The Rich Roll Podcast

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Survival Is A Creative Act: Suleika Jaouad’s American Symphony of Contrast—Cancer, Art, Music, & Life Jan 15, 2024

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What do you do when the power goes out? You improvise and turn it into a creative act.

At the age of 22, confronted with a leukemia diagnosis amid the tumult beyond her control, Suleika Jaouad made a profound decision to embrace the art of journaling. Deliberately opting to distill insights from her affliction, she endeavored to endure her newfound residency in a Manhattan hospital in a meaningful and aesthetically resonant manner while giving ink to the intricacies that proved profoundly challenging to articulate. What began as a daily journal evolved into Life, Interrupted, an Emmy award-winning column and video series showcased in The New York Times, chronicling Suleika’s experiences from her hospital bed.

Our conversation today revolves around her leukemia diagnosis at a young age, the relinquishment of independence and identity in the throes of illness, the transformative power of writing as both agency and healing, and the embrace of the tumultuous and uncertain in-between space that defines life post-illness.

We also discuss her newly intimate Netflix documentary, American Symphony—a beautiful exploration of Suleika and her husband, John Batiste’s lives individually and together.

This is exchange is about what it means to live a creative life, to be in a creative, collaborative relationship, and how mindfully to navigate hardship.

I hope it will be a wellspring of inspiration for you.

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Rich

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Midlife is a Chrysalis, Not A Crisis—Chip Conley On Why Life Gets Better With Age Jan 11, 2024

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What if we framed midlife not as a crisis but as a transformative chrysalis—a liminal period where profound awakenings unfold?

What if we saw it as an opportunity to shed old layers, unfurl our wings, and share the pollen of our wisdom with the world?

Guiding us from pupa to butterfly, we have the Monarch himself, Chip Conley.

Returning to the show for the second time (Chip first appeared on episode 681), Chip founded the Modern Elder Academy, the pioneering midlife wisdom school dedicated to transforming aging. He is also a New York Times bestselling author. In his latest book, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age, Chip retools conventional notions of life in our 40s, 50s, and 60s. Drawing from the latest social science research, moving anecdotes, and enduring wisdom, he unveils 12 compelling reasons why life becomes more prosperous and fulfilling as we age.

Today’s conversation revolves around how we conceptualize and define life stages, the concept of Age Fluidity, the age curve of happiness, and the importance of cultivating regenerative communities. We also explore Chip’s personal journey with cancer, the distinction between showing up and showing off, the role of being a conduit for ideas and collaboration, the essence of being a Modern Elder, the concept of age apartheid, and the value of generational dinners.

For individuals seeking to infuse greater purpose and satisfaction into their professional journey, especially those who have dedicated a significant portion of their career to a specific path and are now pondering fresh opportunities, this conversation is a must-listen.

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The Limitless Power of An Alcohol-Free Lifestyle With One Year No Beer Co-Founder Ruari Fairbairns Jan 08, 2024

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Through the years, I’ve maintained transparency about my journey with alcoholism—a label I’ve embraced in the solitude of self-discovery.

However, this characterization doesn’t resonate with most individuals. The majority of drinkers engage in a marginally excessive indulgence in alcohol. While this behavior may not be catastrophic in the traditional sense, it does raise discernible concerns. The persistent hangovers, lethargy, and resulting melancholy it begets become tiresome. The desire to desist is tangible, but the seamless integration of alcohol into social and professional settings renders the prospect of abstention seemingly insurmountable.

Today’s guest found himself ensnared within precisely this behavior pattern. Ruari Fairbairns is a former oil broker from London who—after a falling out with booze—decided it was time to put the plug in the jug. The benefits were so profound that he later walked away from his career in finance to become a full-time advocate for an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Ruari, alongside collaborator Andy Ramage (featured in episode 444 in 2019), co-founded a pioneering institution, One Year No Beer, in 2015, a subscription-based bastion of sobriety with over 100,000 global members. Beyond his role as co-founder, Fairbairns co-authored the UK bestseller The 28-Day Alcohol-Free Challenge. He also co-hosts the One Year No Beer Podcast, guiding listeners on a journey of wisdom and sobriety.

In this episode, we delve into the gradual transformation of society’s relationship with alcohol, dissecting the negative repercussions on both mind and body. We explore the need for heightened awareness around alcohol, challenging the traditional narrative and embracing a healthier relationship with it. Ruari guides us through compelling discussions on stress, trauma, ADHD, emotional sobriety, and the pivotal role of community in the transformative journey.

As we welcome the New Year and the possibilities it presents, I offer this conversation as an encouragement to consider the many ways in which alcohol continues to interfere with your health, hopes, and dreams.

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The Living Proof Challenge: Simon Hill’s 12-Week Protocol To Optimize Your Health, Fitness & Longevity Jan 01, 2024

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To welcome 2024, I'm joined by recurring podcast favorite Simon Hill—a nutrition expert, physiotherapist & host of The Proof podcast—to introduce The Living Proof Challenge: a no-cost, science-based, habit-building protocol designed to optimize your physical and mental well-being, reduce your risk of chronic disease, and promote longevity.

This free 12-week challenge focuses on improving the most important markers with a sustainable structure stress-tested to uplevel well-being with staying power.

Today Simon explains how the Living Proof Challenge works, the science he relied on to create it, and how it will inform your health, fitness, and longevity. We also discuss the 10 most important biomarkers for long-term health, the four key systems of the body this challenge is designed to address, and how you can optimize this challenge based on your own unique biology.

Now is the time to take action for yourself. New habits are the product of new decisions coupled with the best tools. And Simon has provided us with just that.

The Living Proof Challenge begins on February 1st, 2024. To learn more and sign up, CLICK HERE.

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Rich

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The Best Of 2023: Part Two Dec 28, 2023

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We are here to grow. We are here to transform. This is our birthright. This is our purpose.

As the year ends, I want to honor this truth by sharing wisdom gleaned from some of the brightest minds on the podcast this year.

I’ve engaged with so many extraordinary changemakers throughout 2023. Reviewing the year in conversation brought powerful new insights—a reminder that these evergreen exchanges continue to inspire and inform.

I have so much gratitude for all the guests who shared their wisdom openly, for my incredible team, for the enormous growth of the show over the last 12 months, and for the sponsors who keep this podcast going.

But more than anything I am grateful for you, the listener. I don’t take your attention and support for granted.

Thank you for taking this journey of growth alongside me. Here’s to an extraordinary 2024.

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The Best Of 2023: Part One Dec 25, 2023

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It's time to reflect. Share gratitude. And indulge in tradition.

Each year we close things out with our ‘Best Of’ series, a 2-part compilation of the most enlightening excerpts from the previous 12 months of the show.

2023 was packed with an astonishing array of guests—we learned from scientists and doctors conducting cutting-edge research in the fields of nutrition, longevity, and disease prevention. Artists and actors showed us the power of living a creative life. Athletes reported back from the outer edges of human capability. And individuals who experienced phoenix-like transformations gave us actionable advice on what it takes to truly change your life wholesale.

For our devoted podcast fans, think of these next two episodes as a recap, a way to remind yourself of the most impactful lessons from your favorite guests. And for those newer to the show, may this episode entice you to mine through the catalog and dial-up conversations you may have missed or skipped.

I believe in the power we all have to do, be, and live better. To step into our best, most authentic selves. And in turn, contribute positively to a greater world.

May this episode inspire you to believe the same.

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Leading Man Joel Kinnaman On Authenticity, Facing Fear & Honoring Your Creative Calling Dec 18, 2023

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Storytelling is our most powerful device to better understand the human condition.

The creativity required to craft and share a story well told is both an art and a way of being.

Joel Kinnaman is one such being. A star ascendant on screens big and small whose Hollywood career was born with his incendiary turn in 2011's The Killing, kickstarting leading roles in films like The Suicide Squad and RoboCop, and television shows like House of Cards, Hanna, and For All Mankind.

The occasion for this conversation is Silent Night. Featuring Joel as a grief-stricken father hell-bent on revenge, it's an absolutely unhinged, John Woo-helmed vigilante actioner with a unique twist: zero dialogue—a conceit that showcases Joel's physicality as a performer.

This conversation canvasses Joel's unique path from a wayward youth in Stockholm to one of Hollywood's most in-demand leading men. It's about his creative process, the importance of authenticity, and how his relationship with fear frames the success he enjoys today.

Plus: an insane Nicholas Cage story and more.

This is a fun hang—I hope you enjoy it.

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Chelsea Sodaro’s Biggest Victory Isn’t Kona—It’s Her Well-Being Dec 14, 2023

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We love to celebrate professional athletes as superheroes. But even world champions are human.

Just 18 months after giving birth, in 2022 Chelsea Sodaro became the first American woman in 25 years to win the Ironman World Championship and the first Kona-crowned rookie since Chrissie Wellington’s victory in 2007. It was a new-mom-Cinderella story that travelled beyond the endurance press to the mainstream, positioning her as a powerful and inspiring voice for female athletes and young moms all across the world.

But just as she reached the highest echelon of success, Chelsea began to face a challenge far more difficult than Kona. The periodic bouts with mental health that had visited her in the past came roaring back in the form of an acute anxiety disorder that made it difficult for her to leave the house, left her bereft, unable to train, and prone to suicidal ideation.

Refusing to accept debilitation, Chelsea sought help for a problem her champion mindset alone simply couldn't solve. Today Chelsea shares her story with laudable openness and vulnerability.

In this conversation we discuss the tools Chelsea relies upon to confront and manage her mental health struggles, why she decided to reach out for help, and why sharing her experience publicly has been and continues to be integral to her recovery.

In addition, we discuss Chelsea’s journey to triathlon, the current state of gender equity in the sport, and how we can better support female athletes and make sport more accessible to all.

Chelsea also shares the mindset that has propelled her success and why she actively makes decisions based on love, joy, and possibility rather than fear.

Note: Today we discuss mental health issues some might find confronting. If you are struggling, please raise your hand and reach out for help. You can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP and if you are experiencing suicidal ideation, know you’re not alone. I encourage you to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1(800) 273-TALK.

I have so much respect for Chelsea’s strength, courage, and vulnerability.

Chelsea’s story is powerful. I’m proud to help amplify it. And our shared hope is that it helps those in need and serves to further normalize the discourse around mental health.

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Rich

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Mark Cavendish: An Intimate Conversation With The Greatest Sprinter In Cycling History Dec 11, 2023

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Even in your darkest moments, the potential for redemption lays in wait.

Mark Cavendish is a living illumination of this truth—a man who bounced back from career-ending setbacks and a protracted battle with mental health to become the greatest sprinter in cycling history.

Over the course of his storied career, Mark has taken home 55 Grand Tour stage victories, 162 professional victories, and has won an astonishing 34 stages of the Tour de France, tying a previously thought impossible-to-match record set almost 50 years ago by Eddy Merckx.

At the pinnacle of his career, Mark suffered a debilitating crash, began to battle seemingly insurmountable health obstacles—a debilitating crash, disordered eating, depression, and Epstein-Barr—that took him out of elite performance contention for nearly five years.

But instead of ending his career, Mark fought back. In an extraordinary comeback Tour de France in 2021, Mark won four stages and the green jersey nearly a decade after he had last won it—a meteoric rise, fall, and resurrection beautifully portrayed in the recent Netflix documentary, Mark Cavendish: Never Enough.

This is a powerful and revealing conversation about grit, commitment, mental health, and the hard-wrought journey to success.

In addition to discussing his new Netflix documentary, we recount the highs and lows of Mark’s incredible career, his battle with mental health, and his unique relationship with cognitive performance strategist Dr. David Spindler.

Mark also shares his new relationship with goals, and how he manages the pressure to eclipse Eddie Merckx’s historic record by winning his 35th stage at the 2024 Tour de France, where he will compete against riders nearly half his age.

I found Mark to be humble and grateful—a gentle champion with a firm grasp on what is truly important and why. My hope is that Mark’s story serves as a powerful reminder that taking responsibility for your mental health is crucial, and that no matter how far you’ve fallen, there is always hope to build a better future for yourself and others.

Enjoy!

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Curiosity Is A Superpower: Legendary Film Producer Brian Grazer on Beginner’s Mind, Getting It Done, & Why Conversation Matters Dec 04, 2023

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There is nothing more powerful than a story well told.

Woven into the very fabric of what makes us human, story fuels connection. It fosters empathy. And it holds the power to impact not just the individual but humanity at large.

Few understand this better than Brian Grazer—a man devoted to the idea that when curiosity and conversation combine, great art is made.

One of Hollywood’s most prolific film producers, Brian and his Imagine Entertainment partner Ron Howard are responsible for a litany of critically acclaimed, box-office hit films and television shows including Apollo 13, 8 Mile, Splash, Arrested Development, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, and many more. His productions have been honored with numerous awards including an astounding 10 Oscar wins, 50 Emmys, and 11 Golden Globes.

Today we explore Brian's unique approach to storytelling, why he believes questions are more important than answers, and why curiosity has been the “superpower” that fueled his rise as one of Hollywood’s leading producers and visionaries.

Curiosity is so central to Brian’s success in fact that he wrote a book about it entitled, A Curious Mind, which he has recently expanded upon in a newly released version.

It was a thrill to sit down with a man that I deeply respect and admire. This conversation left me with a newfound appreciation of curiosity not only as an art form, but as a powerful driver of human happiness.

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