray to call it quits. At just 22, he walked away from his band and label and decamped for India—a spiritual pilgrimage that led him to the holy village of Vrindavan.

It was there that Ray fell in love with the wisdom and traditions of Bhakti yoga.

It was there that he would remain for the next six years, living as a monk.

It was there that Ray became Raghunath.

This is the incredible story of a modern day yogi.

But it’s also about the search we all go on. The journey for personal meaning beyond the ego. And the quest for universal consequence beyond the material.

It’s about the timeless that lives and breathes within all of us—that which is eternal, and past our limited senses.

It’s about transcending the illusions that hold us back. What it means to truly devote oneself to greater truth. And the modern day challenges of trudging the path towards higher consciousness.

All told, it’s about what it really means to be a spiritual being having a human experience.

If you’ve enjoyed my conversations with musicians John Joseph & Toby Morse, spiritual leaders Guru Singh & Radhanath Swami, or modern seekers Andy Puddicombe, Jason Garner & Russell Brand, then I’m confident this will be your jam.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll583

YouTube: bit.ly/raghunathcappo583

Thank you to Robert Sturman, Perry Julien, Sherry Sutton & Davy Greenberg for the portraits & photo use permission.

Let the Jedi Warrior training begin.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Today we get esoteric on the things that matter most—ego, family, friendship, love, work, death, and the soul. The value of living an examined life. And how sharing our uniqueness gives glimpse into the universal.

Returning for his third appearance on the podcast, our cipher for said exploration is one of my very favorite humans—a former social entrepreneur, human rights activist, and lawyer turned world adventurer, magazine publisher & mystic memoirist.

Meet Jedidiah Jenkins.

Several years ago, I stumbled across Jedidiah’s Instagram feed. His photos are always great, but it was his prose that altered my state. Enamored by his unique lens on the human condition, he quickly become my favorite follow.

Determined to learn more, I invited Jedidiah on the show (RRP #186), wherein he shared insights gleaned from an epic sixteen-month, 10,000-mile bike journey pedaling from Oregon to Patagonia. This conversation remains one of my favorites to date.

I then made him promise to return (RRP #395) upon completion of his first book, To Shake The Sleeping Self. A coming-of-age memoir set against the technicolor backdrop of his bicycle adventure, the book went on to become a New York Times bestseller, crowning Jedidiah as a new and compelling literary voice.

An exquisite storyteller with an elegant gift for exploring the interior landscape, Jedidiah has continued to mature as a writer. His latest New York Times bestselling flex, Like Streams To The Ocean, is a touching and immersive deconstruction of the things that make us who we are and the decisions that shape our one and only life. 

His best work to date, it’s a masterclass on leveraging the specifics of one’s experience as a vehicle to better connect with the universal the resides within us all.

So here we are again. Me wanting to know more.

This conversation isn’t about any one thing. It’s kind of about everything.

We discuss the writing process. How to find a voice. And what it means to be an observer of both nature and people.

We talk Enneagrams, the commodification of ‘authenticity’, and how to cultivate focus in a distracted world.

It’s also about identity. Belonging. Finding meaning in work. And what it means to live a creative life.

It’s about the empathy required to find common ground with people of divergent world views. And why cultivating community is critical.

But more than anything, this is a meditation on who we are. Why we’re here. And the struggle to glean truth from the intangible.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll582

YouTube: bit.ly/jedidiahjenkins582

As brilliant in conversation as he is on the page, I relish our conversations. And this one does not disappoint.

Let your love affair with Jedidiah begin!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

How does one best prepare for a fitness challenge? What is the real value of testing one’s outer limits? And what constitutes true endurance?

These are but a few of the questions explored in today’s edition of Roll On, wherein Adam Skolnick and I blather on matters both pertinent and possibly irrelevant. We share good news and bad. We perform some show and tell. And as always, we answer listener questions.

For those new to the podcast, Adam Skolnick is an activist and veteran journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• David Goggins’ 4 x 4 x 48 challenge;
• proper endurance training;
• what endurance teaches us about ourselves;
• Rich’s Instagram mask controversy;
• the rise of Clubhouse and the future of audio talk shows; and
• World Surf League’s ‘We Are One Ocean’ campaign

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you release anger and resentment?
• How do you find a partner with a similar lifestyle and goals (within a pandemic)?
• What is your leadership philosophy? How do you show up for your team?

Thank you to Adam from Santa Monica, Madeleine from Redondo Beach, and Elizabeth from Nanaimo British Columbia for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll581

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon581

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Meet Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist who specializes in how we can find motivation and meaning in work, and live more generous and creative lives.

After graduating from Harvard magna cum laude, Adam completed his master’s degree and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in just three years. At 28 he became Wharton’s youngest-ever tenured professor, where he has been recognized as the top-rated professor for seven straight years, named one of the world’s 10 most influential management thinkers and listed among Fortune‘s 40 under 40.

One of the world’s most-cited, prolific and significant researchers in business and economics, Adam is the author of several New York Times bestselling books that have sold millions of copies and been translated into 35 languages, including Give and Take, Originals, and Option B. His books have been named among the year’s best by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal and praised by J.J. Abrams, Richard Branson, Bill and Melinda Gates, Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Kahneman, and Malala Yousafzai. 

Certain to be another culture-tilting bestseller, Adam’s new book, and the focus of today’s conversation, is  Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know.

In addition, Adam’s TED Talks on original thinkers and givers and takers have garnered over 20 million views. And when he’s not writing, teaching, parenting, or consulting on behalf of organizations like Google, the NBA, or the Gates Foundation, he hosts WorkLife, a chart-topping TED original podcast.

Equal parts fun and powerful, this conversation is about the importance and power of interpersonal and collective rethinking. 

We discuss strategies for engaging with others who see the world differently. And what we can learn when we lead not with argumentation but rather with curiosity and humility.

In a time of entrenched polarization, Adam creates space for nuance. He teaches us to think critically and carefully. To ask questions. And to hold our views flexibly. 

He also offers sage advice on work in the time of COVID, when so many people’s professional ecosystems have been turned upside down. 

My hope is that this exchange encourages you to identify your own biases. Emboldens you to connect more meaningfully with those who see things differently. And inspires you to relish in being wrong.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll580

YouTube: bit.ly/adamgrant580

It was an honor to hold space with a luminary I have greatly respected from afar. And to make a new friend along the way.

May this conversation leave you thinking more critically about your own beliefs—and more empathetically about others’.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

What happens when you have two very big but different dreams vying for your focus? Do you choose one? Or do you risk it all to pursue both?

This was the dilemma faced by today’s guest—a woman who knows a thing or two about what it takes to execute at the highest level.

Meet Alexi Pappas—Olympic athlete. Award-winning writer. Filmmaker. And so much more.

An extraordinary runner, Alexi set the Greek national record in the 10,000-meters and competed for Greece at the 2016 Olympic Games. An equally noteworthy artist, her words have graced the pages of The New York Times, Runner’s World, Women’s Running Magazine, Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic, and Outside.

Not enough? In the exact same year she competed in the Olympics, she also co-wrote, co-directed, and starred alongside Rachel Dratch in Tracktown, her first feature film. Executing on just one of these goals is an exceptional accomplishment. Doing both in parallel is downright superhuman.

More recently, Alexi co-wrote and starred alongside Nick Kroll in Olympic Dreams, the first non-documentary-style movie to ever be filmed at the actual Olympic Games.

Profiled in every major publication from Sports Illustrated to Rolling Stone, my interest was recently piqued by an amazing New York Times OpDoc (produced by friend of the pod Lindsay Crouse), which poignantly portrays the emotional toll of chasing an Olympic dream.

In her excellent new memoir Bravey, Alexi dives deeper. An exuberant and unflinching primer on the struggle of self-actualization, it’s the beautiful story of surviving trauma and navigating disparate dreams—filmmaking and athletics—in competition for her attention. Why she refused to pick just one lane. And how, setbacks and deep lows aside, Alexi ultimately succeeds at both.

How is possible that this human is so good at so many things simultaneously? And what is the cost (if any) of setting the bar so high?

I needed to know more.

This is a conversation about the courage required to blaze your own path. It’s about self-belief. And it’s about setting audacious goals and how to work towards them.

It’s also about depression, loss and sacrifice.

It’s about the intersection of athletics and art. And how to prioritize synergy over balance.

But more than anything, this is about what Alexi calls being bravey.

In Alexi’s case, trauma helped fuel her success. But it was in healing that trauma that she learned to thrive—and find the joy in the journey.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll579

YouTube: bit.ly/alexipappas579

This one’s for all the Braveys and soon-to-become Braveys seeking to replace can’t with maybe.

Alexi is my new favorite person. Tune in and discover why.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Perhaps you thought 2021 might bring some return to normalcy. So far we have the Capitol insurrection, GameStonk and Jewish Laser Beams. We need to talk.

After a much-needed break, Roll On returns with my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

We are also mixing up the format with two special guests, Arthur Jones & Giorgio Angelini, the filmmakers behind Feels Good Man (and RRP 576). Serving as our internet culture decoder ring, the lads join the show to help make sense of recent events insanity.

Some of the many topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• the importance of taking a sabbatical;
• the Capitol insurrection & the impact on the GOP;
• how Reddit turned the stock market upside down;
• the future of stock market democratization;
• David Lynch’s absurd yet wonderfully soothing weather reports;
• Ultra-runner Jim Walmsley’s 100k American record; and
• How Nepalese climbers reached the summit of K2 in the winter for the first time.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do I focus & contribute when I’m so consumed by current events?
• How do I deal with colossal failure and set myself up for success?
• How did overcoming substance abuse change your mindset on fitness & life?

Thank you to Kevin from St. Louis, John from the Sierra Nevada, and Sarah from Phoenix for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll578

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon578

It’s good to be back!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

How might your life be better with less?

Not so many years ago, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus were mired in the corporate grind, banking six-figure salaries in pursuit of the American Dream. Expiating for the satisfaction their careers failed to provide, they did what most humans would:

They bought stuff. Lots of stuff.

When that didn’t work, they bought more. And when that didn’t work, they hit bottom. What came next was a search for meaning that would forever alter the trajectory of their lives—and ignite the spread of minimalism across the world.

Known today as The Minimalists, Joshua and Ryan advocate for the pursuit of living less materially and more deliberately. Through their website, books, podcasts and films, they share practical, experience-based insights on how minimalism can lead to freedom—providing the foundation for a life built not on consumption, but instead on conscious purpose and mindful intention.

With a devoted readership in the millions, they’ve written several books, given TED Talks and spoken at places like SXSW and Harvard Business School. They’ve been featured on every major television network and profiled in major publications like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and TIME.

In 2016, Ryan and Joshua made an unexpected splash when their Netflix documentary Minimalism enervated audiences around the world. Now they’re back with a brand new, must-see follow up, Less Is Now.

Given what these fine young gentlemen represent, I will restrain inclinations verbose to simply say that this is a conversation about how to live with greater intention and purpose.

It’s about creating more by consuming less. It’s about prioritizing experience over accumulation. It’s about growth, contentment and love. And it’s about the deep personal satisfaction that comes with contributing beyond ourselves.

In other words, minimalism isn’t martyrdom—it’s freedom.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll577

YouTube: bit.ly/theminimalists577

Joshua, Ryan and their message is a gift. Receive it graciously. Then put it to work.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

In a spark of creativity, cartoonist Matt Furie created an innocent, loving frog he named Pepe. What came next is so insane, it literally bent reality.

Filmmakers Arthur Jones & Giorgio Angelini wanted to understand how this sweet and relatively obscure indie comic book character morphed into an infamous symbol of hate—and a meme that changed the world. The result is Feels Good Man—a filmmaking triumph and one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in years.

Premiering at last year’s Sundance, where it picked up the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker, it’s the surreal story of Pepe The Frog. How it migrated across the internet, evolving into an unwitting avatar of chaos and a lever for radicalization. It’s about its creator Matt Furie’s efforts to reclaim his creation. And Pepe’s slow transmogrification back into a hieroglyph of positivity.

But beneath the surface, Feels Good Man is about artistic agency. It’s about the journey from passivity to participation. A sociological excavation of how culture spreads from mind to mind, it’s also an archeological dig into the indelible power of an idea. How a meme adopted by a regressive internet subculture spilled into the real world, shifted the political landscape, and ultimately tipped a presidential election.

The film is an absolute must-see. I wanted to know more. So today Arthur and Giorgio take us behind the looking glass on Pepe’s Frankenstein-meets-Alice-In-Wonderland journey.

This is a conversation about the complicated relationship between internet culture and the real world.

It’s about the strange relationship between comic book artists, arch druids, data scientists, intellectual property lawyers, and alt-right mouthpieces.

It’s about memetics—how memes drive cultural evolution in parallel with how genes influence human evolution. And, in this case, how one meme was perniciously coopted to democratize electoral engagement, enervating passive supporters into active participants.

But more than anything, this is about the war between cynicism and hope.

And why, to coin Matt Furie, you gotta go hardcore happy.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll576

YouTube: bit.ly/feelsgoodman576

I don’t understand why everyone isn’t talking about this movie and the ideas it presents. This conversation is my attempt to change that.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Our bodies are comprised of about ten trillion cells. But only half those cells are human. The remainder comprise our microbiome—a vast and complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live in or on our bodies. Only now is science beginning to understand the profound impact of these microbes on human health.

We choose to believe that we are fully sentient and self-governing, wholly responsible for our health, moods and decisions. But the truth is far different. In fact, to a large extent, our emotional state, propensity for disease, the nature of our cravings, and even some of our decision making can be traced back to the nature of our gut ecology.

Most of these microorganisms are symbiotic. Maintaining a healthy culture of the right microorganisms is fundamental to good health. But should the quality of your microbiome go awry, health havoc ensues.

To better understand the vital role these microorganisms play in our health and lives, today’s show is a veritable microbiome masterclass courtesy of the gastroenterologists, scientific researchers, and gut experts that have graced the show over the years.

After 8+ years and 500+ conversations, I’ve compiled a vast library of bankable, timeless information and advice. As a steward of this archive, I feel a responsibility to convert the best of it into a more helpful, productive, accessible, and practical resource.

As an initial step toward this goal, I will be periodically offering curated wisdom focused on a specific theme or subject (as opposed to a guest). This episode is an embryonic experiment in doing just that—the first in what will be an evolving series of deep dives, commencing with this microbiome intensive courtesy of the following collection of past podcast gut health expert guests (all hyperlinked to their respective full episodes):

• Robynne Chutkan, M.D.
• Ara Katz and Raja Dhir
• Zach Bush, M.D.
• Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.
• Will Bulsiewicz, M.D.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll575

YouTube: bit.ly/microbiome575

I sincerely hope you find this experiment helpful and instructive.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Unlike other land mammals, humans are not natural-born swimmers. Our evolutionary ancestors learned for survival. Now it’s one of the most popular activities in the world. So why do we swim? What is it about water that seduces us despite its dangers?

A lifelong swimmer reared by swimming parents, this week’s guest couldn’t shake this question. What she discovered is far more compelling than you might imagine.

Bonnie Tsui (@bonnietsui) is an alumnus of Harvard University, where she did not swim but instead rowed crew—and graduated magna cum laude in English and American Literature and Language.

In 2009, her book American Chinatown: A People’s History of Five Neighborhoods won the 2009-2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and was a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller and Best of 2009 Notable Bay Area Books selection. She has been the recipient of the Lowell Thomas Gold Award for travel journalism and the Jane Rainie Opel Young Alumna Award at Harvard University. In 2017, she was awarded the 2017 Karola Saekel Craib Excellence in Food Journalism Fellowship by the San Francisco Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. She is also the recipient of a 2019 National Press Foundation Fellowship.

A frequent contributor to The New York Times and California Sunday magazine, Bonnie’s latest book—and the focus of today’s conversation—is Why We Swim. Propelled by stories of Olympic champions, a Baghdad swim club that meets in Saddam Hussein’s palace pool, modern-day Japanese samurai swimmers, and even an Icelandic fisherman who improbably survives a wintry six-hour swim after a shipwreck, Bonnie dives into the deep, from the chilly San Francisco Bay to the South China Sea, investigating the ancestry and essence of water’s allure.

Widely lauded, Why We Swim was named to TIME magazine’s list of 100 Must-Read Books of 2020. It’s also received praise from The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, NPR, Buzzfeed, Bustle, Booklist, Kirkus, and more. Beautifully written and completely immersive, it definitely ranks among my 2020 favorites—I couldn’t put it down.

So let’s talk about it.

This conversation is a love letter to swimming—a sport, lifestyle and obsession that Bonnie and I share.

It’s a deconstruction of humanity’s relationship with the transformative power of water—an archeological dig that unearths mankind’s historic and fraught yet undeniably alluring connection with the sea.

It’s about swimming as a means of survival.

It’s about swimming as a conduit for well-being, competition, and community.

It’s about the unique power of water—when combined with breath—to produce that elusive state called flow.

But underneath it all, this is a conversation about why to be a swimmer is to be a seeker.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll574

YouTube: bit.ly/bonnietsui574

It was an absolute delight to share space and passion with a woman who hopes, as Oliver Sacks writes in Water Babies, to “swim till I die.” 

I concur with that idea. This conversation sheds light on why.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

You can’t grow if you don’t confront that which limits you. So face it. Ask for help. Have the hard conversations. Commit to the work. And I promise, your life will change.

I’ve seen it come to pass countless times—in myself and many others.

But few have more experience with personal transformation than Karamo Brown—a man who overcame tremendous adversity to enliven the best in others.

The ‘culture’ expert on Netflix’s massive hit show Queer Eye, Karamo is a father, former social worker, and psychotherapist who was first introduced to audiences on MTV’s The Real World in 2004. He continued to build their trust as a host on Dr. Drew Live, HuffPost Live, and Access Hollywood Live.

Karamo’s self-titled primer on emotional healing, Karamo: My Story Of Embracing Purpose, Healing, is an inspiring must-read for anyone grappling with adversity. In addition, he is the founder of 6in10, an organization that provides mental health support and education to the LGBTQ+ community, and the co-founder of Mantl, a skin-care line for bald men.

Today he shares his powerful story, dropping pearls of guidance in the process.

This is a conversation about culture beyond art museums and the ballet. It’s about how people feel about themselves and others, how they relate to the world around them, and how their shared labels, burdens, and experiences affect their daily lives in ways both subtle and profound.

It’s also about the culture of Karamo. Raised in the South by a Jamaican father and Cuban mother in predominantly white neighborhoods, it’s a story of overcoming personal issues of colorism, physical and emotional abuse. Alcohol and drug addiction. And public infamy.

But more than anything, this is a conversation about what holds people back. It’s about the importance of exploring our difficulties. And what’s required to transcend our past, move forward, and ultimately live our best lives.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll573

YouTube: bit.ly/karamobrown573

I adore this man and I love this conversation.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Growing surveillance states. Tech intrusions on privacy. Cyber warfare. International dissent. Assassination.

In October 2018, beloved Washington Post journalist and Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered upon entering his country’s consulate in Istanbul. The perpetrator: the Saudi government. The reason: speaking truth to power. And yet, to this day, the Kingdom has yet to be held accountable for its actions.

It’s a story that shocked the world. Filmmaker Bryan Fogel was compelled to better understand just how such an event could occur. What he discovered was truly Orwellian—and far more disturbing than you can possibly imagine.

The result of this quest is The Dissident—a candid portrait of Khashoggi and the bone chilling events surrounding his murder that plays more like an international thriller than a documentary.

Best known for Icarus—his Oscar winning exposé of Russia’s elaborate state-sponsored Olympic doping program—Bryan’s follow up is incendiary. Expanding on themes related to those explored in Icarus, it’s controversial. Placing himself and those portrayed on screen at great personal risk, it’s courageous. It’s also expertly crafted. Executed with precision. And a film more than deserving of Oscar consideration.

Today Bryan takes us behind the scenes of The Dissident in a riveting tell-all conversation about the consequences of absolute power, global economics, citizen activism, and using your voice for change.

Tracking Khashoggi’s trajectory from reformist journalist to dissident to target, this is a discussion about the sacrifice of human rights when they transgress the consolidation of economic and political authority.

It’s about citizen activism. The rise of cyber warfare. And the weaponization of social media to both promote and commandeer global political narratives.

It’s about Mohammad Bin Salman’s unchecked power in Saudi Arabia. And how international financial interests compromise political and economic relations with the Kingdom.

Hollywood is not immune. In fact, Bryan is quite frank about how the industry that celebrated Icarus has snubbed The Dissident out of cowardice. Despite unanimous praise for the film after it’s Sundance premiere, every major distributor and streaming service (including Netflix, which released Icarus) declined to acquire the film due to the Kingdom’s influence over the entertainment business. Much like its protagonist, The Dissident was itself nearly dismembered. Nonetheless, the film will be available on-demand on January 8th.

Not to be missed, it’s an Oscar-worthy documentary that demands your attention.

One of the most important filmmakers of our time, it was an honor to reconvene with Bryan (check out our first conversation if you missed it).

Strap in, because this conversation will leave you with more than a few important things to ponder.

READ MORE: bit.ly/richroll572

WATCH: bit.ly/btyanfogel572

Peace + Plants,

Rich

It’s hard to predict success in the real world. But there’s a reason why some people thrive — even when things get hard. But what exactly is that reason?

Today’s guest became obsessed with better understanding what differentiates those who prevail from those who fail. What he discovered would forever change the game.

Rich Diviney is a former Navy SEAL Commander who served up 13 overseas deployments over 21 years as an active member and officer of the armed forces’ most elite, secretive group. A group that shall remain unnamed—but one I suspect you might quickly surmise.

Throughout his career, Rich was intimately involved in a specialized SEAL selection process, which whittled a group of hundreds of extraordinary SpecOps candidates down to a handful of the most elite performers. Oddly, which candidates washed out and which succeeded was often wildly unpredictable. Some could have all the right skills and still fail. Others more easily dismissible would ironically prove to be top performers. The seemingly objective criteria weren’t telling him what he most needed to know: who would succeed in one of the world’s toughest military assignments?

Over time, Rich began to see that beneath obvious skills are hidden drivers of performance,surprising core attributes—including cunning, adaptability, courage, even narcissism—that determine how resilient or perseverant we are, how situationally aware and how conscientious. This epiphany evolved into a SpecOps training program called MindGym—the first of its kind scientifically devised to help elite soldiers perform faster, longer, and better in all environments—especially high-stress ones.

In his new book, The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance, Rich defines and examines these various attributes to explain how we perform as individuals and as part of a team. As you may suspect, his military methodology is equally applicable to our personal and professional lives. Understanding the valence of one’s attributes not only promotes greater self-awareness, it provides a guiding rubric to train the characteristics that predict optimal performance in any situation—from parenting and sports to business and relationships.

Diviney currently works as a speaker, facilitator, and consultant with the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute and Simon Sinek Inc. He’s taught leadership and optimal performance to more than five thousand business, athletic, and military leaders from organizations such as American Airlines, Meijer Inc., the San Francisco 49ers, Pegasystems, Zoom, and Deloitte.

Today he breaks it all down.

This conversation continues our annual tradition of welcoming the new year with a Navy SEAL—and the bankable life advice you need to embrace 2021 correct.

A must-listen for anyone looking for deeper self-understanding, this is an incredibly powerful primer on how your attributes determine life outcomes—and how you can train said disposition to create more optimal performance in all areas of your life.

READ MORE: bit.ly/richroll571

WATCH: bit.ly/richdiviney571

I can think of no better conversation to harken in 2021. May it change your personal game. Because the new year is now upon is. And it requires everything we’ve got to give.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

We look skyward for answers. But prophets walk among us.

Allow me to indulge this truth with yet more timeless and timely wisdom courtesy of the amazing individuals that grace this third and final installment of my annual yearbook.

Once again, it’s been an honor to share my conversations with so many extraordinary people over the course of 2020. Second listens brought new insights—and more reminders that these exchanges continue to both inspire and inform.

For long-time listeners, approach this episode as a refresher to launch you into 2021 with renewed vigor. For those new to the podcast, my hope is this anthology will stir you to peruse the back catalog and explore episodes you may have missed.

Guests featured in this episode (all hyperlinked to their respective episodes) include:

• Erin Brockovich
• Matthew McConaughey
• Shane Parrish
• Chris Mosier
• Hakim Tafari
• Chris Hauth
• Doug Evans
• Kamal Ravikant
• Mirna Valerio
• Kevin Smith & Harley Quinn Smith

Compiling this auditory yearbook is both a joy and a challenge. I have great fondness for all my guests. I take no comfort in leaving anyone out. Should you find one of your personal favorites missing, I get it—please don’t @ me!

The visually inclined can watch it unfold on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Thank you for taking this journey of growth alongside me.

Here’s to an extraordinary 2021. Join me, and, as my friend Doug Evans would say, let’s make it the best year ever.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Meaningful conversation matters. Now more than ever.

Allow me to indulge this truth by introducing Part II of my annual yearbook—a means to reflect on the past twelve months by revisiting some of the year’s most compelling podcast guests.

It’s been an honor to share my conversations with so many extraordinary people over the course of 2020. Second listens brought new insights—and more reminders that these evergreen exchanges continue to both inspire and inform.

For long-time listeners, approach this episode as a refresher to launch you into 2021 with renewed vigor. For those new to the podcast, my hope is this anthology will stir you to peruse the back catalog and explore episodes you may have missed.

Guests featured in this second of three total anthology episodes (all hyperlinked to their respective episodes) are as follows:

• Andrew Huberman, PhD
• Margaret Klein Salamon PhD
• Will Bulsiewicz, MD
• Darin Olien
• Dr. Alan Goldhamer
• Julie Piatt
• Chris Burkard
• Laird Hamilton
• Blake Mycoskie
• Caroline Burckle

The visually inclined can watch it unfold on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Thank you for taking this journey of growth alongside me. The third and final installment of this series will post on New Year’s Eve day.

Here’s to an extraordinary 2021. Join me, and let’s make it the best year ever—together.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

It’s time to pause. Reflect on the past twelve months. Set new aspirations. And visualize the year to come.

I think we can all agree it’s been a challenging year. All the more reason to optimize body, mind and soul to tackle 2021 correctly.

In furtherance of that end, allow me to introduce what has become a tradition on the RRP—our annual ‘Best Of’ series wherein we reflect upon the previous 12 months with a 3-part compilation of clips excerpted from a handful of the year’s most compelling guests.

Think of it as a refresher course for the avid fans. An anthology or digest for those newer to the podcast. A love letter to my guests. And most importantly, a way of thanking you, the audience, for taking this journey of growth alongside me.

Guests featured in this first of three total anthology episodes (all hyperlinked to their respective episodes) are as follows:

• Chadd Wright
• Kelly McGonigal, PhD
• David Sinclair, PhD
• Rickey Gates
• Gregg Renfrew
• Zach Bush, MD
• Dan Buettner
• Byron Davis & Phil Allen, Jr.
• Charles Eisenstein
• Knox Robinson

Compiling this auditory yearbook is both a joy and a challenge. I have great fondness for all my guests. I take no comfort in leaving anyone out. Should you find one of your personal favorites missing, I get it—please don’t @ me!

The visually inclined can watch it unfold on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Here’s to an extraordinary 2021. Join me, and let’s make it the best year ever—together.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do hard things. Become unbreakable. Let’s end the year on a high note. It’s time to turn quitters into people who commit, courtesy of one of the toughest people on the planet. Fire ready aim!

If the name Joe De Sena strikes a familiar chord, it’s likely because he’s the entrepreneurial mastermind behind Spartan—the obstacle course racing series that became a global phenomenon. Fewer know he’s also the evil genius behind Death Race—perhaps the most absurd sufferfest ever conceived. 

Under appreciated is just what an utter machine this guy is. An absolute endurance freak, in a mere one week period, Joe completed the Vermont 100 mile run, Ironman Lake Placid, and the Badwater 135. In addition, Joe knocked off 50 ultramarathons and 14 Ironman events in a single year (a certain kind of insanity that must be some kind of record). To top it off, on a whim, he once ran from New York City to Vermont.

A man of questionable masochism, Joe knows hustle. But his relentlessness isn’t limited to athletics. It begins with business, servicing mafioso swimming pools as a Queens high schooler. It appears in academics. It took him four attempts to secure admission to Cornell. And, most importantly, it shows up in service. At his Vermont farm, Joe freely welcomes all who dare join in his legendary daily grind. Everything Joe does—be it Spartan, his books or public speaking—reflects his genuine commitment to helping millions of people live healthier more fulfilling lives.

Today he shares his extraordinary story.

This is a conversation about commitment to an ideal. How to manifest the better self within. And pay it back in service to others.

It’s about Joe’s colorful life path. His Goodfellas-esque upbringing. His natural-born entrepreneurial inclinations. His insane endurance feats and unique relationship with suffering. And the impenetrable focus required to accomplish lofty dreams.

But more than anything, this is about turning quitters into people who commit. It’s about why doing hard things makes you better, happier and healthier. And it’s about the potential we all possess to catalyze radical transformation.

From the heart, Joe is bullshit-free and 100% authentic. His message is powerful. Entirely experience-based. And paired with practical tools fundamental to shattering stagnation.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

May his words propel you to craft your own challenge for this impending new year—something extraordinary.

So let’s dive into it headfirst. Or, as Joe says, fire, ready, aim.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Post-election thoughts. Managing stress and disagreement. Connecting to gratitude. Weekly wins. And, of course, listener questions. Welcome to another edition of Roll On.

Commanding co-host duties as always is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• What can be learned from the life + death of Zappos’ Tony Hsieh;
• The unpredictability of happiness;
• The antitrust campaign to break up the tech behemoths;
• Rob Bell lessons on writing + self-love;
• Our growing adoration of ‘Feels Good Man’; and
• Celebrating grassroots environmental activism

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• Is pursuing a more authentic life path an ego trip?
• How can a person with low self-esteem and avoidance discomfort develop more intimacy?
• Does endurance racing in your 50’s pose health risks?

Thank you to Joe from northern New York, Seth from Wisconsin, and Michael from Boulder, CO. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Becoming an Olympic medalist doesn’t tell the story. It wasn’t until the klieg lights dimmed that she was compelled to meet herself. The inner journey that ensued forged the amazing person she’s now become.

Meet Caroline Burckle. Friends call her Burks.

A fellow former competitive swimmer, today’s guest is a 23-time All American and 2-time NCAA Champion. In 2008, she was crowned NCAA Female Swimmer of the Year in recognition of breaking Janet Evans’ legendary 500 freestyle NCAA record—a seemingly impossible task and the oldest record on the books at the time. Later that same year, Caroline would qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where she won bronze as a member of the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay.

More interesting however, and certainly more relatable, is Caroline’s path post-swimming. A close cousin to my conversations with Olympians Anthony Ervin, Apolo Ohno and John Moffet, hers is a hard-wrought journey of self-discovery shrouded in institutional neglect and even, at times, abuse. Let’s just say she weathered some shit. But she faced it. She showed up and did the work. And she emerged at peace with her past and her self—now hellbent on helping forge healthier lives for the next generation of Olympians.

Beyond the play-by-play of Caroline’s storied career, her experiences as a young swimmer, and what it was like to stand on the Olympic podium, this is a conversation about the psychological struggles she faced as a prodigious athlete. Her battle with depression. And her familiar addiction to people-pleasing.

It’s also an alarming exposé on the harmful paradigms perpetuated by calcified athletic institutions—and what we must be done to better support the next generation of Olympians.

But more than anything, this is a playbook on how to find power in vulnerability. How to listen to your body. And most importantly, how to use your voice.

One of my very favorite people, Burks and I are buddies going back several years. A powerhouse and a humble empath, her energy is infectious. And I’m honored to share her story with you today.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

May her words inspire you to seek own your truth. To ask for help. Lean into vulnerability. And never stop learning.

P.S. Links to a comprehensive collection of news coverage specific to the sensitive events discussed in this episode can be found in the show notes below.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Legendary master of the big wave. Waterman god and sun-kissed global icon. Today one of the world’s greatest living athletes drops a master class on the value of pursuing adventure and embracing life as a work of art.

Meet Laird Hamilton.

Most are well-versed in the lore of today’s guest as perhaps the world’s greatest big wave surfer. Under-appreciated is his impact and legacy as a pioneer of crossover board sports that include tow-in surfing, stand-up paddle boarding and the more recent hydrofoil boarding explosion — passions that have earned Laird the title as surfing’s biggest innovator.

An icon of fitness, longevity and well-being who has transcended the sport that made him famous, Laird and his wife Gabby Reece are the founders of Extreme Performance Training (XPT) — a unique fitness training and lifestyle program that includes dynamic water workouts, performance breathing, high-intensity and endurance training and more. He is also the founder of Laird Superfood, a purveyor of high-quality functional blends, proteins, coffee beans, snacks and more. Ubiquitous on grocery store shelves across the country, the company recently enjoyed a successful public offering.

Profiled in every major media outlet across the globe, Laird has been featured in several films, including Riding Giants, an exquisite exploration of the history and art of big wave surfing. Finally, he is the author two books: Force of Nature, and his more recent New York Times bestseller, Liferider — both inspiring reads for anyone looking to elevate themselves beyond the ordinary to do extraordinary things.

This is a conversation is about the internal Laird. What propels the relentless pursuit of adventure. His relationship with nature’s most intimidating elements. And how his fulfillment derives not from external validation but rather from competition with self — and accomplishing what even he questions possible.

We explore his unique and always evolving training methods. His entrepreneurial journey. Marriage. Parenting girls. And turmeric.

But the heart of this exchange is a deconstruction of fear. The wisdom gleaned from gliding on the edge of disaster. And why it is crucial to always seek out that which scares you most.

Ask Laird and he’ll be quick to caution that we’re over-insulated from nature’s majesty. In turn, our intuitions have been muted. So, more than anything, this is a call to reconnect with that which makes us innately human — to constantly push beyond our limits, seek out fear, and ultimately, embrace our lives as an evolving and precious work of art.

Not surprisingly, I found Laird to be both humble and wise — a function of hyper-connectedness to both self and the outdoors. But I was also delighted to discover a human with an endearing and beautiful child-like wonder — a trait we could all benefit from cultivating more.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

I loved this experience. May it leave you seeking to more courageously explore yourself and the world that surrounds you.

Peace + Plants

Rich

Out of 743 riders on the World Tour, the highest tier of professional road cycling, only 5 are black. Today’s guest is devoted to changing that. I wouldn’t bet against him.

Dubbed ‘the most important bike racer you don’t know’, Justin Williams is an 11-time U.S. National Champion and 14-time California State Road and Track Champion. A rare sprinting talent from the get go, Justin was already crushing criteriums across the state as a teen en route to becoming the Jr. Track National Champ and a member of the U.S. National Team. In 2009 he joined the coveted Trek Livestrong U23 Dev Team. A launchpad to the majors, Justin’s dream of competing on the World Tour was becoming real.

However, despite Justin’s skyward trajectory and unbound potential, he quickly became disillusioned with the elitist aspect of the sport. Then he did the unthinkable: he quit.Departing Europe for home, he enrolled in college. Lived a civilian life. And let his bike collect cobwebs. For Justin, it seemed, cycling was over.

However, Justin’s younger brother Cory — then making his own cycling waves — had other plans, enticing Justin’s return to the sport through fixie racing culture. Revitalized by this dynamic community, Justin would soon discover renewed purpose on the bike. As an athlete who still had races to win. And ultimately as an advocate on a mission to redefine the sport he loves.

Thus was born Legion of Los Angeles: an independent elite cycling team dedicated to increasing diversity & encouraging inclusion in the industry. Translation: a launchpad for badass racers of varying ethnicities and backgrounds who don’t necessarily fit the status quo of the current whitewashed cycling program.

Today we explore Justin’s extraordinary story — from his experience growing up in Los Angeles to immigrant parents through his blossoming love affair with the bike.

We dissect the sport of cycling and the industry that supports it. What’s great about it. What must change. And how Legion is leading the way by smashing paradigms and setting a new standard when it comes to supporting athletes and promoting inclusivity.

Wise beyond his years, Justin is passion in motion. A cycling hero. The embodiment of persistence. And a powerful reminder that what is most important about sport has nothing to do with podiums. Instead, it’s about the journey towards self-actualization. It’s about sharing experience. And above all, the impact you leave on others.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Equal parts important and entertaining, it was an honor to host this enlightening exchange with an athlete so devoted to positive change. Mad respect.

P.S. Thanks Alonso Tal for permission to use your epic action images of Justin. Also, Knox Robinson may or may not have dropped by. Just sayin’.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Post-election thoughts. Managing stress and disagreement. Connecting to gratitude. Weekly wins. And, of course, listener questions. Welcome to another edition of Roll On.

Commanding co-host duties as always is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• The importance of actively creating a gratitude practice;

• plant-based holiday ideas;

• how to deal with family stress and disagreement;

• Alex Hutchinson’s essay ‘COVID-19 is like running a marathon with no finish line’;

• the new documentary, ‘Feels Good Man’ and how a meme turned into an alt-right mascot;

• the terrifying capabilities of artificial intelligence;

• Alenka Artnik’s 114m world record free-dive in Egypt.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you have real conversations in the era of smartphones and social media?
• How do you raise plant-based children?
• How do you balance work, parenthood, and marriage while still making time for personal passions?

Thank you to Adrian from London, Daniel from Australia, and Carlos from Germany for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

This is the story of a lifelong seeker. It’s about organizing your life around spiritual principles. Breaking the addiction to external validation. And always having the courage to fail.

Meet Blake Mycoskie.

Quite the change maker, Blake is most famously known as the founder of the wildly successful shoe company TOMS. He also pioneered the ‘One for One’ business model, donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair sold. In turn, he sparked a generation of conscious consumers — and rebranded corporate responsibility as not only cool, but de rigueur.

But Blake’s story neither begins nor ends with TOMS. 

A natural-born entrepreneur, Blake started 5 other businesses before TOMS. And he’s since moved on from his shoe empire to launch Madefor — a ten-month program that applies key principles of modern neuroscience, psychology, and physiology to make your brain and body better.

This is more than the story of an incredible entrepreneur. It’s about navigating the world through a spiritual lens. And the power of commitment to persistent personal growth.

It’s less about TOMS and more about the kind of person that imagines TOMS. It’s about intuition. The stewardship required to scale an idea into a global phenomenon — and the ongoing commitment to service that led to Madefor.

Blake is a very special human. It was an honor to finally spend some time with him. And a delight to share the experience with you.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For those feeling stagnant or stuck, my hope is that Blake’s testimony — chock-full of sage business and life advice — ignites the inner change you seek most and guides you towards peace.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

What’s the best way to grow old? Are we over-parenting our kids? And how can I strike the right work-life balance?

These are just a few of the questions Ravi Patel was struggling with. So the actor, filmmaker, husband and dad decided to explore how foreign cultures grapple with them. The result is Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness, a docu-series in which Ravi enlists his friends and family in overseas adventures in search of answers to life’s questions.

Perhaps you caught Ravi’s 2014 hit documentary Meet The Patels, a funny and touching first-person family adventure in which Ravi enlists his traditional Indian parents in his search for love, leading him down a rabbit hole into the world of arranged marriages.

Streaming on HBO Max, the new show digs even deeper — a poignant and timely deconstruction of American exceptionalism that ventures beyond buddy travelogue tropes.

Today Ravi shares his story — and the many lessons learned along the way.

Hardly your ordinary actor, this conversation begins with an exploration of Ravi’s unique path. His past life in investment banking. His current interest in health and wellness. His grapple with identity and indoctrination. And his sundry adventures navigating the vicissitudes of Hollywood.

We then pivot to the many nuggets of wisdom Ravi has gleaned from his personal journey. And we tug on the questions explored in his Pursuit of Happiness travels to Japan, Denmark, South Korea and Mexico:

Why are Americans so unhappy? How can you be a good parent? How do you find work life balance? And how can we responsibly promote inclusion for all?

Recorded pre-election, this conversation is equal parts light-hearted and profound — a mix of laughs and uppercase Truths on all things love, partnership, parenting, purpose, and passion.

It’s also a friendship origin story. The first of what I anticipate will be more conversations to come.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

I love this guy and everything he’s about. And I hope you find this conversation as refreshing and uplifting as I did.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Election week. Healing the national divide. Environmental progress. Weekly wins. And, of course, listener questions. Welcome to another edition of Roll On.

Commanding co-host duties as always is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• Recapping our whirlwind election week;

• Making sense of the 70 million votes for Trump and the implications this presents;

• Understanding Biden and the presidency to come;

• Bridging our cultural and political divide as a national imperative;

• Rich’s latest Esquire piece and thoughts on the writing process;

• Chris Nikic, the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman Triathlon;

• and Rich’s newest offering, Voicing Change.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you stay focused on your journey and minimize distractions?

• How do you embrace change and take a step into the unknown?

• How do you make time for your partner as parents to young children?

Thank you to Frank from Southern California, Davin from South Florida, and Michelle from New Jersey for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

This is the story of an athletic prodigy. It’s also the story of heartbreak. And a hero that became a friend.

Meet John Moffet.

His journey begins at 11. To keep him out of trouble, John’s parents enroll him in swim lessons. Mere weeks later, it was clear he was special.

Within a year, John was obliterating national age group records. By 16 he made his first Olympic Team, becoming the youngest male athlete on the entire U.S.A. squad. But America would boycott the 1980 Moscow Games, robbing John and so many athletes of the opportunity to share their gifts on the world’s largest stage.

Four years later, John ascended the starting blocks at 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games as the world record holder and gold medal favorite in his specialty — the 100m breastroke. But a severe groin injury suffered in a preliminary heat would once again crush his dreams of Olympic glory. 

It’s a story well told in Bud Greenspan’s Olympic documentary 16 Days of Glory — a legendary filmmaker who would later become John’s mentor in his subsequent career as a storyteller. It’s a career that began humbly in the pioneering days of reality television and would ultimately lead to John taking home three 3 Emmys as an executive producer of The Amazing Race.

John’s latest creative pursuit is Sports, Life, Balance —  a new podcast about the many timeless lessons learned through sport and their transformative application to all areas of life. Launching around Thanksgiving, be sure to check it out and subscribe — this one’s worth it.

As a daydreaming adolescent swimmer, god-like photos of John ripped from the pages of Swimming World magazine adorned my bedroom wall. So it was utterly surreal when my path delivered me to Stanford. The opportunity for this bright-eyed, 17-year old freshman to call John my teammate was a dream come true.

And such began a friendship we have maintained for the last thirty-five years.

This is a conversation about what happens when desire meets deeds. It’s about determination and perseverance. The power of storytelling. The importance of reinvention. And the courage to blaze your own unique path.

It’s also a rundown of Olympic trials and tribulations — and the conglomerate of raw and historic athleticism that was the hallmark of Stanford in the mid-1980s.

Packed with life lessons acquired by dint of John’s extraordinary athletic and professional career, it’s a master class on how to keep pushing when it matters most. When it’s okay to let go. And why aspiration is the master of destination.

To read more and listen click here. You can also watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

One of my oldest and dearest friends, I love John and everything he is about. So it’s a long-overdue honor to share his story with you today. May you see in him what I always have.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Although Hakim Tafari defies categorization, a few things are clear. This guy has light. And his journey of personal transformation is nothing short of remarkable.

Hakim is a unique and gentle soul of many trades and traits. But fundamentally, he is a seeker. A journeyman of reinvention. An ambassador of running culture & mindfulness. A master of many a martial art from Kung Fu to Tai Chi. An herbalist, massage therapist, a vegan. And an ardent student and practitioner of several spiritual traditions from Buddhism to Daoism.

Hakim’s life didn’t come easy. Nor was it delivered overnight. Instead it’s the hard-wrought product of devotion to progressive growth. To being just a little bit better today than yesterday.

Today he shares his story.

Paved with solid life lessons, this conversation is one man’s hero’s journey.

It’s about transformation.

It’s about finding peace in failure. Creating a mindfulness-based lifestyle. The call to blaze a spiritual path. And the pangs of growth.

But more than anything, this is a dialog about finding freedom — in mind, body, and soul.

I’ve had the pleasure of conversing with a diversity of extraordinary humans. But every blue moon I luck into a mind-meld that elevates an exchange into a higher gear. This is one such experience — a connection marked with heart and truth. Vulnerability and authenticity.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Welcome to another edition of Roll On—my bi-monthly deep dive into (semi) current events, topics of audience interest, and of course answers to your questions.

Commanding co-host duties as always is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many topics explored in today’s conversation include:

• The impending U.S. presidential election;

• how the coast of Los Angeles was once a legal dumping ground for DDT, and the implications of this oceanic pollution;

• the documentary ‘The Perfect Weapon’ and the rise of cyber warfare;

• Nina Schick and her investigation into the world of Deepfakes;

• thoughts on sustainability, stability, and the power of community;

• and Rich's newest offering, 'Voicing Change’.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you manage burnout?
• How do you live in alignment with your values?
• How do you navigate body dysmorphia and eating disorders as a man?

Thank you to Randall from Nebraska, Robel from Montana, and Evan from Fullerton, CA for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626. 

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

One of the world's most compelling public figures, today Matthew McConaughey graces the show to share his incredible life story -- a journey laced with timeless wisdom & lessons on authenticity, character, integrity and what it means to be true to one's self.

Do I really need to introduce this guy?

Dazed And Confused. Dallas Buyers Club. Wolf of Wall Street. Interstellar. True Detective. You've seen them. You love 'em. And you love him.

But over yonder -- far afield of the epic screen characters -- resides a mystic cowboy poet. A family man and father prone to ponderings profound. A seeker ever questing for adventure off the beaten path. A Texan on a four-dimensional vision quest, pursuing life in accordance with a homespun code. His is an experience-earned philosophy. Truths both personal and universal that he shares in his utterly unique way. 

A way that can only be described as 100% McConaughey.

Beyond the make believe, tactile Matthew is an active philanthropist through his Just Keep Livin’ Foundation. He's a professor at the University of Texas in his hometown of Austin, where he also serves up 'Minister of Culture' duties for the UT Athletic Department and the Austin FC Soccer Club, of which he is part owner.

Matthew is also quite the writer. Inspired by a lifetime of journaling, his recently released Greenlights is a delightfully earnest self-mythologizing romp. It's also a surprisingly astute and philosophically profound love letter to life -- a beat generation inspired pastiche of journal entries. Hollywood nights. Teenage daydreams. Off-grid plots. Amazonian scraps. Monk-like retreats. And, of course, lessons learned -- all sprinkled with just the right amount of self-help fairy dust.

I couldn’t put it down. And that doesn’t happen often.

Don't let the hang-dog laconicism fool you. Matthew is a man with a world-class work ethic. Razor sharp focus. Bull-like tenacity. And full commitment to everything he does.

A master of perseverance and resilience, Matthew is also one of the most spiritually attuned beings I have ever met.

This conversation is an exploration of many things. It's about discernment. Making critical choices. Crafting your future with intention. And the importance of character.

It’s about widening our aperture on life. How to effectively and consistently grow, learn and transform. And it's about how to hone intuition to connect (to coin Matthew’s phrase) “the autobahn between your mind and heart.”

But overall, this conversation is about my favorite subject -- the hard-wrought journey to authenticity and self-actualization.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

I know Matthew is making the legacy media and podcast rounds. But I think (and hope) we took this to a few places others haven't. Either way, this one is super fun -- and chock-a-bloc with timeless life wisdom. It was an honor. I sincerely hope you dig it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

A treat for any and all with a bent for adventure and creative expression, today's guest is one of my very favorite visionaries of images still and moving.

Meet Chris Burkard.

A true artist in many forms, Chris is a photographer, filmmaker, world explorer, accomplished endurance athlete (last year he set the record for fastest man to circumnavigate Iceland by bike), dirtbag surfer extraordinaire, author, creative director, father, and man of faith. 

But first and foremost, Chris is a storyteller --best known for his photojournalistic, humanizing approach to the farthest expanses of the Earth and capturing stories that inspire humans to consider our relationship with nature, while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.

Chances are you follow Chris on Instagram — stacked with breathtaking landscapes and tales of adventure, his feed is a unique portal into other worlds that magnetizes 3.6 million people daily.

Well established as a leading creative and man of global influence by the ripe age of 32 (now 34), Chris’ visionary perspective has earned him opportunities to work on global, prominent campaigns with Fortune 500 clients and brands like Apple, The North Face, Patagonia, Microsoft, Burton, Capitol Records, Quiksilver, and REI to name but a few.

He’s spoken on the main TED stage, designed product lines, and published a growing collection of gorgeous books including, California Surf Project, At Glacier’s End, Boy Who Spoke To The Earth (children’s book), Distance Shores, and and High Tide: A Surf Odyssey. 

Chris' lates offering is Unnar -- a short documentary that tells the story of Chirs’ friend Ellii, an Icelandic photographer, surfer, and kayaker whose perspective changed after surviving a near death experience. Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, Unnar is now freely viewable on Chris’ YouTube page. Don't miss it.

Today Chris shares his story.

I’ve been a huge fan and admirer of Chris for ages. This conversation was long in the making — and does not disappoint. 

It’s a conversation about being present in the moment. Making art out of suffering. Taking big risks. And what's behind his love affair with Iceland.

It’s also a glimpse into the creative mind of a true artist, laced with potent life lessons that will leave you thinking more broadly about your own path.

But most importantly, it is about crusading against the mundane — and living a wanderlust lifestyle.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Chris is a very special human. We need more like him. I greatly appreciate his openness and perspective. And my hope is that this exchange will strengthen your reverence for the outdoors -- and inspire your own impulse for adventure.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Welcome to another edition of Roll On—my bi-monthly deep dive into (semi) current events, topics of audience interest, and of course answers to your questions.

Commanding co-host duties as always is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins' Can't Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many topics explored in today's conversation include:

• Ag-gag laws, animal agriculture surveillance, and media weaponization;
• the documentary 'A Life On Our Planet' — the legacy of David Attenborough;
• The problem of moderating social media content veracity & the impending election impact;
• thoughts on climate consciousness and social entrepreneurship.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you set healthy boundaries with alcohol?
• How do you navigate your social life alcohol-free?
• How do you break into endurance sports and create a more adventurous lifestyle?

Thank you to Cameron from Oahu, John from London, and Greg from Colorado for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.  

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Michael Muller is Hollywood's most in-demand photographer.

But that title doesn't even begin to capture the breadth of his extraordinary, Hemingway-esque life.

It's a path defined by his commitment to curiosity. An unquenchable thirst for adventure. Unbridled creativity.

And an impulse to always, always move towards fear.

Traveling to 60 countries before he even entered high school (a count that is currently at 200), Michael spent the greater part of his childhood living in Saudi Arabia. It was there that his passion for photography blossomed. The more he saw, the more he felt drawn to capturing his experiences in imagery.

By his mid-teens that passion had already become a career, documenting the snowboarding & punk rock scenes across California. But he soon found himself behind the velvet rope in Los Angeles, documenting the next generation of silver screen superstars. But the ripe age of 22, Michael established himself as a leading Hollywood entertainment and fashion photographer. 

Today Michael is the top dog in his game — a guy who has photographed everyone who is anyone for every prominent media outlet from Vanity Fair to Esquire: Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Jeff Bridges, Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Hugh Jackman, Bruce Willis, Scarlett Johansson, Nirvana, Leonardo DiCaprio. You get the picture.

The question isn’t who has he photographed, it’s who hasn’t he. 

That iconic photograph of Kobe Bryant bowing that graced the cover of TIME magazine in February? That’s Michael.

That blockbuster movie poster or billboard you love? Chances are that’s Michael too -- the man behind countless studio campaigns from Marvel movies to Inherent Vice.

But Michael’s truest passion — and a primary focus of today’s exchange — is sharks. Specifically, great whites. Documenting them on film. Understanding them. Educating others about them. And most importantly, preserving them.

This conversation is about so many things.

It’s of course a recap of Michael’s unbelievable life, which is more adventure novel than a resume.

It’s about the nature of creativity. It’s about what drives him — his philosophies on work, passion, service — and the incredible power of the image to shape culture.

It's about his relationship with fear. PTSD. And how swimming with sharks changed his relationship with himself and the natural environment we all share.

It’s also keenly focused on preserving our oceans, specifically protecting our sharks, 100 million of which are killed every year. These apex predators are beyond vital to our ocean’s ecosystem, and without them, you’ll soon learn, our oceans will crumble.

But more than anything, this conversation is about what the great whites represent: fear.

It's about why the only way to overcome this debilitating emotion is to move towards it. To face it head-on.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Charismatic and larger than life, Michael is unlike any previous guest I've hosted on this podcast. This conversation is one for the ages.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Today the wise & ethereal Julie Piatt -- my wife and partner for the last 20+ years -- returns for her umpteenth appearance on the podcast.

But this time we try something different.

As longtime listeners know well, Julie is a being of many talents. Although widely lauded for her series of bestselling plant-based cookbooks, the one who goes by SriMati is also an artist, musician, yogi, healer, mother of four and serial entrepreneur.

In addition, Julie hosts the For The Life of Me podcast. She reigns over Water Tiger, her online spiritual community. And she’s the ‘Mother Arc’ (her term for founder & CEO) of SriMu, her plant-based cheese brainchild start-up.

Over the years, Julie been a recurring source of spiritual wisdom on the podcast, dropping many a pearl on everything from parenting and creativity to navigating conflict, managing relationships, dealing with financial hardship, and countless other subjects.

Today's episode, however, is something new -- an exploration of Julie as entrepreneur.

Channeling my inner Guy Raz, I give Julie the ‘How I Built This’ treatment — tracing her background growing up in Alaska through her career in fashion. Building a garment line. The pain of shuttering it. The pivot into home construction and interior design. And how all of these experiences inform the business and culture of SriMu, her most successful start-up to date.

You can call me biased. I am. But that doesn’t change the fact that she is poised for world domination with what truly is the best, next evolution of cheese.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Aside from the business bent, this conversation is centered on the power of meeting others — and yourself — in love.

As humans, we self-identify with the stories we tell ourselves. We cling to illusions of safety and security. But this moment is challenging the firmness of the ground upon which we stand. Julie reminds us of the impermanence of everything.

Embracing this vital truth will bring you greater peace. It will broaden your empathy for others. And help you identify the answers you seek.

Hint: they have been inside you all along.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

How do world-class athletes, artists and top business leaders organize their inner lives to expand the edges of their potential?

What are the frameworks and key mental skills needed to excel in those intense, all or nothing make-it-or break it moments?

How do change-makers find peace, grounding, and even joy in the most intensely stressful, critical moments of their lives and careers?

There is no human more well-suited to fielding these questions than world-renown high performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais -- returning for his 4th appearance on the podcast.

A globally recognized authority on optimal human performance, Dr. Gervais has spent the last twenty years working in the trenches of consequential, high-stakes environments, where there is no luxury for mistakes, hesitation, or failure to respond. His clientele includes the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, countless Olympic medalists, MVPs from every major sport, world record holders, internationally acclaimed music artists, and corporate leaders.

In addition, Dr. Gervais is the host of the popular Finding Mastery podcast. Alongside NFL coach Pete Carroll he founded Compete To Create, an online and live master class for the mind, and together they authored the recently released Audible Original also entitled Compete To Create -- a must-listen for anyone interested in raising the bar on their own potential.

There's a reason he's been featured by NBC, ABC, FOX, CNN, ESPN, NFL Network, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Outside Magazine, WIRED, ESPN Magazine, the Harvard Business Review and more: 

Dr. Gervais is the sensei of human performance optimization.

Unlike our previous episodes, today’s exchange is not about elite athletic performance. Nor is it about the demands of jumping out of a plane without a parachute. In fact, it's not really about sport at all.

Instead, this is a conversation about how best to navigate the cataclysmic shit show we call 2020 -- and the years of political, pandemic and planetary turmoil likely to follow.

It's about understanding trauma. Accepting pain. Working through it. And how suffering is integral to the human experience.

It’s about the difference between purpose and vision. The role of sport in a world that's closed for business. And the importance of optimism in dark times.

If you're new to the show, you're in for a treat. I adore this man. So prepare to fall in love.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you enjoy today's conversation, you might also dig Michael interviewing me in the most recent Finding Mastery episode (FM #244). And you can mine his three previous appearances on the RRP (episodes 120, 252, and 366).

It’s hard being a human in 2020. Don’t underestimate the circumstances -- but know there is a light out there.

Let's find it together.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Welcome to another edition of Roll On—my bi-monthly deep dive into (semi) current events, topics of audience interest, and of course answers to your questions.

Commanding co-host duties is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins' Can't Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.

Some of the many topics explored in today's conversation include:

• the documentary 'Kiss The Ground' -- underground econsystems;
• regenerative agriculture v. demand for meat;
• the documentary 'My Octopus Teacher' -- underwater ecosystems;
• New studies on the exponential growth of plastic waste; and
• thoughts on rugged individualism and commonwealth harm

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do we grapple with the contradicting values of the American culture?
• How do you balance training needs and social responsibility in a pandemic?
• How do you help loved one's transition to a plant-based lifestyle?

Thank you to Heidi from Northern California, Adam from Toronto, and Tristan from British Colombia for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.  

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

At the root of our current political and cultural turmoil lies an unprecedented divisiveness. With all-or-nothing thinking fueled by tribalism, the result is a complete communication breakdown. And a predilection to convince rather than a willingness to listen and ultimately understand.

Unhealthy and isolating, it's leaving us lonelier and angrier than ever.

But more than anything, it's fracturing our humanity.

So what do we do?

Tom Scott says we need to talk about it.

A graduate of Brown University with a Masters of Divinity from Yale, Tom is the founder of The Nantucket Project – an intimate ideas festival in the vein of TED — that brings together incredible leaders across a wide range of disciplines to talk story, with an eye on creating a better world.

When the pandemic shuttered what would have been the 10th iteration of TNP, Tom decided to take his skills and curiosity on the road. Driven by a desire to engage with Americans first-hand, he enlisted his film crew on a slow route down the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to New Orleans, stopping in small towns daily to host get togethers with a wide variety of everyday people, chronicling difficult and at times painful discussions on politics, racism, and everything in between.

What he discovered might surprise you.

Returning for his second appearance on the podcast (catch RRP #360 if you missed it), today’s exchange with Tom begins with an honest acknowledgment of where culture currently sits. We discuss our fears and hopes for the future. And our shared concerns about the effects of quarantine on our kids and youth across the world.

We shift gears to discuss The Neighborhood Project, an intentional conversation platform Tom and his team are creating for people to digitally gather, intentionally connect and share experience.

Weaving clips into the edit lifted from his adventure down the Mississippi, Tom relates his effort to cultivate tactile, analog understanding between people who disagree. The wins. The losses. The glimmers of hope. And the challenges that remain.

All told, Tom paints the picture of an imperfect America. But one that looks quite different from the highlight reel delivered by our respective social media feeds.

Boots on the ground isn't twitter. And meaningful conversation matters. Therein lies promise.

As someone I have known since 7th grade, my friendship with Tom runs deep. This conversation further cemented my admiration for this human.

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

My aspiration is that you take this one on with a full heart and an open mind -- then find a way to better connect with your neighbor.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Over 40,000 chemicals currently find their way into a litany of consumer products. Although many are toxic, less than 1% have been tested for human safety. Nonetheless, great quantities can still be found in our drinking water.

How is this possible? Shouldn’t clean water be a fundamental right?

These questions are both fair and important. Unfortunately, trusted regulatory bodies like the EPA often fail to adequately protect us. Science is often manipulated by companies that put profit over public health. And thus, industry pollution continues unsupervised -- and the consumer protection laws we do have in place remain unenforced.

To better understand this reality -- how we got here and where to go from here -- I sat down with one of the most famous names in environmental activism.

Meet the the singular and eminent Erin Brockovich.

Best known as the legal file clerk who battled PG&E over polluted water in the town of Hinckley, CA, Ms. Brockovich was instrumental in architecting a case that resulted in the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history.

It’s a story that ended up on the big screen. Garnered Julia Roberts an Oscar for her portrayal of Erin under the direction of the great Steven Soderberg. And turned the name Erin Brockovich into not only a household name, but a verb.

Today Erin delivers a master class on water, with one resounding takeaway: the problem is our's to solve.

Simply put, we cannot rely on corporations or the government to protect us. An admittedly disheartening realization, it's also empowering -- a call to citizen activism to forge the better world we deserve.

It's a theme Ms. Brockovich explores in her new book, Superman's Not Coming (and recently launched podcast of the same name), which both take a brutally honest look at how mismanagement, chemical spills, mishandling of toxic waste and sludge, and even fake studies have created the perfect storm in terms of damaging water systems in the United States. The result is making us sick. And destroying the environment along the way.

This is a conversation about the outdated policies that perpetuate this pollution cycle, and the evil-overlord-level of deception that is happening in the corporations and government bodies we blindly trust.

We discuss the regulatory landscape of clean water. How what most consider a human right has become politicized and weaponized. How to better educate yourself about your own water supply. And the actions to undertake in the event of an issue.

In addition, we explore Erin’s upbringing. Her struggles with dyslexia. The experiences and mentors that fuel her perseverance. The case that brought her fame. And the vital work she has done since.

Brimming with unexpected optimism, I think you will find Erin’s message a welcome break from the relentless apocalyptic doom presented by the 24-hour news cycle.

A mighty, whip-smart and imposing force of nature, for many years I've deeply admired and respected Ms. Brockovich from afar. This conversation was an honor. And a powerful reminder of the indelible influence of the individual to create positive change and awaken a movement. 

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

My this one awaken you to action.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

Welcome to another edition of Roll On—my bi-monthly deep dive into (semi) current events, topics of audience interest, and of course answers to your questions.

Commanding co-host duties is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins' Can't Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is also the author of One Breath, which chronicles the life and death of America's greatest freediver. He's also currently hard at work on a novel and just welcomed his newborn son into the world.

Some of the many topics explored in today's conversation include:

• The new Netflix documentary, 'The Social Dilemma,' and the dangerous human impact of social media
• The mental health effects of the pandemic on teens
• Rich's exploration of barefoot running
• Ethan Hawke's new TED Talk, Give Yourself Permission To Be Creative
• 30 Day Single-Use Plastic Challenge Update
• The ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship
• Tony Riddle's #3barepeaks challenge
• Maya Gabeira's big wave surfing world record 

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

• How do you balance climate consciousness with realistic needs?
• How do you know if you are living your purpose or should pursue a career change?
• How do we navigate professional relationships in the age of Zoom?

Thank you to Mark from Germany, Josh from outside D.C., and Victoria from Ottawa for your questions. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.  

The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

As 2020 continues to unfurl in a fashion beyond surreal, more and more are descending into the anguished abyss of distress. Awakening to acrid tangerine skies that have transformed sunny California into a Blade Runner dystopia, I myself vacillate between melancholia and a commitment to forge a better world.

When the darkness descends, I find sanity in focusing only on those things I can control: my actions and reactions. Nonetheless, waves of anxiety -- and sometimes even despair -- continue to break on the shores of my consciousness. It is in these moments that I resort to a battery of simple but generally quite effective contrary actions. I spend time in nature. Double down on meditation and human connection. I eat better and move more. And I extend myself in service to others.

To further explore the many practical and unexacting things we can all undertake during this stressful time to course-correct our emotional disposition, reframe our reality and sustainably serve our well-being, I'm joined by my friend Rangan Chatterjee, M.D. -- who today returns for a third spin on the RRP flywheel.

One of the most influential doctors in the U.K., Rangan is a pioneer in the field of progressive, functional medicine. He is double board-certified in internal medicine and family medicine, holds an honors degree in immunology, and has appeared on seemingly every prominent media outlet from the BBC to The New York Times. 

In addition, Rangan prevails over the wildly popular Feel Better, Live More podcast. His TEDx talk, How To Make Diseases Disappear, has been viewed almost 3 million times. And he is the author of three #1 Sunday Times bestselling books. The focus of today's conversation is his latest well-being tome, Feel Better In 5.

A close cousin to my podcast with Atomic Habits author James Clear (RRP #401), today's exchange is all about habit change and habit formation. It's about the power of bite-sized actions. And how, when undertaken regularly, short and simple practices can rapidly and completely change your health and life.

We discuss the difference between breaking bad habits versus crowding them out with new, better habits.

We explore the realities of food addiction. Our epidemic of emotional eating. And Rangan's personal theory on cause and solution.

We talk generally about holistic health and lifestyle medicine, and why progressive wellness should be accessible to all -- now more than ever.

Interspersed throughout, Rangan shares how he has helped patients relieve stress, find fulfillment, and engender peace in these chaotic times.

But most importantly, we explore his very simple, almost effortless, methods for building a new and sustainable lifestyle to serve our long-term health.

The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube (courtesy of Zoom). And as always, the conversation streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

I always enjoy time spent with Rangan, even when it's remote. My hope is that you do as well -- and put his advice into action.

Peace + Plants,

Rich