I love talking to smart people. Today's guest is certainly that — and so much more.Contravening millennial stereotypes, Ryan Holiday is a prolific, rising literary talent. A maverick media strategist. Not to mention a philosopher of sorts — a guy with big ideas often at odds with the status quo.An autodidact, Ryan dropped out of college at nineteen to apprentice under acclaimed author Robert Greene, author of (among many other great books) The 48 Laws of Power*, later graduating to advise many New York Times bestselling authors like Tim Ferriss and RRP #154 alum Tucker Max, multiplatinum musicians like Linkin Park and startups like Casey Neistat's ( RRP 73 & RRP 144 ) recently launched social media platform Beme.By the time he was legally allowed to drink (21!) Ryan had already ascended to director of marketing duties at American Apparel, where his iconoclastic campaigns and tactics have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in places like AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company.Ryan is also the bestselling author of 3 books, including Trust Me I’m Lying* – a highly entertaining and admittedly disturbing first hand look at the machinations behind digital media's dark underbelly — and The Obstacle Is The Way* – a modern and practical reframing of stoicism, the ancient Roman philosophy originated by guys like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus, with a focus on functional applicability of stoic principles for turning modern day obstacles into opportunities and adversity to advantage.If you think philosophy is purely academic — a useless waste of time reserved for the arrogant intellectual elite — Ryan has a message for you:think again.I really love this book. I found it to be eminently practical. An incredibly insightful and utilitarian tool box for navigating crises, strengthening character and maximizing excellence in any situation, irrespective of circumstance.On RyanHoliday.net and places like Thought Catalog and Observer (where he is editor at large), Ryan writes frequently on a wide variety of business and marketing related subject matters. But it's his fresh and unique take on real life stuff that keeps me coming back.Enjoy!Rich

Julie and I are back with yet another installment of Ask Me Anything, a twist on my typical long-form interview format where Julie and I engage you — the listener — by addressing the topics and questions you want discussed.This week's AMA explores:* releasing the need for permission to live your life* empowerment via “choosing yourself”* practicing creativity in all things* confronting your fear through action* removing fear-based stimuli from your life* managing criticism* overcoming judgment and resentment* combating addiction by prioritizing sobrietySpecial thanks to Farmer Diddly, Nathan & everyone who contributed to this week’s questions!The show concludes with Beloved, written and performed by Julie — aka SriMati– accompanied by our sons Tyler & Trapper Piatt.I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.Are you waiting for permission to chase a dream? Why? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.Peace + Plants,Rich

I'm exploding with excitement about this week's hotly anticipated show.Today I sit down with James Lawrence — aka The Iron Cowboy — fresh on the heels of completing an absolutely unprecedented and mind-boggling 50 ironman-distance triathlons in 50 states in just 50 days.I honestly believe this is one of the greatest achievements in the history of (voluntary) human endurance.For the uninitiated, consider swimming 2.4 miles, pedaling your bike 112 miles and then running a marathon, 26.2 miles. After quickly eating and bathing, you enjoy anywhere from two to four hours of shut eye, usually in the back of a Subaru as it drives through the night to meet dawn in an adjoining state. Then you heave your weary bones up, eat, get dressed and do it all over again. Every single day. 50 days in row, across each and every one of the 50 states — including Hawaii and Alaska — without one single day off.Just think about that for a moment. Let it sink in.During James' initial appearance on the podcast (RRP 149) just prior to his 50/50/50 attempt, I went on record here and on various media outlets like Triathlete.com voicing my concern that James just might have aimed a bit too high.As someone who did 5 ironman-distance triathlons in a row on each of the 5 Hawaiian Islands, I happen to have a little experience in this arena. Admittedly my accomplishments now seem paltry (almost embarrassing) by comparison, the fact remains that I happen to be one of the few people on the planet who can truly understand, appreciate and deeply empathize with the abyss James would inevitably face, battle, endure and be forced to overcome in order to complete his extraordinary journey intact.I know what it's like to meet unforeseen obstacles that threaten to imperil the mission. I know what it's like to fall asleep on your bike. I know what it's like to have saddle sores so painful you can't sit down. I know what it's like to run through the night, hallucinating. And I know what it's like when that inevitable moment arises and you ask yourself: what am I doing to myself?But James and his entire family were all in from the get go. To underwrite the endeavor, they even sold their house and put all their earthly possessions in storage. So never for a second did I doubt his level of commitment. I knew he could complete 50 ironman-distance triathlons in 50 states. It was the 50 days part that bent my brain. Certainly he'll have to take at least one day off, right? Maybe two. In my mind, I predicted at least three intermittent rest days.James, you proved me wrong. You proved the world wrong.And I couldn’t be happier. Or more proud. It's not just that you did what you said you would do. It's the way you did it. It was your composure. It was you tremendous grace under fire. Your selflessness in service to a greater cause. All fueled by an attitude of gratitude.On a last minute whim, I decided to show up unannounced in Utah to surprise James, join him on his final marathon jaunt, and witness the conclusion first hand. An experience I will never forget, it was thrilling and emotional to be running just off his shoulder as he crossed his historic finish line, accomplished his goal,Enjoy!Rich

I'm so intimidated.This week Julie and I are joined by the dynamic duo of the Choose Yourself era themselves, James and Claudia Altucher — a prolific couple changing the world with insights that are empowering millions to live more dynamic, authentic lives.When someone fires off a long list of occupations in conversation, my instinct tells me that person probably isn't great at any of them. James is not that guy. Abundant in talent. A true polymath with just the right amount of self-deprecation and pitch perfect comedic timing. Blogger, bestselling author, podcaster, public speaker, investor, entrepreneur, columnist, and humorist, he seemingly does it all.Oh yeah, he's also a nationally ranked chess master.James had made millions, lost millions and made millions again. Maybe he'll lose it again. I don't know. He’s started and run something like 20 companies. Then there's a slew of venture capital, hedge, angel and sundry other funds he ran. Maybe he still runs them. I don't know that either. In fact, I don't understand any of it.James' Altucher Confidential is one of the most widely read blogs on the internet, amassing over 15 million readers since its 2010 inception.The James Altucher Show debuted as the #1 podcast on all of iTunes last year.I think he's written 13 books. It could be 16. I can't keep track. He writes faster than I can read.My favorite is the Wall Street Journal Best Seller Choose Yourself. A primer for anyone seeking firmer control of destiny, it's a prescient and highly entertaining look at how new and unprecedented tools, technology and economic forces have suddenly emerged to make it possible for individuals to create art, careers, success, fulfillment and change the world without permission from the gatekeepers of yore.When you finish that book, then read The Power of No — also a Wall Street Journal Best Seller. Two things you need to know about this book: (1) it's really great; and (2) learning how and when to say no is, like, really important.Wait, there's a third thing: it was co-authored by James' wife Claudia.In many ways James' perfect match, the Argentinian-born Claudia is also a widely acclaimed multi-hyphenate. Writer, podcaster and yoga aficionado, she has written or co-written three books, including the recently released Become An Idea Machine. You can find her Yoga Podcast on iTunes and read her musings at ClaudiaYoga.com. But I don't know how much longer she can keep this up because any day now she's going to be named the new CEO of Twitter.Am I joking? Read this and you tell me.I had James on my podcast a while ago. Then I did his podcast. Then Julie did Claudia's podcast. They fell in love. I was already in love with James.The only thing? None of us had ever met in person. Until now.Wonder twin powers activate!I'm not sure whose podcast we did. We just hit record and started freestyling. I thought we were interviewing James and Claudia but now I think I have it all backwards.Enjoy!Rich

Imagine yourself so debilitated by a battery of chronic ailments you can barely get out of bed. Merely walking down a simple flight of stairs or lifting a a book is excruciating. Knife-like pains cause you to scream so loudly, your neighbor calls 911. Then one day you collapse at work and awake in the hospital to discover you have suffered 36 embolisms that are filling your lungs with blood so quickly, drowning is a very real possibility.Now imagine yourself a couple years later in a tropical jungle competing in La Ruta Del Conquistadores. Widely considered one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet, La Ruta is a 3-day, 161-mile mountain bike race with over 29,000 feet of climbing that traverses Costa Rica from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea.This is the incredible arc of today's guest, Seamus Mullen.An award-winning New York City chef, restaurateur and cookbook author known for his inventive yet approachable Spanish cuisine, Seamus is the proprietor of several restaurants, including Tertulia (a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for “Best New Restaurant”), El Colmado, a Spanish tapas and wine bar at Gotham West Market, and Sea Containers at Mondrian London.A semi-finalist for Best Chef NYC by the James Beard Foundation 3 years in a row, Seamus was also one of 3 finalists on the Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef. He frequents the popular Food Network series Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay as a featured judge and is a recurring guest on programs such as The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, and CBS This Morning.But the important things in life snapped into focus for Seamus in 2007 when he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that precipitated a near death experience and quite literally brought him to his knees.A once avid cyclist who raced competitively in his twenties, Seamus suddenly found himself unable to properly function.Pedal a bike? A pipe dream.Seamus was faced with a choice. Either live out the remainder of his days with unbearable suffering, or take matters into his own hands. He chose the latter.It wasn't easy. And it wasn't overnight. But by making a decision to make wellness his number one priority; by harnessing the power of holistic, functional medicine; and by rebooting his lifestyle wholesale, Seamus Mullen ultimately healed himself.By virtue of working with people like lifestyle architect Ari Meisel and functional medicine doctor and RRP alumnus Frank Lipman (click here to listen to my podcast with Frank), Seamus can now add wellness advocate and authority to his already impressive resume. And when he's not racing his bike across Costa Rica, he's pedaling for charity or lost on one of his many cycling and motorcycle adventures exploring remote parts of the planet.Seamus has shared his amazing story of renewal with major publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and through his bi-monthly column in Men’s Journal. He is currently making a documentary about his journey called Back on the Bike.Seamus is a great guy and we had a fantastic conversation that explores all the aforementioned topics and then some, including:* the importance of healthy school lunch programs* the story behind his Rheumatoid Arthritis* the failure of traditional RA treatment protocols* symptomatic treatment vs. true healing methodology* his vivid near-death experience

We're back with yet another installment of Ask Me Anything, a twist on my typical long-form interview format where Julie and I engage you — the listener — by addressing the topics and questions you want discussed.As a person prone to extremes, I have been spending quite a bit of time lately pondering the importance of balance and moderation in living an optimally fulfilling life.What is the role of balance when you are pursuing your best self? Is moderation in all things truly an aspirational path?In short, I am starting to question the premise.This week Julie and I discuss this personal conundrum at length. Our conversation also explores:* my experience with Iron Cowboy as he completed his historic 50/50/50* Julie's perspective on crewing for me at Ultraman* stoicism & overcoming obstacles* how to best serve the needs of “out of the box” children* the exploration required to discover your passion* how distractions negatively impact our life path; and* how to meet the social challenges of living plant-basedSpecial thanks to Nanette, Doug & David for this week’s questions!The show concludes with Beloved, written and performed by Julie, aka SriMati, accompanied by Mark Schultz and our sons Tyler & Trapper Piatt.I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.How do you define balance? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.Peace + Plants,Rich

We need more doctors like Michelle McMacken, MD.Board certified in internal medicine, Dr. McMacken is an assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine, an attending primary care physician at New York City's Bellevue Hospital Center and director of the Bellevue Adult Weight Management Clinic, where she specializes in plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine.Interestingly, Dr. McMacken wasn't always all that intrigued by nutrition. Not surprisingly, her medical school experience was woefully lacking in this regard. But after eight years of medical practice, she was becoming progressively distressed by her obesity clinic patients' general inability to get — and stay — healthy.Determined to find better, more sustainable solutions for her patients led to a search engine result for “lifestyle change” that prompted Michelle to attend the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Conference– a game-changing experience that enlightened her to a holistic, disease preventive perspective on patient care that ultimately reinvigorated and forever altered her medical practice.Beyond her one on one work with patients, many of which are underprivileged, what is uniquely inspiring about Dr. McMacken is her grant-funded commitment to study evidence-based nutritional protocols and apply the practical knowledge to faculty, colleagues & resident doctors. In other words, she is devoted to educating not only her patients about healthy nutrition, but her fellow medical professionals as well — filling the much needed gap in our current system of medical education.This is an enlightening and highly informative conversation that explores:* the state of medical education with respect to nutrition* the responsibility of doctors to practice holistic, preventive medicine* the significance of a plant-based diet in promoting optimal wellness* Dr. McMacken's personal & professional path to plant-based nutrition* the health impact of high protein diets, ketosis & glycogen depletion* the differences between animal & plant protein* alkaline/acid-forming foods and their impact on metabolism* paleo vs. vegan – finding common ground* the truth behind dietary cholesterol & saturated fat* the importance of aligning actions with values* plant-based patient case studiesI sincerely hope you enjoy our discussion.What is preventing you from a more holistic approach to long-term wellness? I'd love to hear about your personal challenges in the comments section below.Peace + Plants,Rich

Aussie born, UK-dwelling adventure athlete Luke Tyburski isn’t superman. He’s not famous nor is he a world champion. And he’s the first to say he’s just not that talented. In most ways Luke is a normal bloke. An everyman who decided to face his debilitating battle with clinical depression through the lens of adventure and ultra-endurance sports.Soccer obsessed as a young boy, from the get go Luke realized he lacked the God-given athletic gifts enjoyed by his teammates. Nonetheless, perseverance prevailed and Luke achieved his life-long dream of traveling the world as a professional footballer.Unfortunately, that career was cut short by significant, chronic & persistent injuries. What followed was an unexpected yet quite severe bout with acute, clinical depression — a back hole of desperation that often left him bedridden and teetering on hopelessness.To escape this prison, Luke dug deep. Through sheer force of will matched with equal parts faith, he compelled his mutinying body, mind and spirit to simply get up, get outside and begin exploring again — one step at a time.Having never ran more than 10 kilometers at any one time, and with only six months to prepare, in 2012 Luke conquered the infamous Marathon des Sables, a 250 kilometer, six stage self-sufficient running race across the treacherous and unrelenting sand dunes of the Moroccan Sahara.Since then he has competed in a variety of adventure races, including the Mt. Everest Ultra Marathon. His first ever triathlon? The double ironman distance Double Brutal Extreme Triathlon.My kind of guy.Currently, Luke's sights are set on achieving the truly extraordinary — a self-styled 12-day, 2000 kilometer adventure he calls The Ultimate Triathlon that kicks off in Morocco with a swim across the Straight of Gibraltar before cycling and running the coastline all the way to Monaco.It’s easy to admire the feats of the truly touched. It’s inspirational. But I cherish sharing stories like Luke's because they are aspirational. And because relatable, everyman guys like Luke demonstrate that big dreams are possible and accessible for all.This is a conversation that explores:* what its like to be clinically depressed* preparing for The Ultimate Triathlon* developing confidence as an outmatched youth* how attention to nutrition changed his game* the importance of a holistic approach to well-being* endurance sports as escapism* the importance of adventurous life* how the compassion of strangers in Nepal changed his perspective* what keeps him motivated; and* how to bridge the gap between inspiration and actionAn adventurous life is a worth leading. Luke's life is well worth the examination. I sincerely hope you enjoy our discussion.How can you invite more adventure into your life? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.Peace + Plants,Rich

It’s one thing to thrive on a plant-based diet as a skinny endurance athlete. But what about sports that place a premium on size, speed, agility, power, quickness and just plain brute force?Is it possible to compete at the highest level of the NFL not as a punt returner, not as a quarterback or even a running back, but as a defensive lineman – a position where only the absolute biggest, baddest, strongest and fastest survive?Meet David Carter — aka The 300 Pound Vegan.Introduced to the game at age 5, David began his football career playing Pop Warner. He made waves at Fontana's Kaiser High School in Southern California and went on to become a star player at UCLA. In 2011, he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 6th round and has since been a bit of a journeyman defensive linebacker, playing for the Dallas Cowboys, the Oakland Raiders and most recently the Jacksonville Jaguars.Like most athletes, David grew up eating tons of meat, fully adhering to the conventional mythology that in order to become muscle you must consume muscle – the more the better.But as his career matured, David became plagued by a variety of persistent, chronic injuries including arthritis, tendonitis, nerve damage and chronic muscle fatigue. Not surprising given the nature of his job, but nonetheless devastating — ailments he simply could not overcome that left him sidelined despite the best sports medicine and rehabilitative resources of the NFL at his disposal.David soon realized that in order to continue playing, something had to change. He began researching the cause of his conditions, as well as alternative remedies to resolve them at the source. Heavily influenced by a series of documentaries that included Forks Over Knives and the holistic lifestyle habits practiced by his wife Paige, David arrived at a rather counter-intuitive conclusion for an athlete whose professional career relies entirely upon physical prowess and sheer brute force:all the nutrition he had been relying on to maximize his size and strength was actually killing him.Therefore, in February 2014, David made a rather radical and quite controversial decision: he adopted a 100% plant-based diet.Criticism came swift from all sides. Trainers, coaches, friends and fellow players all chimed the familiar refrain: it's impossible to maintain your weight and strength without meat!But David has remained steadfast and confident in his decision.Why? Because a battery of unexpected positive results came and came quickly. Eating entirely plant-based, David experienced more energy. His recovery time was profoundly accelerated. His stamina went through the roof. To the great surprise of his coaches, trainers and teammates, every single one of those nagging, persistent injuries mysteriously corrected themselves and ultimately vanished altogether. All his numbers in the weight room actually went up – this is a guy who can bench 470 and squat 660. Amazingly, he found himself quicker, more agile and responsive than ever. And perhaps most important to David, no living thing had to die in order for him to thrive.Through football and his off the field advocacy for healthier lifestyles, animal rights and the planet, David is now devoted to a cause greater than his on field performance — being an example of positive change in the world.

I don't how long we've been together — 17 years? 16? — but I do know that Julie and I just celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. It's been a wild, and at times astonishing ride.So suffice it to say, the subject of relationships is on my mind.So how does one attract, cultivate, nurture and sustain a relationship that isn't just healthy and intimate but is in fact extraordinary?This week's installment of Ask Me Anything is devoted to just this issue.This conversation explores:* the transformational aspects of relationships* destiny & fate in selecting a mate* human love versus divine love* prioritizing self-development* the primacy of commitment* the significance of complementary core values* the power of neutral compassion & observance* the practice of taking contrary actionSpecial thanks to Jeremy Bell for this week’s questions and Jason for his fan letter.The show concludes with I'm Here Now, written and performed by Julie (aka SriMati), accompanied by our sons Tyler & Trapper Piatt.I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.How do you define an extraordinary relationship? Let me know in the comment section below.Peace + Plants,Rich