Turning Adversity To Advantage: Ryan Holiday on Why The Obstacle Is The Way

Here to rewild us and reconnect us to that which is most essential is barefoot ultra running phenom Tony Riddle.  Returning for his 2nd appearance on the podcast (his first being over 3 years ago on episode #463), Tony is a natural lifestyle coach who has devoted his life to studying what makes us human and how to live naturally in the modern world. Today we pick things up where we last left off in an old school, no video, audio-only conversation convened during my recent visit to London that goes deeper into Tony's natural lifestyle practices. Tony and I cover his various endurance feats and training, his unique coaching philosophy, and the principles that underscore his new book Be More Human, a bible for deconstructing the ways of living that aren’t serving us, and reconnecting with new ways of living that are more in sync with our human biology. Show notes + MORE: bit.ly/richroll717 Watch on YouTube (audio only) Newsletter Sign-Up: https://www.richroll.com/subscribe This conversation is packed with a battery of actionable practices and strategies to rewild and reboot your life. My hope is that you employ these strategies and they allow you to maximize your human potential. Enjoy! Peace + Plants, Rich

14 Nov 20222h 28min

Welcome to the 2022 season finale of ‘Roll On’, our semi-bi-weekly version of the podcast where we indulge in some good-natured banter and ramble on matters of interest across culture, sports, politics, literature, art, self-betterment, and more. Today Rich and Adam talk endurance news, concerning politics, streaming selects, answer listener questions, and more. Rich also expands on the lessons he’s learned after ten years of podcasting and the wisdom he’s gleaned from some of the brightest minds on the show. Watch on YouTube Show notes + MORE: bit.ly/richroll716 Newsletter Sign-Up: https://www.richroll.com/subscribe Enjoy! Peace + Plants, Rich

10 Nov 20222h 12min

Here today fourth appearance on the podcast—(his last appearance was nearly eight years ago) is the godfather of YouTube, Casey Neistat. One of the biggest and most popular filmmakers on YouTube with over 12.5 million subscribers, Casey rose to fame through a daily vlog he commenced in March of 2015 when he began uploading a new video every single day, elevating the vlog format with next level storytelling & production value that consistently went viral & captured the fascination of millions. In addition to being a friend and occasional running partner, Casey is also an entrepreneur, an angel investor, a husband, a dad, and the director of a new documentary entitled 'Under The Influence', which chronicles the trajectory of a young YouTube creator named David Dobrik from massive popularity to disgrace and the ugly, broader truths of the creator economy that incentivized his demise. Today Casey and I dive deep into what it means to be an artist. We dive into the foundational principles of creativity, filmmaking, and storytelling. We talk about the difference between external versus internal validation and the rewards each brings. If you enjoy our conversation today, check out our earlier exchanges on episodes 73, 144, and 174. Watch: YouTube. Read: Show notes. Enjoy! Peace + Plants, Rich

7 Nov 20221h 29min

Multiple studies now confirm a dramatic link between the health of our microbiome and our ability to combat viral illness. Today we explore this connection, with tools to promote gut health, optimize your immune system & prevent disease. Our host for today's exploration is the queen of all things gut health, Robynne Chutkan, MD. Dr. Chutkan is a board-certified gastroenterologist serving on the Georgetown University Hospital faculty. She is the founder of the Digestive Center for Wellness, as well as the author of 4 books on the microbiome, including her most recent, The Anti-Viral Gut, which offers practical advice for optimizing diet, exercise, sleep, and time outdoors to boost the body’s defenses and our overall health. Appearing for the 2nd time on the podcast, my initial conversation with Dr. Chutkan 7 years ago (RRP #192) dove into the nuts and bolts of the microbiome: what it is, how it functions, and how we can care for it. Today we zoom in, focusing on the antiviral aspects of gut health, why it’s so important, and what you can do about it. We’ve talked a lot about the microbiome on this podcast, but this exchange is truly a masterclass within itself.  Watch: YouTube. Read: Show notes. I’ve known Robynne for many years—she is such a delightful presence. It was wonderful to have her back in the studio. Her expertise in communicating this subject matter is truly unparalleled, and I am excited to share this one with you. Enjoy! Peace + Plants, Rich

31 Okt 20222h 19min

In today’s panoply of role models, rare is the story of an everyman transforming his life wholesale—then sharing his process openly and honestly with humility and vulnerability. Today I convene with one of these aspirational, endurance veteran and personal hero Gordo Byrn. Gordo is someone who greatly inspired and influenced my endurance career and mentored me from afar in ways beyond my ability to calculate. This conversation, long in the making, is thus personally special. A former private equity investment banker, Gordo metamorphosed into an elite ultra-endurance athlete, a student of human performance, an endurance coach, and, mostly, a devoted family man. He’s also the co-author of the endurance bible 'Going Long'—an incredible resource for any and all athletes seeking to better understand and apply the principles of endurance. A Web 1.0 blogger and podcaste, Gordo's humble guidance and wisdom was a consistent presence during my heavy training years, a tradition he continues today on Twitter (@feelthebyrn1)—a platform he uses to share his experience on everything from endurance training to marriage, personal finance and parenting. Meeting Gordo was like meeting a lost twin for the first time, and this conversation was everything I hoped it would be. Watch: YouTube. Read: Show notes. The Swedish superstar and multiple Ultraman and Otillo champion Jonas Colting calls Gordo ‘Tony Robbins in a Speedo.’ I agree with this statement, and after listening to this one, you will too. Peace + Plants, Rich

24 Okt 20222h 43min

There are professionals. There are Olympians. But rare is the athlete who is so entirely and utterly devoted to sport in mind, body, and soul, that they exceed titles all together. Today I am lucky to host two of these extraordinary individuals: Norsemen Gustav Iden & Kristian Blummenfelt. In an unprecedented period of just 9 months, Kristian was crowned Olympic champion in Tokyo and bagged the fastest Ironman performance ever in his debut. After winning the 2021 70.3 World Champion title, this year Gustav had a spectacular 2022 debut victory at the Ironman World Championships in Kona—a race in which Kristian placed 3rd—emerging from Kristian’s formidable shadow and smashing the overall Kona course record with a blistering 7:40:24. On top of that, he rewrote the marathon course record with a 2:36;15 26.2.  Racing in tandem until the very end, Gustav and Kristian gave mindboggling, paradigm-crushing performances at the 2022 Ironman World Championship this year. It was an unforgettable barnburner of a race, and today we dive deep into the metrics and mechanics of that epic day. Watch: YouTube. Read: Show notes. Final Note: If you dig this conversation, look out for my upcoming podcast with their coach (and mad genius) Olav Aleksander Bu, which will be released in the not-so-distant future. The Norwegian Train is in the house. Tuck into that aero position, hammer some watts, and enjoy. Peace + Plants, Rich

20 Okt 20221h 36min

This is a conversation about the science, neurobiology and use cases for clinical hypnosis with the world’s leading researcher and clinician in the field, Dr. David Spiegel. Dr. Spiegel is the associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, the director of the Stanford Center on Stress and Health, and has published over 480 journal articles, 170 book chapters, and a whopping 13 books on the subject of hypnosis and related topics. Hypnosis is unfortunately a loaded term, one I admittedly met with skepticism. But as you’ll soon discover, clinical hypnosis, as opposed to ‘stage’ hypnosis, is a genuine and efficacious therapeutic protocol that induces a unique brain state—one that can be leveraged to improve everything from sleep states to high performance. It can be a powerful tool against addiction. And hypnosis has proven efficacious in the alleviation of trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety, chronic pain, and more. In this episode, Dr. Spiegel explains hypnosis, distinguishes the ‘stage’ variety from the clinical definition, and dispels the many myths associated with the field. We discuss the many aforementioned efficacious use cases for hypnosis, and a process Dr. Spiegel calls 'tranceformation'.  Finally, we cover helpful tools for self-hypnosis, a simple test to gauge your own receptivity to hypnosis, and many other topics. Watch: YouTube. Read: Show notes. For a special discount on the Reveri mobile app (iOs & Android), visit reveri.com/richroll where you will be entitled to purchase a yearly or lifetime membership at a reduced price. I receive no benefit or remuneration from this offer. Please enjoy what I think you will find to be a truly fascinating, potentially life-altering conversation. Peace + Plants, Rich

17 Okt 20221h 57min

How do you navigate transformation? What does it mean to live with integrity? And why is it important to cultivate intuition? Joining me today to grapple with truths big and small is my in-house spiritual guide, Julie Piatt—aka SriMati. My partner in every definition of the word, Julie excels across an impressive variety of disciplines. She is a serial entrepreneur. She’s the founder and CEO of SriMu, her plant-based cheese enterprise, and soon-to-be empire. She’s a musician. An artist. A designer. A devoted mother to four. Most relevant to today’s conversation, Julie is also a yogi and lifelong, devoted pursuer of spiritual wisdom, which she insightfully practices and instructs by way of her online spiritual community, Water Tiger. In this exchange, Julie shares actionable ways to celebrate your lived experience, amplify your awareness, and elevate your consciousness as we emerge from the pandemic and the multitude of experiences that period wrought. Julie also shares ways to inject entrepreneurship with spirituality. With the holiday season soon upon us, we also discuss how to gracefully navigate the emotional complexity of family gatherings. We conclude with valuable business insights from the front lines of growing her *not* cheese brand. Watch: YouTube. Read: Show notes. I think you’ll come away from this exchange inspired, enlightened, and armed with a few tactics to infuse your life with more purpose, passion, and joy. Julie tends to have that effect on people. Peace + Plants, Rich

13 Okt 20222h