The Rich Roll Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ryan Holiday On the Pursuit of Virtue Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

This cultural moment bears witness to a growing distrust of institutions unprecedented in our lifetime. With it comes an unraveling of healthy communication. Tearing others down has taken priority over rising ourselves up. And binary thinking, divisiveness, and fear-based behavior have supplanted sense-making, appreciation for nuance, and mutual respect.

For Ryan Holiday, the antidote is the pursuit of virtue—specifically, the virtue upon which all other virtues sit, courage: the ability to rise above fear and to do what’s right.

Returning for his 4th appearance on the podcast, Ryan is one of the world’s bestselling living philosophers globally lauded for adapting Stoicism to the mainstream. His books—including The Obstacle Is The Way, Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, and Stillness Is the Key—have sold over 4 million copies and spent over 300 weeks on the bestseller lists.

Ryan’s expertise in mining the modern-day practicalities of ancient philosophy to live more optimally is coveted by some of the world’s most successful CEOs, political leaders, world-class athletes, and NFL coaches, and he’s here today to help us make sense of this current moment through the lens of his latest book, Courage Is Calling.

This is a conversation about the challenge of sense-making amidst our national divide. It’s about the application of time-tested wisdom, the nature of virtue and why doing the right thing is always the right thing.

We cover it all: the perils of individualism, responsibility as a counter-balance to liberty, fear, courage, partisanship, tribalism, and why virtue is both a craft and an action verb.

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

I relish my conversations with Ryan—he is a compelling thinker about things that matter, and this one is chock a block with practical wisdom, things we can learn from philosophy and history to make sense of today, and most importantly, to live and be better humans and citizens.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Julie Lythcott-Haims On How To Be An Adult Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

I love my parents. I grew up with a world-class education. And yet, nobody actually ever taught me how to be an adult.

As a result, I made a ton of avoidable mistakes. I suffered far more than necessary. And I fumbled in the dark for years until eventually, I figured a few things out. Unfortunately, my experience is all too common.

Today’s guest—a woman who spent years mentoring and advising some of the brightest young people in the entire world—would agree, so she decided to do something about it.

Julie Lythcott-Haims is the former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University, where she earned her B.A. (as my classmate) before obtaining a law degree from Harvard and a master’s in fine arts and writing from California College of the Arts.

Today Julie is an author and authority on what we now call—in Millenial parlance—adulting. Her TED Talk 'How to raise successful kids without over-parenting' has over 5 million views, and her books include the New York Times bestseller, How To Raise An Adult and Real American—a memoir centered on coming to terms with her racial identity.

Julie’s latest work and the focus of today’s conversation is Your Turn: How To Be An Adult. For those just emerging into the grown-up world, it’s a must-read life handbook. For parents, it’s a must-gift for your young ones entering their adult phase of life. All in all, it’s a guide I very much wish existed during my formative years.

This conversation is packed with practical insights for both parents and young people alike. We cover the downfalls of being a helicopter parent, the importance of learning conversation skills, and why paying attention to what you like and don’t like is more important than finding a purpose.

But more than anything, this conversation is about why diversity and inclusivity are vital in parenting, educating, and adulting.

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

This is appointment listening for young people emerging into the world or parents striving to best guide their kids into maturity. But no matter your age, we can all use some wisdom about how to grow up a little bit more.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Guru Singh On Intuition Over Impulse Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

Last week we dipped our toes into sacred waters both spiritual and metaphysical. This week we are diving off the deep end.

In other words, welcome to another incarnation of Guru Multiverse, the latest in my ongoing series of communions with Guru Singh, my treasured friend and favorite sparring partner when it comes to matters heart and soul.

Aside from being a modern-day Gandalf, Guru Singh is a master of the Kundalini arts, a celebrated spiritual teacher, a third-generation Sikh yogi, an author, accomplished musician, father, grandfather, and an overall gift to humanity who has been teaching and studying Kundalini yoga for the past 40-plus years who now holds virtual court at kundaliniuniversity.com.

The Guru joins me in the studio to offer a dissertation on divining and discerning the delicate and detailed differences that differentiate: instinct, impulse, intuition, and intelligence—the four “I’s” if you will.

This is a conversation about perspective, accountability, the willingness to solicit and receive feedback, and why growth depends upon the ability to truly understand and appreciate the nuances that distinguish these “I” words.

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

Make sure to stick around until the end. As has become his custom, Guru Singh closes things out with a song.

This might be one of my favorite Vulcan mind-melds to date. So let us not waste another moment.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Rainn Wilson & Reza Aslan On Living In The Questions Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Today we’re going take some of life’s biggest questions, toss them into a Vitamix, press hyperblend, and whip up a Metaphysical Milkshake.

My sous chefs for this cosmic concoction are Rainn Wilson & Reza Aslan.

Do I really need to introduce these two?

Star of screens big and small, Rainn is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on The Office. An OG in the online high-vibe content space, Rainn is also the founder of SoulPancake, a digital platform for people from all walks of life to discuss and question what it means to be human—a place to wrestle with the spiritual, philosophical, and creative journey that is life.

Reza is a scholar of religions, a professor of creative writing, a television host, an Emmy-nominated producer, and the author of many bestselling books on religion, faith & spirituality.

These two have teamed up on a fantastic new podcast worthy of your attention called (you guessed it) Metaphysical Milkshake.

In a mild departure from my typical interview format, the idea for this episode was to tackle some of those big life questions, themes that recur on both of our shows, and have some fun doing it. So I wrote down various queries on a stack of index cards, wadded them up, tossed them in a bowl, and let Rainn and Reza take turns fishing them out for today’s round-table.

Among the threads pulled today are:

What does it mean to be human?
How do you be a good person?
Why are humans prone to spirituality?
How do you reconcile science & rationality with faith & spirituality?
Are we addicted to everything?
What is the role of consciousness?

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

Prepare to have your noodle bent—and have some laughs along the way. Good times!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Joanne Molinaro Is The Korean Vegan: Lessons On Life, Identity, & Food Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

A central theme of my podcast is the power of a plant-based diet to enhance the quality of life for both the individual and the whole.

Over time, the show has grown to embrace a wider variety of themes—art, entertainment, cuisine, entrepreneurship, spirituality, sports, social justice, creativity, equality, and more—each guest sharing his/her respective expertise and experience.

Some conversations traverse more than one field. Only a select few impart powerful, impactful lessons across several.

Joanne Molinaro is one such human—a cultural phenomenon who goes by the moniker, The Korean Vegan.

Born in Chicago to immigrant parents from what is today North Korea, Joanne is a (soon to be) New York Times bestselling cookbook author, food blogger, marathon runner, social activist and corporate law firm partner (although she just resigned last week) with millions of fans across a variety of social media platforms—including over 2.5 million on TikTok—obsessed with her wisdom-laced and thought-provoking food content, garnering her features on CNN, CBS, The Food Network and many other mainstream media outlets.

Joanne’s audience isn’t just massive, it’s insanely engaged—a loyalty rooted in her wholesale re-imagination of the cuisine landscape. Her content is so fresh, so beyond nice photographs or the A-B-C food preparation tutorials to which we’ve grown accustomed, that it’s fair to say Joanne has pioneered an entirely new content genre altogether.

Exquisitely captured in irresistible sixty-second short films with a penchant for virality, across her social channels Joanne masterfully entwines food, culture, education and self-improvement with incredibly honest, vulnerable, heartfelt stories about life, relationships, grief, family, divorce, surviving abuse, and the immigrant experience. Her deeply personal yarns tug on the universal—an authentic relatability that leaves most teary-eyed upon each’s film’s conclusion.

One of my most memorable encounters of 2021, our conversation spans her remarkable career balancing corporate law firm partner duties with the full-court demands of her growing voice of public influence. We cover her path to veganism (a journey that ironically began with her husband reading Finding Ultra), her experience as a Korean woman living in the diaspora, the many ways in which food and social justice advocacy intersect, and the importance of humanizing the immigrant story.

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

This is a powerful, potentially life-altering conversation on the importance of creativity, self-empowerment, and leveraging social media for good.

May this extraordinary woman inspire you to think more deeply about your own story—and the indelible power inherent in sharing it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Roll On: Melding Passion With Purpose (+ Arctic Swimmer Lewis Pugh!) Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

How do you meld passion with purpose? What makes you committed to your cause? And most importantly, what does your podcast do?

In addition to philosophizing these questions and more, in today’s edition of ‘Roll On,’ Adam Skolnick and I trade fitness updates, engage in typical ribald banter, indulge you with a cameo from environmental activist, UN Patron of the Oceans, and arctic swimmer, Lewis Pugh.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Aside from being my fortnightly sidekick hype beast and favorite edgelord of words literary, Adam is a waterman, writer, and veteran journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. He 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 recycling the ‘new dad’ excuse to avoid working on his novel.

Specific topics covered in this episode include:

RRP Staff wins + a debrief on Rich’s experience in the Malibu Triathlon;
Lewis Pugh’s unique relationship with environmentalism & swimming;
Rich’s reflection on his upcoming 9 year anniversary of podcasting; and
thoughts on curiosity, purpose, and why conversation matters.

In addition, we answer the following questions:

What advice do you have for those new to multi-sport endurance events?
How do you balance your commitment to social justice with your career?
How do you remain hopeful while living through the chaos of the climate crisis?

Thank you to Hadar from San Francisco, Tyler from Florida, and Jason from Pasadena 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.

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

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Mel Robbins On Why Confidence Is A Habit Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

People ask me all day long for the secret ingredient to success and a comfortable way through personal transformation.

My enduring answer: there is none.

I believe in the individual potential for positive transformation. I’m also a self-help skeptic who greets most #lifehacks with profound hesitancy. There is a line between snake oil and efficacy—and that line is crossed more often than not. So if you struggle with self-confidence, making life changes, finding your purpose, or if the general vernacular that encircles self-improvement—words like motivation, inspiration, and passion—leave you more deflated than empowered, I feel you.

Today’s guest, the queen of grounded, science-backed personal development is here today to help us sort things out.

Meet the singular, multi-talented hyphenate Mel Robbins.

A former lawyer turned CNN legal analyst, turned mega-bestselling author and talk show host, Mel is a powerhouse and one of the most widely booked public speakers in the world. Her work includes the global phenomenon The 5 Second Rule, four #1 bestselling audiobooks, the #1 podcast on Audible, and her videos have over a billion cumulative views, including her TEDx Talk How to stop screwing yourself over—which has racked up over 27 million views alone.

The official occasion for this conversation is Mel’s brand new book, The High Five Habit—a must-read primer on how to make believing in yourself a habit so that you operate more empowered and with greater confidence.

However, this conversation is about so much more, packed with practical, life-altering, science and experience-based wisdom you (and myself included) need to hear.

Nobody loves making a real difference in people’s lives more than Mel. Her energy is infectious. Her authenticity and earnestness is palpable. Everyone at the studio fell in love with her—and I know you will too.

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

My hope is that Mel’s message will do for you what it has for me—remind you to celebrate the small wins, cultivate that bias for action, and get out of your own damn way of creating the life of your dreams.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Jonathan Fields On Finding Meaningful Work Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

What am I here to do? What should I do with my life? What is my purpose?

Today’s guest has devoted his life to helping people answer these important questions.

Meet Jonathan Fields.

Author of many a bestselling book, including How to Live a Good Life, Uncertainty, and Career Renegade, he’s the man behind the wonderful Good Life Project podcast and community, a sought after public speaker, father, and a dear friend and personal mentor of mine. He’s been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, FastCompany, Inc., Entrepreneur, Forbes, and USA Today, just to name a few.

Making his third appearance on the show, today Jonathan joins me in the studio to share his unique core belief and perspective, which is that everyone has an innate imprint for a certain type of work—work that makes you come alive. After many years of deep thought and research, he’s divined an evidence-based method for helping others discover meaningful careers, which is explored more deeply in his fascinating new book Sparked.

This exchange is essentially an excavation of the self.

We grapple with big life questions, break down the components of meaningful work, and what it takes to not just find, but create a fulfilling career. We also dive deep into Sparktypes, which is essentially the social psychology version of Human Design or the Enneagram. After surveying over 500,000 people and accruing 2.5 million data points, Jonathan has created a system to help you better understand your needs when it comes to finding purpose in your professional life. You can take the free quiz at sparketype.com.

I love Jonathan’s focus on process over results. His emphasis on the journey over the destination. His deep understanding that authenticity is everything. My hope is that our conversation guides you towards work that suits you, fits your unique blueprint, motivates you, excites you, and fills you with purpose. Work that sparks you, and ultimately sets you on a trajectory to a life marked with more meaning, flow, and joy.

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

I adore this beautiful man for reasons you will soon discover.

Enjoy!

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Roll On: The Plight Of Women In Afghanistan Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

It’s time to grapple with the human rights issues ensuing in Afghanistan.

To guide us in this important conversation are podcast alums Drs. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai.

For those new to the show, ‘Roll On’ is typically our opportunity to shift focus from my traditional fare of evergreen conversations to instead hone in on matters of contemporaneous, time-sensitive interest.

Today we do just that, but with a twist, spending the entire episode grappling with the very grave plight faced by the 18 million women in Afghanistan in the wake of the United States departure. Breaking down the grip of Taliban rule, this is an exploration and round table discussion led by Team Sherzai.

Experts on brain health, Alzheimer’s, and neurodegenerative diseases, Drs. Sherzai have twice graced this show for deep dives on maintaining and optimizing cognitive function. But what most don’t know is that Dean & Ayesha have considerable experience with Afghanistan.

In 2003 Dean was appointed the Deputy Minister of Health by President Karzai, creating the most successful post-conflict healthcare system with women’s empowerment at its core. Ayesha founded the Social Welfare Society for Afghan Refugees in medical school, volunteered with Doctors Without Borders’ in Afghanistan during her medical training, and co-founded the Afghan Health Initiative in order to empower the Afghan diaspora with their own health.

My intention for this conversation is less political—we aren’t here to necessarily debate the political advisability of the U.S. withdrawal as much as the incomprehensibly botched manner in which we withdrew—and the downstream human rights implications of Afghan women in particular.

Other specific topics discussed include:

The history of women’s rights in Afghanistan;
using healthcare as a catalyst for women’s empowerment;
a breakdown of the imperative of the Taliban and how it functions;
the role that fear plays in female oppression;
what we can be done now to aid Afghan women; and
how to support celebrated female artists, scientists, politicians & leaders in Afghanistan.

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

This is an important, pertinent, and heavy conversation. My heart goes out to those suffering. If possible, I highly encourage you to donate to programs like Restore Her Voice. Any amount can make a difference.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Paul Hawken: Ending The Climate Crisis In One Generation Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

In the words of today’s guest, global warming is not a science problem. It’s a human problem.

When it comes to taking meaningful steps to redress the climate crisis, so many of us are left crippled. It’s a problem so huge, so existential, most people feel powerless to make a difference. But in truth, there are many substantive onramps to participate in the solution, and today’s guest is a wonderfully gracious, charitable, experienced, and optimistic cipher to explore these various paths.

Meet Paul Hawken, one of the environmental movement’s leading voices returning for his second drop on the podcast, the first being at our big live event with IN-Q.

In addition to his profound work as a planetary change agent, Paul is an entrepreneur who founded both Erewhon Markets and Smith & Hawken. He’s also the author of eight books including the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller Drawdown, and his astonishing, beautiful new work entitled Regeneration: Ending The Climate Crisis in One Generation,which aims to guide, inspire and galvanize the burgeoning climate movement.

This is an optimistic conversation about our greatest existential threat. A conversation that extends beyond statistics, blame, and fear to illuminate what each and every one of us can all do now to support what Paul calls regeneration: a call to action that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, equity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy, and transformation to live more symbiotically with the planet that supports us us

We cover everything from the current state of affairs of the climate crisis, to the actionable steps we can all take to foster regeneration and most importantly, the state of mind we all need to maintain to heal our earth and secure the future of humankind.

Paul is a friend, a mentor, and lighthouse. He’s a man who has indelibly shaped my perspective and actions when it comes to ecological responsibility, and it’s an honor to host him today.

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

My hope is that Paul’s message will do for you what it has for me—inspire and empower you to take action in your own way.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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