How do you find your path in the vast shadow cast by one of history's most accomplished and beloved humans?For Laila Ali, the daughter of late global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali (the 8th of his 9 children), it wasn't easy. It wasn't always pretty. But over time, she found her voice. Staked her claim in very the ring that propelled her father to god-like status. And transcended that shadow as a multi-faceted talent that honors her father and yet is hers alone.Although she was never an athlete growing up — and didn't take to the pugilistic arts until she was 18 — Laila would become the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing. A 4-time undefeated world champion, she racked up 24 wins, 21 knockouts and zero losses over the course of her storied career.Retirement was just the beginning. Today the mother of two is a fitness & wellness advocate, TV host, home chef, cookbook author, and founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand.A cultural icon in her own right, Laila currently hosts the Emmy Award Winning show Home Made Simple (which airs every Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network) and has appeared on everything from Celebrity Apprentice to Dancing With The Stars as well as Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America and many other national media outlets.This is a conversation about the interior experience of growing up as a daughter of ‘The Greatest' — and the pressures and expectations that held.It's about growing up in a broken household. The troubled youth that followed. Getting arrested. Meeting her bottom in a juvenile detention home. And the journey that followed to recreate herself.It's about her often misunderstood career as a professional boxer. The entrepreneurism that propels her success. And the legacy she is dedicated to emulating.But more than anything, this is a conversation about mindset. The cultivation of self-belief required to become a champion. Letting go of other's expectations. Developing the courage to fail. And the tools required to make your unique impact on the world.You can watch it all go down on YouTube. I had a ton of fun with Laila. I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange!Peace + Plants,Rich

Newly rebranded from Guru Corner to Guru Multiverse — because after all the infinite has no sharp edges — today marks yet another deep dive with Guru Singh, my treasured friend and favorite wizard of all things mystical.For those newer to the show, imagine a modern-day Gandalf who rocks like Hendrix while dropping pearls of wisdom that beautifully fuse Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism.A celebrated third-generation Sikh yogi, master spiritual teacher, author, and family man, for the past 40 years Guru Singh has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga. He is the author of several books, a powerful lecturer, and behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, and artists.A peer of rock legends like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, Guru Singh is also a talented musician who began his recording career on Warner Bros’ Reprise label in the 1960s. When he isn’t recording tracks with people like Seal, he’s bringing down the house on the daily at Yoga West, his Los Angeles home base.Marking his 7th appearance on the show, today’s discourse is an adventure into the very nature of consciousness. It’s vast potential. And the potency it contains to both create and destroy.Because everything that exists in the physical realm is but a manifestation of consciousness, it is this unseen force that is the truth of reality itself. Born as a seed, with the same potential to flower and proliferate.Serving as an ethereal bookend to my recent and more scientific exploration of this subject with Annaka Harris (RRP #460), this discussion explores the spiritual nature, limitless mystery and interconnected design of that which defines everything. Consciousness — human, botanical, animal, elemental and universal. But more than anything, infinite.In addition, we take the liberty of pulling on a few tangential threads, including the power of journaling, the explosion of cancel culture, the importance of maintaining a strong center point, and the transformative power of focusing on human commonalities over the differences that divide us.As always, Guru Singh takes us out with a song, so make sure to stick around to the end.You can watch it all go down on YouTube. Enjoy!Peace + Plants,Rich

Love. Connection. Pain.Finding the universal in the specific. And beauty in the mundane.This is but a few of the themes explored today with the woman dubbed ‘the voice of her generation' by Oprah magazine and ‘the poet laureate of the ordinary' by HuffPost.Meet Kelly Corrigan.Best known for her insightful, candid takes on the too-often overlooked moments that define our lives, Kelly's writing spills over with warmth, courage, vulnerability and humor — rendering her many books beloved by millions.A Today Show regular, Kelly has authored a stack of New York Times bestsellers including, The Middle Place,Lift, and Glitter and Glue.Tell Me More, her most recent offering, is a deeply personal and very funny story-driven collection of essays on the twelve powerful phrases we use to sustain our relationships and make love and connection possible.Named one of the best books of 2019 by Real Simple and Bustle, Tell Me More is both a high-recommend and the backdrop for today's dive into how we can cultivate more meaningful connection and deeper understanding with the people in our lives.I met Kelly exactly a year ago at The Nantucket Project. In addition to being an extraordinary writer, she serves as the creative director of TNP — the right hand to organization founder Tom Scott, who shared his story on the podcast in April, 2018 (episode #360).The latest in my series of guests sourced from this extraordinary event, I was immediately taken by her fun and fearless stage presence. Her curiosity. Her unique insights. And her unmistakeable charm. I knew she would make an amazing guest for the show. Today she delivers.We begin by traversing Kelly's arc as a writer — how she developed her voice — and her role in shaping TNP.Then we broaden the aperture, exploring her observations and insights into how we relate to the people in our lives — from our loved ones and children, to co-workers and strangers.This is about finding beauty and poetry in the simple things. And why saying things like, ‘I don't know' or ‘I was wrong' or ‘tell me more' can provide a bedrock for the emotional experiences we seek most, yet too often elude us.Better understanding. Greater empathy. Deeper intimacy. True connection.You can watch it all go down on YouTube.Enjoy!Rich

Conventional wisdom dictates that mastery demands an early start. Relentless focus at the exclusion of other pursuits. And as many hours of deliberate practice as humanly possible.Be it violin, painting, basketball or boat building, there’s simply no substitute for a life wholly devoted to developing that narrowly defined skill.Hence the “10,000 hour rule” zeitgeist embrace — an edict divined by psychologist Anders Ericcson and made famous by Malcolm Gladwell.But is this actually true?Today’s guest put this theory to the test, researching the world’s top performers across a wide variety of disciplines to discover a most counter-intuitive truth — that early specialization is actually the exception to the rule. It turns out that the most successful among us are those who developed broad interests and skills while everyone else was rushing to specialize.Today we explore why breadth is the ally of depth – not the opposite. And why generalists are the ones most primed to excel.Enter journalist and multiple New York Times bestselling author, David Epstein.In addition to being an exceptional runner (he set the Columbia University record for 800 meters), David is a former investigative reporter for both ProPublica and Sports Illustrated with master's degrees in environmental science and journalism. Three of his stories have been optioned for films. And his TED Talk, Are Athletes Really Getting Better, Faster, Stronger? has been viewed over 8 million times (and even shared by Bill Gates).David is currently best known for his two smash-hit bestsellers, The Sports Gene: Inside The Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance and Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. A #1 New York Times bestseller, Range is arguably the must-read breakout hit of 2019 — a book as much about parenting as it is about performance.This is an insanely informative and engrossing conversation about the benefits of being a generalist — in career, sports, science, art, and life.In a world that heavily favors early specialization, we discuss why it’s often the late bloomers who prevail. Why it's the jacks-of-all-traders rather than the nose-to-the-grindstoners who ultimately blaze a path to greater success, happiness and fulfillment in both career and life.We discuss David's infamous debate with Malcolm Gladwell that changed the famous thinker's mind — and spawned David’s groundbreaking books.We talk about the benefits of inefficiency. Why frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. And why failing isn’t just good, but the best way to learn.Our greatest masters — professional athletes, Nobel laureates, musicians, inventors, and scientists — all resist siloing themselves in a single field. Instead they think broadly. Embrace diverse experiences. And constantly cultivate new interests.My hope is that David’s message will inspire you to do the same.And if you’re a late bloomer like myself, this exchange is certain to reassure and delight.Enjoy!Rich

Has it really been a full year since Julie appeared on the podcast?Well that's just not right.So today marks the latest installment in my ongoing series of ponderous mind melds with my wife and in-house spiritual guru, the wise and ethereal Julie Piatt, aka SriMati.Longtime listeners are well acquainted with my better half. For those newer to the show, Julie is many things — the bestselling author of three vegan cookbooks. An accomplished yogi, healer, musician, and mom to four children. The host of the For The Life of Me podcast. And the master of Water Tiger, her online spiritual community where she muses on all matters metaphysical.Julie has a lot to say. And this time it's personal.This conversation opens with a wide-ranging discussion wherein we take stock of our marriage. Discuss the next evolution of our two-decade relationship. And share our collective experiences to explore relationship fulfillment in general.We talk about low moments – my relapse (almost 8 years ago), grief, rebirth, and divorce. We discuss creativity and taking responsibility for our personal connections. We recap our recent retreat in Italy. And we conclude by diving into Julie’s current obsessions — her For The Life of Me podcast and quickly growing online spiritual community, Water Tiger.And we conclude with a very big announcement.Let me set the stage. As many of you know, Julie spent years devoted to mastering the art of plant-based cheese. That journey birthed This Cheese Is Nuts, her groundbreaking cookbook primer on all things non-dairy. In the years since that book's publication, she continued to iterate on her recipes, taking her creations next level.The privileged few who have tested her achievements know very well just how insanely delicious it is. People literally freak out. Chances are you've even heard a few on mic raves from many a former podcast guest — Julie's favorite taste testers.The response has been so unanimously positive, she spent the last year assembling the pieces to create her very own direct-to-consumer artisanal plant-based cheese line.It's called SriMu. It's launching in mid-November 2019. And she is proud to announce that she is currently taking pre-orders.Unlike anything else in the current marketplace, SriMu artisanal “not cheese” is the next evolution of non-dairy delights. Vegan, paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free and made with mostly organic ingredients, it's a super-charged, divine offering beautifully packaged in a subscription box. When you sign up, you’ll get three different tiers of extraordinary, next-level plant-based cheese delivered directly to your home on a monthly basis.I am super proud of Julie's manifestation. It's going to be huge. I know you're going to love it. And I wanted my podcast tribe to have the very first opportunity to try what I've been (semi-secretly) enjoying for the last year.To learn more and place your order, visit SriMu.com.Now, on to the podcast. The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube.Peace + Plants,Rich

Let's talk about talking to someone.Personally, I've been in and out of therapy for more than two decades. Over the last couple years, I've been deeply immersed in a weekly therapist-led men's group — intimate game-changing sessions that have helped me work through deep-seated stuff that lives and breathes beyond 12-step.We're only as sick as our secrets. The path to healing and personal growth requires openly sharing our hidden struggles. Bearing our vulnerabilities. And allowing others to identify the blind spots that elude us.My point is that we all need help. And as today's guest will openly admit, even therapists benefit from therapy.A Los Angeles-based psychotherapist, journalist and author, Lori Gottlieb writes the weekly ‘Dear Therapist’ column for The Atlantic. She contributes to several prominent publications including The New York Times. And she recurs as a mental health expert on a variety of national television and radio outlets including, The Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, Dr. Phil, CNN, and NPR’s ‘Fresh Air.'In addition, Lori is the author of three books: Marry Him,Stick Figure and her latest, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, a fun and highly relatable romp behind the scenes of a therapist’s world. What it’s like to be a therapist. And what it’s like to be a therapist in therapy.A hit that spent many weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, the book was listed as People magazine’s ‘Book of the Week.' O magazine named it one of the ‘Best Nonfiction Books of 2019.' And it's currently being developed into a TV series with Eva Longoria.This is a conversation about what happens when a therapist — someone specifically trained to understand what makes people do what they do — experiences her own personal crisis.But it’s also a broader conversation about mental well-being in general. About the benefits of therapy. And why we can all better ourselves by talking to a professional.In addition, we discuss the psychological impact of comparing ourselves to others. Healthy and unhealthy parenting practices. Repairing ruptured relationships. And many other topics.I should note that I did my very best to resist making this a personal therapy session (not easy!).As a final thought: if you are struggling in the darkness, don't wait to talk to someone. If you're afraid to shed light on that thing — whether it be anger, shame, addiction, resentment, depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts — don't wait to talk to someone. Don't wait until it's a crisis. Find the courage. Reach out. raise your hand. Help awaits you.You can watch our entire conversation on YouTube.Enjoy!Rich

Screens and cubicles. Shoes and chairs. Fluorescent lights and air conditioned offices. Processed foods. Netflix and chill.Disconnecting us from our essential human nature, modern living isn't making us happier. Ironically, it's driving an existential crisis of unprecedented proportions — rendering us more sick, immobile, lonely, depressed, and unfulfilled than ever.It's time to stop. It's time we reconnect with that which is most essential.Nature. Movement. Community. Love.To do that, we must adopt a more naturalistic approach to lifestyle.This week's guest calls it rewilding.Meet Tony Riddle – a natural lifestyle coach and barefoot running enthusiast who has devoted his life to studying what makes us human and how to live naturally in the modern world. Through the adoption of simple practices — many of which defined humanity for millennia — he aids people in living healthier and more connected lives by changing our relationship to ourselves, to others and our personal environments.Putting his life philosophy into action, Tony is attempting to run the entire length of Great Britain, barefoot. Beginning September 1 at Land’s End, he will run 900 miles — 30 miles a day for 30 consecutive days — until he reaches John O'Groats, convening with sustainability experts along the way. To learn more, join him for a segment or otherwise get involved, visit tonyriddle.com.I was initially introduced to Tony through The Happy Pear twins. Enamored with his instructional Instagram tutorials on natural lifestyle practices, I knew he’d make for a fun and highly instructive podcast.My day with Tony began with a running technique tutorial, followed by a trail run (which Tony did barefoot of course, to my amazement given the sharp rocky terrain), and culminated in this conversation.As an aside, please check out the fun and informative video we created from my run with Tony. It's called You've Been Running Wrong. Shout out to Ali Rogers for a bang up job directing and editingThis is a conversation about the importance of getting back to what works best for our bodies by deepening our natural and ancient connection to ourselves, to others and our environments. It begins with getting outdoors. But it extends from there — to movement, to food (of course), sleep, digestion, parenting, play, and even the re-configuration of our homes and workplaces.Tony's Tutorials: As a gesture of thanks for listening, Tony set up a special discount on his squat and running video tutorials. Visit vimeo.com/thenaturallifestylist and use the discount code: RICHROLL50. As a disclaimer, I am not an affiliate and have no financial interest. I'm just sharing information I think you will find helpful.In addition to the vlog, you can watch our entire conversation on YouTube. And the episode is of course available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.May Tony's wisdom and experience leave you inspired to live more naturally and mindfully. Enjoy!Peace + Plants,Rich

How does a relatively conservative, risk averse person evolve into an unbreakable champion? Someone confident enough to put everything on the line for an audacious dream?This is the story of Gwen Jorgensen — an accountant turned ‘Queen of Triathlon' who walked away from swim-bike-run at the peak of her powers to ply her skills in an entirely new discipline: the marathon.Gwen’s athletic career began as a swimmer, competing at the University of Wisconsin as a walk on before making the switch to track & field, maturing into an NCAA standout and Big 10 Champion. But the end of college marked the end of her athletic ambitions. Declining a professional running career, she opted for civilian life, joining Ernst & Young as a CPA.Eventually, USA Triathlon lured Gwen back to athletics. Within two years, Gwen made her first Olympic team and matured into the sport's dominant force, accumulating 2 Triathlon World Champion titles and 17 ITU World Triathlon Series wins, culminating in gold at the 2016 Games in Rio.After a year off racing to give birth to her son Stanley, Gwen announced her retirement from triathlon, along with a brazen new goal: to win marathon gold in Tokyo.It's a feat no American woman has accomplished since Joan Benoit Samuelson broke the tape at the inaugural women's marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad.A few weeks ago I was invited by Jaybird Sport to join a group of adventure-seeking endurance junkies in Montana's Glacier National Park. The official occasion was to celebrate the launch of Jaybird's new Vista wireless earbuds (which I'm loving by the way). The unofficial occasion was to retreat and connect — old-school, analog campfire style — with like-minded, high vibration humans. It's a group that included Gwen and husband Patrick Lemieux, as well as a few former podcast guests like Knox Robinson (RRP #394), Timothy Olson (RRP #78), and Sanjay Rawal (RRP #389).This podcast is a product of that uniquely beautiful experience — a great conversation and audience Q&A conducted outdoors with my fellow Jaybird retreat attendees.It's about Gwen's career. Her philosophy on training and racing. Overcoming injury. And the why behind her decision to pursue the marathon.It's about how her ambitious dream was received by the running community, and what she has learned training alongside legends like Shalane Flanagan at the Bowerman Track Club.It's about her ‘Champion Only' mindset. The nature of her motivation. The importance of agency — the freedom to forge her own unique path. And why this power is so crucial to Gwen's success and happiness.Finally, we explore how she balances her career as a full-time professional athlete against marriage, family and motherhood — and the crucial role Gwen's husband Patrick (who makes a cameo appearance) plays in her success equation.But most of all, this is an exploration of the tension between risk and certainty. The rare courage required to walk away from success.Enjoy!Rich

We craft our identity around story. And that story is comprised of beliefs. But you are not your beliefs. And that story isn't just incomplete, it's generally wrong.The path to self-actualization requires deconstructing that story. And disentangling your beliefs from the truth of your highest self.To do this we must unlearn much of what we reflexively accept as truth. And open ourselves to a more expansive perspective.My guest for this exploration is the Toronto-based, rapper, author and spoken word artist, Kanwer Singh, known broadly as Humble The Poet.Covered in tattoos, a thick beard, and Sikh head wrap, Humble commands attention with his silly smile and warm, inviting presence. A former school teacher turned artist, he challenges conventional wisdom with dynamic live sets that simultaneously entertain while questioning the status quo.Humble shares his distinctive style and point of view on his wildly popular blog. He's been featured on a multitude of media outlets, including CBC's Canada Reads, as well as on Apple's first Canadian ad spot for their #ShotOnIphone campaign. He's the author of Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths for A Better Life* and the upcoming book, Things No One Else Can Teach Us*, hitting bookstores everywhere October 15, 2019 and available for pre-order now.Flipping the script for happiness, Humble's point is simple — our hardest moments are our greatest teachers, because they invite us to change our perspectives. We can't control the setbacks in life but we do have the power to control how we react to them.It's a process that begins with unlearning what we think we know. And being open to a new story — about ourselves, others and the world we share.This is a fun and wide-ranging conversation about that very shift. Sharing raw and honest stories from his own life — from his rocky start to becoming a rapper to nearly going broke to his worst breakups — it's an exploration of how a change in mindset can radically alter our outlook.It's about arresting our negative impulses to see the positive opportunity in everything.It's about the power of gratitude and mindfulness.It's about art, creativity, and authenticity.It's about the difference between paying attention and getting attention.But mostly, it's about the power of story. How you are not your beliefs. What we all may need to unlearn. And how a change in perspective about one's own story can transform everything.The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/humblethepoet461 (please subscribe!) Humble brings great energy. I loved learning about his life and experience. And I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen.Peace + Plants,Rich

What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist?We take ‘experience' for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we?Our guide for today's philosophic and scientific exploration of these mysteries is Annaka Harris.An editor and consultant for science writers specializing in neuroscience and physics, Annaka is the author of the children's book I Wonder, a collaborator on the Mindful Games Activity Cards, by Susan Kaiser Greenland, and a volunteer mindfulness teacher for the Inner Kids organization.Annaka's work has appeared in The New York Times and all of her guided meditations and lessons for children are available on the Waking Up app, the digital meditation platform created by her husband Sam Harris — the renown author, public intellectual, blogger, and podcast host.Annaka’s latest book — which recently hit the New York Times bestseller list and provides the focus for today’s conversation — is entitled, Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind. A must-read for any and all curious about one of the Universe's great mysteries, it's a brief yet mind-bending read that challenges our assumptions about the nature, origin and purpose of consciousness.Equal parts nerdy and fun, this is a deeply profound conversation that tackles the very nature of consciousness itself — and what it means to be a living being having ‘an experience'.We discuss how Annaka became interested in this field and the path undertaken to writing this book.Parsing instinct from scientific fact, we deconstruct our assumptions about consciousness and grapple with its essential nature — what is consciousness exactly? And where does it physically reside?We discuss meditation and artificial intelligence. We dive into plant consciousness. We explore panpsychism (a theory I quite fancy). And we muse about the role of spirituality in scientific inquiry.All told, this tackles the current limits of science and human understanding and leaves us wondering, is it possible to truly understand everything?The visually inclined can watch our entire conversation on YouTube here: bit.ly/annakaharris460 (please subscribe!)An intellectual delight from start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Annaka and I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen.Peace + Plants,Rich