The One You Feed

In this episode, Anne-Laure Le Cunff, discusses how to go from procrastination to action using the power of tiny experiments. Most advice about self-improvement assumes you know where you’re going, but what if you don’t? Anne-Laure suggests that’s not a flaw, it’s actually the starting point. Her new book, Tiny Experiments, offers a way to explore change without chasing outcomes. In our conversation, we talk about curiosit...

In this episode, Taylor Jacobson discusses the hidden cause of procrastination and how to finally move forward in your life. He explores how transformation rarely feels graceful, how repressed emotions shape our behavior, and what it takes to live a life true to your inner compass. It’s a vulnerable, grounded conversation about fear, reinvention, and creating space for what you actually want to give to the world.

For the fi...

In this episode, Sarah Gormley discusses the quiet pain of self-loathing and finding the courage to face it. Sarah had it all – a thriving corporate career, success, and admiration. But beneath was a quiet, relentless self-loathing she couldn’t shake. In her memoir, The Order of Things, Sarah shares the profound turning point at 40 when she finally asked, is this how it’s going to feel forever? She unpacks why therapy isn’...

In this episode, Tali Sharot explains why we stop noticing what matters and how to start feeling alive again. She describes what habituation is and how our minds normalize what once moved us. Tali also explores ways that we can reawaken joy, purpose, and even moral clarity. It’s an eye-opening look at the subtle ways we lose and then can reclaim our aliveness.

Feeling stuck? It could be one of the six saboteurs of self...

You're doing everything right, staying productive, chasing growth, keeping up. But what if the discomfort you feel isn't a sign that you need to do more, but a signal to let go? In this episode, Charlie Gilkey and I explore the Tao Te Ching, which is one of my favorite books of all time, but not as a relic from the past, but as a guide for navigating the speed and complexities of modern life, including the rise of AI.We ta...

What if the very thing that gives your life meaning is also what's burning you out? That's the paradox. Leah Weiss found herself in teaching compassionate leadership at Stanford. Working with organizations inspired by the Dalai Lama. Doing the kind of work most of us dream of. And yet she was falling apart. In today's conversation, we unpacked the silent erosion of self that can happen even when everything looks right on t...

What do a fine dining maitre d. A magician burying cards in a backyard and a toddler looking for Elsa have in common? They all show us that magic still exists. If we’re willing to care more, than seems reasonable. In this episode, Will Guidara, who’s a former co-owner of 11 Madison Park, which was once named the best restaurant in the world, the author of Unreasonable Hospitality and advisor on the hit series The Bear, sha...

In part one of this two-part conversation, we walked along the edge of paradox where effort gives way to ease and the search itself becomes the obstacle. In this second part of my conversation with Zen teacher Henry Shukman, the way begins to reveal itself, not as something we grasp, but something we live. We talk about awakening, the collapse of separation, and what it means to encounter reality directly beyond language, ...

In this episode, Henry Shukman discusses how to embrace the chaos and find clarity through meditation while exploring themes of self-development and self-love. Henry emphasizes the balance between effort and acceptance in spiritual practice, highlighting the interplay between sudden insights (satori) and gradual progress. He also discuss the importance of understanding one’s motivation for meditation and how a clear “why” ...

In this episode, Ryan Holiday explores navigating fear and hope and the everyday courage that shapes our lives. He unpacks how to confront our fears and how we need to do so, over and over. With great stories and insights, we are reminded that we don’t have to be fearless, we just have to begin.

Key Takeaways:

• The concept of courage and its significance in everyday life.
• The relationship between courage and fear, incl...

In this episode, Debbie Millman explores how we can use failure as fertilizer and learn to bloom again. Debbie's book and this conversation is about more than just gardening tips or tools, it's about what happens when we let ourselves be bad at something, especially later in life. Debbie opens up about learning to grow and why failure might be the richest soil we have. Whether you've ever felt stuck, afraid to try, or unsu...

In this episode, Dr. Dixon Chibanda explores from benches to breakthroughs: a new approach to mental health. He explains why storytelling, radical empathy, and solving daily-life problems often outperform medication-first approaches; how three simple steps—opening the mind, uplifting, strengthening—turn elders into community healers; and why hope, not symptom checklists, is the truest measure of success. Along the way, you...

In this episode, Martha Beck explores how to move beyond anxiety and how curiosity turns fear into fuel. Martha dives into why anxiety can’t simply be silenced. It has to be replaced with things like creativity, curiosity, and a deep kindness towards ourselves.

Key Takeaways:

• Discussion of anxiety versus fear and their psychological implications.

• Exploration of societal factors contributing to increased anxiety lev...

In this episode, Caroline Williams shares how moving your body can free your mind as she dives into the surprising science of movement and mental health. Caroline spent years studying the brain until she realized she was ignoring half the equation. She explains how movement of all kinds, walking, stretching, dancing, and even laughter can reshape our emotional landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• The connection between physical ...

In this episode, Josh Radnor discusses the messy parts of life and embracing imperfection and growth. Josh Radnor explains how, even outward success, fame, acclaim, creative fulfillment isn’t enough to quiet the deeper battles within. He shares how real freedom comes not from achieving perfection, but from making peace with the messy, unfinished parts of ourselves. From navigating identity and public image to sitting in de...

In this episode, Laura McKowen explores why community and courage matter more than ever in making change in your life. She dives into the “messy midle” – theu ncertain space between giving up what umbs us and becoming someone new. She shares the story of the Luckiest Club, a global sobriety community.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding that real transformation is messy
• Learning how sobriety isn’t the finish line, but the st...

In this episode, David Whyte explores anxiety, beauty, and the unknown as a true map to emotional resilience. David shares how anxiety can be a doorway to deeper understanding and connection. He and Eric discuss the paradox of holding both joy and struggle, the surprising wisdom hidden in everyday emotions, and how poetry and language can bring us closer to the heart of life. This is an inspiring look at how we can build r...

This is a special episode from our archives with one of my favorite musicians, Mike Peters. Mike recently passed away, and this episode is more than a conversation; it’s a tribute to a beautiful soul. In our chat, we explored the idea of our lives being anthems; how defiance, hope, and inner strength were a soundtrack for his formative years, and later in life. This was an open-hearted talk about what it means to fight not...

In this episode, Brian Klaas explains the concept of whether things are a fluke or fate, and explores how embracing uncertainty can lead to a living a fuller life. Brian makes the case that randomness and chaos might be exactly what makes our lives matter so much, and how we tend to worship at the “Altar of Progress in the Church of Control.” We make plans, set goals, and these are good things, but we only have so much con...