Pause, Breathe, Reflect: How A Brush With Death Changed Michael O’Brien’s Life

Dr. Matthew Walker is a world-renowned neuroscientist, sleep expert, and the bestselling author of “Why We Sleep.” In this conversation, we explore sleep not as a passive state, but as the biological foundation of life itself—the platform from which wakefulness emerges. We dive into the architecture of sleep, its vital role in immune function, disease prevention, memory, mood, and performance. We also touch on dreams, sleepwalking, and the hidden costs of even modest sleep disruption. I share my own long, complicated relationship with sleep—and what I’ve learned in the process. Matthew is brilliant. His insights are profound. And this re-released conversation just might change your life. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: On: On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉on.com/richroll ZOE: Download the ZOE Health app today for free. Just search for "ZOE food scanner" in your app store 👉joinzoe.onelink.me/XebC/92yh967w   Momentous: 35% OFF your first subscription👉livemomentous.com/richroll                      Go Brewing: Use the code Rich Roll for 15% OFF 👉gobrewing.com          AG1: Get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs 👉drinkAG1.com/richroll                           Modern Elder: Join Chip Conley and me in LA on June 5th to design your next chapter. Early bird pricing is available until May 20th. Go to www.meawisdom.com/richroll to learn more. OneSkin: Get started today with 15% off using code RICHROLL at oneskin.co   Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at voicingchange.media and follow us @voicingchange

22 Touko 3h 2min

Stuart McMillan is an elite track and field coach who has guided 70+ Olympians to over 30 medals across nine Olympic Games. As CEO of ALTIS, a global leader in sports education, he's revolutionized how we understand human movement. This conversation is an exploration of speed—not just as a metric, but as a kind of alchemy. At the heart of Stuart's philosophy is a powerful paradox: the marriage of ferocity and fluidity. Precision and artistry. Intensity and grace. We unpack why sprinting may be the ultimate human expression, how movement becomes a mirror for self-understanding, and why quality mechanics matter far beyond the track. Stuart is a master. This one might transform how you think about movement. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE⁠ ⁠Watch on YouTube⁠ ⁠Newsletter Sign-Up Today’s Sponsors: Seed: Use code RICHROLL25 for 25% OFF your first order👉seed.com/RichRoll              ROKA: Unlock 20% OFF your order with code RICHROLL👉ROKA.com/RICHROLL         Birch Living: For 27% off ALL mattresses and 2 free eco-rest pillows 👉BirchLiving.com/richroll            Ollie: Get 60% OFF your welcome kit with code RICHROLL👉Ollie.com/RICHROLL Calm: Unlock 40% OFF a Calm Premium Subscription👉calm.com/richroll Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com/host                                                                SHOKZ: Use code RICHROLL for $10 off your order👉shokz.com PPMP: Use code RICHROLL for $10 off your membership👉mealplanner.richroll.com     Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at voicingchange.media and follow us @voicingchange

19 Touko 2h

Dr. Judith Joseph is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, clinical professor at NYU Medical School, and a renowned voice on high-functioning depression. In this conversation, we explore the paradox of achievement and anhedonia—the curious, often painful reality that success doesn't always equate to joy. Judith shares her clinical insights into why so many high performers feel emotionally flat, walking us through her integrative approach to mental health and her groundbreaking "5 V's" framework for reclaiming points of joy. This one hit close to home. I found myself confronting how we chase achievement while disconnecting from what truly matters in life. Judith is a rare voice—wise, warm, grounded in science, and even more so in compassion. This one will land where it's needed most. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up Today’s Sponsors:  iFit: Use the code RICHROLL to get 10% off any purchase of $999+ 👉NordicTrack.com/richroll On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉on.com/richroll AG1: Get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs 👉drinkAG1.com/richroll OneSkin: Get started today with 15% off using code RICHROLL at oneskin.co  Squarespace: Use the code RichRoll to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain 👉Squarespace.com/RichRoll   WHOOP: The all-new WHOOP 5.0 is here! Get your first month FREE👉join.whoop.com/Roll Modern Elder: Join Chip Conley and me in LA on June 5th to design your next chapter. Early bird pricing is available until May 20th. Go to www.meawisdom.com/richroll to learn more.IQBAR: Get 20% OFF all IQBAR products plus FREE shipping. Just text RICHROLL to sixty-four thousand. Message and data rates may apply.    Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at voicingchange.media and follow us @voicingchange

12 Touko 1h 54min

Paul Hawken is one of the great elder statesmen of environmentalism, a bestselling author, and the mind behind Drawdown and Regeneration.  This conversation explores the biosphere's intrinsic intelligence through the expansive lens of Paul's latest book, Carbon: The Book of Life. We discuss carbon's improbable origins, examine the mycelial networks that function as Earth's connective tissue, and challenge our extractive relationship with nature.  He methodically deconstructs our reductive approaches to climate solutions, highlighting how humility and wonder might be our most powerful tools for planetary stewardship. Paul’s perspective represents not merely a shift in environmental thinking, but a fundamental reimagining of our relationship with the living world. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up Today’s Sponsors: Eight Sleep: Get $350 off your Pod 5 Ultra w/ code RICHROLL👉eightsleep.com/richrollPique Tea: Get up to 20% OFF plus a FREE rechargeable frother and glass beaker with your first purchase 👉piquelife.com/richrollLMNT: Get a FREE LMNT sample pack for just $5 shipping 👉 drinkLMNT.com/RICHROLLMomentous: 35% OFF your first subscription👉livemomentous.com/richrollOn High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉on.com/richrollGo Brewing: Use the code Rich Roll for 15% OFF 👉gobrewing.comProlon/L-Nutra: Get 15% OFF plus a FREE bonus gift 👉 prolonlife.com/richroll Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at voicingchange.media and follow us @voicingchange

8 Touko 1h 38min

Kate Courtney is a world champion mountain biker, Olympian, and the palmarès-rich face of American cycling. This conversation examines Kate's Olympic torch moment with Tom Cruise, her athletic philosophy, and her groundbreaking She Sends Racing initiative. We delve into mountain biking's Marin County roots, the tension between data and intuition, balancing Stanford studies with World Cup competition, and redefining success beyond traditional metrics. Weaving personal stories into meaningful insights, she transforms cycling philosophy into a guide for navigating life's challenges. Kate redefines possibility. This conversation distills years of elite competition into universally accessible insights. Enjoy! ⁠Show notes + MORE⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch on YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Newsletter Sign-Up⁠ Today’s Sponsors: Squarespace: Use the code RichRoll to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain 👉Squarespace.com/RichRoll                                                                                             Bon Charge: Get 15% OFF all my favorite wellness products w/ code RICHROLL 👉 boncharge.com                                                                                                                                                                  Bragg: Get 20% OFF your first order with code RICHROLL👉 Bragg.com                  Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at 👉 airbnb.com/host                                                                    AG1: Get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs 👉drinkAG1.com/richroll                                                                                             Modern Elder: Join Chip Conley and me in LA on June 5th to design your next chapter. Early bird pricing is available until May 20th. Go to www.meawisdom.com/richroll to learn more. On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉on.com/richroll Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at voicingchange.media and follow us @voicingchange

5 Touko 2h 10min

Ky Dickens is the award-winning filmmaker behind "The Telepathy Tapes," the viral podcast phenomenon. This conversation explores the intersection of neurodiversity and consciousness as Ky shares her journey documenting non-speaking autistic individuals with apparent telepathic abilities. We discuss her transformation from pragmatic skeptic to someone witnessing replicable telepathic demonstrations, the concept of "The Hill" (where individuals telepathically gather), and how these discoveries challenge our materialist conceptualization of reality. As I oscillate between wonder and skepticism, Ky provides a steady compass through my conflicted intellectual terrain. Ky's work is a profound invitation to question the crude facsimile we call reality. This conversation is mind-blowing! Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉on.com/richroll Seed: Use code RICHROLL25 for 25% OFF your first order 👉seed.com/RichRoll                               Momentous: 35% OFF your first subscription👉livemomentous.com/richroll                                        BetterHelp: Get 10% OFF the first month👉BetterHelp.com/richroll                            Go Brewing: Use the code Rich Roll for 15% OFF 👉gobrewing.com  Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at voicingchange.media and follow us @voicingchange

28 Huhti 1h 56min

Chip Conley is a hospitality maverick, founder of Modern Elder Academy, and the entrepreneurial sage who helped transform Airbnb from a startup to a global phenomenon. This conversation explores midlife as a chrysalis rather than a crisis—a transformative journey from ego to soul. Chip illuminates the path from horizontal achievement to vertical growth, addressing life's longest yet least understood phase. We discuss his near-death experience, the nature of wisdom, and why friendship becomes essential to wellness as we age. In the process, Chip creates space for me to reflect honestly on my own lifelong pursuit of achievement. Chip is a treasure. This exchange is for anyone seeking to avail themselves of midlife's deeper possibilities. Enjoy! Note: Chip and I invite you to experience these insights in person in Los Angeles on June 5th for a special gathering with the MEA faculty. Register at meawisdom.com/richroll.  Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up

24 Huhti 2h 1min

Dan Harris is the former ABC News anchor whose on-air panic attack catalyzed his transformation from skeptical journalist to meditation ambassador.   This conversation explores Dan’s journey with meditation—from stress management tool to profound inquiry into consciousness and uncertainty. We discuss his practice evolving far beyond his bestselling book and podcast “10% Happier,” his transformative encounters with the Dalai Lama, and how Buddhist principles provided equanimity during his challenging business separation.   Dan reveals how meditation builds emotional resilience—teaching us to observe our thoughts rather than being owned by them. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up  Today’s Sponsors: Seed: Use code RICHROLL25 for 25% OFF your first order 👉seed.com/RichRoll           Go Brewing: Use the code Rich Roll for 15% OFF 👉gobrewing.com      Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at 👉 airbnb.com/host                                                                             CALM: Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription 👉 calm.com/richroll Birch Living: For 20% OFF sitewide👉BirchLiving.com/richroll L-Nutra: Get 15% OFF plus a FREE bonus gift 👉 prolonlife.com/richroll Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at voicingchange.media and follow us @voicingchange

21 Huhti 1h 54min