Anthony Ervin: The Rebel Olympian on Chasing Water, Finding Meaning in Gold & The Search For Authenticity

Anthony Ervin: The Rebel Olympian on Chasing Water, Finding Meaning in Gold & The Search For Authenticity

Imagine winning an Olympic gold medal in swimming at age 19 at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. A feat never-before achieved by a swimmer of African-American descent, the frenzied media swarms. The only problem? You’re only half-black. You definitely don’t look black. And you know nothing about what it’s like to be part of the black experience. The unrelenting crush of public expectation to fulfill a role at odds with your private sense of self becomes so intense, you retreat from your Olympic experience not with any lasting sense of happiness, satisfaction and pride, but rather a numb confusion. This isn’t anything like I thought it would be… Over time, the confusion metastasizes into disillusionment. And it’s not long before depression sets in. Lost and lacking the tools to cope, life begins to pivot away from the dreaded black line at the bottom of the pool and towards a dreadlocked blur of rock ‘n roll, boozy, drug-fueled binges, rampant womanizing, cigarette haze, and death-defying motorcycle crashes. Nonetheless, over the next three years you continue to do the one thing you know how to do: swim. Not only do you continue to win, in 2001 you’re crowned the world champion in two events. But these results only magnify what is quickly becoming a profound crisis of identity. Who am I? Why am I doing this? What does it all mean? The answers continue to elude you until you find yourself so despondent, so desperate for relief, that you down a handful of tranquilizers. But the suicide attempt fails, fueling a sense of invincibility that only hastens the onset of an even more profound darkness. So, at the young age of 22, at the peak of his abilities, Anthony Ervin does what he has to — he walks away from the thing he used to love. The thing that gave him everything. The thing that made him a star. The thing that betrayed it’s promise of making him whole. In a Hail Mary attempt to discover and re-create his life, Anthony travels the world. He meditates at a Buddhist temple. He studies philosophy with a Sufi mystic. He reclaims his body with tattoos. He enrolls in graduate school but spends summers in Brooklyn, where he immerses himself in books, writes poetry, and even occasionally cross-dresses at parties. The denouement? Hawking his Olympic gold medal on eBay and donating the proceeds to the UNICEF tsunami relief fund. The only thing Anthony Ervin didn’t do during this time? Swim. Not one stroke. The next eight years marked a complete divorce from anything and everything swimming. In fact, not one of Anthony’s new friends during this time had any idea he was even an athlete, let alone an Olympic champion. He was just another tattooed, guitar-playing Brooklynite seeking answers to the Universe in music, meditation, books and partying. But with funds dwindling, Anthony offhandedly takes a gig teaching New York kids how to swim. The experience of service begins to erode his jaded shell and ignites an unexpected spark of appreciation for his former life. A new sense of self worth begins to emerge, informing the why in Anthony’s quest for spiritual self-actualization. Suddenly, love for the sport he so thoroughly placed in his rearview begins to rekindle. In 2011, Anthony returns to the water. And almost overnight, the impossible occurs. Twelve years after Sydney, Anthony qualifies for the 2012 London Olympics — his second U.S. Olympic team. Despite his 31 years of age (ancient in the world of swi...

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Psychologist Marc Brackett On Why You Can't Name Your Emotions, Cognitive Strategies For Emotional Regulation, & Giving Yourself Permission To Feel

Psychologist Marc Brackett On Why You Can't Name Your Emotions, Cognitive Strategies For Emotional Regulation, & Giving Yourself Permission To Feel

Dr. Marc Brackett is a Yale professor, founder of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and creator of the RULER program implemented in 5,000 schools worldwide. This conversation explores Marc's journey from childhood trauma to emotion expert, his RULER framework for emotional intelligence, and why dealing with feelings is a crucial skill most of us never learned. We discuss "Uncle Marvin" figures, the meta-moment between stimulus and response, and practical strategies for emotional regulation. In real-time, Marc helps me explore my own emotional patterns as they emerge. Marc offers valuable insights into navigating difficult moments. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: Go Brewing: Use the code Rich Roll for 15% OFF👉https://www.gobrewing.com             On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style👉https://www.on.com/richroll              Bon Charge: Get 15% OFF all my favorite wellness products w/ code RICHROLL👉https://www.boncharge.com                                                          Prolon: Get 15% OFF plus a FREE bonus gift👉 https://www.prolonlife.com/richroll AG1: Get a FREE bottle of D3K2, Welcome Kit, and 5 travel packs with your first order👉https://www.drinkAG1.com/richroll Rivian: Electric vehicles that keep the world adventurous forever👉https://www.rivian.com   Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us@voicingchange

15 Sep 2h 28min

Beyond Eat, Pray, Love: Elizabeth Gilbert's Raw Truth About Addiction, Codependency & The Awakening That Saved Her Life

Beyond Eat, Pray, Love: Elizabeth Gilbert's Raw Truth About Addiction, Codependency & The Awakening That Saved Her Life

Elizabeth Gilbert is the bestselling author of "Eat, Pray, Love" and her new memoir "All the Way to the River." This conversation explores sex and love addiction, her partner's death during relapse, and finding recovery through radical honesty. We discuss hitting rock bottom while buying drugs for her dying partner, six years of celibacy as self-care, the illusion of control, and learning "no abandonment of self." This exchange reveals how the "Eat, Pray, Love" author ended up in her darkest chapter. Elizabeth's courage to be this vulnerable is inspiring. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: LMNT: Get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase 👉 https://www.drinklmnt.com/richroll                                                                                  AG1: Get a FREE bottle of D3K2, Welcome Kit, and 5 travel packs with your first order 👉https://www.drinkAG1.com/richroll Pique: Get up to 20% OFF plus a FREE rechargeable frother and glass beaker with your first subscription 👉https://www.piquelife.com/richroll                                                       Momentous: High-caliber human performance products for sleep, focus, longevity, and more. For listeners of the show, Momentous is offering up to 35% off your first order👉https://www.livemomentous.com/richroll WHOOP: The all-new WHOOP 5.0 is here! Get your first month FREE👉https://www.join.whoop.com/Roll On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉https://www.on.com/richroll              Check out all the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us @voicingchange

11 Sep 2h 25min

Rhett & Link On Building A (Mythical) Media Empire, The Price of Public Friendship, & Leaving The Evangelical Church

Rhett & Link On Building A (Mythical) Media Empire, The Price of Public Friendship, & Leaving The Evangelical Church

Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal are the creators of Good Mythical Morning, one of YouTube's most-watched daily shows with over 19 million subscribers and 8 billion views. This conversation explores their 40-year friendship, spiritual deconstruction from evangelical Christianity, the soul cost of YouTube's algorithm, their self-funded series Wonderhole, and what happens when your best friend is also your business partner. We talk faith, the strain on family life, and the challenge of building an empire without losing your humanity. Along the way, they reveal how their deconstruction ultimately saved their friendship. Rhett and Link have built something incredibly inspiring.  And their story is still unfolding. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉https://www.on.com/richroll                                                                    Squarespace: Use code RichRoll to save 10% off your first order of a website or domain 👉https://www.squarespace.com/RichRoll     AG1: Get a FREE bottle of D3K2, Welcome Kit, and 5 travel packs with your first order 👉https://www.drinkAG1.com/richroll                                             BetterHelp: Get 10% OFF the first month👉 https://www.betterhelp.com/richroll           Rivian: Electric vehicles that keep the world adventurous forever👉https://www.rivian.com Momentous: High-caliber human performance products for sleep, focus, longevity, and more. For listeners of the show, Momentous is offering up to 35% off your first order made through👉 https://www.LiveMomentous.com/richroll Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us@voicingchange

8 Sep 2h 11min

Jay Duplass & Michael Strassner On The Art of Creative Rebellion

Jay Duplass & Michael Strassner On The Art of Creative Rebellion

Jay Duplass is an award-winning filmmaker, actor, and co-architect of the mumblecore movement. Michael Strassner is a comedian, actor, and the protagonist of Jay's new film "The Baltimorons." This conversation explores Jay's first solo directing effort in 14 years, Michael's journey from rock bottom to seven years of sobriety, and how they created a transcendent film for less than the cost of an LA permit. We discuss creative authenticity versus Hollywood cynicism, why early sobriety rarely gets screen time, and how serving someone else's story might save your own. In the process, we dissect how cultural mythology is built through storytelling and why flawed humans make better protagonists than superheroes. These two are creating equipment for living. What unfolds is a love letter to persistence. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: Seed: Use code RICHROLL25 for 25% OFF your first order 👉https://www.seed.com/RichRoll25                           Squarespace: Use code RichRoll to save 10% off your first order of a website or domain 👉https://www.squarespace.com/RichRoll     Bon Charge Get 15% OFF all my favorite wellness products w/ code RICHROLL 👉https://www.boncharge.com                                                           Roka: Unlock 20% OFF your order with code RICHROLL 👉https://www.ROKA.com/RICHROLL            The Sprouting Company: Get 10% off and a free copy of "The Sprout Book" with code RICHROLL 👉https://www.thesproutingcompany.com/pages/richroll On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉https://www.on.com/richroll               Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us@voicingchange

1 Sep 2h 31min

The Human Brain: Leading Experts On Preventing Cognitive Decline, Understanding Addiction, The Neurochemistry of Spirituality & The Mind-Body Connection

The Human Brain: Leading Experts On Preventing Cognitive Decline, Understanding Addiction, The Neurochemistry of Spirituality & The Mind-Body Connection

Dr. Andrew Huberman, Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai, Dr. Anna Lembke, Dr. Lisa Miller, and Dr. David Spiegel are researchers exploring the mysteries of our most enigmatic organ. This compilation reveals how three pounds of tissue controls everything—from the vascular networks that determine cognitive destiny to the neurochemistry that drives addiction. Why 97% of Alzheimer's cases aren't inevitable, how dopamine traps us, what happens during spiritual experiences, and why hypnosis works. These insights offer understanding of the neural mechanisms that shape every moment of your existence. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉https://www.on.com/richroll                                Roka: Unlock 20% OFF your order with code RICHROLL 👉https://www.ROKA.com/RICHROLL Mint Mobile: Get your 3-month Unlimited plan for just $15/month 👉 https://www.mintmobile.com/richroll AG1: Get a FREE bottle of D3K2, Welcome Kit, and 5 travel packs with your first order 👉https://www.drinkAG1.com/richroll Rivian: Electric vehicles that keep the world adventurous forever👉https://www.rivian.com Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us@voicingchange

28 Aug 1h 16min

Me, But Better: Olga Khazan On The Science of Personality Change, Challenging Fixed Mindsets, & The Big Five Traits That Shape Your Life

Me, But Better: Olga Khazan On The Science of Personality Change, Challenging Fixed Mindsets, & The Big Five Traits That Shape Your Life

Olga Khazan is a staff writer for The Atlantic and author of "Me, But Better." This conversation explores personality mutability and Olga's experiment to transform from anxious introvert to someone freed from her own patterns. We discuss the Big Five traits, her Miami breakdown that sparked everything, and why anxiety isn't actually your superpower. Along the way, we examine the paradox of self-acceptance. This exchange is about agency, transformation, and why we amplify our suffering. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: Lincoln Financial: Check out the NEW 4-part series "The Action Plan"👉https://www.lincolnfinancial.com/richroll                                                    On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉https://www.on.com/richroll              AG1: Get a FREE bottle of D3K2, Welcome Kit, and 5 travel packs with your first order 👉https://www.drinkAG1.com/richroll Birch Living:  Sustainable mattresses with a 100-night risk-free trial. For 20% off site-wide visit BirchLiving.com/richroll. BetterHelp: Get 10% OFF the first month 👉 https://www.betterhelp.com/richroll WHOOP: The all-new WHOOP 5.0 is here! Get your first month FREE👉https://www.join.whoop.com/Roll   Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us@voicingchange

25 Aug 2h 12min

Addiction, Celebrity, Public Shaming & Truth: The Performance Art of James Frey, Celebrated Writer of Ill-Repute

Addiction, Celebrity, Public Shaming & Truth: The Performance Art of James Frey, Celebrated Writer of Ill-Repute

James Frey is the author of "A Million Little Pieces," a book that spoke to the deepest, darkest parts of countless readers in early recovery. This conversation explores his journey to become literature's bad boy, his heroes like Baudelaire and Henry Miller, and his philosophy of "prowling with the panther." We discuss the intersection of creativity and the Tao, where inspiration comes from, and his unique approach to capturing vitality on the page. Along the way, James recounts a few things he's never shared publicly. This is a manifesto on the importance of muscular books written by authors with courage. Buckle up. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: Go Brewing: Use the code Rich Roll for 15% OFF 👉https://www.gobrewing.com On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉https://www.on.com/richroll              Momentous: Save 35% OFF your first subscription order 👉https://www.livemomentous.com/richroll                              Roka: Unlock 20% OFF your order with code RICHROLL 👉https://www.ROKA.com/RICHROLL            BetterHelp: Get 10% OFF the first month👉 https://www.betterhelp.com/richroll Rivian: Electric vehicles that keep the world adventurous forever👉https://www.rivian.com Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us@voicingchange

18 Aug 2h 34min

ROLL ON: The State of Podcasting In 2025

ROLL ON: The State of Podcasting In 2025

Roll On resurfaces from the chrysalis! Adam Skolnick and I unpack 90 days post-surgery, why the caterpillar needs a tortoise mind to become a butterfly, and the death of authentic podcasting. On tap: The state of Podcastistan, why I'm breaking up with viral culture, and the unexpected joy of moving at glacier pace. We explore Phil Stutz's three truths, Alaska's last frontier vibes, and why Deadwood still hits different. Plus: Movies are officially back, friends of the pod crushing impossible distances—because regular suffering is passé—and why community beats audience every damn time. Enjoy! Show notes + MOREWatch on YouTubeNewsletter Sign-Up   Today’s Sponsors: LMNT: Get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase 👉 https://www.drinklmnt.com/richroll                                                                                  Seed: Use code RICHROLL25 for 25% OFF your first order 👉https://www.seed.com/RichRoll25 Pique: Get up to 20% OFF plus a FREE rechargeable frother and glass beaker with your first subscription 👉https://www.piquelife.com/richroll Momentous: Save 35% OFF your first subscription order 👉https://www.livemomentous.com/richroll   Calm: Get 40% off a Calm Premium subscription 👉 https://www.calm.com/richroll Prolon: Get 15% OFF plus a FREE bonus gift 👉 https://www.prolonlife.com/richroll Mint Mobile: Get your 3-month Unlimited plan for just $15/month 👉 https://www.mintmobile.com/richroll Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors   Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media  and follow us@voicingchange

14 Aug 1h 35min

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