The Iron Cowboy Did It! How James Lawrence Completed 50 Ironmans In 50 States In 50 Days

7.5 billion people currently share this spinning blue planet we call Earth. By 2050, that number will escalate to 9.7 billion. By 2100? 11 billion. How can we possibly feed 11 billion people sustainably? To answer that question we must turn our gaze to the industrialization of animal agriculture. On the surface, what we commonly call factory farming appears incredibly efficient, creating massive economies of scale. But peer just below the surface and you'll discover a vast operation of mass suffering that is irreparably polluting the environment, eviscerating our dwindling natural resources and destroying human health to boot. Beyond wasteful. Utterly unsustainable. Indefensibly cruel. Ladies and gentlemen, our food system is in dire need of innovation. So let's talk about it. This week I sit down with Bruce Friedrich, a man who has devoted his life to reforming animal agriculture and innovating the future of food and food systems. Bruce is the executive director of The Good Food Institute and founding partner of New Crop Capital, organizations focused on replacing animal products with plant and culture-based alternatives. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College, holds additional degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the London School of Economics and was inducted into the United States Animal Rights Hall of Fame in 2004. A popular speaker on college campuses — including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT — Bruce has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Court TV. As compelling as it gets, this is an extraordinary conversation about animal agriculture, planetary health and human well being. It's about the politics of agriculture and the subsidies, corporations, representatives and lobbyists that support it. But mostly, this is an optimistic forecast of food system innovation — how technology, urgency and popular demand are rapidly converging to create healthy, sustainable and compassionate solutions to help solve our current food, health and environmental crises. Incredibly intelligent, considerate and measured, it was an honor to sit down with Bruce. May our exchange leave you inspired to invest more deeply in where your food comes from and how it impacts the precious world we share. Peace + Plants, Rich

1 Maj 20171h 27min

Ever wonder what it would be like to get paid to travel the world, jetting from one exotic port of call to the next in search of adventure? Now imagine sharing these experiences with millions of people all over the world on the daily. Few could pull this off. But if you feel the allure, then you're in for a treat with this week's guest — because Louis Cole is the master. With almost 2 million subscribers on his Fun For Louis YouTube channel (plus 1.5 million on Instagram), this British-born dreadlocked globetrotter was one of the first (if not the very first) daily travel vloggers to break out — an internet personality so sensational, YouTube crown prince Casey Neistat (RRP 73, 144 & 174) dubbed Louis the godfather of daily vlogging. Louis has crossed India on a rickshaw and skydived high above Dubai. He has skateboarded along Sydney Harbor and sailed a hot air balloon in Kenya. From kayaking in New Zealand to salsa dancing in Cuba, it's just another day of fun for Louis — a guy committed to sucking the marrow out of life. But the true allure of Louis isn't travel. And it isn't vlogging. No, Louis' greatest talent is his ability to inspire wonder. Imbued with a rare enthusiasm for embracing all that life delivers, he has an infectious touch when it comes to encouraging his followers to pursue big dreams while he enjoys his own. After a brief training progress report with my coach Chris Hauth, this week I sit down with Louis to find out exactly how he created such an extraordinary life. This is a conversation about cultivating imagination, then translating that imagination into reality. It's about the mindset, tools and practices required to craft the trajectory of your wildest dreams. And to embrace the life you deserve. An old soul with a big heart, Louis is a truly beautiful guy. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Peace + Plants, Rich

24 Apr 20172h 23min

As longtime listeners know well, minimalism, mindfulness & sustainable living are favorite recurring themes of this show. Guests like Andrew Morgan and Joshua Katcher have elucidated our our cultural addiction to fast fashion. Andy Puddicombe, Jason Garner,Light Watkins,Dan Harris,Charlie Knoles,Guru Singh,WuDe and others have espoused the benefits of meditation. And people like Joshua Fields Milburn have shared the strategies and value of learning to live better with less. Perhaps you even watched Joshua and Ryan Nicodemus' documentary, Minimalism*. If you did, you may recall seeing Leo Babauta featured. A husband and father of six, Leo is the creator of Zen Habits, one of the largest single-author blogs in the world with a fanatic global fanbase in the millions. Named one of TIME magazine’s Top 10 blogs, Leo was indisputably one of the first prominent voices on the internet advocating the power and beauty of embracing simplicity and mindfulness to transcend the chaos of our daily existence. Through his writing, he has taught millions how to clear mental, emotional, financial and physical clutter so we can focus on what’s most important, create something amazing, and find contentment, purpose and meaning in our lives. Count me a fan. Today finds Leo with a new goal: to end human struggle. Audacious? Sure. Naively optimistic? Maybe. But Leo is no ordinary human. Uniquely extraordinary, he might just have what it tales to help birth a new age of consciousness. Despite the fact that we had never met in person prior to this podcast, I can't overstate the extent to which Leo's work positively influenced my personal transformation and continues to this day to inspire my path. An authentic example of the powerful ideals he espouses, it was a personal thrill to finally meet him. More importantly, our exchange exceeded all expectations. This is a conversation about how to create healthy, personal boundaries. It's about the distinction between greed and ambition. It's about combating our consumerist programming through meditation, yoga, and mindfulness practices. And it's a conversation about his vegan lifestyle and why he unschools his children. But overall, this is a potent conversation about the path to self-mastery. It's about how to let go of negative habits and adopt positive practices with staying power in service to your highest, most authentic self. Because if you ask Leo, life is for living, not for productivity. Present, gracious and wise beyond measure, Leo is a rare voice worth heeding. And this is a podcast you're going to want to listen to more than once. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Peace + Plants, Rich

17 Apr 20172h 1min

From fire walks to ice baths and juice cleanses to intermittent fasting, silent retreats, talk therapy and everything in between, the world of personal development is limitless. And that's not counting all the podcasts, audiobooks, online courses, weekend seminars, weeklong symposiums, webinar tutorials and mastermind intensives that can occupy a well-intentioned seeker dawn to dusk for the next 10,000 years. Beyond the overwhelm, the self-help universe is fraught with snake oil slinging charlatans obfuscating truth from fiction — and all too often salvation from predation. Efforts to divine truth from bullshit render imperfect results. Anxiety ensues. To cope, we double down on improving upon our self-improvement until we wake up one day and realize what began as a laudable quest for growth has suddenly become an obsessive malignancy — a sort of spiritual eating disorder gnawing away on our very soul. Danielle LaPorte has been there. And she's got a message for you: You're the answer to your question. Named to Oprah’s inaugural SuperSoul 100, Entrepreneur magazine calls Danielle equal parts poet and entrepreneurial badass. I call her a powerful force of nature — a teacher, a leader and a mom who also happens to be a lauded public speaker, multiple bestselling author and doyenne of blogging for millions at DanielleLaPorte.com, which Forbes calls the best place online for kickass spirituality. Honest, accessible and authentic to the core, Danielle's books include The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms* and The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul*. Her newest book, which hits shelves everywhere May 16 and is available for pre-order now, is entitled White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping It Real on Your Spiritual Path from One Seeker to Another*. A high recommend, it's a fun and accessible rollercoaster ride through the machinations of personal growth, the pitfalls of spiritual glamour and the self-criticism that too often accompanies self-help to deliver a powerful edict: you are your own guru. A beacon of compassion, Danielle is an extraordinary human. A woman devoted to helping people transcend their limitations, access their potential, and truly self-actualize. It was an honor to finally sit down with her and talk it all out. This is a fun, deep and deeply fun dive into Danielle’s divine path. It's an exploration of self-help adventures gone wrong and the breakthroughs that make it all worth it. It's about what happens when spirituality becomes a to do list. And why sometimes we have to fall for lies in order to discover our truth. Ultimately, it's not how you seek spiritual growth, it's why you seek it. Answer this, and you are on the path to becoming your own guru. Enjoy! Rich

10 Apr 20171h 49min

We all want what's best for our kids. So we roll up our sleeves and insert ourselves in their education, pitching in on homework and managing school projects. We stimulate them with an endless revolving door of activities. We do what we can to foster good grades, college application-worthy experiences and self-esteem. Along the way, we celebrate victories as if they were our own. And swoop in to protect when things go south. The instinct is laudable: set up our children for success, by any means necessary. But what if we have it all wrong? What if all this hyper-competitive, overly-protective micro-management is doing more harm than good? As a parent of young girls, I desperately want to do everything I can to serve their long-term interests. To learn more, I sat down with educator, writer and speaker Jessica Lahey (@jesslahey). A graduate of the University of Massachusetts with a J.D. concentrating on juvenile and education law from the University of North Carolina School of Law, Jessica is an an English and writing teacher, correspondent for the Atlantic, commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and writes the “Parent-Teacher Conference” column for the New York Times. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed* (highly recommend for parents) and if that's not enough, she also explores writing and creativity on #AmWriting, a podcast she co-hosts with KJ Dell'Antonia, a columnist and contributing editor for the New York Times' Well Family. Specific topics discussed include: * the critical difference between grades and learning * differentiating between confidence vs. competence * the perils of “fixed mindsets” * the nature of what motivates true learning * the negative implications of over-parenting, rescuing, enmeshment & hovering; and * effective strategies to cultivate your child's long-term interests * ultimately its about how to best parent your child to maximize their learning and set them up for long term success. If you are a parent, this episode is a must listen. If you don't have kids, you will nonetheless find Jessica's powerful insights on the psychology of motivation and the mechanisms that promote learning absolutely invaluable and applicable to each and every one of us. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. Peace + Plants, Rich

3 Apr 20171h 54min

It’s no secret that aspects of our current education system are at best antiquated, at worst broken. Whether it's quality education in the developing world, properly training people to meet our rapidly changing workforce needs or the crippling student loan debt that onerously burdens millions of young people, we're long overdue for some systemic upgrades. This week's guest has devoted his life to tackling these problems. A young man with a bright future, Adam Braun graduated from Brown and threw himself headfirst into a burgeoning career in finance when an extended backpacking trip across the developing world forever changed his perspective. Inspired by a sense of purpose and a call to service, in 2008 Adam walked away from Wall Street to launch Pencils of Promise – a for purpose philanthropic endeavor with the mission of building schools in countries across the world. A massive success, Pencils of Promise is responsible for over 400 new schools to date, distinguishing itself as one of a handful of charitable organizations that has fundamentally changed how we think about and practice philanthropy and giving. Named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 List, Business Insider's 40 Under 40 List, and Wired's Smart List of 50 People Changing the World, Adam chronicles his remarkable journey in The Promise of a Pencil*, a powerful story of awakening and action that demonstrates how one person can make a huge difference in a short period of time. Debuting at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list and going on to becoming a #1 national bestseller, it's a favored read among business leaders and can even be found on many a college syllabus. Today finds Adam embarking a new chapter, taking on higher education with an ambitious new start up called MissionU – a for-profit for purpose, venture-backed organization that presents a compelling alternative to traditional college by sending students into the workforce debt-free. This is a great conversation about Adam’s journey to entrepreneurial success. It's about the current state of education, the business of education, and the innovative path forward. It’s a conversation about self-awareness, integrity and lightning moments. But mostly, this is a conversation about the transformative power of leading a meaningful life of service fueled by purpose. I applaud Adam's commitment to dream big and solve huge problems. A special human, I promise you will be captivated by the extraordinary story behind it all. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. Peace + Plants, Rich

27 Mars 20171h 39min

This mid-week episode of the podcast is a fun, dynamic Q&A session from our recent Plantpower Way event at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney, Australia. Some of the topics covered include: * raising vegan kids * incorporating podcast guest wisdom into your life * becoming your own self-sustaining ecosystem * carving a career out of your passion * pushing through when discipline wavers * the benefits of mutual partner support * effective advocacy methods I hope you enjoy the offering. #StayJedi! Peace + Plants, Rich

24 Mars 201757min

I know what you’re thinking. It's rather convenient for any Olympic athlete to say that hard work trumps talent. For perspective, take a glance at the palmarès of this week's guest: * 2012 London Olympics: Gold in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay * 2016 Rio Olympics: Gold in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay * 2016 Rio Olympics: Bronze in the 200 meter freestyle In total, Conor Dwyer has won seventeen medals in major international swimming competitions: nine gold, six silver, and two bronze. I could geek out on his statistics forever but you get the picture. The dude is super fast in the pool; one of the fastest swimmers of all time. An extraordinary athlete, Conor is obviously immensely talented. So this idea that hard work beats talent can't possibly apply to him, right? Not so fast. Conor was the furthest thing from a natural talent right out of the gate. His performances out of high school were so mediocre in fact, he couldn't even get the attention of college coaches let alone a swimming scholarship. I simply cannot overstate how rare it is in competitive swimming that an athlete of his current caliber had yet to distinguish himself by 18. It just doesn't happen. But Conor refused to give up. Through persistence and a robust work ethic relentlessly applied, a series of circumstances slowly aligned. A believing coach appeared to mentor him, followed by training partners to push him to new levels of possibility and further fuel his self-belief in potential. Over time, all the important ingredients alchemized to bake the cake that is the superstar athlete we know today as Conor Dwyer. This week Conor shares his extraordinary story from bench warmer to Olympic champion. A story that lays bare a simple core truth I have experienced myself: when the heart is pure and fueled by self-belief, extreme faith, unwavering patience and an unabating work ethic, the universe conspires to support the dream. One of the good guys, Conor lives it with every breath. A recipe for success that has fueled his accomplishments and will support anyone — irrespective of talent level — in the pursuit of an audacious dream. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange. Peace + Plants, Rich

20 Mars 20171h 29min