The Rich Roll Podcast

In a riveting discussion, Brad Stulberg, a health and performance writer, joins Steve Magness, a celebrated track and field coach. They explore the pitfalls of ambition leading to burnout, emphasizing the need for balance between stress and rest for sustainable performance. The duo highlights the importance of self-awareness, integrating mindfulness practices, and the significance of community in personal growth. They also delve into the addictive nature of smartphones and the balance needed between technology and listening to one's body for optimal performance.

Creating a huge business is one thing. Building it on principles of conscious awareness? Another thing altogether.This week I sit down with John Mackey, the father of conscious capitalism and the unlikely entrepreneur behind a $16 billion grocery behemoth that ushered in a global organic food movement and permanently changed the way we eat, live and think about business.The Bill Gates of organic food, John is the original, current and sole CEO of Whole Foods Markets, which he founded in 1980 and has parented to Fortune 500 status, employing over 90,000 people across 450+ stores in the United States, Canada and the UK.A strong believer in free market principles, Mackey is the co-founder of the Conscious Capitalism Movement and co-authored the New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller Conscious Capitalism, which encourages business grounded in principles of ethical consciousness.Consistent with this ethos, John has birthed a myriad of philanthropic efforts, including the Whole Planet Foundation to help end poverty in developing nations, the Local Producer Loan Program to help local food producers expand their businesses, The Global Animal Partnership’s rating scale for humane farm animal treatment, and the Health Starts Here initiative to promote health and wellness.Mackey has been recognized as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Overall Winner for the United States, Institutional Investor’s Best CEO in America, Barron’s World’s Best CEO, MarketWatch’s CEO of the Year, FORTUNE’s Businessperson of the Year, and Esquire’s Most Inspiring CEO.Aligning his actions with his values, John embraces an extremely grounded lifestyle in stark contrast to his means. This is a guy who in 2006 cut his annual pay to $1, donates all his stock options to charity, walks to work, cooks his own meals and meditates daily.A vegan for many years, John recently released The Whole Foods Diet*. Co-authored by Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman of Forks Over Knives, it's a powerful primer that unequivocally establishes a whole foods, plant-based diet as the optimum protocol for health, disease prevention and longevity based on the huge body of science, research, and advice that is available today.Enjoy!Rich

In all honesty, I don't put that much thought into how I communicate. Jordan Harbinger thinks that's a mistake. Because the signals all of us routinely emit — verbally, physically and often quite subtly — have a profound impact on how we feel about ourselves, how we are perceived by others, and how we navigate the world.Indeed, the social cues most employ by habit, and without conscious awareness, fundamentally forge our entire human experience, more often than not leading us astray from the relationships, career, goals, and reality we desire.The good news? Social acumen is entirely teachable. To be sure, it's an inside job. And that job is hard. But by committing to that work and embracing certain scientifically proven practices and strategies, we can indeed dramatically improve our communication skills and thus positively impact our ability to relate to and with others. Over time, the result is enhanced connection, self-esteem, empathy, authenticity and influence, all of which translate into an enhanced quality of life and an expanded sense of personal fulfillment.Today Jordan joins the podcast to share his experience. A former Wall Street lawyer turned entrepreneur, public speaker and expert in social dynamics, Jordan is the creator and host of the popular Art of Charm podcast. Celebrating its 10th year with over 600 episodes, Art of Charm has been rated one of the top 50 podcast on iTunes and currently receives an amazing 2.5 million downloads per month.Jordan is also the co-founder and owner of a coaching and consulting firm of the same name. Through his Art of Charm bootcamps and training programs, Jordan and his team counsel executives, employees, athletes, soldiers and every day people on the social, psychological, scientific and philosophical skills required to positively transform your career and life.A bit of a disclaimer: despite very much enjoying my experience guesting on Jordan's show back in 2015, I wasn't sure Jordan was the best fit for this show. The idea of exploring how to teach charm just didn't sit all that well with me. It doesn't feel authentic. But in fairness to Jordan, I think his website, podcast and services are inaccurately named.In truth, Jordan's message is much more about the human psychology behind what holds us back — and the journey required to overcome the habits that block us from becoming the best versions of who we really are.And that, my friends, is a subject I deem worthy of exploring.I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.Peace + Plants,Rich

Goals are great. Audacious goals? Even better.But what happens when that quest to touch the outermost edge of your capabilities tips into maddening obsession?David Clark has been there. And this week he returns to the podcast to tell us all about it.Longtime listeners will remember well our first conversation — one of my most popular episodes to date — in which David vividly recalled his extraordinary journey from morbidly obese, full-blown alcoholic into sober, vegan, ultra-running warrior.Not too long ago, David tipped the scales at 320 pounds. Fueled on a steady, death-defying diet of booze, pills and fast food, he was a man hell-bent on wrecking havoc, destruction and woe in the lives of loved ones and anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path,He wasn't just unhealthy. He was broken.Ultimately Dave met his breaking point. Understanding that if he didn't change he would surely die, he summoned the will to finally face and overcome his demons, transform his life wholesale and ultimately accomplish feats most sane people would deem impossible.As told in his memoir Out There*, David didn’t just drop 150 pounds on a plant-based diet. He didn’t just complete a half-marathon. He didn’t just complete a marathon. And he didn’t just finish the Badwater 135, but went on to crush an impressive list of ultra-marathons, including a run across the entire United States (along with podcast fave Charlie Engle) and the Quad Boston, in which he ran the Boston marathon course four times without stopping.Along the way, he repaired his broken self, emerging healthy.Mission accomplished. Or so he thought.No matter how far David continued to push the envelope, a void nonetheless remained. A hole in his soul he simply could not fill. So he continued to push, convinced that the answer he sought would surely be found in going further. Farther. Longer. Harder.What had begun as a laudable journey to wholeness had fractured, leading him away from the light — and into darkness.And yet once again, David found his way out.This is a conversation about that journey.It's about what happens when goals devolve into addictions — an escape from what is most real and important.It's about the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, and the impact of those stories on our beliefs.And it's about constant, continual fidelity to growth and re-invention.I sincerely hope you enjoy this powerful, contemplative exchange with the inspiring David Clark.Peace + Plants,Rich

Twenty years ago I was a hope to die alcoholic — lost and alone.Despite achieving sobriety, ten years ago I remained lost — overweight, depressed and utterly rudderless.Five years ago this week, I published a book about how I found my way out. A spiritual journey that entailed extreme faith and relentless persistence called Finding Ultra. Today I celebrate the journey of my rebirth — and pause to honor this five year landmark — by taking a look back.Because the growth I have been blessed to experience isn't mine to covet. It's a choice available to all.So today, Julie asks the questions. And I answer them.I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.Peace + Plants,Rich

Despite our cultural obsession with weight loss, we've never been fatter.Right now, one out of every three U.S. adults are obese. Another third are overweight. Even worse? 18% of our children are morbidly obese with rates continuing to soar. In lockstep with our obesity epidemic is a shocking escalation of chronic lifestyle illness, including high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and stroke. One out of every three Americans will die of heart disease. Close to 30% of the adult population is diabetic or pre-diabetic. The problem is so bad, 75% of all U.S. healthcare costs are attributable to these conditions — illnesses that quite ironically are avoidable and often reversible through some fairly simple diet and lifestyle changes.So why can't we lose the weight and keep it off?This is the question JD Roth has devoted his life to answering.The man behind a television empire built on the shoulders of a prime-time juggernaut called The Biggest Loser — which aired for an astonishing 17 seasons — JD is the award-winning producer and reality-TV pioneer behind some of the most successful and prolific television programs of our era. More than a decade ago, JD first introduced viewers to the weight-loss TV arena with The Biggest Loser on NBC – now a worldwide, half-billion-dollar brand – and expanded upon it with Extreme Weight Loss on ABC, which ran for five seasons and airs as Obese in more than 130 countries.JD is also author of Big Fat Truth*, and a brand-new television series of the same name (premiering June 11 at 8pm ET/PT on Z Living), which challenges and guides groups of participants unhappy with their weight and health (including some former Biggest Loser contestants who regained their weight), providing them the tools to uncover and tackle the real issues behind the weight while encouraging them to adopt a whole food, plant-based diet over a three month period of mental, emotional and practical mentorship by JD and a panel of experts that include none other than podcast favorite Michael Greger, MD (and a brief appearance by yours truly).Never before has a show advanced plant-based eating as a central conceit. A first in the history of television, I cannot overstate how excited this is for the movement and the world.Today I sit down with the blockbuster producer to unpack it all — including the whirl of controversy that surrounds the successful shows he created.This is a conversation about the cultural phenomenon of weight loss television that JD originated, framed and fashioned. It's about the overlooked mental and emotional barriers that prevent too many from achieving and maintaining optimal weight and health. And it's a conversation about his passion for the plant-based lifestyle, as well as the hows and whys behind his book and new television show that advance this lifestyle as the model way to not only lose weight, but keep it off for good.Irrespective of your opinion on JD's former shows, I can honestly say that JD is truly passionate about helping people — I've seen it first hand, up close and personal. So I urge you to set aside any pre-conceived notions you may have and enjoy!Rich

Close your eyes and imagine yourself running a trail ultramarathon in the beautiful Australian outback. You're enjoying the experience when suddenly you find yourself trapped in a gorge, surrounded by a raging brushfire.The flames quickly close in until you're surrounded on all sides.No escape.This is how it ends, you think.Then darkness.Against all odds, death is averted. Instead, you lie comatose. Months pass in dormancy. Finally your eyes open, awakening to discover you're miraculously alive, yet somehow less than whole. A glance at your left hand reveals several fingers missing. On the right? No thumb. And the reason you can't move? 65% of your body is covered in life threatening burns. Overwhelmed, you allow your eyes once again close, welcoming the comfort of darkness.200 operations follow. Over the next two years, you will die three times during surgery.Miraculously, you somehow survive. Not as a victim, but as a hero.This is the powerful story of Turia Pitt – humanitarian, athlete, and beacon of inspiration and female empowerment to millions across the world.One of Australia’s most admired and widely recognized people, Turia has been profiled everywhere from 60 Minutes to Women's Weekly. She has scaled the Great Wall of China, competed in the Ironman World Championships and walked the Kokoda Track. A sought-after public speaker, Turia has mentored thousands through her online programs, raised funds and awareness for a variety of philanthropic concerns and authored two books — the recently released Unmasked* (available in the US in audiobook format* only) and Everything To Live For*.This is a conversation about turning tragedy into opportunity. Adversity into advocacy. And experience into service. It's a conversation about the importance of putting others before yourself and serving those less fortunate.But most of all, this is a powerful conversation about facing life head on — about taking risks, facing your fears and believing in yourself.It was an honor to spend a couple hours with Turia and her fiancé Michael during my recent visit to Sydney. My hope is that our exchange will leave you feeling inspired, empowered and grateful.Or as Turia says, no whinging!Peace + Plants,Rich

7.5 billion people currently share this spinning blue planet we call Earth. By 2050, that number will escalate to 9.7 billion. By 2100? 11 billion.How can we possibly feed 11 billion people sustainably?To answer that question we must turn our gaze to the industrialization of animal agriculture. On the surface, what we commonly call factory farming appears incredibly efficient, creating massive economies of scale. But peer just below the surface and you'll discover a vast operation of mass suffering that is irreparably polluting the environment, eviscerating our dwindling natural resources and destroying human health to boot.Beyond wasteful. Utterly unsustainable. Indefensibly cruel.Ladies and gentlemen, our food system is in dire need of innovation.So let's talk about it. This week I sit down with Bruce Friedrich, a man who has devoted his life to reforming animal agriculture and innovating the future of food and food systems.Bruce is the executive director of The Good Food Institute and founding partner of New Crop Capital, organizations focused on replacing animal products with plant and culture-based alternatives. He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College, holds additional degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the London School of Economics and was inducted into the United States Animal Rights Hall of Fame in 2004.A popular speaker on college campuses — including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT — Bruce has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and Court TV.As compelling as it gets, this is an extraordinary conversation about animal agriculture, planetary health and human well being. It's about the politics of agriculture and the subsidies, corporations, representatives and lobbyists that support it.But mostly, this is an optimistic forecast of food system innovation — how technology, urgency and popular demand are rapidly converging to create healthy, sustainable and compassionate solutions to help solve our current food, health and environmental crises.Incredibly intelligent, considerate and measured, it was an honor to sit down with Bruce. May our exchange leave you inspired to invest more deeply in where your food comes from and how it impacts the precious world we share.Peace + Plants,Rich

Ever wonder what it would be like to get paid to travel the world, jetting from one exotic port of call to the next in search of adventure?Now imagine sharing these experiences with millions of people all over the world on the daily.Few could pull this off. But if you feel the allure, then you're in for a treat with this week's guest — because Louis Cole is the master.With almost 2 million subscribers on his Fun For Louis YouTube channel (plus 1.5 million on Instagram), this British-born dreadlocked globetrotter was one of the first (if not the very first) daily travel vloggers to break out — an internet personality so sensational, YouTube crown prince Casey Neistat (RRP 73, 144 & 174) dubbed Louis the godfather of daily vlogging.Louis has crossed India on a rickshaw and skydived high above Dubai. He has skateboarded along Sydney Harbor and sailed a hot air balloon in Kenya. From kayaking in New Zealand to salsa dancing in Cuba, it's just another day of fun for Louis — a guy committed to sucking the marrow out of life.But the true allure of Louis isn't travel. And it isn't vlogging.No, Louis' greatest talent is his ability to inspire wonder. Imbued with a rare enthusiasm for embracing all that life delivers, he has an infectious touch when it comes to encouraging his followers to pursue big dreams while he enjoys his own.After a brief training progress report with my coach Chris Hauth, this week I sit down with Louis to find out exactly how he created such an extraordinary life.This is a conversation about cultivating imagination, then translating that imagination into reality. It's about the mindset, tools and practices required to craft the trajectory of your wildest dreams. And to embrace the life you deserve.An old soul with a big heart, Louis is a truly beautiful guy. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.Peace + Plants,Rich

Leo Babauta, advocate of minimalism and mindfulness, shares insights on ending human struggle through simplicity and mindfulness. Topics include self-mastery, saying no, embracing discomfort, breaking self-destructive behavior, and transforming through lifestyle changes. The conversation also touches on authenticity in content creation, Zen philosophy, influential spiritual figures, unschooling, veganism, and the Sea Change course and retreat.