The Rich Roll Podcast

Sam Jones, a renowned photographer and documentary filmmaker, dives into the art of authentic conversations and his multi-faceted project, Off Camera. He discusses the joy of creative expression and the evolution of his work from simple ideas to rich narratives. Sam shares insights on balancing family life with artistic pursuits and the significance of authenticity in capturing cinematic portraits. He reflects on the challenges of navigating commercial pressures while nurturing artistic integrity and growing within the creative community.

If we want to repair our broken health care system and move culture towards true, long-term sustainable wellness, then medicine must embrace a a new approach to healing. An approach that's so new, it's old.Less reductive, more holistic.Less diagnose & prescribe and more all-encompassing, functional and preventive.Let’s kick start that conversation. This week's guest is nutritionist, acupuncturist, herbalist, Reiki Master and expert Chinese Medicine practitioner Heather Lounsbury, author of Fix Your Mood with Food*.Although she gave up meat nearly 30 years ago for ethical reasons, Heather was a junk food vegetarian with zero interest health until hers hit the skids. Moody and constantly fatigued, she began experimenting with nutrition and was astonished to discover the extent to which she could modulate her physical and emotional vitality relative to the types of foods she would eat. This realization lead Heather to pursue graduate degrees in nutrition and Chinese medicine. Today Heather is a well respected clinical practitioner with over a decade of experience treating patients with a wide variety of mental, emotional and physical issues.Her basic message? Live natural. Live well. Food has a far greater impact than we recognize on not only our physical health but on our mental and emotional health as well. Not only can proper diet (amplified by additional holistic healing measures) alleviate stress and elevate your mood naturally, it can prevent and often reverse a wide variety of chronic infirmities, including heart disease, elevated cholesterol, digestive issues, diabetes (diabesity!) and more.Over the course of our conversation we discuss:How pain and digestive disorders can be holistically managed and alleviated;How holistic healing practices can be used to treat mental health & addiction issues;The importance of progress over perfection;The role and function of certain herbs on physiological functions;Primer and origin of food allergies;Thoughts on GMO’s, Omega- 3 EFA's & Supplementation; andAddressing the social barriers that impede healthy eating.Lots of good stuff to chew on this week. I hope you enjoy the conversation.Peace + Plants,Rich

Welcome back to our second spin around the listener Q&A merry-go-round!Due to popular demand (and all the great questions flooding our inbox), we're happy to once again banter on the subjects, issues and topics you want addressed.In this episode Julie and I cover a ton of ground, name dropping resources like an over-caffeinated publicist. Here's a top down view on the landscape:* The importance of the morning ritual to optimize your day;* Inspirational and educational books, websites, podcasts & other online resources;* Resources to facilitate your shift to a Plantpower lifestyle;* A few (very brief) thoughts on high carb / low carb / gluten and nutritional density;* More brief thoughts on certain foods to avoid and others to embrace; and* A few closing thoughts on running volume.No need to break out pen and paper. Due to the hard work of my trusty right hand Chris Swan, everything is detailed, itemized and hyperlinked for your convenience in the below show notes. So just sit back and enjoy.Special thanks and shoutout to everyone who submitted questions. Keep them coming!Peace + Plants,Rich

What if the path you think you're meant to be living isn't your path at all?I grappled with this mental and spiritual Rubik’s cube for decades. Only now — at 48 — do I feel like I have any insight whatsoever into this quandary.Not so with today’s guest. After a drunken car accident at age 19, Jake Ducey had an epiphany: maybe, just maybe, the traditional promise of the American Dream isn't my path to happiness and personal fulfillment. What did he do with this realization? He up and quit school, walking out on a collegiate basketball scholarship to instead light out and travel the world.Along the way, Jake chronicled his journey, distilling his insights down to a book entitled Into the Wind . Undaunted by being turned down by every publisher, he nonetheless self-published his book. And without any marketing budget or publicist, Jake still managed to self-promote Into the Wind to Amazon’s top 300 – no small accomplishment.Jake subsequently piqued the interest and mentorship of people like Chicken Soup for the Soul* author Jack Canfield and Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus* author John Gray. He became a TEDx speaker. And at 23, Jake became the youngest author to land a motivational book publishing deal at a major publishing house (Tarcher/Penguin).The Purpose Principles* – hitting book stores this week — is the product of Jake's journey to date, drawing on the stories of success, failure, and the common threads among some of today’s most successful and influential people to illuminate a plan for living your best life in a changing world – a theme not inconsistent with this show.I’ve hosted more than a few impressive young and precocious twenty-somethings on the show over the last two years because I love getting the millennial perspective on life. I like young people and as a parent of two teenage boys and two soon to be teenage girls, I truly want to understand what makes the next generation tick. What is important to millennials? What is the lens through which they perceive their environment? And how will this perception frame and shape the world they will soon inherit and steward into the future?But let’s face it – at 48 I'm likely older than Jake's father. So is there really anything (anything at all?) that this 23 year old (or any 23 year old for that matter) could possibly teach me? Maybe I'm being a snob (probably). But it's a question worth asking, isn't it? What kind of insights could such a young person possibly have that would legitimize a book of any legitimate merit or substance?

Welcome to Part 2 of our second annual Best of the RRP Anthology series. If you haven't already, I suggest listening to The Best of 2014 Part 1 first.Once again, this is a compendium of some of my favorite conversations of 2014. Our way of saying thanks. Our way of giving back. Our way of trying to catapult you into the new year armed with the information and inspiration required to make it your best year yet.Once again, it's worth reflecting upon the incredible year that was 2014. My blessings are many. My gratitude is overflowing. This is my way way of saying thank you. I appreciate you. Here's to an extraordinary 2015 — the year we manifest our greatest dreams into reality. Join me, and let's do this thing together.Peace + Plants,Rich

This is the time of year for celebration. This is the time of year for giving back. This is the time of year for gratitude.This is the time of year for reflection.So let's do all those things. Welcome to the second annual Best of the RRP Anthology. This is our way of reflecting back. Our way of expressing gratitude. Our way of giving thanks for taking this journey with us.I pride myself on bringing a wide variety of personalities, opinions and attitudes to the show. When I look back over 2014, even I am surprised by how many incredibly interesting and unique people and perspectives I was honored to entertain and share with you. Second listens brought new insights. Another reminder of what a gift this show has been to me. A gift that gives and keeps on giving.A compendium of some of my favorite conversations of 2014, the next two episodes of the podcast are certain to catapult you into the new year inspired.If you’ve been with me all along, these offerings will bring certain insights back into the forefront of your consciousness as you contemplate your trajectory heading into the new year. If you're new to the show, then these episodes will definitely inspire you to peruse the catalog and listen in full to some of the guests and or episodes you may have missed. Links to the full episodes excerpted in this anthology are enumerated below.It has been an incredible year. My blessings are many. My gratitude is overflowing. This is my way way of saying thank you. I appreciate you. Here's to an extraordinary 2015 — the year we manifest our greatest dreams into reality. Join me, and let's do this thing together.Peace + Plants,Rich

High performance psychologist Michael Gervais discusses the importance of mindfulness in sports and life. Topics covered include navigating high-stakes environments, understanding the essence of a person, benefits of Mitopure for energy, the mindset of extreme athletes, and managing emotions in high-pressure situations. They also explore optimizing sleep and gut health, interrupting negative inner dialogue, building a culture of high performance, living life on your own terms, and future topics.

And now for something completely different…In an effort to create a little more intimacy, a little more community, and a little more connection with you — the audience — I thought I would open the show up to your burning questions. Talk about what you want to talk about for a change. A few weeks back I put the word out for question submissions and you responded — our inbox was flooded with e-mails.So here we are. My first spin with a Q&A format. I picked a handful of queries I thought would make for an interesting and broadly applicable discussion, asked Julie to occupy the co-pilot seat (talking into a microphone alone is really hard, and not that fun) and we gave it our all to answer your questions to the best of our collective abilities.Topics discussed and questions answered pivot around the following:How to pursue your dream when your partner is non-supportive;How to escape an unfulfilling career when you don't know what you really want;How to balance physical fitness against spiritual fitness;How to manage extended family put off by your life choices and dietary preferences; andHow to raise a healthy toddler plant-based.Special thanks and shoutout to Jen B., Tommy F., Pete D., Dawn and Hugh for the great questions. Not sure about whether or not you want to be identified publicly, so I'm going to err on the side of anonymity.Did you guys like the episode? Is this format something you think I should I do it again? Was it too long? Too short? How about rotating guests for co-pilot duty? If the demand exists and I continue to get great submissions from you, then I’ll keep doing it. Maybe not every week, but we’ll see. In the interim, send your questions for an (anticipated) future episode to: info@richroll.com and leave your comments below.Peace + Plants,Rich

IN-Q returns. It's time to question everything. It's time to get excited for now.If you've been on this journey with me for a while, no doubt RRP 81 seared Q into your permanent consciousness. If you’re new to the show, I strongly suggest you give that episode a listen first. Not only is it an epic conversation, it will give you some crucial context and foundation for today's mind meld.Nonetheless, here's a quick breakdown on the impressive IN-Q curriculum vitae:Rapper. Actor. Teacher. Songwriter, TED Talker & internationally revered spoken word artist, IN-Q is a national poetry slam champion who has shared the stage with people like Barack Obama, De La Soul, Eminem, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Legend and even Cirque du Soleil. He has toured over 70 colleges; written songs for Miley Cyrus, Rock Mafia, Selena Gomez and Aloe Blacc and has been featured on virtually every TV network from A&E to ABC, including HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and Versus & Flow.Why is a spoken word poet guesting on a health & wellness podcast?Because wellness isn't just diet, exercise and yoga mats. Someone who is truly “well” exudes positivity, soul, spirit, honesty, service, selflessness and integrity from their very core. IN-Q represents a life fully expressed – spreading a message of healing, love and positivity in service to others. Not only is IN-Q a man living his most authentic self, he is what I would call the very definition of health.On January 15, for one night only, IN-Q will be performing at the beautiful Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. It is going to be an epic evening (I'll definitely be there), so if you are in town that day I strongly suggest you pick up tickets now — it will definitely sell out and it's a one time deal not to be missed. For tickets and additional information on this one time performance, go to in-q.com.*If you can't make the show, then this podcast is the next best thing. IN-Q is a special guy — touched in a very real, tactile way. I aspire to this man's openness, grace, and attitude of gratitude. It's an honor to spend time with him and I am so pleased to bring his message to you once again. An incredible storyteller, his message will leave you reevaluating your priorities, rethinking your path and ultimately indelibly changed.As the man himself just might say: get excited for now and question everything.I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation. Let me know what you think in the comments section below.Peace + Plants,Rich

Welcome back for Part 2 of my conversation with Teen Whisperer Josh Shipp.You haven't listened to Part 1 yet? Go do that first, then come on back. It will save me some explaining. But as long as we're on the subject, let's recap the situation.Josh is a recognized teen behavior expert well known for helping adults understand teens and teens understand themselves. He’s worked with, appeared on and/or contributed to MTV, CNN, FOX, The New York Times, 20/20, Anderson Cooper Live, Oprah.com and Good Morning America. In 2009 Josh was named to Inc. magazine's “30 Under 30″ of successful entrepreneurs. He has lectured at Harvard, Stanford, UCLA and MIT, starred in two documentary-style television series and authored two books: The Teen's Guide to World Domination and Jump Ship.If you did listen to my intro and outro to Part 1, then you know Josh challenged me to remove e-mail and social media from my iPhone as a means of increasing my overall productivity and enhancing the quality of my interpersonal interactions. Today is day 3 and as Josh so adeptly predicts in this second part of our conversation, I am indeed twitchy. A little anxious. Scattered and basically just uncomfortable with the whole idea. Why? Because I like being connected at all times. I like the buzz and anticipation of checking social media. And I can easily justify it as part of my job. But this does not mean it's healthy because it isn't. My relationship might not fall into Her (the movie) territory, but it's definitely obsessive compulsive, if not just a downright addiction.What does this remind me of?Rehab.Weathering a detox — or in this case an iDetox – isn't fun. But for me it's familiar territory. I know that if I stick with it, it will pass. I also know that the simple fact I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms is a pretty good indicator that I am onto something. Something I need to do if I want to grow.Monday night I fired an e-mail off to Josh to thank him again for doing the podcast and to let him know Part 1 was live. I closed the note with the following:“P.S. – deleted Twitter, Facebook AND e-mail from my phone. Think I’m going to have a panic attack. Tell me I’ll be OK.”The next morning, Josh replied:“Imagine having Doritos and a green drink sitting in front of you. If you're new to eating clean … you'll grab the Doritos every time, even though you know better. But when the ONLY option is the green drink, you are at first forced to go for it, but then later choose it. We should choose real humans, friends, family, etc. first. But social media is the Doritos. As sad as this is, we have slowly trained ourselves to go to real people LAST instead of first… This is a way of reprograming ourselves.”So true. I've decided to undergo this #iDetox for me, but I also know I'm not alone. This is for the millions of people out there quietly coveting smart ...