The Unmistakable Creative Podcast
The Unmistakable Creative Podcast, hosted by Srinivas Rao, offers timeless practical wisdom for living a meaningful life. Each episode features inspiring stories and actionable advice from creatives, entrepreneurs, change-makers, and rebels who have achieved success on their own terms. Listeners hear deeply personal conversations with leading thinkers, bestselling authors, artists, psychologists, and even former bank robbers. The show aims to help people overcome feeling stuck, unlock creativity, and find greater purpose in their careers and lives. It also promotes the Unmistakable Collective, a membership community for writers, bloggers, podcasters, and content creators.
Episodes
Holly Shaw: Discovering Your Creative DNA and the Magic of Performance
Holly Shaw, performer and coach, discusses how she discovered her creative DNA through a lifelong relationship with performance—from childhood dancing at jazz concerts to conquering stage fright with an acting coach. She explores how creatives can uncover their unique wiring, treat intuition as a compass rather than a map, and why physical embodiment is the missing piece in the creative conversati
Bret Lockett: Why Tom Brady Outperforms Athletes With More Natural Talent
Former NFL player Bret Lockett breaks down the mindset gap between athletes who flame out and those who build sustainable careers, using Tom Bradys systematic approach as the benchmark. The conversation covers the financial traps that bankrupt 80% of NFL players, the cognitive vs physical divide in professional sports, and why most athletes lack the business literacy to translate athletic success
Andrew Thorp King: Why Safety Is an Illusion and Failure Is the Point
Andrew Thorp King, author of Failure Rules, shares how losing everything multiple times taught him that safety is an illusion and failure is the true teacher. He discusses the spiritual nature of money, the portfolio pursuits mindset, and why building multiple things creates resilience against life inevitable breakdowns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bent Flyvbjerg: Why Big Projects Fail and How to Build Like Pixar
Mega-project expert Bent Flyvbjerg breaks down why 99.5% of large projects fail on time and budget, drawing on 25 years of data. He reveals the planning principles that Frank Gehry and Pixar use to deliver world-class results—think slow, act fast, and iterate relentlessly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alan Stein Jr: What Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant Taught Me About Sustained Performance
Performance coach Alan Stein Jr shares lessons from training NBA legends like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. He discusses the fundamentals that separate elite performers, why he does not let his kids win at games, the danger of measuring success by outcomes vs process, and why the unseen hours of practice matter more than highlights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The 3-Minute Rule: How to Pitch Any Idea and Get What You Want
Brant Pinvidic, Hollywood producer and author of The 3 Minute Rule, shares how he accidentally discovered his pitch methodology after being asked to help investment bankers stop putting people to sleep. He breaks down the WHAC method (What is it, How does it work, Are you sure, Can you do it), explains the critical difference between informative and engaging content, and demonstrates his framework
Annie Murphy Paul: Why Your Best Thinking Happens Outside Your Head
Science journalist Annie Murphy Paul explains her theory of the Extended Mind - how we think better when we use our bodies, environments, and relationships rather than keeping everything in our heads. The conversation covers gesture and memory, why big screens beat laptops for creative work, the neuroscience of exercise, and how physical spaces shape intelligent thinking. Hosted on Acast. See acas
Allison Schrager: The Economics of Risk, Uncertainty, and Making Better Decisions
Economist Allison Schrager, author of An Economist Walks into a Brothel, discusses the psychology of risk tolerance through her framework of financial economics. She explores how our high school social choices reveal risk preferences, the difference between calculated risks and reckless ones, and why taking more risks often leads to becoming better at evaluating them. The conversation covers risk
The Science of Deliberate Practice with Anders Ericsson
Anders Ericsson, the pioneering researcher behind deliberate practice, explains the essential components of purposeful learning and skill development. He discusses how teachers help identify performance gaps, why measuring progress against clear benchmarks is crucial, and the difference between mindless repetition and intentional practice designed to push beyond your current best. Hosted on Acast.
Ben Guttmann: Why Simple Messages Win in a Noisy World
Marketing professor and author Ben Guttmann explains why we over-complicate our messaging and how to apply design principles to communicate with clarity. He breaks down the drill-built method for identifying emotional benefits, shares his controversial take on AI as unlimited stupid people, and reveals why features never sell but benefits always do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more
Bruce Lipton: Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind and the Biology of Belief
Cell biologist Bruce Lipton explores how subconscious programming shapes our lives, explaining the science behind beliefs and habits. He discusses his research on epigenetics, how environment influences gene expression, and practical methods for reprogramming limiting beliefs installed during childhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Charles Duhigg: The Science of Becoming a Super Communicator
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Charles Duhigg breaks down the science of conversation and connection from his book Super Communicators. He explains why 80% of our conversations naturally align, how to use looping for understanding during conflict, and why super communicators ask 10-20x more questions than average. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tina Seelig: Why Getting an A Never Taught You to Think
Stanford professor Tina Seelig discusses how traditional education's obsession with grades and roadmaps kills creativity and curiosity. She shares her failure resume exercise, the dangers of pushing yourself past your limits, and how giving students $5 and two hours produced more innovative thinking than any lecture could. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chris Guillebeau: Finding What You Were Born to Do
Chris Guillebeau, author of Born For This and creator of World Domination Summit, discusses finding your dream work at the intersection of joy, money, and flow. He shares his journey from juvenile delinquent to visiting every country in the world, the role of believing in your own success, and how to curate experiences that bring out the best in your community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva
Brant Menswar: Finding Your Non-Negotiable Values as a Black Sheep
Brant Menswar explains why black sheep—those who feel like outcasts—are actually 100% authentically original. He shares his framework for discovering your five non-negotiable core values, the brutal self-honesty required to find them, and how losing his son to cancer clarified what truly matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brendan Donohue: Building the NBA 2K League from 72,000 Tryouts to Global Esports
The commissioner of the NBA 2K League shares how professional gaming has evolved from hobby to legitimate career path. Brendan discusses the league draft process, player development strategies, and why esports skills are more than just grinding hours—covering physical fitness, nutrition, and the emergence of esports schools in Asia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brad Montague: The Courage to Create Like a Kid
Brad Montague, creator of Kid President on YouTube, shares how his small-town upbringing and key mentors shaped his creative path. He opens up about working with his brother-in-law Robbie, protecting a child from the pressures of viral fame, and why maintaining childlike wonder is essential for authentic creative work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brad Pederson: How Toys, Failure, and Startup Santa Taught Him to Fail Forward
Toy entrepreneur Brad Pederson shares how building multiple toy companies and going through three bankruptcies taught him that struggles forge character. From launching a styrofoam glider as a kid to getting thrown into special loans by his bank, Brad unpacks why pride comes before the fall, how he learned to become antifragile rather than just resilient, and why courage is the cardinal virtue tha
Brian Portnoy: Why Being Wealthy Is Different from Being Rich
Brian Portnoy, author of The Geometry of Wealth, explains why the pursuit of more keeps us on a hedonic treadmill while true wealth means funded contentment. He breaks down his four Cs framework—connection, control, competence, and context—and shares how his experiences with billionaires and families struggling to make ends meet shaped his thinking about what money actually buys. Hosted on Acast.
Ayurveda, Daily Rituals, and Breaking Self-Destructive Patterns with Ananta Ripa Ajmera
Ananta Ripa Ajmera, author and Ayurveda expert, shares how ancient Indian wellness practices can help break negative patterns and build sustainable healthy habits. She discusses the importance of morning sun rituals, the three pillars of health (food, sleep, sex), and how small positive choices compound over time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Redefining Ambition: From Getting Ahead to Coming Alive
Amber Rae shares her mission to redefine ambition—shifting from fear-driven achievement to heart-led self-expression. She discusses her pivotal moment at 22 when she left a conventional tech job during the recession to pursue a more meaningful path, and shares tactics from her work as chief evangelist at startups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brad Stulberg: Mastering Change With Rugged Flexibility
Brad Stulberg returns to discuss his book Master of Change and the concept of rugged flexibility—combining stability with adaptability to navigate life's transitions. He shares practical frameworks like the 4Ps for managing daily disruptions and Viktor Frankl's tragic optimism for embracing life's inevitable challenges without falling into toxic positivity or despair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co
Shawn Dove: The Midwifery of Leadership and Black Male Achievement
Shawn Dove, founder of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, discusses how transformational leaders need support to birth their greatest work—using the metaphor of a doctor pulling his son from a breech delivery. The conversation explores race, media representation, economic mobility, and why those closest to problems hold the most innovative solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo
Ananta Ripa Ajmera: How Ayurveda Can Transform Your Daily Habits
Ananta Ripa Ajmera shares how ancient Ayurvedic wisdom can help break self-destructive patterns and build healthier daily habits. The conversation covers the three pillars of health—food, sleep, and sex—and practical morning rituals for connecting with natural rhythms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bob Gower: How to Recognize Toxic Charisma Before It Destroys You
Bob Gower, a former member of the organization One Taste, dissects the mechanics of toxic charisma in personal development. He explains how cult-like leaders exploit emotional immaturity and our desire to be fixed, and shares practical ways to recognize manipulation before it leads to heartbreak and exploitation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April Rinne: Thriving Through Change After Losing Both Parents at 20
After losing both parents in a car accident at age 20, April Rinne developed a framework for navigating constant change that became her book Flux. She discusses the eight superpowers for thriving in uncertainty—including running slower, seeing what is invisible, and letting go of the future—drawing from her work as a futurist and her deeply personal experience with loss. Hosted on Acast. See acast
Anna Lembke: Why Your Brain Mistakes Instagram for Heroin
Stanford addiction psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience of dopamine and why our brains respond to social media the same way they respond to drugs. Drawing from her book Dopamine Nation, she shares how a dopamine fast can reset reward pathways and why the solution requires both individual discipline and systemic change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andy Molinsky: The Three Cs That Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Brandeis professor Andy Molinsky breaks down the psychology of why we avoid challenging situations and shares his research-backed framework for pushing past fear. He discusses conviction, customization, and clarity as the keys to taking leaps that feel impossible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andrew Horn: Finding Your Grain of Truth Through Service and Emotional Mastery
Andrew Horn shares his journey from nightclub promoter to founder of Tribute and The Junto mens group. He discusses how a pivotal conversation with his father about pride led him to discover purpose through service, and explores how appreciation and emotional vulnerability create meaningful human connection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amy Edmondson: The Science of Failing Well and Why We Avoid Learning From Mistakes
Harvard professor Amy Edmondson breaks down the three types of failure—intelligent, basic, and complex—and why most of us never learn from them. She explores why kids lose their natural curiosity about failure as they grow up, how to design experiments that generate useful failures, and the systems thinking required to prevent cascading disasters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in
Amy Blankson: Five Strategies to Find Happiness in a Tech-Saturated World
Amy Blankson, happiness researcher and author of The Future of Happiness, explains how positive psychology can help us use technology intentionally rather than reactively. She shares practical strategies including tracking phone usage, leveraging wearables for self-awareness, and making conscious micro-decisions about when and why we use our devices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more
Alex Pang: Why Working Less Can Make You More Creative
Historian and futurist Alex Pang explains why history's most creative people worked in short, focused bursts and took their leisure seriously. He traces the science behind rest, walking, naps, and deep play as tools for creativity, drawing on everyone from Darwin to Stephen King. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
B. Jeffrey: Why Obsession Is the Hidden Cost of Building an Empire
B. Jeffrey, a teacher at Parsons School of Design and author of Creative Careers, discusses how to make a living from your ideas without chasing false definitions of success. He explores the difference between having a vision and proving a concept, why obsession is a necessary condition for building empires like Ralph Lauren or Apple, and how most creative people never ask themselves what success
David Allen: Why Your Brain is a Terrible Office
David Allen, creator of the Getting Things Done methodology, shares the unconventional path that led him from 35 jobs before 35, drug experimentation, and a childhood fascination with magic to becoming the godfather of modern productivity. He explains why your brain evolved for pattern recognition, not task management, and breaks down his capture-clarify-organize-reflect-engage framework. Hosted o
Dan Lerner: Why Your Character Strengths Matter More Than Your Skills
Dan Lerner teaches the Science of Happiness at NYU. He explains how to identify your signature strengths using the VIA assessment and why companies that emphasize character strengths see 73% employee engagement versus 9% for those focused on weaknesses. Includes a story about a lawyer who turned down a Fortune 100 job to join Jet.com as their 10th employee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f
Cyril Bouquet: How to Think Like an Alien to Unlock Creativity
Cyril Bouquet, professor at IMD Business School and lifelong immigrant, explains how creativity requires seeing the world with fresh eyes. He breaks down the ALIEN framework, an acronym for five lenses that help you escape conventional thinking and approach problems like someone from another planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brad Stulberg: Why Stability Comes from Changing, Not Resisting Change
Brad Stulberg returns to discuss his book Master of Change, exploring how the science of allostasis reveals that true stability comes from adapting rather than resisting. He shares practical frameworks like 2Ps vs 4Ps for handling daily disruptions and tragic optimism for navigating life's bigger changes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AJ Leon: The Defiance That Shapes a Life Worth Living
AJ Leon shares how losing his father at 14 and growing up marginalized shaped his philosophy of defiance over courage. He discusses the Ms. Mitchell moment that catalyzed his career, why context matters when processing grief, and the deliberate thoughtfulness behind building Misfit Inc into a collection of six companies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chase Jarvis: Creativity is a Birthright, Not a Gift
Chase Jarvis, founder of CreativeLive and author of Creative Calling, discusses why creativity is a practical skill everyone possesses from birth that gets systematically suppressed by education and culture. He breaks down his IDEA framework for unlocking creative potential and building a life around the work you were meant to do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Adam Gazzaley: Why Your Ancient Brain Struggles With Modern Tech
UCSF neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley explains the evolutionary mismatch between our attention systems and modern technology. He breaks down top-down vs bottom-up attention, the limits of cognitive control, and practical strategies for reclaiming focus in a distracted world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Austin Kleon: Transforming Disgust Into Art and the Power of Creative Maladjustment
Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist and Keep Going, returns to discuss how creative work emerges from deep dissatisfaction with the world rather than contentment. He explores why the metaphors we use for creativity matter, how quilting offers a better model than vandalism for making art, and why every book requires learning the craft all over again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Luke Burgis: Mimetic Desire, Fulfillment, and the Hidden Forces That Shape What We Want
Author and entrepreneur Luke Burgis joins us to explore the invisible architecture of human desire — and how understanding it can radically change our choices, ambitions, and sense of self. Drawing on his book *Wanting* and the mimetic theory of René Girard, Burgis unpacks how most of what we "want" is shaped not by independent reasoning, but by models — people we unconsciously imitate.From adoles
Kristin Neff: The Science and Practice of Self-Compassion
Kristin Neff, pioneering researcher and author of *Self-Compassion*, shares a groundbreaking case for why treating ourselves with kindness isn’t indulgent — it’s essential. Drawing on decades of academic research and personal reflection, Neff outlines how self-compassion transforms mental health, resilience, motivation, and even our relationship to ambition.The conversation spans parenting, educat
Kate Peterson: Redefining Success and What It Means to Live a Good Life
Kate Peterson, artist and author, shares her journey from chasing Instagram validation to defining success on her own terms. After spending 10 months in Greece, she realized that achievement itself was hollow—what mattered was building a life where small joys like pastries and coffee became the reward, not just checkpoints on a path to something else. Peterson explores how growing up across cultur
Kamal Ravikant: Rewiring Your Mind Through the Practice of Self-Love
Kamal Ravikant, author of "Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It," breaks down the neuroscience and daily practice of self-love as a transformative mental discipline. Drawing from his own journey through depression, Kamal explains how thoughts are just old mental loops running on autopilot, how we can consciously rewrite painful memories by changing their emotional charge, and why self-forgiv
Justin Connor: The Lungs Hold Grief and Why Workaholism Is Both Saving Grace and Achilles Heel for Filmmakers
Justin Connor, filmmaker and musician behind The Golden Age, shares how his saxophonist father and jazz-loving parents never encouraged music yet inadvertently programmed workaholism into his DNA—a double-edged sword that became both his greatest asset for wearing multiple hats on independent films and his potential downfall requiring hard drive reformatting of his life. Connor reveals how cigaret
Jim Kwik: Unlocking Limitless Learning and Why Your Brain is Not Fixed
Jim Kwik, brain performance expert and author of Limitless, reveals how a childhood brain injury transformed him from the kid with the broken brain into one of the world leading authorities on accelerated learning and memory. Drawing from his immigrant parents sacrifices and his own journey through learning disabilities, Jim breaks down the three forces that limit us mindset, motivation, and metho
Vanessa Van Edwards: From Student Council Nerd to Decoding Human Behavior
Vanessa Van Edwards, behavioral researcher and author, traces her expertise in human behavior back to being a highly neurotic student council nerd with few friends in high school. That discomfort zone became her comfort zone—teaching, conferences, and analyzing how people communicate. Van Edwards breaks down nonverbal communication patterns, micro-expressions, charisma signals, and what research r
Tiago Forte: Building a Second Brain After Five Schools Taught Him to Be a Chameleon
Tiago Forte, creator of the Second Brain methodology, shares how attending five different schools in five consecutive years obliterated his social circles and forced him to become a chameleon—crossing between student government, cross country, French club, and chess nerds. This adaptability became the foundation for his work on knowledge management and building systems that work across contexts. F
Susan Magsamen: Your Brain on Art and the Neuroscience of Creativity
Susan Magsamen, author of Your Brain on Art, explores creativity through neuroscience rather than philosophy or technique. Born to working-class parents who never attended college—her father worked his way up from nurseries to insurance executive—Magsamen learned management and relentless work ethic early. She explains how art and creative engagement physically change brain structure, why aestheti
Robin Dellabough: From Supporting Others' Creativity to Claiming Your Own
Robin Dellabough, writer and editor, shares her unconventional journey from growing up in a bohemian Greenwich Village household to spending decades supporting other people's creativity. Raised by beatnik parents who gave her the confidence to try anything, she hitchhiked Europe at 17, lived in a Hawaiian treehouse, worked as a theater stage manager, and ghostwrote books—all while her own creative
Rob Bloom: How Stuttering Forced Creative Problem-Solving and Authenticity
Rob Bloom, creative director for Universal theme parks, shares his journey living with a stutter that shaped his entire life and career. He reveals how hiding his stutter for 30 years meant ordering food he didn't want, watching movies he didn't choose, and avoiding authentic self-expression. Paradoxically, stuttering forced him to become creative early—making videos for school presentations inste
Rich Karlgaard: Why Late Bloomers Win in a Culture Obsessed with Early Achievement
Rich Karlgaard, author of Late Bloomers, dismantles the toxic narrative that success must come early. Drawing from his father's reinvention in his 30s and his own struggles after college, he explains why our obsession with early achievement is detrimental to people who develop at different paces. Karlgaard analyzes the college admissions scandal as a symptom of parental pressure, explores how comp
Rebecca Beltran: Redefining Intimacy Through Sex-Positive Courtesanship
Rebecca Beltran shares her unconventional journey from polyamory to becoming a courtesan, challenging cultural stigma around sex work and intimacy. She reveals that her work is primarily about connection and being truly seen—not just physical encounters. Rebecca explains how religious Puritanism shapes American attitudes toward sexuality, why younger men in their 20s and 30s are now seeking her se
Jenny Blake: Free Time, Time-to-Revenue Ratios, and Rejecting the "Time Is Money" Myth
Jenny Blake, author of "Free Time," reveals how her father—an architect who gives ruthless editorial feedback with his "WKIYB" abbreviation (we know it’s your book)—taught her to eliminate unnecessary qualifiers and strengthen her writing. Drawing from her experience creating a paid family newsletter at age 11 with 50 subscribers, Blake has always been entrepreneurial, guided by her mother’s lesso
Marc Elliott: How Media Narratives Shape Truth and the Untold Side of NXIVM
Marc Elliott shares his controversial perspective on NXIVM, arguing that media narratives have distorted the truth about Keith Raniere and the organization. Living with severe Tourette syndrome for 20 years, Elliott found relief through NXIVM techniques when traditional medical approaches failed. He challenges the dominant narrative by examining inconsistencies in accusers stories, questioning the
Luvvie Ajayi Jones: Professional Troublemaking and the Power of Making Good Trouble
Luvvie Ajayi Jones challenges the cultural expectation that harmony is more important than justice. As a professional troublemaker, she argues that speaking up in rooms where bad ideas or unjust systems persist is not just necessary—it is our responsibility. Drawing from her Nigerian heritage and her grandmother's fearless example, Luvvie explores how we've been conditioned to shrink ourselves, hi
Peter Krask: From PhD Dropout to Hollywood Producer—Building Myth Merchant and Finding Creative Freedom
Peter Krask, creator of Myth Merchant and former Hollywood producer, shares his journey from quitting grad school to producing reality TV to building a business around storytelling and mythology. After realizing a PhD wasn't his path, Krask dove into the entertainment industry, learning the business side of creativity—budgets, staff, international shipping, and legitimacy through visibility. He ex
Oliver Burkeman: Why Positive Thinking Fails and the Paradox of Pursuing Happiness
Oliver Burkeman, author of "The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking," dismantles the self-help industry's obsession with optimism and goal-setting. Raised as a Quaker with pro-social parents, Burkeman explores why chasing happiness often makes us miserable, how negative visualization (imagining worst-case scenarios) builds resilience, and why acceptance of uncertainty
Michelle Gielan: How Small Shifts in Communication Create Big Changes in Happiness and Resilience
In this powerful conversation, former CBS news anchor and positive psychology researcher Michelle Gielan unpacks how we can rewire our communication habits to shape more resilient, empowered, and optimistic lives — both personally and collectively. Drawing on research from her book *Broadcasting Happiness*, Gielan shows how small shifts in the way we speak, frame problems, and open conversations h
Breaking Free from the Plan: How Decision Engineering Can Transform Your Life with Michelle Florendo
Michelle Florendo shares her journey from following the immigrant dream of Stanford, an MBA, and a "good job" to discovering she was miserable and needed to chart her own path. As a decision engineering expert, she reveals the three essential elements of every decision (options, objectives, and information), explains why we confuse decision quality with outcome quality, and shares how embracing un
Justin McRoberts: Mortality, Meaning, and Giving Away Everything You've Got
Justin McRoberts, musician, pastor, and author of "It's What You Make of It," shares how confronting death early in life shaped his approach to creativity and faith. Having attended over 20 funerals by age 25, McRoberts explains why understanding mortality is essential to living fully and why the cultural narrative of imperviousness keeps people from taking creative risks. He explores how opportun
Jeff Wald: Navigating the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Why Personal Responsibility Defines the Future of Work
Jeff Wald, author of The End of Jobs and CEO of WorkMarket, examines how robots and AI are creating the fourth industrial revolution—a massive power shift from workers to companies that mirrors past technological upheavals. Drawing from labor history, on-demand platforms, and regulatory battles like California Prop 22, Wald reveals why the lifetime employment contract was always a myth with averag
Jeff Spencer: The Champion Blueprint and the Eight Inevitable Steps to Peak Performance
Jeff Spencer, former Olympic cyclist and performance coach to Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, and Olympic gold medalists, breaks down the precise architecture of champion-level achievement. From losing his father at age 10 to competing in the Munich Olympics to coaching nine Tour de France victories, Jeff reveals the eight sequential steps every prolific performer navigates: prepare, perform, achiev
Jason Naylor: The Psychology of Color and Why Bright Hues Unlock Positivity, Memory, and Human Connection
Jason Naylor, artist and author of Live Life Colorfully, shares how growing up as the second of seven children in a Mormon family in Salt Lake City shaped his caretaker personality and his eventual escape to New York where he discovered creative liberation. Naylor reveals the symbiotic relationship between color and messaging in his work—the more positive and uplifting his messages became, the mor
Jacob Sager Weinstein: The Memory Palace Method and Why You Cannot Synthesize What You Do Not Remember
Jacob Sager Weinstein, comedy writer for Dennis Miller and author of How to Remember Everything, shares how growing up in privileged Washington DC where the vice president's daughter was in his debate club gave him confidence to walk into any room but delayed his understanding that not everyone has equal access to opportunity until he reached Princeton. Weinstein reveals how writing for Dennis Mil
Hillary Weiss: The Danger of Just Mindset and Why Imitation Is a Trap for Finding Your Golden Thread
Hillary Weiss, brand strategist and positioning coach, reflects on growing up in suburban South Florida where attending the same school for 14 years meant everyone remembered who peed their pants in pre-K yet created lifelong friendships that watched her evolve from emo to punk rock to professional white woman. Weiss challenges the dangerous mindset mantra in entrepreneurship, arguing that privile
Gautum Mukunda: The Paradox of Leader Selection and Why Unfiltered Presidents Are a Dangerous Gamble
Gautum Mukunda, Harvard professor and author of Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter, reveals the paradox at the heart of leadership selection: the more effort you put into picking a leader, the less it matters who you pick. Drawing from decades of presidential history, Mukunda introduces the concept of filtered versus unfiltered leaders—George H.W. Bush represents the filtered ideal with 44
Cal Newport: Why Social Media Is Big Tobacco Not Big Oil and the Steam Whistle Theory of Attention
Cal Newport, computer science professor and author of Digital Minimalism, argues that the better analogy for social media is not big oil that must be broken up because it's vital to society but big tobacco that must be culturally rejected because it's unhealthy and dispensable—people don't care if you tell them to leave Facebook for six months but petroleum deprivation changes lives. Newport revea
Cal Newport: Cognitive Athleticism and Why Elite Performers Protect Their Attention
Computer science professor and bestselling author Cal Newport explains why cognitive fitness matters as much as physical fitness for elite performance. Drawing from his work with NBA teams and hedge fund managers, Newport breaks down the connection between attention control and exceptional achievement. He challenges the myth that social media grows your audience, revealing that craft—not constant
Ethan Kross: Mastering Your Inner Voice Before It Masters You
Psychologist and bestselling author Ethan Kross breaks down the science of *chatter*—the internal voice that can either empower or paralyze us. Drawing on decades of research in neuroscience and emotion regulation, Kross explains how introspection, while powerful, can often backfire, leading to rumination, anxiety, and impaired performance.In this conversation, Kross explores how our inner voices
Eric Barker: The Science of Relationships and Why Playing Well with Others Matters More Than You Think
Eric Barker, bestselling author of Barking Up the Wrong Tree and Plays Well with Others, reveals what decades of social science research says about relationships, friendship, love, and meaning. From his journey through Hollywood screenwriting to the video game industry to running one of the most-read personal development blogs, Eric explains his obsession with translating peer-reviewed research in
Brea Starmer: Redefining Work Around Highest and Best Use, Not Hours Logged
Brea Starmer, founder of Lions and Tigers, challenges the outdated workplace model that measures face time over impact. Drawing from her experience as a mother of three running a company during COVID-19, she introduces the concept of "highest and best use"—a real estate framework adapted to human potential that prioritizes outcomes over hours logged. Starmer reveals why 11.5 million workers quit t
Dylan Beynon: Building Mindbloom and the Science of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
Dylan Beynon, founder of Mindbloom, shares the deeply personal story behind building the first at-home ketamine therapy platform. After losing his mother and sister to severe mental illness, Dylan became determined to bring psychedelic medicine into mainstream healthcare. He explains the neuroscience of how ketamine creates neuroplasticity—allowing the brain to rewire itself—and why these treatmen
Douglass Vigliotti: Wrestling with Conviction and Why Creative Work Demands Uncomfortable Honesty
Douglass Vigliotti, author and creative, explores the tension between doubt and conviction that defines the creative process. Drawing from his parents, his father relentless drive and his mother empathy, Douglass reflects on what it means to pursue creative work when society constantly asks if you want more. This conversation examines the uncomfortable questions creatives must answer about their w
Donny Jackson: The Internalized Stains of Slavery and Why Empathy Cannot Develop Without Interaction Across Racial Lines
Donny Jackson, poet and psychologist, reflects on growing up as a working-class black kid in Pittsburgh where his father was a postal worker for 35 years and his mother was a nurse's aide—parents who instilled work ethic, integrity, and honor while navigating a world not built for young black children. Jackson traces the roots of American racism to the legacy of slavery where black people started
Bjorn Ryan-Gorman: Coming Out as Gay in the Snowboarding World and Reclaiming Masculinity on Your Own Terms
Bjorn Ryan-Gorman, professional snowskater and LGBTQ+ advocate, shares his journey from hiding his sexuality behind aggressive board sports to building a life of authenticity in Portland. Growing up in Montana as a sponsored snow athlete, Ryan-Gorman used snowboarding and skateboarding as outlets for self-hatred and denial, pushing himself to dangerous extremes before hearing a podcast that change
David Epstein: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
David Epstein, author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, dismantles the myth that early specialization is the only path to excellence. Drawing from research on elite athletes, musicians, and scientists, David reveals how individual variability in learning means there is no one-size-fits-all approach to skill development. He reframes the Tiger Woods and Mozart narratives, sho
Ayelet Fishbach: The Science of Motivation, Why Fantasies Fail, and Balancing Abstract Goals with Concrete Plans
Ayelet Fishbach, motivation researcher at University of Chicago, dismantles the fantasy-driven approach to New Year's resolutions and goal-setting. Drawing from data spanning multiple years, she reveals that while temporal landmarks like New Year work for initiating goals, only 20% of people still pursue them by November—the difference comes down to whether you're fantasizing or planning. Fishbach
Daniel Stillman: The Architecture of Conversations and Why Every Interface Shapes What We Say
Daniel Stillman, author of Good Talk: How to Design Conversations That Matter, reveals how conversations are designed—whether we realize it or not. Drawing from his background in design thinking and facilitation, Daniel breaks down the components of conversational architecture: openings, turns, power dynamics, and interfaces. He explains why physical and digital spaces fundamentally alter what con
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紐約鳥｜New York Aperture
The Swerve Podcast: Obscure Topics | Conspiracy Theories
The Bread and Banter Podcast
The Church of What's Happening Now: The New Testament
Busted Open
Deadline: White House
Panda Show - Picante
