In 'Delivering Happiness,' Tony Hsieh shares his entrepreneurial journey, from co-founding LinkExchange to leading Zappos to its remarkable success. The book emphasizes the importance of company culture, customer service, and employee happiness in achieving business success. Hsieh outlines three core sections: 'Profits,' 'Profits and Passion,' and 'Profits, Passion, and Purpose,' highlighting key lessons such as the superiority of product quality over marketing, the importance of passion in entrepreneurship, and the critical role of company culture in driving success. He also introduces frameworks for happiness, including perceived control, progress, connectedness, and vision/meaning, and how these can be applied to create a happy and productive workplace[2][4][5].
In 'Can't Hurt Me,' David Goggins shares his astonishing life story, from a childhood marred by poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse to becoming a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The book reveals Goggins' philosophy, known as the '40% Rule,' which suggests that most people only tap into 40% of their capabilities. He provides a wealth of practical strategies and principles for personal development, emphasizing self-discipline, accountability, and the necessity of embracing discomfort to unlock personal transformation. Goggins' story and advice serve as a blueprint for readers to push past their perceived limits, confront their fears, and unleash their full potential.
My Promised Land is a comprehensive and personal narrative history of Israel, written by Ari Shavit. The book combines family history, memoir, archival research, and interviews to provide a rich and nuanced account of Israel’s history from the late 19th century to the present. Shavit examines the complexities and contradictions of the Israeli condition, asking crucial questions about the origins, survival, and future of Israel. The book is praised for its balanced and empathetic portrayal of both Jewish and Palestinian experiences, although some critics have noted its controversial handling of certain historical events. It is a landmark work that brings to life epic history without being a conventional history book, deepening contemporary political understanding without being a one-sided polemic[2][4][5].
Post-election thoughts. Managing stress and disagreement. Connecting to gratitude. Weekly wins. And, of course, listener questions. Welcome to another edition of Roll On.
Commanding co-host duties as always is my hype man Adam Skolnick, an activist and veteran journalist perhaps best known as David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me co-author. Adam has written about adventure sports, environmental issues and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health. He is the author of One Breath and is currently hard at work on a novel.
Some of the many topics explored in today’s conversation include:
- What can be learned from the life + death of Zappos’ Tony Hsieh;
- The unpredictability of happiness;
- The antitrust campaign to break up the tech behemoths;
- Rob Bell lessons on writing + self-love;
- Our growing adoration of ‘Feels Good Man’; and
- Celebrating grassroots environmental activism
In addition, we answer the following listener questions:
- Is pursuing a more authentic life path an ego trip?
- How can a person with low self-esteem and avoidance discomfort develop more intimacy?
- Does endurance racing in your 50’s pose health risks?
Thank you to Joe from northern New York, Seth from Wisconsin, and Michael from Boulder, CO. If you want your query discussed, drop it on our Facebook Page, or better yet leave a voicemail at (424) 235-4626.
The visually inclined can watch our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
The Rich Roll Podcast 
