The SuperHuman Academy Podcast

Greetings, SuperFriends! Welcome to a very special episode of the show! Today we are joined by Mark Victor Hansen. Mark has sold over 500 million books. He's best known as the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, but he actually has written over 309 books, and is known for his endearing and charismatic style. You've probably also heard of some of his other books including The One Minute Millionaire. Mark is known for having spoken to over 6000 audiences worldwide on a wide variety of topics, and he actually studied directly under Buckminster Fuller, one of Einstein's greatest students. He has a lifetime of entrepreneurial success, alternative energy pursuits, and more. I do encourage you to check out his list of 309 books, as well as his appearances on Oprah, CNN, The Today Show, Time Magazine, USA Today, the New York Times, and much, much more. In other words, Mark is probably one of the most SuperHuman authors on the planet, and in this episode, I wanted to learn not only how that is possible, and how he has achieved so much, but also what are the mindsets, the tools, the tactics, and techniques that have allowed him to do so much. In addition to that, I wanted to learn what his message was for all of you, during these admittedly challenging times. The conversation was absolutely fascinating, and it veers more on the side of entrepreneurship that we usually go. But I think that's what people need to hear right now, in these challenging economic times, so I know you're going to enjoy this episode as much as I did! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today we are joined by national bestselling author, international speaker, and life strategist Valorie Burton. Valorie is the founder and CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and her life-changing message has an intriguing, research-based emphasis in the pioneering field of applied positive psychology – the study of what happens when things go right with us. Valorie teaches that resilience is a skill that can be learned – and anyone who wants to have fulfillment, high impact and success must learn it. Now, in this episode, we go wide. We talk about having emotional resilience during these very troubling times of political, social, and economic unrest. We also talk about how to maintain positivity, and how to take care of yourself during these times. And, of course, we talk about the topic of her new book, which is guilt, and how to let go of the subtle and small guilt, that is not only holding you back but, as I learned in this episode, is behind so many of the bad decisions that we make in our lives. Just by listening to Valorie speak, I was able to identify some of the really bad decisions that have led to a lot of unhappiness in my life, which, in fact, were not bad judgment, but guilt driving my actions. I think this is a massive episode! I will inform you that I did lose my composure at one point during the episode... We went very deep and talked about some of the painful things that are going on in the world today, and both of us got really moved. Enjoy! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today we are joined by none other than Cal Newport. Cal is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, but most people don't even realize that, because, in addition to that, he is one of the greatest best-selling authors in the personal development and productivity space of our time. Cal's work has been published in over 25 languages and has been featured in many major publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Washington Post, and Economist. You probably know him as the author of Digital Minimalism, Deep Work, and So Good They Can't Ignore You. In other words, he is one of the most critically acclaimed guests of all time, and in this episode, you will, without a doubt, understand why. Cal is a very unique thinker, and he has thought very deeply about productivity, work, and getting things done. His ideas have shaped what has become the common standard for getting more focused work done in your day, and also putting controls in how technology impacts your life outside of work. Now, in this episode, I had the privilege of getting to go deep into Cal's work, because he is currently releasing a new online course with Scott Young, which talks about many of the subjects that he wrote years and years ago about. That means that I was able to go back in time and ask him questions, without shame or embarrassment, about things that he published a decade ago. So, we talked about digital minimalism, about deep work, accelerated learning, the importance and neuroscience of focus, and the mistakes so many people make that prevent them from actually developing the skill of paying attention. We also go into digital habits, and in why it's your phone that is in control of you, and not the opposite. I honestly think it's one of the better episodes we've ever done, and I'm sure you will enjoy it! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today we are joined by Josh Clemente. Josh, the founder of Levels, is a mechanical engineer and CrossFit-L2 trainer. At SpaceX, he led a team to develop life support systems that sustained astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on their May 2020 trip to the International Space Station aboard Dragon Endeavor: the first new crew-carrying spacecraft since 1980. Josh has also spent time designing and building Hyperloop technology and leading engineering for a company providing vehicle-based rescue systems for emergency response teams. But, we barely talked about any of that stuff today, because, as I already mentioned, Josh is the founder of a really fascinating company that I've been following for a while, called Levels. Their idea is that wearables are nice, but they rarely give you real, powerful data about what's going in your body. Well, Levels is trying to change that, by coming out with the first consumer-available continuous glucose monitor. Now, you've probably heard the hardcore biohackers in the world, like Dave Asprey and Tim Ferriss, wearing these glucose monitors that they need all kinds of connections to get, and all the wonderful things you can learn by wearing a glucose monitor. So, I wanted to learn what the big deal is with these, and why it's such an important technology to put in the hands of consumers. I ended up learning a lot about what turns out to be one of the most important molecules in the body - glucose - which powers almost everything that you do. And that's why we need to make sure that we have just the right Goldilocks level layers in our body at all times - more about this in the episode. I think you are really going to enjoy this episode, as I did! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today we are joined by Stephan Spencer. Stephan is a bestselling author of 3 books, serial entrepreneur, Internet luminary, life hacker, podcaster, and contributor to Harvard Business Review and AdWeek. His books are The Art of SEO, Social eCommerce, and Google Power Search. Stephan has optimized the websites of some of the biggest brands in the world, including Chanel, Volvo, Sony, and Zappos. But that's actually not what we cover in today's episode! You see, Stephan is also one of the most incredible personal transformation stories that I've ever heard - and I have heard a lot. He went from being in a different, and somewhat dark, place in his life to completely transforming everything about himself, and in a pretty short time too. In the episode, I ask him more about that transition and transformation than I've ever had the opportunity before in polite conversation with him. We talk about the event that started it all, about personal growth as a field, and some of the incredible and transformational experiences he has had traveling the world with folks like Tony Robbins, and working with some of the top thought leaders on the planet. Of course, we also share many useful tips that you can use to spark your own transformation and move past skepticism and into awareness and openness. I think it was a really fun, engaging and entertaining conversation, that I'm sure you will enjoy as well! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today I was joined by Dr. Enric Sala. Dr. Sala is a National Geographic explorer in residence, dedicated to restoring the health and productivity of the ocean. He's authored over 120 scientific publications, which are widely recognized and used for real-world conservation efforts, such as the creation of marine reserves. Dr. Sala has also founded and leads National Geographic's Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration research and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, they've created 13 of the largest marine reserves on the planet, covering an area of 4.5 million square kilometers. Dr. Sala has also received a ton of awards, including the Young Global Leaders award by the World Economic Forum, the 2013 Research Award from the Spanish Geographical Society, and many, many more. Now you might be wondering, what does an environmentalist and conservationist have to do with being SuperHuman? Well, if you've listened to the last 289 episodes you know that so much of optimizing our health is dependent on the health of our planet. It's dependent on things like being able to get healthy and high-quality foods, and on being able to enjoy the sunshine, nature, and fresh air. And, lately, I have been more and more concerned about the state of our planet, and about the condition we are leaving it in for the next generation. And yet, like so many of you, I've felt powerless, and I've not known how I, not an engineer, not a politician, not a leader of a Fortune 500 company, how can I make a difference and ensure that we all have a place to live, that is habitable for us 50 years from now. So in this quest, I had the opportunity to interview, Dr. Sala who turns out is a big fan of the show, and asked him, why is this important and how can we actually make a difference. I think you're going to be very empowered by this episode - I certainly was! There are some real actions that you can take, and in this episode, you're going to learn not only why the health of our oceans is so important to our health, but also how you can take action and how you can make a difference. -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! First, let me tell you that I am very protective of my time, so it is very very rare that I stay on talking to a guest for hours, and just chat, learn, and grow. But that's exactly what I did with today's guest, who is probably one of the more interesting human beings you will meet. You see, I asked a mutual friend of ours, Joe Polish, "who should I have on the show?" - because we as you know are in the last 15 episodes of the show. So, I asked Joe about some of the most interesting people that he knows, who I should have on these last 15 episodes, and he immediately told me that Jeff Madoff, today's guest, was available. Now, let me tell you a bit about Jeff. He's considered a storyteller and incisive interviewer, and he's used those talents to help position major brands such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret, Radio City Music Hall, and the Harvard School for Public Health - but, he actually began his career as a fashion designer. He was chosen as one of the top 10 designers in the US, and then he switched careers - we talked about that a lot. After switching to film and video production, he has since expanded his reach to include teaching, book and play-writing, and theatrical producing. Jeff is also an adjunct professor at Parsons School for Design, where he teaches a course called“Creativity: Making a Living with Your Ideas”, and his book is titled almost the same. In addition to all these, Jeff has been featured as a speaker at the Wharton School, NYU Steinhardt, North Carolina State, SXSW Brazil, Google Next, and many others. He's also written a play that'll be coming out in May of 2021. Now, about this conversation. I promised Jeff that we would go wide and range all over the place, and we certainly did. We talk about creativity, about leadership, about entrepreneurship, about growth and a growth mindset, and we talk about massive career changes, as well as life satisfaction. Honestly, this was one of the more rewarding podcasts. It was so good that, for a moment, I wished that we weren't coming to a close at 300 episodes but alas, we must all move on and all good things must come to an end. I'm sure that you will enjoy this episode as much as I did! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today, ladies and gentlemen, I got the chance to interview a personal hero of mine - someone who I discovered probably half a decade ago, and whose work has dramatically impacted my life, my body, and the way that I feel. I'm talking, of course, about Dr. Kelly Starrett. Dr. Kelly Starrett is a doctor of physical therapy. He is a New York Times bestselling author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, as well as various other books, such as Ready To Run. He's also widely known as one of the founding fathers of CrossFit - though I understand he's no longer affiliated with it - and he is known as one of the top movement, mobility, kinesiology, physical therapy, and personal training experts on the planet. In fact, he trains police forces and special forces, and he talks all over the country and the world about these topics. And for good reason. Because, as you're going to see in this episode, Kel, as he told me to call him, knows more about the human body than probably anyone you will ever meet. He knows how to train it. He knows how to fix it. He knows how to teach you how to fix, maintain, and train it, and in this episode, we go wide - trust me, he did not disappoint. Personally, I've read a lot of his work and I've heard most of his interviews. And yet, even I learned something about how we can not only reevaluate the way that we treat our bodies, the way that we maintain our bodies, but what we can expect out of our bodies, and how we can face even old age, with strength, without pain, and with range of motion. I think this episode is really going to change the way that you look at your body and look at aging. And I hope that it is going to change the way that you act in your body, the way that you use your body. Dr. Starrett gives you a simple piece of homework here, that takes 10 minutes a day, and I promise you, if you do it, your life will change. I really enjoyed this episode, as you can tell, and I know you are going to as well - so please enjoy! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today I was joined by Dr. Bill Sears, father of eight, author of 47 books, former associate professor at the University of Toronto, University of South Carolina, and the University of Southern California School of Medicine, as well as many more universities. Dr. Sears has appeared on over 100 national TV shows, his contributions to family and health were featured on the cover of Time Magazine, and he currently lectures on mental wellness. I think that's the first time I've ever had a guest who has been featured on the cover of Time Magazine! I also think that one of the more impressive things about his bio is that he has been a pediatrician for 50 years - yes, he is 80 years old, and still full of energy and vitality as you will see on the show, which, alone, gives him so much credibility in today's topic. That is the topic of brain health, something that we all should be concerned about. As I learned, as I was shocked to learn in this episode, brain health has now outpaced heart disease as one of the leading killers, if not the leading killer, in America. I was shocked to discover that, and, in this episode, we talked about the five pillars of brain health, as discussed in Dr. Sears, latest book The Healthy Brain, published in April of 2020. I learned a lot in this episode, and it was a great review for a lot of things that I talk about in our SuperLearner Masterclass: the importance of sleep, the importance of the right nutrition (not all that is billed as healthy nutrition is the right nutrition), and the importance of exercise. But, I also learned additional new things that really blew my mind and I think are going to blow your mind as well. This episode has something for everyone, whether you're concerned about your parents and their brain health as they get into older age, whether you're concerned about yourself, and doing things now that are going to allow you to live a long and full life with a healthy brain, or if like me, you are expecting a child and want to do everything you can from pregnancy onward to ensure that that child has a healthy and happy brain. I really enjoyed this episode, and I know you will too! -Jonathan Levi

Greetings, SuperFriends! Today we are joined by Dr. Vincent Pedre. Dr. Pedre is a functional medicine-certified doctor, and the author of the best-selling book Happy Gut. Now, I wanted to have Dr. Pedre on the show, not because we haven't talked about gut health in the past, but because I wanted to understand the link between gut health and immunity - a very important topic during the Covid-19 pandemic. I wanted to understand what is the connection between the microbiome, something that we've talked about with regards to mood, obesity, and overall health, and our overall immunity - which, as it turns out, is very related. I learned a lot in this episode, and I'm sure you will as well! Enjoy! -Jonathan Levi