550. Hacking Your Health with James Schmachtenberger

What if the key to better decisions isn't just willpower—it's how we support our daily performance?

I just interviewed James Schmachtenberger, co-founder of Neurohacker Collective and creator of Qualia, who went from severe adrenal failure at 21 to pioneering a new approach to human optimization.

After a life-changing experimental IV therapy in Mexico transformed his brain function, James asked himself a powerful question: 'Could we make cutting-edge cognitive enhancement accessible to everyone—not just those who can afford $250K/year in precision medicine?'

The answer led to a complete reimagining of supplement science, using complex systems modeling rather than the standard "one problem, one pill" approach.

James found that when he started exploring nootropics during his burnout period, they helped give him the foundation to start making better choices in exercise, nutrition, and other areas of life—creating powerful compounding effects.

If you've ever felt like you're capable of more but can't consistently access that potential, this conversation will give you a completely new framework

The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/550.