The Rich Roll Podcast

I'm told that Osher Gunsberg is quite the thing Down Under. Under former stage name Andrew G he lit up Australian airwaves as host of the popular Channel V– the Oz version of MTV's TRL– and went on to host Australian Idol, Live to Dance here in US with Paula Abdul, and more recently was the guy giving out roses back in his homeland on The Bachelor.That stuff is cool I suppose. Good on ya mate. But that's not how I know Osher. In fact, I've never seen him once on television and didn't even know about any of that stuff until we had hung out several times. Moreover, it really has nothing to do with why I wanted to sit down and bend his ear.I know Osher just as a good friend. We met about a year ago and he has become one of my closer friends over this period of time. I guy I can call up, and with whom I can talk life things through — because he has endured and overcome similar challenges and always has a wise word or two that helps me navigate whatever I happen to be going through. A guy who knows how to really appreciate a good long trail run. And a guy I can share stories with on a cycling excursion in my local Santa Monica Mountains.Of course you like this guy – he’s the spitting image of you! What is this, some kind of weird self-love thing?Yeah, yeah. If you see the photo that accompanies this episode it is kind of weird. Like my twin brother or something – the resemblance in that image is admittedly a bit comical. Same glasses, stubble, t-shirt, hair, etc. Yeah that’s funny. I like to joke that he is my doppelgänger. In truth we actually don’t look all that much alike in person – it's just how that particular photo came out. Trust me, Osher is much more handsome and charming than me, as you will soon see.But I guess there is some truth to the dopplegänger idea below the surface. Like me, Osher is a plant-based guy. Distance runner. Recent cycling convert (I'm cajoling him into signing up for his first triathlon). Not to mention a guy who has weathered divorce (although not sure you can characterize what I went through back in '96 as really much of a “marriage” or a “divorce” – if you read my book, you'll get my meaning).If you are a long time listener to the show then you'll remember I had Osher on back in May ( Episode 30 ) to interview me as a fun turning of the tables to correspond with the paperback release of Finding Ultra*. Because he is such a broadcasting pro at all of this he was the logical choice — and it was a ton of fun.But the more I got to know him, the more I realized he has a compelling story in his own right that I really wanted to help tell. Like some of our previous guests, a guy who has struggled with many relatable things in life we can connect with emotionally. A chubby kid and junk food addict determined to find a way out of his situation, he found success and improved self-esteem by way of a plant-based diet and learning how to run. A journey that now finds him enjoying marathons and cycling.Enjoy!Rich

I love people who ask questions other people aren't asking. See trends others don't see. Have the courage to try a new approach. Risk the illusion of security. Think differently. Jump into the abyss with nothing but faith and their own resolve in search of answers. And refuse to wait for permission to simply do.In a certain sense, this dictate can be boiled down to a singular principle — people who Choose Themselves.And this is what today's guest is all about.Enter James Altucher.Where to even begin with this multi-talented hyphenate. Hedge fund manager, investor & serial entrepreneur, James has founded or co-founded over 20 companies; chess master; inspirational public speaker, radio, television and successful podcast host ( his show debuted at #1 on all of iTunes a few months back); bestselling author with 11 books to his name, both self-published and with the biggest publishing houses; husband, and father.I first stumbled upon the world of James Altucher about a year ago through his prolific, always humorous discernments on his The Altucher Confidential Blog and have counted myself a rabid fan ever since.What keeps me coming back isn't just his keen perceptions and invaluable insights, but the honesty, authenticity and total transparency as a vehicle to deliver his perceptions. A self-deprecating style that astutely mines his many fears and failures with a profound degree of relatability that threads a fabric of deep emotional connection with his readership. An expert in navigating rejection and colossal failure with as much enthusiasm and authority as his lays out — brick-by-brick — the many principles he has honed and freely shares to achieve greater health, perspective, life satisfaction and prosperity.We live in precarious times. A fear-based, quickly changing world pulling the thinly veiled curtain on the illusion of security. To crib a few ideas from James, markets have crashed. The traditional idea of jobs are disappearing. Everything we thought was “safe,” no longer is: College. Employment. Retirement. Government. In every part of society, the middlemen are being pushed out of the picture. No longer is someone coming to hire you, to invest in your company, to sign you, to pick you. More than ever, it falls on the individual to create a sustainable future.Scary stuff.We can look at this as a crisis. Or we can change perspective and see it as a moment of great opportunity. As always, destruction begets renewal. The truth is that we live in an amazing, unprecedented time of opportunity. A time of fantastical technology that in many ways has simply eradicated the seat once occupied by what we call the gatekeepers. With the advent of mind-blowing software and social media, new tools and economic forces are emerging that make it more possible than ever for individuals to create, thrive and change the world without “help” from the finicky sometimes not so permissive hand traditionally relied upon to feed us.This is the idea behind what James would call the Choose Yourself* era. It's also the title of his most recent book, a roadmap primer on transcending the decaying the master/servant paradigm of our economic system of employment and a call to action on how to configure a more meaningful life liberated from the so-called gatekeepers.Enjoy!Rich

Jonathan Fields is a super popular guy. There is a good reason for that, which I'm going to get into in a minute.Before I do, I wanted to check in with you in a bit about what we do over here at the RRP. I have the feeling that Jonathan's appeal will attract some cool new people to the audience (welcome!), so I wanted to take a quick moment to recap the mission.Yes, I am a plant-based endurance athlete. And yes, I do have many plant-based enthusiasts on this show. But this is hardly a narrowly defined “fitness” or “vegan” themed podcast. It's far more about inspiration. I cast a very broad net. When thinking about guests, my litmus test is finding fascinating people and personalities that span a variety of disciplines. People who push boundaries. Live extraordinary lives. Think different. Blaze their own path. Question the status quo. And live large and on their own terms – in service not just to themselves, but in devotion to others, catalyzing life changing improvement in the quality of people's lives, and overall simply raising the bar on what is possible.I deliver these conversations with the sole intention of providing you with a stocked tool-box of education, information, motivation and inspiration to help you take the quality of your life to the next level. The goal? To assist in helping you unlock and unleash your best most authentic self. That's it. Pure and simple.Last week I published an article entitled, “Why You Should Stop Lifehacking and Invest in the Journey” (also up on Medium ). I wrote it because I have been thinking a lot lately about self-improvement. More specifically our shortcutting, lifehacking, biohacking obsessed culture. This meme-fueled drive to circumvent process and expedite results. In and of itself fine. I’m all about efficiencies. But there is something that really bothers me about this trend because on a certain some level it downgrades the inherent value of process. Disrespect for the journey. And the blood, sweat, tears and joy from simply showing up and suiting up for the full commitment.To me, the journey is everything. That is where the value lies. It’s a sentiment that was echoed in last weeks podcast episode with Casey Neistat – a guy who overcame tremendous obstacles with nothing but faith, will, belief and total commitment to process.And it's an ethos that really captures what today’s guest is all about. All in all, a guy who understands the long-term value of the journey over the temporary thrill of the #lifehack.Jonathan Fields. Dad. Husband, serial-entrepreneur, award-winning, bestselling author, speaker, A-list blogger, web-show host, and mindful innovation strategist who has been profiled in pretty much every prestigious publication there is, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, FastCompany, and Forbes. A guy I have been following with great enthusiasm to my tremendous benefit for years.On a personal level, Jonathan is guy I can deeply relate to – a guy (like me) who decided to leave the gilded protective hallways of the corporate law firm existence and risk everything in search of a life path of greater meaning for himself and others. Well Jonathan found it — in spades. His mission? To humanize and empower the process of creation. To help people and organizations conceive and build better, more conscious businesses, art, and lives in less time, with more joy and less effort.What gives Jonathan's particular brand of entrepreneurship such resonance with me personally is his inherent focus on process over results.Enjoy!Rich

Simple yet profound words from this week's guest, a man in full embrace of the ethos of living an impactful, creative, authentic life in overdrive.Uncompromising. Unapologetic. Filmmaker, photographer, builder, father, humanitarian, athlete. But most of all, an artist leveraging his boundless creative energy to tell personal stories that inspire all of us to find the adventure in life. To invest in experience. To be bold. And to do more — both for yourself and for others.I first became aware of Casey around 2010 when his show “The Neistat Brothers” aired on HBO and was immediately captivated by Casey's DIY sensibility. His fearlessness. His acute ability to find the wonder in the seemingly banal. And his refusal to await permission from the gatekeepers to create. I've been a fan ever since, eagerly anticipating each new upload to his wildly popular YouTube channel – 82 movies he refuses to monetize; a network that enjoys a quarter of a million rabid subscribers; and dozens of viral sensations with 50+ million views.At this point, many of you have likely seen his remarkable “Make It Count”. If you somehow missed it, please watch it now for context before listening to the episode (I've watched it at least 20 times and never get tired of it). Hired by Nike to create an advertisement to promote the Fuel Band, Casey audaciously ignored the agreed upon commercial treatment and instead brashly spent the entire budget traveling the world, all the while documenting his incredible adventure until the money just flat ran out. 34,000 miles, three continents, 13 countries, 16 cities and 10 million views later, the rest is history.This past December, Casey raised the bar. Contacted by 20th Century Fox to create a movie to help promote “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, Casey agreed, with one caveat: permission to donate the entire commercial budget to typhoon victims in the Philippines. Tying creative expression to service, “What Would You Do with $25,000?” became an instant viral hit, trending on Twitter to over 3 million views.Then just one day after we sat down for this conversation, Casey headed out in a blizzard to “Snowboard NYC”– a sponsor-less lark he posted within 24 hours of shooting that clocked 5 million views in it's first five days.In the words of Wired Magazine, “Casey Neistat’s bite-size Internet movies have so much viral potential they make influenza jealous.” But what is it that makes Casey and his work so irresistible? Sure, the movies are fun. Irreverant. Visually captivating with great music and personal storylines that always star Casey himself as the ever-appealing protagonist.But in my opinion, what makes Casey stand out, what gives his work permanent residence in my consciousness, is his devotion to authenticity — an axiom of conviction that infuses every single frame of every single work he produces — and the predominant over-arching theme of this podcast.Read more HERE...

We need more doctors in the world like Dr. Frank Lipman.Western medicine is astounding when it comes to treating acute, isolated conditions — a catastrophic injury, an arterial blockage or a serious infection, for example. But how does it fare when it comes to preventing disease, particularly chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and countless other conditions sweeping the globe like a modern day plague? Well, not so well. On this I think we can all agree.On that note, when was the last time your doctor focused his inquiry on things like increasing energy levels and general vitality, elevating mood, sustaining optimal body weight, or enhancing mental acuity and focus? Not recently I would imagine, if ever. He or she might advise you to reduce the stress in your life, “eat better” and/or “start taking care of yourself” — but these proclamations are rarely combined with an actual specific protocol to implement. And that, my friends is a shame.Dr. Lipman is working to break this paradigm. Early in his medical career, he began to see that the polarization between western modalities and other healing philosophies merely negated positive attributes of both. He began to see that true healing lay in a blend between the two. He now practices his unique method of what he calls “Good Medicine”, which merges the best of the west with many traditions more eastern or alternative in origin — a holistic form of medicine that is truly unique and integrative in its approach to patients. It's for this reason he has become the go-to, in-demand doctor for the celebrated — people like Donna Karan, Kevin Bacon, Gwenyth Paltrow, Peter Sarsgaard & Maggie Gyllenhaal.If pharmaceuticals are truly in order to rectify an acute medical issue, he is happy to prescribe. But disease management isn't what gets him out of bed every morning excited about life. Instead, it's taking the time to evaluate each patient as a complex web of interdependent systems, with a keen lens focused on disease prevention. The idea is to optimize the quality of his patients' lives through implementing techniques such as acupuncture; Chinese, herbal & functional medicine; nutrition; biofeedback; meditation; and yoga.When was the last time your doctor prescribed you to go to yoga? It's never happened to me, and I live in LA.In short, Dr. Lipman's ultimate goal for all his patients is simple: sustained, long-term, optimal wellness.Sustained, long-term, optimal wellness.If you know me, then you know I'm all about this subject. So it was an honor and a treat to sit down with Dr. Lipman in his office at Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in the Flatiron District of Manhattan — with its soothing meditation retreat / yoga studio vibe — where he generously offered up his perspective on medicine & the medical profession, nutrition & food allergies, and the types of things we can and should all focus on more intently if we want to maximize our “wellness” in the truest sense of this all-too often over-hyped word.I hope you enjoy the enlightening conversation. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. And don't forget to give Tyler — my trusty podcast producer and stepson — a nice shoutout for all his hard work not just putting today's show together, but for all his amazing original music compositions that accompany the interview. Thanks Ty!Enjoy!Rich

Straight up, this conversation encapsulates every aspiration I ever had for the show when I embarked upon this podcast journey a little over a year ago: inspiration, in the form of a relatable everyman guest sharing his personal story openly and honestly with absolute humility and a vulnerability that is rare in today's panoply of admirable role models.We get emotional. We get real. We get authentic. There's even a few tears. If you're not moved by Adam' story, then check yourself for a pulse.” Adam Scully-Power ? Never heard of him.”I get it. Adam certainly isn't a household name. But that’s a shame, because we need more guys like Adam. So I'm doing my part to help change that, because Adam's story is extraordinary. And one that needs to be more widely heard.I'll start off with this — talking to Adam was like staring in a mirror. Not because we look alike – we don't. But I have never met anyone with a story that so closely tracks the facts and emotions my own experience. In fact, it's downright eerie. So let's break it down.Much like me, Adam is a happily married family man and father of four.Much like me, Adam had a denial-snapping middle-aged come-to-Jesus moment of reckoning catalyzed by his ever-expanding waistline, quickly deteriorating energy levels and dissatisfaction with his overworked, all-too-sedentary corporate lifestyle.Much like me, Adam turned to his health-conscious wife for a little guidance, who at the time had been experimenting — and finding success — with a plant-based way of eating.Much like me, and with nothing to lose, Adam decided to give this insane idea of just eating plants a whirl.Here's the Cliff Notes on what happens next: Adam's energy levels explode. Almost overnight, the extra pounds around Adam's waist melt away, seemingly without effort. With a vitality he could not previously recall, and for the first time in years, Adam resumes a modest fitness program to burn off all the extra energy coursing through his veins. But incapable of contentedness with “the occasional jog” Adam instead sets his sights higher. So high, in fact, he becomes determined to achieve his own personal impossible.Overwhelmed by the tragedy of last year's Boston Marathon, driven by an undeniable primal urge to test the outer limits of his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual limits, and propelled by a series of eerie, impossibly synchronistic and equally improbable events — including an image texted to him by his friend David Green from the Boston Marathon finish line that led to the capture of bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — last summer Adam lined up to attempt the unimaginable. An unprecedented 163-mile run across the entire state of Massachusetts.Adam accomplished this feat. Not in spite of his plant-based diet, but because of his plant-based diet. A feat made all the more remarkable because it occurred only one year subsequent to his epiphanic, life-changing moment of reckoning.To be sure, Adam Scully-Power's story of life transformation is nothing short of miraculous. An extraordinary journey that didn't just repair his health and resolve his waistline dilemma, but instead resulted in astonishing heights of accomplishment he could have never previously imagined in his wildest fantasy. A story of such dramatic life transformation you will be left in tears — and beyond inspired.Of course, not all of us have the desire to test ourselves as ultrarunners. That's not the point. What's important is the power that resides within all of us to change, achieve and be so much more than we think we can. Inside all of us resides a better,

American Ninja Warrior. Calisthenics freak. Battlebar champion. Muscle Beach staple. Parkour artist. Spiritual crusader. Social entrepreneur.These are just a few labels we can attach to the badass known as Travis Brewer. But what is truly inspiring about this airborne athlete with a conscience is his mission to live life to the fullest. Catalyzing positive impact through movement to make the world a better place. And inspire others to become more of who they are.For Travis, it's an inside job. His ability to walk through fear, break barriers, push past physical, mental and emotional plateaus to perform the impossible with death-defying body movement begins and ends with one thing – his devotion to spirituality & meditation.Today Julie and I sit down with Travis to explore the boundaries of human potential – both athletic and beyond the monkey bars; what it truly means to unlock the best of who you are; the crucial extent to which devotion, spirituality and meditation play into his holistic health and peak performance equation; and how he pursues happiness and life satisfaction through service to others.Travis is a fascinating, insightful, considerate and contemplative young man with big dreams for the future of youth, health, movement and entrepreneurship. It was an honor to have him spend an evening with our family, and I'm thrilled to share this conversation with you.Enjoy!Rich

What do you do when your twelve-year-old son announces he’s going to run across America?That's the dilemma Brett & Kris Wilcox faced, hoping that in time their son David would simply forget about his crazy idea —“it's a phase….he'll grow out of this fantasy eventually……right?”Well, David refused to let up. In fact, he doubled down. On the heels of becoming the fastest freshman cross country runner in his region of Alaska, David became more determined than ever to become the 2nd 15-year old ever to complete a transcontinental run.Needless to say, his parents had a decision to make – quash their son's dream, or dig deep to help make it happen. I am happy to say they chose the latter. And on January 18, 2014, David and his father — supported by his mother Kris and 13-year old sister Olivia — began their coast-to-coast attempt, launching from Huntington Beach, CA en route to Washington, D.C.David has his motivations. But in order to run alongside his son, Brett needed his own.As a Licensed Professional Counselor, Brett has spent his career helping people heal from the poison and pain they’ve endured at the hands of bullies and batterers. Now, he's turned his attention to global bullies—bullies like the giant chemical companies that poison the Earth, our political processes and our agricultural system. The author of We're Monsanto: Feeding the World Lie After Lie*, Brett knows a thing or two about GMO's, the ills of factory farming, the depletion of our soil, and the future of food.So Brett — and David — are running across America to say enough is enough. And during the course of our conversation we dig deep into these issues — what exactly these companies are doing to our food system, why we should care, and what we can do about it.It's a fascinating conversation and one I am proud to share with you. What this humble family has set out to accomplish is extraordinary. But they can't do it alone. Every great accomplishment requires the support of a great team. They need all the help they can get. So let's be that team for them. Towards that end, I implore you to visit their Indiegogo fundraising page and — if it feels right to you — consider contributing to their mission and advocacy — a cause that affects us all, irrespective of dietary preference, geographical location or political prediliction.I hope you enjoy the conversation!RichNOTE: Unfortunately we did experience some audio quality issues with the recording. Just when I think I have this whole thing figured out! Something about my mic being too hot and the others lower. I don't know. Tyler worked really hard to clean it up, but it's not perfect. Hope it's not too distracting, and all I can say is that I will continue to try harder, learn and do better. Give Tyler a shoutout in the comments below, he's doing a great job as my producer. And all the music cues are his own original compositions.

Matt is a cool dude. Can't believe it took the podcast for us to finally meet in person.Not only do we have plenty of common points of interest and intersection — plant-based nutrition, eating for performance and ultra-endurance athletics topping the list — Matt knows from whence he comes.With a Nutritional Science degree from Pennsylvania State University and a Public Health Nutrition degree from Loma Linda University (yes – that “Blue Zone*” Loma Linda where everyone eats plants and lives like forever – don't worry we get into this), as well as certification as a Registered Dietitian ( the only professional nutrition credential available ), Matt has distinguished himself as a leading expert in the field of vegan nutrition.In addition to working one-on-one with clients and athletes, Matt is the Past-Chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , and co-authored both the No Meat Athlete book with RRP #54 guest Matt Frazier and the best-selling cookbook Appetite for Reduction* with Isa Moskowitz. In his spare time, Matt is an accomplished athlete who races marathons, iron-man triathlons, 200+ mile cycling events and 24-hour races (see full athletic resume ).During the course of our conversation we dig into all of it – the paleo vs. vegan “debate”, how to eat for ultra-endurance performance, modern advocacy in the world of our broken food system, and how corporate interests use marketing to obfuscate fact, undermine informed consent and confuse consumer choice.But quite possibly the most impressive thing about Matt? He lives in Southern California yet refuses to own a car. Now that is commitment.Listen with an open mind, and may the conversation raise the vibration & inspire your best self. Enjoy!Rich

People ask me all the time, “Who inspires you, Rich?”For the most part, the people that inspire me are people you've never heard of. Everyman guys like Josh LaJaunie who toil tirelessly yet essentially anonymously to actualize profound personal change. The single dad working two jobs that still finds a way to lose 50 pounds, get off his statin medication and run his first 10K. Or the soldier stationed in the Middle East doing his best to eat plant-based despite confronting tremendous daily obstacles.Then there are guys like Charlie.The story of Charlie Engle first found it's way into my consciousness back around 2006 or 2007. I still vividly recall hearing Charlie relate the facts of his experience in a radio interview he did with a host I cannot recall. What I do recall is just how moved I was by his journey. A story that didn't just click with me, but one I related to with every fiber of who I am.Addict. Alcoholic. Sober. Ultrarunner. Father. Felon. Inspiration.Charlie is a man of very high highs and very low lows. A man with addiction and athletic stories of Gilgamesh proportions that make Finding Ultra sound like pre-school recess. An alcoholic crack addict essentially living out of his car, it took gunshots in his Toyota 4-Runner and the birth of his son in 1992 to finally get sober. Ultrarunning became the focus of his affections, an affair that took him to stunning heights and accolades, the nadir being an unprecedented 111-day run across the Sahara Desert with compadres Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin — a feat chronicled in the Matt Damon narrated documentary entitled Running the Sahara.Life was pretty good. Certainly not entirely balanced, but hey, nobody's perfect. He had done some amazing things. Maybe he had a shot at some modicum of happiness after all.Then came quite possibly the most improbable, unpredictable challenge he could ever imagine facing. A saga with all the trappings of a bad B-movie. An obsessed local IRS agent illogically hell-bent on justice. Wire taps. Garbage probes. And the requisite wily female dispatched to enchant and entrap. A saga culminating in a federal conviction for mortgage fraud for misstating income on so-called “liar loan” documents (something hundreds of thousands of people did), Charlie heads to Beckley Federal Prison in West Virginia. A poster child for everything awry with the mortgage backed security crisis and fallout of recent years, Charlie serves 16 months.How do you survive something like that?And yet Charlie comes out the other side not just intact, but quite possibly more whole than when he entered. A man changed by the experience, but maybe more attuned to what really matters.And a man running better than ever. Just one year after his release, Charlie returned to the Badwater 135 to clock a 5th place finish and break the master's world record by over 3 hours. Next up? Aside from getting married this weekend, Charlie will attempt to run across the United States faster than any human being ever has previously. A feat he calls Run 2 Boston, Charlie and wheelchair athlete extraordinaire André Kajlic will line up at the LA Marathon on March 9, complete the 26.2 miles and then just keep going. And going. Until they reach Boston, where they will run that marathon. All in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the victim's of last year...Read more HERE.Enjoy!Rich