The Pocket with Chris Griffin

Latest Episodes:

#95: Elliot Bewick: Gen Z’s War With Reality Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

Elliot Bewick is 20 and already saying the stuff everyone’s whispering about. We get into why Gen Z feels empty, why complaining is everywhere, and how stories and confidence actually change your life. No fluff. Just real talk, laughs, and a few hard truths.

Key Discussion Points:
• Why complaining is just emotional noise and nobody’s getting better from it
• The “we’re all in a simulation” mindset and why it wrecks motivation
• Confidence vs ego and which one helps you actually win in life
• Loneliness, validation, and why social media makes everything worse
• How picking a story for your life is the move that changes everything

Follow Elliot:

https://www.instagram.com/elliotbewick/

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Chapters:

0:00 The Problem With People That Complain

6:30 Why Complaint Culture Is Ruining Gen Z

12:00 How Social Media Fuels Complaining

18:00 Truth, Delusion, and the Simulation Trap

24:00 Why Faith and Belief Still Matter for Gen Z

30:00 Confidence vs Ego And Knowing the Difference

36:30 Storytelling as the Human Superpower

43:00 The Dangers of Chasing External Validation

50:00 Why Influencers End Up Lonely

57:00 Authenticity Isn’t an Excuse to Be Lazy

1:04:00 Elliot’s Social Media Blow-Up

1:11:30 The Power of Setting Delusional Goals

1:19:00 When Confidence Backfires

1:27:00 Why So Many Young Men Feel Lost

1:35:00 The Belief Driving Elliot at 20

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#94: Ian Fonzian: The Real Reason I Left Rawdawg… Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

A different side of Ian Fonzian. From a kid hiding in his room with cystic acne to a man building businesses, running ultras, summiting Kilimanjaro and building a mammoth personal brand and following online.

We talk about growing up feeling like a monster, how the military shaped him, and the massive decision to step away from Raw Dawg when it was at its peak. Ian opens up about loneliness, purpose, external validation, and what’s next with his gym and ice cream company.

Key Discussion Points

Growing up with extreme acne and the mental toll
How solo travel skyrocketed his confidence
The military experience and loneliness
Building and leaving Raw Dawg at its peak
Purpose, business pivots, and what’s next for Ian

Follow Ian:

https://www.instagram.com/fonzian/

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Chapters:

0:04:09 Chasing harder challenges

0:06:13 Purpose from suffering

0:07:21 Real talk about consistency

0:08:11 Business pivot ice cream and gym

0:09:18 Why I left Raw Dawg

0:13:00 Protecting friendships and leaving

0:19:58 Transformation and desert upbringing

0:23:34 Cystic acne nightmare and Accutane

0:32:01 Lingering trauma and confidence

0:35:25 Military reality check

0:37:42 Loneliness and marriage incentives

0:41:17 Leadership and rank problems

0:51:28 Creative ruts and working without an agent

1:12:45 What drives me now and what’s next

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#93: This One Mindset Switch Eliminated My Fear… Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

In this episode I elaborate on a quote that changed my life. I share why fear is the ultimate price tag for everything you want, how I’ve learned to trust the unknown, and why clarity only comes after you take the leap. This one’s for anyone feeling stuck, overthinking their next move, or waiting for the “perfect time” to start.

If you’ve been looking for a sign - this is it.

Key Discussion Points

Why uncertainty is the cost of all your dreams
The Steve Jobs quote that shaped my life
How to get out of your own way and stop overthinking
Turning fear into fuel and risk into reward
Why taking the leap before you’re ready is the only way forward

Blow up your podcast and apply to work with Chris:

https://thepodcastjungle.com/apply

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Chapters:

0:00 – The quote that shaped my life

2:40 – Why uncertainty is the price tag of your dreams

5:30 – Lessons from The Alchemist & discovering purpose

7:50 – Getting out of your own way

10:20 – The pressure of growth & building a team

12:30 – How trust creates calm in chaos

14:30 – Clearing noise to invite clarity

16:20 – Choosing what feels right, even in the dark

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#92: Rory Sutherland: Why The Dumbest Ideas Make the Most Money Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

Rory Sutherland is one of the world’s most fascinating thinkers in advertising and behavioral science. In this episode, he breaks down why logic often kills creativity, why the dumbest ideas (like Red Bull) end up making billions, and how consumer behavior makes no rational sense. From frozen yogurt lines to Airbnb’s unintended consequences, this conversation dives into the messy, illogical, and deeply human side of decision-making. We also had a whole lot of fun. Rory is one entertaining guy.

Key Discussion Points

Why logical decisions rarely lead to innovation
Red Bull, frozen yogurt, and the psychology of “dumb” ideas
Why entrepreneurs belong in casinos, not chess clubs
How framing and emotion drive behavior more than facts
Airbnb, matcha, and the paradox of things that shouldn’t work but do

ANDDDD Much, much more

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Apply to work with Chris to build your podcast:

https://thepodcastjungle.com/apply

Chapters:

0:00 Rory on Australia & first impressions

6:15 Ice cream vs frozen yogurt psychology

12:42 Restaurants, failure & Darwinian innovation

18:55 Why luck beats logic in business

25:30 The Red Bull paradox

31:48 Bubble tea, matcha & strange consumer habits

38:22 Why Australians undervalue themselves

45:10 Breakthroughs born by accident

52:04 The danger of pure logic

58:40 Emotion > facts in persuasion

1:05:15 Electric cars & tribal identity

1:12:02 Pensions, dating apps & real priorities

1:18:47 Social constraints we never question

1:25:33 Airbnb’s unintended consequences

1:32:20 Experience goods: only valuable once tried

1:39:05 Why Americans adopt faster

1:45:55 The myth of perfect information

1:52:40 Airports, bad purchases & brain mush

1:59:00 Final reflections with Rory

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#91: Ex-CIA Spy: What They Don’t Tell You About Money, Success, and Power Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

Today’s guest is ex-CIA officer and founder of EveryDaySpy, Andrew Bustamante.

We went deep on the truth about government, money, perception, persuasion, and what real success actually looks like. He revealed how spy training connects to everyday life, why the CIA isn’t what conspiracy theories claim, and how the systems around us are designed to keep us predictable.

What stood out most is his blunt honesty: happiness is a slippery pursuit, financial success is the only objective success, and once you see how the world really works, you can never unsee it.

Key Discussion Points:

The truth about the CIA vs conspiracy theories
Influence vs persuasion (and how you’re being steered daily)
How the world really works vs how we’re taught it runs
Why governments don’t care about you (and never did)
A debate on money, success, and what truly matters

Learn more about Andrew:

Find your Spy Superpower: https://yt.everydayspy.com/4oEHBby

Read Andrew’s CIA book ‘Shadow Cell’: https://geni.us/ShadowCellBook

Follow Andy on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Andrew-Bustamante

Explore Spy School: https://everydayspy.com/

Support Andy's sponsor Axolt Brain: https://axoltbrain.com/andy

Listen to the podcast: https://youtube.com/@EverydaySpyPodcast

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Chapters:

1:30 – CIA breathwork and field prep
6:40 – Debunking CIA conspiracies
11:20 – What the CIA actually does
16:45 – Influence vs persuasion explained
22:10 – How algorithms control your thinking
27:30 – The red pill: once you see it, you can’t unsee it
33:20 – How the world runs vs how the world works
38:50 – Governments don’t care about you
44:30 – Systems built to keep you predictable
50:40 – External validation vs real success
56:10 – Heated debate: what money really means
1:02:30 – Net worth and how it changes everything
1:08:00 – Curiosity vs commitment: why most stay stuck
1:13:10 – Raising kids with perspective outside the US
1:18:20 – Working for nothing vs working for something

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#90: “I Could Die, And That’s What Drives Me…” (Ash Dykes) Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

Today’s guest is Ash Dykes. When most people think of adventure, they picture travel, fun, maybe a little challenge. For Ash Dykes, it’s life or death.

From pulling a 120kg trailer through the Gobi Desert with no backup, to hallucinating his way to survival on the brink of heatstroke, to being held at gunpoint and crossing crocodile-infested rivers. Ash has lived through it all.

But this isn’t just about danger. It’s about why someone would willingly step into the unknown, where death is a real option, and what that teaches you about life, fear, and resilience.

Ash shares how he went from a small coastal town in North Wales to setting world records in some of the most extreme places on Earth, and the mental discipline it takes to keep moving when everything in your body is screaming to stop.

This conversation is raw, wild, and filled with lessons that go way beyond exploration.

Key Discussion Points:

Nearly dying of heatstroke in the Gobi Desert
Training for world records with just a tire and sledgehammer
The “third man syndrome” that saved his life
Why fear is a package deal with growth
Leading with kindness in life-or-death missions

This one will make you rethink what’s really possible.

Follow Ash:

https://www.instagram.com/ash_dykes/

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Timestamps:

03:00 Why Ash chases danger

09:40 Childhood dreams in North Wales

13:20 $10 bike across Vietnam

18:40 Illegal jungle crossings

24:50 Mongolia mission begins

31:00 Dragging 120kg through the Gobi

37:10 Heatstroke and hallucinations

42:00 The “third man” phenomenon

50:30 Wolves, bears, and crocs

58:20 Breaking down on the Yangtze

01:05:00 The weight of leadership

01:12:40 Survival in the Amazon

01:18:50 Love vs danger lessons

01:24:40 Next mission on the Yellow River

01:30:00 Chasing legacy and purpose

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#89 - 99.8% Of People’s Minds Work Backwards - Do This Instead Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

Real talk… Jim Fortin changed my life as a young 17 year old. It is very full circle being able to sit down at his house for over 2 hours and have him on the show.

Most people are living life backwards. They’re chasing more money, more success, more things… all while stuck in the same identity that keeps pulling them back.

In this episode, Jim Fortin breaks down why 99.8% of people are working from the wrong place - behavior over identity, and how to flip it so transformation actually sticks. We unpack subconscious programming, the stories we tell ourselves, habits that shape our entire reality, and how to finally step into the identity of the person you want to become.

Key Discussion Points
• Why most people “work backwards” in life
• How your subconscious identity sabotages change
• The hidden role of habits and stories
• Breaking free from scarcity and limitation
• The real path to lasting transformation

Thank you all for the support. This one is special. Very special for me.

Learn more about working with Jim:

www.jimfortin.com/chris

Follow Jim:

https://www.instagram.com/iamjimfortin/

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Apply to work with Chris to help launch or grow your podcast:

www.thepodcastjungle.com/apply

Timestamps:

00:03:00 – Why 99.8% of people work backwards

00:07:00 – Growing up poor and breaking free from it

00:12:00 – The truth about identity vs behavior

00:16:30 – Oprah, habits, and why change doesn’t stick

00:21:00 – The power of stories we tell ourselves

00:26:00 – Reprogramming subconscious beliefs

00:31:00 – My own resistance to coaching

00:35:00 – Doubt as the doorway to transformation

00:39:30 – How people’s energy shapes your life

00:45:00 – Relationships, attachment, and emotional maturity

00:51:00 – Financial abuse and subconscious control

00:56:30 – Why providing isn’t enough in relationships

01:02:00 – Doing vs being: where real change happens

01:08:00 – How identity creates self-fulfilling prophecies

01:15:00 – Final lessons on stepping into who you truly are

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#88: 12 Weeks To Live: How I Risked It All & Won Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

This was raw and real. Straight from the heart filled with passion.

Hopefully this can give you the nudge you need to take the leap.

Apply to work with me to start or scale your podcast:

http://www.thepodcastjungle.com/apply

Follow me on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

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#87: The Most Polarizing 20-Year-Old in America (Savanna Stone) Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

Today’s guest is Savanna Faith Stone and she has absolutely blown up this year all over social media. At just 20 years old, she’s gone viral for saying things most people are too scared to even whisper.

In this episode, she opens up about why she believes feminism was a CIA operation, why she’d gladly give up her right to vote for a more conservative country, and how her faith and marriage shape the way she sees the world.

We dive into her transformation from a liberal high schooler and model to leaning into her feminine and becoming what people consider a “trad wife”, her battles with online hate, and why she refuses to tone down her message no matter how much backlash it brings.

We also bring her husband on the show to get his perspective on the whole situation.

This is raw, controversial, and guaranteed to make you think.

Key Discussion Points:
• Why Savanna says women shouldn’t vote
• Her belief that feminism was designed as a psyop
• The role of faith and trust in her marriage
• The backlash she’s faced and how she handles hate
• Why she calls corporate jobs “modern slavery”
• The importance of speaking boldly in a cancel culture world

ANDDDD so much more

Follow Savanna:

https://www.instagram.com/savannafaithstone/

Follow Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

There will be no sponsorships in this episode, I doubt the controversy is something the lovely sponsors want to be apart of. I loved this conversation so much. If you enjoy it as much as I do share it on your socials and leave us a 5 start review and subscribe. Love you all.

Timestamps:

00:03:00 – “Women shouldn’t vote”

00:08:40 – Facing hate online

00:14:50 – No separate bank accounts

00:19:20 – Fertility reality check

00:25:40 – Two paths for women

00:31:15 – Cancel culture & soul selling

00:36:50 – Christ at the center

00:42:30 – Corporate slavery

00:48:10 – Losing sponsors, gaining freedom

00:53:55 – Husband enters the chat

00:59:40 – Pain, stoicism, manhood

01:05:00 – Married young, no turning back

01:09:20 – Fame and isolation

01:11:00 – Too young to advise?

01:12:20 – Final verse to live by

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#86: DELETE Your Ego and Become Dangerously Confident (Higher Up Wellness) Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

For Michael's sake, drop your #stepcheck in the comments!

Today’s guest is Michael Smoak and this conversation was one like no other he has ever been on. This year has been tough for Michael. Losing his father to sickness at the beginning of the year created a newfound drive to make the most out of life.

While this conversation surfaced his story and loss of father, it was probably the most value packed episode I have done all year. In fact I would go to say that it was my favourite episode I’ve recorded this year.

Michael opens up about recording final conversations with his father, learning to laugh through chaos, and why surrendering to truth and God reframed everything. We also get into the reps behind real communication, the trap of routine-as-cage, and how curiosity hardens into conviction.

We break down confidence vs ego, the table and plates mindset, and why ownership beats victimhood when life is loud. This was a good one!

Key Discussion Points:
• Count it all joy. Perspective is the lever
• Curiosity into conviction into competence
• Confidence is evidence. Ego needs applause
• Be the table. Everything else is plates
• Communication reps that actually work
• Ownership over victimhood, always

Follow Michael:
https://www.instagram.com/higherupwellness/

Follow Chris:
https://www.instagram.com/morechrisgriffin/

Check out our sponsor of the podcast: Dream Recovery. Use code GRIFFIN for 15% off your entire order:

https://dreamrecovery.io/

Get a free podcast playbook with everything you need to know to build a successful podcast:

https://thepodcastjungle.com/

Timestamps:

03:00–09:20 Laugh through chaos. Count it joy

09:20–15:40 Childhood wounds and early filters

15:40–22:00 Mortality as a compass

22:00–28:20 Parents, character, lines that stick

28:20–34:40 Cyber to creator. The jump