The School of Greatness Hall of Fame

Last time I had fitness/nutrition expert Yuri Elkaim on the The School of Greatness, we talked about how to get and keep up awesome energy all day long.His insights are amazing because he knows the science and practical application of all the different kinds of diets and workouts.I wanted to bring Yuri back on the podcast because he just wrote a new book about how to burn fat and lose weight all day long.I was excited to ask him the truth behind the scenario so many of us struggle with.Yuri is awesome because he's able to make even the most complicated health issues really easy to understand and gives actionable tips to put to use.In this episode, I asked him if there is a perfect fat-burning diet for everyone (as so many diets claim) and he said no!Instead, he outlined what his studies have shown him work best on the most people, which is something I'd never heard of.Best news: people are getting amazing results that are sustainable and not focused on deprivation using his eating plan.Whether you're looking to lose weight (finally) or not, I'm stoked to bring you this interview with one of the best in the industry, Yuri Elkaim in Episode 261.Some questions I ask:Is there a perfect diet for everyone?Can you workout too much?What is a good long term diet plan?In This Episode, You Will Learn:The TRUTH about low-carb dietsWhy it's smart to model people who are similar to you in diet/lifestyle/workout, etc.The 6 "fat triggers" that force our bodies to produce more cortisol (stress) and hold onto fatWhy sex drive goes down when you are super stressedYuri's reasons to reduce gluten and dairy in your dietWhat anti-inflammatory foods areThe downsides of working out too muchWhat "deadly belly bugs" are (not as gross as it sounds)How to pick a great probioticThe connection between cortisol and insulinThe 5 Day Food Cycling FormulaDay 1 – Low Carb DayDay 2 – 1-Day FeastDay 3 – 1-Day FastDay 4 – Regular CalorieDay 5 – Low CaloriePlus much more...

But I'm REALLY excited about this episode.And not just because the guest is another Ohio boy!(But I wore one of my best Ohio shirts and hats when he came by the studio.)You probably already know him from his multiple hit shows on MTV.Or from his long list of world records in skateboarding.Or for his incredible branding with labels like DC shoes.Even if you've somehow never heard of Rob Dyrdek, you're in for a huge treat.Rob is cool for many reasons.But I literally couldn't stop asking him questions during this interview because he is so SMART when it comes to business, entrepreneurship, focus, habits, and vision.Just a few of my favorite things :)Rob and I dove deep into all these topics, as well as the real motivation behind all of them - to create happiness now.I loved every minute of this interview and can't wait for Rob to come back on the show.I know you'll get just as much out of it in Episode 373 with the legendary Rob Dyrdek.Some questions I ask:How do you describe yourself and your bio? (35:26)How do you manage your energy so that you're always full? (40:33)What are you non-negotiable daily habits? (58:46)In this episode, you will learn:How Rob got royalties on a third of DC shoes' entire line in his mid-twenties (4:45)What the term "stirfry" means in entrepreneurship (5:52)What the difference is between a business and an idea (12:08)Why Rob embraces stalkers (16:24)The story behind his sister getting married inside the Fantasy Factory (19:20)How Fantasy Factory almost didn't make it on air (26:45)The story of how Rob almost died surfing with Laird Hamilton (33:38)How to be happy everyday (38:18)The key to living a balanced and full life (43:20)How Rob's life changed when he met Tony Robbins (43:52)Why it's so important to pick one thing to master (44:50)Plus much more...

Interested in learning how to build a life and business around doing what you love? So am I. Let's connect.Who was obsessed with superheroes as a kid?Who loved the X-Men?Who wanted to go to the X-Men's Academy for Gifted Youngsters?If you answered all those questions "Me!", you are going to love today's episode of The School of Greatness.The first time I saw Jim Kwik speak on stage, my mind was blown.His memory is nothing short of superhuman.But it wasn't always that way.In fact, as a kid, he struggled A LOT in school (just like me) and almost dropped out of college because he was so discouraged.And then he decided to focus his work on learning about learning.Fast forward 20 years and Jim is a world-renown master of memory, speed reading, learning and the brain. He has worked with the biggest names in the world, including the Clintons, Oprah, and Richard Branson, to name a few.If that isn't cool enough, he just opened an amazing Superhero Headquarters in the Hollywood Hills. It's going to be epic.I got to meet up with him there recently for this interview.Not only did we have an awesome conversation (which you can listen to and watch below!) but he amazed me yet again at the end with one of his incredible memory tricks.We didn't just talk about superheroes and mind games though.  Jim reveals extremely useful and simple to learn steps to remembering people's names, retaining the information you take in, and improving your brain in general.Episode 115 is a gold mine of information for anyone who wants to take their performance and business to a superhuman level. Prepare to have your mind blown by Jim Kwik.Some questions I ask:What inspired you to hack the brain in the first place?Why is learning a superpower?What are some things people can do to remember names?What are some daily rituals you have to sharpen your mind?In This Episode, You Will Learn:The 4th R we should learn in school: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and RecallThe power of writing our goals down (actually using pen and paper)The difference between your problem and the story you tell yourselfWhat a forced multiplier is and why learning is considered one3 keys to remembering something: MOMMotivationObservationMechanicsThe secret behind President Clinton's amazing memoryThe connection between "listen" and "silent" (hint: it's a word scramble)The power of remembering someone's name after meeting themThe 7 tips to remembering someone's name: BE SUAVEBelieveExerciseSay the nameUse itAsk about itVisualizeEnd by saying their nameThere's no magic memory pill. There's a magic memory process.What visualization Jim used to remember my name when he first met meHis 10 top rules for improving your memorySome good exercises to strengthen your brainThe AMAZING story behind how he hung out with the whole X-Men cast for a weekPlus much more...

What's something all successful people have in common?They create powerful rituals and visualize their results before they happen.With a new television series out and after seeing his last book land him on the New York Times Bestseller list... again, his accomplishments continue to grow.In this special interview we dive deep into the development of this brilliant mind, even back to his childhood - where he opens up like never before! Welcome to the forty third episode with the inventor of the term lifestyle design, Tim Ferriss.In This Episode, You Will Learn:The inside details of The Tim Ferriss ExperimentAbout the Process of Teaming with Production CompaniesHow to Develop a Toolkit to Rapidly Learning AnythingWhat Tim's Biggest Fear IsThe Biggest Impact on Ferriss's UpbringingAbout Tim's Various Entrepreneurial FailuresA Simple Effective Way to Develop Business IdeasThe Story of Tim's first CompanyHow To Create Entrepreneurial Rituals That Lead to SuccessHow Tim Prepares for Important EventsHow he Uses Self Talk and Visualization to Achieve ResultsWhat He Hopes People Will Say at his FuneralPlus much more...

Interested in learning how to build a life and business around doing what you love? So am I. Let's connect.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.Some questions I ask:What made you decide to become a Navy SEAL?What are some strategies for becoming mentally resilient?Do you have to endure struggle to acquire resilience?Why is a mantra better than a manifesto?What do you mean by "not all pain matters?"How can you optimize the experience of extreme pain?Why is living a life of service so important for people to understand?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...

Years ago, when the podcast was still pretty new, I made an amazing friend, the one and only Glennon Doyle Melton.She is the super popular blogger, author, and speaker behind the Momastery brand.She changed my life by giving me the courage to share my own story of being raped as a kid.So much healing and love have come into my life since then, and Glennon and I are still good friends.She has been on her own journey over the past couple of years to live courageously in love.I am so inspired by everything she has gone through and the work she does that changes lives every day through sharing her story.She just wrote a new book that releases this week called Love Warrior. It's a must-read for everyone.We recorded this conversation a few months ago when she was in town and now I'm so excited to share it with you in Episode 376.

This was such a good conversation, we went on for over 2 hours. So I broke it out into two episodes.Welcome to part 2 of my conversation with Mike Rowe in Episode 404.Some questions I ask:Do you think you can have a fulfilled life without working hard? (2:57)How did you build such a big audience without inflating your ego? (33:20)In this episode, you will learn:Mike’s view on masculinity today (13:17)The truth about whether Mike was being considered for vice president (25:05)Plus much more…

My guess is you saw at least one episode of Mike Rowe doing one of over 300 of the dirtiest jobs in the world.But have you followed what else this blue-collar champion has been up to?I knew he'd have incredible insights on the value of hard work, entrepreneurship, and crafting a meaningful career.So I jumped at the chance to bring him on The School of Greatness.Mike has a fascinating background that includes being an opera singer, doing the narration for documentaries, and much more in addition to hosting a super popular TV show.What surprised me was his insight on the success and happiness that blue collar workers experience - and why.I also loved hearing what Mike is investing in, where he sees the future of education going, and why people seem to trust him so much.This was such a good conversation, we went on for over 2 hours. So I broke it out into two episodes.Welcome to part 1 of my conversation with Mike Rowe in Episode 403.Some Questions I ask:What’s the biggest lesson you learned from opera that you applied to your life? (13:44)Was there one person you met on Dirty Jobs that really shifted your perspective? (20:53)How did you prepare for shooting an episode of Dirty Jobs? (29:21)What’s a skill you think every human being should focus on having? (50:06)Why is “work smart not hard” bad advice? (51:35)In this episode, you will learn:Why Mike chose to start his entertainment career in opera (2:45)Why men are so driven to do things where women are (5:44)Listen to Mike sing a little opera from La bohème (8:06) Why having passion for something doesn’t guarantee you’ll get good at it (14:32)Why people with dirty jobs tend to be happier than most people Mike knows (18:01)The only jobs Mike wouldn’t do for the show (35:30)Why the “reverse commute” is important in your thinking (42:15)Plus much more…

If you listened to the first episode on the School of Greatness with Eric Thomas, AKA ET The Hip Hop Preacher, I'm sure you agree with me.ET is one of the most inspiring and motivating voices on YouTube today. He's also a powerhouse force in schools around the country, in his workshops, books, iTunes albums, and podcasts.He's the real deal.So when everything lined up to get him back on the show, I was stoked.This time around we went deep into relationships.Eric is a family man through and through, but he has also built an incredible team of people to support his vision.He has a lot of powerful experience cultivating relationships the right way, and I loved learning from him (and meeting his team who came with him).One of my favorite moments of this conversation was hearing ET's perspective on what it means to be a man.I know he practices what he preaches.Get ready for a huge boost in motivation on Episode 466 with ET the Hip Hop Preacher!Some questions I ask:What's the common challenge most people are facing right now? (4:20)How do people break away from the golden handcuffs? (7:21)What's the best way to develop belief in yourself? (9:46)How do you handle the pressure on you to constantly perform at your best? (15:42)How do you separate your ego from your brand? (18:41)What's your definition of masculinity? (21:15)What's your dream? (28:07)How did you learn to build wealth, coming from no money? (35:23)How can someone overcome their fear of public speaking? (41:35)Is it more important to teach the rising generation or the current leaders? (1:03:21)In this episode, you will learn:Why hitting rock bottom can be of service to you (5:58)The difference having a great team can make in your career and brand (19:22)What it means to be grounded versus to be humble (20:25)How ET learned to speak as powerfully as he does (38:10)Why you must prepare every day to perform (44:01)Plus much more...

One of the fun parts of The School of Greatness hitting year two (and over 200 episodes) is that I get to have repeat guests on the show.This is fun for me because I already know the guests, but it's also cool because a lot has happened with these guests in the past year or two since their last episode on the show.Such is the case with today's repeat guest Drew Canole.Drew was actually one of the first episodes on the School of Greatness, and I loved what we talked about.But in the following 2 years, Drew's business went up and then down and then UP, which is a story we get into in this episode.He is one of the most present, grounded, loving men I know and it was awesome to continue our conversation from last time around health, particularly juicing, and the incredible transformation he has created in his own health and thousands of others.Since Drew has experienced the ups and downs in health and business, I knew he also had a lot of experience with stress.So I asked him what his best tips are for relieving stress on a daily basis. He gave me seven because he's a champ.Listen closely and notice the overall mindset Drew approaches health and success with. You'll be glad you did in Episode 224 with Drew Canole.Some questions I ask:Why is green juice one of the most powerful things you can use to change your health?How can you figure out the optimal amount to eat for your body?How does someone stay consistent with their diet?What do you do every morning to set yourself up to win for the rest of the day?In This Episode, You Will Learn:The story of how Drew went from over 20% body fat to less than 7% in 90 daysYour whole gut ecology changes every 20 minutesHow Drew turned his business around from failing to thriving in one yearDrew's favorite juice recipe: ginger, dandelion greens, lemon, swiss chard, kaleBest Ways to Relieve Stress Daily:Focus on the presentMake a list of only the most important things you need to do (and make sure you're inspired to do them)Clean up your diet - cut out processed foodExercise 20 - 30 minutes in the morningFocus on your breathingEye muscle exercises (pencil push up drills)Human connection (hug someone)Why it's important to create a morning ritual that you look forward toPlus much more...