The Rich Roll Podcast

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Dr. Andrew Weil Is The Medical Mystic Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

The godfather of integrative medicine and a true pioneer of health, today’s guest is a legend in the realm of mind-body healing.

Meet Dr. Andrew Weil.

Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine (among a zillion other accolades), Dr. Weil is a New York Times bestselling author of 15 books, the founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, and a man who’s spent the last 50+ years studying and evangelizing holistic wellness, under-appreciated healing modalities, medicinal plants, and the reform of medical education.

As an entrepreneur, he is the founder of matcha tea brand Matcha Kari and a partner in True Food Kitchen, a chain of healthy food restaurants located all across the U.S.

Dr. Weil has occupied a space in my consciousness for as long as I can remember. However, it wasn’t until I read Michael Pollan’s book How To Change Your Mind that I began to more fully appreciate the vast extent to which Dr. Weill has served as integrative medicine’s greatest pioneer.

the legacy of integrative medicine can be traced to Dr. Weil’s breadth of this man’s contribution to introducing and mainstreaming so many ideas and practices he has been advocating since the 70’s.

A long-time advocate of simple practices like breath work and healthy eating decades prior to it being vogue, Dr. Weil’s storied legacy also includes the evidence-based study of clinical applications for psychedelics, and marijuana. The nutritional properties of mushrooms. And the advisability of a variety of other alternative healing modalities that, back in the day, were considered anathema and ridiculed by the medical establishment.

Simply put, integrative medicine would exist as it does today without the path courageously blazed by Dr. Weil.

Today we explore this man’s extraordinary life. Counter-culture days at Harvard. And his convictions as a healer.

We talk psychedelics, funghi, food and breath—and the best practices you can adopt to sidestep chronic lifestyle disease and thrive.

We also explore what’s wrong with medical education. How to change it. And his quest to completely reinvent health care.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll606

YouTube: bit.ly/andrewweil606

This was a fun one. I learned a ton, and I know you will too.

Final note: Dr. Weil was gracious enough to offer all of you a 15% discount on his Matcha Kari matcha tea. Let it be known this is not a sponsored thing, he’s just being a mensch. To avail yourself of this act of kindness visit matcha.com and use code RICH15 at checkout.

This is a glorious conversation with one of the most wildly fascinating individuals of our time. I was honored to host it and more proud to share it.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Olympian Katie Hoff On Embracing The Suck & Alchemizing Pain Into Gratitude May 31, 2021

Show notes

We all create imagined blueprints for how we want our lives to unfold—but what happens when things don’t go according to plan?

Today’s guest knows a thing or two about managing pressure, prioritizing intention over expectation, and transforming disappointment into gratitude.

Meet Olympic swimmer Katie Hoff.

Dubbed, for better or worse, ‘the female Michael Phelps’ Katie is an 8x world champion that made her first Olympic Team at the ripe age of 15, the youngest member of the 2004 USA Swimming Team. She won 5 first place Olympic berths at the 2008 Olympic Trials, took home 3 medals in Beijing, and over the course of her career toppled more than a few American & international records, accruing 8 world championship titles along the way.

But Katie’s story isn’t what you think it is. It’s not some totally unrelatable Olympic fairy tale, filled with empty platitudes and cliché mottos.

It’s a story about not living up to the expectations the world set for you.

What’s most interesting about Katie is that she’s an athlete that should have had a far more decorated career.

So what happened?

Today we explore her storied career, covering the complicated mental and emotional implications of elite performance, as well as the external forces beyond an athlete’s control.

We dissect the vertigo-inducing success Katie experienced at such a young age. The insane pressure she faced that accompanied high highs, the bitter disappointment she experienced by failing to live up to unreal and unfair expectations, and the process of picking up the pieces and moving forward with life in the wake of dreams unrealized. And of course, the valuable and applicable life lessons extrapolated along the way, which she chronicles in her book, Blueprint: An Olympian’s Story of Striving, Adapting, and Embracing The Suck.

Katie is an absolute delight and our exchange is littered with gems—big ideas on managing stress, expectations, and knowing when and how to push your limits.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll605

YouTube: bit.ly/katiehoff605

This was a fun one. I learned a ton, and I know you will too.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Roll On: Why Balance Is Overrated May 27, 2021

Show notes

Striving to achieve a ‘balanced life’ on a daily basis sets you up for failure. Approach it instead from a long-term perspective. Aim for self-awareness. Go all-in on what lights you up. Along the way, be gentle with yourself.

We are here to follow our curiosity, not mercilessly judge ourselves. Awareness is key. Shame is counterproductive.

Welcome to another edition of ‘Roll On’, wherein myself and Lord of the podcast manor Adam Skolnick wane and wax on philosophical, spiritual, and practical ideas both big and small. Beyond bantering sundry matters of varying interest, we play show and tell, share a few wins of the week, and round it out by answering listener questions deposited on our voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

Beyond RRP hype-man duties, Adam Skolnick is an activist and journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. He writes about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently awash in his umpteenth draft of an untitled novel—slowly losing his mind in the process.

Topics explored in today’s conversation include:

the ultramarathon tragedy in China and why there must be better protocols and oversight in this growing sport;
thoughts on Adam Grant’s recent NYT article, There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing;
Rich’s current approach to writing, motivation, and why balance is overrated;
SriMu’s Father’s Day Special, 10% off not-cheese boxes for all hard-working dads;
Hellah Sidibe’s impressive, history making ultra-run across the United States;
an update on the Iron Cowboy’s history-making Conquer 100;
Van Neistat’s The Spirited Man series on YouTube;
the Malcolm Gladwell vs. Chris Chavez journalist / influencer 1-mile challenge; and
the legacy of Duke Kahanamoku

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

How do you create time to care for yourself without disappointing others?
How do you avoid late-night hunger pangs following a day of rigorous training?
What is the best way to transition from road to trail running?

Thank you to Sierra (or Ciara) from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kevin from Northern California, and Ben from Columbus, Ohio 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/richroll604

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon604

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Light Watkins: Doing The Work Is The Shortcut May 24, 2021

Show notes

How do you find purpose? What does it mean to live with intention? And why is it important to cultivate stillness?

These questions are important. The answers are tricky. To solve these riddles to the human dilemma, you have to know where to look.

Knowing Where To Look also happens to be the title of Light Watkins’ new book. Is it a sign or coincidence? The answer is up to you.

In addition to being a good friend, a beautiful incarnation of the human form, a nomadic minimalist, and expert meditation and spiritual teacher, Light is also a prolific public speaker and the founder of The Shine (a groovy TED meets Self-Realization love child event series) and the author of three books: The Inner Gym, Bliss More, and of course, his latest work and the focus of our gathering, Knowing Where To Look.

My third microphone communion with Light begins with a dive into his adventures in minimalism (every single thing he owns fits into a single carry-on bag) and what it’s like being a 50-year old ex-pat nomad living in Mexico City. We also touch on his experiences in meditation and mindfulness, and the impact of his activism on issues related to racial injustice.

But mainly we focus on things like the power of kindness, the importance of patience and reflection, how to cultivate intuition, and how to have the courage to trust it.

In a nutshell, this conversation is about how to put faith into action, and why the aspirational life is built upon a foundation of small gestures—tiny actions undertaken every day, every hour, every moment.

If you’re new to the force of love that is Light Watkins, I suggest tuning up our earlier conversations, RRP #172 and RRP #357. Check him out in my book Voicing Change, which you can find here. Listen to his podcast At the End of The Tunnel and of course, pick up his new book, the choose-your-own-adventure style of daily inspiration that is Knowing Where To Look.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll603

YouTube: bit.ly/lightwatkins603

Light Watkins is one of my most favorite beings. My hope is that this conversation helps you find what you’re looking for.

Light Watkins is one of my most favorite beings. May this conversation be a tuning fork for your gaze—and lead you closer towards what you’re looking for.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Brogan Graham Is A Friend Hunter May 17, 2021

Show notes

Meet Brogan Graham.

Fitness fanatic. Extreme extrovert. Style icon. Force of Nature. Cool dad. Loyal friend and overall stellar human being.

These are just a few of many labels I would pin to BG’s chest.

An exceptional host during my April visit to Minneapolis (the whole thing was his idea), Brogan is the co-founder of November Project, a free and frenetic, open-to-anyone, grassroots sweat revival—a flashmob fitness revolution that counts over 250,000 lifetime members and dominates the pre-dawn urban landscape of 52 cities and nine countries spread across North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and even parts of Asia.

Leveraging community, a simple sense of accountability, and open public spaces, the November Project motivates people of all ages, shapes, sizes and levels to move their bodies—welcoming everyone from Olympic medalists and professional athletes to complete fitness rookies and recent couch potatoes.

Today’s conversation traverses many landscapes with a unique flair that can only be described as unapologetically Brogan-esque.

Chronologically the first conversation recorded during my time in Minneapolis, we digest lessons delivered by a city and citizenship under duress—and why it’s necessary to never stop learning.

We talk ‘dadding’, training, perfectionism, friendship, and the importance of getting outside your comfort zone—not just in the context of fitness but in all aspects of life.

But the overall theme of this discussion is cultivating inclusivity. Why the path forward demands resisting the impulse to call people out. Instead, let’s call people in.

As I’m fond of saying, prophets walk among us. Brogan isn’t just one such everyman prophet. He understands that to find these people, you need to always be on the hunt. You need to take swings at bat. You need to always be expanding your circle. And you need to develop the habit of reaching out to others, embracing your neighbors, and contributing to your community.

This reflex begins with one simple word: hello.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll602

YouTube: bit.ly/brogangraham602

I urge all of you to absorb this conversation in its entirety. Whip out your pen and paper—this is essential, potentially life-altering listening for every human. And simply put, it’s everything I hoped it would be.

Brogan is a beautiful dude. I wish he lived in Los Angeles. But I’ll take him however I can get him.

May his words inspire you to reach out to someone new today.

P.S. – This is Brogan’s second spin on the RRP flywheel. If you enjoy today’s episode then dig up his first appearance four years prior in RRP 277.

P.P.S. – Special thanks to talented Minneapolis visual artists Bennie Wilson and Jordan Lundell for photographing today’s podcast.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Roll On: Why You Should Periodize Your Life May 13, 2021

Show notes

We live in a culture that glorifies the hustle. But the 24/7 grind mentality is actually anathema to long-term success. How do we break this paradigm and avoid the inevitability of burnout?

You periodize your life as you would your training. Ditch the guilt and take time to rest. Choose your fallow chapters. And embrace your life in seasons.

In the race of life, the tortoise always beats the hare.

Welcome to another edition of ‘Roll On’, wherein myself and Sir Adam Skolnick corrupt your neurochemistry with ideas big and small. Beyond sundry matters of varying interest, we play show and tell, share a few wins of the week, round it out by answering listener questions deposited on our voicemail at (424) 235-4626.

Beyond RRP hypeman duties, Adam Skolnick is an activist and journalist best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, co-author. He writes about adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently awash in his umpteenth draft of an untitled novel—slowly losing his mind in the process.

Topics explored in today’s conversation include:

the benefits of periodizing both your fitness and all aspects of your life;
why fallow periods are essential to optimal creativity;
an Iron Cowboy’s ‘Conquer 100‘ challenge update (and WTC’s tone-deaf response);
the recent Laird Superfoods and Picky Bar acquisition;
the HBO docuseries ‘Q: Into The Storm’;
Rachel Kushner’s collection of essays, The Hard Crowd;
Michelin star restaurant Eleven Madison Park‘s shift to a plant-based menu; and
plant-based bodega start-up Plantega’s plan to eradicate food deserts

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

How do you manage the financial risks that come with following your passion?
How do you properly train for a Swimrun event without access to safe open water?
How do you maintain relationships with people who have unhealthy drinking habits?

Thank you to Greg from Virginia, John from Northern England, and Nancy from Santa Clarita, California 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/richroll601

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon601

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Neuroscientist Matthew Walker On Why Sleep Is Your Superpower May 10, 2021

Show notes

Why do we sleep? What exactly happens when we sleep and why is it so important? What are the implications of sleep deprivation? And what can we do to improve our sleep hygiene?

Answering these questions is the life’s work Dr. Matthew Walker.

Longtime listeners know that I am obsessed with sleep and the critical role it plays in every facet of health. This infatuation is driven in no small part by the incredible work of today’s guest, one of the world’s leading neuroscientists and researchers in the field of sleep science.

Matriculating at Nottingham University where he studied neuroscience, Matthew earned his Ph.D. in neurophysiology from the Medical Research Council in London, subsequently became a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and is currently a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves as the founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science.

In addition, Matthew hosts a MasterClass on the science of better sleep. His TED Talk, ‘Sleep is your superpower’ has over 20 million views. And his international smash bestselling book Why We Sleep—a must-read for anyone and everyone looking to live and feel better—provides the framework for today’s mind-blowing, slumber-focused primer.

To put it rather bluntly, this conversation covers everything you need and ever wanted to know about sleep, including:

why do we sleep?
what happens to our bodies and minds when we sleep
why is sleep so important?
what happens when we don’t get enough?
what is the deal with dreams, sleepwalking & sleep paralysis?
what are the various stages of sleep (REM, deep, etc.)?
what can we do to prioritize and improve our sleep?

In addition, Dr. Walker answers the questions like: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? Why do our sleep patterns change across a lifetime? What is the relationship between sleep, immunity, weight gain, and mood? And most critical: how do we resolve the global sleep-loss epidemic?

All told, this is an utterly fascinating masterclass on why you must rethink your relationship with sleep and the profound short and long-term impacts sleep has on every facet of our lives from learning to mood, productivity, energy, hormone regulation, longevity, and even susceptibility to cancer and other diseases.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll600

YouTube: bit.ly/matthewwalker600

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Anthony Taylor: The Outdoors Evangelist On How Nature Heals May 03, 2021

Show notes

Time in nature is powerful. It’s healing. It fosters community. Humanity’s connective tissue, it shows you who you are and what you’re capable of becoming.

The outdoors has played a transformational role in my personal evolution. In almost every way I am a different, better human because I make copious use of the untouched natural spaces available to me—spaces I access freely and have long taken for granted.

However, the uncomfortable truth is that outdoor parks (nature in general) are places where historically not everyone has been entirely welcome.

This is a paradigm we must diligently work to dismantle.

It’s also the spark that illuminates the work of Anthony Taylor—an extraordinary human who has spent his life advocating for greater participation and access to outdoor environments, and the second guest to appear in my continuing series of conversations from my week in Minneapolis.

The former Commissioner for Minneapolis’ Parks & Open Spaces and current Senior Vice President of Equity, Outdoors & Nature for YMCA of the North, Anthony is—at 62 years old—the very model of anti-aging. A skier, paddler, accomplished ultra-cyclist and overall outdoors enthusiast, Anthony serves on the League of American Bicyclists Equity Advisory Board as well as the board of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. He is also the founder of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club of Minnesota and the co-founder of Cool Meets Cause, an outreach program that teaches girls from North Minneapolis to snowboard. And he served as the Adventure Director for the Loppet Foundation—a program that provides year-round outdoor activities for youth in Minneapolis.

This is a conversation about the nature of outdoor recreation to empower, enliven, and inspire.

It’s a walk through Anthony’s origin story. And it’s an exploration of his love of nature and his accomplishments as a cyclist and adventurer.

But the focus of this exchange is placed on Anthony’s important work as an activist and youth educator.

It’s a history lesson on race, class, privilege, and gender in the outdoors. And the many ways we can eradicate the invisible boundaries that exist in these spaces today.

Certain transformative lessons can only be learned through adventure—lessons imperative to youth development and deeper connection to our own innate humanity.

Put bluntly, outdoor sports and time spent in nature aren’t just recreation—they are human rights.

I guarantee this conversation will positively impact you in ways you may not expect. My hope is that it will help foster ways you can advance greater outdoor inclusivity within your community along the way.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll599

YouTube: bit.ly/anthonytaylor599

Special thanks to talented Minneapolis local photographers/videographers Bennie Wilson and Jordan Lundell for portraits & an upcoming video we are working on.

Anthony is the leader we all need now. And this conversation is definitely a fave.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Roll On: Notes From Minneapolis Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

This week we dive into the why behind my decision to visit Minneapolis and what I learned from the experience. Plus stories from the swimming vault and some epic show & tell before fielding a few running-centric listener questions.

Welcome to another edition of ‘Roll On’, wherein myself and Adam Skolnick dissect matters of the day in a manner that is instructive and sometimes even entertaining.

Aside from serving as my sidekick and hypeman, Adam Skolnick is an activist and 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 using the ‘new dad’ excuse to avoid working on his novel.

Topics explored in today’s conversation include:

The Envol Swimrun Battle & Running For Justice Virtual Run Challenge;
an update on the Iron Cowboy’s ‘Conquer 100’ challenge;
the intention behind Rich’s trip to Minneapolis & his experiences in the city;
what it means to reimagine public safety to create a safer society;
Rich’s partnership with Ten Thousand and the new ‘Distance Kit’; and
the future of lab-grown, ‘cultured’ meat.

In addition, we answer the following listener questions:

How do you stay motivated in your endurance challenges?
What advice can you offer first-time marathoners?
How can you hone your nutrition for large endurance races?

Thank you to Steven from Charleston, Casey from Illinois, and Asha & Savannah 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.

Ten Thousand ‘Distance Kit’ Giveaway: We’re giving away 5 Distance Kits from Ten Thousand! To enter: (1) subscribe to the Rich Roll Podcast YouTube channel; and (2) Leave a comment under today’s episode video. We will pick 5 winners who will receive the full kit (short, tank, and socks) and reach out to them.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll598

YouTube: bit.ly/rollon598

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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Jeremiah Ellison: The Artist-Activist On Forging Real Change Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

This month, events in Minneapolis captured the world’s attention. The recent death of Daunte Wright and the conviction of Derek Chauvin sound a significant shift in the civil rights movement and the country at large.

Today, artist, activist, and politician Jeremiah Ellison is here to help us make sense of this historic moment.

As some of you may know, I spent the week of April 13th, 2021 (pre-Chauvin verdict) in a very tense Minneapolis. Motivating my visit was an intention to better understand the events and circumstances that brought the world’s focus upon this city—not from what I read online or saw streaming endlessly on cable news—but rather from a first-hand, experience-based perspective.

In addition, my objective was to conduct meaningful, nuanced conversations with Minneapolis civic leaders who are grappling with the important issues that have recently dominated national news coverage. Issues that include police misconduct and public safety reform; the roots of civil unrest and the purpose of protest; and of course the role social activism has played in all of this.

This conversation, the first in a series of Minneapolis-themed episodes that I will be releasing over the coming weeks, is one powerful result of that good faith inquiry.

Representing Ward 5 on the Minneapolis City Council, Jeremiah sits at the vortex of the many complicated issues that concern his community, and from the start has been one of the leading and most prominent voices calling for the reimagination of public safety.

On the one hand, Jeremiah is a very unlikely elected official. An artist at heart and painter by trade, he’s both a muralist and a comic book illustrator. He’s into Silver Surfer. And Batman.

On the other hand, he is the son of former 6-term Congressman Keith Ellison. Currently Attorney General for the state of Minnesota, the Ellison elder was also in charge of the Chauvin prosecution. In other words, it’s fair to say that Jeremiah was born for the role he currently inhabits.

My week in Minneapolis was extraordinary. There were so many experiences I will never forget. I learned much. I’m better for the trip. And my time with Jeremiah has much to do with that. I’m grateful that he took the time to share his truth and for his trust in my ability to share it.

FULL BLOG & SHOW NOTES: bit.ly/richroll597

YouTube: bit.ly/jeremiahellison597

This is a powerful exchange. My only ask is that you welcome Jeremiah and his testimony with an open mind and an open heart.

P.S. – Special thanks to talented Minneapolis local photographers/videographers Bennie Wilson and Jordan Lundell for portraits & an upcoming video we are working on.

Peace + Plants,

Rich

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