Andy Puddicombe: The Power of Meditation

Andy Frisella is the co-founder of multiple successful real businesses (we’re talking lots of brick and mortar stores as well as a huge online business). He is the host of the popular MFCEO podcast (yes, it stands for what you think it stands for). He is a straight-talking, no BS entrepreneur, coach, and leader. He’s also a big guy – fit, strong, and confident. So he’s the last guy you’d expect to have lasting nerve damage in his face from being stabbed and disfigured when in his early twenties. I met Andy a while ago and we recently spoke at the same event and re-connected. I’ve always looked up to his wise words backed up by real action. So when he came on the podcast, I knew he would deliver some solid gold business advice. What I didn’t know is how deep we would go into the psychological challenges Andy had to overcome after being attacked and disfigured when he was younger — before he was ever successful and people were paying attention to him. I was really impressed with how he chose to shift his perspective (after battling intense depression) and make powerful results in his life despite the adversity he has faced. No matter what you have gone through, there’s no excuses for what you can achieve after listening to Andy in Episode 485. In This Episode, You Will Learn:The power of in-person connection (now more than ever) (5:50)What social media should be used for (6:02)The story of Andy getting stabbed and disfigured (6:24)The moment that changed his perspective on adversity (11:53)What Millenials actually have right in their perspective (33:12)The ultimate competitive advantage for any brand to create (40:00)Plus much more…

6 Okt 20191h 4min

Kelly LeVeque is not only positive, glowing, and lives what she preaches when it comes to health and diet, but she is super knowledgeable about the science of how our bodies work. Within 10 minutes of the interview starting she was teaching me about exactly how and why I get hungry, what foods cause what hormones in my body to release, and so much more. I loved how nerdy she got about the science of hunger and healthy eating — but she still kept everything easy to understand. Then we got into the business side of her brand and I was even more impressed. Kelly had a successful career in the corporate world, but she was smart enough to listen to her friends who were encouraging her to go after her passion. Instead of leaping off the cliff of entrepreneurship, she wisely built a side hustle as a health coach, and when she was finally ready, she took the leap with money already coming in. Today she is the beloved nutritionist for celebrities like Jessica Alba and Chelsea Handler, but she is equally passionate about supporting anyone and everyone in falling back in love with their bodies and food. Get ready to learn and be inspired by Kelly in Episode 511. In This Episode, You Will Learn:Why having a side hustle before becoming a full entrepreneur is a good idea (3:26)How to fix the problem of being hungry all the time (9:08)The benefits of fasting for 4 days to reset your immune system (16:05)How many times our bodies break down and rebuild themselves during our lifetime (19:27)Why and how intermittent fasting is good for you (29:30)How to get over sugar cravings (35:00)How to build a brand that celebrities are attracted to work with (37:12)The value of getting coaches in multiple areas of life (50:20)Plus much more…

6 Okt 20191h 3min

I am stoked to bring my man Aubrey Marcus back on The School of Greatness. Aubrey is one of the smartest business leaders I know, as well as a huge inspiration to me for fitness, mindset, and excellence. Since he was in LA writing his book, we decided to record a podcast about something Aubrey knows A LOT about. He has studied the champion’s mindset extensively and has incredible insight into what makes a champion from talking to his friends, who are world-class athletes. This time around, Aubrey is sharing the 8 major characteristics that create a champion – and they are gold. Get ready to take notes and be hugely inspired by my good friend Aubrey Marcus in Episode 273. In This Episode, You Will Learn:About Aubrey’s new book he’s working on8 Characteristics of ChampionsChampions utilize belief to their advantageChampions are great studentsChampions are toughChampions master their mindsChampions have ritualsChampions are absolutely relentlessChampions are in a serious relationship with their bodyChampions have a great teamPlus much more…

5 Okt 20191h 7min

Yes, we are talking about relationships again on  The School of Greatness. Partly because I love learning as much as possible about how to create and maintain healthy, amazing relationships (and I need a lot of coaching in my love life). But partly because I heard today’s guest speak at Summit at Sea in November and I knew I had to have her on the podcast. Esther Perel is a world-renowned relationship therapist, bestselling author, and sought-after speaker who has focused her career on exploring the role of sex and eroticism in making and breaking intimate relationships. She has an incredible world-view of relationships in many different cultures, which has allowed her to see what works and what doesn’t on a bigger level. I asked her a ton of questions in our interview and she had answers. You may already have set ideas about what intimate relationships should look like, but I know you’ll get some new perspective from listening to this interview. Get ready to get vulnerable with yourself as you take a look at your relationships in Episode 285 with Esther Perel. In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why Esther was inspired in her work by the Clinton sex scandalThe cultural differences in how adultery is viewed around the worldThe effects in the U.S. of how sex education is presentedIndifference, contempt, neglect, and violence are the main issues in any intimate relationshipWhy people often treat their partner worse than anyone else.The impact our parents have on our relationship skills (this is big)Women get bored with monogamy sooner than men (because the romance usually dies after marriage)A better question than “What turns me off” is “When I turn myself off is”Why investing in being your best self and pursuing what lights you up keeps you interested in a monogamous relationshipThe relationship between emotional risk and desireWe now expect our partner to be a whole village for us since we live much more private livesThe 4 Pillars of Modern Relationships: Trust, Affection, Intimacy, DesireThe idea that your marriage can have different phases (like a new marriage each time) with the same personThe value of yearly check-ins with your partner (not when a crisis is happening) to see what’s going onWhy it’s important to separate the idea of failure from divorceThe Millenial generation are the children of the divorced and disillusionedThe influx of couples who are married but live apart aka LAT couples (more common in the older generation)What originally attracts you to someone is often what eventually drives you crazy about themPlus much more…

4 Okt 20191h 20min

If I were to ask you what one characteristic makes the biggest difference in how you deal with and get through hard things, what would you answer? Maybe strength or faith or perspective? Would you have thought of resilience? I wouldn’t have, until I talked to today’s guest on The School of Greatness, the incredible Eric Greitens. Eric’s list of accolades is long, but among some of them are that he is a Navy SEAL, a PhD, a Rhodes scholar, an author, and a hopeful for Missouri governor. His newest book is all about how resilience is the characteristic that gets us through the hard stuff – how we process pain in the moment and after. Eric is no stranger to this, as he recounts in our conversation Navy SEAL training, his travels around the world photographing war torn areas, and working with veterans with PTSD. I could have talked to Eric for hours and took plenty of notes, so I expect you to do the same. Get ready to have your eyes opened and learn life-changing insight about resilience in Episode 157 with Eric Greitens. In This Episode, You Will Learn: Navy SEAL training – what it’s really likeThe power of taking the focus off of yourself and onto your purpose during a challengeThe idea of segmenting an overwhelming challenge: breaking it down into small enough pieces that you have one you can start with right nowMental rehearsal: teaching yourself how to worryResilience is the virtue that helps you get better when things are hardThe difference between pain that distracts you and pain that helps you growWhy the first step towards resiliency is taking responsibilityThe downside of making excuses to deal with pain (you can’t run in a suit of armor)The power of breathing to help you get through pain (yes, this is for real)How writing a fear down takes away some of its power over youWhy you need to build a system to remind yourself of the things you knowPlus much more…

3 Okt 20191h 3min

The words “peaceful” and “warrior” don’t usually go together. In fact, they seem to be opposites. But if you’ve read the international bestselling book or seen the movie Way of the Peaceful Warrior, you know there’s something powerful about this idea. Dan Millman is the author of this (and 16 other books) and an incredibly wise teacher. He was an early guest on the podcast, back in Episode 193, and I was excited to have him back on since he just released a new book. When I watched the movie based on his hit book, it was hugely influential to me and became one of my favorites. Sitting down with him 11 years later to discuss the wisdom behind this story was powerful. Dan is the kind of guy who has a quiet way of speaking, takes pauses, and thinks about his answers. But I was hanging on every word. There were times in this conversation where I almost felt like I was in a dream, learning things that he wasn’t even saying. And that was after just an hour of talking together. I loved what Dan taught about what it means to live a good life, why greatness is apparent in every single one of us, and how life teaches us exactly what we’re ready to learn. Whether this is your first experience with the peaceful warrior mindset or you are a fan already, be prepared for some spiritual weight training during Episode 554. In This Episode, You Will Learn:How to practice lucid dreaming (10:30)Why comparison is actually a form of suffering (14:30)The 12 courses that life teaches us (17:20)Why Dan doesn’t encourage anyone to be grateful (29:06)How to take care of your health when you’re young (54:07)Plus much more…

3 Okt 20191h 9min

Most of us have strong feelings about habits. We love the ones that help us be better and we hate the ones that hold us back. But have you ever thought about how habits affect our happiness? Today’s guest on The School of Greatness has thought a lot about this. Gretchen Rubin is a hugely successful author and blogger (and former attorney) who researches the best ways to create happy, healthy lifestyles. In her newest book, she studies how to use your personality strengths and weaknesses to mindfully create habits that work to your advantage. On a deeper level, she talks about how all of the small daily choices we make add up to our whole lives, and how we can save energy by making good choices a habit. I loved connecting with and learning from Gretchen in this conversation and can’t wait for you to as well in Episode 187 with Gretchen Rubin. In This Episode, You Will Learn: The 4 Tendencies of How We Meet ExpectationsObligers – people who meet others’ expectations but not their ownUpholders – people who meet others’ and their own expectationsQuestioners – people who question every expectation – they need reasons for everythingRebels – people who resist all expectationsHabits are all about decision-making: behaviors that are on auto-pilotWhy life transitions are the best times to make new habits (even when things are crazy)What kind of lifestyles cause unhappinessPlus much more…

3 Okt 201950min

Ok. This is big. And it’s not just for parents. I got so much out of this interview and I’m not a parent yet. In fact, I believe in this message so much, I want EVERYONE to hear it, whether they are a parent, a child, or an adult child (that covers all of us). Dr. Shefali Tsabary is one of the world’s leading experts in parenting. As a clinical psychologist, she is well educated in this topic. But that isn’t what’s made her a multiple NYT bestselling author or a favorite of Oprah. Dr. Shefali has spent her life learning from both Eastern and Western philosophy about the relationships between parents and children. This includes learning about how our egos respond to creating life, why we struggle so much with trying to control our children, how we project on them all of the things we didn’t get from our parents, and so much more. In our conversation, we dove deep into why it’s so important to become a conscious parent – beginning well before you decide you are ready to have a child. I was on the edge of my seat during this whole interview because I was learning so much (that made so much sense about my own experience of being a child). I can’t wait to have Dr. Shefali back on the show, but for now, get ready to upgrade your level of consciousness in Episode 526. In This Episode, You Will Learn:The biggest difference between Eastern and Western philosophies of parenting (3:32)The mental illness running through so many parents in our society (6:40)How children are actually our teachers (7:26)The question every person should ask themselves before choosing to become a parent (9:01)Why we need to think of children as coming through us instead of us creating them (14:15)What needs to shift inside women for them to own their power (28:59)How parenting can be a mask (32:40)Why parenting is a “being” more than a “doing” (48:40)Plus much more…

3 Okt 20191h 5min